Per Jespersen
A Nightly Talk
Kimberley and Mairead were lying in their beds, whispering.
They were joining their class on a camp in the hills, far away
from everything. They had been here for two days and had really
enjoyed it. The wild nature with wooods, shrubs, and brooks. It
was like a fairy tale, as they were only used to city life with busy
streets, polluted air, and thousands of houses.
The two girls had been friends for years and talked with each
other about everything. It was midnight, everybody was asleep,
but they still had a lot to tell each other.
"Why do we whisper," said Mairead.
"Don't know. Because it's dark, I think."
"So you're afraid that the darkness should hear us?"
"Nonsense," said Kimberley. "Let's talk then. You love David,
don't you?"
"Sure. How do you know?"
"Your eyes," Kimberley laughed. "They tell everything."
"So do yours," answered Mairead. "Why do you love him?"
"He's just gorgeous, isn't he. But honest – I love him more here
on this camp."
"So do I."
"Strange isn't it. He's only eleven."
"And we?"
"Oh, we're old people," laughed Kimberley. "Imagine – we're
twelve!"
They both laughed. Then Kimberley continued, "I know why we
love him. I think it's because we feel pity for him."
"You're right. His father is dead. His big brother is simply
tyrannizing him. He's too soft."
"That's what I like. Look at his eyes. You see the softness there.
A boy with softness! Oh God, I love him!"
"Is pity and softness the same," Mairead wondered.
"Maybe. I don't know, really" Listen I've got it! Pity is the basis
of love. You can't love anybody if you don't pity them."
"I don't wanna be loved that way!"
"Yes you do. It's the only way. Pity and love are so close. If you
don't pity, you don't care, and we do have to care – about
everything. Take this beautiful nature here! Nature – I pity it,
which means that I love it, which makes me do a lot of things to
protect it. Don't you see?"
"Sure. But all love is not based on pity, is it?"
"I think so." Kimberley did not whisper anymore. She was so
eager, that she almost shouted. "We have to be conscious of
ourselves. That's very important. We must know our own limits –
the boundaries of our knowledge – the boundaries of our feelings.
The only way is to meet – I don't know what to call it – to feel
hostility."
"What??? You don't know what you're saying!"
"I do know. When we feel hostile to something, we're distressed,
because we don't like it. We get so frail in our minds, that we try
everything to get away from this feeling. But the distress makes
us see our limits, and it makes us pity ourselves. So in this way
we meet the pity – we can now pity other people, because we are
able to pity ourselves. It's a mental uncertainty which teaches us
us to pity and to love. Don't you ever feel hostile to things?"
"I sure do. But I've never seen it that way. But you might be right.
The distressed soul – the pity and the frail love! It's very beautiful!"
"But not easy. It's there all the time. You feel hostile and you do
have to know, why this feeling is growing in you. It's the way to
love."
"Marvellous!"
"The universal love," said Kimberley. "The frail minds and the
great love. In this way it can be nice to know your own limits, but
it's sort of strange, that you do have to suffer for it. Anyway, that's
the way it is!"
Mairead had tears in her eyes. "It's so beautiful. If you didn't suffer
you wouldn't be able to love."
"Oh," Kimberley sighed. "Oh God! When I see David to morrow
I'll kiss him!"
Mairead laughed. "I feel pity for him!"
"No, you don't. You would envy me, and that's definitely not
love!"
"No," Mairead said, still laughing. "It's suffering – and that's the
way to love!"
The moon was shining over the house, and the shadows of the trees
danced on the roof, trying to catch the two girls' thoughts.
Hostility and love, pity and love, suffering and love.
Just think about it!
Per Jespersen: A nightly Talk
Engelsk for 5. klasse
Skole-forum.dk
Glossary:
whisper : hviske
enjoy = nyde
shrubs = buskads
brook = bæk
busy = travl
polluted = forurenet
gorgeous = pragtfuld
imagine = forestille sig
pity = medlidenhed
tyrannize = tyrannisere
protect = beskytte
eager = ivrig
conscious = bevidst
limit = grænse, begrænsning
boundary = fundament
knowledge = viden
hostility = fjendtlighed
hostile = fjendtlig
distressed = forstyrret
frail = skrøbelig
uncertainty = usikkerhed
suffer = lide
shadow = skygge
Spørgsmål til A NIGHTLY TALK
1) Why are the two girls so interested in Nature?
2) Why do they both love David?
3) The two girls discuss softness and pity. Is there a connection
between the two?
4) Is there a connection between love and pity?
5) Can you love somebody because of pity?
6) We all know that we have to protect the nature. But: is the reason
pity?
7) Have you ever pitied anybody?
8) What is pity?
9) Do you like to go on a camp with your class?
10) Is pity a natural feeling?
11) Can feeling pity be so strong that you cannot cope with it?
12) Can animals feel pity?
Write your answers in your exercise book.
Opgaver til A nightly Talk
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