altered, because he still believed that people, born between heaven and earth, had, as their destined portion, times when they could not avoid being put on parade or being set up as a warning to the multitudes.
The procession had wound about and had taken the road to the execution grounds when he came to himself; this surely meant "chit!" and off with his head. In his bewilderment, he was staring from left to right and noticing that he was being followed by swarms of people, when he unexpectedly espied Amah Wu among the crowd to one side of the road. They had been separated for a long time; so, she had been working in the city!
Ah Q of a suddenly became ashamed of the fact that he had not the courage to sing a few lines of drama. His thoughts, it seemed, swirled like the mad gyration of a whirlwind: "The Youthful Widow at the Grave" lacked grandeur; the words, "I regret that I should not have . . . ," from "The Struggle Between the Dragon and the Tiger," were too poor; "My hand will seize a steel whip to flog you" would have to do. At the same moment, he wished to raise his hand, but then recalled that his hands were bound; hence, he did not sing, "My hand will seize a steel whip." "After twenty years, there will be born another hero like myself," came the
