Матильда
Miss Honey’s Cottage
"ForamomentortwoIwasflyingpastthestarsonsilverwings.Itoldyouthat.AndshallItellyousomethingelse,MissHoney?Itwaseasierthesecondtime,muchmucheasier.Ithinkit’slikeanythingelse,themoreyoupractiseit,theeasieritgets."
MissHoneywaswalkingslowlysothatthesmallchildcouldkeepupwithherwithouttrottingtoofast,anditwasverypeacefuloutthereonthenarrowroadnowthatthevillagewasbehindthem.Itwasoneofthosegoldenautumnafternoonsandtherewereblackberriesandsplashesofoldman’sbeardinthehedges,andthehawthornberrieswereripeningscarletforthebirdswhenthecoldwintercamealong.Thereweretalltreeshereandthereoneitherside,oakandsycamoreandashandoccasionallyasweetchestnut.MissHoney,wishingtochangethesubjectforthemoment,gavethenamesofallthesetoMatildaandtaughtherhowtorecognisethembytheshapeoftheirleavesandthepatternofthebarkontheirtrunks.Matildatookallthisinandstoredtheknowledgeawaycarefullyinhermind.
Theycamefinallytoagapinthehedgeontheleft-handsideoftheroadwheretherewasafive-barredgate."Thisway,"MissHoneysaid,andsheopenedthegateandledMatildathroughandcloseditagain.Theywerenowwalkingalonganarrowlanethatwasnomorethanaruttedcart-track.Therewasahighhedgeofhazeloneithersideandyoucouldseeclustersofripebrownnutsintheirgreenjackets.
