the story of mankind-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





During　the　hours　of　day；　this　primitive　human　being

prowled　about　looking　for　things　to　eat。



When　night　descended　upon　the　earth；　he　hid　his　wife　and

his　children　in　a　hollow　tree　or　behind　some　heavy　boulders；

for　he　was　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　ferocious　animals　and

when　it　was　dark　these　animals　began　to　prowl　about；　looking

for　something　to　eat　for　their　mates　and　their　own　young；　and

they　liked　the　taste　of　human　beings。　It　was　a　world　where

you　must　either　eat　or　be　eaten；　and　life　was　very　unhappy

because　it　was　full　of　fear　and　misery。



In　summer；　man　was　exposed　to　the　scorching　rays　of　the

sun；　and　during　the　winter　his　children　would　freeze　to　death

in　his　arms。　When　such　a　creature　hurt　itself；　（and　hunting

animals　are　forever　breaking　their　bones　or　spraining　their

ankles）　he　had　no　one　to　take　care　of　him　and　he　must　die　a

horrible　death。



Like　many　of　the　animals　who　fill　the　Zoo　with　their

strange　noises；　early　man　liked　to　jabber。　That　is　to　say；　he

endlessly　repeated　the　same　unintelligible　gibberish　because　it

pleased　him　to　hear　the　sound　of　his　voice。　In　due　time　he

learned　that　he　could　use　this　guttural　noise　to　warn　his　fellow

beings　whenever　danger　threatened　and　he　gave　certain　little

shrieks　which　came　to　mean　‘‘there　is　a　tiger！''　or　‘‘here　come

five　elephants。''　Then　the　others　grunted　something　back　at

him　and　their　growl　meant；　‘‘I　see　them；''　or　‘‘let　us　run　away

and　hide。''　And　this　was　probably　the　origin　of　all　language。



But；　as　I　have　said　before；　of　these　beginnings　we　know

so　very　little。　Early　man　had　no　tools　and　he　built　himself

no　houses。　He　lived　and　died　and　left　no　trace　of　his　existence

except　a　few　collar…bones　and　a　few　pieces　of　his　skull。

These　tell　us　that　many　thousands　of　years　ago　the　world　was

inhabited　by　certain　mammals　who　were　quite　different　from

all　the　other　animalswho　had　probably　developed　from　another

unknown　ape…like　animal　which　had　learned　to　walk　on

its　hind…legs　and　use　its　fore…paws　as　handsand　who　were

most　probably　connected　with　the　creatures　who　happen　to　be

our　own　immediate　ancestors。



It　is　little　enough　we　know　and　the　rest　is　darkness。







PREHISTORIC　MAN



PREHISTORIC　MAN　BEGINS　TO　MAKE

THINGS　FOR　HIMSELF。





EARLY　man　did　not　know　what　time　meant。　He　kept

no　records　of　birthdays　or　wedding　anniversaries　or　the　hour

of　death。　He　had　no　idea　of　days　or　weeks　or　even　years。

But　in　a　general　way　he　kept　track　of　the　seasons　for　he　had

noticed　that　the　cold　winter　was　invariably　followed　by　the　mild

springthat　spring　grew　into　the　hot　summer　when　fruits

ripened　and　the　wild　ears　of　corn　were　ready　to　be　eaten　and

that　summer　ended　when　sudden　gusts　of　wind　swept　the　leaves

from　the　trees　and　a　number　of　animals　were　getting　ready

for　the　long　hibernal　sleep。



But　now；　something　unusual　and　rather　frightening　had

happened。　Something　was　the　matter　with　the　weather。　The

warm　days　of　summer　had　come　very　late。　The　fruits　had

not　ripened。　The　tops　of　the　mountains　which　used　to　be　covered

with　grass　now　lay　deeply　hidden　underneath　a　heavy

burden　of　snow。



Then；　one　morning；　a　number　of　wild　people；　different

from　the　other　creatures　who　lived　in　that　neighbourhood；　came

wandering　down　from　the　region　of　the　high　peaks。　They

looked　lean　and　appeared　to　be　starving。　They　uttered　sounds

which　no　one　could　understand。　They　seemed　to　say　that

they　were　hungry。　There　was　not　food　enough　for　both　the

old　inhabitants　and　the　newcomers。　When　they　tried　to　stay

more　than　a　few　days　there　was　a　terrible　battle　with　claw…like

hands　and　feet　and　whole　families　were　killed。　The　others　fled

back　to　their　mountain　slopes　and　died　in　the　next　blizzard。



But　the　people　in　the　forest　were　greatly　frightened。　All

the　time　the　days　grew　shorter　and　the　nights　grew　colder　than

they　ought　to　have　been。



Finally；　in　a　gap　between　two　high　hills；　there　appeared　a

tiny　speck　of　greenish　ice。　Rapidly　it　increased　in　size。　A

gigantic　glacier　came　sliding　downhill。　Huge　stones　were

being　pushed　into　the　valley。　With　the　noise　of　a　dozen　thunderstorms

torrents　of　ice　and　mud　and　blocks　of　granite　suddenly

tumbled　among　the　people　of　the　forest　and　killed　them

while　they　slept。　Century　old　trees　were　crushed　into　kindling

wood。　And　then　it　began　to　snow。



It　snowed　for　months　and　months。　All　the　plants　died　and

the　animals　fled　in　search　of　the　southern　sun。　Man　hoisted

his　young　upon　his　back　and　followed　them。　But　he　could　not

travel　as　fast　as　the　wilder　creatures　and　he　was　forced　to

choose　between　quick　thinking　or　quick　dying。　He　seems　to

have　preferred　the　former　for　he　has　managed　to　survive　the

terrible　glacial　periods　which　upon　four　different　occasions

threatened　to　kill　every　human　being　on　the　face　of　the　earth。



In　the　first　place　it　was　necessary　that　man　clothe　himself

lest　he　freeze　to　death。　He　learned　how　to　dig　holes　and　cover

them　with　branches　and　leaves　and　in　these　traps　he　caught

bears　and　hyenas；　which　he　then　killed　with　heavy　stones　and

whose　skins　he　used　as　coats　for　himself　and　his　family。



Next　came　the　housing　problem。　This　was　simple。　Many

animals　were　in　the　habit　of　sleeping　in　dark　caves。　Man　now

followed　their　example；　drove　the　animals　out　of　their　warm

homes　and　claimed　them　for　his　own。



Even　so；　the　climate　was　too　severe　for　most　people　and

the　old　and　the　young　died　at　a　terrible　rate。　Then　a　genius

bethought　himself　of　the　use　of　fire。　Once；　while　out　hunting；

he　had　been　caught　in　a　forest…fire。　He　remembered　that　he

had　been　almost　roasted　to　death　by　the　flames。　Thus　far　fire

had　been　an　enemy。　Now　it　became　a　friend。　A　dead　tree

was　dragged　into　the　cave　and　lighted　by　means　of　smouldering

branches　from　a　burning　wood。　This　turned　the　cave　into

a　cozy　little　room。



And　then　one　evening　a　dead　chicken　fell　into　the　fire。　It

was　not　rescued　until　it　had　been　well　roasted。　Man　discovered

that　meat　tasted　better　when　cooked　and　he　then　and　there

discarded　one　of　the　old　habits　which　he　had　shared　with　the

other　animals　and　began　to　prepare　his　food。



In　this　way　thousands　of　years　passed。　Only　the　people

with　the　cleverest　brains　survived。　They　had　to　struggle　day

and　night　against　cold　and　hunger。　They　were　forced　to　invent

tools。　They　learned　how　to　sharpen　stones　into　axes　and　how

to　make　hammers。　They　were　obliged　to　put　up　large　stores

of　food　for　the　endless　days　of　the　winter　and　they　found　that

clay　could　be　made　into　bowls　and　jars　and　hardened　in　the

rays　of　the　sun。　And　so　the　glacial　period；　which　had　threatened

to　destroy　the　human　race；　became　its　greatest　teacher

because　it　forced　man　to　use　his　brain。







HIEROGLYPHICS



THE　EGYPTIANS　INVENT　THE　ART　OF

WRITING　AND　THE　RECORD　OF

HISTORY　BEGINS





THESE　earliest　ancestors　of　ours　who　lived　in　the　great

European　wilderness　were　rapidly　learning　many　new　things。

It　is　safe　to　say　that　in　due　course　of　time　they　would　have

given　up　the　ways　of　savages　and　would　have　developed　a

civilisation　of　their　own。　But　suddenly　there　came　an　end　to

their　isolation。　They　were　discovered。



A　traveller　from　an　unknown　southland　who　had　dared　to

cross　the　sea　and　the　high　mountain　passes　had　found　his　way

to　the　wild　people　of　the　European　continent。　He　came　from

Africa。　His　home　was　in　Egypt。



The　valley　of　the　Nile　had　developed　a　high　stage　of　civilisation

thousands　of　years　before　the　people　of　the　west　had

dreamed　of　the　possibilities　of　a　fork　or　a　wheel　or　a　house。

And　we　shall　therefore　leave　our　great…great…grandfathers　in

their　caves；　while　we　visit　the　southern　and　eastern　shores　of

the　Mediterranean；　where　stood　the　earliest　school　of　the

human　race。



The　Egyptians　have　taught　us　many　things。　They　were

excellent　farmers。　They　knew　all　about　irrigation。　They　built

temples　which　were　afterwards　copied　by　the　Greeks　and　which

served　as　the　earliest　models　for　the　churches　in　which　we　worship

nowadays。　They　had　invented　a　calendar　which　proved

such　a　useful　instrument　for　the　purpose　of　measuring　time

that　it　has　survived　with　a　few　changes　until　today。　But　most

important　of　all；　the　Egyptians　had　learned　how　to　preserve

speech　for　the　benefit　of　future　generations。　They　had　invented

the　art　of　writing。



We　are　so　accustomed　to　newspapers　and　books　and　magazines

that　we　take　it　for　granted　that　the　world　has　always　been

able　to　read　and　write。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　writing；　the　most

important　of　all　inventions；　is　quite　new。　Without　written

documents　we　would　be　like　cats　and　dogs；　who　can　only　teach

their　kittens　and　their　puppies　a　few　simple　things　and　who；

because　they　cannot　write；　possess　no　way　in　which　they　can

make　use　of　the　experience　of　those　generations　of　cats　and

dogs　that　have　gone　before。



In　the　first　century　before