Peter and the Wolf-2

  Herlipsopenedupasshehowledsothatsheofferedhim,withoutherowionorvolition,aviewofasetofeseboxesofwhorledfleshthatseemedtoopenoneuponaoherself,drawinghimintoaninner,secretplawhichdestinatiouallyrecededbeforehim,hisfirst,devastatiiginousintimationofinfinity.

  Shehowled.

  Aonhowlinguntil,fromthemountain,firstsingly,theninaplexpolyphony,answeredatlastvoithesamelanguage.Shetiohowl,thoughnowwithalesstragicresonance.Soonitossiblefortheoctsofthehousetodenytothemselvesthatthewolvesweredesdedonthevillageinapack.

  Thenshewassoled,sankdown,laidherheadonherforepawssothatherhairtrailedinthecoolingsoup,andsoclosedupherforbiddenbookwithouttheleastnotionshehadeveropeorthatitwasbanned.Herheavyeyelidsclosedonherbrown,bloodshoteyes.ThehouseholdgunhungonanailoverthefireplacewherePetersfatherhadputitwhenhecameinbutwhenthemahisfootooftheladderioedownforhison,thegirljumpedup,snarlingandshowingherlongyellowes.

  Thehowlingoutsidewasnowmixedwiththeagitateddismayofthedomesticbeasts.Alltheothervillagerswerewelllockedupathome.Thewolveswereatthedoor.

  Theboytookholdofhisgrandmothersuninjuredhand.Firsttheoldwomanwouldnotbudgebuthegaveheragoodtugandshecametoherself.Thegirlraisedherheadsuspiciouslybutletthemby.Theboypushedhisgrandmotheruptheladderinfrontofhimaupbehindthem.Hewasfullofnervousdread.Hewouldhavegivenanythingtoturntimeback,sothathemighthaverun,shoutingawarning,whenhefirstcaughtsightofthewolves,andneverseehedoorshookasthewolvesoutsidejumpedupatitandthescrewsthatheldthesocketofthebolttotheframecracked,squeakedandstartedtogive.Thegirljumpedup,atthat,aomakeexcitedlittlesalliesbadforthinfrontofthedoor.Thescrewstoreoutoftheframequitesoon.Thepacktumbledoverohertogetinside.

  Dissoerror.Theclamourwithinthehousewasthatofallthewindsofwirappedinabox.Thatwhichtheyfearedmost,outside,wasnowindoorswiththem.Thebabyinthehayloftwhimperedanditsmothercrushedittoherbreastasifthewolvesmightsnatchthisoneaway,too;buttherescuepartyhadarrivedonlyiocollecttheirf.

  Theyleftbehindariotousstenthehouse,andwhitetracksoffloureverywhere.Thebrokendoorcreakedbackwardsandforwardsonitshinges.Blacksticksofdeadwoodfromtheextinguishedfirewerescatteredonthefloor.

  Peterthoughttheoldwomanwouldow,butsheseemedunmoved.Whenallwassafe,theycamedowntheladderonebyoneand,asifreleasedfromaspellofsilence,burstiedspeechexceptforthemuteoldwomanaraughtboy.Althoughitwaswellpastmidnight,thedaughter-in-lawwenttothewellforwatertoscrubthewildsmelloutofthehouse.Thebrokenthingswereclearedupandthroetersfatherhetableandthedresserbacktogether.Theneighbourscameoutoftheirhouses,fullofamazement;thewolveshadnottakensomuchasachifromthehen-coops,notsnatchedevenasingleegg.

  Peoplebroughtbeerintothestarlight,andsappsmadefrompotatoes,andsnacks,becausetheexcitementhadmadethemhungry.Thatterriblenightendedupinonebigpartybutthegrandmotherwouldeatordrinknothingaobedassoonasherhousewas.

  day,shewenttothegraveyardandsatforawhilebesideherdaughtersgravebutshedidnotpray.Thenshecamehomeandstartedchoppingcabbagefortheeveningmealbuthadtoleaveoffbecauseherbittenhandwasfestering.

  Thatwinter,duringtheleisureimposedbythesnow,afterhisgrandmothersdeath,PeteraskedthevillagepriesttoteachhimtoreadtheBible.Thepriestgladlyplied;Peterwasthefirstofhisflockwhohadeverexpressedanyiinlearningtoread.

  Theboybecameverypious,somuchsothathisfamilywerestartledandimpressed.Theyoungerchildrenteasedhimandcalledhim"Saier"butthatdidnotstophimsneakingofftochurchtopraywheneverhehadasparemoment.I,hefastedtothebone.OnGoodFriday,helashedhimself.Itwasasifheblamedhimselfforthedeathoftheoldlady,asifhebelievedhehadbroughtintothehousethefataliionthathadtakeofit.Hewasedbyanimperiouspassionforato.Eaight,heporedoverhisbookbytheflimsydlelight,lookingforacluetogratilhismothershooedhimofftosleep.

  But,asiftospitethefourevashenightlyioprotecthisbed,thenightmareregularlydisorderedhissleeps.Hetossedandturherustlingstrawpallethesharedwithtwolittleones.

  DelightedwithPetersprecociousintelligeheprieststartedtoteachhimLatiervisitedthepriestashisdutieswiththeherdpermitted.Whenhewasfourteen,thepriesttoldhisparentsthatPetershouldnowgototheseminaryiowninthevalleywheretheboywouldlearntobeeapriesthimself.Risons,theysparedooGod,sincehisbooksandhisprayingmadehimastrahem.Afterthegoatscamedownfromthehighpastureforthewinter,Petersetoff.ItwasOctober.

  Attheendofhisfirstdaystravel,hereachedariverthatranfromthemountainintothevalley.Thenightswerealreadychilly;helithimselfafire,prayed,atebreadandcheesehismotherhadpackedforhimaaswellashecould.Inspiteofhiseageropluothewhiteworldofpenanddevotionthatawaitedhim,hewasanxiousandtroubledforreasonshecouldnotexplaintohimself.

  Inthefirstlight,thelightthatnomorethanclarifiesdarknesslikeeggshellsdroppedincloudyliquid,hewentdowntotherivertodrinkandtowashhisface.Itwassostillhecouldhavebeehingliving.

  Herforearms,herloinsandherlegswerethickwithhairandthehaironherheadhungroundherfasuchawaythatyoucouldhardlymakeoutherfeatures.Shecrouchedohersideoftheriver.Sheingupwatersofullofmauvelightthatitlookedasifsheweredrinkingupthedawnasfastasitappearedyetallthesametheairgrewpalewhilehewaslookingather.Solitudeandsilence;allstill.

  Shecouldneverhaveaowledgedthatthereflebehherintheriverwasthatofherself.Shedidnotknowshehadaface;shehadneverknownshehadafadsoherfaceitselfwasthemirrorofadifferentkindofscioushanoursis,justashernakedness,withoutinnoceordisplay,wasthatofourfirstparents,beforetheFall.ShewashairyasMagdaleninthewildernessarepentancewasnotwithinherprehension.

  Languagecrumbledintodustuheweightofherspeechlessness.Apairofcubsrolledoutofthebushes,cuffiher.Shedidnotpaythemanyheed.

  Theboybegantotrembleandshake.Hisskinprickled.Hefelthehadbeenmadeofsnowandnowmightmelt.Hemumbledsomething,orsobbed.

  Shecockedherheadatthevague,river-washedsoundandthecubsheardit,too,leftofftumblingandrantoburrowtheirscaredheadsinherside.Butshedecided,afteramoment,therewasnodangerandloweredhermuzzle,again,tothesurfaceofthewaterthattookholdofherhairandspreaditoutaroundherhead.

  Whenshefinishedherdrink,shebackedafewpaces,shakipelt.Thelittlecubsfasteheirmouthslis.

  Petercould,heburst.Hehadnotcriedsincehisgrandmothersfuneral.Tearsrolleddownhisfadsplashedonthegrass.Heblunderedforwardafewstepsintotheriverwithhisarmsheldopen,intendingtocrossovertotheothersidetojoinherinhermarvellousandprivategrace,impelledbytheaccessofanalmostvisioasy.Buthiscousinthtatthesudde,wrenchedherteatsawayfromthecubsandranoff.Thesqueakingcubsscamperedbehind.Sheranonhandsaasifthatweretheonlywaytoruntowardsthehighground,intothebrightmazeoftheunpleteddawn.

  Whentheboyrecoveredhimself,hedriedhistearsonhissleeve,tookoffhissoakedbootsanddriedhisfeetandlegsoailofhisshirt.Theesomethingfromhispack,hescarcelyknewwhat,andtihewaytothetown;butwhatwouldhedoattheseminary,now?Fornowhekherewasnothingtobeafraidof.

  Heexperiehevertigooffreedom.

  Hecarriedhisbootsslungoverhisshoulderbythelaces.Theywereagreatburden.Hedebatedwithhimselfwhetherornottothrowthemawaybut,whenhecametoapavedroad,hehadtoputthemon,althoughtheywerestilldamp.

  Thebirdswokeupandsang.Thecool,rationalsunsurprisedhim;mhadbrokenonhisexhilarationandthemountainnowlaybehindhim.Helookedoverhisshoulderandsaithdistahemountaioacquireaflat,two-dimensionallook.Itwasalreadyturningintoapictureofitself,intothepostcardhastilyboughtasasouvenirofchildhoodatarailwaystationoraborderpost,theneercutting,thesnapshothewouldshowinstraowns,straies,othertrieshecouldnot,atthismoment,imagine,whosenameshedidknow,placeswherehewouldsay,instrangelanguages,"ThatwaswhereIspentmychildhood.Imagine!"

  Heturnedandstaredatthemountainforalongtime.Hehadlivedinitforfourteenyearsbuthehadneverseenitbeforeasitmightlooktosomeonewhohadnotknownitasalmostapartoftheself,so,forthefirsttime,hesawtheprimitive,vast,magnifit,barren,unkind,simplicityofthemountain.Ashesaidgoodbyetoit,hesawitturnintosomuchsery,intothewonderfulbackclothforanoldtrytale,taleofachildsuckledbywolves,perhaps,orofwolvesnursedbyawoman.

  Theerminedlysethisfacetowardsthetownandtrampedonwards,intoadifferentstory.

  "IfIlookbackagain,"hethoughtwithalastgaspofsuperstitiousterror,"Ishallturnintoapillarofsalt."松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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