It was then that he looked up and saw hanging
round his mother's neck a gold chain. This was a long chain hanging
right down to her lap; as it hung there, very slowly it swayed from side
to side, and as it swayed, the firelight caught it and it gleamed and
was splashed with light. His eyes, as he watched, grew rounder and
rounder; he had never seen anything so wonderful. He put down the
rattle, crawled, with great difficulty because of his long clothes, on
to his knees and sat staring, his thumb in his mouth. His mother stayed,
watching him. He pointed his finger, crowing. "Come and fetch it," she
said.
He tumbled forward on to his nose and then lay there, with his face
raised a little, watching it. She did not move at all, but knelt with
her hands straight out upon her knees, and the chain with its large gold
rings like flaming eyes swung from hand to hand. Then he tried to move
forward, his whole soul in his gaze. He would raise a hand towards the
treasure and then because that upset his balance he would fall, but at
once he would be up again. He moved a little and breathed little gasps
of pleasure.
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