Белый клык
The Grey Cub
Thesewereconsciousactions,andweretheresultsofhisfirstgeneralisationsupontheworld. Beforethathehadrecoiledautomaticallyfromhurt,ashehadcrawledautomaticallytowardthelight. Afterthatherecoiledfromhurtbecauseheknewthatitwashurt.
Hewasafiercelittlecub. Sowerehisbrothersandsisters. Itwastobeexpected. Hewasacarnivorousanimal. Hecameofabreedofmeat-killersandmeat-eaters. Hisfatherandmotherlivedwhollyuponmeat. Themilkhehadsuckedwithhisfirstflickeringlife,wasmilktransformeddirectlyfrommeat, andnow,atamonthold,whenhiseyeshadbeenopenforbutaweek,hewasbeginninghimselftoeatmeat —meathalf-digestedbytheshe-wolfanddisgorgedforthefivegrowingcubsthatalreadymadetoogreatdemanduponherbreast.
Buthewas,further,thefiercestofthelitter. Hecouldmakealouderraspinggrowlthananyofthem. Histinyragesweremuchmoreterriblethantheirs. Itwashethatfirstlearnedthetrickofrollingafellow-cuboverwithacunningpaw-stroke. Anditwashethatfirstgrippedanothercubbytheearandpulledandtuggedandgrowledthroughjawstight-clenched. Andcertainlyitwashethatcausedthemotherthemosttroubleinkeepingherlitterfromthemouthofthecave.
Thefascinationofthelightforthegreycubincreasedfromdaytoday. Hewasperpetuallydepartingonyard-longadventurestowardthecave’sentrance,andasperpetuallybeingdrivenback. Onlyhedidnotknowitforanentrance. Hedidnotknowanythingaboutentrances—passageswherebyonegoesfromoneplacetoanotherplace. Hedidnotknowanyotherplace,muchlessofawaytogetthere. Sotohimtheentranceofthecavewasawall—awalloflight.
