Beelzebubs-Tales-to-His-Grandson-by-G-I-Gurdjieff

one hand, and with the other pointed to a very strangely shaped apparatus,remarking that this was the altered 'monochord.'"The apparatus he pointed to consisted of a board, about two meters long,with its front surface divided lengthwise into two halves One of these halveswas divided into sections by what are called 'frets,' like the neck of the soundproducinginstrument called 'guitar,' and over the full length of this half wasstretched a single string."On the other half of the front of this board were fastened a great numberof 'vibrometers,' like those on the strings of the 'piano', and they were affixedin such a way that their indicating needles came just over the frets on the otherhalf ."On the back surface of the board was fastened a whole network of smallglass and metal pipes, also used to produce sounds, this time coming fromvibrations arising from certain movements and currents of ordinary, orartificially compressed, or rarefied air For measuring the vibrations of thesesounds the same vibrometers were used as for measuring the vibrationsissuing from the single string."The venerable Hadji Asvatz Troov was about to say something more, butjust then a small boy of Uzbek type entered from another section of the cave,carrying a tray with green tea and some cups."When the boy had set the tray before us and left, the venerable hadjibegan to pour the tea into the cups and, turning to us, jokingly repeated thefollowing saying, customary on such occasions in that locality." 'Let us imbibe this gift of Nature in the devout hope that it may redoundto her glory!'"Then he added:'I already feel my sustaining forces abating within me and so I mustabsorb the due quantity of what can foster the animation of the whole ofmyself until the next dose. '"And with a gentle smile he began to drink his tea.