gs.earthabides-第47部分

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What　to　them；　the　islands　of　the　sea？　
　　He　made　a　somewhat　better　case　for　history；　although　what　he　taught　was　more　anthropology　than　history。　He　told　them　of　all　the　growth　of　man；　that　struggling　creature；　who　had　gradually　learned　this；　learned　that；　learned　to　develop　himself　here；　and　restrain　himself　there；　and　through　infinite　error　and　trouble　and　foolishness　and　cruelty；　at　last　had　achieved　so　spectacularly　before　the　end　came　upon　him。　They　were　mildly　interested。　
　　Yet　most　of　his　time　he　spent　at　teaching　them　to　read　and　write；　because　reading　he　felt　was　the　key　to　everything　else　and　writing　was　its　counterpart。　But　only　Joey　took　naturally　to　reading；　and　romped　ahead。　He　knew　the　meanings　of　words；　and　grasped　even　the　meaning　of　books。　
　　Civ…vil…eye…za…shun！　That　is　what　Uncle　Ish　talked　about。　There　are　lots　of　quail　by　the　stream　today。　Two…and…six？　I　know　that！　Why　should　I　say　it　to　him？　Two…and…nine？　That　is　hard。　It　is　more　than　my　fingers。　It　is　the　same　as　〃a　lot。〃　Uncle　George　is　more　fun　than　Uncle　Ish。　He　can　show　you　how　to　carve。　My　daddy　is　more　fun　still。　He　says　funny　things。　But　Uncle　Ish　keeps　the　hammer。　It　is　there　now　on　the　mantel。　Joey　makes　up　stories　about　the　hammer；　I　think。　You　can't　be　sure。　I　would　like　to　pinch　Betty　now；　but　Uncle　Ish　would　not　like　it。　Uncle　Ish　knows　most　of　anybody。　Sometimes　I　am　afraid。　If　I　could　tell　him　what　seven　and　nine　is；　maybe　we　would　have　civ…vil…eye…za…shun；　and　I　could　see　the　pictures　that　act　like　people。　Daddy　used　to　see　them。　It　would　be　fun。　Eight…and…eight。　Joey　knows　right　off。　Joey　is　no　good　atfinding　quail　nests。　Soon　we　can　go　now。　
　　In　spite　of　recurrent　discouragement；　Ish　still　kept　trying；　and　he　always　fastened　quickly　on　any　opportunity　that　the　children　themselves　seemed　to　offer　him。　
　　One　afternoon　the　older　boys　had　gone　on　a　longer　expedition　than　usual；　and　the　next　morning　they　brought　with　them　to　school　some　native　walnuts。　They　had　not　seen　such　nuts　before；　and　were　curious。　Ish　quickly　decided　to　crack　some　of　the　nuts；　and　thus　perhaps　give　a　little　lesson　in　biology。　It　would　be　taking　advantage　of　the　children's　own　curiosity；　and　would　be　following　up　something　that　they　themselves　had　initiated。　
　　He　sent　Walt　outside　for　two　stones　to　use　in　cracking　the　hard　shells。　Walt　returned　with　two　half　bricks…bricks　and　stones　not　being　distinguished　in　his　vocabulary。　
　　Ish　ignored　that　detail；　but　he　found　that　trying　to　break　the　hard　shells　with　a　brick　was　more　likely　to　result　in　a　smashed　finger　than　a　smashed　nut。　He　cast　around　for　something　better　to　use；　and　his　eyes　fell　upon　his　hammer。　It　was　standing；　as　usual；　on　the　mantelpiece。　
　　〃Go　get　the　hammer　for　me；　Chris！〃　he　said；　pointing；　to　the　little　boy　who　was　nearest　it。　
　　Usually　Chris　was　only　too　glad　to　spring　up　from　his　seat；　and　do　something　active。　But　now　a　strange　thing　occurred。　Chris　glanced　this　way　and　that；　at　Walt　and　at　Weston；　who　were　next　to　him。　He　looked　embarrassed；　or　alarmed。　
　　〃Go　get　the　hammer；　Chris！〃　Ish　repeated；　thinking　that　possibly　Chris　had　been　day…dreaming；　and　had　merely　heard　his　name　without　noting　the　words　that　went　before。　
　　〃I…I　don't　want　to！〃　said　Chris；　hesitantly。　Chris　was　eight　years　old；　and　not　given　to　being　a　cry…baby；　and　yet　Ish　could　see　that　Chris　was；　for　some　reason；　close　to　tears。　He　dropped　the　matter　with　Chris。　〃Bring　me　the　hammer；　one　of　you　others；〃　he　said。　Weston　looked　at　Walt；　and　Barbara　and　Betty；　the　sisters；　looked　at　each　other　too。　Those　four　were　the　oldest。　All　four　of　them　looked　back　and　forth；　and　did　not　make　a　move　to　rise。　Naturally；　the　little　ones　did　nothing。　But　Ish　could　see　all　the　children　glancing　furtively　at　each　other。　
　　Although　Ish　was　wholly　puzzled；　he　saw　no　reason　to　make　an　issue　of　the　matter；　and　he　was　just　about　to　get　the　hammer　himself　when　something　else　strange　began　to　happen。　
　　Joey　rose。　He　walked　over　toward　the　mantelpiece。　All　the　children's　eyes　followed　him。　The　room；　Ish　realized；　was　deathly　quiet。　Joey　stood　at　the　mantelpiece。　He　reached　out　his　hand；　and　took　the　hammer。　There　was　a　strange　little　cry　from　one　of　the　smaller　girls。　In　the　hush　that　followed；　Joey　walked　back　from　the　mantelpiece；　and　gave　the　hammer　to　Ish。　Joey　went　back　to　where　he　had　been　sitting。　
　　The　room　was　still；　and　the　children　were　looking　at　Joey。　Joey　sat　down；　and　Ish　broke　the　silence　by　pounding　on　a　nut　with　the　hammer。　At　that　noise　the　tension；　whatever　it　was；　seemed　to　break。　
　　Only　after　it　had　e　to　noon　and　he　had　dismissed　school　did　Ish　have　time　to　think　the　matter　over　and　e；　with　a　start；　to　the　conclusion　that　it　had　been　a　case　of　pure　superstition。　The　hammer…all　the　children　associated　it　vaguely　with　something　strange　and　mystical　in　the　far　past！　It　was　used　on　state　occasions；　it　stood　on　the　mantelpiece　by　itself。　Generally　speaking；　no　one　touched　it　except　Ish。　Even　Bob；　Ish　now　remembered；　had　handled　it　with　reluctance　on　that　occasion　when　they　had　started　out　with　the　dog…teams。　The　children　had　e　to　think　it　an　implement　of　power；　dangerous　for　any　of　them　to　touch。　He　could　see　how　such　an　idea　might　have　begun　half　seriously　as　a　game　and　in　a　few　years　have　e　to　be　taken　seriously。　And　as　for　Joey；　again　he　realized　that　Joey　was　the　one　who　stood　out　from　the　crowd。　Perhaps　Joey　had　not　rationally　figured　out　that　Ish's　harnmer　was　only　like　any　other　hammer。　Perhaps；　he　had　merely　let　his　superstition　work　at　a　higher　level；　and　assumed　that　he　had　something　in　mon　with　his　father；　such　as　was　shown　by　his　reading；　so　that　he；　as　the　High　Priest's　child；　the　Son　of　the　Blessing；　might　touch　the　relics　which　would　blast　the　others。　Possibly　even；　he　might　be　capable　of　it；　Joey　had　helped　build　up　the　superstition　in　the　others　in　order　to　build　up　his　own　importance。　It　could　not　be　much　work；　Ish　decided；　to　overe　this　superstition。　
　　Yet　that　same　afternoon　he　began　to　have　doubts。　On　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　house　some　children　were　playing。　As　they　played；　they　were　jumping　from　one　block　of　the　sidewalk　to　another　and　crying　out　that　old　rhyme：　
　　Step　on　a　crack；Break　your　mother's　back！
　　Ish　had　heard　children　singing　it　often　in　the　Old　Times。　It　meant　nothing　then；　just　a　little　childish　rhyme。　Children；　as　they　got　older；　had　always　learned　that　such　things　were　merely　childish。　But　now；　he　thought；　what　would　there　be　to　teach　the　children　that　such　things　were　mere　superstition？　Here　was　a　society　with　almost　no　stored…up　tradition；　and　apparently　a　society　that　was　not　going　to　develop　its　traditions　greatly　by　reading。　
　　He　sat　in　his　easy…chair　in　the　living…room；　and　heard　the　children；　outside；　playing　and　shouting　their　rhyme。　As　the　smoke　of　his　cigarette　curled　up；　he　remembered　more　and　more　disturbing　evidences　of　superstition。　Ezra　carried　his　pocket…piece；　the　old　Victorian　penny；　and　doubtless　the　children　looked　on　that　much　as　they　looked　on　the　hammer。　Molly　was　a　confirmed　rapper　on　wood；　Ish　was　disturbed　when；　now　that　he　considered；　he　remembered　the　children　also　rapping　on　wood。　Would　they　ever　learn　that　that　was　just　the　thing　that　someone　did　to　make　himself　feel　more　fortable；　although　it　had　no　real　meaning？　
　　Yes；　he　reluctantly　concluded；　this　matter　of　the　children's　beliefs　was　extremely　serious。　In　the　Old　Times　the　beliefs　held　by　the　children　of　any　family　or　small　group　of　families　might　be　momentous　enough；　but　still　those　children　on　growing　up　would　e　into　contact　with　other　beliefs　and　make　adjustments。　Besides；　there　had　been　a　great；　even　overwhelming；　mass　of　tradition…the　tradition　of　Christianity；　or　of　Western　civilization；　or　of　Indo…European　folkways；　or　of　Anglo…American　culture。　Call　it　what　you　wished；　it　was　still　so　tremendous　that　you　might　say　it　was　omnipotent；　for　good　or　bad　absorbing　the　individual。　
　　But　now　their　little　munity　had　lost　much　of　the　tradition。　Part　of　it　had　been　lost　because　no　seven　survivors　（Evie　did　not　count）　could　preserve　and　transmit　all　of　it。　Part　had　been　lost　because　for　so　long　a　time　there　had　been　no　big　children　to　pass　on　the　tradition　to　the　small　ones。　The　oldest　of　the　younger　generation　had　been　taught　games　by　their　parents；　not　by　older　rades。　The　munity　should　therefore　be　plastic　to　an　unprecedented　degree。　This　was　an　opportunity；　but　also　a　responsibility…and　a　danger。　
　　It　would　be　a　danger…and　he　shuddered　at　the　thought…if　any　evil　force；　such　as　a　demagogue；　should　begin　to　work。　
　　To　be　sure；　he　recollected　wryly；　he　had　not　found　the　children　particularly　plastic　as　regards　learning　to　read！　Yet　that　might　be　only　that　a　stronger　forcethe　whole　environment…was　already　working　against　his　efforts。　
　　But　take　now　again　this　matter　of　superstition。　Perhaps　this　all　had　grown　up　because；　as　it　happened；　there　was　no　one　in　The　Tribe　who　was　creatively　religious。　Perhaps　there　was　some　kind　of　vacuum　in　the　childish　mind；　and　it　had　to　be　filled　up　with　supernatural　beliefs。　Perhaps　all　this　represented　some　kind　of　subconscious　straining　toward　an　explanation　of　the　basis　of　life　itself。　
　　Years　ago　they　had　organized　those　church　services；　and　then　discontinued　them　as　meaningless。　That　discontinuance　might　have　been　a　mistake。　
　　Now；　more　certainly　even　than　before；　he　knew　that　he　had　the　opportunity　to　be　the　founder　of　a　religion　for　a　whole　people。　What　he　told　the　children　in　school；　they　would　probably　believe。　He　could　insure　their　memory　of　it　by　mere　insistence　and　iteration。　He　could　tell　them　that　the　Lord　God　created　the　world　in　six　days；　and　found　it　good。　They　would　believe。　He　could　tell　them　a　local　Indian　legend　that　the　world　was　the　work　of　Old　Man　Coyote。　They　would　believe。　
　　Yet　what　could　he　really　tell　them　in　honesty？　He　might　tell　them　any　one　of　half　a　dozen　theories　of　cosmogony　which　he　remembered　from　his　old　studies。　Probably　they　would　believe　these　too；　although　their　plications　did　not　make　for　quite　as　good　a　story　as　one　of　those　others。　
　　Actually；　no　matter　what　he　said；　it　might　easily　be　twisted　and　made　into　some　kind　of　religion。　Again；　as　years　before