第 29 节
作者:沸点123      更新:2021-02-27 02:03      字数:9322
  sand at the foot of the Burning Mountain。
  It   stood   up   in  a  high   peaked    cone;   and   smoke     rolled   out  from   it
  endlessly   along   the   sky。 At   night;   the   Fire   Spirits   danced;   and   the   glare
  reddened the Big Water far out。
  There the Counsellor said to the Boy; 〃Stay thou here till I bring thee a
  brand from the burning; be ready and right for running; for I shall be far
  spent when I come again; and the Fire Spirits will pursue me。〃
  Then he   went   up   to   the   mountain;   and   the   Fire   Spirits   only  laughed
  when they saw him; for he looked so slinking; inconsiderable; and mean;
  that   none   of   them  thought   harm  from  him。 And   in   the  night;   when   they
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  were at their dance about the mountain; the Coyote stole the fire; and ran
  with it down the slope of the burning mountain。 When the Fire Spirits saw
  what   he   had   done   they   streamed   out   after   him;   red   and   angry;   with   a
  humming sound like a swarm of bees。 But the Coyote was still ahead; the
  sparks of the brand streamed out along his flanks; as he carried it in his
  mouth; and he stretched his body to the trail。
  The Boy saw him coming; like a failing star against the mountain; he
  heard the singing sound of the Fire Spirits close behind; and the labouring
  breath   of   the   Counsellor。 And   when   the   good   beast   panted   down   beside
  him; the Boy caught the brand from his jaws and was off; like an arrow
  from a bent bow。 Out he shot on the homeward path; and the Fire Spirits
  snapped and sang behind him。 But fast as they pursued he fled faster; till
  he saw the next runner standing in his place; his body bent for the running。
  To him he passed it; and it was off and away; with the Fire Spirits raging
  in chase。
  So   it   passed   from   hand   to   hand;   and   the   Fire   Spirits   tore   after  it
  through the scrub; till they came to the mountains of the snows; these they
  could not pass。 Then the dark; sleek runners with the backward streaming
  brand bore it forward; shining starlike in the night; glowing red in sultry
  noons;   violet   pale   in   twilight   glooms;   until   they   came   in   safety   to   their
  own land。
  And there they kept it among stones and fed it with small sticks; as the
  Counsellor advised; and it kept the people warm。
  Ever   after   the   Boy   was   called   the   Fire…Bringer;   and   ever   after   the
  Coyote   bore   the   sign   of   the   bringing;   for   the   fur   along   his   flanks   was
  singed     and   yellow    from    the  flames    that  streamed     backward      from   the
  brand。
  THE BURNING OF THE RICEFIELDS'1'
  '1'   Adapted   from   Gleanings   in   Buddha…Fields;   by   Lafeadio   Hearn。
  (Kegan Paul; Trench; Trubner and Co; Ltd。 5s。 net。)
  Once   there   was   a   good   old   man   who   lived   up   on   a   mountain;   far
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  away in   Japan。 All   round   his little house the  mountain   was flat;  and   the
  ground was rich; and there were the ricefields of all the people who lived
  in the village at the mountain's foot。 Mornings and evenings; the old man
  and his little grandson; who lived with him; used to look far down on the
  people at work in the village; and watch the blue sea which lay all round
  the land; so close that there was no room for fields below; only for houses。
  The  little   boy  loved   the  ricefields;   dearly;   for   he   knew   that   all   the   good
  food     for  all  the   people    came     from    them;    and   he   often   helped    his
  grandfather to watch over them。
  One day; the grandfather was standing alone; before his house; looking
  far   down     at  the  people;    and   out  at  the   sea;  when;    suddenly;     he  saw
  something very strange far off where the sea and sky meet。 Something like
  a great cloud was rising there; as if the sea were lifting itself high into the
  sky。 The old man put his hands to his eyes and looked again; hard as his
  old   sight   could。 Then   he   turned   and   ran   to   the   house。   〃Yone; Yone!〃   he
  cried; 〃bring a brand from the hearth!〃
  The   little   grandson   could   not   imagine   what   his   grandfather   wanted
  with fire; but he always obeyed; so he ran quickly and brought the brand。
  The old man already had one; and was running for the ricefields。 Yone ran
  after。   But   what   was   his   horror   to   see   his   grandfather   thrust   his   burning
  brand into the ripe dry rice; where it stood。
  〃Oh; Grandfather; Grandfather!〃 screamed the little boy; 〃what are you
  doing?〃
  〃Quick; set fire! thrust your brand in!〃 said the grandfather。
  Yone thought his dear grandfather had lost his mind; and he began to
  sob; but a little Japanese boy always obeys; so though he sobbed; he thrust
  his torch in; and the sharp flame ran up the dry stalks; red and yellow。 In
  an instant; the field was ablaze; and thick black smoke began to pour up;
  on the mountain side。 It rose like a cloud; black and fierce; and in no time
  the people below saw that their precious ricefields were on fire。 Ah; how
  they ran! Men; women; and children climbed the mountain; running as fast
  as they could to save the rice; not one soul stayed behind。
  And when they came to the mountain top; and saw the beautiful rice…
  crop   all   in   flames;   beyond   help;   they  cried   bitterly;   〃Who   has   done   this
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  thing? How did it happen?〃
  〃I   set   fire;〃   said   the  old   man;   very  solemnly;   and   the  little   grandson
  sobbed; 〃Grandfather set fire。〃
  But when they came fiercely round the old man; with 〃Why? Why?〃
  he only turned and pointed to the sea。 〃Look!〃 he said。
  They all turned and looked。 And there; where the blue sea had lain; so
  calm; a mighty wall of water; reaching from earth to sky; was rolling in。
  No one could scream; so terrible was the sight。 The wall of water rolled in
  on the land; passed quite over the place where the village had been; and
  broke; with an awful sound; on the mountain side。 One wave more; and
  still   one   more;   came;   and   then   all   was   water;   as   far   as   they  could   look;
  below; the village where they had been was under the sea。
  But the people were all safe。 And when they saw what the old man had
  done; they honoured him above all men for the quick wit which had saved
  them all from the tidal wave。
  THE STORY OF WYLIE'1'
  '1' Adapted from Rab and his Friends; by Dr John Brown。
  This is a story about a dog;not the kind of dog you often see in the
  street here; not a fat; wrinkly pugdog; nor a smooth…skinned bulldog; nor
  even a big shaggy fellow; but a slim; silky… haired; sharp…eared little dog;
  the prettiest thing you can imagine。 Her name was Wylie; and she lived in
  Scotland; far up on the hills; and helped her master take care of his sheep。
  You can't think how clever she was! She watched over the sheep and
  the little lambs like a soldier; and never let anything hurt them。 She drove
  them out to pasture when it was time; and brought them safely home when
  it was time for that。 When the silly sheep got frightened and ran this way
  and that; hurting themselves and getting lost; Wylie knew exactly what to
  do;round on one side she would run; barking and scolding; driving them
  back; then round on the other; barking and scolding; driving them back; till
  they were all bunched together in front of the right gate。 Then she drove
  them   through   as   neatly   as   any   person。   She   loved   her   work;   and   was   a
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  wonderfully fine sheepdog。
  At last her master grew too old to stay alone on the hills; and so he
  went away to live。 Before he went; he gave Wylie to two kind young men
  who lived in the nearest town; he knew they would be good to her。 They
  grew   very   fond   of   her;   and   so   did   their   old   grandmother   and   the   little
  children: she was so gentle and handsome and well behaved。
  So now Wylie lived in the city where there were no sheep farms; only
  streets and houses; and she did not have to do any work at all; she was
  just a pet dog。 She seemed very happy and she was always good。
  But after a while; the family noticed something odd; somethin