the unknown guest(陌生客)-第25节
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I will first sum up as briefly as possible； for who so may still be
ignorant of them； the facts which it is necessary to know if one would
fully understand the marvelous story of the Elberfeld horses。 For a detailed
account； I can refer him to Herr Karl Krall's remarkable work； Denkende
Tiere （Leipsig； 1912）； which is the first and principal source of
information amid a bibliography that is already assuming considerable
dimensions。
Some twenty years ago there lived in Berlin an old misanthrope named
Wilhelm von Osten。 He was a man with a small private income； a little
eccentric in his ways and obsessed by one idea； the intelligence of animals。
He began by undertaking the education of a horse that gave him no very
definite results。 But； in 1900； he became the owner of a Russian stallion
who； under the name of Hans； to which was soon added the Homeric and
well…earned prefix of Kluge； or Clever； was destined to upset all our
notions of animal psychology and to raise questions that rank among the
most unexpected and the most absorbing problems which man has yet
encountered。
Thanks to Von Osten； whose patience； contrary to what one might
think； was in no wise angelic but resembled rather a frenzied obstinacy；
the horse made rapid and extraordinary progress。 This progress is very
aptly described by Professor E。 Clarapede； of the university of Geneva；
who says； in his excellent monograph on the Elberfeld horses：
〃After making him familiar with various common ideas； such as right；
left； top； bottom and so on； his master began to teach him arithmetic by the
intuitive method。 Hans was brought to a table on which were placed first
one； then two； then several small skittles。 Von Osten； kneeling beside Hans；
uttered the corresponding numbers； at the same time making him strike as
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many blows with his hoof as there were skittles on the table。 Before long；
the skittles were replaced by figures written on a blackboard。 The results
were astonishing。 The horse was capable not only of counting （that is to
say； of striking as many blows as he was asked）； but also of himself
making real calculations； of solving little problems。 。 。 。
〃But Hans could do more than mere sums： he knew how to read； he
was a musician； distinguishing between harmonious and dissonant chords。
He also had an extraordinary memory： he could tell the date of each day of
the current week。 In short； he got through all the tasks which an intelligent
schoolboy of fourteen is able to perform。〃
2
The rumour of these curious experiments soon spread； and visitors
flocked to the little stable…yard in which Von Osten kept his singular pupil
at work。 The newspapers took the matter up； and a fierce controversy
broke forth between those who believed in the genuineness of the
phenomenon and those who saw no more in it than a barefaced fraud。 A
scientific committee was appointed in 1904； consisting of professors of
psychology and physiology； of the director of a zoological garden； of a
circus manager and of veterinary surgeons and cavalry…officers。 The
committee discovered nothing suspicious； but ventured upon no
explanation。 A second committee was then appointed； numbering among
its members Herr Oskar Pfungst； of the Berlin psychological laboratory。
Herr Pfungst； after a long series of experiments； drew up a voluminous
and crushing report； in which he maintained that the horse was gifted with
no intelligence； that it did not recognize either letters or figures； that it
really knew neither how to calculate nor how to count； but merely obeyed
the imperceptible； infinitesimal and unconscious signs which escaped
from its master。
Public opinion veered round suddenly and completely。 People felt a
sort of half…cowardly relief at beholding the prompt collapse of a miracle
which was threatening to throw confusion into the self satisfied little fold
of established truths。 Poor Von Osten protested in vain： no one listened to
him； the verdict was given。 He never recovered from this official blow； he
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became the laughing…stock of all those whom he had at first astounded；
and he died； lonely and embittered； on the 29th of June； 1909； at the age of
seventy…one。
3
But he left a disciple whose faith had not been shaken by the general
defection。 A well…to…do Elberfeld manufacturer； Herr Krall； had taken a
great interest in Von Osten's labours and； during the latter years of the old
man's life； had eagerly followed and even on occasion directed the
education of the wonderful stallion。 Von Osten left Kluge Hans to him by
will； on his own side； Krall had bought two Arab stallions； Mohammed
and Zarif whose prowess soon surpassed that of the pioneer。 The whole
question was reopened； events took a vigorous and decisive turn and；
instead of a weary； eccentric old man； discouraged almost to sullenness
and with no weapons for the struggle； the critics of the miracle found
themselves faced by a new adversary； young and high…spirited； endowed
with remarkable scientific instinct； quick…witted； scholarly and well able to
defend himself。
His educational methods also differ materially from Von Osten's。 It
was a strange thing； but deep down in the rather queer； cross…grained soul
of the old enthusiast there had grown up gradually a sort of hatred for his
four…legged pupil。 He felt the stallion's proud and nervous will resisting his
with an obstinacy which he qualified as diabolical。 They stood up to each
other like two enemies： and the lessons almost assumed the form of a
tragic and secret struggle in which the animal's soul rebelled against man's
domination。
Krall； on the other hand； adores his pupils； and this atmosphere of
affection has in a manner of speaking humanized them。 There are no
longer those sudden movements of wild panic which reveal the ancestral
dread of man in the quietest and best…trained horse。 He talks to them long
and tenderly； as a father might talk to his children； and we have the strange
feeling that they listen to all that he says and understand it。 If they appear
not to grasp an explanation or a demonstration； he will begin it all over
again； analyze it； paraphrase it ten times in succession； with the patience
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of a mother。 And so their progress has been incomparably swifter and
more astounding than that of old Hans。 Within a fortnight of the first
lesson Mohammed did simple little addition and subtraction sums quite
correctly。 He had learnt to distinguish the tens from the units； striking the
latter with his right foot and the former with his left。 He knew the meaning
of the symbols plus and minus。 Four days later； he was beginning
multiplication and division。 In four months' time； he knew how to extract
square and cubic roots； and； soon after； he learnt to spell and read by
means of the conventional alphabet devised by Krall。
This alphabet； at the first glance； seems rather complicated。 For that
matter； it is only a makeshift； but how could one find anything better？ The
unfortunate horse； who is almost voiceless； has only one way in which to
express himself： a clumsy hoof； which was not created to put thought into
words。 It became necessary； therefore； to contrive； as in table…turning； a
special alphabet； in which each letter is designated by a certain number of
blows struck by the right foot and the left。 Here is the copy handed to
visitors at Elberfeld to enable them to f
