feet, I am no longer so sure. They seem to think so, though I cannot really fathom their thoughts. They have a way of branding anyone they don't like as a wicked man. I still remember how my elder brother, when he was teaching me composition, used to reward me with circles of approval when I criticized the good and to commend me on my cleverness and originality when I spoke a few words for the wicked. How can I guess just what is in their minds, especially when they want to eat human flesh?
One must study things before one can understand them. I thought I had read somewhere that man-eating was a common practice in ancient times, but I was not sure. I decided to look it up in my history. This history contained no dates, but over every page was scrawled the words "Benevolence and Righteousness." It was not until I had read half through the night (I could not sleep anyway) that I began to make out the words hidden between the lines and to discover that the book was nothing but a record of man-eating!
It was written in the book and hinted at by the tenant, and they all looked at me with such strange eyes—though they smiled all the time!
Since I am a man, they are probably thinking of eating me!
4.
I sat quietly for a while this morning. Chen Lao-wu brought in my meal, a bowl of vegetables and a bowl of steamed fish. The fish's eyes were hard and white, its mouth was open, as is the case with people who are thinking of eating human flesh. I ate a few pieces, but I could not tell whether the slippery stuff was fish or man, and I threw up everything.
I said, "Lao-wu, tell my brother that I feel stifled in here
