Chapter 79 Beasts are Neighbors - 1

Sometimes I have a fishing mate who comes across the village to my house from the other side of town.We fish together, just like having dinner with guests, it is also a social activity. Hermit, I don't know what's going on in the world right now.For three hours, I didn't hear even a cicada on the fern.The doves sleep in the dovecot—they don't flap their wings.Is there now a farmer's horn sounding outside the woods at noon?The hired men were coming back to eat corned beef and cornbread and cider.Why do people bother themselves like this?If people don't eat or drink, they don't need to work.I don't know how much they harvested.Who wants to live in a place where dogs bark so hard that a man cannot think?Ah, and chores!And to hell with polishing the brass knobs, and polishing his tub in such fine weather!It's better not to have a home.Better to live in a hollow tree; there would be no more morning visits and nocturnal feasts!Only the pecking of woodpeckers.Ah, the crowds there; the sun is too hot there; they are too worldly for me.I draw water from the spring, and there is a loaf of brown bread on the shelf.listen!I hear the rustling of leaves.is the village

Hungry dogs in the hunt?Or was it a little pig that was said to have lost its way and ran into this forest?After it rained, I saw its footprints.The footsteps come nearer; my sumac and japonica tremble. —Well, Mr. Poet, is that you?How do you feel about the world today? poet.Look at how these clouds hang in the sky!This is the greatest thing I have seen today.Such clouds are not seen in old paintings, nor in foreign countries—unless we are on the eve of the Spanish coast).This is a true Mediterranean sky.It occurred to me that since I had to live, and I hadn't eaten today, I should go fishing.This is the best work of a poet.It's the only way I know how to make a living.Come on, let's go together.

hermit.I can't say no to you.My brown bread is almost gone.I should like to go with you at once, but I am finishing a serious meditation.I think it will be over soon.Then please let me be alone for a while longer.However, to save everyone from delay, you can dig up some bait first.There are very few earthworms that can be used as bait in this area, because the soil has never been fertilized; this one species is almost extinct.The game of digging bait is as interesting as fishing, especially if you are not hungry, you can do this game by yourself today.I would advise you to take your shovel and dig in that groundnut bush over there; do you see the foxtail swaying over there?I think I can assure you that if you search the grass roots as carefully as you are weeding, you will surely catch one earthworm for every three sods turned up.Or, if you're willing to go farther, that's not unwise, because I've found that the amount of bait is exactly proportional to the square of the distance.

Hermit monologue.Let me see, where do I want to go?I thought I was in the box of thinking like this, my perception of the world around me was from this perspective.Should I go to heaven, or should I go fishing?If I could put my meditations to an end at once, would there be such a wonderful opportunity?I have almost become one with the essence of all things just now, and I have never had such an experience in my life.I'm afraid my thoughts won't come back.If whistling will call them back, then I will whistle.When thoughts came to us at the beginning, I said: We have to think about it, are we smart?Now there is no trace of my thoughts left, I can't find my train of thought.What am I thinking about?It's a very hazy day.I still think about the three sentences of Confucius, and maybe I can restore the train of thought just now.I don't know if it's a mess or an ecstasy in a budding state.memorandum.There is only one chance.poet.What's the matter, hermit; is it too soon?I've caught thirteen whole and a few off or small; they'll do fine with smaller fish too; they won't be too big on the hook.The earthworms in this village are so huge that the whitebait can have a full meal without touching the hook.

hermit.OK, let's go.Shall we go to Concord?If the water level is not too high, you can have a good time.