09-the ponds-第7章

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talked　with　the　man　who　lives　nearest　the　pond　in　Sudbury；　who　told

me　that　it　was　he　who　got　out　this　tree　ten　or　fifteen　years　before。

As　near　as　he　could　remember；　it　stood　twelve　or　fifteen　rods　from

the　shore；　where　the　water　was　thirty　or　forty　feet　deep。　　It　was　in

the　winter；　and　he　had　been　getting　out　ice　in　the　forenoon；　and　had

resolved　that　in　the　afternoon；　with　the　aid　of　his　neighbors；　he

would　take　out　the　old　yellow　pine。　　He　sawed　a　channel　in　the　ice

toward　the　shore；　and　hauled　it　over　and　along　and　out　on　to　the　ice

with　oxen；　but；　before　he　had　gone　far　in　his　work；　he　was　surprised

to　find　that　it　was　wrong　end　upward；　with　the　stumps　of　the

branches　pointing　down；　and　the　small　end　firmly　fastened　in　the

sandy　bottom。　　It　was　about　a　foot　in　diameter　at　the　big　end；　and

he　had　expected　to　get　a　good　saw…log；　but　it　was　so　rotten　as　to　be

fit　only　for　fuel；　if　for　that。　　He　had　some　of　it　in　his　shed　then。

There　were　marks　of　an　axe　and　of　woodpeckers　on　the　butt。　　He

thought　that　it　might　have　been　a　dead　tree　on　the　shore；　but　was

finally　blown　over　into　the　pond；　and　after　the　top　had　become

water…logged；　while　the　butt…end　was　still　dry　and　light；　had

drifted　out　and　sunk　wrong　end　up。　　His　father；　eighty　years　old；

could　not　remember　when　it　was　not　there。　　Several　pretty　large　logs

may　still　be　seen　lying　on　the　bottom；　where；　owing　to　the

undulation　of　the　surface；　they　look　like　huge　water　snakes　in

motion。

　　　　This　pond　has　rarely　been　profaned　by　a　boat；　for　there　is

little　in　it　to　tempt　a　fisherman。　　Instead　of　the　white　lily；　which

requires　mud；　or　the　common　sweet　flag；　the　blue　flag　（Iris

versicolor）　grows　thinly　in　the　pure　water；　rising　from　the　stony

bottom　all　around　the　shore；　where　it　is　visited　by　hummingbirds　in

June；　and　the　color　both　of　its　bluish　blades　and　its　flowers　and

especially　their　reflections；　is　in　singular　harmony　with　the

glaucous　water。

　　　　White　Pond　and　Walden　are　great　crystals　on　the　surface　of　the

earth；　Lakes　of　Light。　　If　they　were　permanently　congealed；　and

small　enough　to　be　clutched；　they　would；　perchance；　be　carried　off

by　slaves；　like　precious　stones；　to　adorn　the　heads　of　emperors；　but

being　liquid；　and　ample；　and　secured　to　us　and　our　successors

forever；　we　disregard　them；　and　run　after　the　diamond　of　Kohinoor。

They　are　too　pure　to　have　a　market　value；　they　contain　no　muck。　　How

much　more　beautiful　than　our　lives；　how　much　more　transparent　than

our　characters；　are　they！　　We　never　learned　meanness　of　them。　　How

much　fairer　than　the　pool　before　the　farmers　door；　in　which　his

ducks　swim！　　Hither　the　clean　wild　ducks　come。　　Nature　has　no　human

inhabitant　who　appreciates　her。　　The　birds　with　their　plumage　and

their　notes　are　in　harmony　with　the　flowers；　but　what　youth　or

maiden　conspires　with　the　wild　luxuriant　beauty　of　Nature？　　She

flourishes　most　alone；　far　from　the　towns　where　they　reside。　　Talk

of　heaven！　ye　disgrace　earth。





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