Fables.docx
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Fables.docx
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Fables
FablesbyRobertLouisStevensonI.-THEPERSONSOFTHETALE.
AFTERthe32ndchapterofTREASUREISLAND,twoofthepuppetsstrolledouttohaveapipebeforebusinessshouldbeginagain,andmetinanopenplacenotfarfromthestory.
"Good-morning,Cap'n,"saidthefirst,withaman-o'-warsalute,andabeamingcountenance.
"Ah,Silver!
"gruntedtheother."You'reinabadway,Silver."
"Now,Cap'nSmollett,"remonstratedSilver,"dootyisdooty,asI
knows,andnonebetter;butwe'reoffdootynow;andIcan'tseenocalltokeepupthemoralitybusiness."
"You'readamnedrogue,myman,"saidtheCaptain.
"Come,come,Cap'n,bejust,"returnedtheother."There'snocalltobeangrywithmeinearnest.I'mon'yachara'terinaseastory.Idon'treallyexist."
"Well,Idon'treallyexisteither,"saystheCaptain,"whichseemstomeetthat."
"Iwouldn'tsetnolimitstowhatavirtuouschara'termightconsiderargument,"respondedSilver."ButI'mthevillainofthistale,Iam;andspeakingasonesea-faringmantoanother,whatI
wanttoknowis,what'stheodds?
"
"Wereyounevertaughtyourcatechism?
"saidtheCaptain."Don'tyouknowthere'ssuchathingasanAuthor?
"
"SuchathingasaAuthor?
"returnedJohn,derisively."Andwhobetter'nme?
Andthep'intis,iftheAuthormadeyou,hemadeLongJohn,andhemadeHands,andPew,andGeorgeMerry-notthatGeorgeisuptomuch,forhe'slittlemore'naname;andhemadeFlint,whatthereisofhim;andhemadethisheremutiny,youkeepsuchaworkabout;andhehadTomRedruthshot;and-well,ifthat'saAuthor,givemePew!
"
"Don'tyoubelieveinafuturestate?
"saidSmollett."Doyouthinkthere'snothingbutthepresentstory-paper?
"
"Idon'trightlyknowforthat,"saidSilver;"andIdon'tseewhatit'sgottodowithit,anyway.WhatIknowisthis:
ifthereissichathingasaAuthor,I'mhisfavouritechara'ter.Hedoesmefathomsbetter'nhedoesyou-fathoms,hedoes.Andhelikesdoingme.Hekeepsmeondeckmostlyallthetime,crutchandall;
andheleavesyoumeaslinginthehold,wherenobodycan'tseeyou,norwantsto,andyoumaylaytothat!
IfthereisaAuthor,bythunder,buthe'sonmyside,andyoumaylaytoit!
"
"Iseehe'sgivingyoualongrope,"saidtheCaptain."Butthatcan'tchangeaman'sconvictions.IknowtheAuthorrespectsme;I
feelitinmybones;whenyouandIhadthattalkattheblockhousedoor,whodoyouthinkhewasfor,myman?
"
"Anddon'therespectme?
"criedSilver."Ah,youshould'a'heardmeputtingdownmymutiny,GeorgeMerryandMorganandthatlot,nolongerago'nlastchapter;you'dheardsomethingthen!
You'd'a'
seenwhattheAuthorthinkso'me!
Butcomenow,doyouconsideryourselfavirtuouschara'tercleanthrough?
"
"Godforbid!
"saidCaptainSmollett,solemnly."Iamamanthattriestodohisduty,andmakesamessofitasoftenasnot.I'mnotaverypopularmanathome,Silver,I'mafraid!
"andtheCaptainsighed.
"Ah,"saysSilver."Thenhowaboutthissequelofyours?
AreyoutobeCap'nSmollettjustthesameasever,andnotverypopularathome,saysyou?
Andifso,why,it'sTREASUREISLANDoveragain,bythunder;andI'llbeLongJohn,andPew'llbePew,andwe'llhaveanothermutiny,aslikeasnot.Orareyoutobesomebodyelse?
Andifso,why,whatthebetterareyou?
andwhattheworseamI?
"
"Why,lookhere,myman,"returnedtheCaptain,"Ican'tunderstandhowthisstorycomesaboutatall,canI?
Ican'tseehowyouandI,whodon'texist,shouldgettospeakinghere,andsmokeourpipesforalltheworldlikereality?
Verywell,then,whoamItopipeupwithmyopinions?
IknowtheAuthor'sonthesideofgood;
hetellsmeso,itrunsoutofhispenashewrites.Well,that'sallIneedtoknow;I'lltakemychanceupontherest."
"It'safactheseemedtobeagainstGeorgeMerry,"Silveradmitted,musingly."ButGeorgeislittlemore'nanameatthebestofit,"headded,brightening."Andtogetintosoundingsforonce.Whatisthisgood?
Imadeamutiny,andIbeenagentlemano'fortune;well,butbyallstories,youain'tnosuchsaint.I'mamanthatkeepscompanyveryeasy;evenbyyourownaccount,youain't,andtomycertainknowledgeyou'readeviltohaze.Whichiswhich?
Whichisgood,andwhichbad?
Ah,youtellmethat!
Hereweareinstays,andyoumaylaytoit!
"
"We'renoneofusperfect,"repliedtheCaptain."That'safactofreligion,myman.AllIcansayis,Itrytodomyduty;andifyoutrytodoyours,Ican'tcomplimentyouonyoursuccess."
"Andsoyouwasthejudge,wasyou?
"saidSilver,derisively.
"Iwouldbebothjudgeandhangmanforyou,myman,andneverturnahair,"returnedtheCaptain."ButIgetbeyondthat:
itmayn'tbesoundtheology,butit'scommonsense,thatwhatisgoodisusefultoo-orthereandthereabout,forIdon'tsetuptobeathinker.Now,wherewouldastorygotoiftherewerenovirtuouscharacters?
"
"Ifyougotothat,"repliedSilver,"wherewouldastorybegin,iftherewasn'tnovillains?
"
"Well,that'sprettymuchmythought,"saidCaptainSmollett."TheAuthorhastogetastory;that'swhathewants;andtogetastory,andtohaveamanlikethedoctor(say)givenaproperchance,hehastoputinmenlikeyouandHands.Buthe'sontherightside;andyoumindyoureye!
You'renotthroughthisstoryyet;there'stroublecomingforyou."
"What'llyoubet?
"askedJohn.
"MuchIcareifthereain't,"returnedtheCaptain."I'mgladenoughtobeAlexanderSmollett,badasheis;andIthankmystarsuponmykneesthatI'mnotSilver.Butthere'stheink-bottleopening.Toquarters!
"
AndindeedtheAuthorwasjustthenbeginningtowritethewords:
CHAPTERXXXIII.
II.-THESINKINGSHIP.
"SIR,"saidthefirstlieutenant,burstingintotheCaptain'scabin,"theshipisgoingdown."
"Verywell,Mr.Spoker,"saidtheCaptain;"butthatisnoreasonforgoingabouthalf-shaved.Exerciseyourmindamoment,Mr.
Spoker,andyouwillseethattothephilosophiceyethereisnothingnewinourposition:
theship(ifsheistogodownatall)
maybesaidtohavebeengoingdownsinceshewaslaunched."
"Sheissettlingfast,"saidthefirstlieutenant,ashereturnedfromshaving.
"Fast,Mr.Spoker?
"askedtheCaptain."Theexpressionisastrangeone,fortime(ifyouwillthinkofit)isonlyrelative."
"Sir,"saidthelieutenant,"IthinkitisscarcelyworthwhiletoembarkinsuchadiscussionwhenweshallallbeinDavyJones'sLockerintenminutes."
"Byparityofreasoning,"returnedtheCaptaingently,"itwouldneverbeworthwhiletobeginanyinquiryofimportance;theoddsarealwaysoverwhelmingthatwemustdiebeforeweshallhavebroughtittoanend.Youhavenotconsidered,Mr.Spoker,thesituationofman,"saidtheCaptain,smiling,andshakinghishead.
"Iammuchmoreengagedinconsideringthepositionoftheship,"
saidMr.Spoker.
"Spokenlikeagoodofficer,"repliedtheCaptain,layinghishandonthelieutenant'sshoulder.
Ondecktheyfoundthemenhadbrokenintothespirit-room,andwerefastgettingdrunk.
"Mymen,"saidtheCaptain,"thereisnosenseinthis.Theshipisgoingdown,youwilltellme,intenminutes:
well,andwhatthen?
Tothephilosophiceye,thereisnothingnewinourposition.Allourliveslong,wemayhavebeenabouttobreakablood-vesselortobestruckbylightning,notmerelyintenminutes,butintenseconds;andthathasnotpreventedusfromeatingdinner,no,norfromputtingmoneyintheSavingsBank.I
assureyou,withmyhandonmyheart,Ifailtocomprehendyourattitude."
Themenwerealreadytoofargonetopaymuchheed.
"Thisisaverypainfulsight,Mr.Spoker,"saidtheCaptain.
"Andyettothephilosophiceye,orwhateveritis,"repliedthefirstlieutenant,"theymaybesaidtohavebeengettingdrunksincetheycameaboard."
"Idonotknowifyoualwaysfollowmythought,Mr.Spoker,"
returnedtheCaptaingently."Butletusproceed."
Inthepowdermagazinetheyfoundanoldsaltsmokinghispipe.
"GoodGod,"criedtheCaptain,"whatareyouabout?
"
"Well,sir,"saidtheoldsalt,apologetically,"theytoldmeassheweregoingdown."
"Andsupposeshewere?
"saidtheCaptain."Tothephilosophiceye,therewouldbenothingnewinourposition.Life,myoldshipmate,life,atanymomentandinanyview,isasdangerousasasinkingship;andyetitisman'shandsomefashiontocarryumbrellas,towearindiarubberover-shoes,tobeginvastworks,andtoconducthimselfineverywayasifhemighthopetobeeternal.AndformyownpoorpartIshoulddespisethemanwho,evenonboardasinkingship,shouldomittotakeapillortowinduphiswatch.That,myfriend,wouldnotbethehumanattitude."
"Ibegpardon,sir,"saidMr.Spoker."Butwhatispreciselythedifferencebetweenshavinginasinkingshipandsmokinginapowdermagazine?
"
"Ordoinganythingatallinanyconceivablecircumstances?
"criedtheCaptain."Perfectlyconclusive;givemeacigar!
"
Twominutesafterwardstheshipblewupwithagloriousdetonation.
III-THETWOMATCHES.
ONEdaytherewasatravellerinthewoodsinCalifornia,inthedryseason,whentheTradeswereblowingstrong.Hehadriddenalongway,andhewastiredandhungry,anddismountedfromhishorsetosmokeapipe.Butwhenhefeltinhispockethefoundbuttwomatches.Hestruckthefirst,anditwouldnotlight.
"Hereisaprettystateofthings!
"saidthetraveller."Dyingforasmoke;onlyonematchleft;andthatcertaintomissfire!
Wasthereeveracreaturesounfortunate?
Andyet,"thoughtthetraveller,"supposeIlightthismatch,andsmokemypipe,andshakeoutthedottlehereinthegrass-thegrassmightcatchonfire,foritisdryliketinder;andwhileIsnatchouttheflame
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