Машина времени
Chapter 4
‘Fruit,bytheby,wasalltheirdiet. Thesepeopleoftheremotefuturewerestrictvegetarians,andwhileIwaswiththem,inspiteofsomecarnalcravings,Ihadtobefrugivorousalso. Indeed,Ifoundafterwardsthathorses,cattle,sheep,dogs,hadfollowedtheIchthyosaurusintoextinction. Butthefruitswereverydelightful; one,inparticular,thatseemedtobeinseasonallthetimeIwasthere—aflourythinginathree-sidedhusk—wasespeciallygood,andImadeitmystaple. AtfirstIwaspuzzledbyallthesestrangefruits,andbythestrangeflowersIsaw,butlaterIbegantoperceivetheirimport.
‘However,Iamtellingyouofmyfruitdinnerinthedistantfuturenow. Sosoonasmyappetitewasalittlechecked,Ideterminedtomakearesoluteattempttolearnthespeechofthesenewmenofmine. Clearlythatwasthenextthingtodo. Thefruitsseemedaconvenientthingtobeginupon,andholdingoneoftheseupIbeganaseriesofinterrogativesoundsandgestures. Ihadsomeconsiderabledifficultyinconveyingmymeaning. Atfirstmyeffortsmetwithastareofsurpriseorinextinguishablelaughter,butpresentlyafair-hairedlittlecreatureseemedtograspmyintentionandrepeatedaname. Theyhadtochatterandexplainthebusinessatgreatlengthtoeachother,andmyfirstattemptstomaketheexquisitelittlesoundsoftheirlanguagecausedanimmenseamountofamusement. However,Ifeltlikeaschoolmasteramidstchildren,andpersisted,andpresentlyIhadascoreofnounsubstantivesatleastatmycommand; andthenIgottodemonstrativepronouns,andeventheverb"toeat." Butitwasslowwork,andthelittlepeoplesoontiredandwantedtogetawayfrommyinterrogations,soIdetermined,ratherofnecessity,toletthemgivetheirlessonsinlittledoseswhentheyfeltinclined. AndverylittledosesIfoundtheywerebeforelong,forInevermetpeoplemoreindolentormoreeasilyfatigued.
