don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第142部分

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it　went　to　one's　heart　to　see　him。　I　tried　to　drive　him　before　me
and　bring　him　to　you；　but　he　is　already　so　wild　and　shy　that　when　I
went　near　him　he　made　off　into　the　thickest　part　of　the　forest。　If　you
have　a　mind　that　we　two　should　go　back　and　look　for　him；　let　me　put　up
this　she…ass　at　my　house　and　I'll　be　back　at　once。'　'You　will　be　doing
me　a　great　kindness；'　said　the　owner　of　the　ass；　'and　I'll　try　to
pay　it　back　in　the　same　coin。'　It　is　with　all　these　circumstances；　and
in　the　very　same　way　I　am　telling　it　now；　that　those　who　know　all
about　the　matter　tell　the　story。　Well　then；　the　two　regidors　set　off
on　foot；　arm　in　arm；　for　the　forest；　and　coming　to　the　place　where
they　hoped　to　find　the　ass　they　could　not　find　him；　nor　was　he　to　be
seen　anywhere　about；　search　as　they　might。　Seeing；　then；　that　there
was　no　sign　of　him；　the　regidor　who　had　seen　him　said　to　the　other；
'Look　here；　gossip；　a　plan　has　occurred　to　me；　by　which；　beyond　a
doubt；　we　shall　manage　to　discover　the　animal；　even　if　he　is　stowed
away　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　not　to　say　the　forest。　Here　it　is。
I　can　bray　to　perfection；　and　if　you　can　ever　so　little；　the　thing's
as　good　as　done。'　'Ever　so　little　did　you　say；　gossip？'　said　the
other；　'by　God；　I'll　not　give　in　to　anybody；　not　even　to　the　asses
themselves。'　'We'll　soon　see；'　said　the　second　regidor；　'for　my　plan
is　that　you　should　go　one　side　of　the　forest；　and　I　the　other；　so　as
to　go　all　round　about　it；　and　every　now　and　then　you　will　bray　and　I
will　bray；　and　it　cannot　be　but　that　the　ass　will　hear　us；　and
answer　us　if　he　is　in　the　forest。'　To　which　the　owner　of　the　ass
replied；　'It's　an　excellent　plan；　I　declare；　gossip；　and　worthy　of
your　great　genius；'　and　the　two　separating　as　agreed；　it　so　fell　out
that　they　brayed　almost　at　the　same　moment；　and　each；　deceived　by
the　braying　of　the　other；　ran　to　look；　fancying　the　ass　had　turned
up　at　last。　When　they　came　in　sight　of　one　another；　said　the　loser；
'Is　it　possible；　gossip；　that　it　was　not　my　ass　that　brayed？'　'No；
it　was　I；'　said　the　other。　'Well　then；　I　can　tell　you；　gossip；'　said
the　ass's　owner；　'that　between　you　and　an　ass　there　is　not　an　atom
of　difference　as　far　as　braying　goes；　for　I　never　in　all　my　life　saw
or　heard　anything　more　natural。'　'Those　praises　and　compliments　belong
to　you　more　justly　than　to　me；　gossip；'　said　the　inventor　of　the　plan；
'for；　by　the　God　that　made　me；　you　might　give　a　couple　of　brays　odds
to　the　best　and　most　finished　brayer　in　the　world；　the　tone　you　have
got　is　deep；　your　voice　is　well　kept　up　as　to　time　and　pitch；　and　your
finishing　notes　come　thick　and　fast；　in　fact；　I　own　myself　beaten；　and
yield　the　palm　to　you；　and　give　in　to　you　in　this　rare
accomplishment。'　'Well　then；'　said　the　owner；　'I'll　set　a　higher　value
on　myself　for　the　future；　and　consider　that　I　know　something；　as　I
have　an　excellence　of　some　sort；　for　though　I　always　thought　I
brayed　well；　I　never　supposed　I　came　up　to　the　pitch　of　perfection　you
say。'　'And　I　say　too；'　said　the　second；　'that　there　are　rare　gifts
going　to　loss　in　the　world；　and　that　they　are　ill　bestowed　upon
those　who　don't　know　how　to　make　use　of　them。'　'Ours；'　said　the
owner　of　the　ass；　'unless　it　is　in　cases　like　this　we　have　now　in
hand；　cannot　be　of　any　service　to　us；　and　even　in　this　God　grant
they　may　be　of　some　use。'　So　saying　they　separated；　and　took　to
their　braying　once　more；　but　every　instant　they　were　deceiving　one
another；　and　coming　to　meet　one　another　again；　until　they　arranged
by　way　of　countersign；　so　as　to　know　that　it　was　they　and　not　the　ass；
to　give　two　brays；　one　after　the　other。　In　this　way；　doubling　the
brays　at　every　step；　they　made　the　complete　circuit　of　the　forest；　but
the　lost　ass　never　gave　them　an　answer　or　even　the　sign　of　one。　How
could　the　poor　ill…starred　brute　have　answered；　when；　in　the
thickest　part　of　the　forest；　they　found　him　devoured　by　wolves？　As
soon　as　he　saw　him　his　owner　said；　'I　was　wondering　he　did　not　answer；
for　if　he　wasn't　dead　he'd　have　brayed　when　he　heard　us；　or　he'd
have　been　no　ass；　but　for　the　sake　of　having　heard　you　bray　to　such
perfection；　gossip；　I　count　the　trouble　I　have　taken　to　look　for　him
well　bestowed；　even　though　I　have　found　him　dead。'　'It's　in　a　good
hand；　gossip；'　said　the　other；　'if　the　abbot　sings　well；　the　acolyte
is　not　much　behind　him。'　So　they　returned　disconsolate　and　hoarse　to
their　village；　where　they　told　their　friends；　neighbours；　and
acquaintances　what　had　befallen　them　in　their　search　for　the　ass；　each
crying　up　the　other's　perfection　in　braying。　The　whole　story　came　to
be　known　and　spread　abroad　through　the　villages　of　the
neighbourhood；　and　the　devil；　who　never　sleeps；　with　his　love　for
sowing　dissensions　and　scattering　discord　everywhere；　blowing　mischief
about　and　making　quarrels　out　of　nothing；　contrived　to　make　the　people
of　the　other　towns　fall　to　braying　whenever　they　saw　anyone　from　our
village；　as　if　to　throw　the　braying　of　our　regidors　in　our　teeth。　Then
the　boys　took　to　it；　which　was　the　same　thing　for　it　as　getting　into
the　hands　and　mouths　of　all　the　devils　of　hell；　and　braying　spread
from　one　town　to　another　in　such　a　way　that　the　men　of　the　braying
town　are　as　easy　to　be　known　as　blacks　are　to　be　known　from　whites；
and　the　unlucky　joke　has　gone　so　far　that　several　times　the　scoffed
have　come　out　in　arms　and　in　a　body　to　do　battle　with　the　scoffers；
and　neither　king　nor　rook；　fear　nor　shame；　can　mend　matters。　To…morrow
or　the　day　after；　I　believe；　the　men　of　my　town；　that　is；　of　the
braying　town；　are　going　to　take　the　field　against　another　village
two　leagues　away　from　ours；　one　of　those　that　persecute　us　most；　and
that　we　may　turn　out　well　prepared　I　have　bought　these　lances　and
halberds　you　have　seen。　These　are　the　curious　things　I　told　you　I
had　to　tell；　and　if　you　don't　think　them　so；　I　have　got　no　others；〃
and　with　this　the　worthy　fellow　brought　his　story　to　a　close。
　　Just　at　this　moment　there　came　in　at　the　gate　of　the　inn　a　man
entirely　clad　in　chamois　leather；　hose；　breeches；　and　doublet；　who
said　in　a　loud　voice；　〃Senor　host；　have　you　room？　Here's　the
divining　ape　and　the　show　of　the　Release　of　Melisendra　just　coming。〃
　　〃Ods　body！〃　said　the　landlord；　〃why；　it's　Master　Pedro！　We're　in　for
a　grand　night！〃　I　forgot　to　mention　that　the　said　Master　Pedro　had　his
left　eye　and　nearly　half　his　cheek　covered　with　a　patch　of　green
taffety；　showing　that　something　ailed　all　that　side。　〃Your　worship
is　welcome；　Master　Pedro；〃　continued　the　landlord；　〃but　where　are
the　ape　and　the　show；　for　I　don't　see　them？〃　〃They　are　close　at　hand；〃
said　he　in　the　chamois　leather；　〃but　I　came　on　first　to　know　if
there　was　any　room。〃　〃I'd　make　the　Duke　of　Alva　himself　clear　out　to
make　room　for　Master　Pedro；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃bring　in　the　ape
and　the　show；　there's　company　in　the　inn　to…night　that　will　pay　to　see
that　and　the　cleverness　of　the　ape。〃　〃So　be　it　by　all　means；〃　said　the
man　with　the　patch；　〃I'll　lower　the　price；　and　he　well　satisfied　if
I　only　pay　my　expenses；　and　now　I'll　go　back　and　hurry　on　the　cart
with　the　ape　and　the　show；〃　and　with　this　he　went　out　of　the　inn。
　　Don　Quixote　at　once　asked　the　landlord　what　this　Master　Pedro　was；
and　what　was　the　show　and　what　was　the　ape　he　had　with　him；　which
the　landlord　replied；　〃This　is　a　famous　puppet…showman；　who　for　some
time　past　has　been　going　about　this　Mancha　de　Aragon；　exhibiting　a
show　of　the　release　of　Melisendra　by　the　famous　Don　Gaiferos；　one　of
the　best　and　best…represented　stories　that　have　been　seen　in　this　part
of　the　kingdom　for　many　a　year；　he　has　also　with　him　an　ape　with　the
most　extraordinary　gift　ever　seen　in　an　ape　or　imagined　in　a　human
being；　for　if　you　ask　him　anything；　he　listens　attentively　to　the
question；　and　then　jumps　on　his　master's　shoulder；　and　pressing
close　to　his　ear　tells　him　the　answer　which　Master　Pedro　then
delivers。　He　says　a　great　deal　more　about　things　past　than　about
things　to　come；　and　though　he　does　not　always　hit　the　truth　in　every
case；　most　times　he　is　not　far　wrong；　so　that　he　makes　us　fancy　he　has
got　the　devil　in　him。　He　gets　two　reals　for　every　question　if　the
ape　answers；　I　mean　if　his　master　answers　for　him　after　he　has
whispered　into　his　ear；　and　so　it　is　believed　that　this　same　Master
Pedro　is　very　rich。　He　is　a　'gallant　man'　as　they　say　in　Italy；　and
good　company；　and　leads　the　finest　life　in　the　world；　talks　more
than　six；　drinks　more　than　a　dozen；　and　all　by　his　tongue；　and　his
ape；　and　his　show。〃
　　Master　Pedro　now　came　back；　and　in　a　cart　followed　the　show　and
the　ape…　a　big　one；　without　a　tail　and　with　buttocks　as　bare　as
felt；　but　not　vicious…looking。　As　soon　as　Don　Quixote　saw　him；　he
asked　him；　〃Can　you　tell　me；　sir　fortune…teller；　what　fish　do　we
catch；　and　how　will　it　be　with　us？　See；　here　are　my　two　reals；〃　and　he
bade　Sancho　give　them　to　Master　Pedro；　but　he　answered　for　the　ape　and
said；　〃Senor；　this　animal　does　not　give　any　answer　or　information
touching　things　that　are　to　come；　of　things　past　he　knows　something；
and　more　or　less　of　things　present。〃
　　〃Gad；〃　said　Sancho；　〃I　would　not　give　a　farthing　to　be　told　what's
past　with　me；　for　who　knows　that　better　than　I　do　myself？　And　to　pay
for　being　told　what　I　know　would　be　mighty　foolish。　But　as　you　know
things　present；　here　are　my　two　reals；　and　tell　me；　most　excellent　sir
ape；　what　is　my　wife　Teresa　Panza　doing　now；　and　what　is　she　diverting
herself　with？〃
　　Master　Pedro　refused　to　take　the　money；　saying；　〃I　will　not
receive　payment　in　advance　or　until　the　service　has　been　first
rendered；〃　and　then　with　his　right　hand　he　gave　a　couple　of　slaps　on
his　left　shoulder；　and　with　one　spring　the　ape　perched　himself　upon
it；　and　putting　his　mouth　to　his　master's　ear　began　chattering　his
teeth　rapidly；　and　having　kept　this　up　as　long　as　one　would　be
saying　a　credo；　with　another　spring　he　brought　himself　to　the
ground；　and　the　same　instant　Master　Pedro　ran　in　great　haste　and
fell　upon　his　knees　before　Don　Quixote；　and　embracing　his　legs
exclaimed；　〃These　legs　do　I　embrace　as　I　would　embrace　the　two　pillars
of　Hercules；　O　illustrious　reviver　of　knight…errantry；　so　long
consigned　to　oblivi