But he was a very worthy kind good-natured little old gentleman ; and very fond of children -LRB- for he was not the least a cannibal himself -RRB- ; and very good to all the world as long as it was good to him . Only one fault he had , which cock-robins have likewise , as you may see if you look out of the nursery window -- that , when any one else found a curious worm , he would hop round them , and peck them , and set up his tail , and bristle up his feathers , just as a cock-robin would ; and declare that he found the worm first ; and that it was his worm ; and , if not , that then it was not a worm at all . He had met Sir John at Scarborough , or Fleetwood , or somewhere or other -LRB- if you do n't care where , nobody else does -RRB- , and had made acquaintance with him , and become very fond of his children . Now , Sir John knew nothing about sea-cockyolybirds , and cared less , provided the fishmonger sent him good fish for dinner ; and My Lady knew as little : but she thought it proper that the children should know something . For in the stupid old times , you must understand , children were taught to know one thing , and to know it well ; but in these enlightened new times they are taught to know a little about everything , and to know it all ill ; which is a great deal pleasanter and easier , and therefore quite right . So Ellie and he were walking on the rocks , and he was showing her about one in ten thousand of all the beautiful and curious things which are to be seen there . But little Ellie was not satisfied with them at all . She liked much better to play with live children , or even with dolls , which she could pretend were alive ; and at last she said honestly , `` I do n't care about all these things , because they ca n't play with me , or talk to me . If there were little children now in the water , as there used to be , and I could see them , I should like that . '' `` Children in the water , you strange little duck ? '' said the professor . `` Yes , '' said Ellie . `` I know there used to be children in the water , and mermaids too , and mermen . I saw them all in a picture at home , of a beautiful lady sailing in a car drawn by dolphins , and babies flying round her , and one sitting in her lap ; and the mermaids swimming and playing , and the mermen trumpeting on conch-shells ; and it is called ` The Triumph of Galatea ; ' and there is a burning mountain in the picture behind . It hangs on the great staircase , and I have looked at it ever since I was a baby , and dreamt about it a hundred times ; and it is so beautiful , that it must be true . '' But the professor had not the least notion of allowing that things were true , merely because people thought them beautiful . For at that rate , he said , the Baltas would be quite right in thinking it a fine thing to eat their grandpapas , because they thought it an ugly thing to put them underground . The professor , indeed , went further , and held that no man was forced to believe anything to be true , but what he could see , hear , taste , or handle . He held very strange theories about a good many things . He had even got up once at the British Association , and declared that apes had hippopotamus majors in their brains just as men have .
Which was a shocking thing to say ; for , if it were so , what would become of the faith , hope , and charity XXXXX immortal millions ?
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