До Адама

           Intheintervalsofpandemonium,eachchattered,cutup,hooted,screeched,anddanced,himselfsufficientuntohimself,filledwithhisownideasandvolitionstotheexclusionofallothers,averitablecentreoftheuniverse,divorcedforthetimebeingfromanyunanimitywiththeotheruniverse-centresleapingandyellingaroundhim.Thenwouldcometherhythm—aclappingofhands;thebeatingofastickuponalog;theexampleofonethatleapedwithrepetitions;orthechantingofonethatuttered,explosivelyandregularly,withinflectionthatroseandfell,“A-bang,a-bang!A-bang,a-bang!”Oneafteranotheroftheself-centredFolkwouldyieldtoit,andsoonallwouldbedancingorchantinginchorus.“Ha-ah,ha-ah,ha-ah-ha!”wasoneofourfavoritechoruses,andanotherwas,“Eh-wah,eh-wah,eh-wah-hah!”

           Andso,withmadantics,leaping,reeling,andover-balancing,wedancedandsanginthesombretwilightoftheprimevalworld,inducingforgetfulness,achievingunanimity,andworkingourselvesupintosensuousfrenzy.AndsoitwasthatourrageagainstRed-Eyewassoothedawaybyart,andwescreamedthewildchorusesofthehee-heecounciluntilthenightwarnedusofitsterrors,andwecreptawaytoourholesintherocks,callingsoftlytooneanother,whilethestarscameoutanddarknesssettleddown.

           Wewereafraidonlyofthedark.Wehadnogermsofreligion,noconceptionsofanunseenworld.Weknewonlytherealworld,andthethingswefearedweretherealthings,theconcretedangers,theflesh-and-bloodanimalsthatpreyed