第3章
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  TenDaysLaterSheaccusesmeofbeingthecauseofourdisaster!Shesays,withapparentsincerityandtruth,thattheSerpentassuredherthattheforbiddenfruitwasnotapples,itwaschestnuts.IsaidI

  wasinnocent,then,forIhadnoteatenanychestnuts.ShesaidtheSerpentinformedherthat\"chestnut\"wasafigurativetermmeaninganagedandmouldyjoke.Iturnedpaleatthat,forI

  havemademanyjokestopassthewearytime,andsomeofthemcouldhavebeenofthatsort,thoughIhadhonestlysupposedthattheywerenewwhenImadethem.SheaskedmeifIhadmadeonejustatthetimeofthecatastrophe.IwasobligedtoadmitthatIhadmadeonetomyself,thoughnotaloud.Itwasthis.IwasthinkingabouttheFalls,andIsaidtomyself,\"Howwonderfulitistoseethatvastbodyofwatertumbledownthere!\"Theninaninstantabrightthoughtflashedintomyhead,andIletitfly,saying,\"Itwouldbeadealmorewonderfultoseeittumbleupthere!\"——andI

  wasjustabouttokillmyselfwithlaughingatitwhenallnaturebrokelooseinwaranddeath,andIhadtofleeformylife.

  \"There,\"shesaid,withtriumph,\"thatisjustit;theSerpentmentionedthatveryjest,andcalledittheFirstChestnut,andsaiditwascoevalwiththecreation.\"Alas,Iamindeedtoblame.

  WouldthatIwerenotwitty;oh,wouldthatIhadneverhadthatradiantthought!

  NextYearWehavenameditCain.ShecaughtitwhileIwasupcountrytrappingontheNorthShoreoftheErie;caughtitinthetimberacoupleofmilesfromourdug—out——oritmighthavebeenfour,sheisn\'tcertainwhich.Itresemblesusinsomeways,andmaybearelation.Thatiswhatshethinks,butthisisanerror,inmyjudgment.Thedifferenceinsizewarrantstheconclusionthatitisadifferentandnewkindofanimal——afish,perhaps,thoughwhenIputitinthewatertosee,itsank,andsheplungedinandsnatcheditoutbeforetherewasopportunityfortheexperimenttodeterminethematter.Istillthinkitisafish,butsheisindifferentaboutwhatitis,andwillnotletmehaveittotry.Idonotunderstandthis.Thecomingofthecreatureseemstohavechangedherwholenatureandmadeherunreasonableaboutexperiments.Shethinksmoreofitthanshedoesofanyoftheotheranimals,butisnotabletoexplainwhy.Hermindisdisordered——everythingshowsit.Sometimesshecarriesthefishinherarmshalfthenightwhenitcomplainsandwantstogettothewater.Atsuchtimesthewatercomesoutoftheplacesinherfacethatshelooksoutof,andshepatsthefishonthebackandmakessoftsoundswithhermouthtosootheit,andbetrayssorrowandsolicitudeinahundredways.Ihaveneverseenherdolikethiswithanyotherfish,andittroublesmegreatly.Sheusedtocarrytheyoungtigersaroundso,andplaywiththem,beforewelostourproperty;butitwasonlyplay;shenevertookonaboutthemlikethiswhentheirdinnerdisagreedwiththem.

  SundayShedoesn\'tworkSundays,butliesaroundalltiredout,andlikestohavethefishwallowoverher;andshemakesfoolnoisestoamuseit,andpretendstochewitspaws,andthatmakesitlaugh.

  Ihavenotseenafishbeforethatcouldlaugh.ThismakesmedoubtIhavecometolikeSundaymyself.Superintendingalltheweektiresabodyso.ThereoughttobemoreSundays.

  Intheolddaystheyweretough,butnowtheycomehandy.

  WednesdayItisn\'tafish.Icannotquitemakeoutwhatitis.Itmakescurious,devilishnoiseswhennotsatisfied,andsays\"goo—goo\"

  whenitis.Itisnotoneofus,foritdoesn\'twalk;itisnotabird,foritdoesn\'tfly;itisnotafrog,foritdoesn\'thop;

  itisnotasnake,foritdoesn\'tcrawl;Ifeelsureitisnotafish,thoughIcannotgetachancetofindoutwhetheritcanswimornot.Itmerelyliesaround,andmostlyonitsback,withitsfeetup.Ihavenotseenanyotheranimaldothatbefore.IsaidIbelieveditwasanenigma,butsheonlyadmiredthewordwithoutunderstandingit.Inmyjudgmentitiseitheranenigmaorsomekindofabug.Ifitdies,Iwilltakeitapartandseewhatitsarrangementsare.Ineverhadathingperplexmeso.

  ThreeMonthsLaterTheperplexityaugmentsinsteadofdiminishing.Isleepbutlittle.

  Ithasceasedfromlyingaround,andgoesaboutonitsfourlegsnow.Yetitdiffersfromtheotherfour—leggedanimalsinthatitsfrontlegsareunusuallyshort,consequentlythiscausesthemainpartofitspersontostickupuncomfortablyhighintheair,andthisisnotattractive.Itisbuiltmuchasweare,butitsmethodoftravellingshowsthatitisnotofourbreed.Theshortfrontlegsandlonghindonesindicatethatitisofthekangaroofamily,butitisamarkedvariationofthespecies,sincethetruekangaroohops,whereasthisoneneverdoes.Still,itisacuriousandinterestingvariety,andhasnotbeencataloguedbefore.

  AsIdiscoveredit,Ihavefeltjustifiedinsecuringthecreditofthediscoverybyattachingmynametoit,andhencehavecalleditKangaroorumAdamiensisItmusthavebeenayoungonewhenitcame,forithasgrownexceedinglysince.Itmustbefivetimesasbig,now,asitwasthen,andwhendiscontentedisabletomakefromtwenty—twotothirty—eighttimesthenoiseitmadeatfirst.Coerciondoesnotmodifythis,buthasthecontraryeffect.ForthisreasonIdiscontinuedthesystem.Shereconcilesitbypersuasion,andbygivingitthingswhichshehadpreviouslytolditshewouldn\'tgiveit.Asalreadyobserved,Iwasnotathomewhenitfirstcame,andshetoldmeshefounditinthewoods.

  Itseemsoddthatitshouldbetheonlyone,yetitmustbeso,forIhavewornmyselfoutthesemanyweekstryingtofindanotheronetoaddtomycollection,andforthisonetoplaywith;forsurelythenitwouldbequieter,andwecouldtameitmoreeasily.

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