Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaR2wqip2or
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8t4hRSpzx
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zFqlyoL7i
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VuBhSeVB0
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Vx3jhfvgS
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,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7mBfjF1BQ
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4YSMQ4diM
With fleas that one never knew were there,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHLBlXayKm
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDLycle6Wl
Trekking off into the living world.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzaPSsxqFW
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUt8pp20KyP
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyeE3FZsXv
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGw9unUjSz1
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIBqoSNNfV
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Pm8swHcYY
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycDPYfzfxd
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxJRV59pUK
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqNqC5kwoK
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITfS0whsRO
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,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AnqWvbgUX
who neither listen nor speak;493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G1Ojo8VG1
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3HC5b0dbG
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgWor4dHCc
they are not tempted.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2b8T4WkZK
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1aKjiZwdx
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoL0kHPdlU
They are not taken in.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiza8BHPon
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3dFjbXM8Y
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDyNgss2S0
them and yell at them;493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tVoHwMzQD
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwO8Gsm8Gb
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV2syaZ2gF
You drink it standing up,493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBBOEIhIdM
And leave the house.
