Part 45 (1/2)
”Why--why--he was hungry. He made his dinner off the little black bugs, and he wanted the fin for his dessert.”
”I don't like that kind of a beast. Oncet he was a worm in a kind of a hole-box, an' then he turned into a leetle beast-crittah; an' what'll he be next?”
”Next--why, next he'll be a fly--a--a beautiful fly with four wings all blue and gold and green--”
”I seen them things flyin' round in the summeh. Hit's quare how things gits therselves changed that-a-way into somethin' else--from a worm into that beast-crittah an' then into one o' these here devil flies. You reckon hit'll eveh git changed into something diff'ent--some kind er a bird?”
”A bird? No, no. When he becomes a f--fly, he's finished and done for.”
”P'r'aps ther is some folks that-a-way, too. You reckon that's what ails me?”
”You? Why,--why what ails you?”
”You reckon p'r'aps I mount git changed some way outen this here quare back I got, so't I can hol' my hade like otheh folks? Jes' go to sleep like, an' wake up straight like Frale?”
The old doctor turned and looked down a moment on the child sitting hunched at his side. His mouth worked as he meditated a reply.
”What would you do if you could c--arry your head straight like Frale?
If you had been like him, you would be running a 'still' pretty soon.
You never would have come to me to set you straight, and so you would n--never have seen all the pictures and the great cities. You are going to be a man before you know it, and--”
”And I'll do a heap o' things when I'm a man, too--but I wisht--I wisht-- These here snails we b'en hunt'n', you reckon they're done growed to ther sh.e.l.ls so they can't get out? What did G.o.d make 'em that-a-way fer?”
”It's all in the order of things. Everything has its place in the world and its work to do. They don't want to get out. They like to carry their bones on the outside of their bodies. They're made so. Yes, yes, all in the order of things. They like it.”
”You reckon you can tell me hu' come G.o.d 'lowed me to have this-er lump on my back? Hit hain't in no ordeh o' things fer humans to be like I be.”
The sceptical old man looked down on the child quizzically, yet sadly.
His flexible mouth twitched to reply, but he was silent. Hoyle looked back into the old doctor's eyes with grave, direct gaze, and turned away. ”You reckon why he done hit?”
”See here. Suppose--just suppose you were given your choice this minute to change places with Frale--Lord knows where he is now, or what he's doing--or be as you are and live your own life; which would you be?
Think it over; think it out.”
”Ef I had 'a' been straight, brother David never would 'a' took me up to you?”
”No--no--no. You would have been a--”
”You mean if a magic man should come by here an' just touch me so, an'
change me into Frale, would I 'low him to do hit?”
”That's what I mean.”
”I don't guess Frale, he'd like to be done that-a-way.” The loving little chap nestled closer to the doctor's side. ”I like you a heap, Doctah Hoyle. Frale, he fit brothah David--an' nigh about killed him. I reckon I rutheh be like I be, an' bide nigh Ca.s.s an' th' baby--an' have the 'quar'um--an' see maw--an' go with you. You reckon I can go back with you?”
”Go back? Of course--go back.”
”Be I heap o' trouble to you? You reckon G.o.d 'lowed me to have this er hump, so't I could get to go an' bide whar you were at, like I done?”