dream life and real life-第1部分

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Dream　Life　and　Real　Life　



by　Olive　Schreiner








A　Little　African　Story　



by　Olive　Schreiner






Dedication。



To　My　Brother　Fred；



For　whose　little　school　magazine　the　first　of　these　tiny　storiesone　of

the　first　I　ever　madewas　written　out　many　long　years　ago。



O。S。



New　College；　Eastbourne；

Sept。　29；　1893。





Contents。



I。　　Dream　Life　and　Real　Life；　a　Little　African　Story。



II。　　The　Woman's　Rose。



III。　　〃The　Policy　in　Favour　of　Protection〃。





Kopjes　…　In　the　karoo；　are　hillocks　of　stones；　that　rise　up　singly　or　in

clusters；　here　and　there；　presenting　sometimes　the　fantastic　appearance　of

old　ruined　castles　or　giant　graves；　the　work　of　human　hands。

Kraal　…　A　sheepfold。

Krantz　…　A　precipice。

Sluit　…　A　deep　fissure；　generally　dry；　in　which　the　superfluous　torrents　of

water　are　carried　from　the　karoo　plains　after　thunderstorms。

Stoep　…　A　porch。







I。　　DREAM　LIFE　AND　REAL　LIFE；　A　LITTLE　AFRICAN　STORY。



Little　Jannita　sat　alone　beside　a　milk…bush。　　Before　her　and　behind　her

stretched　the　plain；　covered　with　red　sand　and　thorny　karoo　bushes；　and

here　and　there　a　milk…bush；　looking　like　a　bundle　of　pale　green　rods　tied

together。　　Not　a　tree　was　to　be　seen　anywhere；　except　on　the　banks　of　the

river；　and　that　was　far　away；　and　the　sun　beat　on　her　head。　　Round　her　fed

the　Angora　goats　she　was　herding；　pretty　things；　especially　the　little

ones；　with　white　silky　curls　that　touched　the　ground。　　But　Jannita　sat

crying。　　If　an　angel　should　gather　up　in　his　cup　all　the　tears　that　have

been　shed；　I　think　the　bitterest　would　be　those　of　children。



By　and　by　she　was　so　tired；　and　the　sun　was　so　hot；　she　laid　her　head

against　the　milk…bush；　and　dropped　asleep。



She　dreamed　a　beautiful　dream。　　She　thought　that　when　she　went　back　to　the

farmhouse　in　the　evening；　the　walls　were　covered　with　vines　and　roses；　and

the　kraals　were　not　made　of　red　stone；　but　of　lilac　trees　full　of　blossom。　

And　the　fat　old　Boer　smiled　at　her；　and　the　stick　he　held　across　the　door；

for　the　goats　to　jump　over；　was　a　lily　rod　with　seven　blossoms　at　the　end。　

When　she　went　to　the　house　her　mistress　gave　her　a　whole　roaster…cake　for

her　supper；　and　the　mistress's　daughter　had　stuck　a　rose　in　the　cake；　and

her　mistress's　son…in…law　said；　〃Thank　you！〃　when　she　pulled　off　his　boots；

and　did　not　kick　her。



It　was　a　beautiful　dream。



While　she　lay　thus　dreaming；　one　of　the　little　kids　came　and　licked　her　on

her　cheek；　because　of　the　salt　from　her　dried…up　tears。　　And　in　her　dream

she　was　not　a　poor　indentured　child　any　more；　living　with　Boers。　　It　was

her　father　who　kissed　her。　　He　said　he　had　only　been　asleepthat　day　when

he　lay　down　under　the　thorn…bush；　he　had　not　really　died。　　He　felt　her

hair；　and　said　it　was　grown　long　and　silky；　and　he　said　they　would　go　back

to　Denmark　now。　　He　asked　her　why　her　feet　were　bare；　and　what　the　marks　on

her　back　were。　　Then　he　put　her　head　on　his　shoulder；　and　picked　her　up；

and　carried　her　away；　away！　　She　laughedshe　could　feel　her　face　against

his　brown　beard。　　His　arms　were　so　strong。



As　she　lay　there　dreaming；　with　the　ants　running　over　her　naked　feet；　and

with　her　brown　curls　lying　in　the　sand；　a　Hottentot　came　up　to　her。　　He　was

dressed　in　ragged　yellow　trousers；　and　a　dirty　shirt；　and　torn　jacket。　　He

had　a　red　handkerchief　round　his　head；　and　a　felt　hat　above　that。　　His　nose

was　flat；　his　eyes　like　slits；　and　the　wool　on　his　head　was　gathered　into

little　round　balls。　　He　came　to　the　milk…bush；　and　looked　at　the　little

girl　lying　in　the　hot　sun。　　Then　he　walked　off；　and　caught　one　of　the

fattest　little　Angora　goats；　and　held　its　mouth　fast；　as　he　stuck　it　under

his　arm。　He　looked　back　to　see　that　she　was　still　sleeping；　and　jumped　down

into　one　of　the　sluits。　　He　walked　down　the　bed　of　the　sluit　a　little　way

and　came　to　an　overhanging　bank；　under　which；　sitting　on　the　red　sand；　were

two　men。　　One　was　a　tiny；　ragged；　old　bushman；　four　feet　high；　the　other

was　an　English　navvy；　in　a　dark　blue　blouse。　　They　cut　the　kid's　throat

with　the　navvy's　long　knife；　and　covered　up　the　blood　with　sand；　and　buried

the　entrails　and　skin。　　Then　they　talked；　and　quarrelled　a　little；　and　then

they　talked　quietly　again。



The　Hottentot　man　put　a　leg　of　the　kid　under　his　coat　and　left　the　rest　of

the　meat　for　the　two　in　the　sluit；　and　walked　away。



When　little　Jannita　awoke　it　was　almost　sunset。　　She　sat　up　very

frightened；　but　her　goats　were　all　about　her。　　She　began　to　drive　them

home。　　〃I　do　not　think　there　are　any　lost；〃　she　said。



Dirk；　the　Hottentot；　had　brought　his　flock　home　already；　and　stood　at　the

kraal　door　with　his　ragged　yellow　trousers。　　The　fat　old　Boer　put　his　stick

across　the　door；　and　let　Jannita's　goats　jump　over；　one　by　one。　　He　counted

them。　　When　the　last　jumped　over：　　〃Have　you　been　to　sleep　today？〃　he　said；

〃there　is　one　missing。〃



Then　little　Jannita　knew　what　was　coming；　and　she　said；　in　a　low　voice；

〃No。〃　　And　then　she　felt　in　her　heart　that　deadly　sickness　that　you　feel

when　you　tell　a　lie；　and　again　she　said；　〃Yes。〃



〃Do　you　think　you　will　have　any　supper　this　evening？〃　said　the　Boer。



〃No；〃　said　Jannita。



〃What　do　you　think　you　will　have？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Jannita。



〃Give　me　your　whip；〃　said　the　Boer　to　Dirk；　the　Hottentot。



。。。



The　moon　was　all　but　full　that　night。　　Oh；　but　its　light　was　beautiful！



The　little　girl　crept　to　the　door　of　the　outhouse　where　she　slept；　and

looked　at　it。　　When　you　are　hungry；　and　very；　very　sore；　you　do　not　cry。　

She　leaned　her　chin　on　one　hand；　and　looked；　with　her　great　dove's　eyes

the　other　hand　was　cut　open；　so　she　wrapped　it　in　her　pinafore。　　She　looked

across　the　plain　at　the　sand　and　the　low　karoo…bushes；　with　the　moonlight

on　them。



Presently；　there　came　slowly；　from　far　away；　a　wild　springbuck。　　It　came

close　to　the　house；　and　stood　looking　at　it　in　wonder；　while　the　moonlight

glinted　on　its　horns；　and　in　its　great　eyes。　　It　stood　wondering　at　the　red

brick　walls；　and　the　girl　watched　it。　　Then；　suddenly；　as　if　it　scorned　it

all；　it　curved　its　beautiful　back　and　turned；　and　away　it　fled　over　the

bushes　and　sand；　like　a　sheeny　streak　of　white　lightning。　　She　stood　up　to

watch　it。　　So　free；　so　free！　　Away；　away！　　She　watched；　till　she　could　see

it　no　more　on　the　wide　plain。



Her　heart　swelled；　larger；　larger；　larger：　　she　uttered　a　low　cry；　and

without　waiting；　pausing；　thinking；　she　followed　on　its　track。　　Away；　away；

away！　　〃II　also！〃　she　said；　〃II　also！〃



When　at　last　her　legs　began　to　tremble　under　her；　and　she　stopped　to

breathe；　the　house　was　a　speck　behind　her。　　She　dropped　on　the　earth；　and

held　her　panting　sides。



She　began　to　think　now。



If　she　stayed　on　the　plain　they　would　trace　her　footsteps　in　the　morning

and　catch　her；　but　if　she　waded　in　the　water　in　the　bed　of　the　river　they

would　not　be　able　to　find　her　footmarks；　and　she　would　hide；　there　where　

the　rocks　and　the　kopjes　were。



So　she　stood　up　and　walked　towards　the　river。　　The　water　in　the　river　was

low；　just　a　line　of　silver　in　the　broad　bed　of　sand；　here　and　there

broadening　into　a　pool。　　She　stepped　into　it；　and　bathed　her　feet　in　the

delicious　cold　water。　　Up　and　up　the　stream　she　walked；　where　it　rattled

over　the　pebbles；　and　past　where　the　farmhouse　lay；　and　where　the　rocks

were　large　she　leaped　from　one　to　the　other。　　The　night　wind　in　her　face

made　her　strongshe　laughed。　　She　had　never　felt　such　night　wind　before。　

So　the　night　smells　to　the　wild　bucks；　because　they　are　free！　　A　free　thing

feels　as　a　chained　thing　never　can。



At　last　she　came　to　a　place　where　the　willows　grew　on　each　side　of　the

river；　and　trailed　their　long　branches　on　the　sandy　bed。　　She　could　not

tell　why；　she　could　not　tell　the　reason；　but　a　feeling　of　fear　came　over

her。



On　the　left　bank　rose　a　chain　of　kopjes　and　a　precipice　of　rocks。　　Between

the　precipice　and　the　river　bank　there　was　a　narrow　path　covered　by　the

fragments　of　fallen　rock。　　And　upon　the　summit　of　the　precipice　a　kippersol

tree　grew；　whose　palm…like　leaves　were　clearly　cut　out　against　the　night

sky。　　The　rocks　cast　a　deep　shadow；　and　the　willow　trees；　on　either　side　of

the　river。　　She　paused；　looked　up　and　about　her；　and　then　ran　on；　fearful。



〃What　was　I　afraid　of？　　How　foolish　I　have　been！〃　she　said；　when　she　came

to　a　place　where　the　trees　were　not　so　close　together。　　And　she　stood　still

and　looked　back　and　shivered。



At　last　her　steps　grew　wearier　and　wearier。　　She　was　very　sleepy　now；　she

could　scarcely　lift　her　feet。　　She　stepped　out　of　the　river…bed。　　She　only

saw　that　the　rocks　about　her　were　wild；　as　though　many　little　kopjes　had

been　broken　up　and　strewn　upon　the　ground；　lay　down　at　the　foot　of　an　aloe；

and　fell　asleep。



。。。



But；　in　the　morning；　she　saw　what　a　glorious　place　it　was。　　The　rocks　were

piled　on　one　another；　and　tossed　this　way　and　that。　　Prickly　pears　grew

among　them；　and　there　were　no　less　than　six　kippersol　trees　scattered　here

and　there　among　the　broken　kopjes。　　In　the　rocks　there　were　hundreds　of

homes　for　the　conies；　and　from　the　crevices　wild　asparagus　hung　down。　　She

ran　to　the　river；　bathed　in　the　clear　cold　water；　and　tossed　it　over　her

head。　　She　sang　aloud。　　All　the　songs　she　knew　were　sad；　so　she　could　not

sing　them　now；　she　was　glad；　she　was　so　free；　but　she　sang　the　notes

without　the　words；　as　the　cock…o…veets　do。　　Singing　and　jumping　all　the

way；　she　went　back；　and　took　a　sharp　stone；　and　cut　at　the　root　of　a

kippersol；　and　got　out　a　large　piece；　as　long　as　her　arm；　and　sat　to　chew

it。　　Two　conies　came　out　on　the　rock　above　her　head　and　peeped　at　her。　　She

held　them　out　a　piece；　but　they　did　not　want　it；　and　ran　away。



It　was　very　delicious　to　her。　　Kippersol　is　like　raw　quince；　when　it　is

very　green；　but　she　liked　it。