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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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70<br />

<strong>Japanese</strong> Miscellany<br />

judge the truth for yourselves : I am going to<br />

relate everything exactly as it appeared to hap-<br />

pen. ... As soon as 1 got outside <strong>of</strong> the house,<br />

into the bright air, I began to feel quite light, —<br />

light as a bird flying away from the net or the<br />

basket in which it has been confined. 1 wandered<br />

on and on till I reached the lake ; and the water<br />

looked so beautiful and blue that I felt a great<br />

desire to have a swim. I took oif my clothes,<br />

and jumped in, and began to swim about ; and I<br />

was astonished to find that I could swim very<br />

fast and very skilfully, — although before my<br />

sickness 1 had always been a very poor swim-<br />

mer. . . . You think that 1 am only telling you<br />

a foolish dream — but listen ! . . . While I was<br />

wondering at this new skill <strong>of</strong> mine, I perceived<br />

many beautiful fishes swimming below me and<br />

around me ; and I felt suddenly envious <strong>of</strong> their<br />

happiness, — reflecting that, no matter how good<br />

a swimmer a man may, become, he never can<br />

enjoy himself under the water as a fish can.<br />

Just then, a very big fish lifted its head above the<br />

surface in front <strong>of</strong> me, and spoke to me with the<br />

voice <strong>of</strong> a man, saying : —<br />

' That wish <strong>of</strong> yours<br />

can very easily be satisfied: please wait there a<br />

moment !<br />

' The fish then went down, out <strong>of</strong>

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