《the world i live in-海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)》海伦·凯勒自传(英文版)-第23章

sandals；　and　by　his　side……I　could　scarcely　believe　my　eyes！……walked　a
modest　nun　counting　her　beads。　At　a　little　distance　were　seen　three
dancers　arm…in…arm；　a　lean；　starved　platitude；　a　rosy；　dimpled　joke；　and
a　steel…ribbed　sermon　on　predestination。　Close　upon　them　came　a　whole
string　of　Nights　with　wind…blown　hair　and　Days　with　faggots　on　their
backs。　All　at　once　I　saw　the　ample　figure　of　Life　rise　above　the
whirling　mass　holding　a　naked　child　in　one　hand　and　in　the　other　a
gleaming　sword。　A　bear　crouched　at　her　feet；　and　all　about　her　swirled
and　glowed　a　multitudinous　host　of　tiny　atoms　which　sang　all　together；
〃We　are　the　will　of　God。〃　Atom　wedded　atom；　and　chemical　married
chemical；　and　the　cosmic　dance　went　on　in　changing；　changeless　measure；
until　my　head　sang　like　a　buzz…saw。
Just　as　I　was　thinking　I　would　leave　this　scene　of　phantoms　and　take　a
stroll　in　the　quiet　groves　of　Slumber　I　noticed　a　motion　near　one　of
the　entrances　to　my　enchanted　palace。　It　was　evident　from　the　whispering
and　buzzing　that　went　round　that　more　celebrities　had　arrived。　The　first
personage　I　saw　was　Homer；　blind　no　more；　leading　by　a　golden　chain　the
white…beaked　ships　of　the　Achaians　bobbing　their　heads　and　squawking
like　so　many　white　swans。　Plato　and　Mother　Goose　with　the　numerous
children　of　the　shoe　came　next。　Simple　Simon；　Jill；　and　Jack　who　had　had
his　head　mended；　and　the　cat　that　fell　into　the　cream……all　these　danced
in　a　giddy　reel；　while　Plato　solemnly　discoursed　on　the　laws　of
Topsyturvy　Land。　Then　followed　grim…visaged　Calvin　and　〃violet…crowned；
sweet…smiling　Sappho〃　who　danced　a　Schottische。　Aristophanes　and　Moliere
joined　for　a　measure；　both　talking　at　once；　Moliere　in　Greek　and
Aristophanes　in　German。　I　thought　this　odd；　because　it　occurred　to　me
that　German　was　a　dead　language　before　Aristophanes　was　born。
Bright…eyed　Shelley　brought　in　a　fluttering　lark　which　burst　into　the
song　of　Chaucer"s　chanticleer。　Henry　Esmond　gave　his　hand　in　a　stately
minuet　to　Diana　of　the　Crossways。　He　evidently　did　not　understand　her
nieenth　century　wit；　for　he　did　not　laugh。　Perhaps　he　had　lost　his
taste　for　clever　women。　Anon　Dante　and　Swedenborg　came　together
conversing　earnestly　about　things　remote　and　mystical。　Swedenborg　said
it　was　very　warm。　Dante　replied　that　it　might　rain　in　the　night。
Suddenly　there　was　a　great　clamour；　and　I　found　that　〃The　Battle　of　the
Books〃　had　begun　raging　anew。　Two　figures　entered　in　lively　dispute。　One
was　dressed　in　plain　homespun　and　the　other　wore　a　scholar"s　gown　over　a
suit　of　motley。　I　gathered　from　their　conversation　that　they　were　Cotton
Mather　and　William　Shakspere。　Mather　insisted　that　the　witches　in
〃Macbeth〃　should　be　caught　and　hanged。　Shakspere　replied　that　the
witches　had　already　suffered　enough　at　the　hands　of　mentators。　They
were　pushed　aside　by　the　twelve　knights　of　the　Round　Table；　who　marched
in　bearing　on　a　salver　the　goose　that　laid　golden　eggs。　〃The　Pope"s
Mule〃　and　〃The　Golden　Bull〃　had　a　bat　of　history　and　fiction　such　as
I　had　read　of　in　books；　but　never　before　witnessed。　These　little　animals
were　put　to　rout　by　a　huge　elephant　which　lumbered　in　with　Rudyard
Kipling　riding　high　on　its　trunk。　The　elephant　changed　suddenly　to　〃a
rakish　craft。〃　（I　do　not　know　what　a　rakish　craft　is；　but　this　was　very
rakish　and　very　crafty。）　It　must　have　been　abandoned　long　ago　by　wild
pirates　of　the　southern　seas；　for　clinging　to　the　rigging；　and　jovially
cheering　as　the　ship　went　down；　I　made　out　a　man　with　blazing　eyes；　clad
in　a　velveteen　jacket。　As　the　ship　disappeared　from　sight；　Falstaff
rushed　to　the　rescue　of　the　lonely　navigator……and　stole　his　purse！　But
Miranda　persuaded　him　to　give　it　back。　Stevenson　said；　〃Who　steals　my
purse　steals　trash。〃　Falstaff　laughed　and　called　this　a　good　joke；　as
good　as　any　he　had　heard　in　his　day。
This　was　the　signal　for　a　rushing　swarm　of　quotations。　They　surged　to
and　fro；　an　inchoate　throng　of　half　finished　phrases；　mutilated
sentences；　parodied　sentiments；　and　brilliant　metaphors。　I　could　not
distinguish　any　phrases　or　ideas　of　my　own　making。　I　saw　a　poor；　ragged；
shrunken　sentence　that　might　have　been　mine　own　catch　the　wings　of　a
fair　idea　with　the　light　of　genius　shining　like　a　halo　about　its　head。
Ever　and　anon　the　dancers　changed　partners　without　invitation　or
permission。　Thoughts　fell　in　love　at　sight；　married　in　a　measure；　and
joined　hands　without　previous　courtship。　An　incongruity　is　the　wedding
of　two　thoughts　which　have　had　no　reasonable　courtship；　and　marriages
without　wooing　are　apt　to　lead　to　domestic　discord；　even　to　the　breaking
up　of　an　ancient；　time…honoured　family。　Among　the　wedded　couples　were
certain　similes　hitherto　inviolable　in　their　bachelorhood　and
spinsterhood；　and　held　in　great　respect。　Their　extraordinary　proceedings
nearly　broke　up　the　dance。　But　the　fatuity　of　their　union　was　evident　to
them；　and　they　parted。　Other　similes　seemed　to　have　the　habit　of　living
in　discord。　They　had　been　many　times　married　and　divorced。　They　belonged
to　the　notorious　society　of　Mixed　Metaphors。
A　pany　of　phantoms　floated　in　and　out　wearing　tantalizing　garments
of　oblivion。　They　seemed　about　to　dance；　then　vanished。　They　reappeared
half　a　dozen　times；　but　never　unveiled　their　faces。　The　imp　Curiosity
pulled　Memory　by　the　sleeve　and　said；　〃Why　do　they　run　away？　"Tis
strange　knavery！〃　Out　ran　Memory　to　capture　them。　After　a　great　deal　of
racing　and　puffing　and　collision　it　apprehended　some　of　the　fugitives
and　brought　them　in。　But　when　it　tore　off　their　masks；　lo！　some　were
disappointingly　monplace；　and　others　were　gipsy　quotations　trying　to
conceal　the　punctuation　marks　that　belonged　to　them。　Memory　was　much
chagrined　to　have　had　such　a　hard　chase　only　to　catch　this　sorry　lot　of
graceless　rogues。
Into　the　rabble　strode　four　stately　giants　who　called　themselves
History；　Philosophy；　Law；　and　Medicine。　They　seemed　too　solemn　and
imposing　to　join　in　a　masque。　But　even　as　I　gazed　at　these　formidable
guests；　they　all　split　into　fragments　which　went　whirling；　dancing　in
divisions；　subdivisions；　re…subdivisions　of　scientific　nonsense！　History
split　into　philol