the unknown guest(陌生客)-第21章
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Herr Pfungst； after a long series of experiments； drew up a voluminous
and crushing report； in which he maintained that the horse was gifted with
no intelligence； that it did not recognize either letters or figures； that it
really knew neither how to calculate nor how to count； but merely obeyed
the imperceptible； infinitesimal and unconscious signs which escaped
from its master。
Public opinion veered round suddenly and completely。 People felt a
sort of half…cowardly relief at beholding the prompt collapse of a miracle
which was threatening to throw confusion into the self satisfied little fold
of established truths。 Poor Von Osten protested in vain： no one listened to
him； the verdict was given。 He never recovered from this official blow； he
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became the laughing…stock of all those whom he had at first astounded；
and he died； lonely and embittered； on the 29th of June； 1909； at the age of
seventy…one。
3
But he left a disciple whose faith had not been shaken by the general
defection。 A well…to…do Elberfeld manufacturer； Herr Krall； had taken a
great interest in Von Osten's labours and； during the latter years of the old
man's life； had eagerly followed and even on occasion directed the
education of the wonderful stallion。 Von Osten left Kluge Hans to him by
will； on his own side； Krall had bought two Arab stallions； Mohammed
and Zarif whose prowess soon surpassed that of the pioneer。 The whole
question was reopened； events took a vigorous and decisive turn and；
instead of a weary； eccentric old man； discouraged almost to sullenness
and with no weapons for the struggle； the critics of the miracle found
themselves faced by a new adversary； young and high…spirited； endowed
with remarkable scientific instinct； quick…witted； scholarly and well able to
defend himself。
His educational methods also differ materially from Von Osten's。 It
was a strange thing； but deep down in the rather queer； cross…grained soul
of the old enthusiast there had grown up gradually a sort of hatred for his
four…legged pupil。 He felt the stallion's proud and nervous will resisting his
with an obstinacy which he qualified as diabolical。 They stood up to each
other like two enemies： and the lessons almost assumed the form of a
tragic and secret struggle in which the animal's soul rebelled against man's
domination。
Krall； on the other hand； adores his pupils； and this atmosphere of
affection has in a manner of speaking humanized them。 There are no
longer those sudden movements of wild panic which reveal the ancestral
dread of man in the quietest and best…trained horse。 He talks to them long
and tenderly； as a father might talk to his children； and we have the strange
feeling that they listen to all that he says and understand it。 If they appear
not to grasp an explanation or a demonstration； he will begin it all over
again； analyze it； paraphrase it ten times in succession； with the patience
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of a mother。 And so their progress has been incomparably swifter and
more astounding than that of old Hans。 Within a fortnight of the first
lesson Mohammed did simple little addition and subtraction sums quite
correctly。 He had learnt to distinguish the tens from the units； striking the
latter with his right foot and the former with his left。 He knew the meaning
of the symbols plus and minus。 Four days later； he was beginning
multiplication and division。 In four months' time； he knew how to extract
square and cubic roots； and； soon after； he learnt to spell and read by
means of the conventional alphabet devised by Krall。
This alphabet； at the first glance； seems rather complicated。 For that
matter； it is only a makeshift； but how could one find anything better？ The
unfortunate horse； who is almost voiceless； has only one way in which to
express himself： a clumsy hoof； which was not created to put thought into
words。 It became necessary； therefore； to contrive； as in table…turning； a
special alphabet； in which each letter is designated by a certain number of
blows struck by the right foot and the left。 Here is the copy handed to
visitors at Elberfeld to enable them to follow the horse's operations：
1 2 3 4 5 6 10 E N R S M C 20 A H L T A： CH 30 I D G W J SCH
40 O B F K O： 50 U V Z P U： 60 EI AU EU X Q
To mark the letter E； for instance； the stallion will strike one blow with
his left foot and one with his right； for the letter L； two blows with his left
foot and three with his right； and so on。 The horses have this alphabet so
deeply imprinted in their memory that； practically speaking； they never
make a mistake； and they strike their hoofs so quickly； one after the other；
that at first one has some difficulty in following them。
Mohammed and Zariffor Zarif's progress was almost equal to that of
his fellow…pupil； though he seems a little less gifted from the standpoint of
higher mathematics…Mohammed and Zarif in this way reproduce the
words spoken in their presence； spell the names of their visitors； reply to
questions put to them and sometimes make little observations； little
personal and spontaneous reflections to which we shall return presently。
They have created for their own use an inconceivably fantastic and
phonetic system of spelling which they stubbornly refuse to relinquish and
which often makes their writing rather difficult to read。 Deeming most of
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the vowels useless； they keep almost exclusively to the consonants； thus
Zucker； for instance； becomes Z K R； Pferd； P F R T； or F R T； and so on。
I will not set forth in detail the many different proofs of intelligence
lavished by the singular inhabitants of this strange stable。 They are not
only first…class calculators； for whom the most repellent fractions and
roots possess hardly any secrets： they distinguish sounds； colours； and
scents； read the time on the face of a watch； recognize certain geometrical
figures； likenesses and photographs。
Following on these more and more conclusive experiments and
especially after the publication of Krall's great work； Denkende Tiere； a
model of precision and arrangement； men's minds were faced with clear
and definite problem which； this time； could not be challenged。 Scientific
committees followed one another at Elberfeld； and their reports became
legion。 Learned men of every countryincluding Dr。 Edinger； the eminent
Frankfort neurologist； Professors Dr。 H。 Kraemer and H。 E。 Ziegler； of
Stuttgart； Dr。 Paul Saresin； of Bale； Professor Ostwald； of Berlin；
Professor A。 Beredka； of the Pasteur Institute； Dr。 E。 Clarapede； of the
university of Geneva； Professor Schoeller and Professor Gehrke； the
natural philosopher； of Berlin； Professor Goldstein； of Darmstadt；
Professor von Buttel…Reepen； of Oldenburg； Professor William Mackenzie；
of Genoa； Professor R。 Assagioli； of Florence； Dr。 Hartkopf； of Cologne；
Dr。 Freudenberg； of Brussels； Dr。 Ferrari； of Bologna； etc。； etc。； for the list
is lengthening dailycame to study on the spot the inexplicable
phenomenon which Dr。 Clarapede proclaims to be 〃the most sensational
event that has ever happened in the psychological world。〃
With the exception of two or three sceptics or convinced misoneists
and of those who made too short a stay at Elberfeld； all were unanimous in
recognizing that the facts were as stated and that the experiments were
conducted with absolute fairness。 Disagreement begins only when it
becomes a matter of commenting on them； interpreting them and
explaining them。
4
To complete this short preamble； it is right to add that； for some time
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past； the case of the Elberfeld horses no longer stands quite alone。 There
exists at Mannheim a dog of a rather doubtful breed who performs almost
the same feats as his equine rivals。 He is less advanced than they in
arithmetic； but does little additions； subtractions and multiplications of one
or two figures correctly。 He reads and writes by tapping with his paw； in
accordance with an alphabet which； it appears； he has thought out for
himself； and his spelling also is simplified and phoneticized to the utmost。
He distinguishes the colour in a bunch of flowers； counts the money in a
purse and separates the marks from the pfennigs。 He knows how to seek
and find words to define the object or the picture placed before him。 You
show him； for instance； a bouquet in a vase and ask him what it is。
〃A glass with little flowers；〃 he replies。
And his answers are often curiously spontaneous and original。 In the
course of a reading…exercise in which the word Herbst； autumn； chanced to
attract attention； Professor William Mackenzie asked him if he could
explain what autumn was。
〃It is the time when there are apples；〃 Rolf replied。
On the same occasion； the same professor； without knowing what it
represented； held out to him a card marked with red and blue squares：
〃What's this？〃
〃Blue； red； lots of cubes；〃 replied the dog。
Sometimes his repartees are not lacking in humour。
〃Is there anything you would like me to do for you？〃 a lady
