# ■ Chapter 6 Outside the Hospital

Merrick had a lo of friends now, but he was more like a child than a man. He could read about things, and talk to his visitors, but he could not go out of the hospital by himself. He thought and played like a child.

After Christmas, he wanted to go to the theatre. This was very difficult, because I did not want the people in the theatre to see him. But a kind lady from the theatre—Mrs Kendal—helped us. We bought tickets for a box at the side of the theatre We went to the theatre in a cab with dark windows, and we went into the theatre by a door at the back—the Queen's door. Nobody saw us.

Three nurses sat at the front of the box, and Merrick and I sat in the dark behind them. Nobody in the theatre could see us, but we could see the play.

It was a children's Christmas play. Merrick loved it. It was a most wonderful, exciting story. Often he laughed, and sometimes he tried to sing like the children in the theatre. He was like a child. For him, everything in the story was true.

Once he was very afraid, because the bad man in the play was angry and had a knife. At first Merrick wanted to leave the theatre, but I stopped him. Then he was very angry with this bad man in the play. He hit his hand on his chair, and stood up and talked to the man. But nobody heard him. When 42the bad man went to prison, Merrick laughed.

Merrick thought the beautiful young lady in the play was wonderful. He wanted to talk to her too. At the end of the play he was very happy because she married a good young man.

He remembered this play for a long time, and he talked a lot about the people in it. 'What do you think they did after we left？'he asked me. 'Where do the young lady and the young man live？ What are they doing now？'

I don't know, I said. 'Perhaps they live in the country. '

Merrick thought about this for a long time. Then he said：'Dr Treves, can I go to the country, please？I saw the country once from a train, but I never went there. I often read about it in books. It's very beautiful, isn't it？I would like to see it. '

The visit to the theatre was difficult but a visit to the country was more difficult. But again, one of his new friends helped us. She had a small house in the country, and Merrick could stay in it for the summer, she said.

I took Merrick to the country in a train with dark windows, so nobody could see him. Then we went in a cab to the country house.

There were a lot of trees near the house, but no people lived near it. A countryman brought food to the house everyday, but no people came near it.

I stayed with him that night. At night, it was very dark 44and quiet. In the morning, hundreds of birds sang in the trees, and everything outside the house was green. Merrick walked under the big trees, looking at things happily, and singing his strange song.

I went back to London, but Merrick stayed there for six weeks. He was wonderfully happy. Every week, he wrote me a letter.

Apple Tree House,

West Wickham,

Berkshire.

21st July 1889

Dear Dr Treves,

I had a wonderful day again today, It was very warm, so I walked under the trees and sat by a stream. The water in the stream made a beautiful noise, like singing. Did you know that？I listened to it for two hours.

Lots of little birds came near me. One had a red body in front, and a brown back. I gave it some bread, and it sat on my hand. A lot of birds are my friends, now.

I watched the fish in the stream, too. They were very exciting, because they move very fast. One minute they were there, and the next minute I couldn't see them. But I waited quietly, and they always came back. I put my hand in the water, but I couldn't touch them.

I met a big dog yesterday. It made a very loud noise, but I was not afraid. I sat down quietly and looked it, and it came and smelt my hand. I saw it again today, and gave it some bread. It likes me now.

I am going to put some flowers from the country in this letter. There are hundreds of flowers here. Did you know that？I like the little blue ones best, but they are all beautiful. I have lots of them in my room. I give them water every morning. Little flowers are very thirsty, you know!

I am very happy here, doctor, but I want to see you again soon, too.

With love from your friend,

Joseph Merrick

At the end of the summer he came back to London. He was very well, and his skin looked much better. He talked about the country a lot, but he was happy to see his friends and his books again, too.

■ 6 在醫院的外面

現在麥裡克有了許多朋友，他像個大男孩，他能通過閱讀瞭解到許多事情，並將這些事告訴他的來訪者們。但他不能一個人去到醫院以外的地方。

聖誕節後，他想去看戲。這是件很難辦的事，因為我不願劇院裡的人們看到他。劇院有一位好心腸的凱恩德爾夫人幫助了我們，給訂了一個劇院裡靠邊上的包廂。我們乘坐窗戶閉光的出租馬車，從劇院後門進去。沒有人看到我們。

三個護士坐在包廂的前方，我和麥裡克坐在她們後面的暗處。劇院裡無人能看到我們，這樣我們可以專心看演出了。

這是一部兒童聖誕劇，麥裡克喜歡看。這是一個極精彩並令人激動的故事。他常常笑出聲來，有時他也想像劇中的孩子們一樣歌唱，他像個孩子似的，在他看來，故事裡的每件事都是真實的。

劇中有個壞男人生氣地拿著刀，他一度害怕起來，要離開劇院，我拉住了他。他非常生那個壞男人的氣，擊打著椅子，站起來罵那個壞男人，但無人聽見。當那個壞男人被投進監獄時，麥裡克高興地大笑起來。

他覺得劇中那個漂亮的年輕姑娘非常可愛，他想和她講話。劇終時他很高興，因為她與一個很好的年輕人結了婚。

他好長時間都沒有忘記這齣戲，他敘述了許多有關劇中人的事。他問我：“我們離開以後他們怎麼辦？那個年輕人和那個姑娘在哪兒生活？現在他們在幹什麼？”我說：“不知道，或許他們住在鄉下。”

這件事麥裡克想了很久。後來他問我：“特里維斯博士，我可以到鄉下去嗎？我坐火車時曾看到過鄉間，但我從來沒去過那裡。我在書上讀到過有關鄉間的事，很美，是不是？我想去看看。”

到劇場都難，去鄉間談何容易。他的一位新朋友又一次給予了幫助。她在鄉間有一間小屋子，她說麥裡克可以在那兒避暑。

我帶著麥裡克乘一列窗戶不透光的火車來到鄉下，沒有人看見我們。然後我們又換乘一輛出租馬車來到這幢鄉間小屋。

房子附近有許多樹，但無人住在附近。除了一個村夫每天送食物到這兒，沒有其他人來。

那天晚上我與他待在一起。晚上天很黑，但很安靜，清晨許多小鳥在樹上歌唱。屋子外面一片翠綠。麥裡克在樹下散步，開心地欣賞著這裡的一切，唱著他那奇怪的歌。

我回到了倫敦，麥裡克在那兒又待了六個星期，他快活極了。每星期他都給我寫一封信：

親愛的特里維斯博士：

今天我又過得愉快極了，天氣非常暖和，我在樹下散步，坐在溪旁，溪水流動，就像一曲美妙的音樂，我在這裡已聽了兩個多小時。

許多小鳥兒飛到我的身旁，有一隻鳥長著紅身褐背。我給它吃麵包，它站在我的手上。這些鳥已成了我的朋友。

我還看到溪水中的魚。真令人驚奇，它們遊得快極了，一會在那兒，一會又不見了。我靜靜地等著，它們總是不停地來回遊著。我把手伸進水裡，可我摸不著它們。

昨天我碰見一隻大狗，它大聲地叫著，可我並不害怕。我坐下來靜靜地朝它看著，它走過來聞聞我的手。今天我又見到了它，還給它吃些麵包，現在它很喜歡我。

我準備把鄉下的花采摘一些放在信裡寄給你，這裡有好幾百種花。我最喜歡這種小藍花。當然，這兒所有的花都很好看，我摘了許多放在屋子裡，我每天早上給這些花澆水，這些花很渴！

大夫，我在這兒很愉快，但我也想盡快見到你。

非常熱愛你的朋友

約瑟夫·麥裡克

1889年7月21日于波克郡西維克

哈蒙蘋果樹莊園

夏季結束時他回到了倫敦。他非常健康，皮膚看上去也好多了。他講了許多有關鄉間的事情，但他也很高興又見到了許多朋友和書。