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gulliver of mars(火星上的格列弗)-第31部分

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was poor Heru; that sweet maiden wife?               The thought of her in the hands 

of the ape…men was odious。            And yet was I not mad to try to rescue; or 

even   to   follow   her   alone?   If   by   any   chance   I   could   get   off   this   beast… 

haunted place and catch up with the ravishers; what had I to look for from 

them except speedy extinction; and that likely enough by the most painful 

process they were acquainted with? 

     The    other    alternative    of  going    back    empty    handed     was    terribly 

ignominious。       I   had   lectured   the   amiable    young    manhood      of  Seth   so 

soundly on the subject of gallantry; and set them such a good example on 

two occasions; that it would be bathos to saunter back; hands in pockets; 

and con… fess I knew nothing of the lady's fate and had been daunted by 

the first night alone in the forest。         Besides; how dull it would be in that 

beautiful; tumble…down old city without Heru; with no expectation day by 

day of seeing her sylph…like form and hearing the merry tinkle of her fairy 

laughter     as  she   scoffed    at  the  unknown       learning    col…  lected   by   her 

ancestors in a thousand laborious years。             No! I would go on for certain。 

I was young; in love; and angry; and before those qualifications difficulties 

became light。 

     Meanwhile;   the   first   essential   was   breakfast   of   some   kind。   I   arose; 

stretched; put on my half…dried clothes; and mount… ing a low hummock on 

the forest edge looked around。 The sun was riding up finely into the sky; 

and the sea to the eastward shone for leagues and leagues in the loveliest 

azure。   Where   it   rippled   on   my   own   beach   and   those   of   the   low   islands 



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noted over night; a wonderful fire of blue and red played on the sands as 

though the broken water were full of living gems。                  The sky was full of 

strange gulls with long; forked tails; and a lovely little flying lizard with 

transparent wings of the palest greenlike those of a grass… hopperwas 

flitting about picking up insect stragglers。 

     All   this   was   very   charming;   but   what   I   kept   saying   to   myself   was 

〃Streaky rashers and hot coffee: rashers and coffee and rolls;〃 and; indeed; 

had the gates of Paradise themselves opened at that moment I fear my first 

look   down   the   celestial   streets   within   would   have   been   for   a   restaurant。 

They   did   not;   and   I   was   just   turning   away   disconsolate   when   my   eye 

caught; ascending from behind the next bluff down the beach; a thin strand 

of smoke rising into the morning air。 

     It was nothing so much in itselfa thin spiral creeping upwards mast… 

high; then flattening out into a mushroom headbut it meant everything to 

me。     Where there was fire there must be humanity; and where there was 

human…      ityay;   to  the  very    outlayers    of  the   universethere     must    be 

breakfast。     It was a splendid thought; I rushed down the hillock and went 

gaily   for   that   blue   thread   amongst   the   reeds。   It   was   not   two   hundred 

yards away; and soon below me was a tiny bay with bluest water frilling a 

silver beach; and in the midst of it a fire on a hearth dancing round a pot 

that simmered gloriously。          But of an owner there was nothing to be seen。 

I peered here and there on the shore; but nothing moved; while out to sea 

the water was shining like molten metal with not a dot upon it!what did 

it matter?     I laughed as; pleased and hungry; I slipped down the bank and 

strode across the sands; it pleased   Fate to play  bandy with   me; and   if   it 

sent    me   supperless     to  bed;   why;    here   was   restitution    in  the  way    of 

breakfast。 I took up a morsel of the stuff in the kettle on a handy stick and 

found it goodindeed; I knew it at once as a very dainty mess made from 

the roots of a herb the Martians great… ly liked; An had piled my platter 

with   it   when   we   supped   that   night   in   the   market…place   of   Seth;   and   the 

sweet white   stuff had   melted   into my  corporal   essence; it seemed;   with… 

out any gross intermediate process of digestion。                And here I was again; 

hungry; sniffing the fragrant breath of a full meal and not a soul in sightI 

should   have   been   a   fool   not   to   have   eaten。   So   thinking;   down   I   sat; 



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taking the pot from its place; and when it was   a little cool plunging   my 

hands   into   it   and   feasting   with   as   good   an   appetite   as   ever   a   man   had 

before。 

     It was gloriously ambrosial; and deeper and deeper I went; with the tall 

stalk   of   the   smoke   in   front   growing   from   the   hearth…stones   like   some 

strange new plant; the plea… sant sunshine on my back; and never a thought 

for any… thing but the task in hand。             Deeper and deeper; oblivious of all 

else; until to get the very last drops I lifted the pipkin up and putting back 

my head drank in that fashion。 

     It was only when with a sigh of pleasure I lowered it slowly again that 

over   the   rim   as   it   sank   there   dawned   upon   me   the   vision   of   a   Martian 

standing   by  an   empty  canoe   on   the   edge  of   the   water  and   regarding   me 

with calm amaze… ment。           I was; in fact; so astonished that for a minute the 

empty pot stood still before my face; and over its edge we stared at each 

other in mute surprise; then with all the dig… nity that might be I laid the 

vessel down between my feet and waited for the newcomer to speak。                        She 

was a girl by her yellow garb; a fisherwoman; it seemed; for in the prow of 

her craft was piled a net upon which the scales of fishes were twinklinga 

Martian;   obviously;   but   something   more   ro…   bust   than   most   of   them;   a 

savour   of   honest   work   about   her   sunburnt   face   which   my   pallid   friends 

away yonder were lacking in; and when we had stared at each other for a 

few moments in silence she came forward a step or two and said without a 

trace of fear or shyness; 〃Are you a spirit; sir? 

     〃Why;〃 I answered; 〃about as much; no more and no less; than most of 

us。〃 

     〃Aye;〃 she said。        〃I thought   you were; for none  but spirits live  here 

upon this island; are you for good or evil?〃 

     〃Far   better   for   the   breakfast   of   which   I   fear   I   have   robbed   you;   but 

wandering along the shore and finding   this pot boiling with no owner;  I 

ventured   to   sample   it;   and   it   was   so   good   my   appetite   got   th
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