Chapter 10 little john eight

"He's coming!" thought John, when the snow first melted and the cedarweeds appeared here and there in groups. "Will he come or not?" he asked Pine Snow Grass.But they didn't know it, they just stared at the ground with their drooping little heads, as if they were ashamed of their haste and wanted to go back to the ground again. As long as they can!The icy east wind howled, and the snow piled higher than the poor premature thing. Weeks later the lilacs came; their sweet fragrance rose through the thickets, and while the sun lingered warmly over the mossy ground, the dappled lilies bloomed in their thousands. stand up.

The timid lilacs and their strong fragrance are the herald of the luxurious secret to come, but the merry lilac is the happy fulfillment.After waking up, he tightly grasped the first sunlight, and used it to make a kind of golden decoration for himself. "And now! He must be coming now!" thought John, watching nervously the buds on the branches, how they slowly emerged day by day and broke away from the thick skin, until the first pale green tip, in the brown Peek out between the scales.John spent a lot of time looking at the little green leaves: he could never see how they turned, but if he looked for a moment they seemed to grow a little bigger.He thought, "If I look at them, they won't dare."

Branches have already weaved shade.Xuan'er hadn't arrived yet, and no pigeons had landed on him, and no mice had chatted with him.If he spoke to the flowers, they just nodded without answering. "My punishment is not yet over," he thought. On a fine spring day, he came to the pool and the house.Several windows were left open.Did people move in there? The birdberry bushes that stood by the pool were covered with young leaves, and all the branches had fine little wings.In the grass, near the raspberry bush, lay a girl.John saw only her light blue dress and her golden hair.A tiny red cockatiel perched on her shoulder and pecked something out of her hand.Suddenly she turned to look at John.

"Good day, little one," she said, and nodded friendly. John was in shock from head to toe.These are Xuan'er's eyes, and this is Xuan'er's voice. "Who are you?" he asked, his lips trembling with emotion. "I'm Rong'er, and this one here is my bird. It's not afraid of you. Do you like birds?" The red squirrel was not timid in John's presence.It flew to his arm.This is the same as before.She must be Xuan'er, this blue thing. "Tell me, what's your name, kid," said Xuan'er's voice. "Don't you know me? Don't you know my name is John?"

"How should I know?" What does it mean?It was still a familiar sweet voice, and it was still dark, with eyes as deep as the sky. "Why do you look at me like that, John? Have you ever seen me?" "I thought, yes." "You must be dreaming." "Dreaming?" thought John. "Am I dreaming everything? Or am I dreaming right now?" "Where were you born?" he asked. "It's far from here, in a metropolis." "In humans?" Rong'er smiled, it was Xuan'er's smile. "I think, sure. Don't you?"

"Oh yes, me too!" "Does it hurt you?—Don't you like people?" "No! Who can like people?" "Who? No, John. What a curious little fellow you are! Do you love animals more?" "Oh, so much love! And the flowers!" "That's what I did before. Only once. But it's not right. We should love humans, Father said." "Why is this unfair? I love whoever I want, so what's right or wrong?" "Bah, John! Don't you have parents, or anyone else to take care of you? Don't you love them?" "Yes," said John thoughtfully. "I love my dad. But not because of the right. And not because he's a human being."

"why?" "I don't know that: because he doesn't like other people, because he loves flowers and birds too." "I did the same thing, John! You've seen it." Rong'er also called the red cockroach back to her hand, and spoke to her in a friendly manner. "I know that," John said, "I like you too." "Already already? This is so fast!" The girl smiled. "But who do you love the most?" "Who...?" John hesitated.Should he mention Xuan'er's name?The dread of being able to mention the name was indistinct in his mind.However, the blond thing in the blue dress should be that name.Who else could give him such a sense of peace and happiness?

"You!" he said suddenly, and looked into those deep eyes with all his eyes.He boldly dared to give completely; yet he was apprehensive, watching nervously the acceptance of his costly gift. Rong'er laughed loudly again, but she held his hand, and her eyes were not colder, nor was her voice any less intimate. "Oh, John," she said, "how do I suddenly earn this?" John didn't answer, but looked her in the eyes with growing trust.Rong'er stood up and wrapped his arms around John's shoulders.She is a little older than him. They walked through the woods, picking large clusters of lilies, until they were able to climb all the way out, to the foot of the dainty flower.The red squirrel flew with them from branch to branch, and watched them with its small, shining black eyes.

They didn't talk much, but looked at each other many times.Both are amazed at this encounter, and don't know what each other should do.But Rong'er had to go home—it made him uncomfortable. "I should go, John. But would you like to come with me? You're a good boy," she said when they parted. "Wei! Wee!" said the Red Fly, and flew behind her. When she was gone and only her image was left behind, he no longer wondered who she was after.She and him are one, and to him, he has given all his friendship; the name Xuan'er has gradually become weaker with him, and it has become confused with Rong'er.

His surroundings were also the same as before.The flowers nodded happily, and their fragrance drove away all his worries about the hometown that had moved and nurtured him until now.Among the greenery, in the warm and soft spring air, he felt suddenly at home, like a bird that has found its nest.He should stretch out his arms and take a deep breath.He is so happy.On the way home, the blond hair in the tender blue dress was in front of his eyes, always in front of his eyes, no matter which way he looked.That is, as if he looked at the sun, and as if the sun's disc always moved with his eyes.

From that day on, John went to the pool every morning.He goes early, as long as it is the squabble of the sparrows among the ivy hanging outside the window, or the card of the pulsatilla fluttering on the eaves and clamoring in the early sun?or a loud chirp to wake him, he hurried through the wet grass to the side of the house, and waited behind the lilac bushes until he heard how the glass door was thrown open, and saw a bright Grace is approaching. They then passed the woods and the sand-hills that bordered the woods.They chatted about all that they had seen, about the trees and flowers, about the sand-hills.If he walked with her, John had a strange feeling of stupor: he came so lightly that he seemed to be able to fly into the air.But that didn't happen.He told stories about flowers and animals, which he learned from Xuan'er.However, he has forgotten how to learn that story, and Xuan'er no longer exists for him, only Rong'er.If she smiles at him, or sees friendship in her eyes, or talks to her heart to heart, she will do whatever she wants, without hesitation or timidity, as when she spoke to Presto, it is a pleasure to him. .If he didn't see her, he would miss her, and every time he did something, he would ask himself whether Rong'er thought it was good or beautiful. She looked happy too; she smiled when we saw her, and walked more quickly.She also told him that her liking can be shared with him, but no one else can compare with her. "But John," she asked once, "how do you know what the gold-worm thinks, what the sparrow sings, and what it's like in the rabbit hole and at the bottom of the water?" "They tell me," replied John, "and I've been down rabbit holes and underwater myself." Rong'er frowned her beautiful eyebrows, and looked at him half mockingly.But she could find no hypocrisy in him. They sat under a lilac bush, all overhanging with purple flowers.At their feet was a pond with water lilies and reeds.They saw how the little black beetle slithered across the water in circles, and how the little red spider busily went up and down.Here is life in a whirlwind of disturbance.John sank into memory, looked into the depths, and said: "I have never been there before. I slid down a stalk and reached the bottom of the water. The ground is covered with dead leaves, and it is soft and light to walk on. There is always dusk, green dusk, because of the light The penetration was through the green duckweed. And above my head, I saw the small roots of the long white duckweed hanging down. The newt came close and swam around me, it was very curious. This is peculiar , join an animal this big, swimming from above - I can't look far ahead, it's dark, but also green. From that darkness, the animals are like black shadows coming. With paddles Clawed water beetles and smooth water spiders—often a tiny fish too. I went far, I think, hours away, and in the center was a great forest of water plants with snails going up Crawling, the water spiders make bright little nests. The sticklebacks fly past and stare at me from time to time with their mouths open and trembling, they are so surprised. There I am, and I almost step on her tail I became an acquaintance with an eel that I caught. He told me about his travels; he went as far as the sea, he said. So he was considered the king of the pond, because no one traveled so far as him. But he's always lying in the mud and sleeping, except when he gets whatever food someone else gets for him. He eats a lot. That's because he's king; everybody likes a fat king, which Extraordinarily respectable. Oh, it's so beautiful in the pool!" "Why can't you go there now?" "Now?" John asked, looking at her with wide, thoughtful eyes. "Now? I can't anymore, I'll drown there. But there's no need now. I'd like to be here, by Lilac and you." Rong'er shook his blond head in astonishment, and stroked John's hair.So she went to look at the red cockroach that seemed to be looking for a lot of bait by the pool.It suddenly raised its head, and stared at the two of them for a moment with its bright little eyes. "Do you understand something, little bird?" The little bird looked in very slyly, and then went to seek and play again. "Go on, John, with all that you have seen." This was what John wished to do, and Rong'er listened to him, believing and paying attention. "But why did it all stop? Why can't you go all over there with me now? I'd love that, too." John urged his memory to come, but a sunny veil he had walked on it covered the depths.He no longer knows how he lost that previous happiness. "Then I don't quite understand. You don't need to ask these questions. A nasty little thing that ruined everything. But now everything is back. It's better than before." The scent of lilacs wafted down over them from the bushes, the flies sang on the water, and the still daylight drenched them with a luscious intoxication.It wasn't until the bell at home started to strike and there was a loud vibration that he and Rong'er hurried away. When John was in his little room that night, he seemed to hear a knock on the window as he watched the moon shadows of the ivy leaves slip past the windowpanes.John thought it might be an evergreen leaf fluttering in the wind.But the knocking was very distinct, always three times, so that John could only open the window gently and look around cautiously.The vine leaves on the side of the hut glow in the blue light, beneath which lies a world full of secrets.There were nests and caves, and the moonlight cast only a little blue spark, which deepened the gloom. For many hours, as John gazed into that strange world of shadows, he saw at last, with perfect clarity, high up against the window, under a large ivy leaf, the silhouette of a tiny little man lurking.He immediately recognized Jiang Zhi from the wide, startled eyes under the raised eyebrows.At the tip of Shochi's long nose, the moon painted a tiny spark. "Have you forgotten me, John? Why don't you think of that? It's just about time. Haven't you asked the red squirrel the way?" "Oh, I will know, what do I have to ask? I have everything I can hope for. I have Ronger." "But it won't last long. You can be happier—Rong'er must be too. Does the spoon have to be there? Think about it, how splendid it is, if you two find the book. Ask the red squirrel; I will help you if I can." "I can ask," John said. Jiangzhi nodded and quickly climbed down. John looked at the dark shadows and the shining ivy leaves for a long time before falling asleep.The next day he asked the red slug if he knew the way to the little box.Rong'er listened in amazement.John saw how the scarlet bird nodded and watched Rong'er from the side. "Not here! Not here!" chirped the little bird. "What are you thinking, John?" Rong'er asked. "Don't you know why, Rong'er? Don't you know where to look for this? Aren't you waiting for the golden spoon?" "No, no! Tell me, what is it?" John related what he knew about the little book. "And I keep the spoon; you have the golden casket, I suppose. Isn't that so, little bird?" But the little bird pretended not to hear it, fluttering in the branches of the tender green beech tree. They sat on a hillside where young beech and fir trees grew.A green road slanted up, and they sat on the edge of these, on the sand hills, on the dense green berry moss.From the tops of the smallest trees they could see the green sea with bright and dark waves. "I've believed it, John," Rong'er said thoughtfully, "I can find what you're looking for. But what do you do with that spoon? How did you come here?" "Yeah, what's the matter, what's the matter?" John murmured, looking into the distance from the sea of ​​trees. As soon as they walked out of the clear blue sky, two white butterflies suddenly appeared in their eyes.They stir, vibrate, and glisten in the sun, dancing erratically and frivolously.But they are near. "Xuan'er, Xuan'er!" John said softly, suddenly lost in remembrance. "Who is Xuan'er?" Rong'er asked. The scarlet bird chirped and flew up, and John felt that the daisies in the grass in front of him suddenly looked at him terribly with their little white eyes wide open. "Did he give you the spoon?" the girl went on—John nodded and was silent, but she knew a little more—"Who is this? Did he teach you everything? He Where is it?" "Now there is no more him. Now it is Rong'er, only Rong'er, and only Rong'er." He pinched her arm and leaned his head. "Stupid child!" she said, laughing. "I want you to find the book—I know, it's there." "Then I must go and get the spoon, it's a long way off." "No, no, it needn't be. I won't find it with a spoon—tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning, I promise you." Butterflies fluttered in front of them when they came home. That night John dreamed of his father, of Rong'er, and of many others.All were good friends, standing around him, and looking at him with close trust.But all of a sudden their faces changed, their eyes were cold and mocking - he looked around in horror - there were pale hostile faces everywhere.He felt a nameless terror, and woke up crying.