第 11 节
作者:
水王 更新:2021-12-07 09:35 字数:9322
let them alone; and leave the Pygmies to manage their own affairswhich;
after all; is about the best thing that great people can do for little ones。
In short; as I said before; Antaeus loved the Pygmies; and the Pygmies
loved Antaeus。 The Giant's life being as long as his body was large; while
the lifetime of a Pygmy was but a span; this friendly intercourse had been
going on for innumerable generations and ages。 It was written about in the
Pygmy histories; and talked about in their ancient traditions。 The most
venerable and white…bearded Pygmy had never heard of a time; even in his
greatest of grandfathers' days; when the Giant was not their enormous
friend。 Once; to be sure (as was recorded on an obelisk; three feet high;
erected on the place of the catastrophe); Antaeus sat down upon about five
thousand Pygmies; who were assembled at a military review。 But this was
one of those unlucky accidents for which nobody is to blame; so that the
small folks never took it to heart; and only requested the Giant to be
careful forever afterwards to examine the acre of ground where he
intended to squat himself。
It is a very pleasant picture to imagine Antaeus standing among the
Pygmies; like the spire of the tallest cathedral that ever was built; while
they ran about like pismires at his feet; and to think that; in spite of their
difference in size; there were affection and sympathy between them and
him! Indeed; it has always seemed to me that the Giant needed the little
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people more than the Pygmies needed the Giant。 For; unless they had been
his neighbors and well wishers; and; as we may say; his playfellows;
Antaeus would not have had a single friend in the world。 No other being
like himself had ever been created。 No creature of his own size had ever
talked with him; in thunder… like accents; face to face。 When he stood with
his head among the clouds; he was quite alone; and had been so for
hundreds of years; and would be so forever。 Even if he had met another
Giant; Antaeus would have fancied the world not big enough for two such
vast personages; and; instead of being friends with him; would have fought
him till one of the two was killed。 But with the Pygmies he was the most
sportive and humorous; and merry…hearted; and sweet…tempered old Giant
that ever washed his face in a wet cloud。
His little friends; like all other small people; had a great opinion of
their own importance; and used to assume quite a patronizing air towards
the Giant。
〃Poor creature!〃 they said one to another。 〃He has a very dull time of it;
all by himself; and we ought not to grudge wasting a little of our precious
time to amuse him。 He is not half so bright as we are; to be sure; and; for
that reason; he needs us to look after his comfort and happiness。 Let us be
kind to the old fellow。 Why; if Mother Earth had not been very kind to
ourselves; we might all have been Giants too。〃
On all their holidays; the Pygmies had excellent sport with Antaeus。
He often stretched himself out at full length on the ground; where he
looked like the long ridge of a hill; and it was a good hour's walk; no
doubt; for a short…legged Pygmy to journey from head to foot of the Giant。
He would lay down his great hand flat on the grass; and challenge the
tallest of them to clamber upon it; and straddle from finger to finger。 So
fearless were they; that they made nothing of creeping in among the folds
of his garments。 When his head lay sidewise on the earth; they would
march boldly up; and peep into the great cavern of his mouth; and take it
all as a joke (as indeed it was meant) when Antaeus gave a sudden snap of
his jaws; as if he were going to swallow fifty of them at once。 You would
have laughed to see the children dodging in and out among his hair; or
swinging from his beard。 It is impossible to tell half of the funny tricks
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that they played with their huge comrade; but I do not know that anything
was more curious than when a party of boys were seen running races on
his forehead; to try which of them could get first round the circle of his
one great eye。 It was another favorite feat with them to march along the
bridge of his nose; and jump down upon his upper lip。
If the truth must be told; they were sometimes as troublesome to the
Giant as a swarm of ants or mosquitoes; especially as they had a fondness
for mischief; and liked to prick his skin with their little swords and lances;
to see how thick and tough it was。 But Antaeus took it all kindly enough;
although; once in a while; when he happened to be sleepy; he would
grumble out a peevish word or two; like the muttering of a tempest; and
ask them to have done with their nonsense。 A great deal oftener; however;
he watched their merriment and gambols until his huge; heavy; clumsy
wits were completely stirred up by them; and then would he roar out such
a tremendous volume of immeasurable laughter; that the whole nation of
Pygmies had to put their hands to their ears; else it would certainly have
deafened them。
〃Ho! ho! ho!〃 quoth the Giant; shaking his mountainous sides。 〃What a
funny thing it is to be little! If I were not Antaeus; I should like to be a
Pygmy; just for the joke's sake。〃
The Pygmies had but one thing to trouble them in the world。 They
were constantly at war with the cranes; and had always been so; ever since
the long… lived Giant could remember。 From time to time; very terrible
battles had been fought in which sometimes the little men won the victory;
and sometimes the cranes。 According to some historians; the Pygmies used
to go to the battle; mounted on the backs of goats and rams; but such
animals as these must have been far too big for Pygmies to ride upon; so
that; I rather suppose; they rode on squirrel…back; or rabbit…back; or
redbook; or perhaps got upon hedgehogs; whose prickly quills would be
very terrible to the enemy。 However this might be; and whatever creatures
the Pygmies rode upon; I do not doubt that they made a formidable
appearance; armed with sword and spear; and bow and arrow; blowing
their tiny trumpet; and shouting their little war cry。 They never failed to
exhort one another to fight bravely; and recollect that the world had its
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eyes upon them; although; in simple truth; the only spectator was the Giant
Antaeus; with his one; great; stupid eye in the middle of his forehead。
When the two armies joined battle; the cranes would rush forward;
flapping their wings and stretching out their necks; and would perhaps
snatch up some of the Pygmies crosswise in their beaks。 Whenever this
happened; it was truly an awful spectacle to see those little men of might
kicking and sprawling in the air; and at last disappearing down the crane's
long; crooked throat; swallowed up alive。 A hero; you know; must hold
himself in readiness for any kind of fate; and doubtless the glory of the
thing was a consolation to him; even in the crane's gizzard。 If Antaeus
observed that the battle was going hard against his little allies; he
generally stopped laughing; and ran with mile…long strides to their
assistance; flourishing his club aloft and shouting at the cranes; who
quacked and croaked; and retreated as fast as they could。 Then the Pygmy
army would march homeward in triumph; attributing the victory entirely
to their own valor; and to the warlike skill and strategy of whomsoever
happened to be captain general; and for a tedious while afterwards;
nothing would be heard of but grand processions; and public banquets; a
nd brilliant illuminations; and shows of wax…work; with likenesses of the
distinguished officers; as small as life。
In th