Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ic60qPizu
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwpQ9O5ZGZ
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38GVk2S22N
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4iHw9FgoW
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDksSZ5u72S
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,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUZE7WrX2t
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtavZNNQPAC
With fleas that one never knew were there,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYcA8c2rq0
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJtC7B5D5d
Trekking off into the living world.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbpYNdV3Qv
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckdUcyG5mx
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Mu8aAE700
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2lGQfXxhv
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqMlLZBGvM
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg7GQUW8zO
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzSkwXE33J
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtbAePO7K1
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZs0S88NzVP
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3qDkFVf65
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,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmD6l9HuJu
who neither listen nor speak;417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyF15Om8k4t
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXy1PWa00D
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDAQ85DZid
they are not tempted.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcNmzSTW8m
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Lo3FvdAY8
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOx1Bh6SP8v
They are not taken in.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dcW3LYIIe
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡispBspOMtO
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx49M29rGIX
them and yell at them;417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDKOhvzA1t
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS927zjSTCn
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEP1VrIqdN
You drink it standing up,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI4oQ8jeeI
And leave the house.
