Part 8 (2/2)
”Both, I think, sir The fit first--I have had 'e of the table Anyway they finished me between them, thanks to that little beast”
Then it was that I saw a very strange thing, a hare in a rage It seeo mad, of course I mean spiritually mad Its eyes flashed fire; it opened itsfish At last it spoke in its oay--I cannot stop to explain in further detail the exact manner of speech or rather of its equivalent upon the Road
”Man, Man,” it exclaimed, ”you say that I finished you But what did you do to me? You shot me Look at the s You hunted ed me out of the sea into which I swa to the pack,” and the Hare stopped exhausted by its own fury
”Well,” replied the Man coolly, ”and suppose I, or my people, did, what of it? Why shouldn't I? You were a beast, I was a man with dominion over you You can read all about that in the Book of Genesis”
”I never heard of the Book of Genesis,” said the Hare, ”but what does dominion ht to torment that which is weaker than the tormentor?”
”All you ani an answer to the direct question
”Very good,” answered the Hare, ”let us suppose that ere_ given you to eat Was it in order to eat s that run by sight, and then with dogs that run by smell?”
”If you were to be killed and eaten, why should you not be killed in one of these ways, Hare?”
”Why should I be killed in those ways, Man, when others more merciful were to your hand? Indeed, why should I be killed at all? Moreover, if you wished to satisfy your hunger with s to devour?”
”I don't quite know, Hare Never looked at the ot you now,” he added triumphantly ”If it hadn't been for ift of life Therefore, instead of grued to me Don't you understand? I preserved hares, so that without ht, Mr-- Mr--I a towards me
”Mahatma,” I said
”Oh! yes, I re in the argument,” I replied cautiously, ”but let us hear our friend's answer”
”Answer--my answer! Well, here it is What are you, Man, who dare to say that you give life or withhold it? You a Lord of life, _you!_ I tell you that I know little, yet I am sure that you or those like you have no more power to create life than the world we have left has to bid the stars to shi+ne If the life must come, it will come, and if it cannot fulfil itself as a hare, then it will appear as so else If you say that you create life, I, the poor beast which you tortured, tell you that you are a presumptuous liar”
”You dare to lecture es, as the poet called me Why, you nasty little animal, do you know that I have killed hundreds like you, and,” he added, with a sudden afflatus of pride, ”thousands of other creatures, such as pheasants, to say nothing of deer and larger game? That has been my principal occupation since I was a boy I ot very little else to show for my life, so to speak”
”Oh!” said the Hare, ”have you? Well, if I were you, I shouldn't boast about it just now You see, we are still outside of those Gates Who knows but that you will find every one of the living things you have a for you within the for justice to its Maker and your own?”
”My word!” said the Man, ”what a horrible notion; it's like a bad dream”
He reflected a little, then added, ”Well, if they do, I've got my answer I killed them for food; man must live Millions of pheasants are sold to be eaten every year at a much smaller price than they cost to breed What do you say to that, Mr Hatter? Finishes hi,” I replied ”Ask the Hare”
”Yes, askyourself, I'll ansith another question, knowing that here you must tell the truth Did you really rear us all for food? Was it for this that you kept your keepers, your running dogs and your hunting dogs, that you ht kill poor defenceless beasts and birds to fills at their hands really helper than we are, and have a right to use us for your own advantage, or even to destroy us altogether if we harm you”
The Man pondered, then replied sullenly--
”You know very well that it was not so I did not rear up pheasants and haresforces ht enjoythe them to death Still,” he added defiantly, ”I who aion perfectly justified s, and that no blaood,” said the Hare, ”noe have a clear issue Friend Mahatma, when those Gates open presently what happens beyond them?”
”I don't know,” I answered, ”I have never been there; at least not that I can remember”