Белый клык
The Grey Cub
Asthesunwastotheoutsidedweller,thiswallwastohimthesunofhisworld. Itattractedhimasacandleattractsamoth. Hewasalwaysstrivingtoattainit. Thelifethatwassoswiftlyexpandingwithinhim,urgedhimcontinuallytowardthewalloflight. Thelifethatwaswithinhimknewthatitwastheonewayout,thewayhewaspredestinedtotread. Buthehimselfdidnotknowanythingaboutit. Hedidnotknowtherewasanyoutsideatall.
Therewasonestrangethingaboutthiswalloflight. Hisfather(hehadalreadycometorecognisehisfatherastheoneotherdwellerintheworld,acreaturelikehismother,whosleptnearthelightandwasabringerofmeat) —hisfatherhadawayofwalkingrightintothewhitefarwallanddisappearing. Thegreycubcouldnotunderstandthis. Thoughneverpermittedbyhismothertoapproachthatwall,hehadapproachedtheotherwalls, andencounteredhardobstructionontheendofhistendernose. Thishurt. Andafterseveralsuchadventures,heleftthewallsalone. Withoutthinkingaboutit,heacceptedthisdisappearingintothewallasapeculiarityofhisfather,asmilkandhalf-digestedmeatwerepeculiaritiesofhismother.
Infact,thegreycubwasnotgiventothinking—atleast,tothekindofthinkingcustomaryofmen. Hisbrainworkedindimways. Yethisconclusionswereassharpanddistinctasthoseachievedbymen. Hehadamethodofacceptingthings,withoutquestioningthewhyandwherefore. Inreality,thiswastheactofclassification. Hewasneverdisturbedoverwhyathinghappened. Howithappenedwassufficientforhim. Thus,whenhehadbumpedhisnoseontheback-wallafewtimes,heacceptedthathewouldnotdisappearintowalls. Inthesamewayheacceptedthathisfathercoulddisappearintowalls. Buthewasnotintheleastdisturbedbydesiretofindoutthereasonforthedifferencebetweenhisfatherandhimself. Logicandphysicswerenopartofhismentalmake-up.
