the story of an african farm-第38部分

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bird；　with　silver　wings　outstretched；　sailing　in　the　everlasting　blue。　　And

now　it　is　as　though　a　great　fire　burnt　within　my　breast。　　It　was　but　a

sheen；　a　shimmer；　a　reflection　in　the　water；　but　now　I　desire　nothing　more

on　earth　than　to　hold　her。'



〃His　friend　laughed。



〃'It　was　but　a　beam　playing　on　the　water；　or　the　shadow　of　your　own　head。　

Tomorrow　you　will　forget　her；'　he　said。



〃But　tomorrow；　and　tomorrow；　and　tomorrow　the　hunter　walked　alone。　　He

sought　in　the　forest　and　in　the　woods；　by　the　lakes　and　among　the　rushes；

but　he　could　not　find　her。　　He　shot　no　more　wild　fowl；　what　were　they　to

him？



〃'What　ails　him？'　said　his　comrades。



〃'He　is　mad；'　said　one。



〃'No；　but　he　is　worse；'　said　another；　'he　would　see　that　which　none　of　us

have　seen；　and　make　himself　a　wonder。'



〃'Come；　let　us　forswear　his　company；'　said　all。



〃So　the　hunter　walked　alone。



〃One　night；　as　he　wandered　in　the　shade；　very　heartsore　and　weeping；　an　old

man　stood　before　him；　grander　and　taller　than　the　sons　of　men。



〃'Who　are　you？'　asked　the　hunter。



〃'I　am　Wisdom；'　answered　the　old　man；　'but　some　men　call　me　Knowledge。　　All

my　life　I　have　grown　in　these　valleys；　but　no　man　sees　me　till　he　has

sorrowed　much。　　The　eyes　must　be　washed　with　tears　that　are　to　behold　me；

and；　according　as　a　man　has　suffered；　I　speak。'



〃And　the　hunter　cried：



〃'Oh；　you　who　have　lived　here　so　long；　tell　me；　what　is　that　great　wild

bird　I　have　seen　sailing　in　the　blue？　　They　would　have　me　believe　she　is　a

dream；　the　shadow　of　my　own　head。'



〃The　old　man　smiled。



〃'Her　name　is　Truth。　　He　who　has　once　seen　her　never　rests　again。　　Till

death　he　desires　her。'



〃And　the　hunter　cried：



〃'Oh；　tell　me　where　I　may　find　her。'



〃But　the　old　man　said：



〃'You　have　not　suffered　enough；'　and　went。



〃Then　the　hunter　took　from　his　breast　the　shuttle　of　Imagination；　and　wound

on　it　the　thread　of　his　Wishes；　and　all　night　he　sat　and　wove　a　net。



〃In　the　morning　he　spread　the　golden　net　upon　the　ground；　and　into　it　he

threw　a　few　grains　of　credulity；　which　his　father　had　left　him；　and　which

he　kept　in　his　breast…pocket。　　They　were　like　white　puff…balls；　and　when

you　trod　on　them　a　brown　dust　flew　out。　　Then　he　sat　by　to　see　what　would

happen。　　The　first　that　came　into　the　net　was　a　snow…white　bird；　with

dove's　eyes；　and　he　sang　a　beautiful　song'A　human…God！　a　human…God！　a

human…God！'　it　sang。　　The　second　that　came　was　black　and　mystical；　with

dark；　lovely　eyes；　that　looked　into　the　depths　of　your　soul；　and　he　sang

only　this'Immortality！'



〃And　the　hunter　took　them　both　in　his　arms　for　he　said



〃'They　are　surely　of　the　beautiful　family　of　Truth。'



〃Then　came　another；　green　and　gold；　who　sang　in　a　shrill　voice；　like　one

crying　in　the　marketplace；'Reward　after　Death！　　Reward　after　Death！'



〃And　he　said



〃'You　are　not　so　fair；　but　you　are　fair　too；'　and　he　took　it。



〃And　others　came；　brightly　coloured；　singing　pleasant　songs；　till　all　the

grains　were　finished。　　And　the　hunter　gathered　all　his　birds　together；　and

built　a　strong　iron　cage　called　a　new　creed；　and　put　all　his　birds　in　it。



〃Then　the　people　came　about　dancing　and　singing。



〃'Oh；　happy　hunter！'　they　cried。　　'Oh；　wonderful　man！　　Oh；　delightful

birds！　　Oh；　lovely　songs！'



〃No　one　asked　where　the　birds　had　come　from；　nor　how　they　had　been　caught；

but　they　danced　and　sang　before　them。　　And　the　hunter　too　was　glad；　for　he

said：



〃'Surely　Truth　is　among　them。　　In　time　she　will　moult　her　feathers；　and　I

shall　see　her　snow…white　form。'



〃But　the　time　passed；　and　the　people　sang　and　danced；　but　the　hunter's

heart　grew　heavy。　　He　crept　alone；　as　of　old；　to　weep；　the　terrible　desire

had　awakened　again　in　his　breast。　　One　day；　as　he　sat　alone　weeping；　it

chanced　that　Wisdom　met　him。　　He　told　the　old　man　what　he　had　done。



〃And　Wisdom　smiled　sadly。



〃'Many　men；'　he　said；　'have　spread　that　net　for　Truth；　but　they　have　never

found　her。　　On　the　grains　of　credulity　she　will　not　feed；　in　the　net　of

wishes　her　feet　cannot　be　held；　in　the　air　of　these　valleys　she　will　not

breathe。　　The　birds　you　have　caught　are　of　the　brood　of　Lies。　　Lovely　and

beautiful；　but　still　lies；　Truth　knows　them　not。'



〃And　the　hunter　cried　out　in　bitterness



〃'And　must　I　then　sit　still；　to　be　devoured　of　this　great　burning？'



〃And　the　old　man　said；



〃'Listen；　and　in　that　you　have　suffered　much　and　wept　much；　I　will　tell　you

what　I　know。　　He　who　sets　out　to　search　for　Truth　must　leave　these　valleys

of　superstition　forever；　taking　with　him　not　one　shred　that　has　belonged　to

them。　　Alone　he　must　wander　down　into　the　Land　of　Absolute　Negation　and

Denial；　he　must　abide　there；　he　must　resist　temptation；　when　the　light

breaks　he　must　arise　and　follow　it　into　the　country　of　dry　sunshine。　　The

mountains　of　stern　reality　will　rise　before　him；　he　must　climb　them；　beyond

them　lies　Truth。'



〃'And　he　will　hold　her　fast！　he　will　hold　her　in　his　hands！'　the　hunter

cried。



〃Wisdom　shook　his　head。



〃'He　will　never　see　her；　never　hold　her。　　The　time　is　not　yet。'



〃'Then　there　is　no　hope？'　cried　the　hunter。



〃'There　is　this；'　said　Wisdom：　　'Some　men　have　climbed　on　those　mountains；

circle　above　circle　of　bare　rock　they　have　scaled；　and；　wandering　there；　in

those　high　regions；　some　have　chanced　to　pick　up　on　the　ground　one　white

silver　feather；　dropped　from　the　wing　of　Truth。　　And　it　shall　come　to

pass；'　said　the　old　man；　raising　himself　prophetically　and　pointing　with

his　finger　to　the　sky；　'it　shall　come　to　pass；　that　when　enough　of　those

silver　feathers　shall　have　been　gathered　by　the　hands　of　men；　and　shall

have　been　woven　into　a　cord；　and　the　cord　into　a　net；　that　in　that　net

Truth　may　be　captured。　　Nothing　but　Truth　can　hold　Truth。'



〃The　hunter　arose。　　'I　will　go；'　he　said。



〃But　wisdom　detained　him。



〃'Mark　you　wellwho　leaves　these　valleys　never　returns　to　them。　　Though　he

should　weep　tears　of　blood　seven　days　and　nights　upon　the　confines；　he　can

never　put　his　foot　across　them。　　Leftthey　are　left　forever。　　Upon　the

road　which　you　would　travel　there　is　no　reward　offered。　　Who　goes；　goes

freelyfor　the　great　love　that　is　in　him。　　The　work　is　his　reward。'



〃'I　go'　said　the　hunter；　'but　upon　the　mountains；　tell　me；　which　path　shall

I　take？'



〃'I　am　the　child　of　The…Accumulated…Knowledge…of…Ages；'　said　the　man；　'I

can　walk　only　where　many　men　have　trodden。　　On　these　mountains　few　feet

have　passed；　each　man　strikes　out　a　path　for　himself。　　He　goes　at　his　own

peril：　　my　voice　he　hears　no　more。　　I　may　follow　after　him；　but　cannot　go

before　him。'



〃Then　Knowledge　vanished。



〃And　the　hunter　turned。　　He　went　to　his　cage；　and　with　his　hands　broke　down

the　bars；　and　the　jagged　iron　tore　his　flesh。　　It　is　sometimes　easier　to

build　than　to　break。



〃One　by　one　he　took　his　plumed　birds　and　let　them　fly。　　But　when　he　cam