第2章

SaturdayIescapedlastTuesdaynight,andtravelledtwodays,andbuiltmeanothershelter,inasecludedplace,andobliteratedmytracksaswellasIcould,butshehuntedmeoutbymeansofabeastwhichshehastamedandcallsawolf,andcamemakingthatpitifulnoiseagain,andsheddingthatwateroutoftheplacesshelookswith.

Iwasobligedtoreturnwithher,butwillpresentlyemigrateagain,whenoccasionoffers.Sheengagesherselfinmanyfoolishthings:

amongothers,tryingtostudyoutwhytheanimalscalledlionsandtigersliveongrassandflowers,when,asshesays,thesortofteeththeywearwouldindicatethattheywereintendedtoeateachother.Thisisfoolish,becausetodothatwouldbetokilleachother,andthatwouldintroducewhat,asIunderstandit,iscalled\"death;\"anddeath,asIhavebeentold,hasnotyetenteredthePark.Whichisapity,onsomeaccounts.

SundayPulledthrough.

MondayIbelieveIseewhattheweekisfor:itistogivetimetorestupfromthewearinessofSunday.ItseemsagoodideaShehasbeenclimbingthattreeagain.Cloddedheroutofit.Shesaidnobodywaslooking.Seemstoconsiderthatasufficientjustificationforchancinganydangerousthing.Toldherthat.

Thewordjustificationmovedheradmiration——andenvytoo,I

thought.Itisagoodword.

ThursdayShetoldmeshewasmadeoutofaribtakenfrommybody.Thisisatleastdoubtful,ifnotmorethanthat.IhavenotmissedanyribSheisinmuchtroubleaboutthebuzzard;saysgrassdoesnotagreewithit;isafraidshecan\'traiseit;thinksitwasintendedtoliveondecayedflesh.Thebuzzardmustgetalongthebestitcanwithwhatisprovided.Wecannotoverturnthewholeschemetoaccommodatethebuzzard.

SaturdayShefellinthepondyesterday,whenshewaslookingatherselfinit,whichsheisalwaysdoing.Shenearlystrangled,andsaiditwasmostuncomfortable.Thismadehersorryforthecreatureswhichliveinthere,whichshecallsfish,forshecontinuestofastennamesontothingsthatdon\'tneedthemanddon\'tcomewhentheyarecalledbythem,whichisamatterofnoconsequencetoher,assheissuchanumskullanyway;soshegotalotofthemoutandbroughttheminlastnightandputtheminmybedtokeepwarm,butIhavenoticedthemnowandthenallday,andIdon\'tseethattheyareanyhappiertherethantheywerebefore,onlyquieter.WhennightcomesIshallthrowthemout—doors.Iwillnotsleepwiththemagain,forIfindthemclammyandunpleasanttolieamongwhenapersonhasn\'tanythingon.

SundayPulledthrough.

TuesdayShehastakenupwithasnakenow.Theotheranimalsareglad,forshewasalwaysexperimentingwiththemandbotheringthem;

andIamglad,becausethesnaketalks,andthisenablesmetogetarest.

FridayShesaysthesnakeadviseshertotrythefruitofthattree,andsaystheresultwillbeagreatandfineandnobleeducation.I

toldhertherewouldbeanotherresult,too——itwouldintroducedeathintotheworld.Thatwasamistake——ithadbeenbettertokeeptheremarktomyself;itonlygaveheranidea——shecouldsavethesickbuzzard,andfurnishfreshmeattothedespondentlionsandtigers.Iadvisedhertokeepawayfromthetree.Shesaidshewouldn\'t.Iforeseetrouble.Willemigrate.

WednesdayIhavehadavariegatedtime.Iescapedthatnight,androdeahorseallnightasfastashecouldgo,hopingtogetclearoutoftheParkandhideinsomeothercountrybeforethetroubleshouldbegin;butitwasnottobe.Aboutanhouraftersunup,asIwasridingthroughafloweryplainwherethousandsofanimalsweregrazing,slumbering,orplayingwitheachother,accordingtotheirwont,allofasuddentheybrokeintoatempestoffrightfulnoises,andinonemomenttheplainwasinafranticcommotionandeverybeastwasdestroyingitsneighbor.Iknewwhatitmeant——Evehadeatenthatfruit,anddeathwascomeintotheworldThetigersatemyhorse,payingnoattentionwhenIorderedthemtodesist,andtheywouldevenhaveeatenmeifIhadstayed——whichIdidn\'t,butwentawayinmuchhasteIfoundthisplace,outsidethePark,andwasfairlycomfortableforafewdays,butshehasfoundmeout.Foundmeout,andhasnamedtheplaceTonawanda——saysitlookslikethat.Infact,Iwasnotsorryshecame,fortherearebutmeagrepickingshere,andshebroughtsomeofthoseapples.Iwasobligedtoeatthem,Iwassohungry.Itwasagainstmyprinciples,butIfindthatprincipleshavenorealforceexceptwhenoneiswellfedShecamecurtainedinboughsandbunchesofleaves,andwhenIaskedherwhatshemeantbysuchnonsense,andsnatchedthemawayandthrewthemdown,shetitteredandblushed.Ihadneverseenapersontitterandblushbefore,andtomeitseemedunbecomingandidiotic.ShesaidI

wouldsoonknowhowitwasmyself.Thiswascorrect.HungryasIwas,Ilaiddowntheapplehalfeaten——certainlythebestoneI

eversaw,consideringthelatenessoftheseason——andarrayedmyselfinthediscardedboughsandbranches,andthenspoketoherwithsomeseverityandorderedhertogoandgetsomemoreandnotmakesuchaspectacleofherself.Shedidit,andafterthiswecreptdowntowherethewild—beastbattlehadbeen,andcollectedsomeskins,andImadeherpatchtogetheracoupleofsuitsproperforpublicoccasions.Theyareuncomfortable,itistrue,butstylish,andthatisthemainpointaboutclothesIfindsheisagooddealofacompanion.IseeIshouldbelonesomeanddepressedwithouther,nowthatIhavelostmyproperty.Anotherthing,shesaysitisorderedthatweworkforourlivinghereafter.

Shewillbeuseful.Iwillsuperintend.