seems like the first law of Nature is that everybody likes to receive things, but nobody likes to feel grateful. And the very next law is that people talk about tenderness and mercy, but they love force. If you feed a thousand people you are a nice man with suspicious motives. If you kill a thousand you are a hero. Continue to get them killed by the thousands and you are a great conqueror, than which nothing on earth is greater. Oppress them and you are a great ruler. Rob themby law and they are proud and happy if you let them glimpse you occasionally surrounded by the riches that you have trampled out of their hides. You are truly divine if you meet their weakness with the sword to slay and the dogs to tear. The only time you run a great risk is when you serve them. The most repulsive thing to all men is gratitude. Men give up property, freedom and even life before they will have the obligation laid on them. Yet they make offerings at every altar and pray fervently to every god they have ever made to make them thankful. But no god has ever twisted Nature to that extent. So they often rush out of temples to destroy those who have served them too well.
Two hours passed by Moses and gave him eye-looks. Then the strange sun drove him from his rock to find some shelter and some food. And since everything moves ever west, Moses buckled on his shoes and his shenti and went on across the world with the sun.
That night he came to a place where caravans rested for the night. There was a squat stone and mud house and several tents. Men from the four directions gathered around a fire outside and let their night selves live. They laughed a lot and drank to bring on feelings and talked. Many races and tongues like the streets of Memphis and Rameses. One woman particularly was conscious of the approval of men. She had fine eyes and she rocked her upper body in the saddle of her hips as she walked about the fire from group to group, feinting at men with her eyes and attacking them with her body. One man played upon a stringed instrument and finally the woman danced in a way that Moses liked. The man played again and another man sang a song with sad words but funny gestures and intonations. “I had a good woman but the fool laid down and died—” and the audience made him sing the details over and over and over.
Late in the night two camel drivers got into a quarrel over their beasts. They drew knives but did not use them. They grabbed up rocks and made all the motions of throwing but didn’t throw. Their threats were terrible. They had everythingfor a good fight except the courage. They imitated a frenzy to rush upon each other so successfully that they actually did. The shock of actually having to do what they had threatened to do was too much. They sprang apart and ran several yards in opposite directions before they went back into character.
“Ha!” one screamed back, “it is a good thing you didn’t catch me. If you had they would have toted you across three yards—this yard, the church yard and the graveyard.”
“I don’t beat up bums like you. I pass you up and call you lucky. I’m bad! and if you hit me they’ll give you four names—Nubby, Peggy, Bad-eyed and Shorty, cause you’ll look like all of them.”
“Humph! Nobody is scared of you. They tell me you stick pegs in tigers’ hips, but I’ll make you pull this peg out.”
“Oh, you’re not so bad! If I jumped on you I might not beat you but scarce as people is around here, we’ll draw a crowd.”
They kept this up at a safe distance from each other until they both ran out of threats. Then they returned to the circle about the fire and drank together as if not a word had passed between them. When they turned in to sleep they rolled themselves in their separate blankets and slept side by side.
Moses took no active part in anything that went on though he was interested and entertained by all that he could understand. After the passage of threats between
Two hours passed by Moses and gave him eye-looks. Then the strange sun drove him from his rock to find some shelter and some food. And since everything moves ever west, Moses buckled on his shoes and his shenti and went on across the world with the sun.
That night he came to a place where caravans rested for the night. There was a squat stone and mud house and several tents. Men from the four directions gathered around a fire outside and let their night selves live. They laughed a lot and drank to bring on feelings and talked. Many races and tongues like the streets of Memphis and Rameses. One woman particularly was conscious of the approval of men. She had fine eyes and she rocked her upper body in the saddle of her hips as she walked about the fire from group to group, feinting at men with her eyes and attacking them with her body. One man played upon a stringed instrument and finally the woman danced in a way that Moses liked. The man played again and another man sang a song with sad words but funny gestures and intonations. “I had a good woman but the fool laid down and died—” and the audience made him sing the details over and over and over.
Late in the night two camel drivers got into a quarrel over their beasts. They drew knives but did not use them. They grabbed up rocks and made all the motions of throwing but didn’t throw. Their threats were terrible. They had everythingfor a good fight except the courage. They imitated a frenzy to rush upon each other so successfully that they actually did. The shock of actually having to do what they had threatened to do was too much. They sprang apart and ran several yards in opposite directions before they went back into character.
“Ha!” one screamed back, “it is a good thing you didn’t catch me. If you had they would have toted you across three yards—this yard, the church yard and the graveyard.”
“I don’t beat up bums like you. I pass you up and call you lucky. I’m bad! and if you hit me they’ll give you four names—Nubby, Peggy, Bad-eyed and Shorty, cause you’ll look like all of them.”
“Humph! Nobody is scared of you. They tell me you stick pegs in tigers’ hips, but I’ll make you pull this peg out.”
“Oh, you’re not so bad! If I jumped on you I might not beat you but scarce as people is around here, we’ll draw a crowd.”
They kept this up at a safe distance from each other until they both ran out of threats. Then they returned to the circle about the fire and drank together as if not a word had passed between them. When they turned in to sleep they rolled themselves in their separate blankets and slept side by side.
Moses took no active part in anything that went on though he was interested and entertained by all that he could understand. After the passage of threats between
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