Life's Handicap: Being Stories of Mine Own PeopleKipling, Rudyard
History
Life's Handicap: Being Stories of Mine Own People
Kipling, Rudyard
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction; India -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, English
‘His wife was not in der garden, und Bimi did not come when Bertran
called. Und his wife did not come when he called, und he knocked at her
bedroom door und dot was shut tight--locked. Den he look at me, und his
face was white. I broke down der door mit my shoulder, und der thatch of
der roof was torn into a great hole, und der sun came in upon der floor.
Haf you ever seen paper in der waste-basket, or cards at whist on der
table scattered? Dere was no wife dot could be seen. I tell you dere was
nodings in dot room dot might be a woman. Dere was stuff on der floor
und dot was all. I looked at dese things und I was very sick; but
Bertran looked a liddle longer at what was upon the floor und der walls,
und der hole in der thatch. Den he pegan to laugh, soft und low, und I
knew und thank Gott dot he was mad. He nefer cried, he nefer prayed. He
stood all still in der doorway und laugh to himself. Den he said, “She
haf locked herself in dis room, and he haf torn up der thatch. Fi donc!
Dot is so. We will mend der thatch und wait for Bimi. He will surely
come.”
‘I tell you we waited ten days in dot house, after der room was made
into a room again, und once or twice we saw Bimi comin’ a liddle way
from der woods. He was afraid pecause he haf done wrong. Bertran called
him when he was come to look on the tenth day, und Bimi come skipping
along der beach und making noises, mit a long piece of black hair in his
hands. Den Bertran laugh and say, “Fi donc!” shust as if it was a glass
broken upon der table; und Bimi come nearer, und Bertran was honey-sweet
in his voice und laughed to himself. For three days he made love to
Bimi, pecause Bimi would not let himself be touched. Den Bimi come to
dinner at der same table mit us, und the hair on his hands was all black
und thick mit-mit what had dried on der hands. Bertran gave him sangaree
till Bimi was drunk and stupid, und den----’
Hans paused to puff at his cigar.
‘And then?’ said I.
‘Und den Bertran he kill him mit his hands, und I go for a walk upon der
beach. It was Bertran’s own piziness. When I come back der ape he was
dead, und Bertran he was dying abofe him; but still he laughed liddle
und low und he was quite content. Now you know der formula of der
strength of der orang-outang--it is more as seven to one in relation to
man. But Bertran, he haf killed Bimi mit sooch dings as Gott gif him.
Dot was der miracle.’
The infernal clamour in the cage recommenced. ‘Aha! Dot friend of ours
haf still too much Ego in his Cosmos. Be quiet, dou!’
Hans hissed long and venomously. We could hear the great beast quaking
in his cage.
‘But why in the world didn’t you help Bertran instead of letting him be
killed?’ I asked.
‘My friend,’ said Hans, composedly stretching himself to slumber, ‘it
was not nice even to mineself dot I should live after I haf seen dot
room mit der hole in der thatch. Und Bertran, he was her husband.
Goot-night, und--sleep well.’
MOTI GUJ--MUTINEER
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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