gh we had lived these hundred years; but as it is, I have left
something without the wood for you to bring up." When we had our talk
out, she, hearing the children stir, took them up, and was going, as she
always did, to get their breakfasts. "Hold," says I, "this journey must
have fatigued you too much already; lay yourself to rest, and leave
everything else to me."--"My dear," says she, "you seem to think this
flight tiresome, but you are mistaken; I am more weary with walking to
the lake and back again, than with all the rest. Oh," says she, "if you
had but the graundee, flying would rest you, after the greatest labour;
for the parts which are moved with exercise on the earth, are all at
rest in flight; as, on the contrary, the parts used in flight are when
on earthly travel. The whole trouble of flight is in mounting from
the plain ground; but when once you are upon the graundee at a proper
height, all the rest is play, a mere trifle; you need only think of your
way, and incline to it, your graundee directs you as readily as your
feet obey you on the ground, without thinking of every step you take; it
does not require labour, as your boat does, to keep you a-going."
After we had composed ourselves, we walked to the verge of the wood, to
see what cargo my wife had brought from the ship. I was astonished at
the bulk of it; and seeing, by the outside, it consisted of clothes, I
took it with much ado upon my shoulders and carried it home. But upon
opening it, I found far more treasure than I could have imagined; for
there was a hammer, a great many spikes and nails, three spoons, about
five plates of pewter, four knives and a fork, a small china punchbowl,
two chocolate cups, a paper of needles, and several of pins, a parcel
of coarse thread, a pair of shoes, and abundance of such other things
as she had heard me wish for and describe; besides as much linen and
woollen, of one sort or another, as made a good package for all the
other things; with a great tin porridge-pot, of about two gallons, tied
to the outside; and all these as nicely stowed as if she had been bred a
packer.
When I had viewed the bundle, and poised the weight, "How was it
possible, my dear You-warkee," said I, "for you to bring all this?
You could never carry them in your hands."--"No, no," replied she, "I
carried them on my back."--"Is it possible," says I, "for your graundee
to bear yourself and all this weight too in the air, and to such a
heig
|