Chapter 11 Chapter Ten The Moon Is Full

Aunt Mary is busy all day, and she gets angry when she is busy.Nothing was right for Jane, and it was even worse for Michael.She even speaks fiercely to the twins.Jane and Michael avoided her as much as possible, knowing that sometimes it was better not to be seen or heard by Aunt Mary. "I wish we were invisible," said Michael, because Aunt Mary said that self-respecting people couldn't bear to see him. "We can do it, just hide behind the couch," Jane said, "We can count the money in our piggy bank, and maybe she'll be better off after dinner." That's what they do. "Sixpence and fourpence are tenpence, and halfpence, and a coin of threepence," said Jane, counting the money quickly. "Fourpence, plus quarterpenny three and . "Just put it in the charity box." Aunt Mary looked down from the armrest of the sofa, sniffing. "Oh no," said Michael reproachfully, "I want it. I'm saving money." "Ha, I think it's for an airplane!" said Aunt Mary contemptuously. "No, buy an elephant, my own elephant, the same as Lizzy in the zoo. Once I have an elephant, I will take you to sit and go for a walk." Michael said, half-ignoring her, to see what she did Say. "Well," said Aunt Mary, "what's the idea!" But they saw that she was less angry. "Everyone went home tonight," Michael thought, "I don't know what's going to happen in the zoo?" "I'm not worried, I just don't know what will happen there." Michael argued. "You know what?" he asked Aunt Mary, who was hurriedly sweeping the crumbs off the table. "Go to bed if you ask another question!" She said, and began to clean the room quickly, not like a person, but like a whirlwind in a hat and an apron. "It's useless to ask her. She knows everything, but she never tells anyone." Jane said. "What's the use of knowing?" Michael grunted, but he whispered so that Aunt Mary couldn't hear...Jane and Michael couldn't remember a single night when they went to bed so early.Aunt Mary turned off the light early and walked so fast that it seemed as if all the winds in the world were gathering to blow her away.As soon as they lay down, they heard a very soft voice calling them from the door. "Quickly, Jane, Michael!" said the voice, "quickly dress, quickly!" and they jumped out of bed, startled and frightened. "Come on," said Jane, "what's the matter?" She began to feel for the clothes in the dark. "Hurry up," the voice called again. "Jesus, I just found my sailor hat and a pair of gloves!" said Michael, running about the room, opening drawers and feeling for shelves. "Hats and gloves are enough. Put them on. It's not cold. Come quickly." Jane only found John's small overcoat, but she stuffed her arms into it regardless, and opened the door.No one was outside, but they seemed to hear someone hurrying down the stairs.Jane and Michael followed suit.I don't know what or who is walking in front of them.They couldn't see him anyway, but they always felt that something was leading them, calling them to follow.Now they were in the alley outside, and their slippers clicked on the pavement as they walked. "Hurry up!" the voice called again from the corner not far away, but they turned a corner and still saw nothing.The two of them ran hand in hand, followed the sound down the street, through the intersection, through the arch, through the park, and were brought out of breath to a turnstile. "Here we are," said the voice. "Where are you?" Michael called to the voice.But there was no reply.Jane took Michael's hand and walked toward the gate. "Look!" she said, "don't you see where we're going? The Zoo!" By the light of the full moon in the sky Michael saw the iron gate and peeped through it.Not bad at all!He didn't know it was a zoo, you said how stupid he was. "But how do we get in?" he said. "We have no money." "No problem," said a low, gruff voice from inside.When they looked up, it turned out that it was a big brown bear who was talking. It was wearing a coat with copper buttons and a pointed hat, and it was holding two pink tickets and handing them to them. "But we always give bills," said Jane. "It has always been always. Tonight you will receive the tickets." Brown Bear said with a smile.Michael looked at it carefully. "I remember you," he said to the brown bear, "I gave you a jar of honey once." "That's right," said the brown bear, "you forgot to open the lid. Did you know that it took me more than ten days to open the lid? Be careful next time." "But why aren't you in your cage? Do you always come out at night?" Michael asked it. "No, only when the moon is full on the birthday. But please forgive me, I have to watch the gate." The brown bear said, turned and walked away, and turned the handle of the turnstile again.Jane and Michael took the tickets and walked to an open space in the zoo.In the moonlight the flowers and the bushes, the house and the cage were all clearly visible. "Looks like there's a lot going on," Michael said.Indeed.Animals running around on all the trails, sometimes with birds, sometimes by themselves.Two wolves ran past the children, talking eagerly to a tall stork.The stork walked gracefully on tiptoe among them.Jane and Michael distinctly heard them mention the words "birthday" and "full moon" as they passed.In the distance, three camels walked side by side, and not far in the past, a beaver and a vulture were talking.Both children felt that they were all discussing the same thing. "I wonder whose birthday it is?" said Michael, but Jane just walked on, looking at the strange sight.In the place where the elephants were supposed to be closed, a fat old man crawled around, with two rows of stools on his back, and eight monkeys sat on them. "Why, it's all upside down!" said Jane.When the old gentleman crawled past, he gave Jane a hard look. "Upside down!" He snorted, "Me! Upside down? Of course not. How unreasonable!" The eight monkeys laughed rudely. "Oh, I'm sorry...I'm not talking about you...I'm talking about the whole thing," Jane quickly apologized and explained to him, "Usually animals carry people, but now people carry animals. That's what I mean." The old man panted Crawling with great difficulty, he must have been insulted. The monkey squeaked on his back, so he hurried to climb.Seeing that it was boring to follow him, Jane took Michael’s hand and left.But a voice called to them just below their feet, and they were startled. "Come on, you two! Come on down. Let us watch you dive and bring up some orange peels you don't want." The voice was distressed and angry, and they looked down to see a small black seal talking, which was squinted at them from the moonlit pool. "Come on... see how much fun it is!" it said. "But...but we can't swim!" said Michael. "No!" said the seal, "you should have thought of that earlier. No one cares whether I can swim or not. Oh, what? What did you say?" That last sentence was a question to another seal who had just Come out of the water and bite its ear. "Who," said the first seal, "speak!" The second whispered again.Jane heard scraps of their speech. "The special guest...is a friend of..." The first seal looked disappointed, but said politely to Jane and Michael, "Oh, sorry. Nice to meet you. Sorry." It held out its broad fin, feebly holding hands with the two of them. "Be careful, okay?" it yelled when it saw something hit Jane.Jane turned her head quickly, and was startled. It turned out to be a big lion.When the lion saw her, his eyes lit up. "Oh," it began, "I didn't know it was you! It's so crowded here tonight, I was on my way to see the people being fed, and I didn't even see the way. Come with me? You shouldn't Miss the chance, you know..." "Perhaps," said Jane politely, "you can take us." She was a little apprehensive about the lion, but he seemed polite. "In the end," she thought, "everything is going upside down tonight." Michael walked on the other side.He was a chubby little man, and she always felt that a lion was a lion after all... "Do you think my mane is beautiful?" asked the lion on the way, "I curled my mane for this show." Jane looked at it Lo and behold, the mane is carefully oiled and curled into many little rings. "Very beautiful," she said, "but...isn't it strange that a lion should care about such things? I thought..." "What! My dear lady, you know that the lion is the king of beasts. He has to remember I will never forget it myself. I think a lion should look good no matter where it is. Please go here.” It waved one of its front paws gracefully, pointing to the Tiger Leopard Pavilion, let them in.Jane and Michael held their breath when they saw it.This hall is full of animals.Some leaned against the long rails that separated the cages, and some stood on the opposite row of stools.Among them are panthers, leopards, wolves, tigers and antelope, monkeys and porcupines, wombats, goats and giraffes, and a large colony of kittiwakes and vultures. "Brilliant, isn't it?" said the Lion proudly, "Like in the old forest days. Come with me...we have to find a good spot." Pushing the herd through, he yelled "Get out of the way!" , taking Jane and Michael behind.Now they could see the cages through a little gap in the hall. "Why," Michael opened his mouth wide, "there are all people inside?" The cage is indeed full of people.In a cage, there are two middle-aged fat gentlemen, wearing top hats and striped trousers, pacing up and down, looking anxiously out of the railing, as if waiting for something.In another cage were children, all kinds of big and small, down to dolls in robes, crawling around.The animals outside the cages looked at the dolls with enthusiasm, and some animals put their paws or tails into the cages to make them laugh.A giraffe stretched its long neck over the heads of all the animals to let a doll in a sailor suit scratch its nose.The third cage held three old ladies in raincoats and overshoes.One was knitting, and the other two stood by the fence and yelled at the animals, pointing them with their umbrellas. "Bad beast. Go. I want tea!" screamed one. "Isn't she funny?" said some of the animals, laughing at her. "Jane, look!" Michael said, pointing to the last cage. "That's not..." "Admiral Boom!" said Jane, astonished.It's Admiral Boom.In the cage he was furious, coughing and blowing his nose, and yelling in exasperation. "Brute! Pump all hands! Land, look! Pull hard! Brute!" yelled the Captain.Every time he approached the railing, a tiger poked him lightly with a piece of rope, causing Admiral Boom to yell at him. "How did these people get in there?" Jane asked the Lion. "Wandering," said the Lion, "or can't go back. Some people hang around, and the gates are closed, and they can't go back in. We have to find a place for them, and let them stay in their cages. He's dangerous... ...the one over there! Nearly killed his guard a while ago. Stay away from him!" He pointed at Admiral Boom. "Please stand back, please stand back! Don't push forward! Please move out of the way!" Jane and Michael heard several voices shouting. "Ah, it's time to feed them now!" said the lion, pushing vigorously into the group of animals. The small aisle of the cage came. "Stand back, please!" they said to anyone who was in the way.Then they opened the small door of each cage and sent the food in with long forks.Jane and Michael get a good view of the feeding scene through the crack between a panther and a wild dog.Bottles of milk were stuffed for the dolls, and they stretched out their soft hands to grab the bottles greedily.The older children snatched brioche and donuts from their forks and gobbled them up, and the ladies in galoshes were each given pans of buttered thin bread and toasted bran pie.Give the gentlemen in top hats a lamb chop and a cup of custard.As soon as the men got their food, they went to the corner, spread their handkerchiefs on their striped trousers, and began to eat.Now the guards were walking along the row of cages, only to hear a commotion. "Beast . . . that counts as a meal? A little beef and two slices of cabbage! Why, no Yorkshire pudding? No reason! Anchor! Where's my wine? I say wine! Pull hard! Below deck, Admiral Where is the wine?" "Listen! How fierce he has become. I told you he was dangerous... that's the one," said the Lion.Who it refers to, Jane and Michael don't need it to say, Admiral Boom's words are too familiar to them. "Okay," said the Lion, when the noise in the hall had subsided, "it looks like the feeding is over. I beg your pardon, but I have to go first. I hope to see you later in the great circle dance. I will find Yours." He led them to the door, and after taking his leave, crept away, waving his curly mane along the way, his golden body flashing between moonlight and tree shadows. "Oh, sorry..." Jane called after it, but it couldn't hear it. "I want to ask it if these people can come out in the future. How poor they are! Maybe they will lock John and Barbara...or us in." She turned to Michael, who was talking to a penguin .The penguin was standing in the middle of the path, with a large book under one wing and a large pencil under the other.When she arrived, it was biting the end of a pencil and thinking about something. "I can't think of one," she heard Michael say, apparently answering a question.Penguin turned to Jane. "Perhaps you can tell me," it said, "what does 'Mary' rhyme with, please? I can't use 'Incomparable' because it's overused, and it has to be original. Neither does 'Fairy Fairy.' I I've thought about it a long time ago, but it doesn't look like her at all, no." "Thick hair." Michael said with an idea. "Well, not poetic enough." Penguin said. "How about 'carefully'?" Jane said. "This..." Penguin looked pensive, "isn't that good?" he said sadly, "I'm afraid I'll have to forget it. Look, I'm writing a birthday poem. I think it's a good way to start: "Oh, Mary Mary...' But I couldn't take it.It's hard.People expect to learn something from penguins, and I don't want to disappoint them.Okay, okay, you can't delay me.I must write it out. "It said biting its pencil, stooping to look at the book, and hurried away." Confused," said Jane, "I don't know whose birthday it is. ""Okay, you two come on, come on.I think you just want to celebrate birthdays. "A voice came from behind them, and when they turned around, it was the brown bear who gave them the ticket." Oh, of course! "Jane said, thinking it was the safest thing to say, but she didn't know whom to congratulate on her birthday. The brown bear hugged them both and walked down the path. They felt its warm and soft fur rubbing against their bodies, and heard A buzzing sound in its belly as it spoke." Here we are, here we are! "Said the brown bear, and stopped in front of a small house. The windows of the small house were so brightly lit, that if it wasn't for the moonlit night, you would have thought it was the sun. The brown bear opened the door and pushed the two children in. Their Guangyao dazzled his eyes at first, but soon after he got used to it, he saw that he was in a snake house. All the cages were open, and the snakes were outside, some coiled lazily, and some slid slowly on the ground. Among the snakes was a man sitting on a log which had evidently been brought out of a cage. This man was Aunt Mary. Jane and Michael could not believe their eyes." Two guests congratulating you on your birthday, miss. "The brown bear said respectfully. The snake turned to the children curiously. Aunt Mary didn't move. But she spoke." Where's your coat, please? ' she asked Michael, angry but unsurprised. 'And your hat and gloves? "She turned to Jane and asked sternly. Before they could answer, the Snake House became noisy." Hiss!Hiss! "The snake hissed, and stood up on its tail, and bowed to whomever was behind Jane and Michael. The brown bear took off his pointed hat. Aunt Mary also rose slowly." My dear child.My very dear child! said a thin, melodious hiss. From the largest cage writhed slowly and lightly a cobra. It bent gracefully to and fro, past the bowing snakes and brown bears, towards Mary. Auntie slid in. It came in front of her, erected half of its long golden body, stretched out its golden flat head, gently kissed her one cheek, and then kissed her other cheek." Good! "It hissed softly, 'Happy...really happy.'It's been a long time since your birthday was full moon, dear. "It turns its face around." Sit down, my friends! "As he spoke, he bowed gracefully to the other snakes. As soon as the snakes heard what he said, they fell down on the floor respectfully again, coiled up, and stared at the cobra and Aunt Mary. Then the cobra turned to Jane and Michael , they shivered a little, seeing that its face was smaller and dry than anything they had ever seen. They took a step forward, as its strange deep-set eyes beckoned them to go. They were long and narrow, and contained a A sleepy look, but in the depths of this sleepy look, there is a star of sober light, shining like a jewel." May I ask who are these two? "It looked at the children with questioning eyes, and its voice was gentle and terrifying." It was Miss Jane Banks and Master Michael Banks, "the brown bear said hoarsely, as if a little scared," it was her friend . "" Ah, it's her friend, welcome.My dear, please sit down. "Jane and Michael felt a little as if they were before the Emperor—not even when they saw the lion—and managed to take their eyes off his imposing gaze and find something to sit around. The brown bear crouched down and let the They each sat on a furry knee. Jane whispered: "It talks like a big man. ""It's big shots.He is the great man of our world, the wisest and most fearsome king among us. "The brown bear said softly and respectfully. The cobra turned to Aunt Mary with a long, slow, mysterious smile." Cousin. "It hissed softly." Is she really its cousin? "Michael asked quietly." It was the cousin on the mother's side, "the brown bear put its paw to its mouth and whispered," but listen.It's going to be a birthday present. "" Cousin," Cobra said again, "It's been a long time since the last time your birthday was full moon, that is, it's been a long time since you celebrated like this tonight.So I have time to think about what to get you for your birthday.I decided, "It stopped for a moment, everyone in the snake house held their breath, and there was no sound at all," and I'd better give you one of my skins. ""Cousin, thank you so much..."Aunt Mary was about to say something, when the cobra raised its flat head to ask her to stop."No thanks, you know I change skins from time to time, one more and one less Zhang doesn't matter much to me.I'm not……? "It stopped and looked around." It was the King of the Forest. "All the snakes hissed in unison, as if this question-and-answer was a known ritual. The cobra nodded." So, "it said, 'what I think is good, you probably don't either. it is good.It's a very small present, dear Mary, but it could be used for belts, or shoes, or even hat hoops or something... You know, these things are often used. "As he spoke, he began to wiggle slightly from side to side, and Jane and Michael looked as if waves were surging through him, from his tail to his head. Suddenly he twisted in a spiral, and his golden skin lay On the ground, it has come out, with a new skin, shining silver." Wait! "Aunt Mary was bending over to pick up the skin," said Cobra, "let me put a word of congratulations on it first." "Its tail flicked quickly along the strip of skin it had shed, then deftly bent the golden snakeskin into a circle, thrust its head in as if it were a crown, and rolled its head gracefully. Passed it to Aunt Mary. She took it with a bow. "I can't thank you enough..." She started and stopped. She was obviously very happy, running her fingers around the snake skin, revealing A very loving look." You're welcome. "Says Cobra." Shhhhh! "It said stretching its neck as if listening to something," I seem to have heard the signal of the big circle dance, don't I? "Everyone turned their heads to listen. The bell was ringing, and a hoarse voice was heard coming closer, calling out, "Great circle dance, great circle dance!"Everyone went to the central square to dance in a big circle.go Go.Get ready for the great circle dance! ""I think so," said Cobra, smiling, "you've got to go, my dear.They are all waiting for you to go to the central square.Goodbye, see you next birthday. "He stood upright as before, and kissed Aunt Mary lightly on both cheeks." Go! "Cobra said," I will take good care of you two little friends. "Jane and Michael felt the brown bear move under their hips and stood up. They saw all the snakes twisting and sliding past their feet and hurried out of the snake house. Aunt Mary bowed solemnly to the cobras and did not look back After taking a look at the two children, he ran towards the green square in the middle of the zoo." You can leave us now. "The cobra said to the brown bear. The brown bear bowed respectfully, put on his hat, and ran to where all the animals surrounded Aunt Mary's congratulations." Will you come with me? "Cobra asked Jane and Michael politely. Without waiting for an answer, he slid between them and moved his head to let them go one to each other." Already started. ' it hissed merrily. The children heard the noise in the green square and guessed it meant the great circle dance. As they drew nearer they heard only the singing and braying of the animals, and then saw leopards, lions, beavers, Camels, bears, cranes, antelopes, and many other animals formed a big circle around Aunt Mary. Then the animals moved, singing the song of the forest, and jumping in and out of the circle. Like everyone going around in a square dance , switching claws and wings as they walked. A high-pitched, thin voice raised the other voices:

"Oh, Mary Mary, she's my darling, she's my darling!" They saw the penguin dancing with short wings and singing vigorously.As soon as it saw them, it bowed to the cobra and yelled, "I'll go on... hear me? Of course, it's not perfect. 'Honey' doesn't quite rhyme with Mary. But it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo s with this by me,'" it danced Gone, offering a wing to a leopard.Jane and Michael watched the dance, and the cobra hid motionless among them.Their friend the lion danced past and bent to take the wing of a Brazilian peacock.Jane was embarrassed and wanted to express her feelings in words. "I think, what are you..." She stopped talking as soon as she spoke, feeling flustered, not knowing whether to say or not. "Speak, my child!" said the Cobra, "what do you think?" "I think... lions and birds, tigers and small animals..." The Cobra helped her go on: "You think they are natural enemies, Lion Birds won’t stop eating, and tigers won’t stop eating hares... right?” Jane nodded with a blushing face. "Ah, you may be right. It may be so. But today is the birthday," said the cobra. "Tonight the little ones are not afraid of the big ones, and the big ones protect the little ones. Even me..." It stopped, as if trying to Deeper, "On this day, even when I meet an arctic goose, I don't even want to eat it for dinner. Besides..." it swallowed its terrible forked tongue in and out, "It may eat people and Being eaten by others is the same. My wisdom tells me maybe. You have to remember that the animals in our forests and the people in your cities are all made of the same things. The tree above the head, the tree under the foot stones, birds, stars - we are all made of the same things and go to the same end. Remember this when you can no longer remember me. My child." "How can a tree be the same as a stone The same? The bird is not me. Jane is not a tiger." Michael said firmly. "You don't think so?" the cobra hissed. "Look!" it nodded to the large herd of animals moving before them.The birds and beasts formed a great circle around Aunt Mary now, swinging to and fro like a pendulum.Aunt Mary was rocking too.The trees are also swaying gently.The moon is also swaying in the sky, just like a ship swaying on the sea. "Birds, beasts, stones and stars...we are all one, all one..." murmured the cobra, pulling its neck back slightly, and dangling itself among the children . "Child and snake, star and stone are all one." Its hiss grew softer.The cries of the swaying animals grew softer and more indistinct.As Jane and Michael listened, they felt themselves shaking slightly, or being shaken...the soft moonlight fell on their faces. "Both are asleep and dreaming," said a soft voice.Was it the cobra's voice, or the mother's who routinely visited the nursery every night to tuck them in? "Very good." I don't know if it's the brown bear's hoarse voice or the father's voice.Jane and Michael shook and couldn't tell... really couldn't tell... "I had a strange dream last night," said Jane, as she sprinkled sugar into the porridge at breakfast, "I dreamed we were in the Zoo It happened that Aunt Mary was celebrating her birthday, and instead of keeping animals in the cages, people were kept in the cages, and all the animals came out of the cages..." "Why, that was my dream. I also dreamed about these things." Michael was very surprised look said. "We can't both dream the same thing," said Jane. "Did you really dream about these things? Do you remember how curly the lion's mane was, and the seal wanted us to..." "Dive down to get the orange peels Michael said, "Of course I do! And the dolls in the cage, the penguins whose words don't rhyme, the cobras..." "That can't be a dream at all," Jane insisted, "it must be real. If it is Really..." She looked at Aunt Mary strangely, as she boiled the milk. "Aunt Mary," she said, "can Michael and I have the same dreams?" "What about your dreams!" said Aunt Mary, sniffling, "please eat your porridge, or not I'll give you bread and butter." But Jane didn't stop.She should know anyway. "Aunt Mary," she said, staring at her, "were you at the zoo last night?" Aunt Mary opened her mouth wide. "At the zoo? I'm at the zoo... at night? Me? A well-behaved and quiet person..." "But you're at the zoo?" Jane insisted. "Of course it's not here...you can figure it out!" Aunt Mary said, "Thank you, eat the porridge and stop talking nonsense." Jane poured out the milk. "It must be a dream," she said, "it's a dream after all." But Michael opened his mouth and looked at Aunt Mary, who was baking bread now. "Sister," he whispered sharply, "sister, look!" He pointed, and Jane saw what he was looking at.Aunt Mary wore a belt around her waist, made of golden snakeskin, on which was written in crooked characters: "Gift from the zoo."