按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
en were eating with the children of his first wife。
〃Did she ask you to feed them before she went？〃
〃Yes；〃 lied Nwoye's mother； trying to minimize Ojiugo's thoughtlessness。
Okonkwo knew she was not speaking the truth。 He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo's return。 And when she returned he beat her very heavily。 In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace。 His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week。
But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half…way through； not even for fear of a goddess。
Okonkwo's neighbors heard his wife crying and sent their voices over the pound walls to ask what was the matter。 Some of them came over to see for themselves。 It was unheard of to beat somebody during the sacred week。
Before it was dusk Ezeani； who was the priest of the earth goddess； Ani； called on Okonkwo in his obi。 Okonkwo brought out kola nut and placed it before the priest；
〃Take away your kola nut。 I shall not eat in the house of a man who has no respect for our gods and ancestors。〃
Okonkwo tried to explain to him what his wife had done； but Ezeani seemed to pay no attention。 He held a short staff in his hand which he brought down on the floor to emphasize his points。
〃Listen to me；〃 he said when Okonkwo had spoken。 〃You are not a stranger in Umuofia。 You know as well as I do that our forefathers ordained that before we plant any crops in the earth we should observe a week in which a man does not say a harsh word to his neighbor。 We live in peace with our fellows to honor our great goddess of the earth without whose blessing our crops will not grow。 You have mitted a great evil。〃 He brought down his staff heavily on the floor。 〃Your wife was at fault； but even if you came into your obi and found her lover on top of her； you would still have mitted a great evil to beat her。〃 His staff came down again。 〃The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan。 The earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase； and we shall all perish。〃 His tone now changed from anger to mand。 〃You will bring to the shrine of Ani tomorrow one she…goat； one hen； a length of cloth and a hundred cowries。〃 He rose and left the hut。
Okonkwo did as the priest said。 He also took with him a pot of palm…wine。 Inwardly； he was repentant。 But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error。 And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan。 His enemies said his good fortune had gone to his head。 They called him the little bird nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal that he challenged his chi。
No work was done during the Week of Peace。 People called on their neighbors and drank palm…wine。 This year they talked of nothing else but the nso…ani which Okonkwo had mitted。 It was the first time for many years that a man had broken the sacred peace。 Even the oldest men could only remember one or two other occasions somewhere in the dim past。
Ogbuefi Ezeudu； who was the oldest man in the village； was telling two other men who came to visit him that the punishment for breaking the Peace of Ani had bee very mild in their clan。
〃It has not always been so；〃 he said。 〃My father told me that he had been told that in the past a man who broke the peace was dragged on the ground through the village until he died。 But after a while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the peace which it was meant to preserve。〃
〃Somebody told me yesterday；〃 said one of the younger men； 〃that in some clans it is an abomination for a man to die during the Week of Peace。〃
〃It is indeed true；〃 said Ogbuefi Ezeudu。 〃They have that custom in Obodoani。 If a man dies at this time he is not buried but cast into the Evil Forest。 It is a bad custom which these people observe because they lack understanding。 They throw away large numbers of men and women without burial。 And what is the result？ Their clan is full of the evil spirits of these unburied dead； hungry to do harm to the living。〃
After the Week of Peace every man and his family began to clear the bush to make new farms。 The cut bush was left to dry and fire was then set to it。 As the smoke rose into the sky kites appeared from different directions and hovered over the burning field in silent valediction。 The rainy season was approaching when they would go away until the dry season returned。
Okonkwo spent the next few days preparing his seed…yams。 He looked at each yam carefully to see whether it was good for sowing。 Sometimes he decided that a yam was too big to be sown as one seed and he split it deftly along its length with his sharp knife。 His eldest son； Nwoye； and Ikemefuna helped him by fetching the yams in long baskets from the barn and in counting the prepared seeds in groups of four hundred。 Sometimes Okonkwo gave them a few yams each to prepare。 But he always found fault with their effort； and he said so with much threatening。
〃Do you think you are cutting up yams for cooking？〃 he asked Nwoye。 〃If you split another yam of this size； I shall break your jaw。 You think you are still a child。 I began to own a farm at your age。 And you；〃 he said to Ikemefuna； 〃do you not grow yams where you e from？〃
Inwardly Okonkwo knew that the boys were still too young to understand fully the difficult art of preparing seed…yams。 But he thought that one could not begin too early。 Yam stood for manliness； and he who could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed。 Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man。 He would stamp out the disquieting signs of laziness which he thought he already saw in him。
〃I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan。 I would sooner strangle him with my own hands。 And if you stand staring at me like that；〃 he swore； 〃Amadiora will break your head for you！〃
Some days later； when the land had been moistened by two or three heavy rains； Okonkwo and his family went to the farm with baskets of seed…yams； their hoes and machetes； and the planting began。 They made single mounds of earth in straight lines all over the field and sowed the yams in them。
Yam； the king of crops； was a very exacting king。 For three or four moons it demanded hard work and constant attention from cock…crow till the chickens went back to roost。 The young tendrils were protected from earth…heat with rings of sisal leaves。 As the rains became heavier the women planted maize； melons and beans between the yam mounds。 The yams were then staked； first with little sticks and later with tall and big tree branches。 The women weeded the farm three times at definite periods in the life of the yams； neither early nor late。
And now the rains had really e； so heavy and persistent that even the village rain…maker no longer claimed to be able to intervene。 He could not stop the rain now； just as he would not attempt to start it in the heart of the dry season； without serious danger to his own health。 The personal dynamism required to counter the forces of these extremes of weather would be far too great for the human frame。
And so nature wa