Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu7LXxZDv3
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhJKXpAjOd
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVs56SyqhG
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjrLiLrJnF
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Detmoux40
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,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcvthP6FpZ
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZM9L9U7YB
With fleas that one never knew were there,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvxy4a0yiJ
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9L3QczCa5G
Trekking off into the living world.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipuRVQKtXx
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKE6MR2K8Z
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6steuXiJsV
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEBknMdrgQ
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkNq1cPM3z
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AXDlQpC8G
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcfeJWEM3O
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcCJgYKu4q
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JTsD36yL4
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBxd7hRD1l
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,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmekeAX6zu6
who neither listen nor speak;598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6Ytsz2Cqv
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoe4dwOk2g1
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZIJgefNQu
they are not tempted.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7n1NtVNmX
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhcp9l19f1
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOoSk40VHS
They are not taken in.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAkykVSKQV
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHAYYGUnex
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0cWKfNNau
them and yell at them;598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmnlrlOJfs
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Vvd4r9yak
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCq1XGXoCzz
You drink it standing up,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXZVmsYcr1
And leave the house.
