Eve's Diary Part2

Sunday: It is up there yet. Resting, apparently. But that is a subterfuge: Sunday isn't the day of rest; Saturday is appointed for that. It looks to me like that creature is more interested in resting than anything else. It would tire me to rest so much. It tires me just to sit around and watch the tree. I do wonder what it is for; I never see it do anything!!!They returned the moon last night, and I was SO happy! I think it is very generous of them. It slid down and fell off again, but I was not distressed; there is no need to worry when one has that kind of neighbors I do; they will fetch it back. I wish I could do something to show my appreciation. I would like to send them some stars, we do have more than we can use. I mean “I”, not “we”, cus I can see that the reptile gives a shit for stuff like these!! It has low tastes, and is not kind. When I went there yesterday evening in the gloaming it had crept down and was trying to catch the little fishes that play in the pool, and I had to clod it to make it go up the tree again and let them alone. I wonder if THAT is what it is for!! Doesn’t it have any heart? Hasn't it any compassion for those little creatures? Can it be that it was designed and manufactured for such ungentle work? It has the look of it. One of the clods took it back of the ear, and it used a language. It gave me a thrill, for it was the first time I had ever heard a speech, except my own of course. I did not understand the words, but they seemed expressive. When I found it could talk I felt a new interest in it, for I love to talk; I talk, all day, and in my sleep, too, and I am very interesting, but if I had another to talk to I could be twice as interesting, and would never stop, if desired. If this reptile is a man, it isn't an “IT”, is it? That wouldn't be grammatical, right? I think it would be “HE”. I think so. Well, I will consider it a man and call it “he” until it turns out to be something else. This will be handier than having so many doubts.

A Week After: All the week I tagged around after him and tried to get to know him better. I had to do the talking, because he was shy, but I didn't mind it. He seemed pleased to have me around, and I used the sociable "WE" a good deal, because it seemed to flatter him to be included.

Wednesday: We are getting along very well indeed, now, and getting better and better acquainted. He does not try to avoid me any more, which is a good sign, and shows that he likes to have me with him. That pleases me, and I study to be useful to him in every way I can, so as to increase his regard. During the last day or two I have taken all the work of naming things off his hands, and this has been a great relief to him, cus he has no gift in that line, and he’s very grateful. He can't think of a rational name to save him, but I do not let him see that I am aware of his defect. Whenever a new creature comes along I name it before he has time to expose himself by an awkward silence. In this way I have saved him many embarrassments. I have no defect like this. The minute I set eyes on an animal I know what it is. I don't have to reflect a moment; the right name comes out instantly, just as if it were an inspiration, no doubt it is, cus I am sure I didn’t know it half a minute before. I seem to know just by the shape of the creature and the way it acts, what animal it is. When the dodo came along he thought it was a wildcat, I saw it in his eye. But I saved him. And I was careful not to do it in a way that could hurt his pride. I just spoke up in a quite natural way of pleasing surprise, and not as if I was dreaming of conveying information, and said, "Well, I do declare, if there isn't the dodo!" I explained -without seeming to be explaining-how I know it for a dodo, and although I thought maybe he was a little annoyed that I knew the creature when he didn't, it was quite evident that he admired me. That was very agreeable, and I thought of him more than once with gratification before I slept. How little a thing can make us happy when we feel that we have earned it! Thursday: my first sorrow!! Yesterday he avoided me and seemed to wish I would not talk to him. I could not believe it, and thought there was some mistake, I mean…I loved to be with him, and loved to hear him talk, and so how could it be that he could feel unkind toward me when I had not done anything? But at last it seemed true, so I went away and sat lonely in the place where I first saw him the morning that we were made and I did not know what he was and wasn’t concerned about him; but now it was a sad place, and every little think spoke of him, and my heart was very sore. I did not know why very clearly, it was a new feeling; I had not experienced it before, and it was all a mystery and I could not make it out. But when night came I could not bear the loneliness, and went to the new shelter which he has built, to ask him what I had done that was wrong and how I could mend it and get back his kindness again; but he put me out in the rain, and it was my first sorrow.