Chapter 8

We commonly say in the trade that the most dangerous animal in a zoo is Man. In a general way we mean how our species' excessive predatoriness has made the entire planet our prey. More specifically, we have in mind the people who feed fishhooks to the otters, razors to the bears, apples with small nails in them to the elephants and hardware variations on the theme: ballpoint pens, paper clips, safety pins, rubber bands, combs, coffee spoons, horseshoes, pieces of broken glass, rings, brooches and other jewellery (and not just cheap plastic bangles: gold wedding bands, too), drinking straws, plastic cutlery, ping-pong balls, tennis balls and so on. The obituary of zoo animals that have died from being fed foreign bodies would include gorillas, bison, storks, rheas, ostriches, seals, sea lions, big cats, bears, camels, elephants, monkeys, and most every variety of deer, ruminant and songbird. Among zookeepers, Goliath's death is famous; he was a bull elephant seal, a great big venerable beast of two tons, star of his European zoo, loved by all visitors. He died of internal bleeding after someone fed him a broken beer bottle.

The cruelty is often more active and direct. The literature contains reports on the many torments inflicted upon zoo animals: a shoebill dying of shock after having its beak smashed with a hammer; a moose stag losing its beard, along with a strip of flesh the size of an index finger, to a visitor's knife (this same moose was poisoned six months later); a monkey's arm broken after reaching out for proffered nuts; a deer's antlers attacked with a hacksaw; a zebra stabbed with a sword; and other assaults on other animals, with walking sticks, umbrellas, hairpins, knitting needles, scissors and whatnot, often with an aim to taking an eye out or to injuring sexual parts. Animals are also poisoned. And there are indecencies even more bizarre: onanists breaking a sweat on monkeys, ponies, birds; a religious freak who cut a snake's head off; a deranged man who took to urinating in an elk's mouth.

At Pondicherry we were relatively fortunate. We were spared the sadists who plied European and American zoos. Nonetheless, our golden agouti vanished, stolen by someone who ate it, Father suspected. Various birds - pheasants, peacocks, macaws - lost feathers to people greedy for their beauty. We caught a man with a knife climbing into the pen for mouse deer; he said he was going to punish evil Ravana (who in the Ramayana took the form of a deer when he kidnapped Sita, Rama's consort). Another man was nabbed in the process of stealing a cobra. He was a snake charmer whose own snake had died. Both were saved: the cobra from a life of servitude and bad music, and the man from a possible death bite. We had to deal on occasion with stone throwers, who found the animals too placid and wanted a reaction. And we had the lady whose sari was caught by a lion. She spun like a yo-yo, choosing mortal embarrassment over mortal end. The thing was, it wasn't even an accident. She had leaned over, thrust her hand in the cage and waved the end of her sari in the lion's face, with what intent we never figured out. She was not injured; there were many fascinated men who came to her assistance. Her flustered explanation to Father was, "Whoever heard of a lion eating a cotton sari? I thought lions were carnivores." Our worst troublemakers were the visitors who gave food to the animals. Despite our vigilance, Dr. Atal, the zoo veterinarian, could tell by the number of animals with digestive disturbances which had been the busy days at the zoo. He called "tidbit-itis" the cases of enteritis or gastritis due to too many carbohydrates, especially sugar. Sometimes we wished people had stuck to sweets. People have a notion that animals can eat anything without the least consequence to their health. Not so. One of our sloth bears became seriously ill with severe hemorrhagic enteritis after being given fish that had gone putrid by a man who was convinced he was doing a good deed.

Just beyond the ticket booth Father had painted on a wall in bright red letters the question:

Do You Know Which is the Most Dangerous Animal in the Zoo?

An arrow pointed to a small curtain. There were so many eager, curious hands that pulled at the curtain that we had to replace it regularly. Behind it was a mirror.

But I learned at my expense that Father believed there was another animal even more dangerous than us, and one that was extremely common, too, found on every continent, in every habitat: the redoubtable species Animalus anthropomorphicus, the animal as seen through human eyes. We've all met one, perhaps even owned one. It is an animal that is "cute," "friendly," "loving," "devoted," "merry," "understanding." These animals lie in ambush in every toy store and children's zoo. Countless stories are told of them. They are the pendants of those "vicious," "bloodthirsty," "depraved" animals that inflame the ire of the maniacs I have just mentioned, who vent their spite on them with walking sticks and umbrellas.

In both cases we look at an animal and see a mirror. The obsession with putting ourselves at the centre of everything is the bane not only of theologians but also of zoologists.

I learned the lesson that an animal is an animal, essentially and practically removed from us, twice: once with Father and once with Richard Parker.

It was on a Sunday morning. I was quietly playing on my own. Father called out.

"Children, come here."

Something was wrong. His tone of voice set off a small alarm bell in my head. I quickly reviewed my conscience. It was clear. Ravi must be in trouble again. I wondered what he had done this time. I walked into the living room. Mother was there. That was unusual. The disciplining of children, like the tending of animals, was generally left to Father. Ravi walked in last, guilt written all over his criminal face.

"Ravi, Piscine, I have a very important lesson for you today."

"Oh really, is this necessary?" interrupted Mother. Her face was flushed.

I swallowed. If Mother, normally so unruffled, so calm, was worried, even upset, it meant we were in serious trouble. I exchanged glances with Ravi.

"Yes, it is," said Father, annoyed. "It may very well save their lives."

Save our lives! It was no longer a small alarm bell that was ringing in my head - they were big bells now, like the ones we heard from Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, not far from the zoo.

"But Piscine? He's only eight," Mother insisted.

"He's the one who worries me the most."

"I'm innocent!" I burst out. "It's Ravi's fault, whatever it is. He did it!"

"What?" said Ravi. "I haven't done anything wrong." He gave me the evil eye.

"Shush!" said Father, raising his hand. He was looking at Mother. "Gita, you've seen Piscine. He's at that age when boys run around and poke their noses everywhere."

Me? A run-arounder? An everywhere-nose-poker? Not so, not so! Defend me, Mother, defend me, I implored in my heart. But she only sighed and nodded, a signal that the terrible business could proceed.

"Come with me," said Father.

We set out like prisoners off to their execution.

We left the house, went through the gate, entered the zoo. It was early and the zoo hadn't opened yet to the public. Animal keepers and groundskeepers were going about their work. I noticed Sitaram, who oversaw the orang-utans, my favourite keeper. He paused to watch us go by. We passed birds, bears, apes, monkeys, ungulates, the terrarium house, the rhinos, the elephants, the giraffes.

We came to the big cats, our tigers, lions and leopards. Babu, their keeper, was waiting for us. We went round and down the path, and he unlocked the door to the cat house, which was at the centre of a moated island. We entered. It was a vast and dim cement cavern, circular in shape, warm and humid, and smelling of cat urine. All around were great big cages divided up by thick, green, iron bars. A yellowish light filtered down from the skylights. Through the cage exits we could see the vegetation of the surrounding island, flooded with sunlight. The cages were empty - save one: Mahisha, our Bengal tiger patriarch, a lanky, hulking beast of 550 pounds, had been detained. As soon as we stepped in, he loped up to the bars of his cage and set off a full-throated snarl, ears flat against his skull and round eyes fixed on Babu. The sound was so loud and fierce it seemed to shake the whole cat house. My knees started quaking. I got close to Mother. She was trembling, too. Even Father seemed to pause and steady himself. Only Babu was indifferent to the outburst and to the searing stare that bored into him like a drill. He had a tested trust in iron bars. Mahisha started pacing to and fro against the limits of his cage.

Father turned to us. "What animal is this?" he bellowed above Mahisha's snarling.

"It's a tiger," Ravi and I answered in unison, obediently pointing out the blindingly obvious.

"Are tigers dangerous?"

"Yes, Father, tigers are dangerous."

"Tigers are very dangerous," Father shouted. "I want you to understand that you are never - under any circumstances - to touch a tiger, to pet a tiger, to put your hands through the bars of a cage, even to get close to a cage. Is that clear? Ravi?"

Ravi nodded vigorously.

"Piscine?"

I nodded even more vigorously.

He kept his eyes on me.

I nodded so hard I'm surprised my neck didn't snap and my head fall to the floor.

I would like to say in my own defence that though I may have anthropomorphized the animals till they spoke fluent English, the pheasants complaining in uppity British accents of their tea being cold and the baboons planning their bank robbery getaway in the flat, menacing tones of American gangsters, the fancy was always conscious. I quite deliberately dressed wild animals in tame costumes of my imagination. But I never deluded myself as to the real nature of my playmates. My poking nose had more sense than that. I don't know where Father got the idea that his youngest son was itching to step into a cage with a ferocious carnivore. But wherever the strange worry came from - and Father was a worrier - he was clearly determined to rid himself of it that very morning.

"I'm going to show you how dangerous tigers are," he continued. "I want you to remember this lesson for the rest of your lives."

He turned to Babu and nodded. Babu left. Malahisha's eyes followed him and did not move from the door he disappeared through. He returned a few seconds later carrying a goat with its legs tied. Mother gripped me from behind. Mahihisha's snarl turned into a growl deep in the throat.

Babu unlocked, opened, entered, closed and locked a cage next to the tiger's cage. Bars and a trapdoor separated the two. Immediately Mahisha was up against the dividing bars, pawing them. To his growling he now added explosive, arrested woofs. Babu placed the goat on the floor; its flanks were heaving violently, its tongue hung from its mouth, and its eyes were spinning orbs. He untied its legs. The goat got to its feet. Babu exited the cage in the same careful way he had entered it. The cage had two floors, one level with us, the other at the back, higher by about three feet, that led outside to the island. The goat scrambled to this second level. Mahisha, now unconcerned with Babu, paralleled the move in his cage in a fluid, effortless motion. He crouched and lay still, his slowly moving tail the only sign of tension.

Babu stepped up to the trapdoor between the cages and started pulling it open. In anticipation of satisfaction, Mahisha fell silent. I heard two things at that moment: Father saying "Never forget this lesson" as he looked on grimly; and the bleating of the goat. It must have been bleating all along, only we couldn't hear it before.

I could feel Mother's hand pressed against my pounding heart.

The trapdoor resisted with sharp cries. Mahisha was beside himself - he looked as if he were about to burst through the bars. He seemed to hesitate between staying where he was, at the place where his prey was closest but most certainly out of reach, and moving to the ground level, further away but where the trapdoor was located. He raised himself and started snarling again.

The goat started to jump. It jumped to amazing heights. I had no idea a goat could jump so high. But the back of the cage was a high and smooth cement wall.

With sudden ease the trapdoor slid open. Silence fell again, except for bleating and the click-click of the goat's hooves against the floor.

A streak of black and orange flowed from one cage to the next.

Normally the big cats were not given food one day a week, to simulate conditions in the wild. We found out later that Father had ordered that Mahisha not be fed for three days.

I don't know if I saw blood before turning into Mother's arms or if I daubed it on later, in my memory, with a big brush. But I heard. It was enoiugh to scare the living vegetarian daylights out of me. Mother bundled us out. We were in hysterics. She was incensed.

"How could you, Santosh? They're children! They'll be scarred for the rest of their lives."

Her voice was hot and tremulous. I could see she had tears in her eyes. I felt better.

"Gita, my bird, it's for their sake. What if Piscine had stuck his hand through the bars of the cage one day to touch the pretty orange fur? Better a goat than him, no?"

His voice was soft, nearly a whisper. He looked contrite. He never called her "my bird" in front of us.

We were huddled around her. He joined us. But the lesson was not over, though it was gentler after that.

Father led us to the lions and leopards.

"Once there was a madman in Australia who was a black belt in karate. He wanted to prove himself against the lions. He lost. Badly. The keepers found only half his body in the morning."

"Yes, Father."

The Himalayan bears and the sloth bears.

"One strike of the claws from these cuddly creatures and your innards will be scooped out and splattered all over the ground."

"Yes, Father."

The hippos.

"With those soft, flabby mouths of theirs they'll crush your body to a bloody pulp. On land they can outrun you."

"Yes, Father."

The hyenas.

"The strongest jaws in nature. Don't think that they're cowardly or that they only eat carrion. They're not and they don't! They'll start eating you while you're still alive."

"Yes, Father."

The orang-utans.

"As strong as ten men. They'll break your bones as if they were twigs. I know some of them were once pets and you played with them when they were small. But now they're grown-up and wild and unpredictable."

"Yes, Father."

The ostrich.

"Looks flustered and silly, doesn't it? Listen up: it's one of the most dangerous animals in a zoo. Just one kick and your back is broken or your torso is crushed."

"Yes, Father."

The spotted deer.

"So pretty, aren't they? If the male feels he has to, he'll charge you and those short little antlers will pierce you like daggers."

"Yes, Father."

The Arabian camel.

"One slobbering bite and you've lost a chunk of flesh."

"Yes, Father."

The black swans.

"With their beaks they'll crack your skull. With their wings they'll break your arms."

"Yes, Father."

The smaller birds.

"They'll cut through your fingers with their beaks as if they were butter."

"Yes, Father."

The elephants.

"The most dangerous animal of all. More keepers and visitors are killed by elephants than by any other animal in a zoo. A young elephant will most likely dismember you and trample your body parts flat. That's what happened to one poor lost soul in a European zoo who got into the elephant house through a window. An older, more patient animal will squeeze you against a wall or sit on you. Sounds funny - but think about it!"

"Yes, Father."

"There are animals we haven't stopped by. Don't think they're harmless. Life will defend itself no matter how small it is. Every animal is ferocious and dangerous. It may not kill you, but it will certainly injure you. It will scratch you and bite you, and you can look forward to a swollen, pus-filled infection, a high fever and a ten-day stay in the hospital."

"Yes, Father."

We came to the guinea pigs, the only other animals besides Mahisha to have been starved at Father's orders, having been denied their previous evening's meal. Father unlocked the cage. He brought out a bag of feed from his pocket and emptied it on the floor.

"You see these guinea pigs?"

"Yes, Father."

The creatures were trembling with weakness as they frantically nibbled their kernels of corn.

"Well..." He leaned down and scooped one up. "They're not dangerous." The other guinea pigs scattered instantly.

Father laughed. He handed me the squealing guinea pig. He meant to end on a light note.

The guinea pig rested in my arms tensely. It was a young one. I went to the cage and carefully lowered it to the floor. It rushed to its mother's side. The only reason these guinea pigs weren't dangerous - didn't draw blood with their teeth and claws - was that they were practically domesticated. Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade.

The lesson was over. Ravi and I sulked and gave Father the cold shoulder for a week. Mother ignored him too. When I went by the rhinoceros pit I fancied the rhinos' heads were hung low with sadness over the loss of one of their dear companions.

But what can you do when you love your father? Life goes on and you don't touch tigers. Except that now, for having accused Ravi of an unspecified crime he hadn't committed, I was as good as dead. In years subsequent, when he was in the mood to terrorize me, he would whisper to me, "Just wait till we're alone. You're the next goat!"

 第八章

    我们这一行通常说动物园里最危险的动物就是人。这句话的大概意思是，人类过度的掠夺性使整座星球都成了我们的猎物。更具体地说，我们想到的是这么一些人， 他们给水獭喂鱼钩，给熊喂剃须刀，给大象喂里面有小钉子的苹果，给动物喂各种五金制品：圆珠笔、回形针、安全别针、橡皮筋、梳子、咖啡勺、马蹄铁、碎玻璃 片、戒指、胸针和其他珠宝（而且不只是便宜的塑料手镯：也有结婚金戒指）、吸管、妲料刀具、乒乓球、网球，等等。讣告上由于被人喂了异物而死亡的动物园里 的动物包括长颈鹿、野牛、鹳、美洲驼、鸵鸟、海豹、海狮、大型猫科动物、熊、骆驼、大象、猴子以及几乎所有种类的鹿、反刍动物和燕雀。动物饲养员都知道哥 利亚之死；他是一头雄海象，一头体重两吨的庞大的珍贵野兽，是他所在的欧洲动物园的明星，受到所有游客的喜爱。他在吃了一个人喂他的破啤酒瓶之后死于内出 血。

    这样的残忍常常更加主动、直接。文献记载了动物园里的动物遭受各种折磨的报告：一只鲸头鹳在嘴被一把锤子砸烂以后死于休克；一头雄性麋鹿在一位游客的刀下 失去了胡须和一块食指大小的肉（这头鹿六个月后被毒死）；一只猴子伸手去拿递给它的坚果时被弄断了胳膊；一买鹿的角遭到了钢锯的袭击；一匹斑马被剑刺中； 还有用其他东西，包括手杖、雨伞、发夹、缝衣针、剪刀和诸．如此类的东西，对其他动物进行的攻击．，目的通常是要挖出一只眼睛，或者伤害性器官。动物也会 被投毒。还有其他甚至更加古怪的下流行为：手淫者在猴子、驴子和小鸟面前干得大汗淋漓；个宗教狂割下了一条蛇的头；一个疯子喜欢上了  在本地治里，我们相对幸运一些。我们没有不断攻击欧洲和美洲动物园的虐待狂。尽管如此，我们的金色刺豚鼠还是不见了，父亲怀疑是被人偷去吃掉了。各种鸟 ——雉鸡、孔雀、金刚鹦鹉——在贪图它们美丽的人手里丢了羽毛。我们曾经抓住一个拿着一把刀爬进鼷鹿圈的人；他说他要惩罚邪恶的罗波那（罗波那，印度神话 中的十首魔王。）（他在<罗摩衍那>里变成鹿，绑架了罗摩的配偶悉多）。还有一个人在偷一条眼镜蛇时被当场捉住。他是个耍蛇人，自己的蛇死 了。他和蛇都得救了：眼镜蛇不用去过受奴役的生活，忍受糟糕的音乐，而人则避免了可能被蛇咬到的那致命的一口。有时我们得对付扔石头的人，他们认为动物太 平静了，想要得到反应。有一位女士的莎丽（印度妇女用以裹身包头或裹身披肩的蔓段布或绸。）被一头狮子抓住了。在极度尴尬和死亡之间她选择了前者，像一只 玩具转线盘一样打着转。事实是，这甚至不是个意外。她向前凑过身子，把手伸进笼子里，在狮子面前晃动着莎丽的一端，这是出于什么目的，我们一直没弄明白。 她没有受伤；很多被这一情景吸引的人来帮她。她红着脸对父亲做出的解释是：“谁听说过狮子吃棉莎丽？我以为狮子是食肉动物呢。”最捣乱的是那些给动物喂食 的人。尽管我们很警惕，动物园的兽医阿塔尔医生还是能根据有消化问题的动韧数量来判断哪一天是动物园游客最多的一天。他把由于吃了太多的碳水化合物，尤其 是太多的糖，而得的肠炎和胃炎叫做“美味炎”。有时候我们希望人们只喂甜食。人们有一种看法，认为动物可以吃任何东西，却不会有健康问题。并非如此。我们 的一只懒熊吃了一个人给它的腐烂的鱼以后因为肠子大出血而病得很严重，己是在做好事。

    就在售票处旁边，父亲用鲜红的字在墙上写道：你们知道动物园里量危险的动物是什么吗？一支箭头指向一道小小的帘子。有那么多只急切好奇的手去拉开帘子，我们不得不定期更换帘子。帘子后面是一面镜子。

    但是我付出了代价，了解到父亲相信还有一种动物甚至比我们更加危险，而且这种动物非常常见，在每一座大陆上，每一处栖息地都有：可怕的物种 Animalus  anthropomorphicus①（①作者仿照拉丁文构词法自造的词，意即-具有人形状的动物”。），即人眼里的动物。我们都遇见过这种动物，也许甚 至还养过一只。这是一种“漂亮”、“友好”、“可爱”、“忠诚”、“快乐”、“善解人意”的动物。这些动物埋伏在每一家玩具店和儿童动物园里。关于它们的 故事数也数不清。它们是那些“邪恶”、“嗜血’’、“堕落”的动物的补充，后者燃起了我刚才提到的那些疯子的怒火，他们用手杖和雨伞对它们发泄怨恨。在两 种情况下，我们都在看一只动物时看到了一面镜子。痴迷于把我们自己置于一切的中心，这不仅是神学家的灾祸，也是动物学家的灾祸。

    动物就是动物，无论是在本质上还是在实际上都与我们迥然不同，我两次得到这一教训：一次从父亲那里，一次从理查德·帕克那里。

    那是一个星朔天的早晨。我正安静地独自玩耍。父亲叫我们了。

    “孩子们，到这儿来。"

    出了什么事了。他的语调在我脑子里拉响了一只小警钟。我迅速回顾了一遍自己的良心。它是清白的。拉维肯定又惹祸了。我不知道这次他做了什么。我走进起居 室。母亲在那儿。这很不寻常。教训孩子和照料动物通常都是由父亲去做的。拉维最后一个进来，他那张罪犯的脸上写满了过失。

    “拉维，派西尼，今天我要给你们上非常重要的一课。"

    “噢，真的吗，这有必要吗？”母亲打断他说。她的脸红了。

    我倒吸了一口气。如果平常如此沉着、如此镇静的母亲现在却如此担心，甚至不安，那就意味着我们有大麻烦了。我和拉维交换了一下眼神。

    “是的，有必要，”父亲生气地说，“这很可能救他们的命。"

    救我们的命！现在我脑子里拉响的不是小警钟——而是大警钟，就像我们听见的从离动物园不远的耶稣圣心堂传来的钟声一样响。

    “但是派西尼呢？他只有8岁。”母亲坚持说。

    “最让我担心的就是他。"

    “我没犯锗！”我脱口叫道。“是拉维的错，不管是什么事。是他干的！”

    “什么？”拉维说。“我什么错也没犯。"他恶狠狠地瞪了我一眼。

    “嘘！”父亲举起手说。他看着母亲。“吉塔，你看见派西尼了。他这个年龄的男孩子喜欢到处乱跑，探头探脑。"

    我？到处乱跑？探头探脑？不是这样的，不是这样的！为我辩护啊，母亲，为我辩护啊，我在心里祈求道。但她只是叹口气，点了点头，表示这件可怕的事情可以继续下去了。

    “跟我来。”父亲说。

    我们出发了，就像罪犯走向刑场。

    我们离开家．穿过大门，走进动物园。时间还早，动有对游客开放。我看见西塔拉姆，他是照管猩猩的，是我最喜欢的饲养员。他停下手中的活，看着我们走过去。我们走过小鸟、熊、猿猴、猴子、有蹄类动物、陆栖小动物、犀牛、大象和长颈鹿的笼子。

    我们来到大型猫科动物——我们的老虎、狮子和豹子——的笼前。他们的饲养员巴布正等着我们。我们走过去，沿着小路朝笼子走，他打开了通向猫科动物笼舍的 门，笼舍在一座周围有深沟的小岛上。我们走了进去。那是一座很大的光线昏暗的水泥洞穴，洞是圆形的，温暖潮湿，闻上去有猫尿的气味。周围全是用很粗的绿色 铁栏杆分隔开来的高大的笼子。一束发黄的光线透过天窗照射下来。透过笼子出口，我们可以看见周围小岛上的植物，上面洒满了阳光。笼子都是空的，只有一只除 外：玛赫沙，我们的盂加拉虎元老，一只体重550磅的瘦长、笨拙的动物被关在了里面。我们一跨进去，他就跳跃着朝笼子栏杆跑过来，发出洪亮的嗥叫声，耳朵 紧贴着脑袋，圆圆的眼睛目不转睛地看着巴布。叫声那么响亮，那么凶猛，仿佛把整座笼舍都震动了。我的膝盖开始哆嗦起来。我靠紧了母亲。她也在发抖。甚至父 亲似乎也停顿了一下，稳住自己。只有巴布对突然爆发的叫声和像钻头一样直刺向他的灼热的目光无动于衷。根据经验，他对铁栏杆很信任。玛赫沙开蛤在笼子有限 的空间里走来走去。

    父亲转身面对我们。“这是什么动物？”他吼道，声音盖过了玛赫沙的嗥叫。

    “是老虎。"拉维和我异口同声地回答，顺从地指出这个显而易见的事实。

    “老虎危险吗？”

    “是的，父亲，老虎危险。"

    “老虎非常危险，’’父亲叫道，“我想要你们明白，你们永远——无论在什么情况下——都不要碰老虎，不要摸老虎，不要把手伸进笼子栏杆里，甚至不要靠近笼子。明白吗？拉维？”

    拉维用力点点头。

    “派西尼？”

    我更加用力地点点头。

    他一直看着我。

    我点头那么用力，脖子竟然没有断，头没有掉到地上，真是奇怪。

    我要为自己辩护，尽管我也许把动物人格化，直到它们能说流利的英语，雉鸡用傲慢的英国口音抱怨茶是凉的，狒狒用美国歹徒带有威胁的平板语调计划抢劫银行后 如何逃走，但我一直都知道这是幻想。我在想像中故意给野生动物披上驯服的家养动物的外衣。但我从没有在我的玩伴的真正本性方面欺骗自己。我到处乱探的头脑 还不至于那么不明智。我不知道父亲的这种想法是从哪里来的，竟会认为他的小儿子渴望和一只凶猛的食肉动物一起跨进笼子。但是无论他的奇怪担忧从何而来—— 父亲的确是个好担忧的人—-显然他已下定决心就在那天早晨消除担忧。

    “我要让你们看看老虎有多危险，”他接着说，¨我想要你们一辈子记住这堂课o"

    他转向巴布，点点头。巴布离开了。玛赫沙的目光一直追随着他，没有离开他消失在外面的那扇门。几秒钟后他回来了，手里拎着一只被捆住了脚的山羊。母亲从身后紧紧抓住了我。玛赫沙的嗥叫声变成了从深深的喉咙里发出酌吼叫声。

    巴布打开锁，打开门，走进去，关上门，锁上老虎笼旁个笼子。栏杆和活板门把两个笼子分开。玛赫沙立刻冲向隔离栏杆，开始用爪子抓栏杆。除了吼叫，他现在又 发出爆炸般的间歇的呜呜声。巴布把山羊放在了地上；山羊的体侧剧烈起伏着，舌头从嘴里伸出来，眼珠像球一样转动着。他给它的腿松了绑。山羊站了起来。巴布 和进去时一样小心翼翼地离开了笼子。笼子有两层地面，一层和我们站的地面平齐，另一层在后面，高出大约三英尺，通向外面的小岛。山羊慌慌张张地爬上了第二 层。玛赫沙现在已经不关心巴布了，他在笼子里也跳上了第二层，动作优美流畅、毫不费力。他蹲下来，一动不动地待着，只有慢慢动着的尾巴显示他很紧张。

    巴布走到两个笼子之间的活板门前，开始把门拉开。因为想到自己就要得到满足，玛赫沙不叫了。那一刻我听见了两个声音：父亲一边严厉地看着一边说“永远不要忘记这一课”的声音；山羊的咩咩叫声。它一定一直在叫，只是我们刚才听不见。

    我能感到母亲的手按在我怦怦直跳的心上。

    活板门发出刺耳的声音，拉不开来。玛赫沙极度兴奋——他看上去似乎就要穿过栏杆冲出去了。他似乎在犹豫，不知道是待在原地，那里离猎物最近，但根本抓不到：还是到下面一层去，那里离猎物远一些，但活板门就在那儿。他直立起来，又开始嗥叫。

    山羊开始跳起来。它跳得高碍惊人。我不知道山羊能跳这么高。但是笼子后面是又高又滑的水泥墙。

    活板门突然很容易地拉开了。笼子里又安静下来。只听见咩咩的叫声和山羊的蹄子踏在地上发出的咔哒咔哒声。

    一道混合着黑色和橘黄色的闪光从一只笼子闪进另一只笼子。

    为了模拟野生环境，通常一个星期里有一天动物园不给大型猫科动物喂食。后来我们知道，父亲下令饿了玛赫沙三天。

    我不知道自己是在转身扑进母亲怀里之前看见了血，还是后来用一把大刷子在记忆中抹上去的。但是我听见了。那声音足以把吃素食的我吓得六神无主。母亲匆匆把我们推了出去。我们的歇斯底里发作了。她被激怒了。

    “你怎么能这么做，桑托什？他们是孩子！他们这一辈子都会受惊吓的！”

    “吉塔，我的小鸟，这是为他们好。要是有一天派西尼把手从笼子栏杆伸进去摸漂亮的橘黄色毛怎么办？是山羊总比是他好，不是吗？”

    他的声音很轻，几乎是在耳语。他看上去后悔了。他以前从不在我们面前叫她“我的小鸟”。

    我们紧紧挤在她身边。他也和我们挤在一起。但是课还没有结束，虽然在那之后要温和一些。

    父亲把我们领到狮子和豹子笼前。

    “从前澳大利亚有个疯子，空手道黑带。他想证明自己比狮子厉害。他输了。输得很惨。早晨饲养员只发现了他的半具尸体。”

    “是的，父亲。"

    喜玛拉雅熊和懒熊。

    “这些喜欢搂搂抱抱的动物只要用爪了打你一下，你的内脏就被挖了出来，溅得满地都是。"

    “是的，父亲。"

    河马。

    “它们能用柔软松垂的嘴把你的身体挤成一堆血淋酱。在陆地上它们比你们跑得快。"

    “是的，父亲。"

    鬣狗。

    “大自然最有力的嘴巴。不要以为它们是胆小鬼，只吃腐肉。它们不是胆小鬼，它们也不只吃腐肉！它们会在你还活着的时候就开始吃你。"

    “是的，父亲。"

    猩猩。

    “力气有十个男人那么大。它们会像折断小树枝一样折断你的骨头。我知道有几只曾经是宠物，在它们还小的时候你们和它们一起玩过。但是现在它们长大了，有了野性，难以捉摸。”

    “是的，父亲。”

    鸵鸟。

    “看上去紧张不安，傻里傻气，是不是？听着：这是动物园里最危险的动物之一。它只要踢你一下，你的背就断了，或者你的身体就碎了。"

    “是的，父亲。"

    梅花鹿。

    “多么漂亮啊，是不是？如果雄鹿感到有必要，它就会朝你冲过来，那些短小的鹿角会像匕首一样把你刺穿。"

    “是的，父亲。”

    阿拉伯骆驼。

    “淌着口水的嘴咬你一口，你的一大块肉就没了。”

    “是的，父亲。"

    黑天鹅。

    “它们的嘴会啄你的头。它们的翅膀会扇断你‘的胳膊。"

    “是的，父亲。’’

    小一些的鸟。

    “它们的嘴会啄穿你的手指，就像啄黄油一样。”

    “是的，父亲。

    大象。

    “最危险的动物。被大象杀死的饲养员和游客比被动物园任何其他动物杀死的都要多。幼象很可能把你撕碎，把你的尸体踩扁。这就是发生在欧洲一个从窗户爬进象 舍的可怜的迷失的灵魂身上的事。岁数大一些的，耐心好一些的象会把你挤在墙上，或者坐在你身上。听上去很好笑？但是想想吧！"

    “是的，父亲。"

    “还有我们没有停下来看的动物。不要以为它们就是无害的。生命会保卫自己，无论是多么小的生命。每一种动物都很凶猛，很危险。也许它不会杀死你，但是它一定会伤害你。它会抓你咬你，你的伤口会肿起来，流脓，感染，你会发高烧，在医院里住十天。”

    “是的，父亲。

    我们来到豚鼠笼前，它们是除了玛赫沙之外惟一按照父亲的命令没有被喂食的动物。前一天晚上它们没有吃食。父亲打开笼门。他从口袋里拿出一袋饲料，全部倒在地上。

    “你们看见这些豚鼠了吗？”

    “是的，父亲。”

    这些动物一边发狂般的啃着玉米粒，一边因为虚弱而颤抖着。

    “啊……”他身体前倾，捧起一只。“它们没有危险。”其他豚鼠立即四散逃开。

    父亲大笑起来。他把吱吱叫的豚鼠交给这堂课。

    豚鼠紧张地待在我怀里。那是只幼鼠。我走到笼边，小心地把它放在地上。它迅速跑到了妈妈身边。这些豚鼠不危险——不会用牙齿和爪子让人流血的惟一原因是它们实际上已经被驯服了。否则，空手抓野豚鼠就像抓刀刃。

    课结束了。拉维和我闷闷不乐，冷淡了父亲一个星期。母亲也不理他。．经过犀牛栏的时候，我想像它们正因为失去了一个最亲爱的朋友而伤心地低垂着头呢。

    但是如果你爱自己的父亲，你能怎么办呢？生活在继续，你不去碰老虎。只是现在，因为谴责拉维犯了某件他没有犯的、我未能具体指明的错，我的麻烦大了o在那之后的几年里，当他想要吓唬我的时候，就会低声对我说：“你就等着我们单独在一起的时候吧。你就是下一只山羊！”