A Holiday in Bed, and Other SketchesBarrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
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A Holiday in Bed, and Other Sketches
Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
Essays; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Of course I had often seen Them before, but always with some responsible
person present, and never such a young one. I thought It would be done
up in clothes, but no, It lay loose, and without much on. I saw Its
hands and arms, and It had hair. It was sound asleep to all appearances,
but there was a queer smile upon Its face that I did not like. It
crossed my mind that It might be only shamming, so I looked away and
then turned sharply around to catch It. The smile was still there, but
It moved one of Its hands in a suspicious way. The more I looked the
more uncomfortable did that smile make me. There was something saturnine
about It, and It kept it up too long. I felt in my pocket hurriedly for
my watch, in case It should wake; but, with my usual ill-luck, I had
left it at the watchmaker's. If It had been older I should not have
minded so much, for I would have kept on asking what Its name was. But
this was such a very young one that It could not even have a name yet.
Presently I began to feel that It was lying too quietly. It is not Their
nature to be quiet for any length of time, and, for aught I knew, this
one might be ill. I believe I should have felt relieved if It had cried
out again. After thinking it over for some time I touched It to see if
It would move. It drew up one leg and pushed out a hand. Then I bit my
lips at my folly, for there was no saying what It might do next. I got
behind the curtain, and watched It anxiously through a chink. Except
that the smile became wickeder than ever, nothing happened. I was
wondering whether I should not risk pinching It, so as to make It scream
and bring somebody, when I heard an awful sound. Though I am only
twenty, I have had considerable experience of life, and I can safely say
that I never heard such a chuckle. It had wakened up and was laughing.
I gazed at It from behind the curtain; Its eyes were wide open, and you
could see quite well that It was reflecting what It ought to do next. As
long as It did not come out I felt safe, for It could not see me.
Something funny seemed to strike It, and It laughed heartily. After a
time It tried to sit up. Fortunately Its head was so heavy that It
always lost its balance just as It seemed on the point of succeeding.
When It saw that It could not rise, It reflected again, and then all of
a sudden It put Its fist into Its mouth. I gazed in horror; soon only
the wrist was to be seen, and I saw that It would choke in another
minute. Just for a second I thought that I would let It do as It liked.
Then I cried out, "Don't do that!" and came out from behind the curtain.
Slowly It moved Its fist and there we were, looking at each other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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