Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbMYm8seys
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5fptcDynl
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hW3O3mQJH
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYVubUyJXR
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXFyMQHoWO
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,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbDx9ItNz9
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7n6fnvriB
With fleas that one never knew were there,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecXBIABOeG
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FKsleLoWT
Trekking off into the living world.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrw4euZ4dB
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQwbvyMt9Y
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11LnlbVwok
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfQ2EL76kH
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UtWWLtjOf
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLrxucG3Au
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbflm7oNn2
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fNUrLk6W0
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpWkgwUsHm
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4R7NQuJSj
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,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshRW22VbnT
who neither listen nor speak;554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS99LInhneF
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MGwHx2qHy
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSPplnvPsu
they are not tempted.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjkm9K5mvE
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKX0vVHUqmL
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOyl6FdXNE
They are not taken in.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcVa4obuSS
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CSLOKY732
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDcxbKgSwK
them and yell at them;554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgA3xPxDQK
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviXNzwYGaG
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzK6VvGtmD
You drink it standing up,554Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZEEOuLhIE
And leave the house.
