《宽容》序言（2）迂腐的老人们无力地抗挣着。他们被推到一边，还在抱怨自己不幸的命运，诅咒儿孙的忘恩负义。但是当最后一辆马车驶离村落时，他们拦住了它，迫使车夫把他们带走。就这样，投奔前途未卜的新世界的旅程开始了。从那个出游者回来到现在已经过了很多年了，所以要找到他抠的道路，决不是容易的事情。成千上万的人在路途上饥渴而亡，人们终于找到了第一座用石子垒起的路标。从那以后，旅途中的磨难少了一些。那个细心的开拓者已经用一把火在一望无际的险山乱林中烧出了一条宽阔大道。沿着这条大道，人们一步步地走到了一个有着绿色牧场的新世界。人们相顾无言。“他到底还是对的，”人们说，“正确的是他，错误的是那些冥顽不化的老人……”“他的话是真实的，那些陈腐的老人在撒谎……”“他的尸首腐烂在山崖下，可是那些顽固的老人却坐在我们的车里，还唱着那陈旧不堪的歌谣。”“他救了我们，我们却杀害了他。”“我们确实对这件事情非常内疚，不过，当时我们如果知道的话，当然就……”接着，他们为牛马解下套具，把牛羊赶进牧场，建造自己的房屋，规划自己的土地。从此，他们过上了幸福的生活。几年之后，人们为智慧老人建起了一座崭新的大厦作为住宅，并准备把英勇的先驱者的遗骸埋在里面。一支庄严的队伍回到了早已荒芜人烟的山谷。但是，山崖脚下空空如也，开拓者的尸骨已经无影无踪。饥饿的豺狗早就把尸首拖入了自己的洞穴。人们在开拓者足迹的尽头放上了一块小石头（那里现在已经是一条大道），他们把开拓者的名字刻在石头上——这是第一个挑战未卜世界的黑暗和恐怖的人的名字，是他把人们带向了新的自由。石头上还写着，它是由前来赶恩朝拜的后人建造的。这样的事情过去发生过，现在也还在发生，不过将来（我们希望）不要再发生了。PrologueToleranceHendrikWillemVanLoonHapplylivedMankindinthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.Tothenorth?tothesouth?tothewestandtotheeaststretchedtheridgesoftheHillsEverlasting.AlittlestreamofKnowledgetrickledslowlythroughadeepworngully.ItcameoutoftheMountainsofthePast.ItlostitselfintheMarshesoftheFuture.Itwasnotmuch?asriversgo.Butitwasenoughforthehumbleneedsofthevillagers.Intheevening?whentheyhadwateredtheircattleandhadfilledtheircasks,theywerecontenttositdowntoenjoylife.TheOldMenWhoKnewwerebroughtforthfromtheshadycornerswheretheyhadspenttheirday?ponderingoverthemysteriouspagesofanoldbook.Theymumbledstrangewordstotheirgrandchildren?whowouldhavepreferredtoplaywiththeprettypebbles?broughtdownfromdistantlands.Oftenthesewordswerenotveryclear.Buttheywerewritathousandyearsagobyaforgottenrace.Hencetheywereholy.ForintheValleyofIgnorance?whateverwasoldwasvenerable.Andthosewhodaredtogainsaythewisdomofthefatherswereshunnedbyalldecentpeople.Andsotheykepttheirpeace.Fearwaseverwiththem.Whatiftheyshouldberefusedthecommonshareoftheproductsofthegarden?Vaguestoriestherewere?whisperedatnightamongthenarrowstreetsofthelittletown?vaguestoriesofmenandwomenwhohaddaredtoaskquestions.Theyhadgoneforth?andneveragainhadtheybeenseen.Afewhadtriedtoscalethehighwallsoftherockyrangethathidthesun.Theirwhitenedboneslayatthefootofthecliffs.Theyearscameandtheyearswentby.HappilylivedMankindinthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.Outofthedarknesscreptaman.Thenailsofhishandsweretorn.Hisfeetwerecoveredwithrags?redwiththebloodoflongmarches.Hestumbledtothedoorofthenearesthutandknocked.Thenhefainted.Bythelightofafrightenedcandle?hewascarriedtoacot.Inthemorningthroughoutthevillageitwasknown:“Hehascomeback."Theneighborsstoodaroundandshooktheirheads.Theyhadalwaysknownthatthiswastobetheend.Defeatandsurrenderawaitedthosewhodaredtostrollawayfromthefootofthemountains.AndinonecornerofthevillagetheOldMenshooktheirheadsandwhisperedburningwords.Theydidnotmeantobecruel?buttheLawwastheLaw.BitterlythismanhadsinnedagainstthewishesofThoseWhoKnew.Assoonashiswoundswerehealedhemustbebroughttotrial.Theymeanttobelenient.Theyrememberedthestrange?burningeyesofhismother.Theyrecalledthetragedyofhisfather?lostinthedesertthesethirtyyearsago.TheLaw?however?wastheLaw;andtheLawmustbeobeyed.TheMenWhoKnewwouldseetothat.