Page:Many inventions (IA manyinventions00kipliala).pdf/108

 'I've a notion in my head that would make the most splendid story that was ever written, Do let me write it out here. It's such a notion!'

There was no resisting the appeal. I set him a table; he hardly thanked me, but plunged into his work at once. For half an hour the pen scratched without stopping. Then Charlie sighed and tugged his hair. The scratching grew slower, there were more crasures, and at last ceased. The finest story in the world would not come forth.

'It looks such awful rot now,' he said mournfully. ' And yet it seemed so good when I was thinking about it. What's wrong?'

I could not dishearten him by saying the truth. So I answered: ' Perhaps you don't feel in the mood for writing.'

'Yes I do—except when I look at this stuff. Ugh!'

'Read me what you've done,' I said.

He read, and it was wondrous bad, and he paused at all the specially turgid sentences, expecting a little approval; for he was proud of those sentences, as TI knew he would be.

'It needs compression,' I suggested cautiously.

'I hate cutting my things down, I don't think you could alter a word here without spoiling the sense, It reads better aloud than when I was writing it.'

'Charlie, you're suffering from an alarming disease afflicting a numerous class. Put the thing by, and tackle it again in a week'

'I want to do it at once. What do you think of it?'

'How can I judge from a half-written tale? Tell me the story as it lies in your head.'

Charlie told, and in the telling there was everything