Белый клык
The Wall of the World
Also,andquiteasamatterofcourse,asthoughinhislifehehadalreadymadeathousandtoilets, heproceededtolickawaythedryclaythatsoiledhim.
Afterthathesatupandgazedabouthim,asmightthefirstmanoftheearthwholandeduponMars. Thecubhadbrokenthroughthewalloftheworld,theunknownhadletgoitsholdofhim,andherehewaswithouthurt. ButthefirstmanonMarswouldhaveexperiencedlessunfamiliaritythandidhe. Withoutanyantecedentknowledge,withoutanywarningwhateverthatsuchexisted,hefoundhimselfanexplorerinatotallynewworld.
Nowthattheterribleunknownhadletgoofhim,heforgotthattheunknownhadanyterrors. Hewasawareonlyofcuriosityinallthethingsabouthim. Heinspectedthegrassbeneathhim,themoss-berryplantjustbeyond, andthedeadtrunkoftheblastedpinethatstoodontheedgeofanopenspaceamongthetrees. Asquirrel,runningaroundthebaseofthetrunk,camefulluponhim,andgavehimagreatfright. Hecowereddownandsnarled. Butthesquirrelwasasbadlyscared. Itranupthetree,andfromapointofsafetychatteredbacksavagely.
Thishelpedthecub’scourage,andthoughthewoodpeckerhenextencounteredgavehimastart,heproceededconfidentlyonhisway. Suchwashisconfidence,thatwhenamoose-birdimpudentlyhoppeduptohim,hereachedoutatitwithaplayfulpaw. Theresultwasasharppeckontheendofhisnosethatmadehimcowerdownandki-yi. Thenoisehemadewastoomuchforthemoose-bird,whosoughtsafetyinflight.
Butthecubwaslearning. Hismistylittlemindhadalreadymadeanunconsciousclassification. Therewerelivethingsandthingsnotalive. Also,hemustwatchoutforthelivethings.
