kwaidan-第24章

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its　ordinary　acceptation。　A　greedy　ant；　a　sensual　ant；　an　ant　capable　of

any　one　of　the　seven　deadly　sins；　or　even　of　a　small　venial　sin；　is

unimaginable。　Equally　unimaginable；　of　course；　a　romantic　ant；　an

ideological　ant；　a　poetical　ant；　or　an　ant　inclined　to　metaphysical

speculations。　No　human　mind　could　attain　to　the　absolute　matter…of…fact

quality　of　the　ant…mind；　no　human　being；　as　now　constituted；　could

cultivate　a　mental　habit　so　impeccably　practical　as　that　of　the　ant。　But

this　superlatively　practical　mind　is　incapable　of　moral　error。　It　would　be

difficult；　perhaps；　to　prove　that　the　ant　has　no　religious　ideas。　But　it　is

certain　that　such　ideas　could　not　be　of　any　use　to　it。　The　being　incapable

of　moral　weakness　is　beyond　the　need　of　〃spiritual　guidance。〃







Only　in　a　vague　way　can　we　conceive　the　character　of　ant…society；　and　the

nature　of　ant…morality；　and　to　do　even　this　we　must　try　to　imagine　some　yet

impossible　state　of　human　society　and　human　morals。　Let　us；　then；　imagine　a

world　full　of　people　incessantly　and　furiously　working；　all　of　whom　seem

to　be　women。　No　one　of　these　women　could　be　persuaded　or　deluded　into

taking　a　single　atom　of　food　more　than　is　needful　to　maintain　her　strength；

and　no　one　of　them　ever　sleeps　a　second　longer　than　is　necessary　to　keep

her　nervous　system　in　good　working…order。　And　all　of　them　are　so　peculiarly

constituted　that　the　least　unnecessary　indulgence　would　result　in　some

derangement　of　function。





The　work　daily　performed　by　these　female　laborers　comprises　road…making；

bridge…building；　timber…cutting；　architectural　construction　of　numberless

kinds；　horticulture　and　agriculture；　the　feeding　and　sheltering　of　a

hundred　varieties　of　domestic　animals；　the　manufacture　of　sundry　chemical

products；　the　storage　and　conservation　of　countless　food…stuffs；　and　the

care　of　the　children　of　the　race。　All　this　labor　is　done　for　the

commonwealth　　no　citizen　of　which　is　capable　even　of　thinking　about

〃property；〃　except　as　a　res　publica；　and　the　sole　object　of　the

commonwealth　is　the　nurture　and　training　of　its　young；　nearly　all　of　whom

are　girls。　The　period　of　infancy　is　long：　the　children　remain　for　a　great

while；　not　only　helpless；　but　shapeless；　and　withal　so　delicate　that　they

must　be　very　carefully　guarded　against　the　least　change　of　temperature。

Fortunately　their　nurses　understand　the　laws　of　health：　each　thoroughly

knows　all　that　she　ought　to　know　in　regard　to　ventilation；　disinfection；

drainage；　moisture；　and　the　danger　of　germs；　germs　being　as　visible；

perhaps；　to　her　myopic　sight　as　they　become　to　our　own　eyes　under　the

microscope。　Indeed；　all　matters　of　hygiene　are　so　well　comprehended　that　no

nurse　ever　makes　a　mistake　about　the　sanitary　conditions　of　her

neighborhood。





In　spite　of　this　perpetual　labor　no　worker　remains　unkempt：　each　is

scrupulously　neat；　making　her　toilet　many　times　a　day。　But　as　every　worker

is　born　with　the　most　beautiful　of　combs　and　brushes　attached　to　her

wrists；　no　time　is　wasted　in　the　toilet…room。　Besides　keeping　themselves

strictly　clean；　the　workers　must　also　keep　their　houses　and　gardens　in

faultless　order；　for　the　sake　of　the　children。　Nothing　less　than　an

earthquake；　an　eruption；　an　inundation；　or　a　desperate　war；　is　allowed　to

interrupt　the　daily　routine　of　dusting；　sweeping；　scrubbing；　and

disinfecting。







IV





Now　for　stranger　facts：





This　world　of　incessant　toil　is　a　more　than　Vestal　world。　It　is　true　that

males　can　sometimes　be　perceived　in　it；　but　they　appear　only　at　particular

seasons；　and　they　have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　workers　or　with　the

work。　None　of　them　would　presume　to　address　a　worker；　except；　perhaps；

under　extraordinary　circumstances　of　common　peril。　And　no　worker　would

think　of　talking　to　a　male；　for　males；　in　this　queer　world；　are　inferior

beings；　equally　incapable　of　fighting　or　working；　and　tolerated　only　as

necessary　evils。　One　special　class　of　females；　the　Mothers…Elect　of　the

race；　do　condescend　to　consort　with　males；　during　a　very　brief　period；　at

particular　seasons。　But　the　Mothers…Elect　do　not　work；　and　they　most　accept

husbands。　A　worker　could　not　even　dream　of　keeping　company　with　a　male；

not　merely　because　such　association　would　signify　the　most　frivolous　waste

of　time；　nor　yet　because　the　worker　necessarily　regards　all　males　with

unspeakable　contempt；　but　because　the　worker　is　incapable　of　wedlock。　Some

workers；　indeed；　are　capable　of　parthenogenesis；　and　give　birth　to　children

who　never　had　fathers。　As　a　general　rule；　however；　the　worker　is　truly

feminine　by　her　moral　instincts　only：　she　has　all　the　tenderness；　the

patience；　and　the　foresight　that　we　call　〃maternal；〃　but　her　sex　has

disappeared；　like　the　sex　of　the　Dragon…Maiden　in　the　Buddhist　legend。





For　defense　against　creatures　of　prey；　or　enemies　of　the　state；　the

workers　are　provided　with　weapons；　and　they　are　furthermore　protected　by　a

large　military　force。　The　warriors　are　so　much　bigger　than　the　workers　（in

some　communities；　at　least）　that　it　is　difficult；　at　first　sight；　to

believe　them　of　the　same　race。　Soldiers　one　hundred　times　larger　than　the

workers　whom　they　guard　are　not　uncommon。　But　all　these　soldiers　are

Amazons；　or；　more　correctly　speaking；　semi…females。　They　can　work

sturdily；　but　being　built　for　fighting　and　for　heavy　pulling　chiefly；　their

usefulness　is　restricted　to　those　directions　in　which　force；　rather　than

skill；　is　required。







＇Why　females；　rather　than　males；　should　have　been　evolutionally

specialized　into　soldiery　and　laborers　may　not　be　nearly　so　simple　a

question　as　it　appears。　I　am　very　sure　of　not　being　able　to　answer　it。　But

natural　economy　may　have　decided　the　matter。　In　many　forms　of　life；　the

female　greatly　exceeds　the　male　in　bulk　and　in　energy；　perhaps；　in　this

case；　the　larger　reserve　of　life…force　possessed　originally　by　the　complete

female　could　be　more　rapidly　and　effectively　utilized　for　the　development

of　a　special　fighting…caste。　All　energies　which；　in　the　fertile　female；

would　be　expended　in　the　giving　of　life　seem　here　to　have　been　diverted　to

the　evolution　of　aggressive　power；　or　working…capacity。＇







Of　the　true　females；　the　Mothers…Elect；　there　are　very　few　indeed；　and

these　are　treated　like　queens。　So　constantly　and　so　reverentially　are　they

waited　upon　that　they　can　seldom　have　any　wishes　to　express。　They　are

relieved　from　every　care　of　existence；　except　the　duty　of　bearing

offspring。　Night　and　day　they　are　cared　for　in　every　possible　manner。　They

alone　are　superabundantly　and　richly　fed：　for　the　sake　of　the　offspring

they　must　eat　and　drink　and　repose　right　royally；　and　their　physiological

specialization　allows　of　such　indulgence　ad　libitum。　They　seldom　go　out；

and　never　unless　attended　by　a　powerful　escort；　as　they　cannot　be　permitted

to　incur　unnecessary　fatigue　or　danger。　Probably　they　have　no　great　desire

to　go　out。　Around　them　revolves　the　whole　activity　of　the　race：　all　its

intelligence　and　toil　and　thrift　are　directed　solely　toward　the　well…being

of　these　Mothers　and　of　their　children。





But　last　and　least　of　the　race　rank　the　husbands　of　these　Mothers；　the

necessary　Evils；　the　males。　They　appear　only　at　a　particular　season；　as　I

have　already　observed；　and　their　lives　are　very　short。　Some　cannot　even

boast　of　noble　descent；　though　destined　to　royal　wedlock；　for　they　are　not

royal　offspring；　but　virgin…born；　parthenogenetic　children；　and；　for

that　reason　especially；　inferior　beings；　the　chance　results　of　some

mysterious　atavism。　But　of　any　sort　of　males　the　commonwealth　tolerates　but

few；　barely　enough　to　serve　as　husbands　for　the　Mothers…Elect；　and　these

few　perish　almost　as　soon　as　their　duty　has　been　done。　The　meaning　of

Nature's　law；　in　this　extraordinary　world；　is　identical　with　Ruskin's

teaching　that　life　without　effort　is　crime；　and　since　the　males　are　useless

as　workers　or　fighters；　their