Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUMO8FXUnA
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU03G5QO9BZ
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQQqtC8jXX
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6r5oBsxFsT
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz82rx5lzr
And went away, and cannot really be said to have lived at all.
And cats die. They lie on the floor and lash their tails,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1DTYfplhT
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlFAeaABuA
With fleas that one never knew were there,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZGD0tC2CW
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87M1ea8wwT
Trekking off into the living world.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOcCoBAFJB
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAVEIRKXk1
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyH7YDCcP2
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKY8YTbnTJ
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMaOz6vEqJ
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPwB55mWk9
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35F3kQXe9L
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71kFfftaAL
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmJvxEwAum
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGgzCf6cy6
Is plenty of time to say, "I'm sorry, mother."
To be grown up is to sit at the table with people who have died,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsqv1fbs4f
who neither listen nor speak;593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGxI45zImn
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPxYVtWeT2
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8I1nfG71GG
they are not tempted.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOR2a065uKe
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjdyBR4pTa
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpRwS0ormU
They are not taken in.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2hRr88wLl
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWTzhVhNwM
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgixtpNqT6N
them and yell at them;593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQB8hbLpndB
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73HXLNke5i
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7XaeJ8zFM
You drink it standing up,593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu2ZdNqLOM
And leave the house.
