creatures that once were men-第6章

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nearly　had　his　throat　cut　some　two　years　ago：　　ever　since　then　

he　carried　his　head　thus。　　Over　his　eyes　hung　grayish　eyebrows；　

and；　looked　at　in　profile；　only　his　crooked　nose　was　to　be　

seen。　　His　shadow　reminded　one　of　a　poker。　　He　denied　that　he

had　money；　and　said　that　they　〃only　tried　to　cut　his　throat　

out　of　malice；〃　and　from　that　day　he　took　to　collecting　rags；　

and　that　is　why　his　head　was　always　bent　as　if　incessantly　

looking　on　the　ground。　　When　he　went　about　shaking　his　head；　

and　minus　a　walking…stick　in　his　hand；　and　a　bag　on　his　

backthe　signs　of　his　professionhe　seemed　to　be　thinking　

almost　to　madness；　and；　at　such　times；　Kuvalda　spoke　thus；　

pointing　to　him　with　his　finger：



〃Look；　there　is　the　conscience　of　Merchant　Judas　Petunikoff。　

See　how　disorderly；　dirty；　and　low　is　the　escaped　conscience。〃





30　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Tyapa；　as　a　rule；　spoke　in　a　hoarse　and　hardly　audible　voice；　

and　that　is　why　he　spoke　very　little；　and　loved　to　be　alone。　

But　whenever　a　stranger；　compelled　to　leave　the　village；　

appeared　in　the　dosshouse；　Tyapa　seemed　sadder　and　angrier；　

and　followed　the　unfortunate　about　with　biting　jeers　and　a　

wicked　chuckling　in　his　throat。　　He　either　put　some　beggar　

against　him；　or　himself　threatened　to　rob　and　beat　him；　till　

the　frightened　mujik　would　disappear　from　the　dosshouse　and　

never　more　be　seen。　　Then　Tyapa　was　quiet　again；　and　would

sit　in　some　corner　mending　his　rags；　or　else　reading　his　Bible；　

which　was　as　dirty；　worn；　and　old　as　himself。　　Only　when　the　

teacher　brought　a　newspaper　and　began　reading　did　he　come　from　

his　corner　once　more。　　As　a　rule；　Tyapa　listened　to　what　was　

read　silently　and　sighed　often；　without　asking　anything　of　

anyone。　　But　once　when　the　teacher；　having　read　the　paper；　

wanted　to　put　it　away；　Tyapa　stretched　out　his　bony　hand；　and　

said；　〃Give　it　to　me。　。　。　。〃



〃What　do　you　want　it　for？〃



〃Give　it　to　me　。　。　。　Perhaps　there　is　something　in　it　about　

us。　。　。　。〃



〃About　whom？〃



〃About　the　village。〃



They　laughed　at　him；　and　threw　him　the　paper。　　He　took　it；　and　

read　in　it　how　in　the　village　the　hail　had　destroyed　the　

cornfields；　how　in　another　village　fire　destroyed　thirty　houses；　

and　that　in　a　third　a　woman　had　poisoned　her　familyin　fact；　

everything　that　it　is　customary　to　write　ofeverything；　that　

is　to　say；　which　is　bad；　and　which　depicts　only　the　worst　side　

of　the　unfortunate　village。　　





31　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE。　MEN　





Tyapa　read　all　this　silently　and　roared；　perhaps　from　sympathy；　

perhaps　from　delight　at　the　sad　news。



He　passed　the　whole　Sunday　in　reading　his　Bible；　and　never　went　

out　collecting　rags　on　that　day。　　While　reading；　he　groaned　and　

sighed　continually。　　He　kept　the　book　close　to　his　breast；　and　

was　angry　with　any　one　who　interrupted　him　or　who　touched　his　

Bible。



〃Oh；　you　drunken　blackguard；〃　said　Kuvalda　to　him；　〃what　do　you　

understand　of　it？〃



〃Nothing；　wizard！　　I　don't　understand　anything；　and　I　do　not　

read　any　books　。　。　。　But　I　read。　。　。　。〃



〃Therefore　you　are　a　fool　。　。　。〃　said　the　Captain；　decidedly。　

〃When　there　are　insects　in　your　head；　you　know　it　is　

uncomfortable；　but　if　some　thoughts　enter　there　too；　how　will　

you　live　then；　you　old　toad？〃



〃I　have　not　long　to　live；〃　said　Tyapa；　quietly。



Once　the　teacher　asked　how　he　had　learned　to　read。



〃In　prison；〃　answered　Tyapa　shortly。



〃Have　you　been　there？〃



〃I　was　there。　　　　〃



〃For　what？〃



〃Just　so　。　。　。　It　was　a　mistake　。　。　。　But　I　brought　the　Bible　

out　with　me　from　there。　　A　lady　gave　it　to　me　。　。　。　It　is　good　

in　prison；　brother。〃



〃Is　that　so？　And　why？〃



〃It　teaches　one　。　。　。　I　learned　to　read　there　。　。　。　I　also　got　

this　book　。　。　。　And　all　these　you　see；　free。　。　。　。〃



When　the　teacher　appeared　in　the　dosshouse；　Tyapa　had　already　

lived　there　for　some　time。　　He　looked　long　into　the　teacher's　

face；　as　if　to　discover　what　kind　of　a　man　he　was。





32　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Tyapa　often　listened　to　his　conversation；　and　once；

sitting　down　beside　him；　said：



〃I　see　you　are　very　learned　。　。　。　Have　you　read　the　Bible？〃



〃I　have　read　it。　。　。　。〃



〃I　see；　I　see　。　。　。　Can　you　remember　it？〃



〃Yes　。　。　。　I　remember　it。　。　。　。〃



Then　the　old　man　leaned　to　one　side　and　gazed　at　the　other　

with　a　serious；　suspicious　glance。



〃There　were　the　Amalekites；　do　you　remember？〃



〃Well？〃



〃Where　are　they　now？〃



〃Disappeared　。　。　。　Tyapa　。　。　。　died　out。　。　。　。〃



The　old　man　was　silent；　then　asked　again：　　〃And　where　are　

the　Philistines？〃



〃These　also。　。　。　。〃



〃Have　all　these　died　out？〃



〃Yes　。　。　。　all。　。　。　。〃



〃And　so　。　。　。　we　also　will　die　out？〃



〃There　will　come　a　time　when　we　also　will　die；〃　said　the　

teacher　indifferently。



〃And　to　what　tribe　of　Israel　do　we　belong？〃



The　teacher　looked　at　him；　and　began　telling　him　about　

Scythians　and　Slavs。　。　。　。



The　old　man　became　all　the　more　frightened；　and　glanced　at　

his　face。



〃You　are　lying！〃　he　said　scornfully；　when　the　teacher　had　

finished。



〃What　lie　have　I　told？〃　asked　the　teacher。





33　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃You　mentioned　tribes　that　are　not　mentioned　in　the　Bible。〃



He　got　up　and　walked　away；　angry　and　deeply　insulted。



〃You　will　go　mad；　Tyapa；〃　called　the　teacher　after　him　with　

conviction。



Then　the　old　man　came　back　again；　and　stretching　out　his　hand；　

threatened　him　with　his　crooked　and　dirty　finger。



〃God　made　Adamfrom　Adam　were　descended　the　Jews；　that　means　

that　all　people　are　descended　from　Jews　。　。　。　and　we　also。　。　。　。〃



〃Well？〃



〃Tartars　are　descended　from　Ishmael；　but　he　also　came　of　the　

Jews。　。　。　。〃



〃What　do　you　want　to　tell　me　all　this　for？〃



〃Nothing！　　Only　why　do　you　tell　lies？〃　　Then　he　walked　away；　

leaving　his　companion　in　perplexity。　　But　after　two　days　he　came　

again　and　sat　by　him。



〃You　are　learned　。　。　。　Tell　me；　then；　whose　descendants　are　we？　

Are　we　Babylonians；　or　who　are　we？〃



〃We　are　Slavs；　Tyapa；〃　said　the　teacher；　and　attentively　awaited　

his　answer；　wishing　to　understand　him。



〃Speak　to　me　from　the　Bible。　　There　are　no　such　men　there。〃



Then　the　teacher　began　criticizing　the　Bible。　　The　old　man　

listened；　and　interrupted　him　after　a　long　while。



〃Stop　。　。　。　Wait！　　That　means　that　among　people　known　to　God　

there　are　no　Russians？　　We　are　not　known　to　God？　　Is　it　so？　

God　knew　all　those　who　are　mentioned　in　the　Bible　。　。　。　He　

destroyed　them　by　sword　and　fire；　He　destroyed　their　cities；　

but　He　also　sent　prophets　to　teach　them。　





34　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





That　means　that　He　also　pitied　them。　　He　scattered　the　Jews　

and　the　Tartars　。　。　。　But　what　about　us？　　Why　have　we　prophets　

no　longer？〃

　　　　　

〃Well；　I　don't　know！〃　replied　the　teacher；　trying　to　understand　

the　old　man。　　But　the　latter　put　his　hand　on　the　teacher's　

shoulder；　and　slowly　pushed　him　backward　and　forward；　and　his　

throat　made　a　noise　as　if　he　were　swallowing　something。　。　。　。



〃Tell　me！　You　speak　so　much　。　。　。　as　if　you　knew　everything。　

It　makes　me　sick　to　listen　to　you　。　。　。　you　darken　my　soul　。　。　。　

I　should　be　better　pleased　if　you　were　silent。　　Who　are　we；　eh？　

Why　have　we　no　prophets？　　Ha；　ha！　。　。　。　Where　were　we　when　Christ

walked　on　this　earth？　　Do　you　see？　　And　you　too；　you　are　

lying　。　。　。　Do　you　think　that　all　die　out？　　The　Russian　people　

will　never　disappear　。　。　。　You　are　lying。　　It　has　been　written　

in　the　Bible；　only　it　is　not　known　what　name　the　Russians　are　

given。　　Do　you　see　what　kind　of　people　they　are？　　They　are　

numberless　。　。　。　How　many　villages　are　there　on　the　earth？　

Think　of　all　the　people　who　live　on　it；　so　strong；　go　numerous　I

And　you　say　that　they　will　die　out；　men　shall　die；　but　God　wants　

the　people；　God　th