mangy. Every one called him Mangy Beard Wang, but Ah Q dropped off the word mangy as it reminded him of his bygone affliction. He held the Beard in great contempt, feeling that the mange was nothing unusual, not like a swarthy, unsightly beard. Ah Q sat down beside him. If it had been someone else Ah Q might have hesitated, but he was not afraid of the Beard. In fact, he was conferring an honor upon the latter by sitting down beside him.
Ah Q also took off his ragged coat and searched it hopefully, but, either because it had been recently washed or because of his lack of thoroughness he caught only three or four fleas after a long search. In the meantime the Beard caught one after another, putting them in his mouth and crushing them with a crisp sound between his teeth. Ah Q felt only disappointment at first, but this feeling soon gave way to indignation. How humiliating that such a worthless fellow as the Beard should have caught so many while he so few! He wished to vindicate himself by finding a big one but after a great deal of trouble he succeeded in finding only a medium-sized one. He put it into his mouth and bit it with determination, but he did not make as much noise as the Beard.
His scars grew red. Throwing his coat on the ground he said, spitting with disgust, "The damned worm!"
"Whom are you cursing, scabby cur?" the Beard said raising his eyes contemptuously.
If the challenge had come from one of the idlers in whose hands he had suffered ignominious defeat, Ah Q, in spite of the distinction that he had recently won and the pride that he took in it, might have been more cautious about taking it up. But he did not feel any need for caution on this occasion; he
