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
  35
  … Page 36…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  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
  36
  … Page 37…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  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
  37
  … Page 38…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  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