kwaidan-第17章

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answered：　〃I　am　not　a　woman：　I　am　the　goddess　whom　you　have　so　long　and　so

faithfully　worshiped；　and　I　have　now　come　to　prove　to　you　that　your

devotion　has　not　been　in　vain。。。　Are　you　acquainted　with　the　language　of

Ants？〃　The　worshiper　replied：　〃I　am　only　a　low…born　and　ignorant　person；

not　a　scholar；　and　even　of　the　language　of　superior　men　I　know　nothing。〃　At

these　words　the　goddess　smiled；　and　drew　from　her　bosom　a　little　box；

shaped　like　an　incense　box。　She　opened　the　box；　dipped　a　finger　into　it；

and　took　therefrom　some　kind　of　ointment　with　which　she　anointed　the　ears

of　the　man。　〃Now；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃try　to　find　some　Ants；　and　when　you

find　any；　stoop　down；　and　listen　carefully　to　their　talk。　You　will　be　able

to　understand　it；　and　you　will　hear　of　something　to　your　advantage。。。　Only

remember　that　you　must　not　frighten　or　vex　the　Ants。〃　Then　the　goddess

vanished　away。





The　man　immediately　went　out　to　look　for　some　Ants。　He　had　scarcely

crossed　the　threshold　of　his　door　when　he　perceived　two　Ants　upon　a　stone

supporting　one　of　the　house…pillars。　He　stooped　over　them；　and　listened；

and　he　was　astonished　to　find　that　he　could　hear　them　talking；　and　could

understand　what　they　said。　〃Let　us　try　to　find　a　warmer　place；〃　proposed

one　of　the　Ants。　〃Why　a　warmer　place？〃　asked　the　other；　〃what　is　the

matter　with　this　place？〃　〃It　is　too　damp　and　cold　below；〃　said　the　first

Ant；　〃there　is　a　big　treasure　buried　here；　and　the　sunshine　cannot　warm　the

ground　about　it。〃　Then　the　two　Ants　went　away　together；　and　the　listener

ran　for　a　spade。





By　digging　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　pillar；　he　soon　found　a　number　of

large　jars　full　of　gold　coin。　The　discovery　of　this　treasure　made　him　a

very　rich　man。





Afterwards　he　often　tried　to　listen　to　the　conversation　of　Ants。　But　he

was　never　again　able　to　hear　them　speak。　The　ointment　of　the　goddess　had

opened　his　ears　to　their　mysterious　language　for　only　a　single　day。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







Now　I；　like　that　Chinese　devotee；　must　confess　myself　a　very　ignorant

person；　and　naturally　unable　to　hear　the　conversation　of　Ants。　But　the

Fairy　of　Science　sometimes　touches　my　ears　and　eyes　with　her　wand；　and

then；　for　a　little　time；　I　am　able　to　hear　things　inaudible；　and　to

perceive　things　imperceptible。







II





For　the　same　reason　that　it　is　considered　wicked；　in　sundry　circles；　to

speak　of　a　non…Christian　people　having　produced　a　civilization　ethically

superior　to　our　own；　certain　persons　will　not　be　pleased　by　what　I　am　going

to　say　about　ants。　But　there　are　men；　incomparably　wiser　than　I　can　ever

hope　to　be；　who　think　about　insects　and　civilizations　independently　of　the

blessings　of　Christianity；　and　I　find　encouragement　in　the　new　Cambridge

Natural　History；　which　contains　the　following　remarks　by　Professor　David

Sharp；　concerning　ants：







〃Observation　has　revealed　the　most　remarkable　phenomena　in　the　lives　of

these　insects。　Indeed　we　can　scarcely　avoid　the　conclusion　that　they　have

acquired；　in　many　respects；　the　art　of　living　together　in　societies　more

perfectly　than　our　own　species　has；　and　that　they　have　anticipated　us　in

the　acquisition　of　some　of　the　industries　and　arts　that　greatly　facilitate

social　life。〃







I　suppose　that　a　few　well…informed　persons　will　dispute　this　plain

statement　by　a　trained　specialist。　The　contemporary　man　of　science　is　not

apt　to　become　sentimental　about　ants　or　bees；　but　he　will　not　hesitate　to

acknowledge　that；　in　regard　to　social　evolution；　these　insects　appear　to

have　advanced　〃beyond　man。〃　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer；　whom　nobody　will　charge

with　romantic　tendencies；　goes　considerably　further　than　Professor　Sharp；

showing　us　that　ants　are；　in　a　very　real　sense；　ethically　as　well　as

economically　in　advance　of　humanity；　their　lives　being　entirely　devoted

to　altruistic　ends。　Indeed；　Professor　Sharp　somewhat　needlessly　qualifies

his　praise　of　the　ant　with　this　cautious　observation：







〃The　competence　of　the　ant　is　not　like　that　of　man。　It　is　devoted　to　the

welfare　of　the　species　rather　than　to　that　of　the　individual；　which　is；　as

it　were；　sacrificed　or　specialized　for　the　benefit　of　the　community。〃







　The　obvious　implication；　that　any　social　state；　in　which　the

improvement　of　the　individual　is　sacrificed　to　the　common　welfare；　leaves

much　to　be　desired；　is　probably　correct；　from　the　actual　human

standpoint。　For　man　is　yet　imperfectly　evolved；　and　human　society　has　much

to　gain　from　his　further　individualization。　But　in　regard　to　social　insects

the　implied　criticism　is　open　to　question。　〃The　improvement　of　the

individual；〃　says　Herbert　Spencer；　〃consists　in　the　better　fitting　of　him

for　social　cooperation；　and　this；　being　conducive　to　social　prosperity；　is

conducive　to　the　maintenance　of　the　race。〃　In　other　words；　the　value　of　the

individual　can　be　only　in　relation　to　the　society；　and　this　granted；

whether　the　sacrifice　of　the　individual　for　the　sake　of　that　society　be

good　or　evil　must　depend　upon　what　the　society　might　gain　or　lose　through　a

further　individualization　of　its　members。。。　But　as　we　shall　presently　see；

the　conditions　of　ant…society　that　most　deserve　our　attention　are　the

ethical　conditions；　and　these　are　beyond　human　criticism；　since　they

realize　that　ideal　of　moral　evolution　described　by　Mr。　Spencer　as　〃a　state

in　which　egoism　and　altruism　are　so　conciliated　that　the　one　merges　into

the　other。〃　That　is　to　say；　a　state　in　which　the　only　possible　pleasure　is

the　pleasure　of　unselfish　action。　Or；　again　to　quote　Mr。　Spencer；　the

activities　of　the　insect…society　are　〃activities　which　postpone　individual

well…being　so　completely　to　the　well…being　of　the　community　that　individual

life　appears　to　be　attended　to　only　just　so　far　as　is　necessary　to　make

possible　due　attention　to　social　life；。。。　the　individual　taking　only　just

such　food　and　just　such　rest　as　are　needful　to　maintain　its　vigor。〃







III





I　hope　my　reader　is　aware　that　ants　practise　horticulture　and　agriculture；

that　they　are　skillful　in　the　cultivation　of　mushrooms；　that　they　have

domesticated　（according　to　present　knowledge）　five　hundred　and　eighty…four

different　kinds　of　animals；　that　they　make　tunnels　through　solid　rock；　that

they　know　how　to　provide　against　atmospheric　changes　which　might　endanger

the　health　of　their　children；　and　that；　for　insects；　their　longevity　is

exceptional；　members　of　the　more　highly　evolved　species　living　for　a

considerable　number　of　years。





But　it　is　not　especially　of　these　matters　that　I　wish　to　speak。　What　I

want　to　talk　about　is　the　awful　propriety；　the　terrible　morality；　of　the

ant　＇1＇。　Our　most　appalling　ideals　of　conduct　fall　short　of　the　ethics　of

the　ant；　as　progress　is　reckoned　in　time；　by　nothing　less　than　millions

of　years！。。。　When　I　say　〃the　ant；〃　I　mean　the　highest　type　of　ant；　not；

of　course；　the　entire　ant…family。　　About　two　thousand　species　of　ants　are

already　known；　and　these　exhibit；　in　their　social　organizations；　widely

varying　degrees　of　evolution。　Certain　social　phenomena　of　the　greatest

biological　importance；　and　of　no　less　importance　in　their　strange　relation

to　the　subject　of　ethics；　can　be　studied　to　advantage　only　in　the　existence

of　the　most　highly　evolved　societies　of　ants。







After　all　that　has　been　written　of　late　years　about　the　probable　value　of

relative　experience　in　the　long　life　of　the　ant；　I　suppose　that　few　persons

would　venture　to　deny　individual　character　to　the　ant。　The　intelligence　of

the　little　creature　in　meeting　and　overcoming　difficulties　of　a　totally　new

kind；　and　in　adapting　itself　to　conditions　entirely　foreign　to　its

experience；　proves　a　considerable　power　of　independent　thinking。　But　this

at　least　is　certain：　that　the　ant　has　no　individuality　capable　of　being

exercised　in　a　purely　selfish　direction；　I　am　using　the　word　〃selfish〃　in

its　ordinary　acceptation。　A　greedy　ant；　a　sensual　ant；　an　ant　capable　of

any　one　of　the　seven　deadly　sins；　or　even　of　a　small　venial　sin；　is

unimaginable。　Equally　unimaginable；　of　course；　a　romantic　ant；　an

ideological　ant；　a　poetical　ant；　or　an　ant　inclined　to　metaphysical

speculations。　No　human　mind　could　attain　to　the　absolute　matter…of…fact

quality　of　the　ant…mind；　no　human　being；　as　now　constituted；　could

cultivate　a　mental　habit　so　impeccably　practical　as　that　of　the　ant。　But

this　superlatively　practical　mind　is　incapable　of　moral　error。　It　would　be

difficult；　perhaps；　to　prove　that　the　ant　has　no　religious　ideas。　But　it　is

certain　that　such　ideas　could　not　be　of　any　use　to　it。　The　being　incapable

of　moral　weakness　is　beyond　the　need　of　〃spiritual　guidance。〃







Only　in　a　vague　way　can　we　conceive　the　character　of　ant…society；　and　the

nature　of　ant…morality；　and　to　do　even　this　we　must　try　to　imagine　some　yet

impossible　state　of　human　society　and　human　morals。　Let　us；　then；　imagine　a

world　full　of　people　incessantly　and　furiously　working；　all　of　whom　seem

to　be　women。　No　one　of　these　women　could　be　persuaded　or　deluded　into

taking　a　single　atom　of　food　more　than　is　needful　to　maintain　her　strength；

and　no　one　of　them　ever　sleeps　a　second　longer　than　is　necessary　to　keep

her　nervous　system　in　good　working…order。　And　all　of　them　are　so　peculiarly

constituted　that　the　least　unnecessary　indulgence　would　result　in　some

derangement　of　function。





The　work　daily　performed　by　these　female　laborers　comprises　road…making；

bridge…building；　timber…cutting；　architectural　construction　of　numberless

kinds；　horticulture　and　agriculture；　the　feeding　and　sheltering　of　a

hundred　varieties　of　domestic　animals；　the　manufacture　of　sundry　chemical

products；　the　storage　and　conservation　of　countless　food…stuffs；　and　the

care　of　the　children　of　the　race。　All　this　labor　is　done　for　the

commonwealth　　no　citizen　of　which　is　capable　even　of　thinking　about

〃property；〃　except　as　a　res　publica；　and　the　sole　object　of　the

commonwealth　is　the　nurture　and　training　of　its　young；　nearly　all　of　whom

are　girls。　The　period　of　infancy　is　long：　the　children　remain　for　a　great

while；　not　only　helpless；　but　shapeless；　and　withal　so　delicate　that　they

must　be　very　carefully　guarded　against　the　least　change　of　temperature。

Fortunately　their　nurses　understand　the　laws　of　health：　each　thoroughly

knows　all　that　she　ought　to　know　in　regard　to　ventilation；　disinfection；

drainage；　moisture；　and　the　danger　of　germs；　germs　being　as　visible；

perhaps；　to　her　myopic　sight　as　they　become　to　our　own　eyes　under　the

microscope。　Indeed；　all　matters　of　hygiene　are　so　well　comprehended　that　no

nurse　ever　makes　a　mistake　about　the　sanitary　conditions　of　her

neighborhood。





In　spite　of　this　perpetual　labor　no　worker　remains　unkempt：　each　is

scrupulously　neat；　making　her　toilet　many　times　a　day。　But　as　every　worker

is　born　with　the　most　beautiful　of　combs　and　brushes　attached　to　her