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diff --git a/old/65029-h/65029-h.htm b/old/65029-h/65029-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 132b0f8..0000000 --- a/old/65029-h/65029-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6022 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> -<head> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> -<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Two-Legs, by Carl Ewald</title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> -<style type="text/css"> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2,h3 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -h2.nobreak { - page-break-before: avoid; -} - -hr.chap { - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - clear: both; - width: 65%; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -div.chapter { - page-break-before: always; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 40em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -td { - padding-left: 2.25em; - padding-right: 0.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.tdr { - text-align: right; -} - -.tdpg { - vertical-align: bottom; - text-align: right; -} - -.caption { - text-align: center; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.ditto { - margin-left: 2em; - margin-right: 2em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 150%; -} - -.noindent { - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.right { - text-align: right; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.smcap { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -@media handheld { - -img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} -} - - - h1.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 190%; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - h2.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 135%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - page-break-before: avoid; - line-height: 1; } - h3.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 110%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - h4.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 100%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - hr.pgx { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pgx" title="">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Two-Legs, by Carl Ewald, Translated by -Alexander Teixeira De Mattos, Illustrated by Johan Briede and Helen Jacobs</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Two-Legs</p> -<p>Author: Carl Ewald</p> -<p>Release Date: April 8, 2021 [eBook #65029]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO-LEGS***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4 class="pgx" title="">E-text prepared by D A Alexander<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (https://www.pgdp.net)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (https://archive.org)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff; max-width: 80%; margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/twolegs00ewal3 - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1"></a>[1]</span></p> - -<h1>TWO-LEGS</h1> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2"></a>[2]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3"></a>[3]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus1"> -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">A HUGE NUMBER OF VISITORS</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4"></a>[4]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> - -<img src="images/titlepage.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> - -<p class="titlepage larger">TWO-LEGS</p> - -<p class="center larger">BY CARL EWALD</p> - -<p class="titlepage">TRANSLATED FROM<br /> -THE DANISH BY<br /> -ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS<br /> -AND<br /> -ILLUSTRATED BY<br /> -JOHAN BRIEDE<br /> -AND<br /> -HELEN JACOBS</p> - -<p class="titlepage">FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5"></a>[5]</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage"><i>Printed in the United States of America</i></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6"></a>[6]</span></p> - -<p class="center larger">For <span class="smcap">Lily Teixeira de Mattos</span>.</p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Dear</span>,</p> - -<p>Of all Carl Ewald’s stories <i>Two-Legs</i> has always -been your favourite. Now that I am reissuing -it, amplified by four chapters which did not appear -in the original edition, it is only fit that I should -dedicate this translation, with my love, to you.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">A. T. de M.</span></p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Chelsea</span>, <i>2 September, 1921</i>.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-contents.jpg" width="500" height="250" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7"></a>[7]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CONTENTS</h2> - -</div> - -<table summary="Contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"><i>Prologue</i></td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdpg"><i>Page</i></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"></td> - <td><a href="#PROLOGUE">THE STORY OF THE FAIRY-TALE</a></td> - <td class="tdpg"></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr"><i>Chapter</i></td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdpg"></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">I.</td> - <td>THE OLD ANIMALS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_OLD_ANIMALS">15</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">II.</td> - <td>MRS. TWO-LEGS HAS A SON</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#MRS_TWO-LEGS_HAS_A_SON">27</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">III.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS KILLS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_KILLS">33</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IV.</td> - <td>TIME PASSES</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TIME_PASSES">45</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">V.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS ENLARGES HIS POSSESSIONS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_ENLARGES_HIS_POSSESSIONS">55</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VI.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS WANDERS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_WANDERS">61</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VII.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS SOWS</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_SOWS">69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VIII.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS ENJOYS LIFE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_ENJOYS_LIFE">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IX.</td> - <td>THE OLD ANIMALS TAKE COUNSEL</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_OLD_ANIMALS_TAKE_COUNSEL">85</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">X.</td> - <td>THE LION</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_LION">93</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XI.</td> - <td>MANY YEARS AFTER</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#MANY_YEARS_AFTER">99</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XII.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS CONQUERS THE WIND</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_THE_WIND">105</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XIII.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS CONQUERS STEAM</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_STEAM">117</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XIV.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS CONQUERS ELECTRICITY</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_ELECTRICITY">133</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">XV.</td> - <td>TWO-LEGS’ FUTURE</td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#TWO-LEGS_FUTURE">157</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8"></a>[8]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9"></a>[9]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-loi.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -</div> - -<table summary="List of illustrations"> - <tr> - <td>A huge number of visitors (<i>Colour</i>)</td> - <td colspan="2" class="tdpg"><a href="#illus1"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>There came two through the forest</td> - <td><i>Facing page</i></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus2">16</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>One day the rain came</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus3">34</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>She pulled out his feathers</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus4">48</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Two-Legs had made a good choice (<i>Colour</i>)</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus5">74</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>‘He shot an arrow into my left wing’</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus6">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>He stood at the edge of the wood</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus7">82</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>There was no time to lose (<i>Colour</i>)</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus8">98</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>‘Very well, you are neither bad nor good’</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus9">108</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>‘Catch me! Use me!’ (<i>Colour</i>)</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus10">122</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Two-Legs stood up (<i>Colour</i>)</td> - <td><span class="ditto">”</span> <span class="ditto">”</span></td> - <td class="tdpg"><a href="#illus11">154</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10"></a>[10]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11"></a>[11]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-0.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PROLOGUE">PROLOGUE<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE STORY OF THE FAIRY-TALE</span></h2> - -</div> - -<p>Once upon a time, ever so many years ago, Truth suddenly -vanished from out of the world.</p> - -<p>When people perceived this, they were greatly alarmed and at -once sent five wise men in search of it. They set out, one in this -direction and one in that, all plentifully equipped with travelling-expenses -and good intentions. They sought for ten long years. -Then they returned, each separately. While still at a distance, -they waved their hats and shouted that they had found Truth.</p> - -<p>The first stepped forward and declared that Truth was Science. -He was not able to finish his report, however, for, before he had -done, another thrust him aside and shouted that that was a lie,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12"></a>[12]</span> -that Truth was Theology and that he had found it. Now, while -these two were at loggerheads—for the Science man replied -vigorously to the attack—there came a third and said, in beautiful -words, that Truth was Love, without a doubt. Then came the -fourth and stated, quite curtly, that he had Truth in his pocket, -that it was Gold and that all the rest was childish nonsense. At -last came the fifth. He could not stand on his legs, gave a -hiccoughing laugh and said that Truth was Wine. He had found -Truth in Wine, after looking for it everywhere.</p> - -<p>Then the five wise men began to fight and they pummelled -one another so lustily that it was horrible to see. Science had its -head broken and Love was so ill-treated that it had to change its -clothes before it could show itself again in respectable society. -Gold was so thoroughly stripped of every covering that people felt -awkward about knowing it; and the bottle broke and Wine -flowed away into the mud. But Theology came off worst of all; -everybody had a blow at it; and it received such a basting that -it became the laughing-stock of all beholders.</p> - -<p>And people took sides, some with this one and some with that, -and they shouted so loud that they could neither see nor hear for -the din. But far away, at the extreme end of the earth, sat a -few and mourned because they thought that Truth had gone to -pieces and would never be made whole again.</p> - -<p>Now, as they sat there, a little girl came running up and said -that she had found Truth. If they would just come with her -... it was not very far.... Truth was sitting in the -midst of the world, in a green meadow.</p> - -<p>Then there came a pause in the fighting, for the little girl -looked so very sweet. First one went with her; then another; -and ever more and more.... At last they were all in the -meadow and there discovered a figure the like of which they had -never seen before. There was no distinguishing whether it was a -man or a woman, an adult or a child. Its forehead was pure as -that of one who knows no sin; its eyes deep and serious as those<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13"></a>[13]</span> -of one who has read into the heart of the whole world. Its mouth -opened with the brightest smile and then quivered with a sadness -greater than any could describe. Its hand was soft as a mother’s -and strong as the hand of a king; its foot trod the earth firmly, -yet crushed not a flower. And then the figure had large, soft -wings, like the birds that fly at night.</p> - -<p>Now, as they stood there and stared, the figure drew itself -erect and cried, in a voice that sounded like ringing bells:</p> - -<p>“I am Truth!”</p> - -<p>“It’s a Fairy-tale!” said Science.</p> - -<p>“It’s a Fairy-tale!” cried Theology and Love and Gold and -Wine.</p> - -<p>Then the five wise men and their followers departed and they -went on fighting till the earth was shaken to its centre.</p> - -<p>But a few old and tired men and a few young men with ardent -and eager souls and many women and thousands of children with -great wide eyes: these remained in the meadow where the -Fairy-tale was....</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i-p013.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14"></a>[14]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15"></a>[15]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-1.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_OLD_ANIMALS">THE OLD ANIMALS</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>It was once upon a time, many, many, many years ago.</p> - -<p>And it was in the warm lands where the sun shines stronger -than here and the rain falls closer and all animals and plants -thrive better, because the winter does not stunt their growth.</p> - -<p>The forest was full of life and noise.</p> - -<p>The flies buzzed, the sparrow ate the flies and the hawk ate -the sparrow. The bees crept into the flowers in search of honey, -the lion roared and the birds sang, the brook rippled and the grass -grew. The trees stood and rustled, while their roots sucked sap -from the earth. The flowers were radiant and fragrant.</p> - -<p>All at once, it became strangely still.</p> - -<p>It was as though everything held its breath and listened and -stared. The rustling of the trees ceased. The violet woke from -her dreams and looked up in wonder. The lion raised his head -and stood with one paw uplifted. The stag stopped grazing, the -eagle rested high in the air on his wings, the little mouse ran out -of his hole and pricked up his ears.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16"></a>[16]</span></p> - -<p>There came two through the forest who were different from -the others and whom no one had ever seen before.</p> - -<p>They walked erect. Their foreheads were high, their eyes -firm and steady. They went hand in hand and looked around -them as though they did not know where they were.</p> - -<p>“Who, in the name of wonder, are these?” asked the lion.</p> - -<p>“They’re animals,” said the stag. “They can walk. But -how oddly they do it! Why don’t they leap on all fours, seeing -that they have four legs? Then they would get along much -faster.”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” said the snake, “I have no legs at all and it seems to -me I get along pretty fast!’</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe they are animals,” said the nightingale. -“They have no feathers and no hair, except that bit on their -heads.”</p> - -<p>“Scales would do quite as well,” said the pike, popping his -head out of the river.</p> - -<p>“Some of us have to manage with our bare skin,” said the -earth-worm, quietly.</p> - -<p>“They have no tails,” said the mouse. “Never in their lives -have they been animals!”</p> - -<p>“I have no tail,” said the toad. “And nobody can deny that -I am an animal.”</p> - -<p>“Look!” said the lion. “Just look! One of them is taking -up a stone in his fore-paws: I couldn’t do that.”</p> - -<p>“But I could,” said the orang-outang. “There’s nothing -in that. For the rest, I can satisfy your curiosity. Those two, -in point of fact, are animals. They are husband and wife, their -name is Two-Legs and they are distant relations of my own.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, really?” said the lion. “Then how is it they have no -fur?”</p> - -<p>“I daresay they’ve lost it,” said the orang-outang.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you go and talk to them?” asked the lion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17"></a>[17]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus2"> -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THERE CAME TWO THROUGH THE FOREST</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18"></a>[18]</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know them,” replied the orang-outang. “And I’m<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19"></a>[19]</span> -not at all anxious to have anything to do with them. I have only -heard of them. You must know, they are a sort of very inferior, -second-rate ape. I shall be pleased to give them an apple or an -orange now and again, but I won’t undertake the smallest -responsibility for them.”</p> - -<p>“They look very nice,” said the lion. “I shouldn’t mind -trying what they taste like.”</p> - -<p>“Pray do, for all that I care,” said the orang-outang. “They -will never be a credit to the family and, sooner or later, they will -come to a bad end.”</p> - -<p>The lion went towards them, as they came, but, when he stood -before them, he suddenly lost courage. He could not understand -this himself, for there was not another thing in the forest that -he feared. But the two new animals had such strange eyes and -walked the earth so fearlessly that he thought they must possess -some mysterious power which he could not see. There was nothing -particular about their teeth; and their claws were not worth -speaking of. But something about them there must be.</p> - -<p>So he hung his head and moved out of their way.</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you eat them?” asked the lioness.</p> - -<p>“I wasn’t feeling hungry,” he answered.</p> - -<p>He lay down to rest in the high grass and did as though he -were no longer thinking of them. The other animals did the -same, for he was their chief. But none of them meant it. They -were all taken up with the new animals.</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>Meanwhile, Two-Legs and his wife walked on; and, the farther -they walked, the more they wondered at the splendour of -the world. They had no suspicion of the attention which they attracted -and they did not see that all the animals were stealthily -following in their tracks. Wherever they came, the trees put<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20"></a>[20]</span> -their tops together and whispered, the birds flew in the air above -their heads and astonished eyes started at them from every bush.</p> - -<p>“We will live here,” said Two-Legs and pointed to a wonderful -little meadow, where the river flowed between flowers and -grass.</p> - -<p>“No, here!” cried his wife and ran into the adjoining wood, -where the trees dispensed a deep shade and the moss was thick -and soft.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p020.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“How strange their voices sound!” said the nightingale. -“They have more notes than I.”</p> - -<p>“If they were not so big, I should advise them to build a nest -beside me in the rushes,” said the reed-warbler.</p> - -<p>The two new animals walked on and constantly found a place -which was prettier than the last which they had seen; and they<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21"></a>[21]</span> -could not make up their minds to stay anywhere. Then they -met the dog, who was limping badly, having cut his foot on a sharp -stone. He tried to run away from them, but could not. Mrs. -Two-Legs took hold of him and looked at the injured foot:</p> - -<p>“I’ll help you, you poor fellow,” she said. “Wait a minute. -I hurt my own foot the other day and healed it with leaves.”</p> - -<p>The dog saw that she meant well by him. He waited patiently -while she ran into the copsewood for leaves. Two-Legs patted -him on the back and talked kindly to him. Then she came back -with the leaves, put them on his foot and bound a tendril round -them:</p> - -<p>“Run away now,” she said. “To-morrow you’ll be quite -well again.”</p> - -<p>They went on, but the dog stood looking after them and -wagging his tail. The other animals came out of the bushes and -copses:</p> - -<p>“You’ve been talking to the strangers. What did they say? -What are they like?” they all asked in chorus.</p> - -<p>“They are better than the other animals in the forest,” replied -the dog. “They have healed my foot and stroked my skin. I -shall never forget it.”</p> - -<p>“They have healed the dog’s foot.... They have stroked -the dog’s skin....”</p> - -<p>It ran from mouth to mouth through the forest. The trees -whispered it to one another, the flowers sighed and nodded, the -lizards rushed round with the story and the nightingale set it to -music. The new animals went on and thought no more of the -dog.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>At last, however, they were so tired that they sat down. They -stooped over the spring and drank and laughed at their own image -in the water. They plucked juicy fruits from the trees and ate<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22"></a>[22]</span> -them. When the sun went down, they lay down to rest in the -grass and went to sleep with their arms about each other’s necks. -A little way off, the dog, who had followed in their footsteps, lay -with his head on his paws, watching them. The round full moon -shone straight down upon them. She also shone in the big face -of the ox, who stood looking at them.</p> - -<p>“Boo!” said the ox.</p> - -<p>“Bo!” said the moon. “What are you staring at?”</p> - -<p>“I’m looking at those two who are lying there asleep,” said -the ox. “Do you know them?”</p> - -<p>“I believe something of the kind used to crawl over my face -years and years ago,” replied the moon. “But I’m not sure. -My memory has become very bad in the last hundred thousand -years. It’s almost more than I can do to concentrate my thoughts -upon my celestial course.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, thinking is not my strong point either,” said the ox. -“But I am frightened.”</p> - -<p>“Of those two there?” asked the moon.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know why,” said the ox, “but I can’t bear them.”</p> - -<p>“Then trample them to death!” cried the moon.</p> - -<p>“I dare not,” said the ox. “Not by myself. But perhaps I -can persuade some one to help me.”</p> - -<p>“That’s your look-out,” said the moon. “It’s all one to me.”</p> - -<p>And she sailed on. But the ox stood and chewed the cud and -thought and got no further.</p> - -<p>“Are you asleep?” asked the sheep, sticking out her long -face beside the ox.</p> - -<p>And suddenly the whole meadow came to life.</p> - -<p>All the animals were there who had followed the two on their -walk. There were both those who sleep by day and hunt at night -and those who do their work while the sun shines. None of them -was now thinking of working or resting. None thought of hurting -the others. The lion and the stag, the wolf and the sheep, the -cat and the mouse and the horse and the ox and many others<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23"></a>[23]</span> -stood side by side on the grass. The eagle sat in a tree-top, -surrounded by all the little birds of the forest. The orang-outang -sat on one of the lower branches eating an orange. The hen stood -on a mound beside the fox; the duck and the goose lay in the -brook and stuck out their necks.</p> - -<p>“Now that we are all here together, let us discuss the matter,” -said the lion.</p> - -<p>“Have you had enough to -eat?” asked the ox.</p> - -<p>“Quite,” answered the lion. -“To-night we shall keep the -peace and be friends.”</p> - -<p>“Then I move that we kill -those two strange animals forthwith -and without more ado,” -said the ox.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p023.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“What in the wide world is the matter with you?” asked -the lion. “Generally you’re such a peaceful fellow, grazing, -attending to your business and not hurting a living thing. What -makes you so bloodthirsty all of a sudden?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t account for it,” said the ox. “But I have a decided -conviction that we ought to kill them as soon as possible. They -bring misfortune. They are evil. If you don’t follow my advice, -rely upon it, one day you will all regret it.”</p> - -<p>“I agree with the ox,” cried the horse. “Bite them to death! -Kick them to pieces! And the sooner the better!”</p> - -<p>“Kill them, kill them!” cried the sheep, the goat and the -stag, with one voice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24"></a>[24]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, do, do!” screamed the duck, the goose and the hen.</p> - -<p>“I have never heard anything like this in my life,” said the -lion, looking round in surprise at the crowd. “It’s just the most -peaceable and timid animals in the forest that want to take -the strangers’ lives. What have they done to you? What are -you afraid of?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t tell you any more than the ox can,” said the horse. -“But I feel that they are dangerous. I have such pains in my -loins and legs.”</p> - -<p>“When I think of those two, I feel as if I were being skinned,” -said the ox. “I feel teeth biting into my flesh.”</p> - -<p>“There’s a tugging at my udders,” said the cow.</p> - -<p>“I’m shivering all over, as though all my wool had been shorn -off,” said the sheep.</p> - -<p>“I have a feeling as if I were being roasted before the fire and -eaten,” said the goose.</p> - -<p>“So have I! So have I!” -screamed the duck and the hen.</p> - -<p>“This is most remarkable,” -said the lion. “I have never -heard anything like it and I -can’t understand your fears. -What can those strangers do to -you? They go about naked -among us, eat an apple or an -orange and don’t do the least -harm. They go on two poor -legs, whereas you have four, so -that you can run away from -them anyhow. You have horns -and claws and teeth: what are you afraid of?”</p> - -<p>“You’ll be sorry one day,” said the ox. “The new -animals will be the ruin of us all. The danger threatens -you as well as the rest of us.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 225px;"> -<img src="images/i-p024.jpg" width="225" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25"></a>[25]</span></p> - -<p>“I see no danger and I know no fear,” said the lion, proudly. -“But is there really not one of you to take the strangers’ part?”</p> - -<p>“If they did not belong to my family, I would do so gladly,” -said the orang-outang. “But it looks bad to recommend one’s -own relations. Let them go their way and starve. They are -quite harmless.”</p> - -<p>“Then I at least will say a good word for them,” said the dog. -“My foot is almost well again and I believe that they are cleverer -than all the rest of you put together. I shall never forget what -they did for me.”</p> - -<p>“That’s right, cousin,” said the lion. “You’re a fine fellow -and one can see that you come of a good stock. I don’t believe -that these Two-Legs are dangerous and I have no intention of -doing them any harm. To be sure, if I meet them one day when -I’m hungry, I shall eat them. That’s a different thing. Hunger -knows no law. But to-night I have had enough to eat and I am -going home to bed. Good night, all of you!”</p> - -<p>Then none of the animals said another word. They went -away as noiselessly as they had come. The night came to an end -and the day broke in the east.</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>Then suddenly the ox and the horse and the sheep and the -goat came galloping over the meadow. Behind them, as fast as -they could, came the goose and the duck and the hen. The ox -was at their head and rushed with lowered horns to the place where -the strangers lay sleeping.</p> - -<p>But then the dog sprang up and barked like mad. The two -new animals woke and leapt to their feet. And, when they stood -there, tall and slender, with their white limbs and their steady -eyes, and the sun shone down upon them, the old animals were -seized with terror and ran back the way they came.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26"></a>[26]</span></p> - -<p>“Thank you, friend,” said Two-Legs and patted the dog.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs looked to his bad foot and spoke to him in her -pretty voice. He licked their hands with delight.</p> - -<p>Then the new animals bathed in the river. And then Two-Legs -climbed up an apple-tree to get some breakfast for himself -and his wife.</p> - -<p>In the tree sat the orang-outang eating an apple.</p> - -<p>“Get out of that!” said Two-Legs, in a threatening tone. -“This is my tree and don’t you forget it. Don’t you dare touch -a single apple!”</p> - -<p>“Goodness gracious me!” said the orang-outang. “What a -tone to take up! And I who defended you last night when all -the other animals wanted to kill you!”</p> - -<p>“Get out, you disgusting ape!” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>He broke a branch off the tree and caught the orang-outang -a couple of such lusty cracks that he ran off crying into the forest.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p026.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27"></a>[27]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-2.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="MRS_TWO-LEGS_HAS_A_SON">MRS TWO-LEGS HAS A SON</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>The days passed.</p> - -<p>Things were busy in the forest, both above and below. All -the wives had eggs or young and all the husbands had their work -cut out to provide food for their families. Every one attended -to his business and took no heed of his neighbour, except when he -wanted to eat him.</p> - -<p>The new animals had taken up their abode on an island in the -river.</p> - -<p>This was because the lion had met them one day on the borders -of the copsewood. He had got out of their way, as on the first -occasion; but he had given them such a look that Mrs. Two-Legs -trembled with fright:</p> - -<p>“He’ll eat us one day,” she said. “I dare not sleep in the -meadow again.”</p> - -<p>Then Two-Legs discovered the little island and built a hut -on it of branches and grass. Every day they waded through the -river and went to gather fruit in the forest. At night they slept<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28"></a>[28]</span> -in their hut. The other animals had gradually all got used to -them and spoke of them but seldom. Only the dog never forgot -to run down to the river every morning to look across at the island -and bark “Good morning!” to them. And the orang-outang -slandered them wherever he went.</p> - -<p>“Who minds what he says?” asked the stag. “They’re -relations; and we all know what that means.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p028.jpg" width="400" height="225" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>One night, -a child was -born to the -new animals.</p> - -<p>“The Two-Legs -have had -a youngster,” -said the sparrow, -who went everywhere and always had -some news to tell.</p> - -<p>“Really! I must run and have a look at the baby,” said Mrs. -Nightingale. “My eggs will keep warm for four or five minutes.”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Fox has gone there herself, so I can leave my goslings -alone for a moment,” said the goose.</p> - -<p>Down by the river was a huge number of visitors and enquirers.</p> - -<p>All the wives had hurried from hearth and home to have a -look at the Two-Legs. Mrs. Two-Legs was sitting on the grass -in front of the hut with her child at her breast. Two-Legs sat -beside her, eating an orange.</p> - -<p>“He’s just the same as other husbands,” observed Mrs. Stag.</p> - -<p>“There are some who are worse,” said Mrs. Mole. “My -husband eats the children, if I don’t look after them.”</p> - -<p>“Husbands are mere rubbish,” said Mrs. Spider. “I ate -mine as soon as I had laid my eggs.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29"></a>[29]</span></p> - -<p>“Do spare us those gruesome stories,” said Mrs. Nightingale. -“But he might sing to her a little. That’s what my husband -does.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, but look at the baby! Isn’t he sweet?” exclaimed Mrs. -Reed-Warbler.</p> - -<p>“Poor little thing!” said Mrs. Stag. “He can’t even stand -on his legs and the sparrow was saying that he was born at eleven -o’clock last night. When my fawn was an hour old, he was -jumping merrily over the meadow.”</p> - -<p>“There’s no sense in carrying a poor little mite like that in -one’s arms,” said Mrs. Kangaroo. “If he were mine, he should -stay snugly in my pouch until he knew how to behave himself. -But probably the poor woman hasn’t even got a pouch.”</p> - -<p>“At least he can see!” said Mrs. Fox. “My children are -blind for quite nine days.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t forget that they are poor people,” said the orang-outang.</p> - -<p>“Stuff!” said Mrs. Nightingale. “It’s a dear little baby, -as any mother can see. Hi! Mrs. Two-Legs! Be sure you feed -him on maggots. Then he’ll grow up nice and fat.”</p> - -<p>“And, for goodness’ sake, sit on him at night!” cried Mrs. -Reed-Warbler. “Else he’ll catch cold.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t mind what any of them say!” cried Mrs. Stag. “You -stick to the milk! That’s good enough. And put him down on -the grass and let him run about. You had much better make -him used to it from the start.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs looked at her baby and did not listen to what -they said. He had now finished drinking and began to crow and -kick about his little legs and arms. Two-Legs took him and lifted -him high in the air and laughed at him.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t he sweet?” said Mrs. Reed-Warbler.</p> - -<p>“He’s all that,” said Mrs. Stag. “But his parents are very -self-sufficient. They won’t look at any one else.” And she -called across to the island, “It’s all right, Mrs. Two-Legs. You<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30"></a>[30]</span> -go on with the milk. And, if you run short, come to me. My -only fawn died the other day, so I have plenty!”</p> - -<p>Then they all hurried home again, lest their husbands should -come and find out that they had been gossiping.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to fetch a couple of oranges, or something of the -sort,” said Two-Legs. “It may be some time before I’m back, -for we’ve eaten everything on the trees round about here.”</p> - -<p>“Be as quick as you can,” replied his wife. “You know I -don’t care to be alone at this time.”</p> - -<p>He waded through the river and went into the forest. After -a long while, he came back, having found only a couple of poor -little fruits. He was annoyed at this and so was his wife, for she -was hungry. Then they sat and discussed whether they could not -find something else that was fit to eat in the neighbourhood. For, -once the evening had come, they did not dare leave the island.</p> - -<p>“Last evening,” said Two-Legs, “I saw the otter catch a big -fish in the river here and eat him. Perhaps we could do the same.”</p> - -<p>“Do try,” said Mrs. Two-Legs. “One thing is certain, I must -have some food.”</p> - -<p>He went out into the river and with his hands caught a great -pike, who was swimming just past him, not dreaming of danger. -He had so often seen Two-Legs wading through the river and -Two-Legs had never looked at him. But now Two-Legs flung -him on the island and there lay the pike gaping and gasping for -breath and yelling with might and main:</p> - -<p>“Hi!... Ho!... Murder!... Help!”</p> - -<p>But he was soon dead. Two-Legs and his wife ate him and -found him excellent.</p> - -<p>“Get me another fish like that to-morrow, will you?” said Mrs. -Two-Legs. “Frankly speaking, I was getting rather tired of -those apples.”</p> - -<p>Next day, Two-Legs went into the river again. He was not -long before he saw another fine fish, but, just as he wanted to -catch it, the otter snapped it away in front of his nose.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31"></a>[31]</span></p> - -<p>“Get out of my river, you thief!” shouted Two-Legs and -struck at him.</p> - -<p>“Whom are you calling thief?” said the otter, snarling and -showing his white teeth. “I rather thought the river was mine. -I was living here long before you came.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs leapt on shore and picked up some big stones and -flung them at the otter. One of them caught him on the snout -and made it bleed. Then he hid in his hole and Two-Legs caught -another fish and took it home to his wife. But, when the otter -came out again at night, the orang-outang was sitting there and -nodding to him:</p> - -<p>“I have seen all,” said the orang-outang. “I was sitting in -the tree over there and saw him throw the stone at you. The -water turned quite red with your blood. He ill-treated me once -too. He said the apples were his and drove me out of the tree -with a stick. And to think that we are relations!”</p> - -<p>“If I could only get at him!” said the otter. “But I am too -small.”</p> - -<p>“All in good time,” answered the orang-outang. “We shall -be even with him yet.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p031.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32"></a>[32]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33"></a>[33]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-3.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_KILLS">TWO-LEGS KILLS</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>The sun was scorching and the ground was shockingly dry.</p> - -<p>The trees and bushes hung their leaves and the grass was -parched and yellow, so that the ox could hardly find a green tuft -to eat. The water in the river was so low that the fish swam along -the bottom; and the brook had stopped running altogether. -The animals lay in the shade and gasped for breath. In many -places, both flowers and animals had died. Two-Legs and his -wife and child were not much better off.</p> - -<p>The only one who was really happy was the snake. He -stretched himself in the sun and thought it delightful:</p> - -<p>“Shine away, you dear sun,” he said. “The hotter the better. -I am only just beginning to feel alive.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34"></a>[34]</span></p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>But one day the rain came.</p> - -<p>It was not the sort of rain against which you can just put up -an umbrella or take shelter in a doorway and wait until it stops. -It poured down from the clouds till you could not see your hand -before your face and it rained day after day as if it would never -end. It rattled and pattered and clattered on the dry leaves so -that you could not hear a sound. The river flowed again and the -brook woke from its trance and sang as it had never sung before. -The whole earth was like a thirsty mouth that drank and drank -and could never quench its thirst.</p> - -<p>And a great gladness reigned on every hand.</p> - -<p>The trees stretched themselves and spread out and sent forth -new shoots; and the grass sprang fresh and green from the ground. -The flowers blossomed anew; the frogs croaked till they were -heard all over the forest; and the fish flapped their tails merrily. -Two-Legs and his family sat in front of their leafy hut and rejoiced -with the rest.</p> - -<p>But it went on raining.</p> - -<p>The river overflowed its banks and Two-Legs feared lest his -island should go under in the waves. The water soaked through -the roof of the hut until there was not a dry spot inside.</p> - -<p>“Baby’s cold,” said Mrs. Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>They decided to leave the island and crossed the river with -great difficulty, for it was now very deep. They waded through -the damp meadow and carried the child by turns. Then they -found a tree which was so contrived that they could live in it. -They twisted the branches together and built a roof and stopped -up the holes as best they could with grass and moss; and this -was their new house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35"></a>[35]</span></p> - -<p>“The water can’t reach us here,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“But it’s raining through the roof,” said his wife. “Baby’s -cold and so am I.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36"></a>[36]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus3"> -<img src="images/illus3.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">ONE DAY THE RAIN CAME</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37"></a>[37]</span></p> - -<p>“It’s just as I always said,” observed the orang-outang. -“They have no hide or fur or anything and they’ll come to a -horrible end.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to have fed your little one on maggots, Mrs. -Two-Legs,” said Mrs. Nightingale. “Then he would have thrived -better. My young ones are already almost as big as myself.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to have put him -in the meadow and let him jump -about, as I advised you,” said -Mrs. Stag. “Then -he would have -been able to shift -for himself by -now.”</p> - -<p>“You should sit -on him,” said Mrs. -Reed-Warbler. -“That’s how I keep -my young ones -warm.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs -said nothing, but -looked at her boy, who was shivering -with cold.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p037.jpg" width="400" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“It’s really a terribly spoilt child,” said Mrs. Hedgehog. “Of -course, what must be must be; and, once you’ve brought children -into the world, you have to give them a decent bringing-up. But -a great big thumping lout like that, of six months old, still at his -mother’s breast: fie, for shame! What he wants is a good beating -and then turn him loose into the world!”</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing to be done with people like that,” said Mrs. -Stag. “They won’t use their common sense; and, as they have -made their bed, so they must lie on it.”</p> - -<p>Then they went away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38"></a>[38]</span></p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs sat in the tree and the rain poured and the baby -cried with cold.</p> - -<p>“Look at that silly sheep in the meadow,” said Mrs. Two-Legs. -“She’s warm and comfortable in her thick fleece, while -my poor dear little boy lies shivering.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs heard what she said, but made no reply. He sat -silent for a while and thought over things. Then he climbed down -from the tree and sat on the ground a little and thought again. -The rain splashed and clattered. Up in the tree, the little baby -cried with cold. Down in the meadow, the sheep moved about -and grazed.</p> - -<p>Then Two-Legs rose and went up to the sheep. On his way, -he took a sharp stone and hid it in his hand. He went very slowly -and looked to one side, so as not to frighten the sheep. Then -suddenly, with a bound, he caught hold of her.</p> - -<p>“Baa! Baa! Murder! Help! I’m dying!” cried the sheep.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs struck her on the forehead with the stone and she -fell to the ground. Then he strangled her with his hands, caught -her by the fleece and dragged her to the tree where he had made -his home.</p> - -<p>He cut a hole in her hide with the sharp stone and began to -pull it off with his finger-nails. His wife came down and helped -him. They used their teeth also, to finish the work more quickly, -and, presently, they stopped and looked at each other with beaming -eyes:</p> - -<p>“How delicious!” he said.</p> - -<p>“Wonderful!” said she. “Let us hurry now and give the boy -the fleece. Then we will go on eating.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs drank the blood of the sheep and bit into the -meat:</p> - -<p>“I feel stronger than I ever did before,” he said. “Let the -lion come now, then he’ll have me to deal with.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39"></a>[39]</span></p> - -<p>They wrapped the fleece round the child, who at once went -comfortably to sleep. Then they dragged the rest of the sheep up -into the tree and sat down to eat. Every bite they took made -them feel braver and stronger. They gave no more thought to -cold or rain, but sat and talked of the future as they had never -talked before:</p> - -<p>“I should like to have a sheepskin like that for myself,” said -she.</p> - -<p>“So you shall,” said he, gnawing a bone, “unless we find -another animal that has a still softer and warmer skin. I want -a fur too.... I say, we might cover the roof with sheepskins: -that would keep out the rain. I will go out to-morrow -and find some more sheep and kill them and bring them home.”</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll eat them,” said Mrs. Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Rather!” said he. “We’ll eat meat every day. What a -good thing that I thought of it, for the fish in the river were -already growing afraid of me!”</p> - -<p>“Mind you don’t meet with an accident,” said she.</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” he said. “I’ll go down to the river the -first thing in the morning and pick out some sharp stones, in case -I should lose the one I have. And, look here, I’ll tell you what: -I’ll fasten one of those sharp stones to the end of a stick, with a -shoot or tendril of some kind; a long stick, do you see? Then -I need not go up to the sheep to hit them. I can throw the stone. -For, of course, they’ll be afraid of me when they hear that I have -killed one of them....”</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>While they were talking like this, all the animals of the forest -had gathered in the meadow, just as on the first night when the -new animals arrived:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has killed the sheep!” cried the sparrow and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40"></a>[40]</span> -hurried on with her news, drenched and rumpled though she was -with the rain.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has murdered the sheep and the ox and the goat!” -screamed the crow and flapped her wet wings.</p> - -<p>“Softly!” said the ox. “I’m alive still, thank goodness, -though I’m quite prepared for the worst.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has killed all the animals in the forest ... he’s -sitting in the meadow eating the lion,” whispered the reeds -to one another.</p> - -<p>Then all the animals rushed down to the meadow to hear the -exact state of affairs. The lion stood in their midst, with his head -proudly raised:</p> - -<p>“What’s all this noise about?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“May I speak?” said the orang-outang, holding up one -finger. “I was sitting in the palm-tree over there and saw the -whole thing. It was terrible.”</p> - -<p>“What a mean fellow you are!” said the lion. “You’re -giving evidence against your own relations.”</p> - -<p>“Very distant,” replied the orang-outang. “Exceedingly -remote. I will remind you that I expressly refused to take -any responsibility for these Two-Legs, who only bring disgrace -upon the family. Well, I was sitting in the tree and saw -him come running up, fling himself on the sheep and strangle -her. Then he dragged the poor beast to the tree in which he -is living. I crept up behind him and saw him skin her. The -woman helped him and then they climbed up the tree and -feasted.”</p> - -<p>“Is that all?” asked the lion. “I’ve eaten plenty of sheep -in my time, though I prefer deer on the whole. Why shouldn’t -Two-Legs help himself to a bit of meat if he likes?”</p> - -<p>“If I may speak, I should like to remind you of what I said -when we last met,” said the ox. “It’s easy for you to talk like -that, for Two-Legs can’t do you any harm. It’s we others that -he eats. Still, you had better look out. He may become a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41"></a>[41]</span> -dangerous competitor. Suppose he gets a large family of children -and they all take to eating mutton?”</p> - -<p>“Then there’s always beef left!” said the lion, laughing and -showing his terrible teeth.</p> - -<p>“Just so,” said the ox and cautiously took a step backwards. -“The oxen will get their turn, now that he has tasted blood. He -looks awfully greedy. And I feel as if he had eaten me before.”</p> - -<p>“Humph!” said the lion. “There may be something in -that. I don’t like beating about the bush as a rule. Let us go -and have a word with the fellow.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p041.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h3>5</h3> - -<p>He moved on; and the orang-outang skipped along eagerly -in front of him:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42"></a>[42]</span></p> - -<p>“This way, this way,” he said.</p> - -<p>The lion stopped under the tree where Two-Legs had made -his home. All the other animals of the forest had followed him -and stood listening and staring.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs!” roared the lion, with his mighty voice.</p> - -<p>It sounded like thunder and they all started with fear. The -lion lashed his tail and looked up at the tree. Not a sound came -from it. He called out again, but there was no answer.</p> - -<p>“The impudent beggars!” said the orang-outang.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they are dead,” said the nightingale. “Perhaps -they have overeaten themselves with the sheep.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t die of eating too much, but of eating too little,” -said the pig, who kept rooting in the ground with his snout, in -search of something for himself to eat.</p> - -<p>Then the lion roared for the third time; and the noise was -so loud that a little siskin tumbled off her twig right into the jaws -of the snake, who swallowed her before any one could utter a -sound, so that nobody ever got wind of the story.</p> - -<p>And now Two-Legs appeared at the top of the tree.</p> - -<p>He had been fast asleep after the hearty meal which he had -enjoyed; and he was furious at being roused. His hair hung -about his face in disorder and his eyes were bloodshot and his -mouth covered with foam:</p> - -<p>“Who dares disturb my sleep?” he shouted.</p> - -<p>“I do: the lion.”</p> - -<p>“The lion, the king of beasts,” they all cried, respectfully, -with one voice.</p> - -<p>“I am king in my own house,” said Two-Legs. “Be off, I -want to sleep.”</p> - -<p>“He is defying the lion.... He is mad.... I won’t -give a penny for his life!” cried the animals.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs took the thigh-bone of the sheep, aimed it and -flung it with all his might at the lion. It hit the king of beasts -in the middle of the forehead. He uttered a frightful roar. All<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43"></a>[43]</span> -the animals rushed terrified across the meadow. The lion ran -in their midst, roaring constantly, till it echoed all over the forest.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs lay down quietly to sleep and slept until broad -daylight.</p> - -<p>When he awoke and had climbed down the tree, the dog lay -gnawing the bone which Two-Legs had flung at the lion. He -wagged his tail; Two-Legs patted him and gave him another -bone:</p> - -<p>“Will you be my servant and my friend?” asked Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Gladly,” said the dog. “You have been kinder to me than -the others and you are stronger and cleverer than they.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” said Two-Legs. “Then you shall keep watch -over me and mine and help me when I go hunting and bear me -company.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p043.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44"></a>[44]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45"></a>[45]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-4.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TIME_PASSES">TIME PASSES</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>The rainy season went by, the sun recovered his strength and -rain and sunshine came and went by turns. Time passed, as it -must and will pass.</p> - -<p>The Two-Legs family were now living in a new house which -was better than either the leafy hut on the island or the dwelling -up in the apple-tree.</p> - -<p>It was a cave in the rocks, which Two-Legs had discovered on -one of his rambles. It was cool in the warm weather and in the -cold it was sheltered against the rain and it could be closed with -a big stone at night or when danger threatened. Two-Legs had -hung the walls with skins and carpeted the floor with moss and -now felt comfortably at home with his family and the dog.</p> - -<p>He had plenty to do, for the family had increased. He now -had three children, who were doing excellently and eating like -wolves. He had had to be careful since the night when he flung<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46"></a>[46]</span> -the bone at the lion’s head, for not only had he made an enemy -of the king of beasts, but most of the other animals of the forest -looked upon him with suspicion.</p> - -<p>And they were well-advised, for Two-Legs had become a mighty -hunter, in no way inferior to the lion himself.</p> - -<p>In the back room of his cave, he kept two big spears and one -little one, which his eldest son was already able to use very -cleverly. They lay in wait craftily for their prey, just as the lion -and the other hunters of the forest did. The dog drove the game -towards them and they threw their spears and killed it.</p> - -<p>“He’s a better hunter than I,” said the lion, one evening, to -his wife. “With his spear to-day he got a young deer that I -had selected for myself.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you take her yourself?” asked the lioness.</p> - -<p>“I was crawling up to her in the grass,” he replied. “But, -before I could make my spring, Two-Legs had killed her. He -sent his spear through her neck and she fell dead on the spot.”</p> - -<p>“Then why didn’t you take her from him after he had killed -her?” asked the lioness again.</p> - -<p>“He had another spear in his hand,” said the lion. “And -his youngster had one also. The spear is a thing I don’t understand. -They who are struck by it fall down and die.”</p> - -<p>“You’re afraid of Two-Legs,” sneered the lioness. “He’s -the king of the forest, not you. If your son proves as big a coward -as yourself, we’re done for.”</p> - -<p>The lion said nothing, but lay staring before him with his -yellow eyes.</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>But, a little before daybreak, he stole up to Two-Legs’ cave, -hid in the bushes and waited patiently until the stone was rolled -away. This happened immediately after sunrise. The lion made -ready to leap. He saw blood before his eyes and sprang, almost<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47"></a>[47]</span> -without thinking, upon the first form that appeared, struck -it down with his powerful claws and carried it back with a bound -into the bushes.</p> - -<p>A terrible scream brought Two-Legs to the entrance of the -cave. He stood holding a spear in either hand. The lion saw -that he had not killed his enemy, but only one of his children. -He let go the corpse and prepared to make a fresh spring. Two-Legs -now saw him among the leaves. He flung one spear and -missed him. Then he threw the other, but the lion was gone, -with great bounds.</p> - -<p>With tears and lamentations, Two-Legs and his wife bore the -dead child into the cave. The lion, hurried by fear, fled through -the forest. Wherever he came, the terrified animals fell aside.</p> - -<p>“The lion is flying from Two-Legs,” announced the sparrow.</p> - -<p>And the rumour spread through the whole forest and grew.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has wounded the lion with his spear,” screamed -the crow.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has killed the lion and is hunting the lioness,” -squeaked the mouse.</p> - -<p>And the lion fled on.</p> - -<p>He rushed past his lair, as though he dare not look his wife in -the face. He did not come home until late at night.</p> - -<p>“Are you still alive?” asked the lioness, scoffing. “The -whole forest believes you dead. And what about Two-Legs?”</p> - -<p>“I have killed one of his young,” answered the lion, angrily.</p> - -<p>“What’s the good of that?” asked she.</p> - -<p>Then he caught her a box on the ear the like of which she had -never had before, lay down and stared before him with his yellow -eyes.</p> - -<p>But the animals in the forest wondered and whispered to one -another:</p> - -<p>“The lion is afraid.... The lion runs away from Two-Legs.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t I tell you so?” said the ox. “We ought to have -killed him then and there.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48"></a>[48]</span></p> - -<p>“Ah, yes!” said the horse. “If the lion had only taken our -advice!”</p> - -<p>“Ah, yes!” sighed the duck and the goose and the hen.</p> - -<p>But the orang-outang went to one side in the forest and reflected:</p> - -<p>“My cousin is not such a fool as I thought,” said he to himself. -“I really don’t know why I shouldn’t go and do the same. -I am like him, but have many advantages which he has not; and -I ought to do at least as well as he.”</p> - -<p>He took a stick and tried if he could walk like Two-Legs. He -succeeded quite nicely and then he made for -the other animals. He lifted his stick, yelled -and made terrible eyes. But the animals crowded -round and laughed at him. The fox snatched -the stick from his hand, the stag butted him -in the back, the sparrow behaved uncivilly on -his head and they all -made such fun of him that -he ran away and hid in the -copsewood where it -was thickest.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49"></a>[49]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p048.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50"></a>[50]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus4"> -<img src="images/illus4.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">SHE PULLED OUT HIS FEATHERS</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51"></a>[51]</span></p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>But the next morning the animals had fresh food for thought.</p> - -<p>They saw Two-Legs carry the corpse into the forest and build -a great heap of stones over it. His wife picked the reddest flowers -and laid them on the stones.</p> - -<p>“Well, I never!” said the nightingale. “When another -dies, he’s left, if you please, to lie where he falls. But as much -fuss is made about this child as if his memory were to last for all -eternity! I don’t even know what has become of my live -children of last year, not to speak of the poor little chap who fell -out of the nest and broke his neck.”</p> - -<p>“You just wait. There’s worse to come,” said the ox.</p> - -<p>And it came. For, a week later, something happened that -enraged the animals of the forest more than all that had gone before. -Mrs. Two-Legs saw a splendid bird of paradise sitting in a -tree:</p> - -<p>“What wonderful feathers!” she said. “If I could only -have a tuft like that to wear in my hair!”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs, who wanted to do everything to console her for the -death of the child, at once went out with his spear and soon came -back with the dead bird of paradise. She pulled out his feathers -and tucked them in her hair and thought she looked charming; -and Two-Legs thought so too.</p> - -<p>“Now this is really too bad,” said the nightingale. “To -kill a bird in order to adorn his wife with the feathers! Did -you ever in your born days! It’s well for me that I’m so grey -and ugly!”</p> - -<p>The widow of the bird of paradise, followed by a great host, -went off to the lion:</p> - -<p>“The new animals have killed my husband,” she said. “Here -am I left a widow, with four cold eggs. Now that my breadwinner -is killed, I can’t stay at home and sit on the eggs, unless<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52"></a>[52]</span> -I want to die of hunger. So I left them, to look for some food. -When I returned, they were cold and dead. I have come to -demand vengeance upon the murderer.”</p> - -<p>“What can I say?” said the lion. “There are so -many widows in the forest. I myself don’t ask if the animals -which I kill, when I am hungry, have wives and children at -home.”</p> - -<p>“He didn’t do it because he was hungry,” said the widow of -the bird of paradise. “He did it only to present his wife with a -tuft of feathers for her hair.”</p> - -<p>“What’s he to do when his wife asks for it?” said the lion. -“It’s no joke falling out with your wife.”</p> - -<p>Some of the animals laughed. But most of them shook their -heads and thought it a stupid jest, unworthy of the king of -beasts.</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>The next day, the animals of the forest spoke of nothing -but Two-Legs. They one and all had something to complain -of:</p> - -<p>“He took my whole nest, the other day, with seventeen new-laid -eggs in it,” said the hen.</p> - -<p>“There are no fish left in the river,” said the otter. “And -one gets bludgeoned into the bargain.”</p> - -<p>“One can no longer graze in peace in the meadows,” said the -stag.</p> - -<p>But, if sorrow and terror reigned among the larger, important -animals, some of the smaller, insignificant animals did not mind -so much and, in fact, were rather amused at the misfortunes of -their betters:</p> - -<p>“Why should we care?” asked the fly. “Let the big ones -eat one another up as they please: it doesn’t concern us in any<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53"></a>[53]</span> -case. And I, for my part, would rather have Two-Legs than the -nightingale.”</p> - -<p>“No one is safe,” said the bee. “He took my honey yesterday.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the earth-worm. “And, the day before that, -he took my own brother, stuck him on a hook and caught a perch -with him.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p053.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54"></a>[54]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55"></a>[55]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-5.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_ENLARGES_HIS_POSSESSIONS">TWO-LEGS ENLARGES HIS POSSESSIONS</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs sat thinking outside his cave. The dog lay at his -feet asleep. Indoors, Mrs. Two-Legs was busy preparing breakfast.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs was in a bad temper, for he had had bad hunting.</p> - -<p>The day before, he had scoured the forest without coming -upon any game whatever and he had done no better that -morning.</p> - -<p>The animals had become afraid of him. His spear had reduced -their numbers so greatly that they fled the moment they saw him -come in the distance. They knew the hours he went hunting and -they hid from him. They posted sentries who warned them with<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56"></a>[56]</span> -loud cries when he or the dog came in sight. There was not a -stag nor an ox nor a sheep nor a goat in the country that lay -nearest to the cave. Scarcely ever did an animal graze in the -meadow down below in front of it. They had all retired to where -the forest grew thickest and where he could only penetrate with -difficulty. Nor did it give him any pleasure to hunt up there, -where the lion might so easily be lying in ambush.</p> - -<p>“Things are looking bad, Trust,” he said to the dog. “We -must invent something new.”</p> - -<p>He sat and sharpened his knives and axes, which he had made -out of flint, and then Mrs. Two-Legs came out with the breakfast, -which consisted only of apples and nuts. There was not even a -fish to be had. The fish disappeared as soon as they saw Two-Legs’ -reflection in the water.</p> - -<p>“I say,” said Two-Legs, suddenly. “It would be much easier -if I caught a couple of sheep and we kept them here in the cave. -Then they would get lambs, which we could kill, and I need not -continually and perpetually go hunting.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs thought this a good idea and, as they sat and -talked about it, he recovered his temper. He wove a long rope -of tendrils and then went off with his spear, the dog and two of -his sons.</p> - -<p>He stole along the borders of the forest until at last he caught -sight of a sheep who was grazing in a distant meadow with two -lambs. He crept up to her on all fours, while Trust received -orders to be quite still. When he was near enough, he flung the -sling and was lucky enough to drop it just over the neck of the -sheep. She bleated pitifully, but the noose held fast and tightened. -Two-Legs, rejoicing, led the animal home and the two little lambs -came after, for they did not know what else to do.</p> - -<p>When he came home, he fastened the sheep to a tree in front -of the cave. They ate one of the lambs and let the other live. -The children ran down to the meadow and fetched armfuls of -grass and the sheep ate and gave her lamb to drink.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57"></a>[57]</span></p> - -<p>“Do you mean to eat me too?” she asked Two-Legs, that -evening, as he sat outside the cave with his family, rejoicing over -his work.</p> - -<p>“No,” he said, “I do not. I shall keep you with me and you -shall be my servant, like the dog. To-morrow -I shall go out and catch your husband. Then -you shall bear me plenty of lambs; and I -shall eat some and put some by, just as I -happen to want them.”</p> - -<p>“You killed my sister -and pulled off her skin,” -said the sheep.</p> - -<p>“I know better now,” -said Two-Legs. “You -shall see for yourself.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Two-Legs came -with a knife and cut off -the old sheep’s wool. -The sheep struggled and -yelled grievously, -but Two-Legs was -determined and -she was bound so -tight that resistance -was of no -avail.</p> - -<p>“Now I shall -be cold myself when it rains,” cried the sheep.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p057.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“Nonsense!” said Two-Legs. “When it -turns cold, I’ll take you into my cave. I want -your wool to make clothes of. It’s no use your raising difficulties. -If you’re good and obedient, you shall have a better time with me -than you ever had in your life.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58"></a>[58]</span></p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>At night, while Two-Legs slept, the sheep stood outside and -thought over things. The ox stuck his head over the bushes and, -a little afterwards, the stag stood there too and the horse and the -goat and many of the other animals.</p> - -<p>“What has he hit upon now?” asked the ox. “The sparrow -says that he has tied you up and cut off your wool.”</p> - -<p>“It’s only too true,” replied the sheep. “See for yourself -how naked I am. He has eaten one of my lambs and he is -going to catch my husband to-morrow. But I must say that he -has plucked grass for me, so that I have eaten my fill.”</p> - -<p>“It’s awful,” said the ox. “But it’s only what we expected. -Can’t you get loose?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve tried,” said the sheep. “But it’s no use. The more I -pull, the tighter the noose gets round my neck. I am a prisoner -and a prisoner I remain.”</p> - -<p>“Rather die than live a slave!” said the wolf. “I will do -your lamb the service to eat her.”</p> - -<p>So saying, he caught hold of the lamb and bit her in the throat. -The sheep screamed at the top of her voice; Two-Legs woke up -and ran out; and all the animals rushed away.</p> - -<p>“You’ve been asleep, Trust,” said Two-Legs. “We must see -to-morrow how we can prevent these accidents. A nice thing, if -I am to catch sheep for the wolf and to fatten them for him to -eat!”</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>And the next morning he thought of a remedy.</p> - -<p>He and his sons went into the forest and felled some trees with -their axes. Then they cut them into sharp stakes and, after they -had prepared a quantity of these, they planted them in a circle, -outside the cave. Then they wove twigs between the stakes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59"></a>[59]</span> -and, by sunset, they had a safe and strong pen over which no -wolf could jump. Two-Legs put the sheep into it.</p> - -<p>A few days later, he caught the ram with his -sling. He went on hunting and -soon the cow was there and the -bull and their calves. The pen -was too small and he had to build -a bigger one. The whole family -went out to fetch grass, but -could never bring enough. The -animals in the pen bleated -and lowed.</p> - -<p>At night, they talked -together:</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p059.jpg" width="500" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“Candidly -speaking,” -said -the sheep, -“this existence -has -its advantages. Down there, in the meadow,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60"></a>[60]</span> -one never felt sure of one’s life; first the lion was after one, then -the wolf and the snake and the eagle, to say nothing of Two-Legs -himself.”</p> - -<p>“There’s something in that,” said the cow. “But I can’t -stand the way Mrs. Two-Legs pulls at my udders. And then I’m -not so sure that they don’t mean to kill me one fine day. There -will be too many of us here before long.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p060.jpg" width="400" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61"></a>[61]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-6.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_WANDERS">TWO-LEGS WANDERS</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs began to find it difficult to provide grass for the -many animals which he had in the pen.</p> - -<p>He and his family had long plucked all that grew nearest the -cave. Now they had to go a long way to find any and it was hard -work getting it home.</p> - -<p>“We shall have to move,” he said to his wife. “We can’t -go on dragging the grass up for all the animals. And, as the grass -won’t come to us, we must go to the grass. We must go down to -the meadow again. You will have to weave us a woollen tent. -Then we will get all the skins we can and dig stakes into the -ground and hang the skins over them. That’s the best way. -And then the animals can go and graze round about the tent.”</p> - -<p>“But, when they have eaten the grass in the meadow, what -then?” asked Mrs. Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Then we will pass on to the next one,” Two-Legs answered.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62"></a>[62]</span> -“We will pack up the tent, load it on the back of the cow and -move on.”</p> - -<p>“If only the animals don’t run away!” said she.</p> - -<p>“Trust must help me to look after them,” replied he. “And -the boys. Then all will be well. They know us now and they -let us stroke them. You shall see, they will soon be quite -tame.”</p> - -<p>The next morning, they began to break up the pen.</p> - -<p>“Is he going to set us free?” asked the cow.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to go down to the meadow again,” said the -sheep and began to cry. “My legs are stiffer than they were, -and I can’t walk as well as I used to. And my eyesight is worse -and I have hardly any scent left: it’s so long since I used -my senses. I want to stay with Two-Legs and feed out of his -hand.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve become a slave already,” said the cow. “And you -don’t deserve to be free. If I see my chance, I shall be off. -He killed my calf yesterday: I shall never forgive him for -that.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, well,” said the sheep, “suppose we do lose a youngling -or two and even risk losing our own lives, what other fate could -we expect in any case?”</p> - -<p>“You have the soul of a serf!” said the cow contemptuously.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs had finished breaking down the pen. Meanwhile, -his wife had packed up all their things. They loaded the cow -with as much as she could carry, took up the rest themselves and -started on their way to the meadow.</p> - -<p>“My fears are now being realized,” said the cow, groaning -under the unwonted burden. “I am dead-tired in my loins and -legs.”</p> - -<p>And, hardly had they come down to where the meadow began, -when she threw off her load and rushed away, followed by the -bull. Trust flew after them, but they turned round and showed<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63"></a>[63]</span> -him their horns, which made him run back with his tail between -his legs.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs threw his spear at them, but missed them.</p> - -<p>“Time will bring counsel,” he said. “I shall go out and -catch them again to-morrow. Let us put up our tent now and -arrange our things.”</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>They set up the tent on a little hill from which they could look -over the meadow. At the foot bubbled a spring. Trust drove -the sheep into the meadow and home again. Two-Legs caught -the hen, the goose and the duck and clipped -their wings, so that they could not fly away. -Gradually, he got a number of sheep and goats -and a quantity of poultry.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p063.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>When the animals -had eaten all the grass in -that place, he struck -his tent and moved -to another meadow; -and so it -went on. It was -as if he had quite -forgotten the cow. -But, one day, his -wife reminded him -of her:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64"></a>[64]</span></p> - -<p>“You must get the cow back for me,” she said. “I need -her milk so badly. And both I and the children want new calfskin -sandals.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p064.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>Two-Legs took his spear, hung his sling round his neck and -went off to look for the cow. When he had gone some way, he -saw her in the distance; but she saw him too and trotted away<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65"></a>[65]</span> -at once. The horse, who was standing a little way off, looked -at Two-Legs mockingly:</p> - -<p>“You would like to have my four quick legs,” he said.</p> - -<p>“I should, indeed!”</p> - -<p>“It’s a good thing that there’s something you can’t manage,” -said the horse. “It’s dangerous otherwise, the way you play -at being master of the forest.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs made no reply, but very quietly unwound his lasso. -Then, when he had got it right, he suddenly threw it over the -horse’s head. It fell round the animal’s neck and he reared on -his hind-legs and darted away wildly. But, at every leap he took, -the noose drew tighter; and Two-Legs did not let go the rope. -At one moment, he was dragged along the ground and, at the -next, recovered his feet again. He twisted the rope round his -hand and it cut into his flesh till the blood came, but he did not -let go.</p> - -<p>At last the horse got tired. He stood still quivering in all -his limbs. The foam flew from his mouth.</p> - -<p>“What do you want with me?” he said. “My flesh is not -nice to eat and my milk isn’t sweet and I have no wool for you -to cut off.”</p> - -<p>“I want to borrow your four legs,” said Two-Legs. “You -were boasting of them yourself. Come up! Stand still now! -If you’re good, I won’t hurt you.”</p> - -<p>He wound the rope round his arm and came closer and closer. -He patted the sweating horse, then suddenly caught hold of his -mane and swung himself upon his back. The horse reared and -plunged and kicked his hind-legs high in the air and tried, in -every way, to get rid of his rider. But Two-Legs held on to the -mane and the rope with his hands and gripped tight with his -legs and kept his seat for all the effort it cost him. Gradually, -the horse became quieter again and then Two-Legs patted him -on the neck:</p> - -<p>“Now go after the cow!” he cried.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66"></a>[66]</span></p> - -<p>He pressed his heels into the horse’s flanks and gave him a -smack. Then they flew in a rousing gallop over the meadow. -The cow did not even attempt to run away, but stood staring in -amazement at that wonderful sight. Before she had collected -herself, the lasso was round her neck and Two-Legs proudly rode -home with his capture.</p> - -<p>When they reached the tent, he sprang from the horse, patted -him and thanked him, but he made no pretence of taking the -noose from the horse’s neck.</p> - -<p>“Won’t you let me go?” asked the horse.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Two-Legs. “But I’ll do better for you. You -shall now drink from the spring and then you shall have the -juiciest grass to eat that you ever tasted. After that, you -shall lie down and reflect that you are now in my service and -that you can spend the remainder of your days free of all cares, -without the very least anxiety, if only you will be faithful and -willing and do the little bit of work that I shall require of you.”</p> - -<p>He fed the horse and fastened him to the door of the tent. -The cow stood tethered close by.</p> - -<p>“Shall we see if we can get loose?” whispered the horse, -when night came and Two-Legs was asleep.</p> - -<p>“No,” said the cow, shaking her head. “I sha’n’t run away -again. I accept my lot. It was a terrible sight to see him on -your back. He is the master of us all. No one can resist -him.”</p> - -<p>But the sparrow flew round the forest on her swift wings.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has caught the horse.... He rides on his back.... -He has fastened him to his tent.... The horse has -become Two-Legs’ servant.”</p> - -<p>“Have you heard the latest?” the lioness asked her husband. -“Do you mean to let him ride on your back too, when he goes -hunting?”</p> - -<p>The lion gave a threatening roar:</p> - -<p>“He had better just try!” he said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67"></a>[67]</span></p> - -<p>“He knows what he’s about,” answered the lioness, with a -sneer. “And you just keep out of his way, coward and degenerate -that you are!”</p> - -<p>The lion laid his head on his paw and said nothing, but brooded -dark thoughts.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p067.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68"></a>[68]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69"></a>[69]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-7.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_SOWS">TWO-LEGS SOWS</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs moved with his herd -from one meadow to the other.</p> - -<p>The herd increased year by year, as did his family. Mrs. Two-Legs -had now borne her husband seven sons and seven daughters, -who were all doing well and helping in the house and with the -cattle.</p> - -<p>And the animals were more and more pleased to be in his -service.</p> - -<p>The horse carried him when he went hunting and walked -beside him when he struck the tent and moved to a new pasturage. -He came at Two-Legs’ call and neither he nor any other animals -thought seriously of running away, so that Trust had an easy job -in watching over them. Now and then they felt an inclination<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70"></a>[70]</span> -for freedom, especially when they were talking to the wild animals. -But it went no further than the inclination.</p> - -<p>For instance, one night in the rainy season, the stag came to -the tent which Two-Legs had put up to protect his animals:</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re nice and dry here,” said the stag and looked -enviously into the tent.</p> - -<p>“You’re right,” replied the sheep. “It is really much better -than in the old days, when we used to take shelter under a tree -and get drenched all the same.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p070.jpg" width="500" height="275" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“Just so,” said the cow. “And in the dry season too it was -pleasant every day to get our food, which Two-Legs had stored -up for us, instead of having to go all over the country as before, -in search of a blade of grass.”</p> - -<p>“But I thought you had to drudge for it,” said the stag. “I -have often seen you drudging and toiling for your master.”</p> - -<p>“One good turn deserves another,” said the horse. “For<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71"></a>[71]</span> -the rest, I can’t deny that my presentiments have been fulfilled. -All my limbs hurt me terribly after the day’s work.”</p> - -<p>“And so do ours,” said the ox and the cow.</p> - -<p>The duck, the goose and the hen agreed. But the sheep shook -her fat head, while she went on chewing the cud:</p> - -<p>“I can’t remember what sort of presentiment I had,” she said. -“I am well off as I am.”</p> - -<p>“Are you grumbling over there?” asked Trust, who was -keeping watch and never slept with more than one eye shut. -“Shall I call the master?”</p> - -<p>The stag took fright and ran away. But the horse said:</p> - -<p>“No, please do nothing of the sort. He has worked hard -himself to-day and is no doubt as tired as we are. It would be a -sin to wake him.”</p> - -<p>Then it grew still in the tent.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs in his own tent was not asleep.</p> - -<p>On the contrary, he was wide awake, thinking over things, -and his wife could not sleep either, for she was thinking too.</p> - -<p>“I am sick of wandering about the country,” he said at last. -“We are no longer young, we have a very big family and sometimes -the work makes me tired.”</p> - -<p>“Me too,” said Mrs. Two-Legs. “But that has nothing to do -with it. We are obliged to move about to get the grass we want.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs said nothing for the moment.</p> - -<p>He rose and went out into the rain, had a look at his animals -and then came back again and sat down in his old place. The -lion was roaring outside in the meadow.</p> - -<p>“Did you hear him?” asked Mrs. Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs nodded.</p> - -<p>“Tell me,” he said, after a while, “where does the grass -come from?”</p> - -<p>“You know as well as I do,” she said. “We have often talked -of how it scatters its seed and how the seed shoots up between -the old withered blades when the rain comes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72"></a>[72]</span></p> - -<p>“Quite right,” said Two-Legs. “And why shouldn’t we -collect the seed and sow it ourselves? Now, if we pull up all the -old grass and take the seed of the kind which our animals like -best, we ought to be able to make it grow much thicker. And -then we could reap the seed again and sow it again and go on living -in the same place year after year.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, if we could only do that!” cried Mrs. Two-Legs and -clapped her hands.</p> - -<p>“Why not?” said Two-Legs. “And, if we succeed in this, -then we can build a proper, solid house for ourselves and our -animals. I am sure that we can fell the biggest trees with our -flint axes, if only we have the patience and persevere. As soon -as the rain stops, I shall go out and look for a place where we can -settle down for the rest of our days.”</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>A week later, the sky was clear again. Two-Legs mounted -his horse, took leave of his family and said that he would not -come home before he had found what he sought. He did not -return till the evening of the third day and ordered them to pack -up early next morning and go with him.</p> - -<p>When they came to the place, they had to admit that he had -made a good choice.</p> - -<p>It was easy to see that the ground was good and fertile, everything -around grew so fresh and luxuriant. There was a large, -open field and on one side of it was the forest, on the other a -meadow, which, in its turn, ran down to a great lake, where fish -leapt and played. Beyond the lake were the distant blue mountains, -which were beautiful to look at and to dream of. Just at -the edge of the forest lay a hill, at whose foot a brook flowed. The -brook ran into the river, which wound through the meadow, and -the river ran into the lake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73"></a>[73]</span></p> - -<p>And the field and the meadow were full of all kinds of grass -and flowers. There were poppies larger and redder than Two-Legs -had ever seen. And there were bluebells and carrots, convolvuluses -and corn-flowers. They grew and spread themselves -as they pleased, for they themselves were the lords of the land.</p> - -<p>“This is where we shall settle,” said Two-Legs. “We shall -build a big, strong house on the hill, with stables for our animals -and a palisade outside to keep off those who wish us harm. Let -us start without delay. You’ll see something, once the house -is there!”</p> - -<p>He and his sons set to work at once felling trees.</p> - -<p>They laboured patiently day after day; but they had to chop -hard with their stone axes before the big trees gave way. A cry -of dismay went from tree to tree, far into the forest:</p> - -<p>“What is happening?... What does he want with us?... -Why must we die?” whispered the trees to one another.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>But Two-Legs and his sons heard nothing and saw nothing. -They worked and worked till they had what they wanted. And -then they built a strong wooden house on the hill, built two houses, -then three: one for themselves, a stable for the animals and a -big long house for which Two-Legs had a purpose of which he -did not speak for the present.</p> - -<p>They closed up all the chinks with moss. And round the -whole farm they built a palisade of tall stakes and woven twigs, -which made a good wall to protect them against their enemies.</p> - -<p>“That’s that,” said Two-Legs. “Now to work!”</p> - -<p>He told his wife to sew a leather bag for himself and one for -each of the family. Then they went to the field and the meadow -and filled their bags with seed of every sort of grass that they -wanted to sow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74"></a>[74]</span></p> - -<p>“Won’t you have a few of my seeds?” asked the poppy, -shedding her scarlet petals. “I have thousands of them in my -head and I am the prettiest in the land.”</p> - -<p>“You may be pretty,” said Two-Legs, “but I have no use for -you.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve passed me by,” said the violet, modestly.</p> - -<p>“You’re forgetting me,” cried the thistle. “I am the proudest -and strongest in the whole meadow.”</p> - -<p>“But I am the toughest,” cried the dock.</p> - -<p>“Mind you take none of their seed,” said Two-Legs to his -family. “Our animals don’t eat them.”</p> - -<p>So they went home with full bags and out and home again, -until they had heaped up a mighty store.</p> - -<p>“Now we will prepare the ground,” said Two-Legs. “Come, my -dear horse, and lend me your strength, as you have done before.”</p> - -<p>He made a plough, harnessed the horse to it and drove it across -the field, step by step and furrow after furrow. He rejoiced when -he saw the earth turn under the stone blades of the plough.</p> - -<p>“What’s the meaning of this?” said the poppy and was -forthwith ploughed over.</p> - -<p>“It’s no use,” cried the thistle. “Our seed will come up and -tease you.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll see about that,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>Then he told his family to pull up all the thistles and throw -them away. And, when he had ploughed as much as he wanted, -he took the grass-seed which they had gathered and sowed it in -the good, fresh earth.</p> - -<p>“Now we must wait for the rain,” he said, “and see how things -go.”</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>And the rainy season came and things went as Two-Legs had -hoped.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus5"> -<img src="images/illus5.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">TWO-LEGS HAD MADE A GOOD CHOICE</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75"></a>[75]</span></p> - -<p>Little green shoots sprouted all over the ploughed field, all -alike, all grass of the kind which the animals loved. Here and -there, it is true, a thistle appeared and a poppy; but most of it -was good grass.</p> - -<p>“Look!” said Two-Legs, gladly. “Now we only want the -sunshine and then it will grow.”</p> - -<p>The sun came and the whole field was a lovely green carpet -which grew so that one could see it grow from day to day.</p> - -<p>One morning, the stag came to the edge of the forest and beheld -all this with amazement. Then he shouted into the forest to his -family:</p> - -<p>“Come along! Here’s the finest field of grass you ever saw in -your lives! Hurry up and come. I’ve started grazing already.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve started grazing, have you?” cried Two-Legs and -came rushing up with his spear. “Out of this, you thief! Do -you imagine that I have sown corn in the sweat of my brow for -you to eat? Get out of it! This field belongs to me!”</p> - -<p>The stag fled as fast as he could into the forest. But the -sparrow flew round and told the news on every hand:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has taken a great piece of land which no one is -allowed to touch. He called the stag a thief when he tried to graze -on it.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p075.jpg" width="500" height="250" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76"></a>[76]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77"></a>[77]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-8.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_ENJOYS_LIFE">TWO-LEGS ENJOYS LIFE</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>When the time came, Two-Legs filled the house which he had -built for a barn with the produce of his field. And the harvest -was hardly gathered before he began to think of next year.</p> - -<p>He ploughed a new field and another and sowed them. The -year after, he cleared a part of the forest and tilled that.</p> - -<p>And so he went on year by year, until he had cultivated the -land as far as he could see from his house on the hill.</p> - -<p>Round the house he had planted a garden with the fruit-trees -and herbs which he had a use for. The fields lay in long, even -strips, each with its own sort of grass or corn. The whole was -fenced in; and Two-Legs was hard upon any who destroyed his -work or stole his property.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78"></a>[78]</span></p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>It looked as though he were the lord of the earth. No one -dared set himself up against him. His herd increased from day -to day and the wild animals fled far away as soon as they saw a -sign of him or his. In the depths of the forest, however, and under -the cover of the darkness and whenever they felt safe from him, -they talked of the old days when they themselves were the -masters, of the shame that it was that he should subjugate them -so and of their hopes of better times:</p> - -<p>“He throws stones at a poor bird that picks a grain of corn -in his field,” said the sparrow.</p> - -<p>“Yesterday, he drove me out of the hazel-hedge round his -garden,” said the squirrel.</p> - -<p>“He shot an arrow into my left wing because I took a lamb,” -said the eagle.</p> - -<p>“He has driven me right out of the forest,” said the wolf. -“He told me that all the game belonged to him and that, if I dared -touch it, he would persecute me and my cubs to the end of the -world, if need be.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps he’ll take it into his head to-morrow to say that -all the meadows are his,” cried the stag. “And where are we to -graze then?”</p> - -<p>The thistle, the poppy and the bluebell pressed close against -the hedge. The violet hid herself in the ditch and the stinging-nettle -stood gloomily and angrily outside Two-Legs’ garden fence.</p> - -<p>“Are we any better off?” asked the thistle. “We’ve been -driven from home and have to stand against the hedge and look -on while the silly grass spreads all over the field. We are at his -mercy; he can take our lives any day he pleases.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79"></a>[79]</span></p> - -<p>“He has planted some of my sisters in his garden,” said the -violet.</p> - -<p>“And some of mine,” said the poppy. “But that’s not -liberty.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80"></a>[80]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus6"> -<img src="images/illus6.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">‘HE SHOT AN ARROW INTO MY LEFT WING’</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81"></a>[81]</span></p> - -<p>“Prick him, thistle!” said the tall oak.</p> - -<p>“I did and he struck me with his stick,” replied the thistle.</p> - -<p>“Sting him, nettle!” said the oak.</p> - -<p>“I did,” said the nettle, “and I came off no better than the -thistle.”</p> - -<p>In the corn, however, a glad whisper ran from one end of the -field to the other.</p> - -<p>“It is we ... it is we ... it is we ... it is -we that reign in the land now.... We are good.... We -are useful.... You are nothing but weeds.”</p> - -<p>“Hear them, the cowardly dogs!” said the thistle.</p> - -<p>“We can do nothing,” said the bluebell. “Why don’t you -big trees fall down on him and crush him and his brood?”</p> - -<p>“That’s a ticklish matter, falling down,” said the oak. “But -have we not a king of the forest to -protect us? Where is the lion?”</p> - -<p>“Yes the lion ... Where is -the lion?” they all cried.</p> - -<p>But the lion was not there and did -not come.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> -<img src="images/i-p081.jpg" width="350" height="400" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs sat at home in -his garden, under a big apple-tree, -surrounded by all his -family.</p> - -<p>He cast his eyes -over his fields, on -which the corn -waved, and up into -the apple-tree, which -hung full of delicious, -yellow fruit. One of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82"></a>[82]</span> -his sons had just come back from the lake with a couple of big -fish. Another was hunting in the forest; now they heard his call -and he stood at the edge of the wood with a fat roebuck over -his shoulders.</p> - -<p>A third was busy making a plough: he wanted to improve upon -the old one. And all the rest were working at one thing or -another. The girls were busy in the kitchen or turning the mill-wheel.</p> - -<p>“We have had luck on our side,” said Two-Legs to his wife. -“Everything thrives and grows under our hands. And our -children will do better than we and their children better still. -I hardly dare picture the power and glory which our race may yet -achieve.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Mrs. Two-Legs. “Things are going well with us. -Remind me to strew a little corn for the sparrows, when the bad -times come.”</p> - -<p>“I sha’n’t forget,” said he. “We have such plenty now that -we can afford to give those little thieves a helping hand. And I -like to hear them twittering when I get up in the morning.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p082.jpg" width="500" height="275" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83"></a>[83]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus7"> -<img src="images/illus7.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">HE STOOD AT THE EDGE OF THE WOOD</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84"></a>[84]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85"></a>[85]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-9.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_OLD_ANIMALS_TAKE_COUNSEL">THE OLD ANIMALS TAKE COUNSEL</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>The complaints of the wild animals increased daily.</p> - -<p>“One no longer knows what one dare do and what not,” said -the mole. “Yesterday, my cousin was throwing up earth, as -our family have done ever since they existed. At that moment, -he was caught and killed by one of Two-Legs’ sons, because the -mole-hill appeared in the middle of one of his flower-beds.”</p> - -<p>“His daughter killed my wife, because she thought her ugly,” -said a young spider. “Not that my wife was nice to me. She -wanted to eat me immediately after the wedding and I had a -narrow escape. But, apart from that, she was the most inoffensive -person under the sun and really never hurt a soul. Except the -flies, of course.”</p> - -<p>“He took away my wife and planted her in his garden,” said -the hop-vine.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86"></a>[86]</span></p> - -<p>“And he throws me out if I show the least tiny green shoot,” -said the gout-weed.</p> - -<p>“He shuts us up in hives,” said the bee.</p> - -<p>“He hunts us by clapping his hands and hitting us with cloths,” -said the moth.</p> - -<p>“He locks us up and fattens us and eats us,” grunted the pig.</p> - -<p>“He sets traps for us if we try to get a morsel of food,” said the -mouse.</p> - -<p>“He is the master of us all,” said the stag. “We have no -one to complain to. We have no king. The lion is no longer -the ruler of the forest. He kills us with his claws when he is -hungry, but he makes no attempt to defend us.”</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>While they were talking, the lioness came slowly up and stood -in their midst. They sprang up in alarm, but she lay down quietly -and said:</p> - -<p>“Do not be afraid of me. I sha’n’t hurt you. I have hardly -eaten a mouthful this week for grief. The same cares oppress me -as yourselves. And it is worse for me, because my husband ought -to have protected us against these strangers and doesn’t. The -disgrace, for that matter, concerns me personally.”</p> - -<p>“The lion must help us! The lion must set us free!” they -all cried together.</p> - -<p>“The lion does nothing,” said the lioness, sadly. “He lies -at home in our lair, staring and staring before him. But, now, -listen to what I have to say.”</p> - -<p>They all gathered round and listened.</p> - -<p>“We are all concerned,” she said, “each one of us, without -exception. I have taken in all that I have heard and seen of -Two-Legs and I know his character and his plans as though he -had confided them to me. He wants to subdue the whole earth.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87"></a>[87]</span> -He and his children intend to reign over us all, whether we submit -or not.”</p> - -<p>“That is true!” cried the animals.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that is true,” continued the lioness. “Let none feel -safe! The most powerful animal and the tallest tree: if he has -not laid them low to-day, their turn will come to-morrow. The -lowest vermin and the sorriest weed, they know not on what day -he may need them nor when they are in his way; and then their -last hour has struck.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes!” they cried.</p> - -<p>The mighty oak waved his gnarled boughs in assent, the stag -sorrowfully drooped his antlers, the worm whispered his “Yes!” -in the earth and the bees buzzed with fear.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the lioness. “To him we are either useful or -injurious. If he thinks a flower pretty, he fences it in; if its -scent offends his nostrils, he tramples her underfoot. If a tree -stands where he can sleep in its shade, he lets it grow. If it -is in his way or if he has a use for its wood, he chops it down. -If he is able to use an animal, he catches it and makes it his slave. -He dresses himself in its skin, eats its flesh, lets it do his work. -He does not stop when he has had his fill, as we do. Greedy as he -is, he catches animals and gathers fruit for many days, so that -he may never suffer want.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so, that’s so!” cried the animals, in chorus.</p> - -<p>“Wait a bit!” continued the lioness. “There is more to -come. He does not hunt fair, like ourselves. He does not go -after his prey on his own legs. He rides at it on the back of the -horse, whom he has compelled to carry him. He does not catch -it with his claws, does not kill it with his teeth: he has a curious -weapon, which flies through the air and brings death to whomsoever -it strikes.”</p> - -<p>“We all know it!” cried the stag.</p> - -<p>“It has whistled past my ear!” said the wolf.</p> - -<p>“It hit my wing!” said the eagle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88"></a>[88]</span></p> - -<p>“He does not drink the blood as we do, does not eat the meat -as we do,” continued the lioness. “He roasts it at the fire: he -always has a fire in his hut. He has done violence to nature: -we knew fire only when the lightning struck an old tree and set -it alight; he strikes two stones against each other till the sparks -come, or rubs two pieces of rotten wood till they catch flame.”</p> - -<p>“True, true!” cried the animals. “He has subdued fire.”</p> - -<p>“He does not wait to pluck the fruit in the forest when it is -ripe,” said the lioness. “He cultivates the plants for which he has -a use and roots out the others. Give him a free hand and he will -transform the whole earth. No herbs will he let grow but those -which he can employ. No animals will he let live but those which -serve his use or pleasure. If we want to remain alive, we must -become his servants.”</p> - -<p>“Hear, hear!” cried the animals.</p> - -<p>The lioness paused; all was still. They heard Trust bark a -long way off.</p> - -<p>“Listen to the dog,” said the lioness. “His first servant. -Now he helps him watch over others.”</p> - -<p>“The dog has betrayed us! Let us kill the dog!” they cried.</p> - -<p>The lioness raised her paw and silence prevailed again. Then -she continued:</p> - -<p>“Do you remember the night when we met here in this same -meadow, when the new animals had just arrived? There were -some who warned us: they were the horse and the ox and the -sheep; the goose and the duck agreed with them: now they -are all his subjects; their presentiments did not deceive them. -But do you not remember how the two animals looked when they -lay here asleep? A couple of poor, naked wretches: we could -have killed them without trouble, had we wished.”</p> - -<p>“We could, we could!” cried the animals.</p> - -<p>“But we didn’t!” said the lioness. “And now they are the -lords of the forest. Do you know whence their power comes? -It comes from the animals whom they have subdued. If we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89"></a>[89]</span> -could take those animals from them, then they would be just as -poor and helpless as before. Two-Legs’ power consists in this, -that he can make others work for him. If, therefore, you take -my advice, you will try to get his servants away from him. I -propose that we send some one who will endeavour to talk them -into their senses. Surely, we have only to appeal to their sense -of honour and to remind them of the days when they wandered -at liberty in the forest! Who will undertake the mission?”</p> - -<p>“Do you go yourself!” they all cried.</p> - -<p>“No,” said the lioness, “I had better not. It would not be -wise. There is blood between their race and mine. They might -remember this; and then my words would be in vain. It should -be one from whom they have never had anything to fear.”</p> - -<p>They discussed the matter for some time; and then it was -resolved that the fox should be the emissary. He was at odds, -it was true, from the old days, with the goose and the duck and -the hen; but there was no one better at hand.</p> - -<p>And so he sneaked off: none knew so well the shortest and -most secret paths in the forest. He promised to bring back an -answer as quickly as possible. The animals lay down to rest in -the meadow and whispered together. In the midst of the circle -lay the lioness, staring silently before her, with shame and wrath -in her eyes.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>When the fox reached Two-Legs’ house, he met Trust, who was -going his night rounds to see if there were any foes about.</p> - -<p>“Good evening, cousin,” said the fox, slyly. “Out so late?”</p> - -<p>“I might say the same to you,” replied Trust. “I am keeping -watch for my master. You’re hardly out on so lawful an errand.”</p> - -<p>“I have no master, certainly,” said the fox. “And it’s not -long ago since you were a free dog in the forest. You ought to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90"></a>[90]</span> -become so again. Come down with me to the meadow. The other -animals are gathered there. They will forgive you for entering -Two-Legs’ service and look upon you as the good dog that you -were, if you will open the door so that the captive animals may -escape.”</p> - -<p>“There are no captive animals here,” said the dog. “We -are all well off and we wish for no change. If I am Two-Legs’ -servant, I am also his friend. So run away back as fast as you -can to those who sent you.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p090.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>With that, the dog turned his back on the fox and went in -through the little hole that was left in the fence for his use. But -the fox stood waiting awhile, to see if none of the others appeared. -And it was not long before a fine gosling stuck her head through -the hole.</p> - -<p>“Good-evening, little missie!” said the fox. “Please come a -little closer.”</p> - -<p>“I dare not,” said the gosling. “I am not allowed out at<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91"></a>[91]</span> -night. And I should so awfully like to get away. I am so -frightened of Two-Legs. He roasted my mother the other day -and ate her.”</p> - -<p>“Shocking!” exclaimed the fox. “You mustn’t stay a -moment longer in this murderer’s den. Come out to me and I -will take you to a place where you will have nothing to fear.”</p> - -<p>“If I only dared trust you!” said the gosling. “But I have -ten sisters. I can’t leave them in the lurch.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think you had better wake them to-night,” said the -fox. “Young ladies are so talkative and, if the dog or Two-Legs -discovered your flight, it would be all up with us. You would -be roasted forthwith and I should come in for a certain unpleasantness -too: that goes without saying.”</p> - -<p>“That is true,” said the gosling. “But will you promise me -to fetch my sisters another time?”</p> - -<p>“I give you my word that, from to-day, I will come every -night and fetch one of the young ladies, until they are all rescued,” -said the fox. “As far as lies in my power. There may be -obstacles.”</p> - -<p>“How kind you are!” whispered the gosling. “And I who -thought that the wild animals were such terrible monsters! That’s -what I’ve always been told. They said I must be particularly careful -not to go into the forest, lest the worst of evils should befall me.”</p> - -<p>“Sheer calumny!” said the fox. “All the animals in the -forest are angels. I never heard of any one being roasted there. -But come now, before we are perceived.”</p> - -<p>“I’m coming,” said the gosling.</p> - -<p>She waddled through the hole and, that very instant, felt -the fox’s teeth in her throat. She was just able to give a scream -and then she was done for. But, the next moment, Trust was -there. The fox let go the gosling and struck out with his teeth -as best he could. But he was the weaker and the dog gave no -quarter. Not until the fox lay dead on the ground did Trust -go back through his hole again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92"></a>[92]</span></p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>Meanwhile, the animals were lying in the meadow and waiting.</p> - -<p>“The fox has tricked us,” said the stag.</p> - -<p>“Of course, he has been caught and is entering Two-Legs’ -service like the rest,” said the nightingale.</p> - -<p>But, at daybreak, the sparrow came flying up, breathlessly:</p> - -<p>“The fox is dead!” she said. “He is lying on the hill outside -Two-Legs’ house. I saw him myself. There’s a dead goose lying -beside him.”</p> - -<p>Then the lioness rose and all the other animals with her:</p> - -<p>“The fox went on his own business,” she said. “He fell in -his own hunting. We can trust nobody now.”</p> - -<p>Then, with bent head, she went sadly home.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p092.jpg" width="500" height="250" alt="" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93"></a>[93]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-10.jpg" width="500" height="275" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_LION">THE LION</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>It was one night, some days after the animals -had held their meeting in the meadow.</p> - -<p>The lion lay in his lair, as was his custom, and stared with his -yellow eyes. His spouse was sleeping or pretending to sleep. -At every moment she heaved a deep sigh. All was still in the -forest.</p> - -<p>The lion well knew what his consort’s sighing meant. He -knew what the animals had talked of that day and all the other -days in the forest. Not one of their complaints was unfamiliar -to him; not one of the taunts uttered against him had escaped -his ears. Not for a moment had he doubted the feeling in the -forest towards the king of beasts.</p> - -<p>Nor had he forgotten which of the animals had spoken of him -most slightingly. He had imprinted the names of more than -one in his memory and he would know how to be even with them -when the time came and order was restored in the forest. Every -day he had to bear his consort’s gibes, but he no longer heeded -them. She would have to beg his pardon and yield him her love -and admiration once again. His children would honour him as they -had honoured him of old and even more. He would be remembered -in the history of the forest as the monarch in whose reign -the kingdom had incurred a great danger and misfortune, which -he had finally overcome.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94"></a>[94]</span></p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>The lion rose and went slowly through the forest.</p> - -<p>“The king of beasts is out hunting,” said the hedgehog, creeping -under the bushes.</p> - -<p>“See how thin he is,” said the bat. “His skin is hanging -loose on his bones.”</p> - -<p>“It is many nights since he went hunting,” said the owl. “His -eyes are glaring with hunger.”</p> - -<p>But the king of the forest was not thinking of hunting. He -went, as though in a dream, in the direction of Two-Legs’ house. -A deer darted across his path and he did not see her. Slowly he -went until he came to the open space on the hill where Two-Legs’ -house stood.</p> - -<p>He went straight up to it, leapt nimbly over the hedge and -crouched in some bushes that grew at the door. He there lay -concealed. No one could see him, only his yellow eyes gleamed -through the leaves. And one bound would bring him to the door.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs slept restlessly that night.</p> - -<p>He tossed about on his bed of skins and, when at last he fell -asleep, Trust began to bark so loudly that Two-Legs had to get -up and see what was happening. He had closed up the hole through -which Trust used to get out, because the goose had lately escaped -that way and fallen a prey to the fox.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Trust?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The dog kept on barking and leaping up against him. Two-Legs -opened a little shutter and looked out and listened. But -there was nothing to see. Then he told the dog to lie down and -went back to bed. But now he heard the horse kicking in the -stable and the ox began to low and the poultry to cackle. There -was no hearing a word for the noise. He had to go out again and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95"></a>[95]</span> -found all the animals shaking, as though greatly frightened. The -horse stood in a violent sweat and the hens and the ducks and geese -fluttered anxiously round and round their roost.</p> - -<p>“What can it be?” he said.</p> - -<p>He opened the door and stepped out into the night, unarmed -and naked, as he had risen from his bed. At that moment, there -was a rustling in the bushes. The lion leapt forward, but Two-Legs -just had time to spring back into the house and bolt the door -behind him.</p> - -<p>He stood for a moment in great alarm and did not know what -to do.</p> - -<p>Through a little hole in the door, he saw the lion lying outside -in the bushes, with his eyes fixed on the door, ready to leap again. -The yellow eyes glittered with rage. Two-Legs understood that -the fight was now to come that had been so long delayed.</p> - -<p>He thought first of waking his sons, slipping out through the -other door and attacking the lion in the rear. But they slept -in different parts of the house; and the day was already breaking -in the east; and, while he was gone to fetch them, one of the -family might easily go out and fall a prey to the king of the forest.</p> - -<p>While he stood and reflected, his fear left him.</p> - -<p>He considered he was man enough to kill his foe unaided. He -silently took the best two of his spears, carefully felt the edges, -drew a deep breath and then opened the door.</p> - -<p>The lion was not there.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs looked from one side to the other and could not -discover him. But he was an old, experienced hunter and did not -doubt but that the lion was lurking in ambush. So he stood -quietly in the doorway, with every muscle taut, ready for the -fight that must come.</p> - -<p>Then he heard a soft rustling in the bushes and, at that -moment, he saw the animal’s eyes there among the leaves. He -knew there was no time to lose: if the lion sprang first, it was too -late.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96"></a>[96]</span></p> - -<p>He flung one of his spears and struck the lion in the eye. The lion -uttered a roar of rage; and then the other spear pierced his heart.</p> - -<p>All the inmates of the house were now out of bed and came -running up.</p> - -<p>There lay the dead lion, a great and splendid sight. Trust -barked at him and wanted to bite him, but Two-Legs drove him -away:</p> - -<p>“After all,” he said, “he was king -of the forest. But now let it be declared -all over the earth that the lion is dead -and that the realm is mine.”</p> - -<p>Then they stripped the lion’s hide -and hung it on a tall pole, which they -set up in the middle of the field, so that -it could be seen from far and wide.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> -<img src="images/i-p096.jpg" width="200" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“The lion is slain!” cried the sparrow, -from door to door. “Two-Legs has -murdered the king of the forest. His -skin is hanging on a pole outside the -house: I saw it myself.”</p> - -<p>Then all crowded up and saw it. From -the edge of the forest, full of fear they -peeped at Two-Legs’ house and the birds -stared down from the sky.</p> - -<p>“And now all is over,” said the stag.</p> - -<p>And so it was.</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>But, in the course of that day, the orang-outang came to Two-Legs, -who was sitting outside the house:</p> - -<p>“Good-day, cousin,” said the orang-outang.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs looked at him without answering.</p> - -<p>“Ah, you may have heard,” said the orang-outang, “that -I have spoken ill of you. I will not deny that I have been a little<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97"></a>[97]</span> -careless in my talk. But you yourself know, when one meets -with poor relations, one is afraid of hangers-on. One has children -of one’s own and it is not easy to make both ends meet in these -hard times. Besides, you once caught me a blow with your stick; -so we can cry quits.”</p> - -<p>“What do you want?” asked Two-Legs. “I have neither -time nor inclination to listen to your drivel.”</p> - -<p>“Now don’t be hasty, cousin,” said the orang-outang -and sat down beside him. “I acknowledge your -success. You have been lucky. It -does not enter my head to deny your -ability. You have managed things -splendidly. That little business -with the -horse was really -smartly done. -And, now that -you have outwitted -the lion....”</p> - -<p>“What do you -want, you bothersome -brute?” said -Two-Legs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p097.jpg" width="400" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“I want to join forces with you, cousin,” -said the orang-outang. “We two as partners -ought to conquer the world.”</p> - -<p>“Are you mad?” said Two-Legs. “What should I do with -such a ridiculous, stupid beast as you? You’re no more use to -me than a pigeon. Away with you! Look sharp or I’ll give you -a thrashing which you won’t forget in a hurry.”</p> - -<p>The orang-outang retreated a few paces, but did not give up -the game:</p> - -<p>“You should think it over all the same, cousin,” he said. -“However clever you may be, I can be of use to you still. I should<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98"></a>[98]</span> -be a good intermediary between you and the animals. I can -do things you can’t; and what I can’t do I can easily learn. Up -in the apple-tree where I sat, I have watched you and studied -the way you went about your field; and I have already picked -up many of your tricks. You must know that....”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs stood up and caught the orang-outang by the arm:</p> - -<p>“Come outside!” he shouted into the house. “I want to show -you something!”</p> - -<p>They all came and stared at the ape.</p> - -<p>“This fellow wants to go into partnership with me,” said Two-Legs. -“He’s not fair. He says he has already learnt my tricks. -Let’s put him in a cage; then we can amuse ourselves with his -tricks when it’s raining.”</p> - -<p>The orang-outang protested, but to no purpose. Two-Legs -held him tight and soon they had built a cage and put him into it.</p> - -<p>“There’s none like one’s own people for meanness!” said the -orang-outang, as he sat on the floor of his cage, catching his fleas.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p098.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus8"> -<img src="images/illus8.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">THERE WAS NO TIME TO LOSE</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99"></a>[99]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-11.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="MANY_YEARS_AFTER">MANY YEARS AFTER</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>It was many, many years after.</p> - -<p>And it was not in the forest in the warm lands where the sun -shines stronger than here and the rain falls closer and all animals -and plants thrive better, because the winter does not stunt their -growth.</p> - -<p>It was in a large village in Jutland.</p> - -<p>It was fair-time and the village was full of people and cattle. -On every side stood booths with wooden shoes and tin goods, -cakes and toys and all sorts of wares. There were refreshment-tents -and a dancing-hall. There was a peep-show, there were -two merry-go-rounds, there was a place where the fattest lady -in the world was exhibited. In another place, for twopence, you -could see a tiny dwarf. Then there were white mice and performing -fleas, numbers of barrel-organs, all playing at one time, -so that you could hardly hear for the din, and drunken peasants -and boys playing practical jokes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100"></a>[100]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p100.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>But the most remarkable thing of all was hidden in a large -tent in the middle of the market-place. This, too, could be seen -for twopence; and, if you wished to know what it was, you had -but to listen to the man who stood outside and shouted in a hoarse -voice:</p> - -<p>“Walk up, ladies -and gentlemen, walk -up! Only twopence -for grown-ups, children -half-price! -Here’s something -that’s never been exhibited -in this village -before, but that’s appeared -before all the -kings and royal families -in the world. It’s -a king himself that -I have the honour of -introducing to you: -the king of the beasts, -ladies and gentlemen, -the terrible lion! He -lives in darkest Africa -and is so powerful -that he can kill an -ox with one blow of -his paw. He has two lambs for his breakfast every morning. -If he were to escape from his cage, he would do away with you -all in no time. But you need have no fears, ladies and gentlemen! -The lion is in his cage behind thick iron bars. There he -stands and glares in his bloodthirsty way, at twopence for grown-ups, -children half-price. Walk up, ladies and gentlemen! Hurry -up, before it’s too late! Never again, in all your lives, will you -see so fine a sight at so cheap a price!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101"></a>[101]</span></p> - -<p>He shouted like this all the time. A crowd of people stood -outside the tent staring. Many went in. When they came out, -they told the bystanders about the lion inside. Then more went -in and so it continued all day long.</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>The lion’s cage stood at the back of the tent.</p> - -<p>It was a low and dirty cage. On the floor lay some filthy -straw and a few bones. The side which was turned to the spectators -consisted of thick, rusty iron bars. In the far corner lay -the lion, with his head resting on his paws. His yellow eyes -stared at the onlookers with a dull expression. There was straw -in his tangled mane; and he was terribly thin. Now and again, -he gave a nasty hollow cough.</p> - -<p>The man stood with a long stick in his hand, talking and explaining. -The visitors to the fair stared round-eyed at the great -beast that lay there so quietly. Sick and feeble as he was, they -could see, nevertheless, that he was the lion, the king of beasts; -and they felt cold in their backs at the thought that he might -break loose. But, when he did not make a single movement, one -of the spectators said, at last:</p> - -<p>“I believe he’s dead!”</p> - -<p>Then the showman pushed his long stick through the bars and -poked the lion with it. The lion slowly turned his head and looked at -him, but gave no further sign of life. Then the man poked him again -and again; and, at last, the lion sprang up and gave such a roar -that the tent shook with it and the people fell back in affright.</p> - -<p>“He ate his former owner,” said the man. “I bought him -of the widow. He is terrible and intractable. He’s dreaming of -his native land, you see, where he used to hunt in the wild forest -and all the animals honoured and feared him. But now you must -go please, so that others may come and see the most extraordinary -sight ever exhibited in this village. Walk up, ladies and gentlemen!<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102"></a>[102]</span> -Only twopence each! The king of the forest, the terrible -lion!”</p> - -<p>And so it went on until late that evening. Not until the -market-place was empty and there were no more visitors left to -listen to him did the man shut up his tent, after counting the day’s -takings:</p> - -<p>“This has been a bad day,” he said, with an angry look at the -lion. “You haven’t really earned your supper!”</p> - -<p>He flung a small piece of half-rotten meat into the cage. Then -he shut the door and locked it and went to the inn, where he sat -and drank and caroused till early morning.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>The lion did not touch the putrid meat. With his head on his -paws, he lay staring at the little paraffin-lamp that hung in the -tent and flickered feebly. Suddenly, he heard a sound and raised -his head and looked about him:</p> - -<p>“Can’t I have peace even at night?” he said.</p> - -<p>“It’s only I,” replied a squeaky little voice. “I have been -locked in by accident. I want to get out! I want to get out! -My mistress will die of fright for me.”</p> - -<p>It was a tiny little dog, with a collar and bells round his neck -and an embroidered rug on his back. He tripped to and fro, -whined and cried and scratched at the door, but no one heard him. -All was silent in the market-place outside.</p> - -<p>“Well, I never!” said the lion. “You’re the dog: I can -see that. Gracious me, what a sight they’ve made of you!”</p> - -<p>“I want to get out! I want to get out!” whined the dog.</p> - -<p>The lion laid his head on his paws again and looked at the dog:</p> - -<p>“What’s the use of whimpering like that?” he asked. “No -one’s hurting you. I couldn’t eat you if I wanted to.... The -iron bars are strong, believe me. I used to shake them at first. -I have to travel in my cage from place to place and let people look<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103"></a>[103]</span> -at me for money, submit to their scorn and teasing and roar when -I am told to, so that they may shudder and yet feel quite safe from -my teeth.”</p> - -<p>“Let me out!” cried the dog.</p> - -<p>“I can’t,” replied the lion. “But I am not so contemptible -as you. I am here against my will, caught in a trap. You -voluntarily entered Two-Legs’ service, betrayed your fellows and -helped him against them.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” said the dog. “I -know no one called Two-Legs. I am in service with human -beings. My mistress is a great baroness and she will die of fright -if I don’t come home to her soon.”</p> - -<p>“Just so,” said the lion. “Human beings, that’s what Two-Legs’ -confounded descendants call themselves. They have subdued -the whole earth. There is hardly a place left where an -honest lion can go hunting in royal style. I know the whole -story: it has been handed down in my house, from father to son. -I heard it all, the night before I was captured, in the desert to -which the men had driven us: how Two-Legs and his wife came -naked and unarmed to the forest; how my ancestor protected -them; how they gradually outwitted all the animals: you alone -entered their service of your own free will. The others they -caught and tamed and dulled their senses until they no longer -knew how to lead the lives of free animals and resigned themselves -to slavery. Finally, Two-Legs killed my ancestor with his spear: -yes, yes, I know the whole shameful story.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t,” said the dog. “And I don’t mind if I never know -it. I only know that I have a cosy little basket at home with my -mistress and that she pets and kisses me and gives me the loveliest -food. I want to get out! I want to go home!”</p> - -<p>The lion made no reply, but thought to himself:</p> - -<p>“When I lie here in my cage, where I shall soon die of sorrow -and coughing, it is a comfort to me to see how wretched Two-Legs’ -descendants have grown. For he was lithe and slender<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104"></a>[104]</span> -and fair to look upon: he was an animal! But these people here! -One can hardly see a morsel of their bodies, they are so wrapped up. -Two-Legs could bound through the forest and climb trees: these -people here can hardly stir hand or foot. He was a fighter; and it’s -really amusing to watch the terror in these fellows’ eyes as I get -up and move to the bars when I roar. They shake like aspen leaves, -though they know that I am only a wretched prisoner.”</p> - -<p>“I want to get out! I want to go home!” whined the dog.</p> - -<p>The lion rose and went to the bars of his cage. He lashed his -lean flanks with his tail and opened his jaws till his terrible teeth -gleamed and glistened. The little dog trembled with fear before -his yellow eyes.</p> - -<p>“And you!” said the lion. “Ha, ha, ha! It’s better to be -a captive lion in a cage than a miserable little lap-dog, with bells -and a rug.”</p> - -<p>He gave such a roar that all the people in the village started -up in their beds. Then he lay down at the far end of the cage, -turned on one side and slept.</p> - -<p>The little dog shivered and whined until some one came and let -him out.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p104.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105"></a>[105]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-12.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_THE_WIND">TWO-LEGS CONQUERS THE WIND</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Now you who have read this story will remember how Two-Legs, -many years ago, mastered all the animals on earth.</p> - -<p>Those which he could use and which obeyed him as they should -he tamed and took into his service. Those which he could not -employ he let alone, provided only that they left him and his in -peace. If they did not, then he waged war upon them, nor ceased -until he had prevailed against them. He always ended by prevailing, -for he was the cleverest, you see, and therefore the strongest.</p> - -<p>And, little by little, the tame animals grew so much accustomed -to being with him and so completely lost the qualities with -which they had been wont to shift for themselves that they could -no longer do without their bondage. When, once in a way, they -escaped and tried to live like the other, free, wild animals, they -could not manage at all, but perished miserably.</p> - -<p>But the wild animals which Two-Legs had no use for lurked -round about in their hiding-places and cavilled and muttered and -made no progress and did themselves no good.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106"></a>[106]</span></p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>At the time when this particular story begins, Two-Legs had -put up a new summer tent in a green meadow, not far from the -beach.</p> - -<p>He was sitting outside it one evening, while the twilight was -closing in. All the family had gone to bed and were sleeping -soundly after the exertions of the day. All the cattle lay in the -grass, munching and chewing the cud. The dog, his faithful -servant, lay on the ground before him, pricking up his ears at -every sound, sleeping with one eye and watching with the other.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs did not sleep himself.</p> - -<p>He was old now and no longer needed so much rest. And he -was not tired either as in former days, for he now had so many -children and grandchildren that they were able to do most of the -work. Himself, he loved best to sit quietly, to think of what had -happened to him in his life and to meditate on the things that -were yet to come.</p> - -<p>When he sat like that, he often seemed to hear voices on either -side of him. They came from the spring that rippled past him, -from the tree whose leaves whispered over his head, from the -evening breeze that cooled his brow:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... the lord of the earth ... the cleverest -... the strongest,” rippled the spring.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... the vanquisher of the lion ... the -terror of the wild animals ... the protector of the tame,” -whispered the tree.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... whom no one can understand ... to -whom all things belong,” sang the evening breeze.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs sat and listened. He liked to hear that sort of -thing, the more the better.</p> - -<p>But, as the evening wore on, the wind grew stronger and shook -the tent. The gentle whispering in the leaves sounded less home-like -than before. The billows in the brook did not babble softly,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107"></a>[107]</span> -but made a mighty uproar and sent their foam splashing right -over his feet.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Two-Legs, who was beginning -to feel cold, and wrapped his cloak round him.</p> - -<p>“Yes, who knows what’s the matter?” whispered the leaves.</p> - -<p>“Who can tell what’s at the bottom of it?” rippled the spring.</p> - -<p>“There is more between heaven and earth than Two-Legs -knows of,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs leant back against the tent and looked about him -proudly:</p> - -<p>“Then let it come,” he said. “I have vanquished the lion -and subdued the horse and the wild ox; so I daresay I can conquer -what remains.”</p> - -<p>Just as he said this, there came a terrible gust of wind.</p> - -<p>It knocked Two-Legs over, till he rolled along the ground and -fell into the brook. It tore three great deer-skins from the tent -and woke all those who were lying asleep inside. They started -up and screamed and did not know what was happening. The -dog howled at the top of his voice, with his tail between his legs. -Two-Legs crawled out of the brook, dripping wet.</p> - -<p>The moment he tried to rise to his feet, another gust came -... and another ... and another.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs crept along the ground on all fours. The whole -tent was blown down and the people inside ran and fell over one -another and shouted and wailed so that it was horrible to -hear.</p> - -<p>But no one heard it, for each had enough to do to think of -saving his own life. The cows and the goats and the sheep lowed -and bleated with fright and ran up against one another and -trampled on one another. Many of them fell down the slope and -broke their legs. The horses galloped off over the meadow and -ran till they dropped from exhaustion far away inland. The big -tree above Two-Legs’ tent snapped in two like a stalk of -grass.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108"></a>[108]</span></p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>When day broke, Two-Legs sat and wept at all the destruction -which he saw around him. He let the family drive the cattle -together and set up the tent again. He himself sat huddled -in his cloak and brooded and stared before him. Then he -said:</p> - -<p>“You bad Wind!”</p> - -<p>And he raised his clenched fist in the direction from which it -was still blowing violently.</p> - -<p>“You destroyed my property last night,” he cried, “and -might easily have killed me and mine. Now, we are setting up -the tent and collecting the cattle; but you may come back, to-night -or to-morrow night, and ruin everything once more.”</p> - -<p>“So I may,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“You bad Wind!”</p> - -<p>“I am not bad,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“Would you have me call you good, after the way you’ve -treated me?” asked Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“I am not good,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“Very well, you are neither bad nor good,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Just so,” said the wind. “You’ve hit it.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Two-Legs. “But can you tell me what -use it is for me to vanquish the lion and tame the ox and the horse, -the camel and the elephant, when a puff of wind can destroy all -that I have done? Can you tell me how I can get you into my -service and what I am to use you for?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109"></a>[109]</span></p> - -<p>“I can tell you nothing,” said the wind. “Catch me, conquer -me, use me!”</p> - -<p>He darted across the fields and took with him a great piece -of skin that belonged to the old tent, blew it out, lifted it high -in the air and carried it far away over the water. Two-Legs sat -and watched it until it was out of sight.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110"></a>[110]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus9"> -<img src="images/illus9.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">‘VERY WELL, YOU ARE NEITHER BAD NOR GOOD’</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111"></a>[111]</span></p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>Then the eldest son came:</p> - -<p>“We can’t stay here any longer,” he said. “The storm has -destroyed both the corn and the grass; and our cattle have nothing -to eat. It was the same wherever I rode this morning, for miles -around. I don’t know what we shall do.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs sat and looked out over the water, where the wind -had carried the skin away. Far in the distance lay a great land -that was ever so green.</p> - -<p>“There’s good grass over there,” he said.</p> - -<p>“What use is that to us?” replied the son. “There’s deep -water and a rapid current in between. We could never get -across.”</p> - -<p>“Which way is the wind blowing?” asked Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Towards the island,” said his son. “Is it your intention -that he should blow us across?”</p> - -<p>“Just so,” said Two-Legs, throwing off his cloak and standing -up. “I have decided to take the wind into my service.”</p> - -<p>The son stared at him without understanding a word of what -his father said. But Two-Legs called all his family together and -bade them put aside any work that they were doing. He set them -to saw planks, to drag the planks down to the sea and to bind -them firmly together into a big raft. Next he told the men to -put up a tall mast made of a young oak-tree, while the women -sat and sewed hides together into a great sail. Then they hoisted -the sail to the top of the mast and fastened the ends below to the -raft. The wind filled the sail, but the raft was tied to the shore -with strong ropes, so that it could not get loose.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs made all his family and all his cattle go on the raft. -When the last had come on board, he let go. The wind stretched -the big sail and bore them swiftly over the water. Towards -evening, they landed, rejoicing, on the good green land.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112"></a>[112]</span></p> - -<h3>5</h3> - -<p>Henceforward, one of Two-Legs’ sons devoted himself entirely -to the raft. He rebuilt it and improved it, hit upon new methods -of setting sail and invented a rudder to steer with. He made the -raft taper in front, so that it cut more easily through the water. -He put ballast at the bottom of it, so that it could not be readily -upset by a sudden squall. He learnt to make use of the wind, -even if it did not blow exactly the way it should. By degrees, -he ventured to sail far out to sea and caught fish and came home -again safe and sound.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs sat outside his tent again and thought:</p> - -<p>“So I got you into my service after all,” he said to the wind, -who was fanning his cheek. “But the end is not yet. You just -wait. You will have to toil for me like the ox and the horse.”</p> - -<p>“I have no objection,” said the wind. “I am what I am and -what I do I must. Catch me, conquer me, use me!”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs sat and watched them bruise corn in the mill, so -that it could be used for baking.</p> - -<p>Once, many years ago, he had hollowed out a stone and taught -the women to bruise the corn in it with another stone. Since -then, he had thought of letting two stones grind one against the -other. He had fixed a pole and harnessed an ox to it, who went -round, turning the mill. At that time, he was awfully proud of -his invention.</p> - -<p>The ox was now going round and round patiently. But, as it -happened, one of Two-Legs’ sons came and asked if the grinding -could not wait, for he had a use for all the cattle out in the fields. -The women said that this would not do, for they were short of -flour for the baking. Two-Legs let them fight it out among themselves -and sat and looked at the mill until evening.</p> - -<p>“What are you thinking about?” asked the wind, who came -and blew over his forehead as usual.</p> - -<p>“That’s it!” said Two-Legs, springing up. “I have it!<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113"></a>[113]</span> -I put you to the raft and you carried me and all my belongings -across to this green land. Why should I not also put you to the -mill?”</p> - -<p>“Catch me if you can!” said the wind.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p113.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h3>6</h3> - -<p>Next morning early, Two-Legs set to work. He built a big -scaffold, which rose high in the air. At the top, he fixed four broad -sails, which were covered with hides and fastened to an axle, so -that they could whirl round and round easily. That was the cap -of the mill. The mill-stones were put down at the bottom and -were connected with the sails, by means of poles and ropes, in such -a way that, when the sails whirled round and round, the stones -turned. Two-Legs’ children stood wondering and looking at it.</p> - -<p>“We are not ready yet,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114"></a>[114]</span></p> - -<p>He arranged the cap so that it could turn and the sails catch -the wind, whichever side it came from:</p> - -<p>“Now we’ll grind,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>And the wind came and turned the sails; and the mill ground -that it was a joy to see. They poured the grain into the top of -the mill and the fine, white flour dropped into sacks which they -fastened underneath.</p> - -<p>“I caught you again, friend Wind,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“I shall blow the other way to-morrow,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, I thought of that,” said Two-Legs. “I don’t mind -if you do.”</p> - -<p>When evening came, he turned the cap round. The next -morning the wind came from the other side and had to grind just -as briskly as the day before.</p> - -<p>“I shall go down to-morrow,” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“It’s only right that you should take a rest now and then,” -said Two-Legs, pleasantly. “The horse and the ox do as much -and so do the other beasts of burden in my service. I daresay -you will get up again when you must.”</p> - -<p>“Who says I must?” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Two-Legs. “Not yet. But I am -meditating upon it and I shall find out sooner or later. You -see, one hits upon everything by degrees, when one sits and looks -at things. I know this much already, that it’s the sun that -gives you your orders.”</p> - -<p>“How do you know that?” asked the wind.</p> - -<p>“I’ve noticed it,” said Two-Legs. “Whenever it changes -from cold to warm or from warm to cold, you blow from a -fresh quarter.”</p> - -<p>“What a clever man you are!” said the wind.</p> - -<p>“It helps,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“But there is still a hard nut for you to crack,” said the -wind. “For, even if you can’t put me to your ship and your -mill, I can come rushing up, for all that, as I did once before,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115"></a>[115]</span> -and knock down the mill and smash up the ship and scatter -your cattle all over the country.”</p> - -<p>“You can,” said Two-Legs. “And I can’t be angry with -you for it either, for you are neither bad nor good, as you said.”</p> - -<p>“Well, well, now I’m going down,” said, the wind. “And -I don’t think I shall get up again for ever so many days. Then -your mill will stand still.”</p> - -<p>“So it will,” said Two-Legs. “But I have thought of that, -too. Come over here and see.”</p> - -<p>He went down to the brook and showed, the wind another mill -which he had built. It had no sails, but a big wheel with wide -floats, which went down into the water. The wheel was connected -with the mill-stones in the same way as the sails and, as -the water ran, the wheel turned and the mill-stones ground.</p> - -<p>“That’s my water-mill,” said Two-Legs, proudly.</p> - -<p>Then he went into his tent and lay down to sleep, for it was -late and all the others had gone to bed.</p> - -<p>The wind lay down too, as he had said, and so they all lay and -slept.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p115.jpg" width="500" height="275" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116"></a>[116]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117"></a>[117]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-13.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_STEAM">TWO-LEGS CONQUERS STEAM</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs was now a very old man.</p> - -<p>His race was constantly increasing. It lived dispersed over -a large and glorious plain, where the rich corn waved in -the fields and the cattle waded through the tall and luscious -grass. Some of the men followed the sea, others tilled the soil -and tended the cattle, others felled timber in the forests. The -women kept house and weaved and span.</p> - -<p>Wherever the plain rose into a little hill, a wind-mill -strutted. Every brook that ran turned the wheel of a water-mill.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs himself constantly sat and observed what went on -around him in nature and pondered upon it. All looked up to -him with respect, as the eldest of the race and the cleverest man -in the world. All came to him for advice and help and seldom -went away unaided.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the plain rose a tall, cone-shaped mountain. -From its top, off and on, came a column of smoke. Two-Legs -often looked at this mountain. Once he rode up to the top and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118"></a>[118]</span> -stood and stared into the hole whence the smoke ascended, but -the heat that came out of it was so great that he could not endure -it or remain there.</p> - -<p>Then he rode back to his house again and sat and gazed at -the mountain and thought and wondered what there could be -in its depths. He knew mountains that contained gold and iron -and other metals; and he taught his children to extract the ore -and smelt it and shape the metal into tools and ornaments. But -a mountain like this, which smoked at the top, he had never seen -before.</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>Now, one day, as he was sitting plunged in thought, he heard -voices round about him, as he was wont to do. They whispered -in the stately palm-tree that raised its crown high above his head:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs is mighty ... greater than any other in -the world ... he rules the earth and all that is upon it.”</p> - -<p>They sang in the river that ran down to the sea:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs rules the waters ... they carry his ships -wherever he will ... they breed fish for his table.”</p> - -<p>The warm wind blew over his face:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs is greater than any other ... he rules me -... I have to toil in his service, like the ox and the horse.... -Blow east, blow west, he catches me and uses me.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs passed his hand down his long, white beard and -nodded with pride and contentment.</p> - -<p>At that moment, a peculiar thundering noise was heard. It -was as though it came from the interior of the earth; and, indeed, -one could not imagine where else it should come from. For the -sky was cloudless and clear and the sun shone bright and warm, -just at noonday.</p> - -<p>“What was that?” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Who knows?” said the palm-tree, trembling right down<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119"></a>[119]</span> -to its roots. “Who can fathom the forces that prevail in -nature?”</p> - -<p>“Who can say?” said the river, tossing its waves in terror, -like a rearing horse. “What do any of us know, after all?”</p> - -<p>“Who has so much as an idea?” said the wind, dropping -suddenly, like a tiger preparing to spring. “The earth is full of -mighty forces, which not one of us knows anything about.”</p> - -<p>There came another booming sound. Two-Legs rose. He -looked at the mountain in the middle of the plain and saw that -the column of smoke had turned into a great black cloud, which -grew and spread faster than his eyes could follow it.</p> - -<p>Now, it masked the sun; now, the waves in the river foamed -and met the waves of the sea, which came dashing over the land; -now, the wind rose, in a moment, into a furious gale.</p> - -<p>And, before Two-Legs could look round, it was suddenly black -as midnight.</p> - -<p>He saw, just as the light disappeared, that something dropped -from the sky, but could not see what it was. He groped his way -to the stable, where his horse stood tethered, jumped on its back -and darted away from the region where danger lay. The beast -was mortally frightened, like himself, and ran for its life.</p> - -<p>He could not see his hand before his eyes, but thought he -heard a wailing and crying through the storm, all over the plain, -wherever he came. He was able to tell a voice here and there, but -he merely rushed on and on, until his horse dropped under him.</p> - -<p>Then he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, stumbled and -fell and got up again and ran and ran, while the cries rang out -around him, when they were not drowned in the roar of the storm -and the thundering noise from the mountain.</p> - -<p>He was struck by a stone on the back of the head and felt the -blood trickle down his neck. His foot trod in something that was -like boiling water. He drew it back with a cry and ran the other -way. At last, he lost consciousness and had not himself the least -idea how he had managed to escape. When he recovered, he was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120"></a>[120]</span> -lying on a knoll, right at the end of the plain. Round about him -lay half a score of people of his family, bewildered and exhausted -like himself. They did not speak, but gazed at one another in -dismay and wept, with trembling hands.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs shaded his brows with his hand and looked out over -the plain.</p> - -<p>It had become light again, suddenly, even as it had become -dark. The black clouds had drifted away and the sun was setting -in crimson and gold as on the most perfect summer’s evening.</p> - -<p>Here and there, on the neighbouring hillocks, were some of -his family, who had saved themselves as he had. They also had a -few of the tame animals with them; and Two-Legs suddenly -noticed that his faithful dog was licking his hand.</p> - -<p>But the whole country, except the few hillocks, was buried -under an ocean of boiling and bubbling mud that soon stiffened to -a hard crust. All the houses and mills were destroyed and drowned -in the sea of mud. All the people and animals lay dead and buried -under it. All the rich and glorious plain looked like a desert in -which nothing had ever lived; and in its midst stood the mountain, -tall and calm, with the column of smoke on its top.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs’ kinsmen set to work to collect what had been saved.</p> - -<p>With wailing and lamentation, they withdrew from the ruined -country where they had made their home, together with the poor -remnants of their wealth. The women carried in their arms the -babes which they had saved and cried over those which were -dead. The herdsmen counted the few head of cattle that had -been spared. The sailors scanned the sea in vain for a single -ship that had escaped unhurt.</p> - -<p>“Come, Father Two-Legs,” they said. “Let us leave this -accursed land. There must be some place in the world where<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121"></a>[121]</span> -we can find peace and begin afresh to build up all that these -terrible hours have destroyed.”</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs shook his head:</p> - -<p>“Do you go,” he said. “I will follow you.”</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>They went; and he did not so much as look after them, but -only sat and gazed at the strange mountain from which the disaster -had come. He sat far into the night, which was clear and -mild, and had none with him but the dog, who would not leave -him. The smoke from the mountain was carried past him, now -and then, by the wind; but now it was only like a light, thin -stream.</p> - -<p>“Who caused that? Who caused it?” said Two-Legs and -gazed before him.</p> - -<p>“I did,” said Steam.</p> - -<p>“You?” said Two-Legs. “Who are you? You are flowing -past me like a mist. How did you have the strength to do it? -Who are you?... Where do you come from?”</p> - -<p>“I am Steam,” he said. “I come from the mountain up -there. I was shut in until I grew mad and furious and had to get -air. Then I broke out and destroyed the whole country. Now -that’s over and I have found peace and am as you see me.”</p> - -<p>“You bad Steam,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“I am not bad,” said Steam.</p> - -<p>“Would you have me call you good?” asked Two-Legs. -“You have destroyed my rich land and killed nearly all my -children and grandchildren and most of my cattle. All that I -invented so cleverly and successfully to make life easy and pleasant -for me and mine you have spoilt in a few hours, though I have -done nothing to offend you. Are you good?”</p> - -<p>“I am not good,” said Steam.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122"></a>[122]</span></p> - -<p>“Very well, you are neither bad nor good,” said Two-Legs. -“I seem to have heard that nonsense once before. Wait a bit: -it was the wind who made the same remark, when he too had been -the cause of my misfortune.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly,” said Steam. “I am neither bad nor good. It -is just as the wind said. Didn’t you see, at the time, that the -wind was right?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Two-Legs, quietly.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t you take the wind into your service?” asked Steam. -“You caught him and put him to your boat and your mill. You -watched him and learnt to know his ways, so that you could use -him as he came. Am I not right?”</p> - -<p>“Aye,” said Two-Legs. “I became the wind’s master. But -I do not understand how I am to conquer you, who are mightier -than the wind, or how to employ your formidable power in my -service.”</p> - -<p>“Catch me, use me!” said Steam. “I serve the strongest.”</p> - -<h3>5</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs sat and gazed and thought. He looked at the ruined -land, at the sun, which shone as mildly as though nothing had -happened, at Steam, who floated quietly over the wilderness. -There was not a house left standing, not a tree; and not a bird -was singing.</p> - -<p>Once, he turned round and looked after his kinsmen. He -saw them far away on the horizon, but still it did not occur to him -to follow them. Then he said to Steam:</p> - -<p>“Who are you? Tell me something about yourself.”</p> - -<p>“I am like this at present,” said Steam. “You see me now -and you saw me a little while ago. Look out across the sea and -you shall see me there, too.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see you there,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus10"> -<img src="images/illus10.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">‘CATCH ME! USE ME!’</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123"></a>[123]</span></p> - -<p>“That’s because you don’t know,” said Steam. “As a -matter of fact I am water, to start with.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me about it,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“It’s easily told,” said Steam. “You see, I am the sea -water, which soaks through the ground into the mountain yonder. -I ooze in through a thousand underground passages. But -inside the mountain there is a tremendous fire, which smoulders -everlastingly and never goes out. Now, when the water rises -above the fire, it turns to steam; and the steam is collected in -great cavities down the mountain, so long as there is room for -it. At last, there is so much of it that it can’t exist there. -Then the mountain bursts. Rocks and stones ... the whole -mountain-lake up there, which is boiling because of the fire in -the ground ... mud and sludge, boiling water and scalding -steam come rushing out over the land, as you have just seen. -I burst everything, when I am tortured beyond endurance. There -is not a wall that can imprison me, not a door which I cannot -open ... do you understand?”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs nodded.</p> - -<p>“You have seen the column of smoke that rises from the -mountain every day,” said Steam. “There is always a little -opening, you know, an air-hole through which some of me can -escape. But at last it is no longer big enough and then I -burst the whole concern. Now learn from what has happened -to you to-day that you must never build your abode where you -see a smoking mountain, for you can never be safe there.”</p> - -<p>“It’s not enough for me to be safe,” said Two-Legs. “I -don’t want to avoid you. I want to rule you. You are the -strongest force I know in the world. You must be my servant, -like the horse and the ox and the wind.”</p> - -<p>“Catch me and use me, if you can!” said Steam.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Two-Legs, “I will try. But first tell me what -becomes of you when you float through the air, as you are doing -now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124"></a>[124]</span></p> - -<p>“Then I turn cold,” said Steam. “And, when I have turned -cold, I become water ... rain ... mist ... whatever you -please.”</p> - -<p>“And then you fall into the sea,” said Two-Legs. “And -then you soak into the mountain, where the fire is, and become -steam again; and so on and so on, for ever and ever.”</p> - -<p>“That’s it,” said Steam.</p> - -<p>Then he floated on across the wilderness and disappeared out -at sea. Two-Legs gazed after him and then stared at the mountain -again, which was smoking peacefully, as it had done before.</p> - -<p>He sat the whole night and pondered. Then he rose, called -the dog and went after the others.</p> - -<h3>6</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs and his family had discovered a new country.</p> - -<p>They built their houses again and tilled the soil and reaped -corn and raised cattle. They cut timber in the forests and the -seamen built new ships. Many years passed before the disaster -was overcome, but at last the whole tribe was recovered to such -an extent that they forgot about it, all excepting Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>He was always sitting and pondering and thinking about it. -That is to say, it was not the disaster itself he thought about: -he had forgotten that, like the others. He had forgotten the -dead, for he now had so many descendants that he no longer knew -their number or their names. It was Steam he thought about.</p> - -<p>When he saw how the wind turned the sails of the mill or carried -the ships across the sea, he gave a scornful smile. It went -so terribly slowly, he considered. And then a storm might come, -when they could neither sail nor grind, or a head-wind so strong -that they had to divert their course for it, or a calm, when everything -had to stand still.</p> - -<p>“You’re only a second-rate servant, friend Wind,” he said. -“Ah, Steam! Now there’s a fellow for you!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125"></a>[125]</span></p> - -<p>He remembered how the captive steam broke out and, in a -moment, obscured the sun and turned day into night, how it -scattered far and wide over the land great stones and mud and -ashes and all that the fiery mountain or volcano contained. In -a few hours, the plain was transformed into a wilderness. It was -all done so quickly and with such force that no one could possibly -imagine it who had not seen it. Surely, Steam must be the -strongest power on earth.</p> - -<p>He thought of what the steam had said, how it came into existence -when the water got above the fire.</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” he said.</p> - -<p>He sat and looked at the pot, which was boiling. As soon -as the water grew hot enough, the white steam floated above it.</p> - -<p>He took a piece of glass and held it over the steam. The steam -settled on the glass in clear drops.</p> - -<p>“That’s right, too,” he said. “The steam turns to water again.”</p> - -<p>He saw them put a lid on the pot to keep in the heat. They made -up the fire and more steam came, so that the lid began to jump.</p> - -<p>“Now it’s getting too close in there,” he said. “Just as -Steam told me about the volcano.”</p> - -<p>They put a stone on the lid to hold it down. Two-Legs added -more and more fuel and more and more steam came. At last it -flung off the lid with the stone and darted out into the room.</p> - -<p>“The mountain is splitting,” said Two-Legs, rubbing his hands.</p> - -<h3>7</h3> - -<p>He built himself a big boiler and a great furnace. Here -he kept up a constant fire and tried the strength of the steam -and pondered how to make use of it. He had only one person -with him, one of his grandsons, who was cleverer than the others, -and with whom he often talked of the thought that dwelt in him.</p> - -<p>Many a time they two would sit long into the night and work -and talk, always of the same thing. It was the question of making<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126"></a>[126]</span> -the steam work the way it should and no other and as strongly -as it should and no more. No one ventured to disturb them. All -the rest of the tribe looked upon Two-Legs’ house with awe and -reverence, for they knew how clever he was and that he was working -alone for the good of the whole race. Some of them, also, -believed that he would at last succeed in mastering Steam, but -many thought that it would never come to pass and that it would -end in terror, as though -he were fighting the -most secret and powerful -forces in nature.</p> - -<p>But, whether they -held this view or that, -they all preferred to keep -away from Two-Legs’ -house, because they understood -how great -the danger was to -which he exposed -himself. All those -who had survived -the calamity of the -volcano were long -since dead; but the -legend of that terrible day still lingered in the tribe and Two-Legs’ -kinsmen could not help thinking what terrible things might happen -if Steam should suddenly, one day, turn bad again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i-p126.jpg" width="400" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>Two-Legs took no heed of what they thought or said.</p> - -<p>Now and again, the elders came to him to report on what was -happening, good or bad, in the family: the number of children -born, the losses suffered or the gain in prosperity. He looked -up hastily from his work, nodded to them and then bade them -go and leave him alone.</p> - -<p>Sometimes, a young man would come running up, radiantly<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127"></a>[127]</span> -happy at some discovery he had made, to gather praise from the -old, wise man whom they all honoured above any other. Two-Legs -scarcely looked up from his work and did not hear him to the -end. He knew that the ideas with which he himself was busied -were far greater and more important and longed impatiently for -the day when they should be realized.</p> - -<p>He built new boilers of strange shapes and bigger, so that they -could hold more steam, and stronger, so that the steam could not -burst them. He made his people dig coal from the mountains -and used it for fuel, because he had discovered that it gave greater -heat and therefore more quickly turned the water into steam. -As each year passed, he thought he was nearing the goal, but as -yet he had not reached it and sometimes he was despairing.</p> - -<p>One day, the boiler burst. He himself was struck on the forehead -by a fragment of iron and received a deep wound; but his -grandson and assistant was killed before his eyes.</p> - -<p>They all came running up with wailing and lamentations. But -Two-Legs wiped the blood from his face and stood long and gazed -at the burst boiler. Then he turned and looked at the dead man:</p> - -<p>“Poor fellow!” he said. “He would so much have liked to -live and see the great work finished. Now he had to die; and -indeed he had a fine death, for he died for the greater prosperity -of his brethren. Bury him and set a monument over his grave.”</p> - -<p>They took him and were about to carry him away, but Two-Legs -stopped them and said:</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute ... I must have one in the place of him -who died: is there any of you that will help me? He knows -the lot that awaits him: death, perhaps, and disappointment for -many years, before we succeed, and scorn from the blockheads -who do not understand.”</p> - -<p>Seven at once applied. For, though they were certainly afraid, -they felt attracted by the mystery and the danger; and there -was no greater honour in the tribe than to stand by Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>So he chose one of them, took him into his house and initiated<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128"></a>[128]</span> -him into his secrets, while the others carried the dead man away -and buried him.</p> - -<h3>8</h3> - -<p>The years passed. One day, the people saw Two-Legs stand -outside his house and wave his arms and shout aloud. They -ran from every side to hear what he wanted.</p> - -<p>“I have found it, I have found it,” he shouted.</p> - -<p>He took the elders indoors and showed them a great iron -cylinder which he had constructed. At the top of the cylinder -was a hole which joined another cylinder. In the first cylinder -was a piston, also of iron, which fitted so accurately that it could -just slide up and down; and it was smeared with oil so that it -might slide as easily as possible. At the bottom of the cylinder -was the boiler with the water and under the boiler the furnace.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs lit a fire in the furnace, the water turned to steam -and the steam went up to the top cylinder and lifted the piston -right up to the top end of the cylinder. There it escaped through -the hole into the cylinder beside it, where it was cooled and became -water again and ran down into the boiler and was once more -heated by the fire and turned into steam.</p> - -<p>But, when the steam had escaped through the hole, the piston -slid down again to the bottom of the cylinder, was lifted up by -fresh steam and rose and fell again; and this went on as long as -the fire burnt in the furnace.</p> - -<p>“Look, look!” said Two-Legs; and his eyes beamed with -pride and delight. “See, I have caught Steam and imprisoned -him in this cylinder. When I make a fire in the furnace, he rises -out of the water and lifts the piston to the top of the cylinder. -Then he has done my bidding and turns to water in the other -cylinder until I once more bid him turn to steam and lift the piston. -See ... see ... I have caught Steam and made him my -servant, like the ox and the horse and the wind!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129"></a>[129]</span></p> - -<p>“We see it right enough, Father Two-Legs,” said one of the -tribe. “But we don’t understand what you mean to use your -servant for. Tell us, was it worth while, on this account, for you -to live shut up in your house for so many years, while we have -had to dispense with your wise counsel?”</p> - -<p>“You do not understand,” said Two-Legs. “Go away and -come back again this day twelvemonth: then you shall see what -I use my new servant for. When I have shown you, you can -continue the work yourselves. I tell you, so great is the new servant’s -strength and cleverness that, if you learn to use him -properly, the whole face of the earth will be changed.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon he went into the house and shut his door.</p> - -<p>He sat contentedly and looked at his new engine:</p> - -<p>“Ho, ho, dear Steam!” he said. “I have you now. I can -call you forth and turn you off. I can make you strong and I -can make you weak. The more fire, the more water, the more -steam. And you must always remain inside the cylinder and do -my bidding. I can make the cylinder long and I can make it -short; I can make the piston heavy and I can make it light: -you must needs draw it up and down, my good Steam.”</p> - -<p>“You call me good,” said the steam. “On the day when I -burst the mountain and destroyed all your land, you called me bad. -Now I told you that I was neither good nor bad. I am what I am. -You have caught me and, if you can use me, then use me!”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs laughed merrily and rubbed his hands. He lit the -furnace and poured water into the boiler and sat and watched -how the piston slid up and down:</p> - -<p>“Yes, what shall we use you for now?” he said. “Shall -we put you to the carriage instead of the horse? I think you -might get along the road at a very different pace. Shall I use -you to draw the ship? Then you can run close to the wind and -need not care a pin for him. Shall I let you turn the stones in -the mill?... Oh, there are a thousand things that you must -do for me!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130"></a>[130]</span></p> - -<p>Two-Legs put out the fire. Then he fastened a rod to the -piston and to the rod he joined another, which was fastened to -the axle of a wheel. He lit the fire under the boiler and, behold, -the piston went up and down, the rod moved and the wheel -whirred!</p> - -<p>He made a carriage, put the whole steam-engine on the carriage -and connected the rod with the wheel. He himself stood at the -back of the carriage, where the furnace was, lit the fire and heaped -on coal. The wheels turned and the carriage ran along the road.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p130.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>The people of the tribe came hurrying from everywhere and -stared in amazement at the strange turn-out. Most of them ran -to one side and screamed in terror of the dangerous monster and -said that it must end badly. Only the cleverest understood the -value of it and looked at the new carriage and talked about it.</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs,” said one of the elders, “you must not<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131"></a>[131]</span> -drive that carriage. We fear that it will go badly and the -steam burst the engine and kill you, as it once killed your -assistant.”</p> - -<p>“It was just his death that taught me to be careful,” said -Two-Legs. “Come and see.”</p> - -<p>Then he explained to them how he had calculated the strength -of the steam and the quantity of the steam which he should use -to drive his carriage.</p> - -<p>The more steam there was, the faster the piston slid up and -down, the faster the wheels turned, the faster the carriage moved. -The stronger the boiler was and the cylinder, the more steam it -could hold without bursting.</p> - -<p>But in one part of the boiler there was a hole, which was -covered with a valve, fastened by a hinge. The valve was just -so heavy that the steam could not lift it when there was as much -as there should be and as the engine could bear. But, as soon -as more steam came, then the valve became too light and rose -and the superfluous steam rushed out of the hole.</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs is the cleverest of us all,” they said.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs stepped down from the carriage:</p> - -<p>“I give it to you,” he said. “Now you can settle for yourselves -how you mean to use it. Some of you can go on searching, -as I did, and invent new things. The smiths can bring their tools -and their ingenuity. The steam-engine is yours and you can do -with it what you please.”</p> - -<p>Then he went into his house and sat down anew to look out -over the world and think.</p> - -<p>But the cleverest of the tribe set to work on the steam-engine. -As the years passed, they invented first one improvement and -then another, so that it worked ever more safely and smoothly.</p> - -<p>They laid rails over the ground, so that the steam-carriage -ran at a pace of which none had ever seen the like and drew a number -of heavily loaded coaches after it. A man could now make a -journey in a few days or weeks which formerly had taken him<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132"></a>[132]</span> -months and years. The produce that grew at one end of the -earth was now sent quickly and cheaply to the other.</p> - -<p>They put the steam-engine in ships, where it turned paddle-wheels, -so that the ships ran against wind and current. They -used it to thrash the corn in the barn, to grind it in the mill: -there was no end to the objects for which they were able to use it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i-p132.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>The steam-engine had changed the face of the earth, as Two-Legs -had foretold.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133"></a>[133]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-14.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_CONQUERS_ELECTRICITY">TWO-LEGS CONQUERS ELECTRICITY</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs had grown so old that no one now knew his age.</p> - -<p>His family was constantly increasing and dispersed over the -whole earth. When people thought that they were becoming too -many in one place, then some of them broke up and moved to -others, where the land was new. They reclaimed it, extracted -metals from the mountains and sailed on the rivers and the sea. -Railways and steamboats ran from one end of the earth to the -other.</p> - -<p>People went so far apart that they spoke different languages -and no longer knew one another. In every country there were -clever men who made new and marvellous discoveries that -lightened the work of their brethren and made them richer and -happier.</p> - -<p>Each time that a man made one of these discoveries, he went -off to Two-Legs, wherever he might happen to be, to show it to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134"></a>[134]</span> -him and receive his praise, for he was honoured by them all as -the father of the whole race and the wisest of all who lived on -earth.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs himself no longer had any idea of the number of his -descendants; and it seemed as if he simply did not care. He -lived now with one tribe of his people and now with the other, -always alone in a house to himself, where he could quietly indulge -in thought. Often, young men came to him to learn from him. -Then he gave them of his wisdom and sent them out into the world -again; but what he thought of in his inmost self he talked about -to no one.</p> - -<p>When he sat outside his house and gazed and pondered, the -voices spoke to him as before:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... the lord of the earth ... the vanquisher -of the animals....”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... who conquered the wind and made it -his servant, as he did with the ox and the horse....”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... who tamed the wild steam and imprisoned -it in the engine, which now has to obey his commands -and do his errands....”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs listened to the voices.</p> - -<p>He patted the dog, who lay at his feet:</p> - -<p>“You were once a wild and fierce animal and now you are -gentle and serve me faithfully,” he said.</p> - -<p>He listened to the wind, who was whispering in the trees:</p> - -<p>“You can cool my forehead on a hot day and you can rush -over the earth like a wild monster,” he said. “I know you and I -use you.”</p> - -<p>He looked across the meadow, where the mist was rising and -the fine white steam floated to and fro:</p> - -<p>“You, too,” he said and nodded. “You are as light as a veil -and dainty and white and innocent. The poets sing of you and you -make little children cough. But you are the same that burst -the mountain and destroyed my land. I watched you and discovered<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135"></a>[135]</span> -you and caught you and put you in my engine; and -now you must toil for my descendants the wide world over.”</p> - -<p>The thunder rolled in the distance. There came long and -deep peals. Now and again, a flash of lightning gleamed and lit -up the darkness. And the voices spoke again:</p> - -<p>“It is thunder, Two-Legs ... it is lightning.... -You do not know what that is. No one knows what it is.”</p> - -<p>“The world is full of mighty, secret forces ... mightier -than the wind ... harder to understand than steam.”</p> - -<p>“The ox and the horse tremble before the thunder and the -lightning. Two-Legs and all his descendants tremble wherever -the thunder-storm reaches. There is more between heaven and -earth than Two-Legs knows of.”</p> - -<p>The storm came nearer. The thunder pealed and the lightning-flashes -crackled. Those who lived close came running to Two-Legs’ -house in great alarm:</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs, what shall we do?” they cried. “God’s -wrath is upon us.... Look, look, His fire has struck the -house yonder. Now it’s burning; it is all in flames!”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs did not look at the blazing house, but up at the -clouds, where the thunder pealed and the lightning-flashes darted:</p> - -<p>“That is not God’s wrath,” he said. “It is a strange force -up there in the clouds ... stronger than the wind ... -stronger than Steam. Oh, if I could catch it and compel it to -serve me, as I compel the ox and the horse and the others!”</p> - -<p>They heard what he said and looked at one another in affright.</p> - -<p>Much as they honoured and loved him, they thought that this -was madman’s talk. For how could any one dream of taking -the terrible lightning into his service?</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs has grown old,” said one to the other. “He is -in his dotage and does not know what he is saying.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs did not listen to them, but continued to gaze at -the storm overhead:</p> - -<p>“Look! See how the lightning darts!” he said. “In a second,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136"></a>[136]</span> -it darts from one horizon to the other!... Oh, if I could -put it into my carriage!”</p> - -<p>They recoiled from him, so frightened were they at his words.</p> - -<p>“Look! See how the lightning shines!” he said. “In a -second, it is as light as bright noonday!... Oh, if I could -catch the lightning’s light and hold it fast and compel it to shine -peacefully for human beings!”</p> - -<p>One of the elders went up to him and laid his hand on his -shoulder:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs,” he said, “the success you have had has driven -you mad. Your talk is foolish. You are tempting God.”</p> - -<p>“God kindled the lightning and God kindled my understanding,” -said Two-Legs. “He gave me the one that I might -explore the other. Go away and mind your own business and -leave me alone.”</p> - -<p>They went away. Two-Legs stood and gazed till the last -lightning had vanished from the sky.</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>One day, Two-Legs sat on his bench, looking at a boy who -was running about and playing with a piece of amber.</p> - -<p>The boy rubbed it against his breeches to make it bright. Then -he held it up in the air and rejoiced to see it shine so prettily.</p> - -<p>Just then, a fluff of seamews down came flying and fastened -on the amber. Another came ... and another ... and -more still. As soon as they came near the amber, they hurried -and settled on it.</p> - -<p>“Look, look!” said the boy and laughed with amusement. -“There’s a spirit in the amber! When I rub it on my breeches, -the spirit comes out and catches the little fluffs.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs took the amber from the boy and looked at it. He -rubbed it and caught the fluffs. He held it close to husks and -little bits of paper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137"></a>[137]</span></p> - -<p>“Look, the spirit catches them too!” said the boy and clapped -his hands.</p> - -<p>More came and looked on. They told it to others, who left -their work and came and stood and stared at Two-Legs and the -amber.</p> - -<p>“Is it a spirit, Father Two-Legs?” asked one of the elders.</p> - -<p>“A mighty spirit,” said Two-Legs. “A new and rare spirit. -I do not know him. Go to your work and leave me alone, so that -I can explore him.”</p> - -<p>“Give the spirit a name, Father Two-Legs,” said the man -who had spoken before.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs reflected that the people in the part of the world -where he was then living called amber electron.</p> - -<p>Then he told them that they might call the spirit of the amber -Electricity.</p> - -<h3>3</h3> - -<p>From that day, Two-Legs collected as much amber on the -beach as he could find.</p> - -<p>He rubbed it and saw that then the spirit constantly came -forth and seized upon the little things near by. He put his ear -to it and listened, but could hear nothing. He tasted it and smelt -it; he broke it to pieces and gazed at it with his old eyes, but -could discover nothing:</p> - -<p>“The spirit is hiding from me,” he said. “But I shall find -him, I shall find him!”</p> - -<p>It occurred to him one day that the strange spirit might -dwell elsewhere than in the amber.</p> - -<p>He began to rub a glass tube and shouted aloud for joy when -the spirit at once appeared and seized upon the down and husks -and shreds of paper. He took a piece of sulphur and rubbed it -and exulted when just the same thing happened. But, in a little -while, the spirit disappeared from the amber, the glass tube and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138"></a>[138]</span> -the sulphur alike and did not come back until he rubbed them -again.</p> - -<p>He made himself a big sulphur ball, with an iron bar through -the middle. The iron bar was fixed between two stakes, so that -he could turn the ball with a handle which was at one end of the -bar.</p> - -<p>Now, when he turned the handle and laid his hand on the -ball, he saw that the little fluffs which flew in the air at that moment -stuck to the ball and, immediately after, flew out into the air, -as though the spirit had pushed them away. He turned the handle -briskly and the fluffs danced about the ball. One of them flew -on his nose and stayed there for a little while and then flew back -to the ball again.</p> - -<p>“The spirit dwells in me too,” said Two-Legs, gladly. “I -believe he is everywhere and in everything, if only one could -manage to call him forth from his hiding-place. Now I will -summon the whole tribe and show them something which they -have never seen.”</p> - -<p>He sent word round and they came and stood in crowds about -his house. Then he asked for the little boy who had played with -the amber on the beach and been the first of all to call forth the -mysterious spirit:</p> - -<p>“You deserve the honour of sharing in this day,” he said. -“You all remember the spirit to whom I gave the name of Electricity?”</p> - -<p>“We remember him,” said the oldest of those present. “If you -have anything good to tell us about him, we shall be pleased to -hear it. If it is anything bad, then keep it to yourself and we will -flee to a new country where the spirit does not dwell.”</p> - -<p>“The spirit is neither bad nor good,” said Two-Legs. “He -is a force ... a strange, mysterious force, which I have not -yet succeeded in discovering. I do not know if he is worth conquering -and giving into your service even as I gave you the ox -and the horse, the wind and Steam. I do not know how I am<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139"></a>[139]</span> -to conquer him. But I do know that it is not possible for one -of us to flee from the electric spirit. For he dwells not only in -the amber as you saw. He can take up his abode everywhere -and in everything ... even in me ... even in every one -of you.”</p> - -<p>They pressed close together and gazed at him in alarm.</p> - -<p>“Watch me now,” said Two-Legs. “Dismiss all your fears -and look in wonder at what I shall show you.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs hung the little boy up between two ropes, so that -he swung in the air at some height above the ground. Before -him, from another cord, hung a glass tube. On the ground under -him stood a bowl with little pieces of paper.</p> - -<p>“I shall now rub the glass until the spirit comes forth,” said -Two-Legs. “When that is done, the boy will touch the glass -with one hand. The other he will hold at a distance above the -bowl with the shreds of paper.”</p> - -<p>He rubbed the glass tube and the boy did as he said.</p> - -<p>“Look ... look!” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>They stared and shouted with surprise. All the bits of paper -leapt up and hung in the hand which the boy held over the dish.</p> - -<p>“Do you see that?” asked Two-Legs. “He is electric. The -spirit has taken up his abode in him.... Can you all see it?”</p> - -<p>The oldest and cleverest bent over the boy and stared and -talked of the remarkable thing that had happened. They did -not understand it and shook their heads. But the others were -seized with frenzy and clamoured against Two-Legs:</p> - -<p>“It is magic!” they shouted. “Father Two-Legs is a -magician! He is tempting God and killing the poor boy with -his tricks!”</p> - -<p>“You are fools,” said Two-Legs. “You talk of what you -do not understand. Go away and leave me alone, while I enquire -into the mighty spirit of Electricity. You can come again in a -twelvemonth. Then I shall show you much stranger things than -you have seen to-day.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140"></a>[140]</span></p> - -<p>They went on clamouring and crowded round Two-Legs, -threatened him with their clenched fists and abusing him:</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs must die!” they cried. “He will bring -misfortune upon us all, with his magic! He calls forth spirits -whom he cannot lay! Let us kill him before he has brought down -God’s wrath upon us!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p140.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>The elders placed themselves -between Two-Legs and -the infuriated people. -They reminded them of -his venerable age and of -all the good -which he had -done to his -kinsfolk. They talked -until, at length, they -persuaded the others to go, though they still muttered and cast angry -glances at Two-Legs. The mother of the boy whom he had -made electric ran and seized him by his long white beard:</p> - -<p>“If ever again you use my boy for your odious tricks, I’ll kill -you!” she screamed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141"></a>[141]</span></p> - -<p>“You are only a silly woman,” said Two-Legs and pushed -her away. “If I taught your boy the secret of what you call -my magic, he would make a name for himself that would be spoken -with respect so long as the world lasts. However, go away and -take him with you too. No harm has happened to him; and -to-morrow he will have forgotten all about it.”</p> - -<p>She went, hand in hand with the boy, who did not cry, but -kept his eyes on Two-Legs. When they were gone, the elders -told him he had better move into another country if he wanted -to continue searching for the electric spirit, otherwise it would -end in this, that the people would kill him one day, when the -elders were not there to defend him.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs stood and rubbed the glass tube with a piece of -leather and paid no heed to them. They had to say it once more -before he heard. Then he merely nodded and said:</p> - -<p>“I will go away this very night and seek another country -where the people are cleverer.”</p> - -<h3>4</h3> - -<p>By midnight he was ready to start. He had nothing with -him but his sulphur ball and some other things which he needed -for his labours. He hid these under his cloak, put out the light -of his house and prepared to leave.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he heard a noise in the alley where the others lived. -He sat down and waited, not because he was afraid of them, but -because he did not choose to talk with fools any more. And, -while he sat and waited, he took his sulphur ball from under his -cloak and began to rub it with his hand, as he had done thousands -of times before. He gazed at it, though he could see nothing, for -the night was pitch-dark.</p> - -<p>All at once, he started up with a cry.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142"></a>[142]</span></p> - -<p>He dropped the ball, found it again, with difficulty, on the -floor and began to rub and rub like mad.</p> - -<p>Now he saw it quite plainly: light came against his hand -when he rubbed. Time after time, he rubbed and, each time, he -saw the light.</p> - -<p>He was so greatly excited that he could hardly breathe. He -closed his eyes and opened them again. No, it was not imagination: -the light came as soon as he rubbed the sulphur ball.</p> - -<p>He held the ball up to his ear, while he rubbed and rubbed like -mad.... Now he plainly heard a faint crackling....</p> - -<p>Then he jumped up and sang and cried and laughed and -danced round the room like a young man crazy with delight:</p> - -<p>“It’s the lightning!... It’s the thunder!” he shouted, -exultantly. “I have called them and they come at my bidding.”</p> - -<p>The door opened and the little boy whom he had made electric -stood on the threshold:</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs, will you take me with you where you are -going?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Do you want to come?” asked Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the little boy. “I want to stay with you and go -where you go. I am not afraid of you. You shall teach me your -magic and, one day, I shall become a wise and great man, like -yourself.”</p> - -<p>“You do not know what you are doing,” said Two-Legs. “I -am no magician, but I have seen what no other man has seen. -You do not know what has happened to me this night.... I -have rubbed my sulphur ball and have produced lightning from -it and thunder. They lie in my hand. I can call them forth -when I please. They are only quite tiny as yet and weak, but I -know that, one day, they will grow strong, like those up there -in the clouds. Do you dare?”</p> - -<p>“I dare,” said the boy.</p> - -<p>“Then come,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143"></a>[143]</span></p> - -<p>He took him by the hand and went out with him into -the dark night, to find a -country where there were -fewer fools.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p143.jpg" width="500" height="425" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h3>5</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs found a new country, where he and the boy settled. -The people honoured him for his age and wisdom and knew -nothing about his magic arts. But he occupied himself with them -as before, sought and listened and thought ... whether he -could sooner or later lay hold of the strange spirit who was so weak -in the amber and the glass tube and the sulphur and so powerful -in the thunder-storm.</p> - -<p>Every evening, when the day’s work was done, he sat and talked -with the boy, who grew in age and understanding. They were -happiest when the thunder pealed. Then they felt that the mighty<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144"></a>[144]</span> -spirit was nearer to them: not only up there, where lightning -crackled, but in the air and in everything round about.</p> - -<p>“There is much electricity up there and only a little here -below with us,” he said. “That is why the flashes strike down -upon the ground.... Look, there is one darting from a cloud -that has too much to one that has too little.... Oh, I -understand, I understand! It is like the water that lies at a -different level in two ponds: if I dig a canal between them, it -will flow from that which has more into that which has less and, -a moment after, it will be at the same height in both. Boy, boy, -one day I will collect so much electricity that I can use it for the -greatest things!”</p> - -<p>“That you will, since you say so, Father Two-Legs,” said -the boy. “But will you tell me how it is that the mighty spirit -dwells in a fragile glass tube like this and not in that thick iron -bar? If I were the spirit, I would rather dwell in the strong bar. -But he is not there. I have rubbed the iron till my arms ached, -but the spirit did not come.”</p> - -<p>“You may depend upon it that he is there,” said Two-Legs. -“If only we could find the right means to call him forth, -I believe that there is more of him in iron and in copper and other -metals than in anything else. Just look how weak he is in the glass -tube and the amber: he comes when I rub, catches the little -fluffs and is gone again at once. No, if we can charm him from -the iron, then we shall see him in his might.”</p> - -<h3>6</h3> - -<p>One day, the boy went into the mountains and found a lodestone, -which he thought looked odd. He took it home to Two-Legs, -who examined it long and closely, as he examined everything. -Without thinking of it further, he began to rub the thick -iron bar with the lodestone and saw, to his surprise, that the -stone clung to the iron:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145"></a>[145]</span></p> - -<p>“Boy, what have you found?” he cried.</p> - -<p>Henceforth, he thought of nothing but iron and copper and -other metals.</p> - -<p>He forged himself bars of iron, large and small, rubbed them -with the lodestone and saw that they became electric. The -spirit was in them and the spirit came out of them, but differently -and not as in the glass tube and the amber and the sulphur ball.</p> - -<p>It was no use for him to come with fluffs of down and little -shreds of paper. The spirit did not catch at them. But, when he -came with iron, the spirit caught hold of it and held it ever so -tight.</p> - -<p>“That is the proper, powerful spirit,” said the boy joyfully.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs saw also that the spirit was only at the two ends -of the bar which he rubbed with the lodestone. The spirit ran -into the ends and stayed there and caught hold of the pieces of -iron which he held out to him. In the middle of the bar there -was no spirit.</p> - -<p>One day, as he was working with a very thick bar which he -had rubbed, it seemed to him that it moved without his touching -it. Then he took a vessel of water, put a cork in the water and -the iron bar on top of the cork.</p> - -<p>“Look, look, it’s turning!” cried the boy.</p> - -<p>And so it was. It turned one end to the north and the other to -the south. Two-Legs shifted it, but it turned back to the same -position as soon as he let go. He experimented with the other -bars, but they did exactly the same. One day, he laid two side -by side, each on its own cork, and saw that the north end of the -one and the south end of the other attracted each other. When -he brought the two north ends or the two south ends together, -they at once pushed each other away.</p> - -<p>“Look, look!” cried the boy.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs sat, plunged in thought, and looked. Then he made -a little bar, rubbed it with the lodestone and put it on a pivot, -so that it could turn easily as it pleased:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146"></a>[146]</span></p> - -<p>“Go and give this thing to the skipper,” he said. “When -he goes far out to sea and cannot sight land anywhere, he will -always be able to see by it which is north and which is south and -direct his course accordingly.”</p> - -<p>Thus Two-Legs invented the compass.</p> - -<p>But he forgot it as soon as the boy had gone with it. He -thought how much stronger the spirit was in the iron than in the -other things from which he had produced it and pondered how -he should make the spirit obey him with all his power.</p> - -<p>“I found the stone that did it,” said the boy, when he returned. -“Give it a name, Father Two-Legs.”</p> - -<p>As the country where he was then living was called Magnesia, -Two-Legs called the stone the magnet. And he showed the boy how -he could make any piece of iron into a magnet by rubbing it with -another iron in which the spirit was:</p> - -<p>“Oh, if I could only draw the spirit from up there, in the -thunder-clouds, down hither with a magnet!” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>He made a kite, such as boys play with, and gave it a huge -long string. At the top of it he put an iron tip. Then he and -the boy went and waited for the thunder to come one day; and, -at last, it came.</p> - -<p>When the thunder-storm was exactly over head, he flew the -kite in the air. They stood and watched it till it disappeared -right up in the thunder-clouds.</p> - -<p>“Now hold the string, boy, if you dare,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“I dare,” said the boy.</p> - -<p>The lightning crackled and the thunder crashed. In the midst -of it, Two-Legs, with his fingers, touched the string of the kite; -and a great spark leapt upon his finger. He touched it again and -again; and, each time, a new spark leapt out.</p> - -<p>“Look, look!” he said. “I have drawn down the lightning -from up there!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Father Two-Legs!” said the boy, shaking with fear. -“Suppose the lightning had killed you!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147"></a>[147]</span></p> - -<p>“It could have done,” said Two-Legs. “To play with the -mighty forces of nature is dangerous. That is why I so often -asked you if you were not afraid. I once had a helper who was -killed by the spirit of Steam before I had learnt to conquer him. -It may happen that you will fare as he did. I know myself that -I am never safe from death. But I would rather die fighting to -conquer the spirits than at home, in my bed, of disease.”</p> - -<p>“So would I,” said the boy and drew himself up. “Only, I -meant ... only, I don’t understand.... The lightning -once struck and burnt my mother’s house. It killed my brother -and my little sister; and all that we possessed was burnt: that -was a calamity. Is there always a calamity when the lightning -strikes? If so, why do you want to bring it down? Do you think -you can imprison it and use it as you used Steam?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Two-Legs. “I don’t think that. I don’t know -how it is to be done, but I dream, day and night, that, sooner or -later, I shall succeed in preparing lightning as strong as that up -there, but different nevertheless.... I want to rule over it -and imprison it and compel it to labour in my service. It is only -a dream as yet. It was not the lightning either that I drew down -with my kite: only a little spark of the spirit that flames up there.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Father Two-Legs,” said the boy. “But, if you can -catch a little spark, you can also catch a bigger one ... and -a bigger one still ... and, at last, the whole lightning.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs gazed at the boy. Then he took him in his arms -and kissed him:</p> - -<p>“You’re a glorious boy,” he said. “You found the magnet -and knew nothing about it. Now, in your ignorance, you have -spoken a great word: come and see what you can make of it.”</p> - -<h3>7</h3> - -<p>He forthwith set up a tall pole, close to his house. At the -top of it was a metal spike, from which a long iron wire ran far<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148"></a>[148]</span> -down in the ground. People came and looked at his work and -wondered what it meant.</p> - -<p>“See,” he said to them. “The pole will catch the lightning -when it comes.”</p> - -<p>“Do you want to lure the lightning down to the earth ... -the bad lightning?” asked one of them. “And close to your -house besides?”</p> - -<p>“The lightning is not bad,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Would you have me call it good?” said the man. “It set -my barn on fire and burnt it. And there’s a man standing yonder -whose wife was killed and all his cattle.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs gave a scornful smile. He quite forgot that he himself -had once thought just like that of the wind and of Steam:</p> - -<p>“The lightning is neither good nor bad,” he said. “It is -a mighty force that comes and darts as it must. I don’t want -to lure it down to the earth either. But, if it comes here, over -my house, and thinks of striking ... then it will be caught -by the spike at the top of the pole and fly down the wire into -the earth; and my house will escape.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs is mad,” said the man. “He is calling the lightning -down upon himself.”</p> - -<p>The others said the same and then they went away. The -boy remained with him and looked at the lightning-conductor. -And, when the next thunder-storm came, the lightning struck two -farm-houses in the valley and burnt them to the ground. It also -struck the pole near Two-Legs’ house and rushed down into the -earth, as he had said. This was easy to see by the way in which -it had rooted up and flung stones and gravel around.</p> - -<p>They came running from every side and saw it and wondered. -They bowed low before Two-Legs and honoured his wisdom; -and one and all of them set a lightning-conductor beside their -houses.</p> - -<p>But Two-Legs thought no more of it:</p> - -<p>“That’s nothing,” he said. “It is just as when I killed the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149"></a>[149]</span> -wild animals. It was a bigger thing when I tamed them and took -them into my service. I want to tame the lightning also and make -it my servant.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs wants to tame the lightning,” said one to the -other and laughed and thought that he had certainly lost his -reason.</p> - -<p>“I want to make lightning,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs wants to make lightning,” they said and nudged -one another. “Take care it doesn’t strike you!”</p> - -<p>They laughed and went away. Two-Legs sat and meditated -and thought and did not mind their scorn. The boy sat at his -feet.</p> - -<h3>8</h3> - -<p>The years passed and the boy grew to be a man. He was -always with Two-Legs, listening to his talk, helping him in his -work and rejoicing with him each time that he came a step nearer -to the goal.</p> - -<p>They moved more than once from one country to another. -Either it was the folk of the country who drove them away with -their foolish fears, when they heard reports or saw sparks come -from Two-Legs’ workshop, or else it occurred to him that his -labours would meet with better success under another climate. -But, whether he was in one place or another, he constantly thought -of the same thing: how he was to catch the electric spirit and -make him strong, so that he might be useful in man’s service.</p> - -<p>He thought no more of the thunder and the lightning up in -the sky. He knew well that it was the electric spirit that struck -sparks up there and he wanted him to do the same in his workshop. -Since he had begun the work with the magnetic iron, he -no longer troubled about the glass tube and the amber and the -sulphur ball. He did not even care to rub them any more, so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150"></a>[150]</span> -small was the spirit when he came from them and so soon did he -disappear again.</p> - -<p>“The lightning also lasts only for a moment,” said his disciple. -“It is mighty, Father Two-Legs, a thousand times mightier than -any spark that you can rub out of the sulphur ball; but it only -flames for a moment and then it is all over.”</p> - -<p>“That’s just why I can’t use it,” said Two-Legs. “I -want the lightning to last as long as I please ... for ever if -I please. I must be able to kindle it and extinguish it and kindle -it again, as easily as I can snap my fingers. Oh, if I only knew -where the spirit really dwelt!”</p> - -<p>“We know that,” said the disciple. “He lives in the amber -and in the glass tube and in the sulphur ball, in iron and in the -thunder-cloud and in me and in you and in everything in the -world, you said.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs sat long and pondered with his head in his hands. -His disciple waited in silence; and, at last, Two-Legs looked up:</p> - -<p>“You know ... you know ...” he said and then -was silent again for a while.</p> - -<p>Then he said:</p> - -<p>“You know ... sometimes I don’t believe at all that -the spirit lives in any of the places that you say.”</p> - -<p>“Where does he live then, Father Two-Legs?” asked his -disciple.</p> - -<p>“I believe he lives in the air,” said Two-Legs. “Not in the -clouds, which are mere water and vapour, but in the pure air ... -in the ether: the ether, do you understand? He lives there and -goes now into one and now into the other and rather into the -one than into the other. Do you remember how long we had to -rub the glass before the spirit came? He was there reluctantly. -Do you remember that, when the glass was wet, he did not come -at all? He would sooner be in the water. He likes to dwell in -iron and copper and zinc and silver and all the other metals. In -the string that held the kite which we sent up into the thunder-cloud,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151"></a>[151]</span> -he ran down as fast as the lightning and sent a spark into -my finger. You know how he runs down the wire of the lightning-conductor -into the ground. He remains there because the ground -is moist. That is why you and I see no more of him, because -we walk on the ground: he runs right through us into the ground -and disappears. Yes, that’s how it is, that’s how it is!”</p> - -<p>His eyes beamed. He could not explain it, but he saw, as in -a vision, that this was how it must be. He went on talking -about it; and his disciple knew that it was true, even though he -could not understand it.</p> - -<p>But then Two-Legs grew sad again:</p> - -<p>“What is the use of it all, when I cannot even produce the -spirit,” he said, “nor build him a house in which he would rather -dwell than anywhere else in the world, so that I may always have -plenty of him to come and go at my pleasure?”</p> - -<p>He began to gaze at his magnetic needle: how two north ends -or two south ends always repelled each other, while a north end -and a south end immediately flew together.</p> - -<p>“Now, if there were two spirits,” he said, “if the spark came -and then the two rushed towards each other, if the powerful force -were just the attraction of one for the other ...”</p> - -<p>“Is that it?” asked the disciple.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Two-Legs. “I could see and feel the -wind; and the same with Steam. I discovered, at length, -where he came from and where he was going. But I don’t know -what the mighty spirit of electricity is, for all the years that I -have been watching him. Perhaps I shall never come to know. -But we will explore his ways nevertheless, diligently, by day and -by night.”</p> - -<p>He hammered wires of iron and zinc, of copper and silver, -twisted them together, bent them against one another, rubbing -them with the magnet and with the leather and with anything -else that he could hit on. Gradually, he had no room for all of -this in his house; and then he threw it outside the door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152"></a>[152]</span></p> - -<h3>9</h3> - -<p>One evening, he and his disciple were sitting on the bench -before the wall, tired with their fruitless labours. They gazed -at the sun until it went down. Then twilight fell upon the land.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs looked at a fat old toad who came crawling from -under the threshold.</p> - -<p>He moved his legs heavily and looked with his frightened -eyes at Two-Legs and wondered if he meant him any harm. Then -he crawled on ... under some wire that lay there. And, as the -toad touched the wire, he jumped as if he had been struck a blow.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs saw it, for he saw everything. He saw how the -toad again touched the wires and again jumped. He stooped -down and saw that it was copper-wire and zinc-wire. He saw -that the toad jumped highest when he touched both wires. He -caught the toad and held him in his hand and put both the wires -to him. The toad gave a start. And, every time he touched -him with the wire, he started afresh.</p> - -<p>Then he let the toad go and remained sitting for a long time -with the copper-wire and the zinc-wire in his hand and gazed -before him, plunged in thought. Then he said:</p> - -<p>“Come, let us go in.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it’s time for bed,” said the disciple. “It’s quite dark.”</p> - -<p>“It’s time for work,” said Two-Legs. “To-night a light -has been kindled for me, brighter than any before.”</p> - -<p>He told the disciple what he had noticed and explained his -thought to him:</p> - -<p>“It was the electric spirit,” he said. “I think it was the -toad’s moist skin that made him show himself. Now we will -experiment with copper and zinc.”</p> - -<p>He took a glass and filled if half with water and put into it a -small piece of zinc and a small piece of copper. Then he fastened -a slender wire to the zinc, let the wire stand up in a wide curve -and fastened the other end to the copper:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153"></a>[153]</span></p> - -<p>“What shall we put into the water?” he said. “There is -sulphur and there is lime and there are a thousand things, in the -toad’s skin.... The question is how to hit upon just the -right one.”</p> - -<p>He experimented patiently. When he put a piece of sulphur -into the water, it began to bubble round the zinc.</p> - -<p>“Look, look, now the water is jumping just as the toad did!” -he said.</p> - -<p>He grasped the wire and felt that it was getting hot. Breathlessly, -he dropped it and stared at the whole apparatus:</p> - -<p>“That’s it, that’s it,” he said and talked quite low, in his excitement. -“Wait a bit, now, and see.”</p> - -<p>He filed the wire quite thin in one place:</p> - -<p>“Feel it,” he said. “It’s glowing.”</p> - -<p>The disciple did so and quickly drew back his fingers, for he -had burnt himself. Two-Legs stood and stared. Then he cut -the wire; and the bubbling in the water stopped at once and the -thin piece became cold again. He held the two cut ends together; -and, the moment they touched each other, the water bubbled and -the wire grew hot. He tried it time after time; and, each time, -the same thing happened.</p> - -<p>“At last, at last, I have found it,” he said.</p> - -<p>He sat for a long time silent, with his face buried in his hands, -overcome with emotion. The disciple did not quite understand -it, but dared not ask. And, in a little while, Two-Legs himself -explained it to him:</p> - -<p>“Look here, look here!” he said; and his eyes beamed as they -had never beamed before. “Don’t you see that I am making electricity -in this little glass? I am making it and it’s here. The -wonderful force, the force of the lightning, flows along the wire. -I cut the wire and the current is interrupted. I connect it again -and the force flows once more. Praise be to the loathsome toad -who set my thoughts travelling in the right direction!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see the lightning,” said the disciple.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154"></a>[154]</span></p> - -<p>“You shall see it,” said Two-Legs.</p> - -<p>He put a little piece of charcoal at each end of the wire where -he had cut it. Then he put out the light in the room and brought -the two charcoal tips together. Then they both saw that the -charcoal glowed and gave a faint light.</p> - -<p>“Do you see that? Do you see that?” cried Two-Legs, -exultantly. “I have my thunder-cloud in this little glass: there’s -the lightning for you. It only shines faintly as yet, but it is -easily made stronger. I can put a thousand thunder-clouds -together and you shall see how bright the light becomes. I can -put two thousand together and you shall see how strong the -electric power is: stronger than the wind, stronger than the -steam; there is not a weight it cannot raise, not a wheel it -cannot turn. Look, look, I have caught the lightning and imprisoned -it in this little glass! I am lord of the mighty electric -spirit: he will have to serve me like the ox and the horse, like -the wind and Steam!”</p> - -<p>He ran and flung open the door. The night was past and it -was morning. He shouted till his voice rang over the valley. -The people heard and woke and sprang from their beds:</p> - -<p>“Father Two-Legs is calling,” they said to one another. -“Let us go to his house and hear what he has to tell us.”</p> - -<p>They hurried from every side; and Two-Legs stood up, with -his great white beard, and told them the marvellous thing that -had happened:</p> - -<p>“I have caught the electric spirit ... the mysterious, -mighty spirit,” he said. “I can produce as strong a current of -his immense force as I please and I can carry it whither I please, -even to the end of the earth, along a thin wire. I can kindle -the lightning, so that it shines calmly and gently, and put it out -and kindle it again as easily as I snap my fingers.”</p> - -<p>They listened open-mouthed and stared, while he showed -them and explained it to them:</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;" id="illus11"> -<img src="images/illus11.jpg" width="500" height="700" alt="" /> -<p class="caption">TWO-LEGS STOOD UP</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155"></a>[155]</span></p> - -<p>“The electric spirit is my captive,” he said. “I have imprisoned -him in this little glass and compelled him to obey me. -I give him to you; and in him you have a servant whose like you -have never known. He will alter the face of the whole earth. If -those who died a hundred years ago were to rise again ten years -hence, they would not know the world in which they had lived.”</p> - -<p>The fools laughed and mocked at him, as was their wont. But -the clever ones asked Two-Legs to explain it again and again -and never tired of listening to him. At last, they all went home -and began to enquire further into the matter, while Two-Legs -went into his house and shut his door and wondered what would -come next.</p> - -<h3>10</h3> - -<p>Out in the world it happened as he had said.</p> - -<p>The electric spirit served mankind as none other had ever -done. Electric light glowed in every house. Electric cars ran -in every direction at lightning speed. The electric telegraph -carried men’s messages from one end of the world to the other.</p> - -<p>Soon there was nothing left that Electricity could not do more -easily and better.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/i-p155.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156"></a>[156]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157"></a>[157]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/ch-15.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="TWO-LEGS_FUTURE">TWO-LEGS’ FUTURE</h2> - -</div> - -<h3>1</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs still lives.</p> - -<p>He will not die as long as the world exists.</p> - -<p>He lives now in one country and now in another. No one -knows for certain where he is; and there are not many who think -of him in the ordinary course of things. Only very few have -seen him, but those who have will never forget him either, so old -is he and venerable, so clever and radiant his eyes.</p> - -<p>He is the same that he always was.</p> - -<p>In the beginning, he supplied himself with food and clothes, -shelter against the weather and defence against his foes. He -built himself huts and houses, killed some of the wild animals -and tamed others. He taught his children to sow and reap. -Misfortune overtook him and he conquered it. His descendants -multiplied and filled the earth.</p> - -<p>Since then he conquered the wind and Steam and Electricity. -He bound them and gave them to man for his servants. And<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158"></a>[158]</span> -man trained them, even as he had trained the horse and the ox -and the dog.</p> - -<p>The steam-engine gives bread to many times more people -than all the beasts of the field. The electric spirit does a thousand -times more tricks in man’s service than the horse or the dog.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p158.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>In the evening, when Two-Legs sits outside his house, the -voices speak to him as before:</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... the vanquisher of the animals ... the -lord of the ox and the horse and the dog ... the strongest -of all creatures.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... who conquered the wind and took him -into his service.... He made him turn the mill ... -made him carry the ship over the sea.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs ... the lord of Steam.... He forced<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159"></a>[159]</span> -him into his engine and told him to do the tasks which men put -him to.”</p> - -<p>“Two-Legs, the wisest, the strongest.... He explored -the lightning and bound it.... He compelled it to draw the -greatest weights and to shine calmly and gently in men’s small -rooms and to carry their messages from one end of the world to -the other.”</p> - -<p>Two-Legs listened to the voices, but only for a moment. He -was examining a piece of metal which he held in his hand and -into which he had been long and secretly enquiring:</p> - -<p>“Look,” he said to the young man who was now his pupil. -“I wish I knew what the queer rays are that come out of this -substance. It shall be called Radium; that means the thing that -beams. I will search until I know its nature. Who knows what -secret forces it conceals and what benefits it can perform for -mankind?”</p> - -<h3>2</h3> - -<p>Two-Legs explored the new force.</p> - -<p>The world round about him went its course. Each year -brought new incidents, new discoveries, new wealth and new -happiness. Two-Legs paid no heed. He sat with his radium -and would not let it go until he knew it through and through.</p> - -<p>There were clever people who knew he must succeed some -time and who waited eagerly and gladly for him to make mankind -the master of a new power, mightier, perhaps, than any of -those which he had yet conquered.</p> - -<p>There were fools who said that it was all very well with Steam -and Electricity and the rest. They could understand that. But -this new thing here was quite senseless and absurd. Besides, -one must not tempt God. There were mysteries in nature which -mankind should never seek to explore. There was a limit to -what was allowed to men; and the man who overstepped that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160"></a>[160]</span> -limit was either a fool or a presumptuous person who ought to be -locked up or punished.</p> - -<p>Two-Legs listened just as little to them now as he had done -in the old days.</p> - -<p>Their folly was the same now as then. What they saw before -their eyes and felt with their hands they believed in. The new -thing which was in its first stages, they mocked at and condemned.</p> - -<p>But, sometimes, a man would come to Two-Legs with his -little son, so that the boy might see the wisest man in the world. -Then, if he had the luck to find words that could divert Two-Legs’ -attention from his work, Two-Legs would look up and fix his steady -glance on the boy, lay his hand on the boy’s head and say:</p> - -<p>“Do not grow up to be -a fool, my lad. The fool -is he who judges what he -does not understand.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/i-p160.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="center smaller"><i>Bristol: Burleigh Ltd., at the Burleigh Press.</i></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 700px;"> -<img src="images/endpaper.jpg" width="700" height="425" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO-LEGS***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 65029-h.htm or 65029-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/5/0/2/65029">http://www.gutenberg.org/6/5/0/2/65029</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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