The Child's Story

by Charles Dickens

  


The Child's Story (1852) is a parable about life's journey, in which a traveller asks all he meets, "What do you do here?" and they invite him to join them, until it's time to move on.
The Child's StoryCharles Dickens and sister Fanny, 1842

  Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveller, andhe set out upon a journey. It was a magic journey, and was to seemvery long when he began it, and very short when he got half waythrough.He travelled along a rather dark path for some little time, withoutmeeting anything, until at last he came to a beautiful child. So hesaid to the child, "What do you do here?" And the child said, "I amalways at play. Come and play with me!"So, he played with that child, the whole day long, and they werevery merry. The sky was so blue, the sun was so bright, the waterwas so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the flowers were solovely, and they heard such singing-birds and saw so many butterflies,that everything was beautiful. This was in fine weather. When itrained, they loved to watch the falling drops, and to smell thefresh scents. When it blew, it was delightful to listen to thewind, and fancy what it said, as it came rushing from its home--where was that, they wondered!--whistling and howling, driving theclouds before it, bending the trees, rumbling in the chimneys,shaking the house, and making the sea roar in fury. But, when itsnowed, that was best of all; for, they liked nothing so well as tolook up at the white flakes falling fast and thick, like down fromthe breasts of millions of white birds; and to see how smooth anddeep the drift was; and to listen to the hush upon the paths androads.They had plenty of the finest toys in the world, and the mostastonishing picture-books: all about scimitars and slippers andturbans, and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies, and blue-beards and bean-stalks and riches and caverns and forests andValentines and Orsons: and all new and all true.But, one day, of a sudden, the traveller lost the child. He calledto him over and over again, but got no answer. So, he went upon hisroad, and went on for a little while without meeting anything, untilat last he came to a handsome boy. So, he said to the boy, "What doyou do here?" And the boy said, "I am always learning. Come andlearn with me."So he learned with that boy about Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeksand the Romans, and I don't know what, and learned more than I couldtell--or he either, for he soon forgot a great deal of it. But,they were not always learning; they had the merriest games that everwere played. They rowed upon the river in summer, and skated on theice in winter; they were active afoot, and active on horseback; atcricket, and all games at ball; at prisoner's base, hare and hounds,follow my leader, and more sports than I can think of; nobody couldbeat them. They had holidays too, and Twelfth cakes, and partieswhere they danced till midnight, and real Theatres where they sawpalaces of real gold and silver rise out of the real earth, and sawall the wonders of the world at once. As to friends, they had suchdear friends and so many of them, that I want the time to reckonthem up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were neverto be strange to one another all their lives through.Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleasures, the travellerlost the boy as he had lost the child, and, after calling to him invain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a little whilewithout seeing anything, until at last he came to a young man. So,he said to the young man, "What do you do here?" And the young mansaid, "I am always in love. Come and love with me."So, he went away with that young man, and presently they came to oneof the prettiest girls that ever was seen--just like Fanny in thecorner there--and she had eyes like Fanny, and hair like Fanny, anddimples like Fanny's, and she laughed and coloured just as Fannydoes while I am talking about her. So, the young man fell in lovedirectly--just as Somebody I won't mention, the first time he camehere, did with Fanny. Well! he was teased sometimes--just asSomebody used to be by Fanny; and they quarrelled sometimes--just asSomebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and they made it up, and sat inthe dark, and wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder,and were always looking out for one another and pretending not to,and were engaged at Christmas-time, and sat close to one another bythe fire, and were going to be married very soon--all exactly likeSomebody I won't mention, and Fanny!But, the traveller lost them one day, as he had lost the rest of hisfriends, and, after calling to them to come back, which they neverdid, went on upon his journey. So, he went on for a little whilewithout seeing anything, until at last he came to a middle-agedgentleman. So, he said to the gentleman, "What are you doing here?"And his answer was, "I am always busy. Come and be busy with me!"So, he began to be very busy with that gentleman, and they went onthrough the wood together. The whole journey was through a wood,only it had been open and green at first, like a wood in spring; andnow began to be thick and dark, like a wood in summer; some of thelittle trees that had come out earliest, were even turning brown.The gentleman was not alone, but had a lady of about the same agewith him, who was his Wife; and they had children, who were withthem too. So, they all went on together through the wood, cuttingdown the trees, and making a path through the branches and thefallen leaves, and carrying burdens, and working hard.Sometimes, they came to a long green avenue that opened into deeperwoods. Then they would hear a very little, distant voice crying,"Father, father, I am another child! Stop for me!" And presentlythey would see a very little figure, growing larger as it camealong, running to join them. When it came up, they all crowdedround it, and kissed and welcomed it; and then they all went ontogether.Sometimes, they came to several avenues at once, and then they allstood still, and one of the children said, "Father, I am going tosea," and another said, "Father, I am going to India," and another,"Father, I am going to seek my fortune where I can," and another,"Father, I am going to Heaven!" So, with many tears at parting,they went, solitary, down those avenues, each child upon its way;and the child who went to Heaven, rose into the golden air andvanished.Whenever these partings happened, the traveller looked at thegentleman, and saw him glance up at the sky above the trees, wherethe day was beginning to decline, and the sunset to come on. Hesaw, too, that his hair was turning grey. But, they never couldrest long, for they had their journey to perform, and it wasnecessary for them to be always busy.At last, there had been so many partings that there were no childrenleft, and only the traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went upontheir way in company. And now the wood was yellow; and now brown;and the leaves, even of the forest trees, began to fall.So, they came to an avenue that was darker than the rest, and werepressing forward on their journey without looking down it when thelady stopped."My husband," said the lady. "I am called."They listened, and they heard a voice a long way down the avenue,say, "Mother, mother!"It was the voice of the first child who had said, "I am going toHeaven!" and the father said, "I pray not yet. The sunset is verynear. I pray not yet!"But, the voice cried, "Mother, mother!" without minding him, thoughhis hair was now quite white, and tears were on his face.Then, the mother, who was already drawn into the shade of the darkavenue and moving away with her arms still round his neck, kissedhim, and said, "My dearest, I am summoned, and I go!" And she wasgone. And the traveller and he were left alone together.And they went on and on together, until they came to very near theend of the wood: so near, that they could see the sunset shiningred before them through the trees.Yet, once more, while he broke his way among the branches, thetraveller lost his friend. He called and called, but there was noreply, and when he passed out of the wood, and saw the peaceful sungoing down upon a wide purple prospect, he came to an old mansitting on a fallen tree. So, he said to the old man, "What do youdo here?" And the old man said with a calm smile, "I am alwaysremembering. Come and remember with me!"So the traveller sat down by the side of that old man, face to facewith the serene sunset; and all his friends came softly back andstood around him. The beautiful child, the handsome boy, the youngman in love, the father, mother, and children: every one of themwas there, and he had lost nothing. So, he loved them all, and waskind and forbearing with them all, and was always pleased to watchthem all, and they all honoured and loved him. And I think thetraveller must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this is what youdo to us, and what we do to you.


The Child's Story was featured as TheShort Story of the Day on Thu, Jun 09, 2022

  


This story is featured in our collection of 50 Great Feel-Good Stories


Previous Authors:The Begging-Letter Writer Next Authors:The Detective Police
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved