Белая птичка
Lock-Out Time
Butitisnot;itsimplymeansthatsheisdoingasshehasseenthefairiesdo;shebeginsbyfollowingtheirways,andittakesabouttwoyearstogetherintothehumanways.Herfitsofpassion,whichareawfultobehold,andareusuallycalledteething,arenosuchthing;theyarehernaturalexasperation,becausewedon’tunderstandher,thoughsheistalkinganintelligiblelanguage.Sheistalkingfairy.Thereasonmothersandnursesknowwhatherremarksmean,beforeotherpeopleknow,asthat“Guch”means“Giveittomeatonce,”while“Wa”is“Whydoyouwearsuchafunnyhat?”isbecause,mixingsomuchwithbabies,theyhavepickedupalittleofthefairylanguage.
OflateDavidhasbeenthinkingbackhardaboutthefairytongue,withhishandsclutchinghistemples,andhehasrememberedanumberoftheirphraseswhichIshalltellyousomedayifIdon’tforget.Hehadheardtheminthedayswhenhewasathrush,andthoughIsuggestedtohimthatperhapsitisreallybirdlanguageheisremembering,hesaysnot,forthesephrasesareaboutfunandadventures,andthebirdstalkedofnothingbutnest-building.Hedistinctlyremembersthatthebirdsusedtogofromspottospotlikeladiesatshop-windows,lookingatthedifferentnestsandsaying,“Notmycolour,mydear,”and“Howwouldthatdowithasoftlining?”and“Butwillitwear?”and“Whathideoustrimming!”andsoon.
Thefairiesareexquisitedancers,andthatiswhyoneofthefirstthingsthebabydoesistosigntoyoutodancetohimandthentocrywhenyoudoit.
