湊徨勵弌傍利 > 哂囂窮徨慕 > dream life and real life(知廠嚥嵎) >

及1准

dream life and real life(知廠嚥嵎)-及1准

弌傍 dream life and real life(知廠嚥嵎) 忖方 耽匈4000忖

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 



                                       1 


´ Page 2´

                          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。 



                                               2 


´ Page 3´

                          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



                                                3 


´ Page 4´

                           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─



                                                4 


´ Page 5´

                            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。

卦指朕村 和匯匈 指欺競何 0 0

低辛嬬浪散議