The next morning Martha took¹ Baby out with her and the children decided² to go back to the gravel-pit to look for the Psammead again. At first they could³ not find it. 'Per-haps it wasn't really here，'Robert said⁷ . But they began to dig⁸ into the sand with their hands and suddenly⁹ they came¹⁰ to the brown furry¹¹ body of the Psammead. It sat¹³ up and shook¹⁴ the sand out of its fur¹².

第二天早晨，马莎带着小弟弟出去了，孩子们决定回砾石坑那儿再去找赛米德。开头他们没有找到。“也许它不一定真在这里，”罗伯特说。可他们还是开始用手挖沙子，忽然他们触到了赛米德褐色的、毛绒绒的身体。它坐起来抖掉毛上的沙子。

' How are you today？'Anthea asked.

“你好吗？”安西娅问。

'Well，I didn't sleep very well，but thank you for asking，'the Psammead answered.

“嗯，我没睡好，但谢谢你的问候。”赛米德回答。

' Can you give wishes today？'Robert said. ' Because we'd like to have two，if we can. But one is a very little wish. '

“今天你能给人实现愿望吗？”罗伯特说，“因为如果可以的话我们想要实现两个愿望。不过有一个是非常小的愿望。”

'Well， all right，' said the Psammead， looking at Robert with its long eyes. ' Let's have the little wish first. '

“那么，好吧。”赛米德说，用它的柄眼看着罗伯特。“先来实现这个小愿望吧。”

' Martha mustn't know about the wishes，'Robert said. ' I mean， she mustn't see anything different about us. And can you do that for every wish on every day？'

“不能让马莎知道愿望的事。”罗伯特说，“我的意思是她不能看出我们有什么变化。你能每天对每个愿望都这样办吗？”

The Psammead went a little bigger and then went small again. ' I've done that，'it said. ' It was⁴ easy. What's the next wish？'

赛米德变大了一点儿，然后又变小了。“我把那个办好了。”它说，“这容易。下一个愿望是什么？”

' We wish，' said Robert slowly，' to be very rich. '

“我们希望，”罗伯特慢慢地说，“变得非常有钱。”

' How much money do you want？'asked the Psammead. 'It won't do you much good， of course，'it said quietly¹⁸ to itself¹⁹. 'Well， how much—— and do you want it in gold or notes？'

“你们想要多少钱？”赛米德问道。“这当然对你们没什么好处，”它在心里默念着。“好吧，要多少——还有，想要金子还是钞票？”

'Gold， please，'Robert said. 'Millions！'

“请给我们金子，”罗伯特说，“几百万！”

'A full gravel-pit，all right？'said the Psammead，sounding bored²¹. ' But get out before I begin， or you'll die²² underneath²³ it. '

“满满一砾石坑，行了吧？”赛米德说，听起来它不耐烦了。“可在我开始之前先走开，不然你们会被压死的。”

Its thin arms got²⁴ very long and it began to move them about. The children were afraid， and ran²⁵ as⁵ fast as they could up to the road. When they were there， they turned to look back. They had²⁶ to close their eyes and open them again very slowly¹⁶ . The gravel-pit was full， right up to the top， with new，shining，gold coins！

它把细胳膊变得很长并挥动起来。孩子们害怕了，尽快地跑到上边路上去。在那儿时他们扭头看了看。他们不得不闭上眼睛，再慢慢睁开。砾石坑满满的，到顶上都是闪闪发光的、崭新的金币！

The children stood²⁹ with their mouths open， and no one said a word.

孩子们站着，嘴巴张着，谁也没说话。

Then Robert took one of the coins²⁷ in his hand and looked at it. ' It's different from English money，'he said.

然后罗伯特将一块金币放在手里看着。“和英国钱不一样，”他说。

' Well，it doesn't matter. It's gold，'said Cyril. 'Don't for-get that it will all go when the sun goes down. Come on！ Let's put as much as we can in our pockets³⁰ and go and spend it. '

“唔，那没关系。是金的。”西里尔说，“别忘了太阳落下去的时候它们就都没了。快点儿！尽量往兜里装，然后去把它们花掉。”

So they all put gold coins in their pockets and went off³² to the village. But the gold was heavy， and soon they were very tired and hot. They decided to get something to drink in the village and then go on to the town of Rochester.

所以他们都往兜里装金币，然后朝村子走去。可金子很沉，一会儿他们就又累又热。他们决定在村里买点喝的，然后再继续赶往罗彻斯特城去。

Cyril went into the shop and the others³³ waited outside. But when Cyril came back with a bottle of lemonade， he said，' I had to pay³⁴ with my real⁶ money. When they saw³⁵ all the coins，they wouldn't change the gold. '

西里尔走进商店，其他孩子在外边等着。可是当西里尔拿着一瓶柠檬汽水回来时，他说：“我得付我自己的真钱。他们看见所有这些金币时不肯找钱。”

'Well， I'll try to get something with the gold，'Anthea said. ' We need a horse and cart³⁶. Come on. '

“那我去试着用这金子买点东西。”安西娅说，“我们需要一辆马套二轮单马车。来吧。”

Anthea went to talk to a man who had a horse and cart， and the others waited. After a few³⁷ minutes she came back， looking very pleased³⁸ with herself³⁹. ' I wasn't stupid⁴⁰ like Cyril，' she said. ' I only took out one coin， not all of them，and the man said he'll drive us to Rochester and wait for us. '

安西娅走过去和一个有马套二轮单马车的人谈起来，别的孩子等着。几分钟后她回来了，看起来很得意的样子。“我可不像西里尔那么傻。”她说，“我只拿出一块金币，而不拿出所有的金币，那个人说他把我们拉到罗彻斯特去并等着我们。”

On the way to Rochester， they did¹⁵ not speak. They were making plans⁴¹ about how to spend their gold， and they did not want to talk in front of the driver.

在去罗彻斯特的路上他们没有讲话。他们计划着怎样花他们的金子，而且他们不想在赶车人面前谈论。

But when they arrived in Rochester， with about twelve hun-dred gold coins in their pockets， they found⁴² that it was very difficult to spend them. Anthea tried to buy a very nice hat， but the woman in the shop looked very strangely，first at the gold coins， then at Anthea.

可是当他们兜里装着大约一千两百块金币到了罗彻斯特时，他们发现要花掉这些金币很困难。安西妮想买一顶很漂亮的帽子，可店里的那个女人很奇怪地先看看金币，再看看安西娅。

' I can't take that，'she said. ' It's not modern⁴³ English money. '

“我不要那个。”她说，“这不是现行的英国货币。”

They went from shop to shop， but no one wanted to take their gold. ' It's because our hands are dirty and we look untidy⁴⁴. People think we've stolen⁴⁵ the gold，'Anthea said.

他们去了一个又一个商店，可是没有人要他们的金子。“这是因为我们的手脏，我们自己看起来也不整洁。人们认为这金子是我们偷的。”安西娅说。

And it was worse⁴⁶ when they tried to buy a horse and car-riage. Cyril showed the man his gold， and the man called to his son，'Send for the police！'

当他们试图买一辆马套四轮马车时，事情就更糟了。西里尔把他的金币给那人看，那人朝他的儿子喊：“叫警察来！”

' It's our money，'said Cyril angrily. 'We're not thieves⁴⁸. '

“这是我们的钱，”西里尔气愤地说，“我们不是贼。”

' Where did you get it from then？'said the man.

“那你从什么地方搞到它的？”那人说。

' A sand-fairy⁴⁹ gave⁵⁰ it to us，'said Jane. ' He gives us a wish a day and they all come true⁵¹. '

“一个沙精给我们的。”简说，“他每天为我们实现一个愿望，而且都实现了。”

The man shook his head slowly. ' Oh dear， oh dear，'he said. 'Stealing， and then telling stories about it. '

那人慢慢地摇摇头。“天啊，天啊，”他说，“偷东西，然后又编故事。”

Just then a policeman arrived and when he heard about the gold， he said to the four children，'Come with me. I'm taking you to the police⁴⁷ station！'

这时警察来了，听了金币的事他对这四个孩子说：“跟我走。我带你们去警察局！”

The children were angry and unhappy， but the policeman walked along⁵⁴ the road behind them and they couldn't escape⁵⁵. They held their heads down because they did not want anyone⁵⁶ to see them， and suddenly Robert ran into someone⁵⁷. ' Robert，what have you done now？'a voice⁵⁸ cried . It was Martha and Baby！

孩子们很生气，很不快。可是警察沿路跟在他们后边，他们逃跑不了。他们低着头，因为不愿让别人看到。突然罗伯特撞到了人身上。“罗伯特，你们干什么去了？”一个声音喊道。原来是马莎和小弟弟！

The policeman explained⁵⁹ everything to Martha， and Cyril had to take the gold out of his pocket³¹ and show it to her.

警察对马莎解释了这一切。西里尔只得从兜里拿出金子给她看。

' I can't see anything—just two very dirty hands，' she said. ' There's no gold there. What are you talking about？'

“我什么也没看见——只是两只脏手。”她说，“没有金子。你在说些什么呀？”

And then the children remembered that Martha couldn't see the wishes.

于是孩子们记起马莎是看不出这些许愿的事的。

It was getting dark⁶⁰ when they arrived at the police station. The policeman explained about the gold and the Inspector⁶¹ said，'Well ， let's see it. '

到警察局时，天快黑了。警察解释了金子的事，巡长说：“好吧，让我们看看。”

Cyril put his hands into his pockets— but they were empty！ The others put their hands into their pockets. They were empty， too！ Of course， all the fairy gold went when the sun went down！

西里尔把手伸进兜里——可兜里是空的！其他孩子把手伸进兜里，也都是空的！当然了，太阳一落下山去所有这些变出来的金币就没有了！

' How did they do that？'cried the policeman.

“他们是怎么搞的？”那警察叫起来。

Martha was very angry with him. ' I told you that there wasn't any gold，'she shouted. ' You'll be in trouble⁶² for this. Saying⁶³ that these poor little children are thieves！'

马莎很生他的气。“我告诉过你没有什么金子。”她喊道，“你会为此触霉头的。竟然说这些可怜的小孩子是小偷！”

But she was very angry with the children too. ' What were you doing in town alone？'she said to them outside the police station.

可她也很生孩子们的气。“你们自己在城里干什么呢？”在警察局外她对他们说。

And she took them home and sent them to bed early.

她把孩子们带回家，早早地就叫他们睡觉了。