“No,you’rewrong”saidMr.Fingeropeninghiseyesdrowsily.“That’seitherthewindhowlingorthewaveshittingtheshore.”
“No,it’smymothercalli’sgettingcloserandcloser.Sheisrightbytheke!”Sayingso,shegotoffthebed,climbeddowrunkuntilshecametotheexitbytherootofthetreeandrushedmadlytowardsthesideoftheke.Mr.Fingercoulddonothingbutfollow.Viodashedaroundthekesidehystericallyshouting,
“Mother!Mother!Whereareyou?IamVio.Iamyouronlydaughterwhomyoulefthereintheworld.Mother!Mother!Arewetobeseparatedforever,omeet?No.No.No.Ifeelyouarestillthere.Youarestillive!Mother!Iwanttocrossthiskeandetoyou,butit’sharderthantryingtogouptoheaven.Mother!Mother!TellmewhatImustdotobeheldagaininyourwarmembrace.”Viokonthegroundstillgandmumbling.Mr.Finger,whohadfollowedcloselybehindher,saotofsomethingwhiteoer,ingnearerandnearer.Yes.Itwasthatrgewhitefishsparklingwithmulticoloredscales.Shestoppedashortdistantheshoreandswamtoandfro,afraidtoecloserlestshebeestranded.Mr.Fingerseemedtobeabletoinstinctivelyectwiththefish.Heshouted,
“Ah,greatwhitefish!Areyouthemotherofalllivingthingsintheke?Willyouhelpapoororphangirlfindoutwhetherhermotherisstillliving?Areyouwillingtohelpherfulfillherheart’sdesire?”Thefishswitchedhertaisifi.Viojumpedupandsaid,
“Ah!She’swilling!She’swilling!Oh,that’stoowonderful!”
“Thankyou”saidMr.Fingerinaloudvoice.“Thankyouforbeingwillingtohelpus.Buthowarewetocrosstheke?”Thefishopenedherrgemouthasifindigshecouldholdtheminhermouthandswimacrosstheke.VioandMr.Fingeruoodhermeaningandlookedateachother.Mr.Fingersaidsoftly,
“Whatifsheswallowsusforfood?”
“Idon’tcare”repliedVioadamantly.“Evenifitisso,Iwillstillgiveitatry.Imayneverhaveanotherce.Youstaybehindifyouarescared.Iwillgoalonebymyself!”
“No”saidMr.Finger,holdingherhands.“Iwillgowithyou.IfIloseyou,Iwillneveragainfindanotherwomanwhosuitsmesowell.”Sobothofthemjumpedintothewaterandswamtowardsthewhitefish.Thewhitefishopenedherrgemouthalytookthemiurnedaroundanddashedintothedark,turbulentwaves,makingfoldpace.As,thiskindandbenevolentaofthewhitefishwillultimatelybringcatastropheaationtobothherselfandtoKingDimitri’skingdomofDreams.
Aishagraduallywokeupamidthefragranceofflowers.Beforesheopenedhereyes,thesilverychirpingofbirdsfilledherearsmixedwiththetinklingughterofyounggirls.
内容未完，下一页继续阅读