[The Magic City by Edith Nesbit]@TWC D-Link bookThe Magic City CHAPTER VIII 12/32
A shudder seemed to run through the ark from end to end, and 'What is it? Oh! what is it ?' cried Lucy as the ark heeled over the other way and the unfortunate occupants were thrown on to the opposite set of cushions. (It really _was_, now, rather like what you imagine the inside of your Noah's ark must be when you put in Mr.Noah and his family and a few hastily chosen animals and shake them all up together.) 'It's the sea,' cried the Lord High Islander; 'it's the great Fear come upon us! And I'm not afraid!' He drew himself up as well as he could in his cramped position, with Mr.Noah's elbow pinning his shoulder down and Mr.Perrin's boot on his ear. With a shake and a shiver the ark righted itself, and the floor of the saloon got flat again. 'It's all right,' said Mr.Perrin, resuming control of his boot; 'good workmanship, it do tell.
She ain't shipped a drop, Mr.Noah, sir.' 'It's all right,' said Mr.Noah, taking his elbow to himself and standing up rather shakily on his yellow mat. 'We're afloat, we're afloat On the dark rolling tide; The ark's water-tight And the crew are inside. 'Up, up with the flag Let it wave o'er the sea; We're afloat, we're afloat-- And what else should we be ?' '_I_ don't know,' said Lucy; 'but there isn't any flag, is there ?' 'The principle's the same,' said Mr.Noah; 'but I'm afraid we didn't think of a flag.' '_I_ did,' said Mr.Perrin; 'it's only a Jubilee hankey'-- he drew it slowly from his breast-pocket, a cotton Union Jack it was--'but it shall wave all right.
But not till daylight, I think, sir.
Discretion's the better part of--don't you think, Mr.Noah, sir? Wouldn't do to open the ark out of hours, so to speak!' 'Just so,' said Mr.Noah.
'One, two, three! Bed!' The ark swayed easily on a sea not too rough.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|