Davy and the Goblin: What Followed Reading 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'Carryl, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Science
Davy and the Goblin: What Followed Reading 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'
Carryl, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Fantasy literature
"This is a very sloppy road," said Davy to himself, as he walked away
from the Bean-stalk farm; and it was, indeed, a _very_ sloppy road. The
dust had quite disappeared, and the sloppiness soon changed to such a
degree of wetness that Davy presently found himself in water up to his
ankles. He turned to go back, and saw, to his alarm, that the land in
every direction seemed to be miles away, and the depth of the water
increased so rapidly that, before he could make up his mind what to do,
it had risen to his shoulders, and he was carried off his feet and found
himself apparently drifting out to sea. The water, however, was warm and
pleasant, and he discovered that, instead of sinking, he was floated
gently along, slowly turning in the water like a float on a
fishing-line. This was very agreeable; but he was, nevertheless, greatly
relieved when a boat came in sight sailing toward him. As it came near,
it proved to be the clock, with a sail hoisted, and the Goblin sitting
complacently in the stern.
"How d'ye do, Gobsy?" said Davy.
"Prime!" said the Goblin, enthusiastically.
"Well, stop the clock," said Davy; "I want to get aboard."
"I haven't any board," said the Goblin, in great surprise.
"I mean I want to get into the clock," said Davy, laughing. "I don't
think you're much of a sailor."
"I'm not," said the Goblin, as Davy climbed in. "I've been sailing one
way for ever so long, because I don't know how to turn around; but
there's a landing-place just ahead."
Davy looked over his shoulder and found that they were rapidly
approaching a little wooden pier, standing about a foot out of the
water. Beyond it stretched a broad expanse of sandy beach.
"What place is it?" said Davy.
"It's called Hickory Dickory Dock," said the Goblin. "All the eight-day
clocks stop here;" and at this moment the clock struck against the
timbers with a violent thump, and Davy was thrown out, heels over head,
upon the dock. He scrambled upon his feet again as quickly as possible,
and saw, to his dismay, that the clock had been turned completely around
by the shock and was rapidly drifting out to sea again. The Goblin
looked back despairingly, and Davy just caught the words, "I don't know
how to turn around!" when the clock was carried out of hearing distance,
and soon disappeared on the horizon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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