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Story
Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveller, and
he set out upon a journey. It was a magic journey, and was to seem
very long when he began it, and very short when he got half way
through.
He travelled along a rather dark path for some little time, without
meeting anything, until at last he came to a beautiful child. So he
said to the child, "What do you do here?" And the child said, "I am
always at play. Come and play with me!"
So, he played with that child, the whole day long, and they were
very merry. The sky was so blue, the sun was so bright, the water
was so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the flowers were so
lovely, and they heard such singing-birds and saw so many butteries,
that everything was beautiful. This was in fine weather. When it
rained, they loved to watch the falling drops, and to smell the
fresh scents. When it blew, it was delightful to listen to the
wind, and fancy what it said, as it came rushing from its home--
where was that, they wondered!--whistling and howling, driving the
clouds before it, bending the trees, rumbling in the chimneys,
shaking the house, and making the sea roar in fury. But, when it
snowed, that was best of all; for, they liked nothing so well as to
look up at the white flakes falling fast and thick, like down from
the breasts of millions of white birds; and to see how smooth and
deep the drift was; and to listen to the hush upon the paths and
roads.
They had plenty of the finest toys in the world, and the most
astonishing picture-books: all about scimitars and slippers and
turbans, and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies, and blue-
beards and bean-stalks and riches and caverns and forests and
Valentines and Orsons: and all new and all true.
But, one day, of a sudden, the traveller lost the child. He called
to him over and over again, but got no answer. So, he went upon his
road, and went on for a little while without meeting anything, until
at last he came to a handsome boy. So, he said to the boy, "What do
you do here?" And the boy said, "I am always learning. Come and
learn with me."
So he learned with that boy about Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeks
and the Romans, and I don't know what, and learned more than I could
tell--or he either, for he soon forgot a great deal of it. But,
they were not always learning; they had the merriest games that ever
were played. They rowed upon the river in summer, and skated on the
ice in winter; they were active afoot, and active on horseback; at
cricket, and all games at ball; at prisoner's base, hare and hounds,
follow my leader, and more sports than I can think of; nobody could
beat them. They had holidays too, and Twelfth cakes, and parties
where they danced till midnight, and real Theatres where they saw
palaces of real gold and silver rise out of the real earth, and saw
all the wonders of the world at once. As to friends, they had such
dear friends and so many of them, that I want the time to reckon
them up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were never
to be strange to one another all their lives through.
Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleasures, the traveller
lost the boy as he had lost the child, and, after calling to him in
vain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a little while
without seeing anything, until at last he came to a young man. So,
he said to the young man, "What do you do here?" And the young man
said, "I am always in love. Come and love with me."
So, he went away with that young man, and presently they came to one
of the prettiest girls that ever was seen--just like Fanny in the
corner there--and she had eyes like Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and
dimples like Fanny's, and she laughed and coloured just as Fanny
does while I am talking about her. So, the young man fell in love
directly--just as Somebody I won't mention, the first time he came
here, did with Fanny. Well! he was teased sometimes--just as
Somebody used to be by Fanny; and they quarrelled sometimes--just as
Somebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and they made it up, and sat in
the dark, and wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder,
and were always looking out for one another and pretending not to,
and were engaged at Christmas-time, and sat close to one another by
the fire, and were going to be married very soon--all exactly like
Somebody I won't mention, and Fanny!
But, the traveller lost them one day, as he had lost the rest of his
friends, and, after calling to them to come back, which they never
did, went on upon his journey. So, he went on for a little while
without seeing anything, until at last he came to a middle-aged
gentleman. So, he said to the gentleman, "What are you doing here?"
And his answer was, "I am always busy. Come and be busy with me!"
So, he began to be very busy with that gentleman, and they went on
through the wood together. The whole journey was through a wood,
only it had been open and green at first, like a wood in spring; and
now began to be thick and dark, like a wood in summer; some of the
little trees that had come out earliest, were even turning brown.
The gentleman was not alone, but had a lady of about the same age
with him, who was his Wife; and they had children, who were with
them too. So, they all went on together through the wood, cutting
down the trees, and making a path through the branches and the
fallen leaves, and carrying burdens, and working hard.
Sometimes, they came to a long green avenue that opened into deeper
woods. Then they would hear a very little, distant voice crying,
"Father, father, I am another child! Stop for me!" And presently
they would see a very little figure, growing larger as it came
along, running to join them. When it came up, they all crowded
round it, and kissed and welcomed it; and then they all went on
together.
Sometimes, they came to several avenues at once, and then they all
stood still, and one of the children said, "Father, I am going to
sea," and another said, "Father, I am going to India," and another,
"Father, I am going to seek my fortune where I can," and another,
"Father, I am going to Heaven!" So, with many tears at parting,
they went, solitary, down those avenues, each child upon its way;
and the child who went to Heaven, rose into the golden air and
vanished.
Whenever these partings happened, the traveller looked at the
gentleman, and saw him glance up at the sky above the trees, where
the day was beginning to decline, and the sunset to come on. He
saw, too, that his hair was turning grey. But, they never could
rest long, for they had their journey to perform, and it was
necessary for them to be always busy.
At last, there had been so many partings that there were no children
left, and only the traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went upon
their way in company. And now the wood was yellow; and now brown;
and the leaves, even of the forest trees, began to fall.
So, they came to an avenue that was darker than the rest, and were
pressing forward on their journey without looking down it when the
lady stopped.
"My husband," said the lady. "I am called."
They listened, and they heard a voice a long way down the avenue,
say, "Mother, mother!"
It was the voice of the first child who had said, "I am going to
Heaven!" and the father said, "I pray not yet. The sunset is very
near. I pray not yet!"
But, the voice cried, "Mother, mother!" without minding him, though
his hair was now quite white, and tears were on his face.
Then, the mother, who was already drawn into the shade of the dark
avenue and moving away with her arms still round his neck, kissed
him, and said, "My dearest, I am summoned, and I go!" And she was
gone. And the traveller and he were left alone together.
And they went on and on together, until they came to very near the
end of the wood: so near, that they could see the sunset shining
red before them through the trees.
Yet, once more, while he broke his way among the branches, the
traveller lost his friend. He called and called, but there was no
reply, and when he passed out of the wood, and saw the peaceful sun
going down upon a wide purple prospect, he came to an old man
sitting on a fallen tree. So, he said to the old man, "What do you
do here?" And the old man said with a calm smile, "I am always
remembering. Come and remember with me!"
So the traveller sat down by the side of that old man, face to face
with the serene sunset; and all his friends came softly back and
stood around him. The beautiful child, the handsome boy, the young
man in love, the father, mother, and children: every one of them
was there, and he had lost nothing. So, he loved them all, and was
kind and forbearing with them all, and was always pleased to watch
them all, and they all honoured and loved him. And I think the
traveller must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this what you
do to us, and what we do to you.
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