the story of mankind-第3章

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their　bodies　and　the　small　toes　of　their　fore…feet；　and　gradually

they　covered　this　skinny　parachute　with　feathers　and　made

their　tails　into　a　steering　gear　and　flew　from　tree　to　tree　and

developed　into　true　birds。



Then　a　strange　thing　happened。　All　the　gigantic　reptiles

died　within　a　short　time。　We　do　not　know　the　reason。　Perhaps

it　was　due　to　a　sudden　change　in　climate。　Perhaps　they

had　grown　so　large　that　they　could　neither　swim　nor　walk　nor

crawl；　and　they　starved　to　death　within　sight　but　not　within

reach　of　the　big　ferns　and　trees。　Whatever　the　cause；　the

million　year　old　world…empire　of　the　big　reptiles　was　over。



The　world　now　began　to　be　occupied　by　very　different

creatures。　They　were　the　descendants　of　the　reptiles　but　they

were　quite　unlike　these　because　they　fed　their　young　from　the

‘‘mammae''　or　the　breasts　of　the　mother。　Wherefore　modern

science　calls　these　animals　‘‘mammals。''　They　had　shed　the

scales　of　the　fish。　They　did　not　adopt　the　feathers　of　the　bird；

but　they　covered　their　bodies　with　hair。　The　mammals　however

developed　other　habits　which　gave　their　race　a　great　advantage

over　the　other　animals。　The　female　of　the　species

carried　the　eggs　of　the　young　inside　her　body　until　they　were

hatched　and　while　all　other　living　beings；　up　to　that　time；　had

left　their　children　exposed　to　the　dangers　of　cold　and　heat；

and　the　attacks　of　wild　beasts；　the　mammals　kept　their　young

with　them　for　a　long　time　and　sheltered　them　while　they　were

still　too　weak　to　fight　their　enemies。　In　this　way　the　young

mammals　were　given　a　much　better　chance　to　survive；　because

they　learned　many　things　from　their　mothers；　as　you　will　know

if　you　have　ever　watched　a　cat　teaching　her　kittens　to　take

care　of　themselves　and　how　to　wash　their　faces　and　how　to

catch　mice。



But　of　these　mammals　I　need　not　tell　you　much　for　you

know　them　well。　They　surround　you　on　all　sides。　They　are

your　daily　companions　in　the　streets　and　in　your　home；　and　you

can　see　your　less　familiar　cousins　behind　the　bars　of　the　zoological

garden。



And　now　we　come　to　the　parting　of　the　ways　when　man

suddenly　leaves　the　endless　procession　of　dumbly　living　and

dying　creatures　and　begins　to　use　his　reason　to　shape　the

destiny　of　his　race。



One　mammal　in　particular　seemed　to　surpass　all　others　in

its　ability　to　find　food　and　shelter。　It　had　learned　to　use　its

fore…feet　for　the　purpose　of　holding　its　prey；　and　by　dint　of

practice　it　had　developed　a　hand…like　claw。　After　innumerable

attempts　it　had　learned　how　to　balance　the　whole　of　the

body　upon　the　hind　legs。　（This　is　a　difficult　act；　which　every

child　has　to　learn　anew　although　the　human　race　has　been

doing　it　for　over　a　million　years。）



This　creature；　half　ape　and　half　monkey　but　superior　to

both；　became　the　most　successful　hunter　and　could　make　a

living　in　every　clime。　For　greater　safety；　it　usually　moved

about　in　groups。　It　learned　how　to　make　strange　grunts　to

warn　its　young　of　approaching　danger　and　after　many　hundreds

of　thousands　of　years　it　began　to　use　these　throaty　noises

for　the　purpose　of　talking。



This　creature；　though　you　may　hardly　believe　it；　was　your

first　‘‘man…like''　ancestor。







OUR　EARLIEST　ANCESTORS





WE　know　very　little　about　the　first　‘‘true''　men。　We　have

never　seen　their　pictures。　In　the　deepest　layer　of　clay　of　an

ancient　soil　we　have　sometimes　found　pieces　of　their　bones。

These　lay　buried　amidst　the　broken　skeletons　of　other　animals

that　have　long　since　disappeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

Anthropologists　（learned　scientists　who　devote　their　lives　to

the　study　of　man　as　a　member　of　the　animal　kingdom）　have

taken　these　bones　and　they　have　been　able　to　reconstruct　our

earliest　ancestors　with　a　fair　degree　of　accuracy。



The　great…great…grandfather　of　the　human　race　was　a　very

ugly　and　unattractive　mammal。　He　was　quite　small；　much

smaller　than　the　people　of　today。　The　heat　of　the　sun　and　the

biting　wind　of　the　cold　winter　had　coloured　his　skin　a　dark

brown。　His　head　and　most　of　his　body；　his　arms　and　legs　too；

were　covered　with　long；　coarse　hair。　He　had　very　thin　but

strong　fingers　which　made　his　hands　look　like　those　of　a　monkey。

His　forehead　was　low　and　his　jaw　was　like　the　jaw　of　a

wild　animal　which　uses　its　teeth　both　as　fork　and　knife。　He

wore　no　clothes。　He　had　seen　no　fire　except　the　flames　of　the

rumbling　volcanoes　which　filled　the　earth　with　their　smoke

and　their　lava。



He　lived　in　the　damp　blackness　of　vast　forests；　as　the

pygmies　of　Africa　do　to　this　very　day。　When　he　felt　the

pangs　of　hunger　he　ate　raw　leaves　and　the　roots　of　plants　or

he　took　the　eggs　away　from　an　angry　bird　and　fed　them　to　his

own　young。　Once　in　a　while；　after　a　long　and　patient　chase；

he　would　catch　a　sparrow　or　a　small　wild　dog　or　perhaps　a

rabbit。　These　he　would　eat　raw　for　he　had　never　discovered

that　food　tasted　better　when　it　was　cooked。



During　the　hours　of　day；　this　primitive　human　being

prowled　about　looking　for　things　to　eat。



When　night　descended　upon　the　earth；　he　hid　his　wife　and

his　children　in　a　hollow　tree　or　behind　some　heavy　boulders；

for　he　was　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　ferocious　animals　and

when　it　was　dark　these　animals　began　to　prowl　about；　looking

for　something　to　eat　for　their　mates　and　their　own　young；　and

they　liked　the　taste　of　human　beings。　It　was　a　world　where

you　must　either　eat　or　be　eaten；　and　life　was　very　unhappy

because　it　was　full　of　fear　and　misery。



In　summer；　man　was　exposed　to　the　scorching　rays　of　the

sun；　and　during　the　winter　his　children　would　freeze　to　death

in　his　arms。　When　such　a　creature　hurt　itself；　（and　hunting

animals　are　forever　breaking　their　bones　or　spraining　their

ankles）　he　had　no　one　to　take　care　of　him　and　he　must　die　a

horrible　death。



Like　many　of　the　animals　who　fill　the　Zoo　with　their

strange　noises；　early　man　liked　to　jabber。　That　is　to　say；　he

endlessly　repeated　the　same　unintelligible　gibberish　because　it

pleased　him　to　hear　the　sound　of　his　voice。　In　due　time　he

learned　that　he　could　use　this　guttural　noise　to　warn　his　fellow

beings　whenever　danger　threatened　and　he　gave　certain　little

shrieks　which　came　to　mean　‘‘there　is　a　tiger！''　or　‘‘here　come

five　elephants。''　Then　the　others　grunted　something　back　at

him　and　their　growl　meant；　‘‘I　see　them；''　or　‘‘let　us　run　away

and　hide。''　And　this　was　probably　the　origin　of　all　language。



But；　as　I　have　said　before；　of　these　beginnings　we　know

so　very　little。　Early　man　had　no　tools　and　he　built　himself

no　houses。　He　lived　and　died　and　left　no　trace　of　his　existence

except　a　few　collar…bones　and　a　few　pieces　of　his　skull。

These　tell　us　that　many　thousands　of　years　ago　the　world　was

inhabited　by　certain　mammals　who　were　quite　different　from

all　the　other　animalswho　had　probably　developed　from　another

unknown　ape…like　animal　which　had　learned　to　walk　on

its　hind…legs　and　use　its　fore…paws　as　handsand　who　were

most　probably　connected　with　the　creatures　who　happen　to　be

our　own　immediate　ancestors。



It　is　little　enough　we　know　and　the　rest　is　darkness。







PREHISTORIC　MAN



PREHISTORIC　MAN　BEGINS　TO　MAKE

THINGS　FOR　HIMSELF。





EARLY　man　did　not　know　what　time　meant。　He　kept

no　records　of　birthdays　or　wedding　anniversaries　or　the　hour

of　death。　He　had　no　idea　of　days　or　weeks　or　even　years。

But　in　a　general　way　he　kept　track　of　the　seasons　for　he　had

noticed　that　the　cold　winter　was　invariably　followed　by　the　mild

springthat　spring　grew　into　the　hot　summer　when　fruits

ripened　and　the　wild　ears　of　corn　were　ready　to　be　eaten　and

that　summer　ended　when　sudden　gusts　of　wind　swept　the　leaves

from　the　trees　and　a　number　of　animals　were　getting　ready

for　the　long　hibernal　sleep。



But　now；　something　unusual　and　rather　frightening　had

happened。　Something　was　the　matter　with　the　weather。　The

warm　days　of　summer　had　come　very　late。　The　fruits　had

not　ripened。　The　tops　of　the　mountains　which　used　to　be　covered

with　grass　now　lay　deeply　hidden　underneath　a　heavy

burden　of　snow。



Then；　one　morning；　a　number　of　wild　people；　different

from　the　other　creatures　who　lived　in　that　neighbourhood；　came

wandering　down　from　the　region　of　the　high　peaks。　They

looked　lean　and　appeared　to　be　starving。　They　uttered　sounds

which　no　one　could　understand。　They　seemed　to　say　that

they　were　hungry。　There　was　not　food　enough　for　both　the

old　inhabitants　and　the　newcomers。　When　they　tried　to　stay

more　than　a　few　days　there　was　a　terrible　battle　with　claw…like

hands　and　feet　and　whole　families　were　killed。　The　others　fled

back　to　their　mountain　slopes　and　died　in　the　next　blizzard。



But　the　people　in　the　forest　were　greatly　frightened。　All

the　time　the　days　grew　shorter　and　the　nights　grew　colder　than

they　ought　to　have　been。



Finally；　in　a　gap　between　two　high　hills；　there　appeared　a

tiny　speck　of　greenish　ice。　Rapidly　it　increased　in　size。　A

gigantic　glacier　came　sliding　downhill。　Huge　stones　were

being　pushed　into　the　valley。　With　the　noise　of　a　dozen　thunderstorms

torrents　of　ice　and　mud　and　blocks　of　granite　suddenly

tumbled　among　the　people　of　the　forest　and　killed　them

while　they　slept。　Century　old　trees　were　crushed　into　kindling

wood。　And　then　it　began　to　snow。



It　snowed　for　months　and　months。　All　the　plants　died　and

the　animals　fled　in　search　of　the　southern　sun。　Man　hoisted

his　young　upon　his　back　and　followed　them。　But　he　could　not

travel　as　fast　as　the　wilder　creatures　and　he　was　forced　to

choose　between　quick　thinking　or　quick　dying。　He　seems　to

have　preferred　the　former　for　he　has　managed　to　survive　the

terrible　glacial　periods　which　upon　four　different　occasions

threatened　to　kill　every　human　being　on　the　face　of　the　earth。



In　the　first　place　it　was　necessary　that　man　clothe　himself

lest　he　freeze　to　death。　He　learned　how　to　dig　holes　and　cover

them　with　branches　and　leaves　and　in　these　traps　he　caught

bears　and　hyenas；　which　he　then　killed　with　heavy　stones　and

whose　skins　he　used　as　coats　for　himself　and　his　family。



Next　came　the　housing　problem。　This　was　simple。　Many

animals　were　in　the　habit　of　sleeping　in　dark　caves。　Man　now

followed　their　example；　drove　the　animals　out　of　their　warm

homes　and　claimed　them　for　his　own。



Even　so；　the　climate　was　too　severe　for　most　people　and

the　old　and　the　young　died　at　a　terrible　rate。　Then　a　genius

bethought　himself　of　the　use　of　fire。　Once；　while　out　hunting；

he　had　been　caught　in　a　forest…fire。　He　remembered　that　he

had　been　almost　roasted　to　death　by　the　flames。　Thus　far　fire

had　been　an　enemy。　Now　it　became　a　friend。　A　dead　tree

was　dragged　into　the　cave　and　lighted　by　means　of　smouldering

branches　from　a　burning　wood。　This　turned　the　cave　into

a　cozy　little　room。



And　then　one　evening　a　dead　chicken　fell　into　the　fire。　It

was　not　rescu