'Now turn them so that they can see the flowers and books.'

Turned, the babies at once fell silent, then began to crawl9 towards those clusters of sleek colours10, those shapes so gay and brilliant on the white pages. As they approached, the sun came out of a momentary eclipse behind a cloud. The roses flamed up as though with a sudden passion from within; a new and profound significance seemed to suffuse the shining pages of the books.

From the ranks of the crawling babies came little squeals of excitement, gurgles and twitterings11 of pleasure.

The Director rubbed12 his hands. 'Excellent!' he said. 'It might almost have been done on purpose.'

The swiftest crawlers were already at their goal. Small hands reached out13 uncertainly, touched, grasped, unpetaling the transfigured roses, crumpling14 the illuminated pages of the books.

The Director waited until all were happily busy. Then, 'Watch carefully,' he said. And, lifting his hand, he gave the signal.

The Head Nurse, who was standing by a switchboard15 at the other end of the room, pressed down a little lever.

There was a violent explosion. Shriller and ever shriller16, a siren shrieked17. Alarm bells

maddeningly sounded.

The children started, screamed; their faces were distorted with terror.

'And now,' the Director shouted (for the noise was deafening18), 'now we proceed to rub in the

lesson with a mild electric shock.'

He waved his hand again19, and the Head Nurse pressed a second lever. The screaming of the

babies suddenly changed its tone. There was something desperate, almost insane, about the sharp spasmodic yelps to which they now gave utterance20. Their little bodies twitched and stiffened21; their limbs moved jerkily as if to the tug of unseen wires22.

9. to crawl: strisciare.

10. clusters of sleek colours: masse di colori brillanti.

11. squeals …twitterings: gridi di eccitazione, gorgoglii e cinguettii.

12. rubbed: si fregò.

13. reached out: si allungavano.

14. crumpling: sfogliando.

15. switchboard: quadro di comando.

16. Shriller and ever shriller: Sempre più acuta.

17. shrieked: fischiò.

18. deafening: assordante.

19. He waved his hand again: Agitò di nuovo la mano.

20. they now gave utterance: emettevano.

21. twitched and stiffened: si contraevano e si irrigidivano.

22. their limbs …wires: le loro membra si agitavano a scatti come sotto l'azione di fili invisibili.