第 29 节
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沸点123 更新:2021-02-27 02:03 字数:9322
sand at the foot of the Burning Mountain。
It stood up in a high peaked cone; and smoke rolled out from it
endlessly along the sky。 At night; the Fire Spirits danced; and the glare
reddened the Big Water far out。
There the Counsellor said to the Boy; 〃Stay thou here till I bring thee a
brand from the burning; be ready and right for running; for I shall be far
spent when I come again; and the Fire Spirits will pursue me。〃
Then he went up to the mountain; and the Fire Spirits only laughed
when they saw him; for he looked so slinking; inconsiderable; and mean;
that none of them thought harm from him。 And in the night; when they
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were at their dance about the mountain; the Coyote stole the fire; and ran
with it down the slope of the burning mountain。 When the Fire Spirits saw
what he had done they streamed out after him; red and angry; with a
humming sound like a swarm of bees。 But the Coyote was still ahead; the
sparks of the brand streamed out along his flanks; as he carried it in his
mouth; and he stretched his body to the trail。
The Boy saw him coming; like a failing star against the mountain; he
heard the singing sound of the Fire Spirits close behind; and the labouring
breath of the Counsellor。 And when the good beast panted down beside
him; the Boy caught the brand from his jaws and was off; like an arrow
from a bent bow。 Out he shot on the homeward path; and the Fire Spirits
snapped and sang behind him。 But fast as they pursued he fled faster; till
he saw the next runner standing in his place; his body bent for the running。
To him he passed it; and it was off and away; with the Fire Spirits raging
in chase。
So it passed from hand to hand; and the Fire Spirits tore after it
through the scrub; till they came to the mountains of the snows; these they
could not pass。 Then the dark; sleek runners with the backward streaming
brand bore it forward; shining starlike in the night; glowing red in sultry
noons; violet pale in twilight glooms; until they came in safety to their
own land。
And there they kept it among stones and fed it with small sticks; as the
Counsellor advised; and it kept the people warm。
Ever after the Boy was called the Fire…Bringer; and ever after the
Coyote bore the sign of the bringing; for the fur along his flanks was
singed and yellow from the flames that streamed backward from the
brand。
THE BURNING OF THE RICEFIELDS'1'
'1' Adapted from Gleanings in Buddha…Fields; by Lafeadio Hearn。
(Kegan Paul; Trench; Trubner and Co; Ltd。 5s。 net。)
Once there was a good old man who lived up on a mountain; far
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away in Japan。 All round his little house the mountain was flat; and the
ground was rich; and there were the ricefields of all the people who lived
in the village at the mountain's foot。 Mornings and evenings; the old man
and his little grandson; who lived with him; used to look far down on the
people at work in the village; and watch the blue sea which lay all round
the land; so close that there was no room for fields below; only for houses。
The little boy loved the ricefields; dearly; for he knew that all the good
food for all the people came from them; and he often helped his
grandfather to watch over them。
One day; the grandfather was standing alone; before his house; looking
far down at the people; and out at the sea; when; suddenly; he saw
something very strange far off where the sea and sky meet。 Something like
a great cloud was rising there; as if the sea were lifting itself high into the
sky。 The old man put his hands to his eyes and looked again; hard as his
old sight could。 Then he turned and ran to the house。 〃Yone; Yone!〃 he
cried; 〃bring a brand from the hearth!〃
The little grandson could not imagine what his grandfather wanted
with fire; but he always obeyed; so he ran quickly and brought the brand。
The old man already had one; and was running for the ricefields。 Yone ran
after。 But what was his horror to see his grandfather thrust his burning
brand into the ripe dry rice; where it stood。
〃Oh; Grandfather; Grandfather!〃 screamed the little boy; 〃what are you
doing?〃
〃Quick; set fire! thrust your brand in!〃 said the grandfather。
Yone thought his dear grandfather had lost his mind; and he began to
sob; but a little Japanese boy always obeys; so though he sobbed; he thrust
his torch in; and the sharp flame ran up the dry stalks; red and yellow。 In
an instant; the field was ablaze; and thick black smoke began to pour up;
on the mountain side。 It rose like a cloud; black and fierce; and in no time
the people below saw that their precious ricefields were on fire。 Ah; how
they ran! Men; women; and children climbed the mountain; running as fast
as they could to save the rice; not one soul stayed behind。
And when they came to the mountain top; and saw the beautiful rice…
crop all in flames; beyond help; they cried bitterly; 〃Who has done this
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thing? How did it happen?〃
〃I set fire;〃 said the old man; very solemnly; and the little grandson
sobbed; 〃Grandfather set fire。〃
But when they came fiercely round the old man; with 〃Why? Why?〃
he only turned and pointed to the sea。 〃Look!〃 he said。
They all turned and looked。 And there; where the blue sea had lain; so
calm; a mighty wall of water; reaching from earth to sky; was rolling in。
No one could scream; so terrible was the sight。 The wall of water rolled in
on the land; passed quite over the place where the village had been; and
broke; with an awful sound; on the mountain side。 One wave more; and
still one more; came; and then all was water; as far as they could look;
below; the village where they had been was under the sea。
But the people were all safe。 And when they saw what the old man had
done; they honoured him above all men for the quick wit which had saved
them all from the tidal wave。
THE STORY OF WYLIE'1'
'1' Adapted from Rab and his Friends; by Dr John Brown。
This is a story about a dog;not the kind of dog you often see in the
street here; not a fat; wrinkly pugdog; nor a smooth…skinned bulldog; nor
even a big shaggy fellow; but a slim; silky… haired; sharp…eared little dog;
the prettiest thing you can imagine。 Her name was Wylie; and she lived in
Scotland; far up on the hills; and helped her master take care of his sheep。
You can't think how clever she was! She watched over the sheep and
the little lambs like a soldier; and never let anything hurt them。 She drove
them out to pasture when it was time; and brought them safely home when
it was time for that。 When the silly sheep got frightened and ran this way
and that; hurting themselves and getting lost; Wylie knew exactly what to
do;round on one side she would run; barking and scolding; driving them
back; then round on the other; barking and scolding; driving them back; till
they were all bunched together in front of the right gate。 Then she drove
them through as neatly as any person。 She loved her work; and was a
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wonderfully fine sheepdog。
At last her master grew too old to stay alone on the hills; and so he
went away to live。 Before he went; he gave Wylie to two kind young men
who lived in the nearest town; he knew they would be good to her。 They
grew very fond of her; and so did their old grandmother and the little
children: she was so gentle and handsome and well behaved。
So now Wylie lived in the city where there were no sheep farms; only
streets and houses; and she did not have to do any work at all; she was
just a pet dog。 She seemed very happy and she was always good。
But after a while; the family noticed something odd; somethin