My voyage through the air was now ended. I lay for a long time entirely1 immovable, awaiting my fate with the approach of day. I now observed that the wants and weaknesses of humanity, which, during my passage had ceased, now returned. I was both sleepy and hungry. Fatigued2 in mind and body I fell into a deep slumber3. I had slept, as far as I could judge, about two hours, when a terrible roar, which had previously4 disturbed my slumbers5, suddenly waked me. I had dreamed some curious dreams; in one, I thought myself to be in Norway, at the church in my native town, listening to the singing of our clerk, whose voice was really unpleasant from its roughness. My first impression therefore, on recovering myself was, that this man was indulging in an extraordinarily6 ambitious strain. In fact, on opening my eyes, I saw a huge bull within a few feet of me. At the same moment, a vigorous roar from this animal convinced me that I did not listen to church music.
It was now day-break, and the rising sun began to gild7 the green oaks and fruitful fields, which, spreading abroad in every direction, astonished my recovered sense.
How much greater was my surprise when I saw the trees, of which there were great numbers in my view, move, although not a breeze stirred.
The vicinity of the bull not being pleasing to me, I arose and began to ascend8 a tree which stood near. As I raised myself by its limbs, it gave a low, yet shrill9 scream, and I got at the same time a lively slap on my ear, which propelled me headlong to the ground. Here I lay as if struck by lightning, about to give up my spirit, when I heard around me a murmuring noise, such as is heard on the Exchange when the merchants are assembled.
I opened my eyes and saw many trees moving about the field. Imagine my agitation10, when one of the trees swept towards me, bent11 one of its branches, and, lifting me from the ground, carried me off, in spite of my woful cries, followed by an innumerable number of its companions of all kinds and sizes. From their trunks issued certain articulated sounds, which were entirely incomprehensible to me, and of which I retained only the words: Pikel-Emi, on account of their being often repeated. I will here say, these words mean an extraordinary monkey, which creature they took me to be, from my shape and dress. All this, of course, I learned after being some months among them.
In my present condition, I was far from being able to conceive of the nature of sensible, speaking trees. In truth, so confounded was I, that I forgot I could speak myself. As little could I understand the meaning of the slow, solemn procession, and the confused murmurs12 which resounded13 in the air.
I fancied they were reproaching or expressing their contempt of me. I was not far from the truth: for the tree into which I had climbed to escape from the bull, was no less than the wife of the sheriff of the neighboring town, to which they were now taking me a prisoner.
The buildings and streets of this town were very handsome and extensive. The houses, from their height, appeared like huge towers. The streets were wide and filled with trees, which swayed about and saluted14 each other by lowering their branches.
The greater this declination, the more expressive15 was it of respect and esteem16.
As we passed through a very wide street I saw a tall oak approach a distinguished17 house, when the trees which escorted me, stepped gracefully18 back, and bent their branches to the ground. I concluded this must be a more than common personage. In fact, it was the sheriff himself, the very dignitary, whose lady it was insisted I had come too near. I was carried to the hall of this officer’s house, and the door was locked upon me. Several trees armed with axes kept guard over me. The axes were held in the branches, which served the same purpose as human hands. I noticed that high up in the branches each wore a head, about the size of my own, covered with leaves and tendrils instead of hair. Below were two roots or legs, very short.
These trees were much smaller than those on our earth, in fact being about the height of a man; some indeed were much shorter; but these I concluded to be children.
While reflecting on the miserable20 situation in which I found myself, and weeping over the ill-luck of my adventure, my guards stepped up to me and commanded me to follow them. They led me to a splendid building in the middle of the market-place.
At the door of this building stood Justice, cut out in the form of a tree, holding among the branches a pair of scales. I presumed the structure to be the court-house, nor was I deceived. I was carried into a large room, the floor of which was overlaid with glittering marble flags of various colors.
At the upper end a golden chair was raised a little above the floor, like a judge’s seat; in it was seated a sedate21 palm tree, distinguished from the rest by the gorgeousness of his leaves; a little below him were seated twelve assessors, six on either side. About them stood twenty-four officers holding axes. I was not a little terrified when brought a prisoner before these magnates.
As I entered the hall, all the officers of the court stood up, elevated their branches and then sat down. After this ceremony I was placed at the bar between two trees, the stems of which were covered with sheep-skins. These persons I supposed to be lawyers, and so they were.
Before the trial commenced, the head of the judge was wrapped up in a black blanket. The accuser then made a short speech, which he thrice repeated. The lawyer appointed to defend me, replied in the same manner. A perfect silence then ensued. In half an hour the superior judge rose from the chair, removed the blanket, raised the branches towards Heaven, and spoke22 with much grace, what I supposed to be my sentence. I was then carried back to my prison.
While I mused23 on the strange things I had witnessed, a tree came into my cell, with an instrument resembling a lancet in his hand. He stripped one of my arms, and made a puncture24 in the median vein25. When he had taken from me as much blood as he deemed sufficient, he bound up the wound with great dexterity26. He then examined my blood with much attention, and departed silently, with an expression of wonder.
This circumstance by no means weakened the opinion which I had for some time entertained, that these people were shallow and foolish. But my judgment27 proved to be too hasty. When I was better enabled to judge of what passed about me, by acquaintance with the subterranean28 languages, my contempt was changed to admiration29.
I will now explain the ceremonies, which to my ignorance seemed ridiculous.
From my figure it was concluded that I was an inhabitant of the firmament30. I was supposed to have attempted to violate the person of a chaste31 and virtuous32 lady, and for this crime I had been taken to the court-house for trial.
The rising of the branches towards Heaven, was a common ceremony of religion. The lawyers were clothed in sheep-skin, to remind them of the attributes of their calling — innocence33, faithfulness, and sedateness34. The repetition of their speeches was on account of the very slow apprehension35 and cautious decision of the people, by which peculiarities36 they were distinguished from all the inhabitants of the subterranean world. But what most excited my curiosity was the history of the supreme37 judge. This was a virgin38, a native of the town, and appointed by the King to the office of Kaki, or judge, for her superior virtue39 and talent. It must be observed that this nation pay no regard to sex in appointments to office, but, after a strict examination, elect those to take charge of affairs who are proved to be the most worthy40.
Seminaries are established throughout the country, to teach the aspirants41 to public honors the duties appertaining to the direction of government. The business of the administrators42 of these colleges is to search closely into the brains and hearts of the young students, and when satisfied with their virtue and ability, to give to the king a list of those fully19 prepared to fill the public offices. The administrators are called Karatti.
The young virgin of whom I have spoken, had received, four years before from the Karatti, a certificate for remarkable43 attainments44 and virtues45, and had been invested with the “blanket.” This blanket was wrapped about her head during my trial; this precaution, however, is taken only in trials such as mine, in which the occasionally broad nature of the testimony46 might have a painful effect upon the virgin judge, should her face be exposed to the public gaze.
The name of this virgin was Palmka. She had officiated for three years with the greatest honor, and was considered the most learned tree in the city.
She solved with so much discretion47 the knottiest48 questions, that her decisions had come to be regarded as oracles49.
As Themis’ self, with scales of equal weight,
She judged with candor50 both the small and great:
The sands of truth she, like the goddess, frees
From falsehood’s glitter and from error’s lees.
The following account was given to me of the blood-letting to which I had been subjected. When any one is proved to be guilty of a crime, he is bled, for the purpose of detecting from the color of the fluid, or blood, how far his guilt51 was voluntary or otherwise; whether he had sinned through malice52 or distemper. Should the fluid be found discolored, he is sent to the hospital to be cured; thus this process is rather a correction than a punishment. A member of the council, or any one high in office, would be removed, should it be found necessary to bleed him.
The reason why the surgeon, who performed the operation on me, was astonished, was, on account of the redness of my blood. The inhabitants having a sort of white fluid in their veins53, the purity of which is proportional to their innocence and excellence54.
I was put at my ease when I observed that the trees generally possessed55 a large share of humanity. This was displayed in their little attentions to me. Food was brought to me twice a day. It consisted of fruit and several kinds of beans; my drink was a clear, sweet and exceedingly delicious juice.
The sheriff, in whose house I was imprisoned56, had immediately given notice to the King that he had by accident got possession of a somewhat sensible animal of an uncommon57 figure. The description of my person excited the king’s curiosity. Orders were given to the sheriff, that I should be taught the language of the country; on which I should be sent to court. A teacher was appointed for me, whose instruction enabled me in a half year to speak very comprehensibly. After this preparatory course of private study, I was sent to the seminary, where particular care was taken both of my mental and physical education. Indeed, so enthusiastic were they to naturalize me, that they actually fastened branches to my body to make me look as much as possible like themselves.
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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7
gild
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| vt.给…镀金，把…漆成金色，使呈金色 | |
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8
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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9
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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10
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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11
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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12
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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13
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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14
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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15
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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16
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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17
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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18
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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19
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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20
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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24
puncture
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| n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破 | |
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vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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26
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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27
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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29
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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30
firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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31
chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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32
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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33
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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34
sedateness
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| n.安详，镇静 | |
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35
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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40
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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41
aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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42
administrators
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| n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师 | |
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43
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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44
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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45
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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46
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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47
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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48
knottiest
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| adj.（指木材）多结节的( knotty的最高级 )；多节瘤的；困难的；棘手的 | |
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49
oracles
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| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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50
candor
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| n.坦白，率真 | |
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51
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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52
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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53
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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54
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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55
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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56
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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