第 38 节
作者:生在秋天      更新:2023-05-17 13:24      字数:9322
  until he sees the cart smashed up。          Then he is very apologetic; it is true。
  But of what use is that?         As   he is usually  of the size and strength of   a
  young bull; and his human companion is generally a weak…kneed old man
  or woman; or a small child; he has his way。             The greatest punishment his
  proprietor can inflict upon him is to leave him at home; and take the cart
  out alone。     But your German is too kind…hearted to do this often。
  That he is harnessed to the cart for anybody's pleasure but his own it is
  impossible to believe; and I am confident that the German peasant plans
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  the    tiny  harness    and   fashions    the   little  cart  purely   with   the  hope    of
  gratifying his dog。       In other countriesin Belgium; Holland and FranceI
  have seen these draught dogs ill… treated and over…worked; but in Germany;
  never。     Germans abuse animals shockingly。              I have seen a German stand
  in   front   of   his   horse   and   call   it   every   name   he   could   lay   his   tongue   to。
  But the horse did not mind it。          I have seen a German; weary with abusing
  his horse; call to his wife to come out and assist him。              When she came; he
  told her what the horse had done。            The recital roused the woman's temper
  to almost equal heat with his own; and standing one each side of the poor
  beast; they both abused it。         They abused its dead mother; they insulted its
  father;    they   made     cutting   remarks     about   its  personal     appearance;     its
  intelligence;  its   moral   sense;   its   general   ability  as   a   horse。 The   animal
  bore the   torrent with   exemplary patience   for awhile; then   it did   the   best
  thing   possible   to   do   under   the   circumstances。      Without   losing   its   own
  temper; it moved quietly away。           The lady returned to her washing; and the
  man followed it up the street; still abusing it。
  A kinder…hearted people than the Germans there is no need for。 Cruelty
  to animal or child is a thing almost unknown in the land。 The whip with
  them is a musical instrument; its crack is heard from morning to night; but
  an Italian coachman that in the streets of Dresden I once saw use it was
  very    nearly    lynched    by   the   indignant    crowd。      Germany       is  the  only
  country in Europe where the traveller can settle himself comfortably in his
  hired carriage; confident that his gentle; willing friend between the shafts
  will be neither over…worked nor cruelly treated。
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  CHAPTER XI
  Black     Forest    House:     and     the   sociability    thereinIts   perfume
  George      positively   declines    to  remain    in  bed   after  four   o'clock   in  the
  morningThe        road   one   cannot    missMy      peculiar   extra   instinct   An
  ungrateful partyHarris as a scientistHis cheery confidence The village:
  where  it   was;  and   where it   ought to have been  George:           his   planWe
  promenade a la FrancaisThe German coachman asleep and awakeThe
  man who spreads the English language abroad。
  There was one night when; tired out and far from town or village; we
  slept   in   a   Black   Forest   farmhouse。     The   great   charm   about   the   Black
  Forest house is its sociability。        The cows are in the next room; the horses
  are   upstairs;   the   geese   and   ducks   are   in   the   kitchen;   while   the   pigs;   the
  children; and the chickens live all over the place。
  You are dressing; when you hear a grunt behind you。
  〃Good…morning!         Don't happen to have any potato peelings in here?
  No; I see you haven't; good…bye。〃
  Next there is a cackle; and you see the neck of an old hen stretched
  round the corner。
  〃Fine   morning;   isn't   it?   You   don't   mind   my   bringing   this   worm   of
  mine in here; do you?         It is so difficult in this house to find a room where
  one   can   enjoy   one's   food   with   any   quietness。    From   a   chicken   I   have
  always     been    a  slow   eater;   and   when    a  dozenthere;     I  thought    they
  wouldn't leave me alone。          Now they'll all want a bit。 You don't mind my
  getting on the bed; do you?         Perhaps here they won't notice me。〃
  While you are dressing various shock heads peer in at the door; they
  evidently   regard   the   room   as   a   temporary   menagerie。       You   cannot   tell
  whether the heads belong to boys or girls; you can only hope they are all
  male。     It is of no use shutting the door; because there is nothing to fasten
  it  by;   and   the  moment      you   are  gone    they   push   it  open   again。    You
  breakfast as the Prodigal Son is generally represented feeding:                  a pig or
  two drop in to keep you company; a party of elderly geese criticise you
  from   the   door;   you   gather   from   their   whispers;   added   to   their   shocked
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  expression;   that   they  are   talking   scandal   about   you。     Maybe   a   cow   will
  condescend to give a glance in。
  This Noah's Ark arrangement it is; I suppose; that gives to the Black
  Forest home its distinctive scent。            It is not a scent you can liken to any
  one thing。      It is as if you took roses and Limburger cheese and hair oil;
  some heather and onions; peaches and soapsuds; together with a dash of
  sea air and a corpse; and mixed them up together。                 You cannot define any
  particular   odour;   but   you   feel   they   are   all   thereall   the   odours   that   the
  world has   yet   discovered。       People who live in these houses   are  fond   of
  this mixture。      They do not open the window and lose any of it; they keep
  it carefully bottled up。        If you want any other scent; you can go outside
  and smell   the  wood violets   and   the pines;   inside   there is   the house;   and
  after   a   while;   I   am  told;   you   get   used to   it;   so   that   you   miss   it;   and   are
  unable to go to sleep in any other atmosphere。
  We   had   a   long   walk   before   us   the   next   day;   and   it   was   our   desire;
  therefore;   to   get   up   early;   even   so   early   as   six   o'clock;   if   that   could   be
  managed       without    disturbing     the  whole     household。      We    put   it  to  our
  hostess whether she thought this could be done。                  She said she thought it
  could。     She might not be about herself at that time; it was her morning for
  going into the town; some eight miles off; and she rarely got back much
  before   seven;   but;   possibly;   her   husband   or   one   of   the   boys   would   be
  returning home to lunch about that hour。               Anyhow; somebody should be
  sent back to wake us and get our breakfast。
  As it turned out; we did not need any waking。                 We got up at four; all
  by ourselves。       We got up at four in order to get away from the noise and
  the   din   that   was   making   our   heads   ache。    What   time   the   Black   Forest
  peasant rises in the summer time I am unable to say; to us they appeared to
  be getting up all night。        And the first thing the Black Forester does when
  he gets up is to put on a pair of stout boots with wooden soles; and take a
  constitutional   round   the   house。       Until   he   has   been   three   times   up   and
  down the stairs; he does not feel he is up。             Once fully awake himself; the
  next thing he does is to go upstairs to the stables; and wake up a horse。
  (The Black Forest house being built generally on the side of a steep hill;
  the ground floor is at the top; and the hay…loft at the bottom。)                   Then the
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  horse; it   would seem;   must   also   have  its   constitutional   round   the   house;
  and this seen to; the man goes downstairs into the kitchen and begins to
  chop   wood;   and   when   he   has   chopped   sufficient   wood   he   feels   pleased
  with himself and begins to sing。            All things considered; we came to the
  conclusion we could not do better than follow the excellent example set us。
  Even George was quite eager to get up that morning。
  We had a frugal breakfast at half…past four; and started away at five。
  Our road lay over a mountain; and from enquiries made in the village i