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The Grand Tour Of The Gardens
Thesweep’snamewasSooty,andoneday,whentheywereplayingnearthewell,MalcolmfellinandwouldhavebeendrownedhadnotSootydivedinandrescuedhim;andthewaterhadwashedSootyclean,andhenowstoodrevealedasMalcolm’slong-lostfather.SoMalcolmwouldnotlethismotherputherarmroundhisneckanymore.
BetweenthewellandtheRoundPondarethecricketpitches,andfrequentlythechoosingofsidesexhaustssomuchtimethatthereisscarcelyanycricket.Everybodywantstobatfirst,andassoonasheisouthebowlsunlessyouarethebetterwrestler,andwhileyouarewrestlingwithhimthefieldershavescatteredtoplayatsomethingelse.TheGardensarenotedfortwokindsofcricket:boycricket,whichisrealcricketwithabat,andgirlcricket,whichiswitharacquetandthegoverness.Girlscan’treallyplaycricket,andwhenyouarewatchingtheirfutileeffortsyoumakefunnysoundsatthem.Nevertheless,therewasaverydisagreeableincidentonedaywhensomeforwardgirlschallengedDavid’steam,andadisturbingcreaturecalledAngelaClaresentdownsomanyyorkersthat—However,insteadoftellingyoutheresultofthatregrettablematchIshallpassonhurriedlytotheRoundPond,whichisthewheelthatkeepsallthegardensgoing.
ItisroundbecauseitisintheverymiddleoftheGardens,andwhenyouarecometoityouneverwanttogoanyfarther.Youcan’tbegoodallthetimeattheRoundPond,howevermuchyoutry.YoucanbegoodintheBroadWalkallthetime,butnotattheRoundPond,andthereasonisthatyouforget,and,whenyouremember,youaresowetthatyoumayaswellbewetter.TherearemenwhosailboatsontheRoundPond,suchbigboatsthattheybringtheminbarrows,andsometimesinperambulators,andthenthebabyhastowalk.
