before adam(亚当之前)-第4节
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You see； I did not dream consecutively。 One moment I was a wee
babe of the Younger World lying in my tree nest； the next moment I was a
grown man of the Younger World locked in combat with the hideous Red…
Eye； and the next moment I was creeping carefully down to the water…hole
in the heat of the day。 Events； years apart in their occurrence in the
Younger World； occurred with me within the space of several minutes； or
seconds。
It was all a jumble； but this jumble I shall not inflict upon you。 It was
not until I was a young man and had dreamed many thousand times； that
everything straightened out and became clear and plain。 Then it was that
I got the clew of time； and was able to piece together events and actions in
their proper order。 Thus was I able to reconstruct the vanished Younger
World as it was at the time I lived in itor at the time my other…self lived
in it。 The distinction does not matter； for I； too； the modern man； have
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gone back and lived that early life in the company of my other…self。
For your convenience； since this is to be no sociological screed； I shall
frame together the different events into a comprehensive story。 For there
is a certain thread of continuity and happening that runs through all the
dreams。 There is my friendship with Lop…Ear； for instance。 Also； there
is the enmity of Red…Eye； and the love of the Swift One。 Taking it all in
all； a fairly coherent and interesting story I am sure you will agree。
I do not remember much of my mother。 Possibly the earliest
recollection I have of herand certainly the sharpestis the following： It
seemed I was lying on the ground。 I was somewhat older than during the
nest days； but still helpless。 I rolled about in the dry leaves； playing with
them and making crooning； rasping noises in my throat。 The sun shone
warmly and I was happy； and comfortable。 I was in a little open space。
Around me； on all sides； were bushes and fern…like growths； and overhead
and all about were the trunks and branches of forest trees。
Suddenly I heard a sound。 I sat upright and listened。 I made no
movement。 The little noises died down in my throat； and I sat as one
petrified。 The sound drew closer。 It was like the grunt of a pig。 Then
I began to hear the sounds caused by the moving of a body through the
brush。 Next I saw the ferns agitated by the passage of the body。 Then
the ferns parted； and I saw gleaming eyes； a long snout； and white tusks。
It was a wild boar。 He peered at me curiously。 He grunted once or
twice and shifted his weight from one foreleg to the other； at the same time
moving his head from side to side and swaying the ferns。 Still I sat as
one petrified； my eyes unblinking as I stared at him； fear eating at my
heart。
It seemed that this movelessness and silence on my part was what was
expected of me。 I was not to cry out in the face of fear。 It was a dictate
of instinct。 And so I sat there and waited for I knew not what。 The boar
thrust the ferns aside and stepped into the open。 The curiosity went out of
his eyes； and they gleamed cruelly。 He tossed his head at me
threateningly and advanced a step。 This he did again； and yet again。
Then I screamed。。。or shriekedI cannot describe it； but it was a shrill
and terrible cry。 And it seems that it； too； at this stage of the proceedings；
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Before Adam
was the thing expected of me。 From not far away came an answering cry。
My sounds seemed momentarily to disconcert the boar； and while he
halted and shifted his weight with indecision； an apparition burst upon us。
She was like a large orangutan； my mother； or like a chimpanzee； and
yet； in sharp and definite ways； quite different。 She was heavier of build
than they； and had less hair。 Her arms were not so long； and her legs
were stouter。 She wore no clothesonly her natural hair。 And I can tell
you she was a fury when she was excited。
And like a fury she dashed upon the scene。 She was gritting her teeth；
making frightful grimaces； snarling； uttering sharp and continuous cries
that sounded like 〃kh…ah！ kh…ah！〃 So sudden and formidable was her
appearance that the boar involuntarily bunched himself together on the
defensive and bristled as she swerved toward him。 Then she swerved
toward me。 She had quite taken the breath out of him。 I knew just what
to do in that moment of time she had gained。 I leaped to meet her；
catching her about the waist and holding on hand and footyes； by my feet；
I could hold on by them as readily as by my hands。 I could feel in my
tense grip the pull of the hair as her skin and her muscles moved beneath
with her efforts。
As I say； I leaped to meet her； and on the instant she leaped straight up
into the air； catching an overhanging branch with her hands。 The next
instant； with clashing tusks； the boar drove past underneath。 He had
recovered from his surprise and sprung forward； emitting a squeal that was
almost a trumpeting。 At any rate it was a call； for it was followed by the
rushing of bodies through the ferns and brush from all directions。
From every side wild hogs dashed into the open spacea score of them。
But my mother swung over the top of a thick limb； a dozen feet from the
ground； and； still holding on to her； we perched there in safety。 She was
very excited。 She chattered and screamed； and scolded down at the
bristling； tooth…gnashing circle that had gathered beneath。 I； too；
trembling； peered down at the angry beasts and did my best to imitate my
mother's cries。
From the distance came similar cries； only pitched deeper； into a sort
of roaring bass。 These grew momentarily louder； and soon I saw him
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approaching； my fatherat least； by all the evidence of the times； I am
driven to conclude that he was my father。
He was not an extremely prepossessing father； as fathers go。 He
seemed half man； and half ape； and yet not ape； and not yet man。 I fail to
describe him。 There is nothing like him to…day on the earth； under the
earth； nor in the earth。 He was a large man in his day； and he must have
weighed all of a hundred and thirty pounds。 His face was broad and flat；
and the eyebrows over…hung the eyes。 The eyes themselves were small；
deep…set； and close together。 He had practically no nose at all。 It was
squat and broad； apparently with…out any bridge； while the nostrils were
like two holes in the face； opening outward instead of down。
The forehead slanted back from the eyes； and the hair began right at
the eyes and ran up over the head。 The head itself was preposterously
small and was supported on an equally preposterous； thick； short neck。
There was an elemental economy about his bodyas was there about
all our bodies。 The chest was deep； it is true； cavernously deep； but there
were no full…swelling muscles； no wide…spreading shoulders； no clean…
limbed straightness； no generous symmetry of outline。 It represented
strength； that body of my father's； strength without beauty； ferocious；
primordial strength； made to clutch and gripe and rend and destroy。
His hips were thin； and the legs； lean and hairy； were crooked and
stringy…muscled。 In fact； my father's legs were more like arms。 They
were twisted and gnarly； and with scarcely the semblance of the full meaty
calf such as graces your leg and mine。 I remember he could not walk on
the flat of his foot。 This was because it
