Redcoat Captain: A Story of That CountryOllivant, Alfred
Science
Redcoat Captain: A Story of That Country
Ollivant, Alfred
English fiction; Parables
So the Commander-in-Chief had limped back to the Castle with his hump
up. And because he had a curiously nasty nature, and bore malice a
lot, he now sent word by Cooey to say that they must choose between E
and exile.
And it is usually considered the greatest misery that can happen to you
to be sent out of That Country.
For That Country is the Land-where-you-never-grow-old--so long, that
is, as you are good and loving.
Indeed, if you live truly, you grow younger all the time, although your
hair turns grey just the same as in Abroad. And when you are so young
and so happy that you can bear it no more, then you die.
But directly you begin to go bad, you grow old. And then the right
place for you is Abroad, where all the common people live, and grow
horrider and horrider every day, and never die.
So naturally everybody born in That Country wants to live there all the
time, except when they have to go away to Moonland for one month after
marriage: for that is one of the rules.
But if you are not good and loving, then they turn you out, when they
find out about you, which they very often don't for a long time,
because they are so sweet and simple. And you are supposed to hate
nobody in That Country; but if you do, then you try to sort of cuckoo
him out by working under him with your wings.
And that was what the Commander-in-Chief, sitting in the Castle-tower,
with his toe in a bandage, plotted in his own secret mind to do to the
Regiment, because of Goliath.
For the Commander-in-Chief was a real villain, and already growing old.
4
So all the Fellows were sitting round feeding, and abusing the
Commander-in-Chief.
But the Junior Subaltern, who was rosy and plump, was saying nothing:
for he wasn't allowed an opinion.
So he was eating most instead--as usual.
Then Tiny sat down apart, and ate jam out of a spoon, and smiled.
But the Junior Subaltern peeped from behind a pink fairy-book, which he
read with one hand, while he ate with the other, and when he saw Tiny's
smile, he said a bit bitterly,
"I know. It's because it's strawberry. They keep _me_ on plum."
But the one next him, who was long and yellow, held his cup with both
hands, and bubbled into it as he drank, and said,
"No. It's because he thought old Roast End was going to tell him off a
treat. But Tiny tickled him, so he told off the other fellow who
hadn't done it. I wish I could tickle like Tiny. It all seems so damb
unfair," and he began to cry.
But the one next him, who was big and brown, said nothing outside, but
inside he said,
"No. It's because of Baby." And he knew, for he was to be best man,
and give Tiny away when the time came.
Then a Captain without medals rose. And he was black but uncomely.
And he bowed up and down to the Mountain and said,
"I am going to Where-George-is."
But when the Junior Subaltern heard that, he peeped out again, and
cried,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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