dream life and real life(知廠嚥嵎)-及1准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
Dream Life and Real Life A Little African Story
Dream Life and Real Life
A Little African Story
by Olive Schreiner
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Dream Life and Real Life A Little African Story
Author of ;The Story of an African Farm; and ;Dreams;
Dedication。
To My Brother Fred察
For whose little school magazine the first of these tiny stories
one of the first I ever madewas written out many long years ago。
O。S。
New College察Eastbourne察Sept。 29察1893。
Kopjes ´ In the karoo察are hillocks of stones察that rise up singly or in
clusters察here and there察presenting sometimes the fantastic appearance of
old ruined castles or giant graves察 the work of human hands。 Kraal ´ A
sheepfold。 Krantz ´ A precipice。 Sluit ´ A deep fissure察 generally dry察 in
which the superfluous torrents of water are carried from the karoo plains
after thunderstorms。 Stoep ´ A porch。
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Dream Life and Real Life A Little African Story
I。 DREAM LIFE AND REAL
LIFE察A LITTLE AFRICAN STORY。
Little Jannita sat alone beside a milk´bush。 Before her and behind
her stretched the plain察 covered with red sand and thorny karoo bushes察
and here and there a milk´bush察looking like a bundle of pale green rods
tied together。 Not a tree was to be seen anywhere察except on the banks of
the river察and that was far away察and the sun beat on her head。 Round her
fed the Angora goats she was herding察 pretty things察especially the little
ones察 with white silky curls that touched the ground。 But Jannita sat
crying。 If an angel should gather up in his cup all the tears that have
been shed察I think the bitterest would be those of children。
By and by she was so tired察and the sun was so hot察she laid her head
against the milk´bush察and dropped asleep。
She dreamed a beautiful dream。 She thought that when she went
back to the farmhouse in the evening察the walls were covered with vines
and roses察and the kraals were not made of red stone察but of lilac trees full
of blossom。 And the fat old Boer smiled at her察 and the stick he held
across the door察 for the goats to jump over察 was a lily rod with seven
blossoms at the end。 When she went to the house her mistress gave her a
whole roaster´cake for her supper察and the mistress's daughter had stuck a
rose in the cake察and her mistress's son´in´law said察 Thank you ─ when
she pulled off his boots察and did not kick her。
It was a beautiful dream。
While she lay thus dreaming察one of the little kids came and licked her
on her cheek察 because of the salt from her dried´up tears。 And in her
dream she was not a poor indentured child any more察living with Boers。
It was her father who kissed her。 He said he had only been asleepthat
day when he lay down under the thorn´bush察he had not really died。 He
felt her hair察and said it was grown long and silky察and he said they would
go back to Denmark now。 He asked her why her feet were bare察 and
what the marks on her back were。 Then he put her head on his shoulder察
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Dream Life and Real Life A Little African Story
and picked her up察and carried her away察away She laughedshe could
feel her face against his brown beard。 His arms were so strong。
As she lay there dreaming察with the ants running over her naked feet察
and with her brown curls lying in the sand察 a Hottentot came up to her。
He was dressed in ragged yellow trousers察and a dirty shirt察and torn jacket。
He had a red handkerchief round his head察and a felt hat above that。 His
nose was flat察his eyes like slits察and the wool on his head was gathered
into little round balls。 He came to the milk´bush察and looked at the little
girl lying in the hot sun。 Then he walked off察 and caught one of the
fattest little Angora goats察and held its mouth fast察as he stuck it under his
arm。 He looked back to see that she was still sleeping察and jumped down
into one of the sluits。 He walked down the bed of the sluit a little way
and came to an overhanging bank察under which察 sitting on the red sand察
were two men。 One was a tiny察ragged察old bushman察four feet high察the
other was an English navvy察 in a dark blue blouse。 They cut the kid's
throat with the navvy's long knife察 and covered up the blood with sand察
and buried the entrails and skin。 Then they talked察and quarrelled a little察
and then they talked quietly again。
The Hottentot man put a leg of the kid under his coat and left the rest
of the meat for the two in the sluit察and walked away。
When little Jannita awoke it was almost sunset。 She sat up very
frightened察 but her goats were all about her。 She began to drive them
home。 ;I do not think there are any lost察─she said。
Dirk察the Hottentot察had brought his flock home already察and stood at
the kraal door with his ragged yellow trousers。 The fat old Boer put his
stick across the door察and let Jannita's goats jump over察one by one。 He
counted them。 When the last jumped over此 Have you been to sleep
today拭─he said察 there is one missing。;
Then little Jannita knew what was coming察and she said察in a low voice察
;No。; And then she felt in her heart that deadly sickness that you feel
when you tell a lie察and again she said察 Yes。;
;Do you think you will have any supper this evening拭─said the Boer。
;No察─said Jannita。
;What do you think you will have拭─
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Dream Life and Real Life A Little African Story
;I don't know察─said Jannita。
;Give me your whip察─said the Boer to Dirk察the Hottentot。
。。。
The moon was all but full that night。 Oh察but its light was beautiful
The little girl crept to the door of the outhouse where she slept察 and
looked at it。 When you are hungry察and very察very sore察you do not cry。
She leaned her chin on one hand察and looked察with her great dove's eyes
the other hand was cut open察 so she wrapped it in her pinafore。 She
looked across the plain at the sand and the low karoo´bushes察 with the
moonlight on them。
Presently察 there came slowly察 from far away察 a wild springbuck。 It
came close to the house察 and stood looking at it in wonder察 while the
moonlight glinted on its horns察and in its great eyes。 It stood wondering
at the red brick walls察 and the girl watched it。 Then察 suddenly察 as if it
scorned it all察it curved its beautiful back and turned察and away it fled over
the bushes and sand察like a sheeny streak of white lightning。 She stood
up to watch it。 So free察 so free Away察 away She watched察 till she
could see it no more on the wide plain。
Her heart swelled察 larger察 larger察 larger此 she uttered a low cry察 and
without waiting察 pausing察 thinking察 she followed on its track。 Away察
away察away II also ─she said察 II also ─
When at last her legs began to tremble under her察and she stopped to
breathe察the house was a speck behind her。 She dropped on the earth察and
held her panting sides。
She began to think now。
If she stayed on the plain they would trace her footsteps in the morning
and catch her察but if she waded in the water in the bed of the river they
would not be able to find her footmarks察and she would hide察there where
the rocks and the kopjes were。
So she stood up and walked towards the river。 The water in the river
was low察 just a line of silver in the broad bed of sand察 here and there
broadening into a pool。 She stepped into it察 and bathed her feet in the
delicious cold water。