OctoberLake
赫伯特·厄內斯特·貝茨/HerbertErnestBates
TheOctoberleaveshavefallenonthelake.Onbright,calmdaystheylieinthousandsonthenowdarkeningwater,mostlyyellowf?lotillasofpoplar,f?loatingcontinuouslydownfromgreattreesthatthemselvesshakeinthewindlessairwiththesoundoffallingwater,butonrainydaysorafterraintheyseemtoswimorbedrivenaway,andnothingremainstobreakthesurfaceexceptthelastoftheolive-yellowlilypadsthatinhighsummercoveredeveryinchofwaterlikeplatesofemeraldporcelain.Thelilieshavegonetoo,theyellowsmall-headedkindthatinbudarelikeswimmingsnakes,andthegreatreedsaregoing,wovenbywindandfrostintountidybasketislandsunderwhichcootandmoorhenskidforcoveratthesoundofstrangers.
Allsummer,inthisworldofwater-lilies,thecootandmoorhenlivedabewilderedlife.Therewasnoplacewheretheycouldswim,andalldaytheycouldbeseenwalkingdaintily,headsslightlyasideandslightlydown,crossthelily-hiddenwater,asbemusedbytheworldofleavesastheyhadbeeninwinterbytheworldofice.Inunbrokenexpectfortwosmallislands.Thisbirds,asthef?ittakesthem,dashmadlyupanddownit,takingoffandtouchingdownlikesmallfussyblacksea-planes.Besidethemthearrivalofthewildduck,atmuchhigherspeed,isalmostmajestic.Theyplanedown,thenecksofthedrakesshininglikeroyalgreensatin,withtheairofsquadronscominginafterlongf?lightsfromhome.
Itwasnotuntillatesummerf?ishingwaspossible.Thewaterwassolowandclearafterdroughtthatthef?ishcouldbeseeningreatdarkshoals,sunningthemselves,shy,impossibletocatch.Onlyintheevenings,astheaircooledandthewaterdarkened,andthesurfacewasbrokenwiththesilverdancesoftherisingshoals,wouldyouperhapsgetabiteortwo,ababyperchsuckingattheworm,aroachnobiggerthanasardine.Allthetime,onbrighthotmorningsespecially,greatpikewouldlieoutinthemiddleofthelakeinshoalsoftenoreventwenty,likeblacktorpedoes,transf?ixed,nevermovingexceptinsuddenimmenserisesthatrockedthewater-surfacewithrings.