the unknown guest-第27节

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de　as　invincible　as　axioms；　what　we　do　not　succeed　in　understanding　is　that　the　horse　at　once　understands　what　we　want　of　him；　it　is　that　first　step；　the　first　tremor　of　an　unexpected　intelligence；　which　suddenly　reveals　itself　as　human。　At　what　precise　second　did　the　light　appear　and　was　the　veil　rent　under？　It　is　impossible　to　say；　but　it　is　certain　that；　at　a　given　moment；　without　any　visible　sign　to　reveal　the　prodigious　inner　transformation；　the　horse　acts　and　replies　as　though　he　suddenly　understood　the　speech　of　man。　What　is　it　that　sets　the　miracle　working？　We　know　that；　after　a　time；　the　horse　associates　certain　words　with　certain　objects　that　interest　him　or　with　three　or　four　events　whose　infinite　repetition　forms　the　humble　tissue　of　his　daily　life。　This　is　only　a　sort　of　mechanical　memory　which　has　nothing　in　common　with　the　most　elementary　intelligence。　But　behold；　one　fine　day；　without　any　perceptible　transition；　he　seems　to　know　the　meaning　of　a　host　of　words　which　possess　no　interest　for　him；　which　represent　to　him　no　picture；　no　memory；　which　he　has　never　had　occasion　to　connect　with　any　sensation；　agreeable　or　disagreeable。　He　handles　figures；　which　even　to　man　are　nothing　but　obscure　and　abstract　ideas。　He　solves　problems　that　cannot　possibly　be　made　objective　or　concrete。　He　reproduces　letters　which；　from　his　point　of　view；　correspond　with　nothing　actual。　He　fixes　his　attention　and　makes　observations　on　things　or　circumstances　which　in　no　way　affect　him；　which　remain　and　always　will　remain　alien　and　indifferent　to　him。　In　a　word；　he　steps　out　of　the　narrow　ring　in　which　he　was　made　to　turn　by　hunger　and　fearwhich　have　been　described　as　the　two　great　moving　powers　of　all　that　is　not　humanto　enter　the　immense　circle　in　which　sensations　go　on　being　shed　till　ideas　come　into　view。

22

Is　it　possible　to　believe　that　the　horses　really　do　what　they　appear　to　do？　Is　there　no　precedent　for　the　marvel？　Is　there　no　transition　between　the　Elberfeld　stallions　and　the　horses　which　we　have　known　until　this　day？　It　is　not　easy　to　answer　these　questions；　for　it　is　only　since　yesterday　that　the　intellectual　powers　of　our　defenseless　brothers　have　been　subjected　to　strictly　scientific　experiments。　We　have；　it　is　true　more　than　one　collection　of　anecdotes　in　which　the　intelligence　of　animals　is　lauded　to　the　skies；　but　we　cannot　rely　upon　these　ill…authenticated　stories。　To　find　genuine　and　incontestable　instances　we　must　have　recourse　to　the　works；　rare　as　yet；　of　scientific　men　who　have　made　a　special　study　of　the　subject。　M。　Hachet…Souplet；　for　example；　the　director　of　the　Institut　de　Psychologie　Zoologique；　mentions　the　case　of　a　dog　who　learnt　to　acquire　an　abstract　idea　of　weight。　You　put　in　front　of　him　eight　rounded　and　polished　stones；　all　of　exactly　the　same　size　and　shape；　but　of　different　weights。　You　tell　him　to　fetch　the　heaviest　or　the　lightest；　he　judges　their　weight　by　lifting　them　and；　without　mistake；　picks　out　the　one　required。

The　same　writer　also　tells　the　story　of　a　parrot　to　whom　he　had　taught　the　word　〃cupboard〃　by　showing　him　a　little　box　that　could　be　hung　up　on　the　wall　at　different　heights　and　in　which　his　daily　allowance　of　food　was　always　ostentatiously　put　away；

〃I　next　taught　him　the　names　of　a　number　of　objects；〃　says　M。　Hachet…Souplet；　〃by　holding　them　out　to　him。　Among　them　was　a　ladder；　and　I　prevailed　upon　the　bird　to　say；　'Climb；'　each　time　that　he　saw　me　mount　the　steps。　One　morning；　when　the　parrot's　cage　was　brought　into　the　laboratory；　the　cupboard　was　hanging　near　the　ceiling；　while　the　little　ladder　was　stowed　away　in　a　corner　among　other　objects　familiar　to　the　bird。　Now　the　parrot；　every　day；　when　I　opened　the　cupboard；　used　to　scream；　'Cupboard！　Cupboard！　Cupboard！'　with　all　his　might。　My　problem　was；　therefore；　this：　seeing　that　the　cupboard　was　out　of　my　reach　and　that；　therefore；　I　could　not　take　his　food　out　of　it；　knowing；　on　the　other　hand；　that　I　was　able　to　raise　myself　above　the　level　of　the　floor　by　climbing　the　ladder；　and　having　the　words　'climb'　and　'ladder'　at　his　disposal：　would　he　employ　them　to　suggest　to　me　the　idea　of　using　them　in　order　to　reach　the　cupboard？　Greatly　excited；　the　parrot　flapped　his　wings；　bit　the　bars　of　his　cage；　and　screamed：

〃'Cupboard！　Cupboard！　Cupboard！'〃

〃And　I　got　no　more　out　of　him　that　day。　The　next　day；　the　bird；　having　received　nothing　but　millet；　for　which　he　did　not　much　care；　instead　of　the　hemp…seed　contained　in　the　cupboard；　was　in　paroxysms　of　anger；　and；　after　he　had　made　numberless　attempts　to　force　open　his　bars；　his　attention　was　at　last　caught　by　the　ladder　and　he　said：

〃'Ladder；　climb；　cupboard！'〃

We　have　here；　as　the　author　remarks；　a　marvellous　intellectual　effort。　There　is　an　evident　association　of　ideas；　cause　is　linked　with　effect；　and　examples　such　as　this　lesson　appreciably　the　distance　separating　our　learned　horses　from　their　less　celebrated　brethren。　We　must　admit；　however；　that　this　intellectual　effort；　if　we　observe；　animals　a　little　carefully；　is　much　less　uncommon　than　we　think。　It　surprises　us　in　this　case　because　a　special　and；　when　all　is　said；　purely　mechanical　arrangement　of　the　parrot's　organ　gives　him　a　human　voice。　At　every　moment；　I　find　in　my　own　dog　associations　of　ideas　no　less　evident　and　often　more　complex。　For　instance；　if　he　is　thirsty；　he　seeks　my　eyes　and　next　looks　at　the　tap　in　the　dressing…room；　thus　showing　that　he　very　plainly　connects　the　notions　of　thirst；　running　water　and　human　intervention。　When　I　dress　to　go　out；　he　evidently　watches　all　my　movements。　While　I　am　lacing　my　boots；　he　conscientiously　licks　my　hands；　in　order　that　my　divinity　may　be　good　to　him　and　especially　to　congratulate　me　on　my　capital　idea　of　going　out　for　a　constitutional。　It　is　a　sort　of　general　and　as　yet　vague　approval。　Boots　promise　an　excursion　out　of　doors；　that　is　to　say；　space；　fragrant　roads；　long　grass　full　of　surprises；　corners　scented　with　offal；　friendly　or　tragic　encounters　and　the　pursuit　of　wholly　illusory；　game。　But　the　fair　vision　is　still　in　anxious　suspense。　He　does　not　yet　know　if　he　is　going　with　me。　His　fate　is　now　being　decided；　and　his　eyes；　melting　with　anguish；　devour　my　mind。　If　I　buckle　on　my　leather　gaiters；　it　means　the　sudden　and　utter　extinction；　of　all　that　constitutes　the　joy　of　life。　They　leave　not　a　ray　of　hope。　They　herald　the　hateful；　lonely　motorcycle；　which　he　cannot　keep　up　with；　and　he　stretches　himself　sadly　in　a　dark　corner；　where　he　goes　back　to　the　gloomy　dreams　of　an　unoccupied；　forsaken　dog。　But；　when　I　slip　my　arms　into　the　sleeves　of　my　heavy　great…coat；　one　would　think　that　they　were　opening　the　gates　of　the　most　dazzling　paradise。　For　this　implies　the　car；　the　obvious；　indubitable　motor…car；　in　other　words；　the　radiant　summit　of　the　most　superlative　delight。　And　delirious　barks；　inordinate　bounds；　riotous；　embarrassing　demonstrations　of　affection　greet　a　happiness　which；　for　all　that；　is　but　an　immaterial　idea；　built　up　of　artless　memories　and　ingenuous　hopes。

23

I　mention　these　matters　only　because　they　are　quite　ordinary　and　because　there　is　nobody　who　has　not　made　a　thousand　similar　observations。　As　a　rule；　we　do　not　notice　that　these　humble　manifestations　represent　sentiments；　associations　of　ideas；　inferences；　deductions；　an　absolute　and　altogether　human　mental　effort。　They　lack　only　speech；　but　speech　is　merely　a　mechanical　accident　which　reveals　the　operations　of　thought　more　clearly　to　us。　We　are　amazed　that　Mohammed　or　Zarif　should　recognize　the　picture　of　a　horse；　a　donkey；　a　hat；　or　a　man　on　horseback；　or　that　they　should　spontaneously　report　to　their　master　the　little　events　that　happen　in　the　stable；　but　it　is　certain　that　our　own　dog　is　incessantly　performing　a　similar　work　and　that　his　eyes；　if　we　could　read　them；　would　tell　us　a　great　deal　more。　The　primary　miracle　of　Elberfeld　is　that　the　stallions　should　have　been　given　the　means　of　expressing　what　they　think　and　feel。　It　is　momentous；　but；　when　closely　looked　into；　it　is　not　incomprehensible。　Between　the　talking　horses　and　my　silent　dog　there　is　an　enormous　distance；　but　not　an　abyss。　I　am　saying　this　not　to　detract　from　the　nature　or　extent　of　the　prodigy；　but　to　call　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　theory　of　animal　intelligence　is　more　justifiable　and　less　fanciful　than　one　is　at　first　inclined　to　think。

24　

But　the　second　and　greater　miracle　is　that　man　should　have　been　able　to　rouse　the　horse　from　his　immemorial　sleep；　to　fix　and　direct　his　attention　and　to　interest　him　in　matters　that　are　more　foreign　and　indifferent　to　him　than　the　variations　of　temperature　in　Sirius　or　Aldebaran　are　to　us。　It　really　seems；　when　we　consider　our　preconceived　ideas；　that　there　is　not　in　the　animal　an　organic　and　insurmountable　inability　to　do　what　man's　brain　does；　a　total　and　irremediable　absence　of　intellectual　faculties；　but　rather　a　profound　lethargy　and　torpor　of　those　faculties。　It　lives　in　a　sort　of　undisturbed　stolidity；　of　nebulous　slumber。　As　Dr。　Ochorowicz　very　justly　remarks；　〃its　waking　state　is　very　near　akin　to　the　state　of　a　man　walking　in　his　sleep。〃　Having　no　notion　of　space　or　time；　it　spends　its　life；　one　may　say；　in　a　perpetual　dream。　It　does　what　is　strict