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Page 2
It had been in April the great change had occurred. There had been all
kinds of rumours. The first that had been suspected had been when God
had failed to come for His customary walk; the next had been when He had
arrived with His face hidden in anger. The trees of Eden had bent and
clashed as if a strong wind were blowing. Everything living that was not
rooted, had run away to hide. Nevertheless, when God had called to the
Man, they had tiptoed nearer to listen. The trouble had seemed to be
about some fruit. God had told the Man that he must not pluck it; he had
not only plucked it, but had eaten of it. So had the Woman. It had
seemed a small matter to make such a fuss about. They had supposed that
God's anger would soon blow over and that everything would be again as
friendly as before.
[Illustration: God had given the Man and Woman no time to pack. He had
marched them beyond the walls and locked the golden gates of Eden
against them forever.]
And so everything might have been had it not been for the Man. Instead
of saying he was sorry, he had started to argue and blame the Woman. At
that God had refused to speak with him longer. He had ordered the Man
and Woman and all the animals to leave Eden immediately. He had given
them no time to pack. Lining them up like soldiers, He had numbered them
to make certain that none were missing and then, with the Man and Woman
leading, had marched them beyond the walls and locked the golden gates
of Eden against them forever.
Since then all had been privation and confusion. The animals, from
regarding the Man as their lord, had grown to despise him. They had
blamed him for their misfortunes. They had told him that it was his
fault that they had lost their happiness and that God walked the earth
no more. The woman had told him so most particularly. Of all the created
world only the dog and the robin had remained faithful to him. The dog
slept across his feet at night to keep them warm and the robin sang to
him each dawn that he should not lose courage.
III
Through the world's first summer things had not been so bad, though of
course the wilderness that grew outside of Eden was not so comfortable
as the garden they had lost. In the garden no one had needed to work:
food had grown on the trees to one's hand and, because it was so
sheltered, the weather had been always pleasant. It hadn't been
necessary to wear clothing; it hadn't been necessary to build houses,
for it had never rained. Birds hadn't troubled to make nests, nor
rabbits to dig warrens. Everybody had felt perfectly safe to sleep
out-of-doors, wherever he happened to find himself, without a thought
of protection.
Here in the wilderness it was different. There were no paths. The jungle
grew up tall and threatening. Thorns leant out to tear one's flesh. If
it hadn't been for the elephant uprooting trees in his fits of temper,
no one would have been able to travel anywhere. One by one the animals
slunk away and began to lead their own lives independently, making lairs
for themselves. Every day that went by they avoided the Man and Woman
more and more. At first they used to peep out of the thicket to jeer at
their helplessness; soon they learnt to disregard them as if they were
not there. From having believed himself to be the wisest of living
creatures the Man discovered himself to be the most incompetent. Often
and often he would creep to the gold-locked gates and peer between the
bars, hoping to see God walking there as formerly. But God walked no
more. As He had climbed back into Heaven, He had destroyed the sky-blue
stairs behind Him. There was no way in which the Man could reach Him to
ask His advice or pardon.
But it was the Woman who caused the Man most unhappiness. It wasn't that
she despised and blamed him. He'd grown used to that since leaving Eden.
Everybody, except the dog and the robin, despised and blamed him. The
Woman caused him unhappiness because she was unwell--really unwell; not
just an upset stomach or a headache. In Eden she had always been strong
and beautiful, like sunlight leaping on the smooth, green lawn--so white
and pink and darting. Her long gold hair had swayed about her like a
flame; her white arms had parted it as though she were a swimmer. Her
eyes had been shy and merry from dawn to dusk. She had been a darling;
never a cross word had she spoken. The furry creatures of the woods had
been her playmates and the birds had perched upon her shoulders to sing
their finest songs.
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