第 10 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:35      字数:9321
  their  native   country。   But   here;   I   am   grieved   to   tell   you;   happened   a   sad
  misfortune。
  You will remember (what Theseus unfortunately forgot) that his father;
  King Aegeus; had enjoined it upon him to hoist sunshiny sails; instead of
  black     ones;    in  case    he   should     overcome      the   Minotaur;      and    return
  victorious。   In   the   joy   of   their   success;   however;   and   amidst   the   sports;
  dancing;  and   other   merriment;  with   which   these   young   folks   wore   away
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  the time; they never once thought whether their sails were black; white; or
  rainbow colored; and; indeed; left it entirely to the mariners whether they
  had any sails at all。 Thus the vessel returned; like a raven; with the same
  sable   wings that had   wafted   her   away。  But   poor   King Aegeus;  day  after
  day;    infirm   as   he  was;    had   clambered     to   the  summit     of  a  cliff  that
  overhung the   sea;   and   there   sat   watching   for   Prince Theseus;   homeward
  bound; and no sooner did he behold the fatal blackness of the sails; than he
  concluded that his dear son; whom he loved so much; and felt so proud of;
  had been eaten by the Minotaur。 He could not bear the thought of living
  any  longer;   so;   first   flinging   his   crown   and   sceptre   into   the   sea   (useless
  baubles that they were to him now); King Aegeus merely stooped forward;
  and fell headlong over the cliff; and was drowned; poor soul; in the waves
  that foamed at its base!
  This was melancholy news for Prince Theseus; who; when he stepped
  ashore; found himself king of all the country; whether he would or no; and
  such a turn of fortune was enough to make any young man feel very much
  out   of   spirits。   However;   he   sent   for   his   dear   mother   to Athens;   and;   by
  taking   her   advice   in   matters   of   state;   became   a   very   excellent   monarch;
  and was greatly beloved by his people。
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  THE PYGMIES。
  A great while ago; when the world was full of wonders; there lived an
  earth…born Giant; named Antaeus; and a million or more of curious little
  earth…born      people;    who    were    called    Pygmies。     This   Giant    and    these
  Pygmies being children of the same mother (that is to say; our good old
  Grandmother        Earth);    were   all  brethren;    and   dwelt   together    in  a  very
  friendly and affectionate manner; far; far off; in the middle of hot Africa。
  The   Pygmies   were   so   small;   and   there   were   so   many   sandy  deserts   and
  such high mountains between them and the rest of mankind; that nobody
  could get a peep at them oftener than once in a hundred years。 As for the
  Giant;   being   of   a   very  lofty   stature;   it   was   easy  enough   to   see   him;   but
  safest to keep out of his sight。
  Among the Pygmies; I suppose; if one of them grew to the height of
  six or eight inches; he was reckoned a prodigiously tall man。 It must have
  been very pretty to behold their little cities; with streets two or three feet
  wide; paved with the smallest pebbles; and bordered by habitations about
  as   big   as   a   squirrel's   cage。  The   king's   palace   attained   to   the   stupendous
  magnitude       of  Periwinkle's     baby    house;    and   stood   in  the   center   of  a
  spacious square; which could hardly have been covered by our hearth… rug。
  Their principal   temple;   or   cathedral;   was   as   lofty  as   yonder   bureau;   and
  was   looked   upon   as   a   wonderfully   sublime   and   magnificent   edifice。 All
  these   structures   were   built   neither   of   stone   nor   wood。  They   were   neatly
  plastered together by the Pygmy workmen; pretty much like birds' nests;
  out of straw; feathers; egg shells; and other small bits of stuff; with stiff
  clay instead of mortar; and when the hot sun had dried them; they  were
  just as snug and comfortable as a Pygmy could desire。
  The    country    round    about    was   conveniently      laid  out   in  fields;  the
  largest   of   which   was   nearly   of   the   same   extent   as   one   of   Sweet   Fern's
  flower   beds。   Here   the   Pygmies   used   to   plant   wheat   and   other   kinds   of
  grain;    which;    when    it  grew   up   and   ripened;    overshadowed       these   tiny
  people     as  the   pines;  and   the   oaks;   and   the  walnut    and   chestnut    trees
  overshadow you and me; when we walk in our own tracts of woodland。 At
  harvest time; they were forced to go with their little axes and cut down the
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  grain; exactly as a woodcutter makes a clearing in the forest; and when a
  stalk of wheat; with its overburdened top; chanced to come crashing down
  upon an unfortunate Pygmy; it was apt to be a very sad affair。 If it did not
  smash him all to pieces; at least; I am sure; it must have made the poor
  little fellow's head ache。 And O; my stars! if the fathers and mothers were
  so small; what must the children and babies have been? A whole family of
  them might have been put to bed in a shoe; or have crept into an old glove;
  and   played   at   hide…and…seek   in   its   thumb   and   fingers。   You   might   have
  hidden a year…old baby under a thimble。
  Now these funny Pygmies; as I told you before; had a Giant for their
  neighbor and brother; who was bigger; if possible; than they were little。 He
  was so very tall that he carried a pine tree; which was eight feet through
  the butt; for a walking stick。 It took a far…sighted Pygmy; I can assure you;
  to discern his summit without the help of a telescope; and sometimes; in
  misty weather; they could not see his upper half; but only his long legs;
  which   seemed   to   be   striding   about   by   themselves。   But   at   noonday   in   a
  clear    atmosphere;      when    the   sun   shone    brightly    over   him;   the   Giant
  Antaeus presented a very grand spectacle。 There he used to stand; a perfect
  mountain   of   a   man;   with   his   great   countenance   smiling   down   upon   his
  little brothers; and his one vast eye (which was as big as a cart wheel; and
  placed   right   in   the   center  of   his   forehead)  giving   a   friendly  wink   to   the
  whole nation at once。
  The Pygmies loved to talk with Antaeus; and fifty times a day; one or
  another of them would turn up his head; and shout through the hollow of
  his fists; 〃Halloo; brother Antaeus! How are you; my good fellow?〃                      And
  when the   small   distant   squeak of   their   voices   reached his   ear;   the   Giant
  would     make     answer;    〃Pretty   well;   brother   Pygmy;     I  thank   you;〃   in  a
  thunderous roar that would have shaken down the walls of their strongest
  temple; only that it came from so far aloft。
  It   was   a   happy   circumstance   that   Antaeus   was   the   Pygmy   people's
  friend; for there was more strength in his little finger than in ten million of
  such   bodies   as   this。   If   he   had   been   as   ill…natured   to   them   as   he   was   to
  everybody else; he might have beaten down their biggest city at one kick;
  and hardly have known that he did it。 With the tornado of his breath; he
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  could have stripped the roofs from a hundred dwellings and sent thousands
  of the inhabitants whirling through the air。 He might have set his immense
  foot   upon   a   multitude;   and   when   he   took   it   up   again;   there   would   have
  been a pitiful sight; to be sure。 But; being the son of Mother Earth; as they
  likewise were; the Giant gave them his brotherly kindness; and loved them
  with as big a  love as it was   possible to feel for  creatures so very  small。
  And; on their parts; the Pygmies loved Antaeus with as much affection as
  their tiny  hearts   could   hold。   He   was   always   ready  to   do   them  any  good
  offices that lay in his power; as for example; when they wanted a breeze to
  turn   their   windmills;   the   Giant   would   set   all   the   sails   a…going   with   the
  mere natural respiration of his lungs。 When the sun was too hot; he often
  sat   himself   down;   and   let   his   shadow   fall   over   the   kingdom;   from   one
  frontier to the other; and as for matters in general; he was wise enough to
  let them alone; and leave the Pygmies to manage their own affairswhich;
  after all;