the unknown guest-第23章

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but　not　an　abyss。　I　am　saying　this　not　to　detract　from　the　nature　or　extent　of　the　prodigy；　but　to　call　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　theory　of　animal　intelligence　is　more　justifiable　and　less　fanciful　than　one　is　at　first　inclined　to　think。

24　

But　the　second　and　greater　miracle　is　that　man　should　have　been　able　to　rouse　the　horse　from　his　immemorial　sleep；　to　fix　and　direct　his　attention　and　to　interest　him　in　matters　that　are　more　foreign　and　indifferent　to　him　than　the　variations　of　temperature　in　Sirius　or　Aldebaran　are　to　us。　It　really　seems；　when　we　consider　our　preconceived　ideas；　that　there　is　not　in　the　animal　an　organic　and　insurmountable　inability　to　do　what　man's　brain　does；　a　total　and　irremediable　absence　of　intellectual　faculties；　but　rather　a　profound　lethargy　and　torpor　of　those　faculties。　It　lives　in　a　sort　of　undisturbed　stolidity；　of　nebulous　slumber。　As　Dr。　Ochorowicz　very　justly　remarks；　〃its　waking　state　is　very　near　akin　to　the　state　of　a　man　walking　in　his　sleep。〃　Having　no　notion　of　space　or　time；　it　spends　its　life；　one　may　say；　in　a　perpetual　dream。　It　does　what　is　strictly　necessary　to　keep　itself　alive；　and　all　the　rest　passes　over　it　and　does　not　penetrate　at　all　into　its　hermetically　closed　imaginings。　Exceptional　circumstancessome　extraordinary　need；　wish；　passion　or　shockare　required　to　produce　what　M。　Hachet…Souplet　calls　〃the　psychic　flash〃　which　suddenly　thaws　and　galvanizes　its　brain；　placing　it　for　a　minute　in　the　waking　state　in　which　the　human　brain　works　normally。　Nor　is　this　surprising。　It　does　not　need　that　awakening　in　order　to　exist；　and　we　know　that　nature　never　makes　great　superfluous　efforts。。　〃The　intellect；〃　as　Professor　Clarapede　well　says；　〃appears　only　as　a　makeshift；　an　instrument　which　betrays　that　the　organism　is　not　adapted　to　its　environment；　a　mode　of　expression　which　reveals　a　state　of　impotence。〃

It　is　probable　that　our　brain　at　first　suffered　from　the　same　lethargy；　a　condition；　for　that　matter；　from　which　many　men　have　not　yet　emerged；　and　it　is　even　more　probable　that；　compared　with　other　modes　of　existence；　with　other　psychic　phenomena；　on　another　plane　and　in　another　sphere；　the　dense　sleep　in　which　we　move　is　similar　to　that　in　which　the　lower　animals　have　their　being。　It　also　is　traversed；　with　increasing　frequency；　by　psychic　flashes　of　a　different　order　and　a　different　scope。　Seeing；　on　the　one　side；　the　intellectual　movement　that　seems　to　be　spreading　among　our　lesser　brothers　and；　on　the　other；　the　ever　more　constantly　repeated　manifestations　of　our　subconsciousness；　we　might　even　ask　ourselves　if　we　have　not　here；　on　two　different　planes；　a　tension；　a　parallel　pressure；　a　new　desire；　a　new　attempt　of　the　mysterious　spiritual　force　which　animates　the　universe　and　which　seems　to　be　incessantly　seeking　fresh　outlets　and　fresh　conducting　rods。　Be　this　as　it　may；　when　the　flash　has　passed；　we　behave　very　much　as　the　animals　do：　we　promptly　lapse　into　the　indifferent　sleep　which　suffices　also　for　our　miserable　ways。　We　ask　no　more　of　it；　we　do　not　follow　the　luminous　trail　that　summons　us　to　an　unknown　world；　we　go　on　turning　in　our　dismal　circle；　like　contented　sleep…walkers；　while　Isis'　sistrum　rattles　without　respite　to　rouse　the　faithful。

25　

I　repeat；　the　great　miracle　of　Elberfeld　is　that　of　having　been　able　to　prolong　and　reproduce　at　will　those　isolated　〃psychic　flashes。〃　The　horses；　in　comparison　with　the　other　animals；　are　here　in　the　state　of　a　man　whose　subliminal　consciousness　had　gained　the　upper　hand。　That　man　would　lead　a　higher　existence；　in　an　almost　immaterial　atmosphere；　of　which　the　phenomena　of　metaphysics；　sparks　falling　from　a　region　which　we　shall　perhaps　one　day　reach；　sometimes　give　us　an　uncertain　and　fleeting　glimpse。　Our　intelligence；　which　is　really　lethargy　and　which　keeps　us　imprisoned　in　a　little　hollow　of　space　and　time；　would　there　be　replaced　by　intuition；　or　rather　by　a　sort　of　imminent　knowledge　which　would　forthwith　make　us　sharers　in　all　that　is　known　to　a　universe　which　perhaps　knows　all　things。　Unfortunately；　we　have　not；　or　at　least；　unlike　the　horses；　we　are　not　acquainted　with　a　superior　being　who　interests　himself　in　us　and　helps　us　to　throw　off　our　torpor。　We　have　to　become　our　own　god；　to　rise　above　ourselves　and　to　keep　ourselves　raised　by　our　unaided　strength。　It　is　almost　certain　that　the　horse　would　never　have　come　out　of　his　nebulous　sphere　without　man's　assistance；　but　it　is　not　forbidden　to　hope　that　man；　with　no　other　help　than　his　own　courage　and　high　purpose；　may　yet　succeed　in　breaking　through　the　sleep　that　cramps　him　and　blinds　him。

26

To　come　back　then　to　our　horses　and　to　the　main　point；　which　is　the　isolated　〃psychic　flash；〃　it　is　admitted　that　they　know　the　values　of　figures；　that　they　can　distinguish　and　identify　smells；　colours；　forms；　objects　and　even　graphic　reproductions　of　those　objects。　They　also　understand　a　large　number　of　words；　including　some　of　which　they　were；　never　taught　the　meaning；　but　which　they　picked　up　as　they　went　along　by　hearing　them　spoken　around　them。　They　have　learnt；　with　the　assistance　of　an　exceedingly　complicated　alphabet；　to　reproduce　the　words；　thanks　to　which　they　manage　to　convey　impressions；　sensations；　wishes；　associations　of　ideas；　observations　and　even　spontaneous　reflections。　It　has　been　held　that　all　this　implies　real　acts　of　intelligence。　It　is；　in　fact；　often　very　difficult　to　decide　exactly　how　far　it　is　intelligence　and　how　far　memory；　instinct；　imitative　genius；　obedience　or　mechanical　impulse；　the　effects　of　training；　or　happy　coincidences。

There　are　cases；　however；　which　admit　of　little　or　no　hesitation。　I　give　a　few。

One　day　Krall　and　his　collaborator；　Dr。　Scholler；　thought　that　they　would　try　and　teach　Mohammed　to　express　himself　in　speech。　The　horse；　a　docile　and　eager　pupil；　made　touching　and　fruitless　efforts　to　reproduce　human　sounds。　Suddenly；　he　stopped　and；　in　his　strange　phonetic　spelling；　declared；　by　striking　his　foot　on　the　spring…board：

〃Ig　hb　kein　gud　Sdim。　I　have　not　a　good　voice。〃

Observing　that　he　did　not　open　his　mouth；　they　strove　to　make　him　understand；　by　the　example　of　a　dog；　with　pictures；　and　so　on；　that；　in　order　to　speak；　it　is　necessary　to　separate　the　jaws。　They　next　asked　him：

〃What　must　you　do　to　speak？〃

He　replied；　by　striking　with　his　foot：

〃Open　mouth。〃

〃Why　don't　you　open　yours？〃

〃Weil　kan　nigd：　because　I　can't。〃

A　few　days　after；　Zarif　was　asked　how　he　talks　to　Mohammed。

〃Mit　Munt：　with　mouth。〃

〃Why　don't　you　tell　me　that　with　your　mouth？〃

〃Weil　ig　kein　Stim　hbe：　because　I　have　no　voice。〃　Does　not　this　answer；　as　Krall　remarks；　allow　us　to　suppose　that　he　has　other　means　than　speech　of　conversing　with　his　stable…companion？

In　the　course　of　another　lesson；　Mohammed　was　shown　the　portrait　of　a　young　girl　whom　he　did　not　know。

〃What's　that？〃　asked　his　master。

〃Metgen：　a　girl？〃

On　the　black…board：

〃Why　is　it　a　girl？〃

〃Weil　lang　Hr　hd：　because　she　has　long　hair。〃

〃And　what　has　she　not？〃

〃Moustache。〃

They　next　produced　the　likeness　of　man　with　no　moustache。

〃What's　this？〃

〃Why　is　it　a　man？〃

〃Weil　kurz　Hr　hd：　because　he　has　short　hair。〃

I　could　multiply　these　examples　indefinitely　by　drawing　on　the　voluminous　Elberfeld　minutes；　which；　I　may　say　in　passing；　have　the　convincing　force　of　photographic　records。　All　this；　it　must　be　agreed；　is　unexpected　and　disconcerting；　had　never　been　foreseen　or　suspected　and　may　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　strangest　prodigies；　one　of　the　most　stupefying　revelations　that　have　taken　place　since　man　has　dwelt　in　this　world　of　riddles；　Nevertheless；　by　reflecting；　by　comparing；　by　investigating；　by　regarding　certain　forgotten　or　neglected　landmarks　and　starting…points；　by　taking　into　consideration　the　thousand　imperceptible　gradations　between　the　greatest　and　the　least；　the　highest　and　the　lowest；　it　is　still　possible　to　explain；　admit　and　understand。　We　can；　if　it　comes　to　that；　imagine　that；　in　his　secret　self；　in　his　tragic　silence；　our　dog　also　makes　similar　remarks　and　reflections。　Once　again；　the　miraculous　bridge　which；　in　this　instance；　spans　the　gulf　between　the　animal　and　man　is　much　more　the　expression　of　thought　than　thought　itself。　We　may　go　further　and　grant　that　certain　elementary　calculations；　such　as　little　additions；　little　subtractions　of　one　or　two　figures；　are；　after　all；　conceivable；　and　I；　for　my　part；　am　inclined　to　believe　that　the　horse　really　executes　them。　But　where　we　get　out　of　our　depth；　where　we　enter　into　the　realm　of　pure　enchantment　is　when　it　becomes　a　matter　of　mathematical　operations　on　a　large　scale；　notably　of　the　finding　of　roots。　We　know；　for　instance；　that　the　extraction　of　the　fourth　root　of　a　number　of　six　figures　calls　for　eighteen　multiplications；　ten　subtractions　and　three　divisions　and　that　the　horse　does　thirty…one　sums　in　five　or　six　seconds；　that　is　to　say；　during　the　brief；　careless　glance　which　he　gives　at　the　black…board　on　which　the　problem　is　inscribed；　as　though　the　answer　came　to　him　intuitively　and　instantaneously。

Still；　if　we　admit　the　theory　of　intelligence；　we　must　also　admit　that　the　horse　knows　what　he　is　doing；　since　it　is　not　until　after　learning　what　a　squared　number　or　a　square　root　means　that　he　appears　to　understand　or　that；　at　any　rate；　he　gradually　works　out　correctly　the　ever　more　complicated　calculations　required　of　him。　It　is　not　possible　to　give　here　the　details　of　this　instruction；　which　was　astonishingly　rapid。　The　reader　will　find　them　on　pages　117　et　seq。　of　Krall's　book；　Denkende　Tiere。　Krall　begins　by　explaining　to　Mohammed　that　2　squared　is　equal　to　2　X　2　=　4；　that　2　cubed　is　equal　to　2　X　2　X　2　=　6；　that　2　is　the　square　root　of　4；　and　so　on。　In　short；　the　explanations　and　demonstrations　are　absolutely　similar　to　those　which　one　would　give　to　an　extremely　intelligent　child；　with　this　difference；　that　the　horse　is　much　more　attentive　than　the　child　and　that；　thanks　to　his　extraordinary　memory；　he　never　forgets　what　he　appears　to　have　understood。　Let　us　add；　to　complete　the　magical　and　incredible　character　of　the　phenomenon　that；　according　to　Krall's　own　statement；　the　horse　was　not　taught　beyond　the　point　of　extracting　the　square　root　of　the　number　144　and　that　he　spontaneously　invented　the　manner　of　extracting　all　the　others。

27

Must　we　once　more　repeat；　in　connection　with　these　startling　performances；　that　those　who　speak　of　audible　or　visible　signals；　of　telegraphy　and　wireless　telegraphy；　of　expedients；　trickery　or　deceit；　are　speaking　of　what　they　do　not　know　and　of　what　they　have　not　seen？　There　is　but　one　reply　to　be　made　to　any　one　who　honestly　refuses　to　believe：

〃Go　to　Elberfeld…the　problem　is　sufficiently　important；　sufficiently　big　with　consequences　to　make　the　journey　worth　whileand；　behind　closed　doors；　alone　with　the　horse；　in　the　absolute　solitude　and　silence　of　the　stable；　set　Mohammed　to　extract　half…a　dozen　roots　which；　like　that　which　I　have　mentioned；　require　thirty…one　operations。　You　must　yourself　be　ignorant　of　the　solutions；　so　as　to　do　away　with　any　transmission　of　unconscious　thought。　If　he　then　gives　you；　one　after　the　other；　five　or　six　correct　solutions；　as　he　did　to　me　and　many　others；　you