03-02-04-牙齿和爪子 [1]
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In the shed that evening Conradin looked sadly at the empty corner where his chicken had lived． And， for the first time， he asked his ferret-god to do something for him．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'he said softly．
He did not say what he wanted． Sredni Vashtar was a god， after all． There is no need to explain things to gods．Then， with a last look at the empty corner， Conradin returned to the world that he hated．
And every night， in the shed and in his bedroom， Con radin repeated again and again．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar．'
So Conradin's visits to the shed continued． The aunt no ticed， and went to look in the shed again．
'What are you keeping in that locked box？' she asked．' I'm sure you're keeping an animal there． It's not good for you．
Conradin said nothing．
The aunt searched his bedroom until she found the key to the box． She marched down to the shed． It was a cold afternoon， and Conradin was forbidden to go outside． From the window of the dining－room Conradin could just see the door of the shed． He stood and waited．
He saw the aunt open the shed door． She went inside．Now， thought Conradin， she has found the box． She is opening the door， and feeling about inside the box where my god lives．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'said Conradin softly． But he said it without hope． She will win， he thought．She always wins． Soon she will come out of the shed and give her orders． Somebody will come and take my wonderful god away-not a god any more，just a brown ferret in a box．Then there will be nothing important in my life… The doctor will be right． I shall sicken and die． She will win． She always wins… In his pain and misery， Conradin began to sing the song of his god：
Sredni Vashtar went into battle．
His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white．
his enemies called for peace but be brought them death．
Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful．
Suddenly he stopped singing and went nearer to the window．The door of the shed was still open． Slowly， very slowly the minutes went by． Conradin watched the birds on the grass．He counted them， always with one eye on that open door． The unsmiling housekeeper came in with the tea things． Still Sonradin stood and watched and waited． Hope was growing，like a small， sick flower， in his heart． Very softly he sang his song again， and his hope grew and grew． And then he saw a very wonderful thing．
Out of the shed came a long， low， yellow－and－brown animal． There were red， wet stains around its mouth and neck．
'Sredni Vashtar！' said Conradin softly． The ferret－god made its way to the bottom of the garden． It stopped for a moment， then went quietly into the long grass and disappeared for ever．
'Tea is ready，' said the housekeeper． 'Where is your aunt？'
'She went down to the shed，' said Conradin．
And， while the housekeeper went down to call the aunt，Conradin took the toasting－fork out of the dining－room cupboard． He sat by the fire and toasted a piece of bread for himself． While he was toasting it and putting butter on it，Conradin listened to the noises beyond the dining room door．First there were loud screams-that was the housekeeper．Then there was the cook's answering cry．Soon there came the sound of several pairs of feet． They were carrying something heavy into the house．
'Who is going to tell that poor child？' said the housekeeper．
'Well， someone will have to，'answered the cook． And，while they were arguing， Conradin made himself another piece of toast．
■ 斯莱德尼·瓦什塔
康拉丁10岁，经常生病。
“这孩子不结实，”医生说，“他活不了太久。”但是医生不了解康拉丁的想像力。在康拉丁孤独无爱的世界里，他的想像力是唯一支撑他活着的东西。
康拉丁的父母已亡故，他和姑妈住在一起。姑妈不喜欢康拉丁，经常对他不好。康拉丁从心底里恨她，但是平静地服从她，而且毫无怨言地服药。多数时间他远离她。她在他的世界里没有一席之地。在姑妈单调不舒服的家里，他真正的日常生活狭窄无趣。但是在他又小又黑的脑袋里，活跃、思想在狂奔。在想像中的明快世界里，康拉丁健壮勇敢。这是一个美好的世界，姑妈被锁在了这个世界之外。
花园里不好玩，没有有趣的事情做。他被禁止摘花，被禁止吃果子，被禁止在草坪上玩耍。但是在一些树后，在花园一个被遗忘的角落有一个陈旧的小屋。
没人用这个小屋，康拉丁便把它据为己有。对他而言小屋成了一个介于游戏室和教堂的地方。他在其中装满了想像中的鬼怪和动物。但是里面也有两个活物。在一个角落有一只蓬头垢面的老母鸡。康拉丁没有什么人去爱，于是这只鸡成了他最好的朋友。在小屋靠后的一个黑暗秘密的地方有一只大木箱，它的前面横竖着一些铁条。在这木箱里有一只长着又长又危险的牙齿和爪子的大雪貂。康拉丁从住在村里的一个很友好的男孩那里买下了这只雪貂和箱子。这花掉了他所
In the shed that evening Conradin looked sadly at the empty corner where his chicken had lived． And， for the first time， he asked his ferret-god to do something for him．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'he said softly．
He did not say what he wanted． Sredni Vashtar was a god， after all． There is no need to explain things to gods．Then， with a last look at the empty corner， Conradin returned to the world that he hated．
And every night， in the shed and in his bedroom， Con radin repeated again and again．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar．'
So Conradin's visits to the shed continued． The aunt no ticed， and went to look in the shed again．
'What are you keeping in that locked box？' she asked．' I'm sure you're keeping an animal there． It's not good for you．
Conradin said nothing．
The aunt searched his bedroom until she found the key to the box． She marched down to the shed． It was a cold afternoon， and Conradin was forbidden to go outside． From the window of the dining－room Conradin could just see the door of the shed． He stood and waited．
He saw the aunt open the shed door． She went inside．Now， thought Conradin， she has found the box． She is opening the door， and feeling about inside the box where my god lives．
'Do one thing for me， Sredni Vashtar，'said Conradin softly． But he said it without hope． She will win， he thought．She always wins． Soon she will come out of the shed and give her orders． Somebody will come and take my wonderful god away-not a god any more，just a brown ferret in a box．Then there will be nothing important in my life… The doctor will be right． I shall sicken and die． She will win． She always wins… In his pain and misery， Conradin began to sing the song of his god：
Sredni Vashtar went into battle．
His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white．
his enemies called for peace but be brought them death．
Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful．
Suddenly he stopped singing and went nearer to the window．The door of the shed was still open． Slowly， very slowly the minutes went by． Conradin watched the birds on the grass．He counted them， always with one eye on that open door． The unsmiling housekeeper came in with the tea things． Still Sonradin stood and watched and waited． Hope was growing，like a small， sick flower， in his heart． Very softly he sang his song again， and his hope grew and grew． And then he saw a very wonderful thing．
Out of the shed came a long， low， yellow－and－brown animal． There were red， wet stains around its mouth and neck．
'Sredni Vashtar！' said Conradin softly． The ferret－god made its way to the bottom of the garden． It stopped for a moment， then went quietly into the long grass and disappeared for ever．
'Tea is ready，' said the housekeeper． 'Where is your aunt？'
'She went down to the shed，' said Conradin．
And， while the housekeeper went down to call the aunt，Conradin took the toasting－fork out of the dining－room cupboard． He sat by the fire and toasted a piece of bread for himself． While he was toasting it and putting butter on it，Conradin listened to the noises beyond the dining room door．First there were loud screams-that was the housekeeper．Then there was the cook's answering cry．Soon there came the sound of several pairs of feet． They were carrying something heavy into the house．
'Who is going to tell that poor child？' said the housekeeper．
'Well， someone will have to，'answered the cook． And，while they were arguing， Conradin made himself another piece of toast．
■ 斯莱德尼·瓦什塔
康拉丁10岁，经常生病。
“这孩子不结实，”医生说，“他活不了太久。”但是医生不了解康拉丁的想像力。在康拉丁孤独无爱的世界里，他的想像力是唯一支撑他活着的东西。
康拉丁的父母已亡故，他和姑妈住在一起。姑妈不喜欢康拉丁，经常对他不好。康拉丁从心底里恨她，但是平静地服从她，而且毫无怨言地服药。多数时间他远离她。她在他的世界里没有一席之地。在姑妈单调不舒服的家里，他真正的日常生活狭窄无趣。但是在他又小又黑的脑袋里，活跃、思想在狂奔。在想像中的明快世界里，康拉丁健壮勇敢。这是一个美好的世界，姑妈被锁在了这个世界之外。
花园里不好玩，没有有趣的事情做。他被禁止摘花，被禁止吃果子，被禁止在草坪上玩耍。但是在一些树后，在花园一个被遗忘的角落有一个陈旧的小屋。
没人用这个小屋，康拉丁便把它据为己有。对他而言小屋成了一个介于游戏室和教堂的地方。他在其中装满了想像中的鬼怪和动物。但是里面也有两个活物。在一个角落有一只蓬头垢面的老母鸡。康拉丁没有什么人去爱，于是这只鸡成了他最好的朋友。在小屋靠后的一个黑暗秘密的地方有一只大木箱，它的前面横竖着一些铁条。在这木箱里有一只长着又长又危险的牙齿和爪子的大雪貂。康拉丁从住在村里的一个很友好的男孩那里买下了这只雪貂和箱子。这花掉了他所