the mahatma and the hare-第4节

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understood　why。　A　great　passenger　ship　had　sunk　suddenly　in　mid　ocean
and　they　were　all　cut　off　unprepared。

When；　followed　by　a　few　stragglers；　these　had　passed　and　gathered
themselves　in　the　red　shadow　beneath　the　gateway　towers　waiting　for
the　summons；　an　unusual　thing　occurred。　For　a　few　moments　the　Road　was
left　quite　empty。　After　that　last　great　stroke　Death　seemed　to　be
resting　on　his　laurels。　When　thus　unpeopled　it　looked　a　very　vast
place　like　to　a　huge　arched　causeway；　bordered　on　either　side　by
blackness；　but　itself　gleaming　with　a　curious　phosphorescence　such　as
once　or　twice　I　have　seen　in　the　waters　of　a　summer　sea　at　night。

Presently　in　the　very　centre　of　this　illuminated　desolation；　whilst　it
was　as　yet　far　away；　something　caught　my　eye；　something　so　strange　to
the　place；　so　utterly　unfamiliar　that　I　watched　it　earnestly；
wondering　what　it　might　be。　Nearer　and　nearer　it　came；　with　curious；
uncertain　hops；　yes；　a　little　brown　object　that　hopped。

〃Well；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃if　I　were　not　where　I　am　I　should　say　that
yonder　thing　was　a　hare。　Only　what　would　a　hare　be　doing　on　the　Great
White　Road？　How　could　a　hare　tread　the　pathway　of　eternal　souls？　I
must　be　mistaken。〃

So　I　reflected　whilst　still　the　thing　hopped　on；　until　I　became
certain　that　either　I　suffered　from　delusions；　or　that　it　was　a　hare；
indeed　a　particularly　fine　hare；　much　such　a　one　as　a　friend　of　my　old
landlady；　Mrs。　Smithers；　had　once　sent　her　as　a　Christmas　present　from
Norfolk；　which　hare　I　ate。

A　few　more　hops　brought　it　opposite　to　my　post　of　observation。　Here　it
halted　as　though　it　seemed　to　see　me。　At　any　rate　it　sat　up　in　the
alert　fashion　that　hares　have；　its　forepaws　hanging　absurdly　in　front
of　it；　with　one　ear；　on　which　there　was　a　grey　blotch；　cocked　and　one
dragging；　and　sniffed　with　its　funny　little　nostrils。　Then　it　began　to
talk　to　me。　I　do　not　mean　that　it　really　talked；　but　the　thoughts
which　were　in　its　mind　were　flashed　on　to　my　mind　so　that　I　understood
perfectly；　yes；　and　could　answer　them　in　the　same　fashion。　It　said；　or
thought；　thus：

〃You　are　real。　You　are　a　man　who　yet　lives　beneath　the　sun；　though　how
you　came　here　I　do　not　know。　I　hate　men；　all　hares　do；　for　men　are
cruel　to　them。　Still　it　is　a　comfort　in　this　strange　place　to　see
something　one　has　seen　before　and　to　be　able　to　talk　even　to　a　man；
which　I　could　never　do　until　the　change　came；　the　dreadful　changeI
mean　because　of　the　way　of　it；〃　and　it　seemed　to　shiver。　〃May　I　ask
you　some　questions？〃

〃Certainly；〃　I　said　or　rather　thought　back。

〃You　are　sure　that　they　won't　make　you　angry　so　that　you　hurt　me？〃

〃I　can't　hurt　you；　even　if　I　wished　to　do　so。　You　are　not　a　hare　any
longer；　if　you　ever　were　one；　but　only　the　shadow　of　a　hare。〃

〃Ah！　I　thought　as　much；　and　that's　a　good　thing　anyhow。　Tell　me；　Man；
have　you　ever　been　torn　to　pieces　by　dogs？〃

〃Good　gracious！　no。〃

〃Or　coursed；　or　hunted；　or　caught　in　a　trap；　or　shot　all　over　your
back；　or　twisted　up　in　nets　and　choked　in　snares？　Or　have　you　swum　out
to　sea　to　die　more　easily；　or　seen　your　mate　and　mother　and　father
killed？〃

〃No；　no。　Please　stop；　Hare；　your　questions　are　very　unpleasant。〃

〃Not　half　so　unpleasant　as　the　things　are　themselves；　I　can　assure
you；　Man。　I　will　tell　you　my　story　if　you　like；　then　you　can　judge　for
yourself。　But　first；　if　you　will；　do　you　tell　me　why　I　am　here。　Have
you　seen　more　hares　about　this　place？〃

〃Never；　nor　any　other　animals。　No；　I　am　wrong；　once　I　saw　a　dog。〃

The　Hare　looked　about　it　anxiously。

〃A　dog。　How　horrible！　What　was　it　doing？　Hunting？　If　there　are　no
hares　here　what　could　it　be　hunting？　A　rabbit；　or　a　pheasant　with　a
broken　wing；　or　perhaps　a　fox？　I　should　not　mind　so　much　if　it　were　a
fox。　I　hate　foxes；　they　catch　young　hares　when　they　are　asleep　and　eat
them。〃

〃None　of　these　things。　I　was　told　that　it　belonged　to　a　little　girl
who　died。　That　broke　its　heart；　so　that　it　died　also　when　they　shut
her　up　in　a　box。　Therefore　it　was　allowed　to　accompany　her　here
because　it　had　loved　so　much。　Indeed　I　saw　them　together；　both　very
happy；　and　together　they　went　through　those　gates。〃

〃If　dogs　love　little　girls　why　don't　they　love　hares；　at　least　as
anything　likes　to　be　loved；　for　the　dog　didn't　want　to　eat　the　little
girl；　did　it？　I　see　you　can't　answer　me。　Now　would　you　like　me　to　tell
you　my　story？　Something　inside　of　me　is　saying　that　I　am　to　do　so　if
you　will　listen；　also　that　there　is　plenty　of　time；　for　I　am　not
wanted　at　present；　and　when　I　am　I　can　run　to　those　gates　much　quicker
than　you　could。〃


〃I　should　like　it　very　much；　Hare。　Once　a　prophet　heard　an　ass　speak
in　order　to　warn　him。　But　since　then；　except　very；　very　rarely　in
dreams；　no　creature　has　talked　to　a　man；　so　far　as　I　know。　Perhaps　you
wish　to　warn　me　about　something；　or　others　through　me；　as　the　ass
warned　Balaam。〃

〃Who　is　Balaam？　I　never　heard　of　Balaam。　He　wasn't　the　man　who　fetches
dead　pheasants　in　the　donkey…cart；　was　he？　If　so；　I've　seen　him　make
the　ass　talkwith　a　thick　stick。　No？　Well；　never　mind；　I　daresay　I
should　not　understand　about　him　if　you　told　me。　Now　for　my　story。〃

Then　the　Hare　sat　itself　down；　planting　its　forepaws　firmly　in　front
of　it；　as　these　animals　do　when　they　are　on　the　watch；　looked　up　at　me
and　began　to　pour　the　contents　of　its　mind　into　mine。

*****

I　was　born；　it　said；　or　rather　told　me　by　thought　transference；　in　a
field　of　growing　corn　near　to　a　big　wood。　At　least　I　suppose　I　was
born　there；　though　the　first　thing　I　remember　is　playing　about　in　the
wheat　with　two　other　little　ones　of　my　own　size；　a　brother　and　a
sister　that　were　born　with　me。　It　was　at　night；　for　a　great；　round；
shining　thing　which　I　now　know　was　the　moon；　hung　in　the　sky　above　us。
We　gambolled　together　and　were　very　happy；　till　presently　my　mother
cameI　remember　how　big　she　lookedand　cuffed　me　with　her　paw
because　I　had　led　the　others　away　from　the　place　where　she　had　told　us
to　stop；　and　given　her　a　great　hunt　to　find　us。　That　is　the　first
thing　I　remember　about　my　mother。　Afterwards　she　seemed　sorry　because
she　had　hurt　me；　and　nursed　us　all　three；　letting　me　have　the　most
milk。　My　mother　always　loved　me　the　best　of　us；　because　I　was　such　a
fine　leveret；　with　a　pretty　grey　patch　on　my　left　ear。　Just　as　I　had
finished　drinking　another　hare　came　who　was　my　father。　He　was　very
large；　with　a　glossy　coat　and　big　shining　eyes　that　always　seemed　to
see　everything；　even　when　it　was　behind　him。

He　was　frightened　about　something；　and　hustled　my　mother　and　us　little
ones　out　of　the　wheat…field　into　the　big　wood　by　which　it　is　bordered。
As　we　left　the　field　I　saw　two　tall　creatures　that　afterwards　I　came
to　know　were　men。　They　were　placing　wire…netting　round　the　fieldyou
see　I　understand　now　what　all　these　things　were；　although　of　course　I
did　not　at　the　time。　The　two　ends　of　the　wire　netting　had　nearly　come
together。　There　was　only　a　little　gap　left　through　which　we　could　run。
Another　young　hare；　or　it　may　have　been　a　rabbit；　had　got　entangled　in
it；　and　one　of　the　men　was　beating　it　to　death　with　a　stick。　I
remember　that　the　sound　of　its　screams　made　me　feel　cold　down　the
back；　for　I　had　never　heard　anything　like　that　before；　and　this　was
the　first　that　I　had　seen　of　pain　and　death。

The　other　man　saw　us　slipping　through　and　ran　at　us　with　his　stick。　My
mother　went　first　and　escaped　him。　Then　came　my　sister；　then　I；　then
my　brother。　My　father　was　last　of　all。　The　man　hit　with　his　stick　and
it　came　down　thud　along　side　of　me；　just　touching　my　fur。　He　hit　again
and　broke　the　foreleg　of　my　brother。　Still　we　all　managed　to　get
through　into　the　wood；　except　my　father　who　was　behind。

〃There's　the　old　buck！〃　cried　one　of　the　men　（I　understand　what　he
said　now；　though　at　the　time　it　meant　nothing　to　me）。　〃Knock　him　on
the　head！〃

So　leaving　us　alone　they　ran　at　him。　But　my　father　was　much　too　quick
for　them。　He　rushed　back　into　the　corn　and　afterwards　joined　us　in　the
wood；　for　he　had　seen　wire　before　and　knew　how　to　escape　it。　Still　he
was　terribly　frightened　and　made　us　keep　in　the　wood　till　the
following　evening；　not　even　allowing　my　mother　to　go　to　her　form　in
the　rough　pasture　on　its　other　side　and　lie　up　there。

Also　we　were　in　trouble　because　my　brother's　forepaw　was　broken。　It
gave　him　a　great　deal　of　pain；　so　that　he　could　not　rest　or　sleep。
After　a　while；　however；　it　mended　up　in　a　fashion；　but　he　was　never
able　to　run　as　fast　as　we　could；　nor　did　he　grow　so　big。　In　the　end
the　mother　fox　killed　him；　as　I　shall　tell。

My　mother　asked　my　father　what　the　men　with　the　sticks　were　doing
for；　you　know；　many　animals　can　talk　to　each　other　in　their　own　way；
even　if　they　are　of　different　kinds。　He　told　her　that　they　were
protecting　the　wheat　to　prevent　us　from　eating　it；　to　which　she
answered　angrily　that　hares　must　live　somehow；　especially　when　they
had　young　ones　to　nurse。　My　father　replied　that　men　did　not　seem　to
think　so；　and　perhaps　they　had　young　ones　also。　I　see　now　that　my
father　was　a　philosophic　hare。　But　are　you　tired　of　my　story？

〃Not　at　all；〃　I　answered；　〃go　on；　please。　It　is　very　interesting　to
hear　things　describe