wind sand and stars st.antoine de saint-exupery-第14章

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　　As　mysteriously　and　as　silently　as　they　had　vanished；　the　girls　reappeared。　Gravely　they　took　their　places。　Doubtless　they　had　fed　their　dogs；　their　birds；　had　opened　their　windows　on　the　bright　night　and　breathed　in　the　smell　of　the　woods　brought　by　the　night…wind。　Now；　unfolding　their　napkins；　they　were　inspecting　me　cautiously　out　of　the　corners　of　their　eyes；　wondering　whether　or　not　they　were　going　to　make　place　for　me　among　their　domestic　animals。　For　among　others　they　had　an　iguana；　a　mongoose；　a　fox；　a　monkey；　and　bees。　All　these　lived　promiscuously　together　without　quarreling　in　this　new　earthly　paradise。　The　girls　reigned　over　all　the　animals　of　creation；　charming　them　with　their　little　hands；　feeding　them；　watering　them；　and　telling　them　tales　to　which　all；　from　mongoose　to　bees；　gave　ear。　
　　I　firmly　expected　that　these　alert　young　girls　would　employ　all　their　critical　faculty；　all　their　shrewdness；　in　a　swift；　secret；　and　irrevocable　judgment　upon　the　male　who　sat　opposite　them。　
　　When　I　was　a　child　my　sisters　had　a　way　of　giving　marks　to　guests　who　were　honoring　our　table　for　the　first　time。　Conversation　might　languish　for　a　moment；　and　then　in　the　silence　we　would　hear　the　sudden　impact　of　〃Sixty！''　…　a　word　that　could　tickle　only　the　family；　who　knew　that　one　hundred　was　par。　Branded　by　this　low　mark；　the　guest　would　all　unknowing　continue　to　spend　himself　in　little　courtesies　while　we　sat　screaming　inwardly　with　delight。　
　　Remembering　that　little　game；　I　was　worried。　And　it　upset　me　a　bit　more　to　feel　my　judges　so　keen。　Judges　who　knew　how　to　distinguish　between　candid　animals　and　animals　that　cheated；　who　could　tell　from　the　tracks　of　the　fox　whether　he　was　in　a　good　temper　or　not；　whose　instinct　for　inner　movements　was　so　sure　and　deep。　
　　I　liked　the　sharp　eyes　of　these　straightforward　little　souls；　but　I　should　so　much　have　preferred　that　they　play　some　other　game。　And　yet；　in　my　cowardly　fear　of　their　〃sixty〃　I　passed　them　the　salt；　poured　out　their　wine；　though　each　time　that　I　raised　my　eyes　I　saw　in　their　faces　the　gentle　gravity　of　judges　who　were　not　to　be　bought。　
　　Flattery　itself　was　useless：　they　knew　no　vanity。　Although　they　knew　not　it；　they　knew。　a　marvelous　pride；　and　without　any　help　from　me　they　thought　more　good　of　themselves　than　I　should　have　dared　utter。　It　did　not　even　occur　to　me　to　draw　any　prestige　from　my　craft；　for　it　is　extremely　dangerous　to　clamber　up　to　the　topmost　branches　of　a　plane…tree　simply　to　see　if　the　nestlings　are　doing　well　or　to　say　good　morning　to　one's　friends。　
　　My　taciturn　young　friends　continued　their　inspection　so　imperturbably；　I　met　so　often　their　fleeting　glances；　that　soon　I　stopped　talking。　Silence　fell；　and　in　that　silence　I　heard　something　hiss　faintly　under　the　floor；　rustle　under　the　table；　and　then　stop。　I　raised　a　pair　of　puzzled　eyes。　Thereupon；　satisfied　with　her　examination　but　applying　her　last　touchstone；　as　she　bit　with　savage　young　teeth　into　her　bread　the　younger　daughter　explained　to　me　with　a　candor　by　which　she　hoped　to　slaughter　the　barbarian　（if　that　was　what　I　was）　：　
　　〃It's　the　snakes。〃　
　　And　content；　she　said　no　more；　as　if　that　explanation　should　have　sufficed　for　anyone　in　whom　there　remained　a　last　glimmer　of　intelligence。　Her　sister　sent　a　lightning　glance　to　spy　out　my　immediate　reflex；　and　both　bent　with　the　gentlest　and　most　ingenuous　faces　in　the　world　over　their　plates。　
　　〃Ah！　Snakes；　are　they？〃　
　　Naturally　the　words　escaped　from　me　against　my　will。　This　that　had　been　gliding　between　my　legs；　had　been　brushing　my　calves；　was　snakes！　
　　Fortunately　for　me；　I　smiled。　Effortlessly。　
　　They　would　have　known　if　it　had　been　otherwise。　I　smiled　because　my　heart　was　light；　because　each　moment　this　house　was　more　and　more　to　my　liking。　And　also　because　I　wanted　to　know　more　about　the　snakes。　The　elder　daughter　came　to　my　rescue。　
　　〃They　nest　in　a　hole　under　the　table。〃　
　　And　her　sister　added：　〃They　go　back　into　their　nest　at　about　ten　o'clock。　During　the　day　they　hunt。〃　
　　Now　it　was　my　turn　to　look　at　them　out　of　the　corner　of　the　eye。　What　shrewdness！　what　silent　laughter　behind　those　candid　faces！　And　what　sovereignty　they　exercised；　these　princesses　guarded　by　snakes！　Princesses　for　whom　there　existed　no　scorpion；　no　wasp；　no　serpent；　but　only　little　souls　of　animals！　
　　As　I　write；　I　dream。　All　this　is　very　far　away。　What　has　bee　of　these　two　fairy　princesses？　Girls　so　fine…grained；　so　upright；　have　certainly　attracted　husbands。　Have　they　changed；　I　wonder？　What　do　they　do　in　their　new　houses？　Do　they　feel　differently　now　about　the　jungle　growth　and　the　snakes？　They　had　been　fused　with　something　universal；　and　then　the　day　had　e　when　the　woman　had　awakened　in　the　maiden；　when　there　had　surged　in　her　a　longing　to　find　someone　who　deserved　a　〃Ninety…five。〃　The　dream　of　a　ninety…five　is　a　weight　on　the　heart。　And　then　an　imbecile　had　e　along。　For　the　first　time　those　sharp　eyes　were　mistaken　and　they　dressed　him　in　gay　colors。　If　the　imbecile　recited　verse　he　was　thought　a　poet。　Surely　he　must　understand　the　holes　in　the　floor；　must　love　the　mongoose！　The　trust　one　put　in　him；　the　swaying　of　the　snakes　between　his　legs　under　the　table　…　surely　this　must　flatter　him！　And　that　heart　which　was　a　wild　garden　was　given　to　him　who　loved　only　trim　lawns。　And　the　imbecile　carried　away　the　princess　into　slavery。　
　　Wind；　Sand　and　Stars　by　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery　
　　Chapter　6　…　OasisTitle：　Wind；　Sand；　and　Stars　
　　Author：　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery　
　　Translator：　Lewis　Galantiere　
　　Publisher：　Harcourt　Brace　Javanovich；　New　York；　1967　
　　Date　first　posted：　February　2000　
　　Date　most　recently　updated：　January　2006　
　　XML　markup　by　Wesman　02/23/2000。　
　　Wind　Sand　and　Stars
　　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery
　　7
　　Men　of　the　Desert
　　THESE；　then；　were　some　of　the　treasures　that　passed　us　by　when　for　weeks　and　months　and　years　we；　pilots　of　the　Sahara　line；　were　prisoners　of　the　sands；　navigating　from　one　stockade　to　the　next　with　never　an　excursion　outside　the　zone　of　silence。　Oases　like　these　did　not　prosper　in　the　desert；　these　memories　it　dismissed　as　belonging　to　the　domain　of　legend。　No　doubt　there　did　gleam　in　distant　places　scattered　round　the　world　…　places　to　which　we　should　return　once　our　work　was　done　…　there　did　gleam　lighted　windows。　No　doubt　somewhere　there　did　sit　young　girls　among　their　white　lemurs　or　their　books；　patiently　corn…pounding　souls　as　rich　in　delight　as　secret　gardens。　No　doubt　there　did　exist　such　creatures　waxing　in　beauty。　But　solitude　cultivates　a　strange　mood。　
　　I　know　that　mood。　Three　years　of　the　desert　taught　it　to　me。　Something　in　one's　heart　takes　fright；　not　at　the　thought　of　growing　old；　not　at　feeling　one's　youth　used　up　in　this　mineral　universe；　but　at　the　thought　that　far　away　the　whole　world　is　ageing。　The　trees　have　brought　forth　their　fruit；　the　grain　has　ripened　in　the　fields；　the　women　have　bloomed　in　their　loveliness。　But　the　season　is　advancing　and　one　must　make　haste；　but　the　season　is　advancing　and　still　one　cannot　leave；　but　the　season　is　advancing　。　。　。　and　other　men　will　glean　the　harvest。　
　　Many　a　night　have　I　savored　this　taste　of　the　irreparable；　wandering　in　a　circle　round　the　fort；　our　prison；　under　the　burden　of　the　trade…winds。　Sometimes；　worn　out　by　a　day　of　flight；　drenched　in　the　humidity　of　the　tropical　climate；　I　have　felt　my　heart　beat　in　me　like　the　wheels　of　an　express　train；　and　suddenly；　more　immediately　than　when　flying；　I　have　felt　myself　on　a　journey。　A　journey　through　time。　Time　was　running　through　my　fingers　like　the　fine　sand　of　the　dunes　；　the　poundings　of　my　heart　were　bearing　me　onward　towards　an　unknown　future。　
　　Ah；　those　fevers　at　night　after　a　day　of　work　in　the　silence！　We　seemed　to　ourselves　to　be　burning　up；　like　flares　set　out　in　the　solitude。　And　yet　we　knew　joys　we　could　not　possibly　have　known　elsewhere。　I　shall　never　be　able　to　express　clearly　whence　es　this　pleasure　men　take　from　aridity；　but　always　and　everywhere　I　have　seen　men　attach　themselves　more　stubbornly　to　barren　lands　than　to　any　other。　Men　will　die　for　a　calcined；　leafless；　stony　mountain。　The