Белый клык
The Law of Meat
Thecub’sshoulderwasstiffandsore,andforsometimehelimpedfromtheterribleslashhehadreceived. Buttheworldnowseemedchanged. Hewentaboutinitwithgreaterconfidence,withafeelingofprowessthathadnotbeenhisinthedaysbeforethebattlewiththelynx. Hehadlookeduponlifeinamoreferociousaspect; hehadfought;hehadburiedhisteethinthefleshofafoe;andhehadsurvived. Andbecauseofallthis,hecarriedhimselfmoreboldly,withatouchofdefiancethatwasnewinhim. Hewasnolongerafraidofminorthings, andmuchofhistimidityhadvanished,thoughtheunknownneverceasedtopressuponhimwithitsmysteriesandterrors,intangibleandever-menacing.
Hebegantoaccompanyhismotheronthemeat-trail,andhesawmuchofthekillingofmeatandbegantoplayhispartinit. Andinhisowndimwayhelearnedthelawofmeat. Thereweretwokindsoflife—hisownkindandtheotherkind. Hisownkindincludedhismotherandhimself. Theotherkindincludedalllivethingsthatmoved. Buttheotherkindwasdivided. Oneportionwaswhathisownkindkilledandate.Thisportionwascomposedofthenon-killersandthesmallkillers. Theotherportionkilledandatehisownkind,orwaskilledandeatenbyhisownkind. Andoutofthisclassificationarosethelaw. Theaimoflifewasmeat. Lifeitselfwasmeat. Lifelivedonlife. Thereweretheeatersandtheeaten. Thelawwas:EATORBEEATEN. Hedidnotformulatethelawinclear,settermsandmoraliseaboutit. Hedidnoteventhinkthelaw;hemerelylivedthelawwithoutthinkingaboutitatall.
Hesawthelawoperatingaroundhimoneveryside. Hehadeatentheptarmiganchicks. Thehawkhadeatentheptarmigan-mother. Thehawkwouldalsohaveeatenhim. Later,whenhehadgrownmoreformidable,hewantedtoeatthehawk. Hehadeatenthelynxkitten.
