During these last decades the interest in professional fasting has markedly diminished. It used to pay very well to stage. Such great performances under one 's own management but today, that is quite impossible. We live in a different world, now. At one time the whole town took a lively interest in the Hunger Artist; from day to day of his fast the excitement mounted;Everybody wanted to see him at least once a day; there were people who bought season tickets for the last few days and. Sat from morning till night in front of his small barred cage; even in the nighttime there were visiting hours when the,, Whole effect was heightened by torch flares; on fine days the cage was set out in the, open airAnd then it was the children 's special treat to see the Hunger Artist; for their elders he was often just a joke that happened. To be in fashion but the, children, stood openmouthed holding each other 's hands for, greater security marveling at him. As he sat there pallid in, black tights with his ribs sticking out, so prominently not even on a seat but down among straw. On, the groundSometimes giving a courteous nod answering questions, with a, constrained smile or perhaps stretching an arm through the. Bars so that one might feel how thin it was and then, again withdrawing deep, into himself paying no attention to anyone. Or anything not even, to the all-important striking of the clock that was the only piece of furniture in, his cageBut merely staring into vacancy with half-shut eyes now and, then taking a sip from a tiny glass of water to moisten his. Lips.
Besides casual onlookers there were also relays of permanent watchers selected by the public ususally butchers strangely,,, Enough and it, was their task to watch the Hunger Artist day and night three of, them at, a timeIn case he should have some secret recourse to nourishment. This was nothing but a formality instituted to, reassure the. Masses for the, initiates knew well enough that during his fast the artist would never in, any circumstances not even under. Forcible compulsion swallow the, smallest morsel of food; the honor of his profession forbade it. Not, every watcher of. Course.Was capable of, understanding this there were often groups of night watchers who were very lax in carrying out their duties. And deliberately hudled together in a retired corner to play cards with, great absorption obviously intending to give the. Hunger Artist the chance of a little refreshment which they, supposed he could draw from some private hoard.Nothing annoyed the artist more than such watchers; they made him miserable; they made his fast seem unendurable; sometimes. He mastered his feebleness sufficiently to sing during their watch for as long as he could, keep going to show them how. Unjust their suspicions were. But that was of little use; they only wondered at his cleverness in being able to fill his. Mouth even while singing.Much more to his taste were the watchers who sat up close to, the bars who were not content with the dim night lighting. Of the hall but focused him in the full glare of the electric pocket torch given them by the impresario. The harsh light. Did not trouble him, at all in any case he could never sleep properly and he, could always drowse, a littleEven when the hall was thronged with noisy onlookers. He was quite happy at the prospect of spending a sleepless night. With such watchers; he was ready to exchange jokes with them to tell, them stories out of his nomadic life anything at,, All to keep them awake and demonstrate to them that he had no eatables in his cage and that he was fasting as not one of. Them could fast.But his happiest moment was when the morning came and an enormous breakfast was brought them at his expense on which,,, They flung themselves wit hthe keen appetite of healthy men after a weary night of wakefulness. Of course there were people. Who argued that this breakfast was an unfair attempt to bribe, the watchers but that was going rather, too farAnd when they were invited to take on a night 's vigil without, a breakfast merely for the sake of the cause they made,, Themselves scarce although they, stuck stubbornly to their suspicions.
Such suspicions anyhow were a necessary accompaniment,,, To the profession of fasting. No one could possibly watch the Hunger Artist continuosly day and night,,And so no one could produce first-hand evidence that the fast had really been rigorous and continuous; only the artist. Himself could know that he was, therefore bound to be the sole completely satisfied spectator of his own fast. Yet for other. Reasons he was never satisfied;It was not perhaps mere fasting that had brought him to such skeleton thinness that many people had regretfully to keep. Away from his exhibitions because the, sight of him was too much for them perhaps it, was dissatisfaction with himself that. Had worn him down. For he, alone knew what no other initiate knew how easy, it was to fast. It was the easiest thing in. The world.He made no secret, of this yet people did not believe him. At the best they set him down as modest most of, them however,,, Thought he was out for publicity or else he was some kind of cheat who found it easy to fast because he had discovered a. Way of making, it easy and then had the impudence to admit, the fact more or less. He had to put up with, all thatAnd in the course of time had got used to it but his, inner dissatisfaction always rankled and yet after, never, any term. Of fasting--this must be granted to his credit--had he left the cage of his own free will. The longest period of fasting. Was fixed by his impresario at forty days beyond that, term he was not allowed to go not even, in great cities and there,, Was good reason, for it too.Experience had proved that for about forty days the interest of the public could be stimulated by a steadily increasing. Pressure, of advertisment but after that the town began to, lose interest sympathetic support began notably to, fall off. There were of course local variations as between one town, and another but as a general rule forty days marked the limit.So on the fortieth day the flower-bedecked cage was opened enthusiastic spectators, filled the hall a military band played,,, Two doctors entered the cage to measure the results of the fast which were, announced through, a megaphone and finally two. Young ladies appeared blissful at, having been selected for, the honorTo help the Hunger Artist down the few steps leading to a small table on which was spread a carefully chosen invalid, repast. And at this very moment the artist always turned stubborn. True he would, entrust his bony arms to the outstretched helping. Hands of the ladies bending, over him but stand up he would not. Why stop fasting at this particular moment after forty,, Days of it?He had held out for a, long time an illimitably long time; why stop now when he, was in his best fasting form or rather,,, Not yet quite in his best fasting form? Why should he be cheated of the fame he would get for fasting longer for being,, Not only the record Hunger Artist of, all time which presumably he was already but for, beating his own record by a performance. Beyond, human imaginationSince he felt that there were no limits to his capacity for fasting? His public pretended to admire him so much why should,, It have so little patience with him; if he could endure, fasting longer why shouldn 't the public endure it? Besides he,, Was, tiredAnd now he was supposed to lift himself to his full height and go down to a meal the very thought of which gave him a nausea. That only the presence of the ladies kept him from betraying and even, that with an effort. And he looked up into the eyes. Of the ladies who were apparently so friendly and in reality so cruel and shook, his head which felt, too heavy on its strengthless. Neck.But then there happened yet again what always happened. The impresario, came forward without a word - for the band made. Speech impossible--lifted his arms in the air above the artist as if, inviting Heaven to look down upon its creature here. In the straw this martyr, suffering, indeed which he was although in, quite another sense; grasped him around the emaciated. Waist with exaggerated caution,,So that the frail condition he was in might be appreciated; and committed him to the care of the, blenching ladies not. Without secretly giving him a shaking so that his legs and body tottered and swayed. The artist now submitted completely;? His head lolled on his breast as if it had landed there by chance; his body was hollowed out;His legs in a spasm of self-preservation clung to each other at, the knees yet scraped on the ground as if it were not. Really solid ground as if, they were only trying to find solid ground; and the whole weight of his body a featherweight,, After all relapsed onto, one of, the ladiesWho looking round for help and panting a little--this post of honor was not at all what she expected it to be - first stretched. Her neck as far as she could to keep her face at least free from contact with the artist then finding this impossible,,, And her more fortunate companion not coming to, her aidBut merely holding extended on her own trembling hand the little bunch of knucklebones that was the artist 's to the, great. Delight of the spectators burst into tears and had to be replaced by an attendant who had long been stationed in, readiness. Then came, the food a little of which the impresario managed to get between the artist 's lips while he, sat in a kind of. Half-fainting, tranceTo the accompaniment of cheerful patter designed to distract the public 's attention from the artist' s condition; after. That a toast, was drunk to the public supposedly prompted, by a whisper from the artist in the impresario 's ear; the band. Confirmed it with a, mighty flourish the spectators melted away and no, one had any cause to be dissatisfied with, the proceedingsNo one except the hunger himself artist, only as he, always.
So he live.
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