第3章

Hewasinanecstasy。Howhehadlongedforawatch，justsuchaturnip-shapedone，andapaint-box。Whatcolourshecouldmake！EvenAuntAmy’sprayerbookwassomething，withitssquashycoverandsilkmarker(onlywhydidAuntAmynevergivehimanythingsensible？)。Hestoodthere，hisfaceflushed，hiseyessparkling，thewatchinonehandandthepaint-boxintheother。Remarkswereheardlike：“Youmustn’tpokeitwith，yourfinger，Jerrydarling，oryou’llbreakthehandsoff“；and“Ithoughthe’d，betterhavethesquaresort，andnotthetubes。They’resosquashy“；and“You’llbeabletolearnyourCollectsoeasilywiththatbigprint，Jerrydear。Verykindofyou，Amy。“

MeanwhilehewasawarethatUncleSamuelhadgivenhimnothing。

Therewasalittlethickcatchofdisappointmentinhisthroat，notbecausehewantedapresent，butbecausehelikedUncleSamuel。

Suddenly，fromsomewherebehindhimhisunclesaid：“Shutyoureyes，Jerry。Don’topenthemuntilItellyou“——thenrathercrossly，“No，Amy，leavemealone。IknowwhatI’mabout，thankyou。“

Jeremyshuthiseyestight。Heclosedthemsothattheeyelidsseemedtoturnrightinwardsandredlightsflashed。Hestoodthereforatleastacentury，allindarkness，noonesayinganythingsavethatonceMarycried“Oh！“andclappedherhands，whichsamecryexcitedhimtosuchapitchthathewouldhavedughisnailsintohishandshadhenotsoconsistentlyinthepastbittenthemthattherewerenonailswithwhichtodig。Hewaited。Hewaited。Hewaited。Hewasnoteight，hewaseightywhenatlastUncleSamuelsaid，“Nowyoumaylook。“

Heopenedhiseyesandturned；foramomentthenursery，too，rockedintheunfamiliarlight。Thenhesaw。Onthemiddleofthenurserycarpetwasavillage，arealvillage，sixhouseswithredroofs，greenwindowsandwhiteporches，achurchwithatowerandatinybell，anorchardwithflowersonthefruittrees，agreenlawn，astreetwithabutcher’sshop，apostoffice，andagrocer’s。

VillagerNoah，Mrs。NoahandthelittleNoahs，afieldwithcows，horses，dogs，afarmwithchickensandeventwopigs……

Hestood，hestared，hedrewadeepbreath。

“ItcomesallthewayfromGermany，“saidAuntAmy，whoalwaysmadethingsuninterestingifshepossiblycould。

Therewasmuchdelightedtalk。Jeremysaidnothing。ButUncleSamuelunderstood。

“Gladyoulikeit，“hesaid，andlefttheroom。

“Aren’tyoupleased？“saidHelen。

Jeremystillsaidnothing。

“Sausages。Sausages！“criedMary，asGladys，grinning，enteredwithadishofalovelyandpleasantsmell。ButJeremydidnotturn。Hesimplystoodthere——staring。

III

Itisoftheessenceofbirthdaysthattheycannotmaintainthroughoutalongdaythegloriouscharacteroftheirearlydawning。

InPolchesterthirtyyearsagotherewerenocinematographs，notheatresaveforanoccasionalamateurperformanceattheAssemblyRoomsand，onceandagain，amagic-lanternshow。Onthisparticularday，moreover，Mr。andMrs。Colewereimmenselybusiedwithpreparationsforsomeparochialtea。MissTrefusishadcallstomake，and，ofcourse，UncleSamuelwasinvisible。TheBirthdaythensuddenlybecamenolongerabirthdaybutanordinaryday——withanextraordinarystandard。Thisiswhysomanybirthdaysendintears。

ButJeremy，aswasusualwithhim，tookeverythingquietly。Hemightcryaloudaboutsuchanaffairastheconquestofthewickerchairbecausethatdidnotdeeplymattertohim，butabouttherealthingshewassilent。Thevillagewasoneoftherealthings；duringallthemorningheremainedshutupinhissoulwithit，thewideworldclosedofffromthembymanymuffleddoors。HowhadUncleSamuelknownthathehaddeepinhisowninside，sodeepthathehadnotmentionediteventohimself，wantedsomethingjustlikethis？

Thirtyyearsagotherewerenoneofthepresentsthatthereareforchildrennow——nowonderfulrailwaysthatrunroundthenurseryfromMonteCarlotoPariswithallthestationsmarked；nodollsthataresolikefashionablewomenthatyouaregivenamanicuresetwiththemtokeeptheirnailstidy；nominiaturemotor-carsthatrunofthemselvesandgoformilesroundthefloorwithoutbeingwoundup。

Jeremyknewnoneofthesethings，andwasthehappierthathedidnot。Tosuchaboysuchavillagewasamiracle……IthadnotcomefromGermany，asAuntAmysaid，butfromheaven。ButitwasevenmoreofUncleSamuelthanthevillagethathewasthinking。

Whentheystarted——Helen，MaryandheinchargeoftheJampot——upontheirafternoonwalk，hewasstillaskinghimselfthesamequestions。HowhadUncleSamuelknownsoexactly？Haditbeenagreattroubletobringfromsofaraway？HadUncleSamuelthoughtitbadofhimnottothankhim？

HewaslostinsuchconsiderationswhentheJampotinquiredofhimthewaythattheirwalkshouldtake——itwashischoicebecauseitwashisBirthday。Hehadnochoice。Therewasonewalkthatfarexceededallothersinglory，straightdownOrangeStreet，straightagainthroughtheMarket，pasttheAssemblyRoomsandtheTownHall，pasttheflowerandfruitstalls，andtheoldbananawomanunderthegreenumbrellaandthetoystallwithcolouredballoons，thechinadogsandthenoddingdonkeys，uptheHighStreet，intothecobble-

stonesoftheClose，whenceonecouldlookdown，betweenthehousesontotheorchards，roundtheCathedralwiththemeadows，PolMeadsslopingdowntotheriver，sothroughOrchardLaneintoOrangeStreetonceagain。

Suchawalkcombinedeverymagicanddelightknowntotheheartofman，butitwasnotgenerallyallowed，becauseJeremywoulddragpasttheshops，thestallsintheMarketPlaceandthewalkbehindtheCathedral，whenceonemightsometimesseeboatsontheriver，sheepandcowsinthemeads，and，intheirproperseason，delightofdelights——lambs。

Theysetout……

ThirtyyearsagothewinterweatherinPolchesterwaswonderful。

Now，ofcourse，therearenohardwinters，nofrost，nosnow，nowaits，nosnowmen，andnoskatingonthePol。Thentherewereallthosethings。To-daywasofahard，glitteringfrost；thesun，likearound，redlacquertray，fellheavily，slowlythroughafaintpaleskythatwasnotstrongenoughtosustainit。Theairhadthecold，sweettwangofpeppermintsinthethroat。Polchesterwasapaintedtownuponabluescreen，theCathedraltowerspurpleagainstthesky；theairwasscentedwithburningleaves，andcriesfromthetownroseupclearandhard，lingeringandfallinglikenotesofmusic。Somewheretheywereplayingfootball，andtheshoutingwasdistantandregularlikethetrampofarmedmen。“Three“strucktheCathedralclock，asthoughitwerecalling“OpenSesame。“Otherlesserclocksrepeatedthechallengecrythroughthetown。“Woppley——

Woppley——Why！“sungthemanwhowassellingskinsdownOrangeStreet。Thesky，turningslowlyfrombluetogold，shonemysteriouslythroughtheglassofthestreetlamps，andthesunbegantowrapitselfintintsofpurpleandcrocusandiris。

“Woppley——Woppley——Why！“screamedtheskin-mansuddenlyappearingatthetopofthestreet。

“Now’urry，MasterJeremy，“saidtheJampot，“orweshallneverget’omethisnight，andImighthaveknownyou’dchoosethelongestwalkpossible。Comealong，MissMary，now——noneofthatdawdling。“

Jeremy，inhisH。M。S。Adventure’scapandroughbluenavycoat，felthimselfsuperiortotheJampot，soheonlysaid，“Oh，don’tbother，Nurse，“andtheninthesamebreath，“I’llrunyoudownthehill，Mary，“andbeforeanyonecouldsayawordtheretheywereatthebottomofOrangeStreet，asthoughtheyhadfallenintoawell。Thesunwasgone，thegoldenhorizonwasgone——onlythepurplelightsbegantogatherabouttheirfeetandclimbslowlythehighblackhouses。

Marylikedthis，becauseshenowhadJeremytoherself。Shebeganhurriedly，sothatsheshouldlosenotime：

“ShallItellyouastory，Jeremy？I’vegotanewone。Onceuponatimetherewerethreelittleboys，andtheylivedinawood，andanoldwitchatethem，andthePrincesswhohadheapsofjewelleryandawhitehorseandalovelygolddresscame，anditwassnowingandthewitch——“

ThiswasalwaysMary’sway。ShelovedtotellJeremyinterestingstories，andhedidnotmindbecausehedidnotlistenandcouldmeanwhilethinkhisownthoughts。

Hischiefdecisionarrivedatashemarchedalongwasthathewouldkeepthevillagetohimself；nooneelseshouldputtheirfingersintoit，arrangetheorchardwiththecolouredtrees，decideuponthenamesoftheNoahfamily，settlethevillagestreetinitsfinalorder，ringthebellofthechurch，ormilkthecows。Healonewoulddoallthesethings。And，soconsidering，heseemedtohimselfverylikeGod。God，hesupposed，couldpullPolchesterabout，rootoutahousehere，anotherthere，knocktheAssemblyRoomsdownandsendathunderboltontotheapplewoman’sumbrella。Well，then——socouldhewithhisvillage。Hewalkedswollenwithpride。HearrivedatthefirstIslandofCirce，namely，thewindowofMr。Thompson，thejewellerinMarketStreet，pressedhisnosetothepane，andrefusedtolistenwhentheJampotsuggestedthatheshouldmoveforward。

Hecouldseethediamondslikedropsofwaterinthesun，andthepearlslikedropsofmilk，andtherubieslikedropsofblood，butitwasnotofdiamonds，pearlsorrubiesthathewasthinking——hethoughtonlyofhisvillage。Hewouldringthechurchbell，andthenalltheNoahfamilyshouldstartoutofthedoor，downthegarden，upthevillagestreet……ItdidnotmatterifoneoftheyoungerNoahsshouldbelazyandwishtostayathomebeneaththefloweringtreesoftheorchard。Shewouldnotbeallowed……HewasasGod……HewasasGod……Thebutchershouldgo(ifhewasnotstucktohisshop)，andevensomeofhiscowsmightgo……HewasasGod……

HeheardMary’svoiceinhisear。

“Andafterthattheyallatechocolateswithwhitecreamandredcream，andtheysuckeditoffpins，andtherewerehardbitsandsoftbits，andthePrincess(shewasafrognow。Youremember，don’tyou，Jeremy？Thewitchturnedher)hottedtheovenlikecookhas，withblackdoors，andhotteditandhottedit，butsuddenlytherewasanoise——“

And，ontheotherside，theJampot’svoice：“Younaughtyboy，stoppin’’ereforeveryonetosee，justbecauseit’syourbirthday，whichIwishtherewasn’tnobirthdays，northerewouldn’tbeifI

hadmyway。“

JeremyturnedfromMr。Thompson’swindow，ascornfulsmileonhisface：

“I’mbigger’nyou，Nurse，“hesaid。“IfIsaidoutloud，’Iwon’tgo，’Iwouldn’tgo，andnoonecouldmakeme。“

“Well，comealong，then，“saidNurse。

“Don’tbesostupid，Jerry，“saidHelencalmly。“Ifapolicemancameandsaidyouhadtogohomeyou’dhavetogo。“

“NoIwouldn’t，“saidJeremy。

“Thenthey’dputyouinprison。“

“Theycould。“

“They’dhangyou，perhaps。“

“Theycould，“repliedJeremy。

Fartherthanthisargumentcannotgo，soHelenshruggedhershouldersandsaid：“Youaresilly。“

Andtheyallmovedforward。