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.