VOA慢速英語: 杰克·倫敦的《Keesh》

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Our story this week is "Keesh." It was written by JackLondon. Here is Shep O’Neal to tell you the story.

Keesh lived at the edge of the polar sea. He had seenthirteen suns in the Eskimo way of keeping time.Among the Eskimos, the sun each winter leaves theland in darkness. And the next year, a new sun returns,so it might be warm again.

The father of Keesh had been a brave man. But he haddied hunting for food. Keesh was his only son. Keeshlived along with his mother, Ikeega.

Eskimo Village Council

One night, the village council met in the big igloo ofKlosh-kwan, the chief. Keesh was there with the others. He listened, then waited for silence.

He said, “It is true that you give us some meat. But it isoften old and tough meat, and has many bones.”

The hunters were surprised. This was a child speakingagainst them. A child talking like a grown man!

Keesh said, “My father, Bok, was a great hunter. It issaid that Bok brought home more meat than any of thetwo best hunters. And that he divided the meat so thatall got an equal share.”

“Naah! Naah!” the hunters cried. “Put the child out!Send him to bed. He should not talk to gray-beards thisway!”

Keesh waited until the noise stopped. “You have a wife, Ugh-gluk,” he said. “And you speak for her. My mother has no one but me. So I speak. As I say,Bok hunted greatly, but is now dead. It is only fair then that my mother, whowas his wife, and I, his son, should have meat when the tribe has meat. I,Keesh, son of Bok, have spoken.”

Eskimo Mother

Again, there was a great noise in the igloo. The council ordered Keesh to bed. It even talked of giving him no food.

Keesh jumped to his feet. “Hear me!” he cried. “Never shall I speak in thecouncil igloo again. I shall go hunt meat like my father, Bok.”

There was much laughter when Keesh spoke of hunting. The laughterfollowed Keesh as he left the council meeting.

The next day, Keesh started out for the shore, where the land meets the ice. Those who watched saw that he carried his bow and many arrows. Acrosshis shoulder was his father’s big hunting spear. Again there was laughter.

One day passed, then a second. On the third day, agreat wind blew. There was no sign of Keesh. Hismother, Ikeega, put burned seal oil on her face to showher sorrow. The women shouted at their men for lettingthe little boy go. The men made no answer, but gotready to search for the body of Keesh.

Building an Igloo

Early next morning, Keesh walked into the village.Across his shoulders was fresh meat. “Go you men,with dogs and sleds. Follow my footsteps. Travel for a day,” he said. “There ismuch meat on the ice. A she-bear and her two cubs.”

His mother was very happy. Keesh, trying to be a man, said to her, “Come,Ikeega, let us eat. And after that, I shall sleep. For I am tired.”

There was much talk after Keesh went to his igloo. The killing of a bear wasdangerous. But it was three times more dangerous to kill a mother bear withcubs. The men did not believe Keesh had done so. But the women pointed to the fresh meat. At last, the men agreed to go for the meat that was left. Butthey were not very happy.

One said that even if Keesh had killed the bear, he probably had not cut themeat into pieces. But when the men arrived, they found that Keesh had notonly killed the bear, but had also cut it into pieces, just like a grown hunter.

So began the mystery of Keesh.

On his next trip, he killed a young bear…and on the following trip, a large malebear and its mate.

Eskimo Hunter with Polar Bear

Then there was talk of magic and witchcraft in the village. “He hunts with evilspirits,” said one. “Maybe his father’s spirit hunts with him,” said another.

Keesh continued to bring meat to the village. Some people thought he was agreat hunter. There was talk of making him chief, after old Klosh-kwan. Theywaited, hoping he would come to council meetings. But he never came.

“I would like to build an igloo.” Keesh said one day, “but Ihave no time. My job is hunting. So it would be just if themen and women of the village who eat my meat, buildmy igloo.” And the igloo was built. It was even biggerthan the igloo of the Chief Klosh-kwan.

One day, Ugh-gluk talked to Keesh. “It is said that youhunt with evil spirits, and they help you kill the bear.”

“Is not the meat good?” Keesh answered. “Has anyone in the village yetbecome sick after eating it? How do you know evil spirits are with me? Or doyou say it because I am a good hunter?”

Ugh-gluk had no answer.

The council sat up late talking about Keesh and the meat. They decided to spyon him.

On Keesh’s next trip, two young hunters, Bim and Bawn, followed him. Afterfive days, they returned. The council met to hear their story.

“Brothers,” Bim said, “we followed Keesh, and he did not see us. The first dayhe came to a great bear. Keesh shouted at the bear, loudly. The bear saw himand became angry. It rose high on its legs and growled. But Keesh walked upto it.”

“We saw it,” Bawn, the other hunter, said. “The bear began to run towardKeesh. Keesh ran away. But as he ran, he dropped a little round ball on theice. The bear stopped and smelled the ball, then ate it. Keesh continued torun, dropping more balls on the ice. The bear followed and ate the balls.”

Whalebone in a whale's mouth

The council members listened to every word. Bimcontinued the story. “The bear suddenly stood upstraight and began to shout in pain."

“Evil spirits,” said Ugh-gluk.

I do not know,” said Bawn. “I can tell only what my eyessaw. The bear grew weak. Then it sat down and pulledat its own fur with its sharp claws. Keesh watched thebear that whole day. For three more days, Keeshcontinued to watch the bear. It was getting weaker andweaker. Keesh moved carefully up to the bear andpushed his father’s spear into it.”

“And then?” asked Klosh-kwan.

“And then we left.”

That afternoon, the council talked and talked. When Keesh arrived in thevillage, the council sent a messenger to ask him to come to the meeting. ButKeesh said he was tired and hungry. He said his igloo was big and could holdmany people, if the council wanted a meeting.

Klosh-kwan led the council to the igloo of Keesh. Keesh was eating, but hewelcomed them. Klosh-kwan told Keesh that two hunters had seen him kill abear. And then, in a serious voice to Keesh, he said, “We want to know howyou did it.” Did you use magic and witchcraft?”

Keesh looked up and smiled. “No, Klosh-kwan. I am a boy. I know nothing ofmagic or witchcraft. But I have found an easy way to kill the ice-bear. It ishead-craft, not witchcraft.”

“And will you tell us, O Keesh?” Klosh-kwan asked in a shaking voice.

“I will tell you. It is very simple. Watch.”

Keesh picked up a thin piece of whalebone. The endswere pointed and sharp as a knife. Keesh bent the boneinto a circle. Suddenly he let the bone go, and itbecame straight with a sharp snap. He picked up apiece of seal meat.

“So,” he said, “first make a circle with a sharp, thinpiece of whalebone. Put the circle of bone inside someseal meat. Put it in the snow to freeze. The bear eatsthe ball of meat with the circle of bone inside. When themeat gets inside the bear, the meat gets warm, and thebone goes snap! The sharp points make the bear sick. It is easy to kill then. It is simple.”

Ugh-gluk said, “Ohhh!” Klosh-kwan said “Ahh!” Each said something in hisown way. And all understood.

That is the story of Keesh, who lived long ago on the edge of the polar sea.Because he used head-craft, instead of witchcraft, he rose from the poorestigloo to be the chief in the village. And for all the years that followed, his peoplewere happy. No one cried at night with pains of hunger.

You have just heard the story, "Keesh." It was written by Jack London. Yourstoryteller was Shep O’Neal. This is Shirley Griffith.