Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rudyard Kipling
‘it is said—’ Puck’s voice was wickedly meek—’that there do. It’s little one can do with that class of native except make
was a great fight.’
them stop killing each other and themselves—’ ‘Why did
Eh, but I must ha’ been a silly lad.’ Wilfrid spoke with a they kill themselves?’ Una asked, her chin in her hand.
sudden thick burr in his voice. He coughed, and took up his ‘Because they were heathen. When they grew tired of life
silvery tones again. ‘There was no fight really. My men (as if they were the only people!) they would jump into the
thumped a few of them, but the tide rose half an hour before sea . They called it going to Wotan. It wasn’t want of food
its time, with a strong wind, and we backed off. What I wanted always—by any means. A man would tell you that he felt
to say, though, was, that the seas about us were full of sleek grey in the heart, or a woman would say that she saw nothing
seals watching the scuffle. My good Eddi—my chaplain— but long days in front of her; and they’d saunter away to the
insisted that they were demons. Yes—yess! That was my first mud-flats and—that would be the end of them, poor souls,
acquaintance with the South Saxons and their seals.’ unless one headed them off. One had to run quick, but one
‘But not the only time you were wrecked, was it?’ said Dan. can’t allow people to lay hands on themselves because they
‘Alas, no! On sea and land my life seems to have been one happen to feel grey. Yes—yess—Extraordinary people, the
long shipwreck.’ He looked at the Jhone Coline slab as old South Saxons. Disheartening, sometimes. … What does that
Hobden sometimes looks into the fire. ‘Ah, well!’
say now?’ The organ had changed tune again.
‘But did you ever have any more adventures among the ‘Only a hymn for next Sunday,’ said Una. ‘“The Church’s
seals?” said Una, after a little.
One Foundation.” Go on, please, about running over the mud.
‘Oh, the seals! I beg your pardon. They are the important I should like to have seen you.’
things. Yes—yess! I went back to the South Saxons after ‘I dare say you would, and I really could run in those days.
twelve—fifteen—years. No, I did not come by water, but Ethelwalch the King gave me some five or six muddy par-
overland from my own Northumbria, to see what I could ishes by the sea, and the first time my good Eddi and I rode
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