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the story of an african farm-第39部分
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build than to break。
〃One by one he took his plumed birds and let them fly。 But when he came to
his dark…plumed bird he held it; and looked into its beautiful eyes; and
the bird uttered its low; deep cry'Immortality!'
〃And he said quickly: 'I cannot part with it。 It is not heavy; it eats no
food。 I will hide it in my breast; I will take it with me。' And he buried
it there and covered it over with his cloak。
〃But the thing he had hidden grew heavier; heavier; heaviertill it lay on
his breast like lead。 He could not move with it。 He could not leave those
valleys with it。 Then again he took it out and looked at it。
〃'Oh; my beautiful! my heart's own!' he cried; 'may I not keep you?'
〃He opened his hands sadly。
〃'Go!' he said。 'It may happen that in Truth's song one note is like
yours; but I shall never hear it。'
〃Sadly he opened his hand; and the bird flew from him forever。
〃Then from the shuttle of imagination he took the thread of his wishes; and
threw it on the ground; and the empty shuttle he put into his breast; for
the thread was made in those valleys; but the shuttle came from an unknown
country。 He turned to go; but now the people came about him; howling。
〃'Fool; hound; demented lunatic!' they cried。 'How dared you break your
cage and let the birds fly?'
〃The hunter spoke; but they would not hear him。
〃'Truth! who is she? Can you eat her? can you drink her? Who has ever
seen her? Your birds were real: all could hear them sing! Oh; fool! vile
reptile! atheist!' they cried; 'you pollute the air。'
〃'Come; let us take up stones and stone him;' cried some。
〃'What affair is it of ours?' said others。 'Let the idiot go;' and went
away。 But the rest gathered up stones and mud and threw at him。 At last;
when he was bruised and cut; the hunter crept away into the woods。 And it
was evening about him。〃
At every word the stranger spoke the fellow's eyes flashed back on him
yes; and yes; and yes! The stranger smiled。 It was almost worth the
trouble of exerting oneself; even on a lazy afternoon; to win those
passionate flashes; more thirsty and desiring than the love…glances of a
woman。
〃He wandered on and on;〃 said the stranger; 〃and the shade grew deeper。 He
was on the borders now of the land where it is always night。 Then he
stepped into it; and there was no light there。 With his hands he groped;
but each branch as he touched it broke off; and the earth was covered with
cinders。 At every step his foot sank in; and a fine cloud of impalpable
ashes flew up into his face; and it was dark。 So he sat down upon a stone
and buried his face in his hands; to wait in the Land of Negation and
Denial till the light came。
〃And it was night in his heart also。
〃Then from the marshes to his right and left cold mists arose and closed
about him。 A fine; imperceptible rain fell in the dark; and great drops
gathered on his hair and clothes。 His heart beat slowly; and a numbness
crept through all his limbs。 Then; looking up; two merry wisp lights came
dancing。 He lifted his head to look at them。 Nearer; nearer they came。
So warm; so bright; they danced like stars of fire。 They stood before him
at last。 From the centre of the radiating flame in one looked out a
woman's face; laughing; dimpled; with streaming yellow hair。 In the centre
of the other were merry laughing ripples; like the bubbles on a glass of
wine。 They danced before him。
〃'Who are you;' asked the hunter; 'who alone come to me in my solitude and
darkness?'
〃'We are the twins Sensuality;' they cried。 'Our father's name is Human…
Nature; and our mother's name is Excess。 We are as old as the hills and
rivers; as old as the first man; but we never die;' they laughed。
〃'Oh; let me wrap my arms about you!; cried the first; 'they are soft and
warm。 Your heart is frozen now; but I will make it beat。 Oh; come to me!'
〃'I will pour my hot life into you;' said the second; 'your brain is numb;
and your limbs are dead now; but they shall live with a fierce free life。
Oh; let me pour it in!'
〃'Oh; follow us;' they cried; 'and live with us。 Nobler hearts than yours
have sat here in this darkness to wait; and they have come to us and we to
them; and they have never left us; never。 All else is a delusion; but we
are real; we are real; we are real。 Truth is a shadow; the valleys of
superstition are a farce: the earth is of ashes; the trees all rotten; but
wefeel uswe live! You cannot doubt us。 Feel us how warm we are! Oh;
come to us! Come with us!'
〃Nearer and nearer round his head they hovered; and the cold drops melted
on his forehead。 The bright light shot into his eyes; dazzling him; and
the frozen blood began to run。 And he said:
〃'Yes; why should I die here in this awful darkness? They are warm; they
melt my frozen blood!' and he stretched out his hands to take them。
〃Then in a moment there arose before him the image of the thing he had
loved; and his hand dropped to his side。
〃'Oh; come to us!' they cried。
〃But he buried his face。
〃'You dazzle my eyes;' he cried; 'you make my heart warm; but you cannot
give me what I desire。 I will wait herewait till I die。 Go!'
〃He covered his face with his hands and would not listen; and when he
looked up again they were two twinkling stars; that vanished in the
distance。
〃And the long; long night rolled on。
〃All who leave the valley of superstition pass through that dark land; but
some go through it in a few days; some linger there for months; some for
years; and some die there。〃
The boy had crept closer; his hot breath almost touched the stranger's
hand; a mystic wonder filled his eyes。
〃At last for the hunter a faint light played along the horizon; and he rose
to follow it; and he reached that light at last; and stepped into the broad
sunshine。 Then before him rose the almighty mountains of Dry…facts and
Realities。 The clear sunshine played on them; and the tops were lost in
the clouds。 At the foot many paths ran up。 An exultant cry burst from the
hunter。 He chose the straightest and began to climb; and the rocks and
ridges resounded with his song。 They had exaggerated; after all; it was
not so high; nor was the road so steep! A few days; a few weeks; a few
months at most; and then the top! Not one feather only would he pick up;
he would gather all that other men had foundweave the netcapture Truth…
…hold her fasttouch her with his handsclasp her!
〃He laughed in the merry sunshine; and sang loud。 Victory was very near。
Nevertheless; after a while the path grew steeper。 He needed all his
breath for climbing; and the singing died away。 On the right and left rose
huge rocks; devoid of lichen or moss; and in the lava…like earth chasms
yawned。 Here and there he saw a sheen of white bones。 Now too the path
began to grow less and less marked; then it became a
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