Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5xfmyWJtH
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYLz760lKL
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6P97dnxorM
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUf5ecpeMk
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPD64NIsDC
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,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCusLFVMIm
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ARy0VsKXz
With fleas that one never knew were there,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5ZUhVlhHO
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PF0sEHd0Q
Trekking off into the living world.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDQSv06oV7
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiq6PEx1sc
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4nrGNIpu1
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGG3LJJYAOE
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBA1XRcWIvt
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM9lYbSIdY
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GxsmArTAw
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡir5OapvvGx
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtpqT6FSuX
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrFf6KruaP
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,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54GCiZamLH
who neither listen nor speak;594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvX26tUDdY
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHUCaAD5Kz
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbK5RGO9HZ
they are not tempted.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkq7tnfhqj
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kqBbhky7D
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihZv0JoMiB
They are not taken in.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO5SqlR4By
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0Rwv8SBUL
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YRE7Wejgv
them and yell at them;594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGfX9iuFrL
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rUbVu1ALX
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfz9nOJOXC
You drink it standing up,594Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ypx7VEfMV
And leave the house.
