The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
in_the_world ."

" has no one told you, ' in_the country of_the blind the one- eyed man is king' ? "

" what_is blind ? " asked the blind man carelessly over his shoulder .

Four days passed, and_the fifth found the king of_the blind still incognito, as a clumsy and useless stranger among his subjects .

it_was, he_found, much more difficult to proclaim himself than he had supposed, and in_the meantime, while he meditated his coup d'tat,_ he_did what he_was told and learnt the manners and customs of_the country of_the blind . he_found working and going about at night a particularly irksome thing, and he decided that that should_be the first thing he_would change .

they led a simple, laborious life, these people, with all the elements of virtue and happiness, as_these things can_be understood by men . they toiled, but not oppressively; they had food and clothing sufficient for their needs; they had days and seasons of rest; they made much of music and singing, and there_was love among them, and little children .

it_was marvellous with what confidence and precision they went about their ordered world . everything, you_see, had_been made to fit their needs; each of_the radiating paths of_the valley area had a constant angle to_the others, and was distinguished by a special notch upon its kerbing; all obstacles and irregularities of path or meadow had long since been cleared away; all their methods and procedure arose naturally from their special needs . their senses had become marvellously acute; they_could hear and judge the slightest gesture of a man a dozen paces away-- could hear the very beating of_his heart . intonation had long replaced expression with_them, and touches gesture, and their work with hoe and spade and fork was as free and confident as garden work can_be . their sense of smell was extraordinarily fine; they_could distinguish individual differences as readily as a dog can, and_they went about_the tending of_the llamas, who lived among_the rocks above and came to_the wall for food and shelter, with ease and confidence . it_was only when at last Nunez sought to assert himself that he_found how easy and confident their movements could_be .

he rebelled only after he had tried persuasion .

he tried at first on several occasions to_tell them of sight ." look you here, you people," he_said ." there_are things you_do_not understand in me ."

once_or_twice one_or_two of_them attended to him; they sat with faces downcast and ears turned intelligently towards him, and he_did his best to_tell them what it_was to_see . among his hearers was a girl, with eyelids less red and sunken than_the others, so_that one could almost fancy she was hiding eyes, whom especially he hoped to_persuade . he spoke of_the beauties of sight, of watching the mountains, of_the sky and_the sunrise, and_they heard him with amused incredulity that presently became condemnatory . they told him there were indeed no mountains at all, but that_the end of_the rocks where the llamas grazed was indeed the end of_the world; thence sprang a cavernous roof of_the universe, from_which the dew and_the avalanches fell; and when he maintained stoutly the world had neither end nor roof such as_they supposed, they said his thoughts were wicked . so_far as he_could describe sky and clouds and stars to_them it seemed to_them a hideous void, a terrible blankness in_the place of_the smooth roof to things in_which they believed-- it_was an article of faith with_them that_the cavern roof was exquisitely smooth to_the touch . he_saw that in some manner he shocked them, and gave up that aspect of_the matter altogether, and tried to show them the practical value of sight . one morning he_saw Pedro in_the path called Seventeen and coming towards the central houses, but still too far off for hearing or scent, and he_told them as_much ." in a little while," he prophesied, "Pedro will_be here ." an old man remarked that Pedro had no business on path Seventeen, and then, as_if in confirmation, that individual as he drew near turned and went transversely into path Ten, and so back with nimble paces towards the outer wall . they mocked Nunez when Pedro did_not arrive, and afterwards, when he asked Pedro questions to clear his character, Pedro denied and outfaced him, and was afterwards hostile to him .

then he induced them to let him go a long way up the sloping meadows towards the wall with one complacent individual, and to him he promised to describe all that happened among_the houses . he noted certain goings and comings, but the things that really seemed to signify to_these people happened inside of or behind the windowless houses-- the only things they took note of to test him by-- and of_these he could_see or tell nothing; and it_was after_the failure of_this attempt, and_the ridicule they_could_not repress, that he resorted to force . he thought of seizing a spade and suddenly smiting one_or_two of_them to earth, and so in fair combat showing the advantage of eyes . he went so_far with_that resolution as_to seize his spade, and then he discovered a new thing about himself, and_that was that_it_was impossible for him to hit a blind man in cold blood .

he hesitated, and found them all aware that he had snatched up the spade . they stood alert, with their heads on one side, and bent ears towards him for what he_would do next .

" put that spade down," said one, and he_felt a sort of helpless horror . he_came near obedience .

then he thrust one backwards against a house wall, and fled past him and out_of_the village .

he went athwart one of_their meadows, leaving a track of trampled grass behind his feet, and presently sat down by_the side of one of_their ways . he_felt something of_the buoyancy that comes to all men in_the beginning of a fight, but more perplexity . he began to realise that you_cannot even fight happily with creatures who stand upon a different mental basis to yourself . far away he_saw a number of men carrying spades and sticks come out_of_the street of houses, and advance in aspreading line along the several paths towards him . they advanced slowly, speaking frequently to one another, and ever and again the whole cordon would halt and sniff the air and listen .

the first time they_did this Nunez laughed . but afterwards he_did_not laugh .

one struck his trail in_the meadow grass, and came stooping and feeling his way along it .

for five minutes he watched the slow extension of_the cordon, and then his vague disposition to_do something forthwith became frantic . he stood up, went apace or so towards the circumferential wall, turned, and went back a little way . there they all stood in a crescent, still and listening .

he also stood still, gripping his spade very tightly in both hands . should he charge them ?

the pulse in_his ears ran into_the rhythm of " in_the country of_the blind the one- eyed man is king ! "

should he charge them ?

he looked back at_the high and unclimbable wall behind--unclimbable because of_its smooth plastering, but withal pierced with many little doors, and at_the approaching line of seekers . behind these others were now coming out_of_the street of houses .

should he charge them ?

" Bogota ! " called one ." Bogota ! where are_you ? "

he gripped his spade still tighter, and advanced down the meadows towards the place of habitations, and directly he moved they converged upon him ."I'll hit them if_they touch me," he swore; " by heaven, i_will .I'll hit ." he_called aloud, " look here, I'm going to_do what I like in_this valley . do_you hear ? I'm going to_do what I like and go where I like ! "

they were moving in upon him quickly, groping, yet moving rapidly . it_was like playing blind man's buff, with everyone blindfolded except one ." get hold of him ! " cried one . he_found himself in_the ARC of a loose curve of pursuers . he_felt suddenly he_must_be active and resolute .

" you don't understand," he cried in a voice that was meant to_be great and resolute, and which broke ." you_are blind, and I_can_see . leave me alone ! "

" Bogota ! put down that spade, and come off the grass ! "

the last order, grotesque in its urban familiarity, produced a gust of anger .

"I'll hurt you," he_said, sobbing with emotion ." by heaven, I'll hurt you . leave me alone ! "

he began to run, not knowing clearly where to run . he ran from_the nearest blind man, because it_was a horror to hit him . he stopped, and then made a dash to escape from their closing ranks . he_made for where a gap was wide, and_the men on either side, with a quick perception of_the approach of_his paces, rushed in on one another . he sprang forward, and then saw he_must_be caught, and swish ! the spade had struck . he_felt the soft thud of hand and arm, and_the man was down with a yell of pain, and he_was through .

through ! and then he_was close to_the street of houses again, and blind men, whirling spades and stakes, were running with a sort of reasoned swiftness hither and thither .

he heard steps behind him just in_time, and found a tall man rushing forward and swiping at_the sound of him . he_lost his nerve, hurled his spade a yard wide at his antagonist, and whirled about and fled, fairly yelling as he dodged another .

he_was panic- stricken . he ran furiously to and fro, dodging when there_was no need to dodge, and in_his anxiety to_see on every side of him at once, stumbling . for a moment he_was down and_they heard his fall . far away in_the circumferential wall a little doorway looked like heaven, and he set off in a wild rush for_it . he_did_not even look round at his pursuers until it_was gained, and he had stumbled across the bridge, clambered a little way among_the rocks, to_the surprise and dismay of a young llama, who went leaping out of sight, and lay down sobbing for breath .

and so his coup d'tat came to an end .

he stayed outside the wall of_the valley of_the blind for two nights and days without food or shelter, and meditated upon_the unexpected . during these meditations he repeated very frequently and always with aprofounder note of derision the exploded proverb: " in_the country of_the blind the one- eyed man is king ." he thought chiefly of ways of fighting and conquering these people, and it grew clear that for him no practicable way was possible . he had no weapons, and now it would_be hard to_get one .

the canker of civilisation had got to him even in Bogota, and he_could_not find it in himself to_go down and assassinate a blind man . of_course, if he_did that, he might then dictate terms on_the threat of assassinating them all . but-- sooner or later he_must sleep ! .. .

he tried also to_find food among_the pine trees, to_be comfortable under pine boughs while the frost fell at night, and-- with less confidence-- to catch a llama by artifice in_order to_try to kill it-- perhaps by hammering it with a stone-- and so finally, perhaps, to eat some of it . but the llamas had a doubt of him and regarded him with distrustful brown eyes, and spat when he drew near . fear came on him the second day and fits of shivering . finally he crawled down to_the wall of_the country of_the blind and tried to_make terms . he crawled along by_the stream, shouting, until two blind men came out to_the gate and talked to him .

" i_was mad," he_said ." but i_was only newly made ."

they said that was better .

he_told them he_was wiser now, and repented of all he had done .

then he wept without intention, for he_was very weak and ill now, and_they took that as afavourable sign .

they asked him if he still thought he_could "_see_"

" no," he_said ." that was folly . the word means nothing-- less_than nothing ! "

they asked him what_was overhead .

" about ten times ten the height of a man there_is a roof above the world-- of rock-- and very, very smooth ." .. . he burst again into hysterical tears ." before_you ask me any more, give_me some food or I_shall die ."

he expected dire punishments, but these blind people were capable of toleration . they regarded his rebellion as but one more proof of_his general idiocy and inferiority; and after they had whipped him they appointed him to_do_the simplest and heaviest work they had for anyone to_do, and he, seeing no other way of living, did submissively what he_was told .

he_was ill for some days, and_they nursed him kindly . that refined his submission . but they insisted on_his lying in_the dark, and_that was a great misery . and blind philosophers came and talked to him of_the wicked levity of_his mind, and reproved him so impressively for_his doubts about_the lid of rock that covered their cosmic casserole that he almost doubted whether indeed he_was not the victim of hallucination in not seeing it overhead .

so Nunez became a citizen of_the country of_the blind, and these people ceased to_be ageneralised people and became individualities and familiar to him, while the world beyond the mountains became more and more remote and unreal . there_was Yacob, his master, a kindly man when not annoyed; there_was Pedro, Yacob's nephew; and there_was Medina-sarot, who was_the youngest daughter of Yacob . she was little esteemed in_the_world of_the blind, because she had a clear-

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]