TheAborgines

PartOne

TheTeacherCome

The men gathered around the teacher come each one thronged and bowed they all had grey hair everywhere the eye could see they held out bowls of wooden hidden insides full of seaming things to eat. Perhaps the fireplace was inside one of the huts perhaps the food was only cold just fruit and nuts. The Teacher sighed then began to speak as each man placed his bowl at teachers feet. He pointed all around the village there here and everywhere until alarmed the men begin to quiver and beware until the Teacher cried out loud “How can eye make them understand to make a sign to make them understand the day time.” He tried his watch. He held up a calendar with all the days of months he even pantomimed the passing of time he tried the whistle of the loon to signal dark; then his eyes light up at something he just thought and so he drew there in the sand seven circles then one more there then starting over with his pidgeon speaching he tried to reach the men again with teaching. Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day he said this eight times once for each circle pointing to make his point across the men in the glen between the huts were nodding understanding. They understood the teacher. He pointed at the first circle again and just said TODAY and got all excited when they nodded yes they were absorbing all the words then he said day to all the others but the last circle he called NEXT WEEK in a loud loon like voice. There was a hush and then the Spokesman for the tribe said to him in perfect English TIME. The teacher froze. For every aborigine had pulled a watch out from the leather thong and one of them cried out in perfect English as the Spokesman had thus done why that is April Twenty Ninth. The aborigine men all begin to dance now like the loon from side to side they all begin to eat the contents of the bowls at teachers feet the bowls of wisdom which contain the portions of the last teacher come to entertain who also tried to teach them time. For the aborigines were cannibals educated with intelligence complete with watches from the arms they used for cooking meat in pots from bowls they grab the portions out filled with teachers time and time again they come to teach them men the time in land of loon the teacher come?