TheMuteSingerbySSzukalskiWord格式.docx

TheMuteSingerbySSzukalskiWord格式.docx

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Autumnwasthefree-from-heavy-workseasonforthepeasants.Itwasthenthatthepiousfolkwouldputontheirbestclothesandundertakelongpilgrimagestotheholyplaces.

Onfootandinmanywagonstheyjourneyedtobegfortherecoveryofasickchild,thereturnofstrengthtoanailingwife,orthewipingawayofthegrowingmistfromtheeyesofagrandfather.

Forcenturies,Geed-lehhadbeenarenownedplaceofmiraclesandpilgrimages;

thus,itswealthmadeitthelargestvillageinPoland,boastingofthreechurches,acourt,ajail,anapothecary,andaspeciallybuiltrepertorytheater,besidesthefirstiron-plowfactory.ItsimportancewasresentfullyfeltbytheburghersofthenearbyancienttownofPlavno.Theyhadtocometoprayinourchurchesorbeorderedtojailbyourcourt.Thoughnotbornthere,Iwasraisedinthatvillagefromtheageoffour.

Thepeasantpilgrimscameannuallyinbandsofhundredsoreventhousands.Ostensiblystartingwithanunselfisherrand,theysmuggledthroughtheirprayerstheextravaganthopesforthemselvesofattainingeternallife.Atthesametime,likewintersparrowsdrawnbythedroppingsofbarley-fattenedhorses,thebeggarsfollowed,hopingforawindfall,schemingtogetenoughfoodforanotherday.

Liketurtlesinmatingseason,thebeggarscrawled,limped,orstaggeredfromalldirections,leavinginthesandyroadsbizarreimprintsoftheirmalformedfeetandshriveledlimbs.

Thiswastheirharvesttime,whenthepeasants'

franticconcernoverthemereeverydaynesswasreplacedbyinnatepietyandthepilgrims'

heartscouldbemilkedofafewpennies.

MyfathermigratedtoAfrica,wherehewasdrawntothecauseoftheBoersagainsttheBritishEmpire,andlatertheUnitedStates.TheoceanbetweenmeandhiselbowstymiedalltheswarmandahalfofquestionsIwouldask.Thoughtherewereafewclosechumswithwhomtoexploretheforests,meadows,swampholes,andtworivers,Iwasonlysevenyearsoldandastrangerinthisworld.MycravingtoknowmorethanIcouldseedrewmetooldpeople,wholikedmebecauseofmyrespectfulmanner.ChiefamongthemwasPriorSchmidtofthecloister.But,also,therewerethebeggarswhoseasonallycrepttoGeed-leh.

Forapeasanttoconversewithabeggarwouldbeasunprecedentedasforhissontomarrytheheiresstoathrone.Doublyso,itwasimproperandunheardofforaboyofacityfamily,livingamongpeasants,toassociatesympatheticallywiththeseoutcasts.Mymother,neverswervedbytheopinionsofothers,permittedthoseIbefriendedtosleepinourthreshingshedandunusedbarn,for"

ThatwillmakeafinerpersonofStas!

"

Thechumsdisdainedmybeggarfriendswiththeirgrimyhandsandfaces,butthatfilthdidnotrepulseme.Theytoldmesuchwondersaboutthisstrangeworld,theiryouth,andpastrespectabilitiesthatIaddedafewyearstomychild'

slifeandsurelylearnedmorethanmyscornfulchums.

AmongthewretcheswhosleptinourbarnwasabeggarcalledtheOrganist.HewastheyoungestofthebeggarsImet,andwasnotlameatall.Thiswouldmakehimtheleastlikelypersontoearnhisblackbreadbybeggary,forthepeasantswouldregardhimasaloaferandtheirpennieswouldshyawayfromhim.Buthewasafflicted.Toallappearanceshewaspossessed.

InhisyouththeOrganiststudiedtobeapriest.AsallacademicyouthofPoland,heknewsixlanguages.Thoughabrilliantscholar,hiscynicaldispositionsteeredhimawayfromhisavowedgoal.Beingirksometohissuperiorsforposinguncomfortablequestions,hefoundhimselfexpelled.Therewasacommonsayingintheland,"

Pitythosewhofailintheirresolvetobecomepriests,fortheywillneversucceedinanything!

Aftermanyattemptsatotheroccupations,hefinallybecameanorganistataprovincialchurch.Buthedrankprivatelyandunceremoniallytohisdefeatuntilhealwayswasonlyhalfhimself,thoughneverdrunk.Whenplayingundertheraftersonthechurchorgan,hisfingersfrivolouslybraidedthesacredhymnswithsomenotorioussongsthatslippedshockinglywickedwordsofsinintothemindsoftheassembly.Sothehighorganseatwastakenfromunderhim,andhewasoustedfromthechurch.Eventuallyhewasobligedtobeg,anoccupationinwhichhisadoptedwifehelpedhim.

Howwasheafflicted?

HespokepainfullycorrectPolish,articulatingeachsounduntilitwasacaricatureandonlyremotelyresembledordinaryspeech.Tothosewhounderstood,thisdenotedhispeasantorigin,buttothepeasantsitmarkedhimasafreak.Beingawearisomeshow-off,aconstantperformer,hewouldlapseintoexcruciatinglyfineFrench,Latin,orGreek,whichwerenotunderstoodbythepopulace.Hencetherearosethepersistentopinionthatthebeggar"

spokelanguages"

thatnoGod-fearingdecentmanwould.

Adiminutiveperson,long-haired,ofpointedbeard,andmoreFrenchthanaFrenchhairdresser,heoftenplungedintoarecitationofCicero'

sorations（aswewereinformedbytheeducatedelders）,spillinglongpassagesfromwhateverflickedintohisrestlessmind,entertaininguschildren.Occasionally,whenanelderlyJewwouldchanceby,theOrganistwouldstartlehimwithsomeappropriateHebrewquotationfromtheTalmud,untilthelocalJewryinsistedthathewasoneofthem,butgonewrong.Ioftensuspectedhimofbeingaseriousmanwho,cravinganaudience,wouldmakeafoolofhimselfjusttowinattention.

Thealcoholsankintohimasifintoablotterwithouthiseverlosingcontrolofhisperpetualtriflingwithharmlessclownery.Inhighmomentsofsinisterimpishness,hewouldwalkgingerly,asthoughhewereastorkliftinghisfeethighabovetheimaginarywater,nottoscaretheminnowsbelow;

thensuddenlyhewouldswiftlyrun,asthoughhewereafly-chasingpeewee,pirouettingagilely.Or,loweringhisheadlikearam,hewouldattempttobucksomeofus.

Whileperforminghishistrionicobsessions,hishandsactedouttheirownsupportingrolesofsomeinsane,giantgrasshoppers,knob-angularfingersviolentlypursuingtheirmatingacrobatics.WiththeDonQuixotebeardtoppingallhismonumentalposturings,helookedridiculouslyimpressivewhen,forexample,hetookthenoblesideoftheThreeMusketeers,posedaglorificgesture,thenvanquishedforevermoreallthecombinedfoesofRighteousness.Onotheroccasionshewouldbeacrouchingspider,strokinghisbearddeliberatelyandwax-pointinghismustache,atthesametimemakingasatanicprayertohisSpiderGodintheslyanticipationofentanglingabigotedbee.Indeed,hewasaclownwithawholecircusinsidehim.TheeldersofGeed-lehdismissedhimasanannoyingwindbag,butwe,thechildren,relishedhisantics.

Therewereotherbeggarscomingtotheholyplaceaftertheharvests,twoorthreedozenofthem.Somewereblindorlamedbyarthritis,somebornwithouthandsorfeet,stillothersmerelytoooldanduselesstoberegardedasparentsbytheirownchildren.Thediscardedcentenariansinfraildecrepitudeattemptedtotoddleallaloneaimlesslyasifdesertedbabes.Lostinthemselves,theireyeslookingwideapart,theyceaselesslychewedthecudoftheirgonelives.

TheOrganistwasthemostnoticeablecharacterinthisgalleryofanimatedsweepings,buttherewasanotherwhosepersonalitydetractedattentionfromhim.HeseldomcametoGeed-lehandwaspopularlyknownastheMuteSinger.Thenickname,thoughcontradictory,wasqualifiedsince,owingtosomeanatomiccausewherebyhehadlosthisvoice（heformerlyearnedalivingbysingingwithhisguitar）,hestillmouthedthewordsheoncesangaudiblybutnowheardonlyinhisbosom.

TheMuteSingerstooderectamongthebeggars,slimandeagle-nosed.Hisfaceandhandswereoftarnishedcopper,thebeardandthemaneonhisheadshonewhitelikeasteamingvolcano.Withsilkenhairglowingfromcleanliness,hewasthepersonificationofallthemythologicdivinities.Theclothingheworewasnolessproperlypatchythanthatoftheothers,buthisimmaculateskinwasratheraliability,accordingtothetacticsofthemendicants'

fraternity.

OntwosuccessivemorningsIsawhimdressingonthebushybankofthenearestriver,whichmeantthathebatheddaily,asecretIkeptfromtheotherbeggars.OnanothermorningImethimcomingfromtheriver.Hewavedtome,andIcame.Touchingthetopofmyhead,hepointedtothenearestswampholeandbeckonedmetofollow.Therehepickedtwohandfulsofsnails,tookoutapocketknifefromhisraggedyovercoat,andcutthesnailsintosmallpieces.Iwasafraidhewasgoingtoaskmetojoinhimineatingthismess.Buthecutasmallwillowtwig,strippeditofleaves,andloppedoffthethinnestend.Heseatedhimselfonthebank,lookedatme,andpattedtheground.Isatbesidehim,mystified.

Lookingatmesideways,hesmiledmysteriously,pointingafingerupasiftoprefacesomethingthatwouldsurpriseme.Thenherolleduphissleeveand,placingthepalmofhishandjustunderthesurfaceofthewater,forcefullyrubbedhisthumbagainstthefirstfingerandproducedthemostextraordinarysound,exactlylikethecroakingofafrog.Herepeatedthissoundadozentimes,then,raisinghishandtothesurface,pattedthewaterlightlyuntiltheripplesbegantospreadfartherandfartherawayfromhimandreachedtheremotebanksonallsidesoftheswamphole.Thenagainheloweredhishandandrepeatedthecroakingsoundsunderthewaterandtheploppingsoundsontopofit.Iwaspuzzled,wonderingwhatwassupposedtocomeoutofallthiswhensuddenlyIperceivedthatatthefarandnearbanksofthegreatpondthegrasseswerestirring.Icouldnotseewhatcausedtheencirclingreedstoswayandtremb