登陆注册
15441900000042

第42章 CHAPTER VIII--MADAM HOW$$$$$S TWO GRANDSONS(1)

You want to know, then, what chalk is? I suppose you mean what chalk is made of?

Yes. That is it.

That we can only help by calling in the help of a very great giant whose name is Analysis.

A giant?

Yes. And before we call for him I will tell you a very curious story about him and his younger brother, which is every word of it true.

Once upon a time, certainly as long ago as the first man, or perhaps the first rational being of any kind, was created, Madam How had two grandsons. The elder is called Analysis, and the younger Synthesis. As for who their father and mother were, there have been so many disputes on that question that I think children may leave it alone for the present. For my part, I believe that they are both, like St. Patrick, "gentlemen, and come of decent people;" and I have a great respect and affection for them both, as long as each keeps in his own place and minds his own business.

Now you must understand that, as soon as these two baby giants were born, Lady Why, who sets everything to do that work for which it is exactly fitted, set both of them their work. Analysis was to take to pieces everything he found, and find out how it was made. Synthesis was to put the pieces together again, and make something fresh out of them. In a word, Analysis was to teach men Science; and Synthesis to teach them Art.

But because Analysis was the elder, Madam How commanded Synthesis never to put the pieces together till Analysis had taken them completely apart. And, my child, if Synthesis had obeyed that rule of his good old grandmother's, the world would have been far happier, wealthier, wiser, and better than it is now.

But Synthesis would not. He grew up a very noble boy. He could carve, he could paint, he could build, he could make music, and write poems: but he was full of conceit and haste. Whenever his elder brother tried to do a little patient work in taking things to pieces, Synthesis snatched the work out of his hands before it was a quarter done, and began putting it together again to suit his own fancy, and, of course, put it together wrong. Then he went on to bully his elder brother, and locked him up in prison, and starved him, till for many hundred years poor Analysis never grew at all, but remained dwarfed, and stupid, and all but blind for want of light; while Synthesis, and all the hasty conceited people who followed him, grew stout and strong and tyrannous, and overspread the whole world, and ruled it at their will. But the fault of all the work of Synthesis was just this: that it would not work. His watches would not keep time, his soldiers would not fight, his ships would not sail, his houses would not keep the rain out. So every time he failed in his work he had to go to poor Analysis in his dungeon, and bully him into taking a thing or two to pieces, and giving him a few sound facts out of them, just to go on with till he came to grief again, boasting in the meantime that he and not Analysis had found out the facts. And at last he grew so conceited that he fancied he knew all that Madam How could teach him, or Lady Why either, and that he understood all things in heaven and earth; while it was not the real heaven and earth that he was thinking of, but a sham heaven and a sham earth, which he had built up out of his guesses and his own fancies.

And the more Synthesis waxed in pride, and the more he trampled upon his poor brother, the more reckless he grew, and the more willing to deceive himself. If his real flowers would not grow, he cut out paper flowers, and painted them and said that they would do just as well as natural ones. If his dolls would not work, he put strings and wires behind them to make them nod their heads and open their eyes, and then persuaded other people, and perhaps half-persuaded himself, that they were alive. If the hand of his weather-glass went down, he nailed it up to insure a fine day, and tortured, burnt, or murdered every one who said it did not keep up of itself. And many other foolish and wicked things he did, which little boys need not hear of yet.

But at last his punishment came, according to the laws of his grandmother, Madam How, which are like the laws of the Medes and Persians, and alter not, as you and all mankind will sooner or later find; for he grew so rich and powerful that he grew careless and lazy, and thought about nothing but eating and drinking, till people began to despise him more and more. And one day he left the dungeon of Analysis so ill guarded, that Analysis got out and ran away. Great was the hue and cry after him; and terribly would he have been punished had he been caught. But, lo and behold, folks had grown so disgusted with Synthesis that they began to take the part of Analysis. Poor men hid him in their cottages, and scholars in their studies. And when war arose about him,--and terrible wars did arise,--good kings, wise statesmen, gallant soldiers, spent their treasure and their lives in fighting for him. All honest folk welcomed him, because he was honest; and all wise folk used him, for, instead of being a conceited tyrant like Synthesis, he showed himself the most faithful, diligent, humble of servants, ready to do every man's work, and answer every man's questions. And among them all he got so well fed that he grew very shortly into the giant that he ought to have been all along; and was, and will be for many a year to come, perfectly able to take care of himself.

同类推荐
  • 华严原人论发微录

    华严原人论发微录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 愚谷集

    愚谷集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Amours de Voyage

    Amours de Voyage

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 洪杨轶闻

    洪杨轶闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 度地

    度地

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 宝莲灯之我为沉香

    宝莲灯之我为沉香

    天庭腐败,心魔当道;举旗伐道,民心所向。重生异世,手持神灯;弑神斩龙,霸绝三界。大闹天宫的齐天大圣,统帅天河的天蓬元帅,掌控天条的司法天神,八臂哪吒三太子……当这些人全部聚集,又是何等阵仗!宝莲灯之我为沉香,不一样的故事,一样的精彩,一样的热血沸腾。
  • 都市求道生涯

    都市求道生涯

    “道”乃星辰运行,众生演化,万物毁灭之理。理之又为“力”,有“力”者才能明道也。李玄桢一都市小青年,机缘巧合推开了一扇门,这扇门背后就是道。他因道得力,因力明理,又因理明道。从此他走上了一条只属于自己的寻道之路。
  • 双生公主复仇之爱你一万年

    双生公主复仇之爱你一万年

    她是她的一生,唯一可以保护的人。她是她的一生,唯一可以依赖的人。她们本应和家人幸福生活的,可是却因为陷害让她们走向了复仇之路……
  • 星空神瞳

    星空神瞳

    天生神瞳,为爱而战。抚摸着她苍白的脸庞露出灿烂的笑容,深情的说道:”等我活着回来娶你”........
  • 农女的夫君们

    农女的夫君们

    叶小雨穿越了,在她发现她有一个逆天的空间时穿越了,不是成为公主什么的,是一个农女不过还好空间还在!!可是喂喂~~你这个云怎么亲我啊!还有你,你不是我弟弟吗?怎么要跟我结婚啊???这是怎么回事啊!我为什么有两个老公啊!!!!
  • 恨你这么好,念念不能忘

    恨你这么好,念念不能忘

    八年前,他们在最美的年纪里许下“再无生离,只有死别”的誓言。教室窗外一抹阳光洒进来,落进她的眼睛,叫做爱情。八年后,她守着初心孑然一身闯北京。一别经年,他回头看她:“嗨,好久不见。”她以为的人走茶凉,却是此刻的一眼万年。
  • 方生方死之九天神域

    方生方死之九天神域

    【生命有尽,梦想不灭。】三百年前,古书现世,神域第一次为人所知。三百年间,无数探险者为此出发,却全失败了。三百年后,人们将神域当做不可寻的传说。风临,一个自小梦想着到达神域的少女,继承父亲遗志,力排众议就此出发。途中,不断寻找志同道合的伙伴,开始攀至九天之上的冒险旅程。【新人,请大家多多指点。也不知道文分在这个类别中是否正确,纠结……】
  • 修行:仙之道

    修行:仙之道

    正邪何为尊只道心不正只谓何为正何为邪只在那一念间…
  • 善妹娇宠

    善妹娇宠

    古事无情,我的一切只为了你,而你也只为了我!抱歉,妹妹们!我有女朋友了!乱世纷争,只为守护!
  • 猎猎红衫

    猎猎红衫

    三位情场失意的高冷美女,立下毒誓要惩戒天下负心人。落魄男主获救加入组织后,由欣喜,到疑惑,到斗争,到出手拯救,经历了惊心动魄的格斗追杀和催人泪下的生离死别,阅尽现代爱情的缠绵悱恻和愁肠百折,是他将组织带入正途,还是他被辗为齑粉,万劫不复呢?