the story of an african farm-第30节

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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　hold　her　in　his　hands！'　the　hunter

cried。



〃Wisdom　shook　his　head。



〃'He　will　never　see　her；　never　hold　her。　　The　time　is　not　yet。'



〃'Then　there　is　no　hope？'　cried　the　hunter。



〃'There　is　this；'　said　Wisdom：　　'Some　men　have　climbed　on　those　mountains；

circle　above　circle　of　bare　rock　they　have　scaled；　and；　wandering　there；　in

those　high　regions；　some　have　chanced　to　pick　up　on　the　ground　one　white

silver　feather；　dropped　from　the　wing　of　Truth。　　And　it　shall　come　to

pass；'　said　the　old　man；　raising　himself　prophetically　and　pointing　with

his　finger　to　the　sky；　'it　shall　come　to　pass；　that　when　enough　of　those

silver　feathers　shall　have　been　gathered　by　the　hands　of　men；　and　shall

have　been　woven　into　a　cord；　and　the　cord　into　a　net；　that　in　that　net

Truth　may　be　captured。　　Nothing　but　Truth　can　hold　Truth。'



〃The　hunter　arose。　　'I　will　go；'　he　said。



〃But　wisdom　detained　him。



〃'Mark　you　wellwho　leaves　these　valleys　never　returns　to　them。　　Though　he

should　weep　tears　of　blood　seven　days　and　nights　upon　the　confines；　he　can

never　put　his　foot　across　them。　　Leftthey　are　left　forever。　　Upon　the

road　which　you　would　travel　there　is　no　reward　offered。　　Who　goes；　goes

freelyfor　the　great　love　that　is　in　him。　　The　work　is　his　reward。'



〃'I　go'　said　the　hunter；　'but　upon　the　mountains；　tell　me；　which　path　shall

I　take？'



〃'I　am　the　child　of　The…Accumulated…Knowledge…of…Ages；'　said　the　man；　'I

can　walk　only　where　many　men　have　trodden。　　On　these　mountains　few　feet

have　passed；　each　man　strikes　out　a　path　for　himself。　　He　goes　at　his　own

peril：　　my　voice　he　hears　no　more。　　I　may　follow　after　him；　but　cannot　go

before　him。'



〃Then　Knowledge　vanished。



〃And　the　hunter　turned。　　He　went　to　his　cage；　and　with　his　hands　broke　down

the　bars；　and　the　jagged　iron　tore　his　flesh。　　It　is　sometimes　easier　to

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；'　sa