Chapter 10 Chapter 9 The Story of John and Barbara

Jane and Michael went to dinner in their best clothes, as Ellen said when she saw them, "like mannequins in a shop window."The whole afternoon the house was so quiet that it seemed to be thinking about its mind, perhaps dreaming about it.Down in the kitchen, Mrs. Brill read a newspaper with spectacles on her nose.Robertson Ai sat idle in the garden and did not work.Mrs. Banks sat cross-legged on the sofa in the living room.Around them the house was as quiet as it was dreaming, perhaps thinking of its own mind.Upstairs in the nursery, Aunt Mary was ironing by the fireplace, and the sunlight streamed in the windows, flickered on the white walls and danced on the cot where the twins lay. "I said move away! You're looking into my eyes," John said loudly. "I'm sorry!" Sunshine said, "I can't help it. I have to shoot across the room. Rules are rules. I have to go from east to west in a day, and I have to go through the nursery. I'm sorry! Close your eyes and you won't see." Me." Golden sunlight streamed across the room.It apparently went by as quickly as possible to please John. "How gentle and sweet you are! I love you," said Barbara, holding out her hand to the warm sunshine. "Good girl," Sunshine said happily, and gently slid across her face and into her hair affectionately, "Do you like it when you touch me?" It said, it seemed that it loved people and praised it. "Excellent!" sighed Barbara cheerfully. "Twitter, twitter, twitter! I've never heard of such a place, old twitter. There's always a twitter in this room," said a thin voice at the window.John and Barbara looked up.It is a chimney-top starling. "I like it," said Aunt Mary, turning her head quickly. "How about yourself? All day, yes, all day and half night on roofs and poles, yelling, screeching Shout, the chair legs are broken. Worse than any sparrow, that's true." The starling looked down from the window branch with its head on one side. "Hmph," it said, "I have my own business. Negotiations, discussions, arguments, negotiations. Of course that requires some... er... quiet talk..." "Quiet!" John laughed heartily Say. "I don't talk to you anymore, young man," said the starling, jumping down on the ledge below, "and you shouldn't. I heard you talk for hours last Saturday. God, I don't think you'll ever Shut up, you kept me up all night." "I wasn't talking that day," John said, "I was..." He paused, "I'm sick." "Well!" said Starling, jumping to Baba Pulled on the railing of the small bed, he walked sideways along the railing until he came to the head of the bed.Then it said softly, in a flattering tone, "Ah, Miss Barbara, is there anything for an old friend today, huh?" Barbara sat up, grabbing the rail of the bed. "There's half a biscuit left," she said, holding it with one plump hand.The starling ducked, pecked the biscuit out of her hand, and flew back to the window sill.It started to devour the biscuits. "Thank you!" Aunt Mary reminded it to say thank you, but the starling was too busy eating to pay attention to her voice. "I say 'thank you'!" said Aunt Mary a little louder.Starling looked up. "Oh, what-? Oh, come on, girl, come on. I don't have time to put on airs and poses." It swallowed the last bit of biscuit.It was very quiet in the room.Drowsing in the sun, John puts the toes of his right toe in his mouth, grinding where his teeth have just begun. "Why do you bother to do this?" Barbara asked softly, interested, and it sounded like she was laughing. "And no one's looking at you." "I know." John played on his toes like a harmonica. "But I like to practice. It amuses the grown-ups. Did Aunt Flossie go crazy when I did it yesterday?" 'Didn't you hear? "John took his feet out, and he laughed out loud at the thought of Aunt Flossie." She loves my stuff, too," said Barbara triumphantly, "I took off two socks, and she said I was so sweet, I wanted to swallow me up.Do you mean funny?I said what I wanted to eat, and I really wanted to eat something, like biscuits, rusks, knots on the bed, and so on.But I think grown-ups don't count.She won't really want to eat me, will she? ""Won't.It's just their silly way of talking," said John, "and I don't believe I understand grown-ups.They all look so stupid.Even Jane and Michael are dumb sometimes. ""Yep. "Barbara agrees, and pulls the socks off and puts them back on as she thinks." For example, "John goes on," and they don't understand a word we're saying.And what's worse, they don't even understand other things.Just last Monday, I heard Jane say that she really wanted to know what the wind said. ""I know," said Barbara, "that's surprising.Did you hear, Michael always insisted that the starling said 'we---twee---y---y'.He didn't seem to know that the starling didn't say that at all, it said exactly what we said.Of course, mom and dad can't be expected to understand this, they don't understand anything, although they're so cute... Do you think Jane and Michael understand...""They did. said Aunt Mary, folding Jane's pajamas. What? said John and Barbara in unison in amazement, 'Really?You say they once knew what the starlings and the wind said..."" And what the trees said, and what the sun and the stars said... Of course they understood!I used to understand. "Aunt Mary said." But...but why did they all forget? "John said, frowning to understand." Aha! "After eating the biscuits, the starling looked up and said countingly, "Do you want to know? "" It's because they've grown up! "Aunt Mary explained," Barbara, please put your socks on right away. "" This reason is really absurd. "John stared at her and said." But the reason was true. "Says Aunt Mary, tying Barbara's socks tight on her feet." That's Jane and Michael absurd," went on John, "I know I won't forget when I grow up. "Neither will I," said Barbara, sucking a finger contentedly. "No, you will!" "Aunt Mary said emphatically. The twins sat up and looked at her." Ha! said the starling, contemptuously, "Look at them!"They think they are the wonders of the world.Little miracle, I don't think so!Of course you have to forget, as did Jane and Michael. "" We will not forget. "The twins said they looked at the starling like they wanted to kill him. The starling laughed at them." I said you'd forget," he insisted. "Of course it's not your fault," he added politely. , "There is nothing you can do to forget.No one will remember after a year, except her, of course. "It turned around and tilted its head toward Aunt Mary." Why doesn't she remember us? "John said." Ah-ah-ah!She is different.She is the great exception.Can't compare with her. said Starling, grimacing at them both. John and Barbara fell silent. Starling went on to explain, "She's a little special, you know.Of course, it's not about appearance.My starlings are prettier than Miss Mary..." "Hey, you rude thing! " said Aunt Mary angrily, glaring at it, and chasing it with the apron. The starling jumped aside and flew up the window frame, out of her reach." You thought you hit me then, didn't you? "It laughed and flapped its wings at her. Aunt Mary snorted. The golden sun moved across the room. There was a breeze outside and it whispered to the cherry trees in the alley." Listen, listen, the wind is speaking, said John, with a sideways ear. "Do you really think we can't hear when we grow up, Aunt Mary?" ""Of course you can hear it," said Aunt Mary, "but you can't understand it. "Barbara wept softly when she heard this. John had tears in his eyes too." Well, there was nothing to be done about it.That's the way it is. said Aunt Mary sensibly. "Look at them, just look at them!" "The starling laughed at them," and would cry them to death!Alas, starlings just out of their shells are smarter than they are.look at them! "John and Barbara were weeping pitifully in their cot at this moment--so choked with grief. The door swung open and Mrs. Bankes came in." I thought I heard the voices of the dolls . "She said. Then she wanted the twins to run." What's the matter with you, sweetie?Oh, my darling, my darling, my sweet little bird, what's the matter with you?Why are they crying like this, Mary Poppins?They were so quiet all afternoon—no sound at all.What's wrong? ""Yes, ma'am.no ma'am.I hope they're teething, ma'am. said Aunt Mary, trying not to look in the direction of the starling. Oh, of course, that must be the case! said Mrs. Bankes cheerfully. 'I don't want teeth if they make me forget all the things I like. "John rolling in his cot, yelling." Neither do I. "Barbara buried her face in the pillow and cried." My poor little baby, just wait until the big naughty teeth come out. "Mrs Bankes went from cot to cot, comforting them." You don't understand! "John yelled hard," I don't want teeth. ""It won't be good, it will only be bad! "Barbara screaming on the pillow." All right all right.Mom understands, mom understands.Teeth grow out just fine. "Mrs. Banks coaxed them softly. There was a soft noise at the window. It was the starling trying to suppress a laugh. Aunt Mary gave him a stare. This made him serious, and he went on without smiling at all." Go on. Mrs. Banks patted her children, patted this, patted that, murmured words of comfort. John stopped crying suddenly. He was good, loved his mother, and remembered her well. She kept saying Wrong words, poor mother, but it was not her fault. He thought it was just that she didn't understand. To forgive her, he lay on his back, sadly stopped his tears, took his right foot with both hands, and rubbed his toes. His open mouth." Smart kid.Oh, clever boy. "Mother praised. He rubbed it again, and Mother was overjoyed. Then Barbara was not far behind. He raised his head from the pillow, his face still wet with tears, and sat up, pulling off both socks." Great Miss,' said Mrs Bankes proudly, kissing her. 'Look, Mary Poppins!They are good again.I can coax them well.Very good, very good,' said Mrs Bankes like a lullaby, 'the teeth will come out soon. ""Yes, ma'am. "Aunt Mary said quietly. Mrs. Banks smiled at the twins and walked out of the room, closing the door. The starling laughed as soon as she was gone." Excuse me for laughing! "It cried," but I couldn't help it.What a scene! "John ignored it. He punched his face out between the rails of the cot and yelled at Barbara softly and fiercely, "I won't be like the others.I tell you, I won't.They," he nodded grimly at the starling and Aunt Mary, "let them say what they want, but I'll never forget, never! "Aunt Mary gave that enigmatic 'I know better than you' smile, which was directed entirely at herself." Neither would I," replied Barbara, "never. ""Bless my tail hair, listen to them!" "Squealed the starling, laughing with its hips between its wings," as if they could forget if they didn't!Hmph, after a month or two, at most three months, they'll even forget my name... These two silly cuckoos!Half big, not yet hairy silly cuckoo!what!what!what! "It laughed again, spread its speckled wings, and flew out the window... Their teeth, like all the others, came out without trouble, and shortly thereafter the twins passed their First birthday. On the second day of his birthday, Starling, who was on vacation at Burnmouth, came back to No. 17, Cherry Tree Lane." Hey hey hey!We meet again! "It yelled happily, and staggered to a stop on the windowsill." Well, miss, how are you? "It asked Aunt Mary cheekily, tilting its little head and looking at her with sparkling eyes of deep interest." Thank you for your greeting. "Aunt Mary answered, holding her head up. The starling laughed." "Miss Mary is the same," said it, "You haven't changed at all!"How about those two, those two little cuckoos? "He looked over there at Barbara's little bed and asked." Well, little Barbara," said it in a flattering soft voice, "Anything for your old friend today?" ""Bella-Bella-Bella-Bella! "Barbara said, just eat her biscuit, and sing her song softly as she ate it. The starling startled and hopped closer," I said, "and he said it more clearly," Do you have anything for your old friend today, sweetheart? "" Ba-ru-baru. "Barbara looked at the ceiling, swallowed her last bit of sugar biscuit, and cooed. Starling looked at her." Ha! "It said suddenly, turned to look at Aunt Mary questioningly, met her quiet gaze, and looked at each other for a long time. Then the starling flew to John's crib and stopped on the railing. John was hugging A big fleece sheep." What's my name, what's my name?What is my name? "Called the starling with a very high-pitched anxious voice." Enfu! "John opened his mouth and stuffed a leg of the flannel lamb into it. The starling shook his head and turned around." Well, the expected thing happened. "He said calmly to Aunt Mary. She nodded. The starling, deflated, looked at the twins for a moment. Then he shrugged his speckled shoulders." Well, I knew it would, told them .But they don't believe it. "It looked at the two small beds for a while, but didn't speak. Then he shook like hell." Okay, okay.I have to go.Go back to my chimney.The chimney needs a spring cleaning, it must be done. "It flew over the window sill, stopped and looked back." But it seemed awkward without them.I always enjoyed talking to them, that's all, I'll miss them. "It wipes its eyes quickly with its wings." Crying? "Aunt Mary laughed at it. The starling flew up." Cry?of course not.I... this... I have a cold, and I got a cold when I came back... that's all.Not bad, a little cold.no big deal. "It flew to the window, brushed the feathers on its chest with its beak, and then shouted triumphantly "Be happy," spread its wings and flew away...