The next day there was¹ a letter to say that the children's mother was coming home that afternoon. So they decided² to wish for something for their mother. They were busy trying to think of something when Martha came³ into the room，very excited⁴.

第二天来了一封信说孩子们的母亲当天下午要回来了。所以他们决定为妈妈想要点什么东西。他们正忙着想要想出些什么的时候，马莎走进房间，很激动的样子。

' There were thieves⁵ at Lady Chittenden's last night，'she said⁶. ' They took⁷ all her jewels！ She's got⁹ lots of beautiful dia-monds— they cost¹⁰ thousands of pounds， I've heard. '

“昨天夜里奇膝登夫人家里来了贼。”她说，“他们把她的珠宝首饰都拿走了！她有好多美丽的钻石——我听说它们值几千镑呢。”

' When I'm older，I'm going¹² to buy Mother jewels⁸ like that ，'Robert said.

“我长大了，我要给妈妈买那样的首饰。”罗伯特说。

' I'd lide Mother to have all Lady Chittenden's beautiful jewels now，'said jane. ' I wish she could¹³. '

“我想让妈妈现在就有奇膝登夫人的美丽的珠宝。”简说，“我希望她能有。”

'Oh Jane ！'cried the others¹⁴. ' What have you said？'

“噢，简！”其他的孩子叫起来，“你说了些什么呀？”

'Well， she will have them，'said Robert. ' You've wished！Everyont will think she stole¹⁶ them！ We'll have to try to find the Psammead and ask it to take the wish back. '

“哦，她将会有的。”罗伯特说，“你已经许愿了！大家会认为是她偷的！我们得试着找到赛米德，让它把愿望收回去。”

They hurried down to the gravel-pit，but they could not find the Psammead. So they hurried home again and looked in their mother's room for the jewels， but they were not there yet¹⁷.

他们急忙跑到砾石坑，可是找不到赛米德。所以他们又急忙回家，在母亲房里找珠宝，可珠宝还不在那里。

' Well， we'll tell Mother about the Psammead， and she'll give back the jewels when they come，'Anthea said.

“嗯，我们告诉妈妈赛米德的事，他们来时她会把珠宝还给他们的。”安西娅说。

Cyril shook¹⁸ his head slowly¹⁹. ' She isn't going to believe²⁰ us. Can anyone²¹ believe about a Psammead if they haven't seen²² it？And adults²³ never believe things like that. No，she'll think we are the thieves and we'll all go to prison， and everything will be terrible！'

西里尔慢慢地摇头。“她不会相信我们的。没见过赛米德时人怎会相信呢？何况大人们从来不相信那类事情。不，她会认为我们是贼，我们都会进监狱，一切会糟得很！”

And that afternoon，when Mother came home， the children ran²⁶ to meet her， and put their arms round her— and tried to stop her from going upstairs²⁷ to her room.

那天下午，母亲回家来了，孩子们跑着去迎接她，拥抱她——并且不想让她上楼回自己房间去。

' But I must take my coat off， and wash my hands！'she cried， laughing. And she went up to her room.

“可我得脱掉外衣、洗洗手啊！”她笑着大声说。于是她上楼回自己的房间去了。

The children went after her— and there， on the table， was a green box. Mother opened it.

孩子们跟着她——在那里，桌子上有个绿盒子。母亲打开了它。

' Oh，how beautiful！' she cried.

“哟，真漂亮！”她喊道。

It was a ring. A beautiful diamond²⁹ ring.

那是只戒指。一只美丽的钻石戒指。

' Perhaps³⁰ it's a surprise present from Father，' she said. ' But how did³¹ it get here？'

“可能是你父亲给我的出乎意料的礼物，”她说，“可是它是怎么送到这儿来的？”

But then she found³² a diamond necklace— and brooches—and bracelets³³. There were jewels in every cupboard in her room. The children began to look unhappy， and Jane began to cry.

可后来她找到一条钻石项链——还有许多胸针——还有许多手镯。她房间的每个柜子里都有珠宝。孩子们开始愁眉苦脸的，简哭起来了。

Mother was no longer smiling. ' Jane， what do you know about this？'she said slowly. ' The true³⁵ story， please. '

母亲不再微笑了。“简，关于这些你知道什么？”她慢慢地讲道，“请讲真话。”

' We met a sand-fairy， Mother，'Jane began.

“我们遇到了一个沙精，妈妈。”简开始说。

' Don't be stupid，Jane，'Mother said angrily.

“别说傻话，简。”母亲生气地说。

'Some thieves stole all Lady Chittenden's jewels from her house last night，'Cyril said quickly. ' Perhaps these are her jewels！'

“昨天夜里一些贼从奇滕登夫人家里偷走了她所有的珠宝。”西望尔很快地说，“这些可能是她的珠宝！”

Then Mother called for Martha. ' Have any strangers³⁷ been inthis room， Martha？' she asked.

于是母亲叫来马莎。“有陌生人到这房间来过吗，马莎？”她问道。

' Yes， but it was just my young man，' Martha answered，afraid. ' He was moving a heavy cupboard for me. '（This， of course，was Mr Beale，the vicar's nice young servant，who was now very friendly³⁹ with Martha. ）

“有，可只有我的男友。”马莎回答，她害怕了。“他为我搬一个很重的柜子。”（当然这是比伊尔先生了，那个牧师的年轻漂亮的仆人，他现在对马莎很好。）

So，of course，Mother thought⁴⁰ that he was one of the thieves. She would⁴¹ not listen to the children and decided to go at once into town to tell the police⁴². The children could not stop her.

所以，母亲当然认为他是小偷之一了。她不听孩子们的话，决定马上进城去报告警察。孩子们阻止不了她。

' This is terrible！' said Anthea. ' Poor Martha！ And poor Mr Beale—he isn't a thief！ What are we going to do？' Then she cried，' Come on！ We must find the Psammead！'

“这太糟了！”安西娅说，“可怜的马莎！还有可怜的比伊尔先生——他不是小偷！我们怎么办？”然后她喊道：“快！我们必须找到那个赛米德！”

They all hurried down to the gravel-pit， and this time they found the Psammead， sitting on the sand and enjoying the evening sun. When it saw⁴⁴ them， it tried to get away， but Anthea put her arms round it. ' Dear，kind Psammead…'she began.

他们都急忙朝砾石坑跑去，这次他们找到了赛米德，它正坐在那儿看夕阳。看见他们时它想走开，但安西娅搂住它。“亲爱的、好心的赛米德……”她开腔道。

' Oh， you want something， don't you？' it said. 'Well，I can't give you any more wishes today. '

“哦，你想要东西，是不是？”它说，“可我今天再不能实现你的愿望了。”

' Don't you like giving wishes？'Anthea asked.

“你不喜欢帮人实现愿望吗？”安西娅问。

' No， I don't，'he said . ' Go away and leave me alone！'

“对，不喜欢。”它说，“走开，别打扰我！”

But Anthea went on. ' Listen，'she said. ' If you do what we want today，we'll never ask you for another wish. '

可安西娅接着说了下去。“听着，”她说，“如果你实现了我们今天的愿望，我们就再也不要别的了。”

'I'll do anything for that，'it said. ' I really don't enjoy giv-ing wishes. It's very hard work， you know， and I get so tired. '

“那样的话我可以做任何事情。”它说，“我实在是不喜欢实现人们的愿望。这是件难事，你知道，我变得这么累了。”

'Well， first I wish that Lady Chittenden will find that she has never lost her jewels. '

“唔，首先我希望奇滕登夫人发现她的珠宝从没丢。”

The Psammead got bigger， and then went small again. 'Done！'it said.

赛米德变大，又变小。“办好了！”它说。

'I wish that Mother won't get to the police. '

“希望妈妈别到警察局去。”

'Done！'the Psammead said again.

“办好了！”赛米德又说。

' And I wish，' said Jane suddenly，'that Mother and Martha will forget all about the jewels. '

“我还希望，”简突然说，“妈妈和马莎把珠宝的事全忘了。”

'Done！'the Psammead said， but its voice⁴⁷ was tired. 'Now，it went on ，' will you wish something for me？'

“办好了！”赛米德说，可它的声音显得很累。“现在你们能为我许愿吗？”

'Can't you give yourself⁴⁸ wishes？' asked Cyril.

“你不能为自己实现愿望吗？”西里尔问。

'Of course³⁸ not，'the Psammead said. 'Wish that you will never tell anyone about me. '

“当然不能。”赛米德说，“希望你们别把我的事告诉任何人。”

' Why？' asked Robert.

“为什么？”罗伯特问。

' Well， you children always ask for stupid³⁶ things. But adults aren't like that. If they get hold of me，they'll want to wish for real， important⁴⁹ things—like free⁵⁰ houses for poor people，and new schools for children everywhere in the country，and money to give to old people. Boring⁵¹ things like that. And they'll find a way to keep them after the sun goes down. And what will happen to the world if all those changes come at once ？ There'll be terrible²⁵ trouble⁵². So go on ， wish it！ Quick！'

“唉，你们孩子们老要愚蠢的东西。大人们可不那样。要是他们抓住我，他们就希望要真正的、重要的东西——比方给穷人免费住房啦，给全国各地的孩子建新学校啦，给老人们钱啦。就那种使人厌烦的事。而且他们会想办法在日落后留住它们。如果所有的那些变化立刻发生，世界会怎么样？那可就会有麻烦了。所以接着许愿！快点！”

Anthea said the Psammead's wish，and it got very，very big. When it was small again， it said，' Now， I'm very tired. Do you want one last wish？'

安西娅说出了赛米德的愿望，它变得非常非常大。当它又变小了时，它说：“现在我很累了。你们想要最后一个愿望吗？”

'Thank you for everything，'said Jane. ' Have a good long sleep— and I wish that we'll see you again someday⁵³. '

“感谢你做的一切。”简说，“美美地睡一觉——我还希望有一天能再见到你。”

Then，for the last time， the Psammead went big，then small again. It looked at them all once more with its long eyes，and then dug⁵⁴ itself⁵⁵ quickly into the sand.

然后赛米德最后一次变大又变小。它用柄眼把他们全又看了一遍，然后很快地钻进沙子里去了。

And when they arrived home again，everything was all right. Mother came home and she and Martha remembered nothing， and Lady Chittenden found that her jewels were not lost.

当他们又到家里时，一切都是好好的。母亲回到家，她和马莎什么都忘了，而且奇滕登夫人发现她的珠宝没丢。

' Will we ever¹⁵ see the Psammead again， do you think？'Jane said to the others， later⁵⁶ in the garden.

“你们认为我们究竟还能再见到赛米德吗？”晚些时候简在花园里对其他孩子们说。

And，of course，they did， but not in this story. It was in a very， very different place. It was in a… But I must say no more.

当然喽，他们又见到它了，可不是在这个故事里见到的。是在与这里很不一样的一个地方。那是在一个……可我不该再多说了。