05-tiger,tiger-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tiger！　Tiger！〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　of　the　hunting；　hunter　bold？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brother；　the　watch　was　long　and　cold。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　of　the　quarry　ye　went　to　kill？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brother；　he　crops　in　the　jungle　still。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Where　is　the　power　that　made　your　pride？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brother；　it　ebbs　from　my　flank　and　side。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Where　is　the　haste　that　ye　hurry　by？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Brother；　I　go　to　my　lairto　die。



Now　we　must　go　back　to　the　first　tale。　　When　Mowgli　left　the

wolf's　cave　after　the　fight　with　the　Pack　at　the　Council　Rock；　he

went　down　to　the　plowed　lands　where　the　villagers　lived；　but　he

would　not　stop　there　because　it　was　too　near　to　the　jungle；　and　he

knew　that　he　had　made　at　least　one　bad　enemy　at　the　Council。　　So

he　hurried　on；　keeping　to　the　rough　road　that　ran　down　the　valley；

and　followed　it　at　a　steady　jog…trot　for　nearly　twenty　miles；　till

he　came　to　a　country　that　he　did　not　know。　　The　valley　opened　out

into　a　great　plain　dotted　over　with　rocks　and　cut　up　by　ravines。

At　one　end　stood　a　little　village；　and　at　the　other　the　thick

jungle　came　down　in　a　sweep　to　the　grazing…grounds；　and　stopped

there　as　though　it　had　been　cut　off　with　a　hoe。　　All　over　the

plain；　cattle　and　buffaloes　were　grazing；　and　when　the　little　boys

in　charge　of　the　herds　saw　Mowgli　they　shouted　and　ran　away；　and

the　yellow　pariah　dogs　that　hang　about　every　Indian　village

barked。　　Mowgli　walked　on；　for　he　was　feeling　hungry；　and　when　he

came　to　the　village　gate　he　saw　the　big　thorn…bush　that　was　drawn

up　before　the　gate　at　twilight；　pushed　to　one　side。



〃Umph！〃　he　said；　for　he　had　come　across　more　than　one　such

barricade　in　his　night　rambles　after　things　to　eat。　　〃So　men　are

afraid　of　the　People　of　the　Jungle　here　also。〃　　He　sat　down　by　the

gate；　and　when　a　man　came　out　he　stood　up；　opened　his　mouth；　and

pointed　down　it　to　show　that　he　wanted　food。　　The　man　stared；　and

ran　back　up　the　one　street　of　the　village　shouting　for　the　priest；

who　was　a　big；　fat　man　dressed　in　white；　with　a　red　and　yellow

mark　on　his　forehead。　　The　priest　came　to　the　gate；　and　with　him

at　least　a　hundred　people；　who　stared　and　talked　and　shouted　and

pointed　at　Mowgli。



〃They　have　no　manners；　these　Men　Folk；〃　said　Mowgli　to

himself。　　〃Only　the　gray　ape　would　behave　as　they　do。〃　　So　he

threw　back　his　long　hair　and　frowned　at　the　crowd。



〃What　is　there　to　be　afraid　of？〃　said　the　priest。　　〃Look　at

the　marks　on　his　arms　and　legs。　　They　are　the　bites　of　wolves。　　He

is　but　a　wolf…child　run　away　from　the　jungle。〃



Of　course；　in　playing　together；　the　cubs　had　often　nipped

Mowgli　harder　than　they　intended；　and　there　were　white　scars　all

over　his　arms　and　legs。　　But　he　would　have　been　the　last　person　in

the　world　to　call　these　bites；　for　he　knew　what　real　biting　meant。



〃Arre！　Arre！〃　said　two　or　three　women　together。　　〃To　be　bitten

by　wolves；　poor　child！　　He　is　a　handsome　boy。　　He　has　eyes　like

red　fire。　　By　my　honor；　Messua；　he　is　not　unlike　thy　boy　that　was

taken　by　the　tiger。〃



〃Let　me　look；〃　said　a　woman　with　heavy　copper　rings　on　her

wrists　and　ankles；　and　she　peered　at　Mowgli　under　the　palm　of　her

hand。　　〃Indeed　he　is　not。　　He　is　thinner；　but　he　has　the　very　look

of　my　boy。〃



The　priest　was　a　clever　man；　and　he　knew　that　Messua　was　wife

to　the　richest　villager　in　the　place。　　So　he　looked　up　at　the　sky

for　a　minute　and　said　solemnly：　〃What　the　jungle　has　taken　the

jungle　has　restored。　　Take　the　boy　into　thy　house；　my　sister；　and

forget　not　to　honor　the　priest　who　sees　so　far　into　the　lives　of

men。〃



〃By　the　Bull　that　bought　me；〃　said　Mowgli　to　himself；　〃but　all

this　talking　is　like　another　looking…over　by　the　Pack！　　Well；　if　I

am　a　man；　a　man　I　must　become。〃



The　crowd　parted　as　the　woman　beckoned　Mowgli　to　her　hut；

where　there　was　a　red　lacquered　bedstead；　a　great　earthen　grain

chest　with　funny　raised　patterns　on　it；　half　a　dozen　copper

cooking　pots；　an　image　of　a　Hindu　god　in　a　little　alcove；　and　on

the　wall　a　real　looking　glass；　such　as　they　sell　at　the　country

fairs。



She　gave　him　a　long　drink　of　milk　and　some　bread；　and　then　she

laid　her　hand　on　his　head　and　looked　into　his　eyes；　for　she

thought　perhaps　that　he　might　be　her　real　son　come　back　from　the

jungle　where　the　tiger　had　taken　him。　　So　she　said；　〃Nathoo；　O

Nathoo！〃　　Mowgli　did　not　show　that　he　knew　the　name。　　〃Dost　thou

not　remember　the　day　when　I　gave　thee　thy　new　shoes？〃　　She　touched

his　foot；　and　it　was　almost　as　hard　as　horn。　　〃No；〃　she　said

sorrowfully；　〃those　feet　have　never　worn　shoes；　but　thou　art　very

like　my　Nathoo；　and　thou　shalt　be　my　son。〃



Mowgli　was　uneasy；　because　he　had　never　been　under　a　roof

before。　　But　as　he　looked　at　the　thatch；　he　saw　that　he　could　tear

it　out　any　time　if　he　wanted　to　get　away；　and　that　the　window　had

no　fastenings。　　〃What　is　the　good　of　a　man；〃　he　said　to　himself　at

last；　〃if　he　does　not　understand　man's　talk？　　Now　I　am　as　silly

and　dumb　as　a　man　would　be　with　us　in　the　jungle。　　I　must　speak

their　talk。〃



It　was　not　for　fun　that　he　had　learned　while　he　was　with　the

wolves　to　imitate　the　challenge　of　bucks　in　the　jungle　and　the

grunt　of　the　little　wild　pig。　　So；　as　soon　as　Messua　pronounced　a

word　Mowgli　would　imitate　it　almost　perfectly；　and　before　dark　he

had　learned　the　names　of　many　things　in　the　hut。



There　was　a　difficulty　at　bedtime；　because　Mowgli　would　not

sleep　under　anything　that　looked　so　like　a　panther　trap　as　that

hut；　and　when　they　shut　the　door　he　went　through　the　window。

〃Give　him　his　will；〃　said　Messua's　husband。　　〃Remember　he　can

never　till　now　have　slept　on　a　bed。　　If　he　is　indeed　sent　in　the

place　of　our　son　he　will　not　run　away。〃



So　Mowgli　stretched　himself　in　some　long；　clean　grass　at　the

edge　of　the　field；　but　before　he　had　closed　his　eyes　a　soft　gray

nose　poked　him　under　the　chin。



〃Phew！〃　said　Gray　Brother　（he　was　the　eldest　of　Mother　Wolf's

cubs）。　　〃This　is　a　poor　reward　for　following　thee　twenty　miles。

Thou　smellest　of　wood　smoke　and　cattlealtogether　like　a　man

already。　　Wake；　Little　Brother；　I　bring　news。〃



〃Are　all　well　in　the　jungle？〃　said　Mowgli；　hugging　him。



〃All　except　the　wolves　that　were　burned　with　the　Red　Flower。

Now；　listen。　　Shere　Khan　has　gone　away　to　hunt　far　off　till　his

coat　grows　again；　for　he　is　badly　singed。　　When　he　returns　he

swears　that　he　will　lay　thy　bones　in　the　Waingunga。〃



〃There　are　two　words　to　that。　　I　also　have　made　a　little

promise。　　But　news　is　always　good。　　I　am　tired　to…night；very

tired　with　new　things；　Gray　Brother；but　bring　me　the　news

always。〃



〃Thou　wilt　not　forget　that　thou　art　a　wolf？　　Men　will　not　make

thee　forget？〃　said　Gray　Brother　anxiously。



〃Never。　　I　will　always　remember　that　I　love　thee　and　all　in

our　cave。　　But　also　I　will　always　remember　that　I　have　been　cast

out　of　the　Pack。〃



〃And　that　thou　mayest　be　cast　out　of　another　pack。　　Men　are

only　men；　Little　Brother；　and　their　talk　is　like　the　talk　of　frogs

in　a　pond。　　When　I　come　down　here　again；　I　will　wait　for　thee　in

the　bamboos　at　the　edge　of　the　grazing…ground。〃



For　three　months　after　that　night　Mowgli　hardly　ever　left　the

village　gate；　he　was　so　busy　learning　the　ways　and　customs　of　men。

First　he　had　to　wear　a　cloth　round　him；　which　annoyed　him

horribly；　and　then　he　had　to　learn　about　money；　which　he　did　not

in　the　least　understand；　and　about　plowing；　of　which　he　did　not

see　the　use。　　Then　the　little　children　in　the　village　made　him

very　angry。　　Luckily；　the　Law　of　the　Jungle　had　taught　him　to　keep

his　temper；　for　in　the　jungle　life　and　food　depend　on　keeping　your

temper；　but　when　they　made　fun　of　him　because　he　would　not　play

games　or　fly　kites；　or　because　he　mispronounced　some　word；　only

the　knowledge　that　it　was　unsportsmanlike　to　kill　little　naked

cubs　kept　him　from　picking　them　up　and　breaking　them　in　two。



He　did　not　know　his　own　strength　in　the　least。　　In　the　jungle

he　knew　he　was　weak　compared　with　the　beasts；　but　in　the　village

people　said　that　he　was　as　strong　as　a　bull。



And　Mowgli　had　not　the　faintest　idea　of　the　difference　that

caste　makes　between　man　and　man。　　When　the　potter's　donkey　slipped

in　the　clay　pit；　Mowgli　hauled　it　out　by　the　tail；　and　helped　to

stack　the　pots　for　their　journey　to　the　market　at　Khanhiwara。

That　was　very　shocking；　too；　for　the　potter　is　a　low…caste　man；

and　his　donkey　is　worse。　　When　the　priest　scolded　him；　Mowgli

threatened　to　put　him　on　the　donkey　too；　and　the　priest　told

Messua's　husband　that　Mowgli　had　better　be　set　to　work　as　soon　as

possible；　and　the　village　head…man　told　Mowgli　that　he　would　have

to　go　out　with　the　buffaloes　next　day；　and　herd　them　while　they

grazed。　　No　one　was　more　pleased　than　Mowgli；　and　that　night；

because　he　had　been　appointed　a　servant　of　the　village；　as　it

were；　he　went　off　to　a　circle　that　met　every　evening　on　a　masonry

platform　under　a　great　fig…tree。　　It　was　the　village　club；　and　the

head…man　and　the　watchman　and　the　barber；　who　knew　all　the　gossip

of　the　village；　and　old　Buldeo；　the　village　hunter；　who　had　a

Tower　musket；　met　and　smoked。　　The　monkeys　sat　and　talked　in　the

upper　branches；　and　there　was　a　hole　under　the　platform　where　a

cobra　lived；　and　he　had　his　little　platter　of　milk　every　night

because　he　was　sacred；　and　the　old　men　sat　around　the　tree　and

talked；　and　pulled　at　the　big　huqas　（the　water…pipes）　till　far

into　the　night。　　They　told　wonderful　tales　of　gods　and　men　and

ghosts；　and　Buldeo　told　even　more　wonderful　ones　of　the　ways　of

beasts　in　the　jungle；　till　the　eyes　of　the　children　sitting

outside　the　circle　bulged　out　of　their　heads。　　Most　of　the　tales

were　about　animals；　for　the　jungle　was　always　at　their　door。　　The

deer　and　the　wild　pig　grubbed　up　their　crops；　and　now　and　again

the　tiger　carried　off　a　man　at　twilight；　within　sight　of　the

village　ga