the story of an african farm-第33章

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that　never　showed　itself　in　the　clouded　eyesfor　sweetness　will　linger　on

in　the　voice　long　after　it　has　died　out　in　the　eyes〃if　for　such　a

purpose；　why　write　that　upon　it？〃



The　boy　glanced　round　at　him；　but　made　no　answer。　　He　had　almost　forgotten

his　presence。



〃You　surely　believe；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃that　some　day；　sooner　or　later；

these　graves　will　open；　and　those　Boer…uncles　with　their　wives　walk　about

here　in　the　red　sand；　with　the　very　fleshly　legs　with　which　they　went　to

sleep？　　Then　why　say；　'He　sleeps　forever？'　　You　believe　he　will　stand　up

again？〃



〃Do　you？〃　asked　the　boy；　lifting　for　an　instant　his　heavy　eyes　to　the

stranger's　face。



Half　taken　aback　the　stranger　laughed。　　It　was　as　though　a　curious　little

tadpole　which　he　held　under　his　glass　should　suddenly　lift　its　tail　and

begin　to　question　him。



〃I？no。〃　　He　laughed　his　short　thick　laugh。　　〃I　am　a　man　who　believes

nothing；　hopes　nothing；　fears　nothing；　feels　nothing。　　I　am　beyond　the　pale

of　humanity；　no　criterion　of　what　you　should　be　who　live　here　among　your

ostriches　and　bushes。〃



The　next　moment　the　stranger　was　surprised　by　a　sudden　movement　on　the　part

of　the　fellow；　which　brought　him　close　to　the　stranger's　feet。　　Soon　after

he　raised　his　carving　and　laid　it　across　the　man's　knee。



〃Yes；　I　will　tell　you；〃　he　muttered；　〃I　will　tell　you　all　about　it。〃



He　put　his　finger　on　the　grotesque　little　mannikin　at　the　bottom　（ah！　that

man　who　believed　nothing；　hoped　nothing；　felt　nothing；　how　he　loved　him！）；

and　with　eager　finger　the　fellow　moved　upward；　explaining　over　fantastic

figures　and　mountains；　to　the　crowning　bird　from　whose　wing　dropped　a

feather。　　At　the　end　he　spoke　with　broken　breathshort　words；　like　one　who

utters　things　of　mighty　import。



The　stranger　watched　more　the　face　than　the　carving；　and　there　was　now　and

then　a　show　of　white　teeth　beneath　the　moustaches　as　he　listened。



〃I　think；〃　he　said　blandly；　when　the　boy　had　done；　〃that　I　partly

understand　you。　　It　is　something　after　this　fashion；　is　it　not？〃　　（He

smiled。）　　〃In　certain　valleys　there　was　a　hunter。〃　　（He　touched　the

grotesque　little　figure　at　the　bottom。）　　〃Day　by　day　he　went　to　hunt　for

wild…fowl　in　the　woods；　and　it　chanced　that　once　he　stood　on　the　shores　of

a　large　lake。　　While　he　stood　waiting　in　the　rushes　for　the　coming　of　the

birds；　a　great　shadow　fell　on　him；　and　in　the　water　he　saw　a　reflection。　

He　looked　up　to　the　sky；　but　the　thing　was　gone。　　Then　a　burning　desire

came　over　him　to　see　once　again　that　reflection　in　the　water；　and　all　day

he　watched　and　waited；　but　night　came　and　it　had　not　returned。　　Then　he

went　home　with　his　empty　bag；　moody　and　silent。　　His　comrades　came

questioning　about　him　to　know　the　reason；　but　he　answered　them　nothing；　he

sat　alone　and　brooded。　　Then　his　friend　came　to　him；　and　to　him　he　spoke。



〃'I　have　seen　today；'　he　said；　'that　which　I　never　saw　beforea　vast　white

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　hol