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第21章

the story of an african farm-第21章

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were calling out imperatively; 〃What are we; and how came we here? 

Understand us; and know us;〃 but to whom even the old; old relations

between man and man; and the customs of the ages called; and could not be

made still and forgotten。



The boy's heavy body quivered with excitement。  So he was not alone; not

alone。  He could not quite have told any one why he was so glad; and this

warmth had come to him。  His cheeks were burning。  No wonder that Bonaparte

called in vain; and Doss put his paws on the ladder; and whined till three…

quarters of an hour had passed。  At last the boy put the book in his breast

and buttoned it tightly to him。  He took up the salt pot; and went to the

top of the ladder。  Bonaparte; with his hands folded under his coat…tails;

looked up when he appeared; and accosted him。



〃You've been rather a long time up there; my lad;〃 he said; as the boy

descended with a tremulous haste; most unlike his ordinary slow movements。

〃You didn't hear me calling; I suppose?〃



Bonaparte whisked the tails of his coat up and down as he looked at him。 

He; Bonaparte Blenkins; had eyes which were very far…seeing。  He looked at

the pot。  It was rather a small pot to have taken three…quarters of an hour

in the filling。  He looked at the face。  It was flushed。  And yet; Tant

Sannie kept no winehe had not been drinking; his eyes were wide open and

brighthe had not been sleeping; there was no girl up therehe had not

been making love。  Bonaparte looked at him sagaciously。  What would account

for the marvellous change in the boy coming down the ladder from the boy

going up the ladder?  One thing there was。  Did not Tant Sannie keep in the

loft bultongs; and nice smoked sausages?  There must be something nice to

eat up there!  Aha! that was it!



Bonaparte was so interested in carrying out this chain of inductive

reasoning that he quite forgot to have his boots blacked。



He watched the boy shuffle off with the salt…pot under his arm; then he

stood in his doorway and raised his eyes to the quiet blue sky; and audibly

propounded this riddle to himself:



〃What is the connection between the naked back of a certain boy with a

greatcoat on and a salt…pot under his arm; and the tip of a horsewhip? 

Answer:  No connection at present; but there will be soon。〃



Bonaparte was so pleased with this sally of his wit that he chuckled a

little and went to lie down on his bed。



There was bread…baking that afternoon; and there was a fire lighted in the

brick oven behind the house; and Tant Sannie had left the great wooden…

elbowed chair in which she passed her life; and waddled out to look at it。

Not far off was Waldo; who; having thrown a pail of food into the pigsty;

now leaned over the sod wall looking at the pigs。  Half of the sty was dry;

but the lower half was a pool of mud; on the edge of which the mother sow

lay with closed eyes; her ten little ones sucking; the father pig; knee…

deep in the mud; stood running his snout into a rotten pumpkin and

wriggling his curled tail。



Waldo wondered dreamily as he stared why they were pleasant to look at。 

Taken singly they were not beautiful; taken together they were。  Was it not

because there was a certain harmony about them?  The old sow was suited to

the little pigs; and the little pigs to their mother; the old boar to the

rotten pumpkin; and all to the mud。  They suggested the thought of nothing

that should be added; of nothing that should be taken away。  And; he

wondered on vaguely; was not that the secret of all beauty; that you who

look on  So he stood dreaming; and leaned further and further over the

sod wall; and looked at the pigs。



All this time Bonaparte Blenkins was sloping down from the house in an

aimless sort of way; but he kept one eye fixed on the pigsty; and each

gyration brought him nearer to it。  Waldo stood like a thing asleep when

Bonaparte came close up to him。



In old days; when a small boy; playing in an Irish street…gutter; he;

Bonaparte; had been familiarly known among his comrades under the title of

Tripping Ben; this; from the rare ease and dexterity with which; by merely

projecting his foot; he could precipitate any unfortunate companion on to

the crown of his head。  Years had elapsed; and Tripping Ben had become

Bonaparte; but the old gift was in him still。  He came close to the pigsty。 

All the defunct memories of his boyhood returned on him in a flood; as;

with an adroit movement; he inserted his leg between Waldo and the wall and

sent him over into the pigsty。



The little pigs were startled at the strange intruder; and ran behind their

mother; who sniffed at him。  Tant Sannie smote her hands together and

laughed; but Bonaparte was far from joining her。  Lost in reverie; he gazed

at the distant horizon。



The sudden reversal of head and feet had thrown out the volume that Waldo

carried in his breast。  Bonaparte picked it up and began to inspect it; as

the boy climbed slowly over the wall。  He would have walked off sullenly;

but he wanted his book; and he waited until it should be given him。



〃Ha!〃 said Bonaparte; raising his eyes from the leaves of the book which he

was examining; 〃I hope your coat has not been injured; it is of an elegant

cut。  An heirloom; I presume; from your paternal grandfather?  It looks

nice now。〃



〃Oh; Lord! oh! Lord!〃 cried Tant Sannie; laughing and holding her sides;

how the child looksas though he thought the mud would never wash off。 

Oh; Lord; I shall die!  You; Bonaparte; are the funniest man I ever saw。〃



Bonaparte Blenkins was now carefully inspecting the volume he had picked

up。  Among the subjects on which the darkness of his understanding had been

enlightened during his youth; Political Economy had not been one。  He was

not; therefore; very clear as to what the nature of the book might be; and

as the name of the writer; J。S。 Mill; might; for anything he knew to the

contrary; have belonged to a venerable member of the British and Foreign

Bible Society; it by no means threw light upon the question。  He was not in

any way sure that Political Economy had nothing to do with the cheapest way

of procuring clothing for the army and navy; which would be certainly both

a political and economical subject。



But Bonaparte soon came to a conclusion as to the nature of the book and

its contents; by the application of a simple rule now largely acted upon;

but which; becoming universal; would save much thought and valuable time。 

It is of marvellous simplicity; of infinite utility; of universal

applicability。  It may easily be committed to memory and runs thus:



Whenever you come into contact with any book; person; or opinion of which

you absolutely comprehend nothing; declare that book; person or opinion to

be immoral。  Bespatter it; vituperate against it; strongly insist that any

man or woman harbouring it is a fool or a knave; or both。  Carefully

abstain from studying it。  Do all that in you lies to annihilate that book;

person; or opinion。



Acting on this rule; so wide in its comprehensiveness; so beautifully

simple in its working; Bonaparte approached Tant Sannie with the book in

his hand。  Waldo came a step nearer; eyeing it like a dog whose young has

fallen into evil hands。



〃This book;〃 said Bonaparte; 〃is not a fit and proper study for a young and

immature mind。〃



Tant Sannie did not understand a word; and said:



〃What?〃



〃This book;〃 said Bonaparte; bringing down his finger with energy on the

cover; 〃this book is sleg; sleg; Davel; Davel!〃



Tant Sannie perceived from the gravity of his countenance that it was no

laughing matter。  From the words 〃sleg〃 and 〃Davel〃 she understood that the

book was evil; and had some connection with the prince who pulls the wires

of evil over the whole earth。



〃Where did you get this book?〃 she asked; turning her twinkling little eyes

on Waldo。  〃I wish that my legs may be as thin as an Englishman's

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