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nephews； and for each of them he caused a box of bricks to be made
by an out…of…work carpenter； not the insufficient supply of the
toyshop； you understand； but a really adequate quantity of bricks
made out of oak and shaped and smoothed； bricks about five inches by
two and a half by one； and half…bricks and quarter…bricks to
correspond。 There were hundreds of them； many hundreds。 I could
build six towers as high as myself with them； and there seemed quite
enough for every engineering project I could undertake。 I could
build whole towns with streets and houses and churches and citadels；
I could bridge every gap in the oilcloth and make causeways over
crumpled spaces （which I feigned to be morasses）； and on a keel of
whole bricks it was possible to construct ships to push over the
high seas to the remotest port in the room。 And a disciplined
population； that rose at last by sedulous begging on birthdays and
all convenient occasions to well over two hundred； of lead sailors
and soldiers； horse； foot and artillery； inhabited this world。
Justice has never been done to bricks and soldiers by those who
write about toys。 The praises of the toy theatre have been a common
theme for essayists； the planning of the scenes； the painting and
cutting out of the caste； penny plain twopence coloured； the stink
and glory of the performance and the final conflagration。 I had
such a theatre once； but I never loved it nor hoped for much from
it； my bricks and soldiers were my perpetual drama。 I recall an
incessant variety of interests。 There was the mystery and charm of
the complicated buildings one could make； with long passages and
steps and windows through which one peeped into their intricacies；
and by means of slips of card one could make slanting ways in them；
and send marbles rolling from top to base and thence out into the
hold of a waiting ship。 Then there were the fortresses and gun
emplacements and covered ways in which one's soldiers went。 And
there was commerce； the shops and markets and store…rooms full of
nasturtium seed； thrift seed； lupin beans and suchlike provender
from the garden； such stuff one stored in match…boxes and pill…
boxes； or packed in sacks of old glove fingers tied up with thread
and sent off by waggons along the great military road to the
beleaguered fortress on the Indian frontier beyond the worn places
that were dismal swamps。 And there were battles on the way。
That great road is still clear in my memory。 I was given； I forget
by what benefactor； certain particularly fierce red Indians of lead
I have never seen such soldiers sinceand for these my father
helped me to make tepees of brown paper； and I settled them in a
hitherto desolate country under the frowning nail…studded cliffs of
an ancient trunk。 Then I conquered them and garrisoned their land。
（Alas！ they died； no doubt through contact with civilisationone my
mother trod onand their land became a wilderness again and was
ravaged for a time by a clockwork crocodile of vast proportions。）
And out towards the coal…scuttle was a region near the impassable
thickets of the ragged hearthrug where lived certain china Zulus
brandishing spears； and a mountain country of rudely piled bricks
concealing the most devious and enchanting caves and several mines
of gold and silver paper。 Among these rocks a number of survivors
from a Noah's Ark made a various； dangerous； albeit frequently
invalid and crippled fauna； and I was wont to increase the
uncultivated wildness of this region further by trees of privet…
twigs from the garden hedge and box from the garden borders。 By
these territories went my Imperial Road carrying produce to and fro；
bridging gaps in the oilcloth； tunnelling through Encyclopaedic
hillsone tunnel was three volumes longdefended as occasion
required by camps of paper tents or brick blockhouses； and ending at
last in a magnificently engineered ascent to a fortress on the
cliffs commanding the Indian reservation。
My games upon the floor must have spread over several years and
developed from small beginnings； incorporating now this suggestion
and now that。 They stretch； I suppose； from seven to eleven or
twelve。 I played them intermittently； and they bulk now in the
retrospect far more significantly than they did at the time。 I
played them in bursts； and then forgot them for long periods；
through the spring and summer I was mostly out of doors； and school
and classes caught me early。 And in the retrospect I see them all
not only magnified and transfigured； but fore…shortened and confused
together。 A clockwork railway； I seem to remember； came and went；
one or two clockwork boats； toy sailing ships that； being keeled；
would do nothing but lie on their beam ends on the floor； a
detestable lot of cavalrymen； undersized and gilt all over； given me
by a maiden aunt； and very much what one might expect from an aunt；
that I used as Nero used his Christians to ornament my public
buildings； and I finally melted some into fratricidal bullets； and
therewith blew the rest to flat splashes of lead by means of a brass
cannon in the garden。
I find this empire of the floor much more vivid and detailed in my
memory now than many of the owners of the skirts and legs and boots
that went gingerly across its territories。 Occasionally； alas！ they
stooped to scrub； abolishing in one universal destruction the slow
growth of whole days of civilised development。 I still remember the
hatred and disgust of these catastrophes。 Like Noah I was given
warnings。 Did I disregard them； coarse red hands would descend；
plucking garrisons from fortresses and sailors from ships； jumbling
them up in their wrong boxes； clumsily so that their rifles and
swords were broken； sweeping the splendid curves of the Imperial
Road into heaps of ruins； casting the jungle growth of Zululand into
the fire。
Well； Master Dick；〃 the voice of this cosmic calamity would say；
〃you ought to have put them away last night。 No！ I can't wait until
you've sailed them all away in ships。 I got my work to do； and do
it I will。〃
And in no time all my continents and lands were swirling water and
swiping strokes of house…flannel。
That was the worst of my giant visitants； but my mother too； dear
lady； was something of a terror to this microcosm。 She wore spring…
sided boots； a kind of boot now vanished； I believe； from the world；
with dull bodies and shiny toes； and a silk dress with flounces that
were very destructive to the more hazardous viaducts of the Imperial
Road。 She was always； I seem to remember； fetching me； fetching me
for a meal； fetching me for a walk or； detestable absurdity！
fetching me for a wash and brush up； and she never seemed to
understand anything whatever of the political Systems across which
she came to me。 Also she forbade all toys on Sundays except the
bricks for church…building and the soldiers for church parade； or a
Scriptural use of the remains of the Noah's Ark mixed up with a
wooden Swiss dairy farm。 But she really did not know whether a
thing was a church or not unless it positively bristled with cannon；
and many a Sunday afternoon have I played Chicago （with the fear of
God in my heart） under an infidel pretence that it was a new sort of
ark rather elaborately done。
Chicago； I must explain； was based upon my father's description of
the pig slaughterings in that city and certain pictures I had seen。
You made your beastswhich were all the ark lot really；
provisionally conceived as pigsgo up elaborate approaches to a
central pen； from which they went down a cardboard slide four at a
time； and dropped most satisfyingly down a brick shaft； and pitter…
litter over some steep steps to where a head slaughterman （ne Noah）
strung a cotton loop round their legs and sent them by pin hooks
along a wire to a second slaughterman with a chipped foot （formerly
Mrs。 Noah） who； if I remember rightly； converted them into Army
sausage by means of a portion of the inside of an old alarum clock。
My mother did not understand my games； but my father did。 He wore
bright…coloured socks and carpet slippers when he was indoorsmy
mother disliked boots in the houseand he would sit down on my
little chair and survey the microcosm on the floor with admirable
understanding and sympathy。
It was he gave me most of my toys and； I more than suspect； most of
my ideas。 〃Here's some corrugated iron；〃 he would say； 〃suitable
for roofs and fencing；〃 and hand me a lump of that stiff crinkled
paper that is used for packing medicine bottles。 Or； 〃Dick； do you
see the tiger loose near the Imperial Road？won't do for your
cattle ranch。〃 And I would find a bright new lead tiger like a
special creation at large in the world； and demanding a hunting
expedit