ThisnextepisodeinJeremy’syearhas，beitthoroughlyunderstood，noplotnorclimaxtoit——itissimplythechronicleofanOdyssey。
NorcanitbesaidtohavebeenanythingbutaveryordinaryOdysseytotheoutsideobserverwho，ifhebeaparent，willtellyouthatgoingtotheseasidewiththefamilyisthemostbotheringthingintheworld，andifheisabachelororoldmaidwilltellyouthatbeinginthesamecarriagewithotherpeople’schildrenwhoaregoingtotheseaisanabominablebusinessandtheLawoughttohavesomethingtosaytoit。
AllthroughMay，JuneandJulyMrs。Coleslowlypulledbacktosomethinglikehernaturalhealth。Thenewinfant，Barbarabyname，wasasstrongasapony，andkickedandscreamedandroaredsothatthehousewasquiteanewplace。HerarrivalhaddoneagreatdealforHelen，whosegazehadhithertobeenconcentratedentirelyuponherself；nowshesuddenlydiscoveredanewelementinlife，anditwasfoundthatshewas“idealwithababy“and“agreathelptonurse。“Thismadehermorehuman，andBarbara，realisingasbabiesalwaysdowhounderstandsandwhodoesnot，wouldbehavewithHelenwhenshewouldbehavewithnooneelse。MarycouldnotbeexpectedtotransferherallegiancefromJeremy，andthenBarbarawasfrightenedatherspectacles；Jeremy，havingHamlet，didnotneedababy！
TherecameafinehotmorningtowardstheendofJulywhenMissJonessaid，suddenly，inthemiddleofthehistorylesson：“SaturdayweekwegotoRafiel。“Jeremychoked，kickedMaryunderthetable，andwasgenerallyimpossibleduringtherestofthemorning。ItwasMissJones’sfault；sheshouldhavechosenheroccasionmorecarefully。BeforetheeveningJeremywasstandinginthecornerfordrawingonhisbedroomwall-paperenormousfiguresintheblackestofblacklead。TheseweretomarkthedaysthatremainedbeforeSaturdayweek，anditwas，Jeremymaintained，aperfectlynaturalthingtodoanddidn’thurttheoldwall-paperwhichwasdirtyenoughanyway，andMotherhadsaid，longago，heshouldhaveanewone。
Meanwhile，impossibletodescribewhatJeremyfeltaboutit。EachyearCowFarmandRafielhadgrownmorewonderful；thiswasnowthefifththatwouldwelcomethemthere。Atfirstthehorizonhadbeenlimitedbyphysicalincapacity，thenthethirdyearhadbeenrainy，andthefourth——ah，thefourth！Therehadbeenverylittlethematterwiththat！Butthiswouldbebetteryet。Foronething，therehadneverbeensuchasummerasthisyearwasproviding——alittlerainatnight，alittlebreezeatthehottesthouroftheday——
everythingarrangedonpurposeforJeremy’scomfort。Andthen，althoughhedidnotknowit，thiswastobetrulythewonderfulsummerforhim，becauseafterthishewouldbeaschoolboyand，asiswellknown，schoolboysbelieveinnothingsavewhattheycanseewiththeirowneyesandaretoldbyotherboysphysicallystrongerthanthemselves。
Fiveorsixdaysbeforethegreatdeparturehebegantoworryhimselfabouthisbox。Twoyearsagohehadbeengivenalittleimitationgreencanvasluggageboxexactlylikehisfather’s，exceptthatthisonewaslightenoughtocarryinone’shand。Jeremyadoredthisboxandwouldhavetakenitoutwithhim，hadhebeenpermitted，onallhiswalks，buthehadawayoffillingitwithheavystonesandthenaskingMissJonestocarryitforhim；ithadthereforebeenforbidden。
Buthewould，ofcourse，takeitwithhimtoCowFarm，anditshouldcontainallthethingsthathelovedbest。Atfirst“allthethingsthathelovedbest“hadnotseemedsoverynumerous。Therewould，firstofall，ofcourse，betheHottentot，ablackandbatteredclownforwhomhehadlongceasedtofeelanyaffection，buthewascompelledbyanirritatingsenseofloyaltytoincludeitinthepartyjustashismothermightincludesometiresomeoldmaid“becauseshehadnowheretogoto，poorthing。“AftertheHottentottherewouldbehispaint-box，afterthepaint-boxabluewriting-
case，afterthewriting-casethefamilyphotographsFather，Mother，MaryandHelen，afterthephotographsatoypistol，afterthepistolHamlet’sballaworstedaffairrenderedbynowshapelessandincoherent，aftertheball“AliceinWonderland“Mary’scopy，butshedidn’tknow，after“Alice，““HerrBaby，“after“HerrBaby“thePrayerBookthatAuntAmygavehimlastbirthday，afterthePrayerBooksomedriedflowerswhichweretobepresentedtoMrs。Monk，theladyofCowFarmthismightbecalledcarryingcoalstoNewcastle，aftertheflowersaBible，aftertheBiblefourwalnutsverydryandhardones，afterthewalnutssometransferpapers，afterthetransferpaperssixmarbles——theboxwasfullandmorethanfull，andhehadnotincludedthehammerandnailsthatUncleSamuelhadoncegivenhim，northecigarette-caseinnocentnowofcigarettes，andtransformedfirstintoahomeforwalkingsnails，secondagravefordeadbutterflies，thirdamouse-trap，northebutterflynet，nor“Struuwelpeter，“northepictureofQueenVictoriacutfromthechocolate-box，nor——mostimpossibleomissionofall——thetoy-
village。Thetoy-village！Whatmusthedoaboutthat？Obviouslyimpossibletotakeitall——andyetsomeofithemusthave。Mr。andMrs。Noahandthechurch，perhaps——orno，Mrs。Monkwouldwanttoseethegarden——itwouldneverdonottoshowhertheorchardwiththeapple-trees，andthentheyoungestMissNoah！ShehadalwaysseemedtoJeremysoattractivewithherstraightbluegownandhardredcheeks。HemustshowhertoMrs。Monk。Andthebutcher’sshop，andthenthesheep，andthedogsandthecows！
Hewastrulyindespair。Hesatontheschoolroomfloorwithhispossessionsallaroundhim。OnlyHelenwasintheroom，andheknewthatitwouldbenousetoappealtoher——shehadbecomesomuchmoreconceitedsinceBarbara’sarrival——andyethemustappealtosomebody，sohesaidtoherverypolitely：
“Please，Helen，I’vegotmyboxandsomanythingstoputintoitandit’snearlySaturdayalready——andIwanttoshowtheNoahstoMrs。Monk。“
Thiswouldhavebeenadifficultsentenceforthemostclear-headedpersontounravel，andHelenwas，atthatmoment，tryingtowritealettertoanauntwhomshehadneverseenandforwhomshehadnosortofaffection，sosheansweredhimratherroughly：
“Oh，don’tbotherwithyourbox，Jeremy。Can’tyouseeI’mbusy？“
“Youmaybebusy，“saidJeremy，risingindignantlytohisfeet，“butI’mbusytoo，andmybusinessisjustasgoodasyourswithyoursillyoldletter。“
“Oh，don’tbother！“saidHelen，whereuponJeremycreptbehindherandpinchedherstocking。Abattlefollowed，toocommonplaceinitsdetailstodemanddescriptionhere。ItneedonlybesaidthatHamletjoinedinitandranawaywithHelen’sletterwhichhadblowntothegroundduringthestruggle，andthatheateit，inhiscorner，withgreatsatisfaction。Then，whentheywereattheirangriest，Helensuddenlybegantolaughwhichshedidsometimes，toherownintenseannoyance，whensheterriblywantedtobeenraged，thenJeremylaughedtoo，andHamletyieldedupfragmentsoftheletter——sothatallwaswell。
Buttheproblemoftheboxwasnotsolved——and，intheend，theonlypartofthetoyvillagethatMrs。MonkeversawwastheyoungestMissNoahandoneapple-treeforhertositunder。
II
TheritualofthejourneytoCowFarmwas，bythistime，ofcourse，firmlyestablished，andthefirstpartoftheritualwasthatoneshouldwakeupatthreeinthemorning。Thisyear，however，forsomestrangemysteriousreasonJeremyoverslepthimselfanddidnotwakeupuntileighto’clock，tofindthenthateveryonewasalreadybusypackingandbrushingandrushingabout，andthatallhisownmostsacredpreparationsmustbesqueezedintonotimeatallifheweretobeready。OldTomCollins’sbuscamealongattwelveo’clocktocatchtheoneo’clocktrain，sothatJeremymightheconsideredtohavethewholemorningforhislabours，butthatwasnotgoingtobeenoughforhimunlesshewasverycareful。Grown-uppeoplehadsuchawayofsuddenlycatchingontoyouandwashingyourears，ormakingyoubrushyourteeth，orsittingyoudowninacornerwithabook，thatcircumnavigatingthemandoutplottingthemneededasmuchnerveandenterpriseastrackingRedIndians。Whenthingswerefineddowntothemostnakedaccuracyhehadapparentlyonlytwo“jobs“：
onetoaccustomHamlettowalkingwitha“lead，“theothertoclosethegreenbox；butofcourseMarywouldwantadvice，andtherewould，inallprobability，beadisputeortwoaboutpropertythatwouldtakeupthetime。
Itwasindeedaneventfulmorning。TroublebeganwithMarysuddenlydiscoveringthatshehadlosthercopyof“AliceinWonderland“andrushingtoJeremy’sboxandupsettingallJeremy’sthingstoseewhetheritwerethere。Jeremyobjectedtothiswithanindignationthatwasscarcelyinthesequeljustified，becauseMaryfoundthebookjammedagainstthepaint-boxandadrywalnutnestlinginitscentre。Shecriedandprotestedandthensuddenly，withthedisgustingsentimentalitythatwassocharacteristicofher，abandonedherpositionaltogetherandsaidthatJeremycouldhaveit，andthencriedagainbecausehesaidhedidn’twantit。
ThenJeremyhadtoputeverythingbackintotheboxagain，andinthemiddleofthisHamletranoffwiththered-checkedMissNoahbetweenhisteethandbegantolicktheblueoffherdress，lookingupattheassembledcompanybetweeneverylickwithasmileoftheloveliestsatisfaction。Then，whentheboxwasalmostclosed，itwasdiscoveredbyashockedandvirtuousHelenthatJeremyhadleftouthisBible。
“There’llbeonethere，“saidJeremyinanangryagitatedwhisper，hopingtoescapetheattentionofMissJones。
“What’sthat，Jeremydear？“saidMissJones。
“Oh，fancy，MissJones！“saidHelen。“He’stakingallhisdirtyoldtoysandevenhisoldclown，andhe’sleavingouthisBible。“
“I’mnot！“criedJeremy，takingitandtryingtosqueezeitdownbetweenthreewalnutsandthetoypistol。
“Oh，Jeremyclear，that’snotthewaytotreatyourBible。I’llgiveyousomepapertowrapitupin，andyou’dbettertakethethingsoutagainandputitinatthebottomofthebox。“Yes，obviouslyhewouldnotbereadyintime。
ThematterofHamletandthe“lead“wasalsoveryexhausting。Hamlethadnever，inallhisdays，beentiedtoanyoneoranything。OfcoursenoonecouldtellwhathadbeenhishistorybeforehecamestrollingontotheColehorizon，anditmaybethatonceasaverysmallpuppyhehadbeentiedontosomething。Onthewhole，thatisprobable，hisprotestsonthisoccasionbeingofakindsovehementastoarguesomereminiscencesbehindthem。Mrs。Colehadboughtabeautiful“lead“ofblackleather；ofcoursebehadalreadyacollarstuddedwithlittlesilvernails，andthepointwasverysimplytofastenthe“lead“ontothecollar。JeremyhadbeenpromisedthatheshouldconductHamlet，andithadseemed，whenthepromisehadbeenmade，asthoughitwouldbeaverysimplethingtocarryout。Hamletnosoonersawthecordthanhebeganhisingeniousprotests，sittingupandsmiingatit，suddenlydartingattherecumbentMissNoahandrushingroundtheroomwithher，finallycatchingthe“lead“itselfinhisteethandhidingwithitunderMissJones’sskirt。
TheresultwasthatTomCollins’sbusarrivedwhennooneintheschoolroomwasintheleastpreparedforit。Thenwhatconfusiontherewas！Mrs。Cole，lookingstrangeinherhatandveil，asthoughsheweredressedupforaplay，cameurgingthemtohurry，“becauseFatherwaswaiting。“ThenHamlettiedhimselfandhis“lead“roundthelegofthetable；thenMarysaidinhermosttiresomemanner，aproposofnothingatall，“Youdoloveme，Jeremy，don’tyou？“justatthemomentwhenhewastryingtounlaceHamlet，andherlipbegantotremblewhenhesaid，“Oh，don’tbother，“sothathewascompelledtoadd“OfcourseIdo“；thenFathercamerunningupthestairswith“Really，thisistoodisgraceful。Weshallmissthattrain！“
ThenUncleSamuelappeared，lookingsoqueerthatJeremywascompelledtostareathim。JeremyhadseenverylittleofUncleSamuelduringtheselastmonths。Hehadhoped，afterthatwonderfuladventureoftheChristmasPantomime，thattheyweregoingtobefriends，butithadnotbeenso。Hehadbeenawaysomewhere，insomestrangeplace，painting，andthen，onhisreturn，hehadhidhimselfandhisoddaffairsawayinsomecornerofthehousewherenoonesawhim。HehadhadhislifeandJeremyhadhadhis。
NeverthelessJeremywasdelightedtoseehim。ItwouldbefuntohavehimatCowFarmwithhissquashybrownhat，hisfatcheeks，hisbluepaintingsmock，andhisshortlegswithhugeboots。Hewasdifferent，insomeway，fromalltherestoftheworld，andJeremy，evenatthatearlystageofhiseducation，alreadyperceivedthathecouldlearnmorefromUncleSamuelthanfromanyothermemberofthefamily。
Nowheputhisheadinthroughthedoorandsaid：“Well，youkids，aren’tyouready？It’stime！“Then，seeingMissJones，hesaid：