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And　I　read；　in　Dr。　Howard's　book；　that　the　actual　cost　of　freeing　from

mosquitoes　one　American　town　of　fifty　thousand　inhabitants；　does　not　exceed

three　hundred　dollars！。。。







I　wonder　what　would　be　said　if　the　city…government　of　Tokyo　　which　is

aggressively　scientific　and　progressive　　were　suddenly　to　command　that

all　water…surfaces　in　the　Buddhist　cemeteries　should　be　covered；　at　regular

intervals；　with　a　film　of　kerosene　oil！　How　could　the　religion　which

prohibits　the　taking　of　any　life　　even　of　invisible　life　　yield　to　such

a　mandate？　Would　filial　piety　even　dream　of　consenting　to　obey　such　an

order？　And　then　to　think　of　the　cost；　in　labor　and　time；　of　putting

kerosene　oil；　every　seven　days；　into　the　millions　of　mizutame；　and　the　tens

of　millions　of　bamboo　flower…cups；　in　the　Tokyo　graveyards！。。。　Impossible！

To　free　the　city　from　mosquitoes　it　would　be　necessary　to　demolish　the

ancient　graveyards；　and　that　would　signify　the　ruin　of　the　Buddhist

temples　attached　to　them；　and　that　would　mean　the　disparition　of　so　many

charming　gardens；　with　their　lotus…ponds　and　Sanscrit…lettered　monuments

and　humpy　bridges　and　holy　groves　and　weirdly…smiling　Buddhas！　So　the

extermination　of　the　Culex　fasciatus　would　involve　the　destruction　of　the

poetry　of　the　ancestral　cult；　surely　too　great　a　price　to　pay！。。。







Besides；　I　should　like；　when　my　time　comes；　to　be　laid　away　in　some

Buddhist　graveyard　of　the　ancient　kind；　so　that　my　ghostly　company　should

be　ancient；　caring　nothing　for　the　fashions　and　the　changes　and　the

disintegrations　of　Meiji　（1）。　That　old　cemetery　behind　my　garden　would　be　a

suitable　place。　Everything　there　is　beautiful　with　a　beauty　of　exceeding

and　startling　queerness；　each　tree　and　stone　has　been　shaped　by　some　old；

old　ideal　which　no　longer　exists　in　any　living　brain；　even　the　shadows　are

not　of　this　time　and　sun；　but　of　a　world　forgotten；　that　never　knew　steam

or　electricity　or　magnetism　or　　kerosene　oil！　Also　in　the　boom　of　the　big

bell　there　is　a　quaintness　of　tone　which　wakens　feelings；　so　strangely

far…away　from　all　the　nineteenth…century　part　of　me；　that　the　faint　blind

stirrings　of　them　make　me　afraid；　deliciously　afraid。　Never　do　I　hear

that　billowing　peal　but　I　become　aware　of　a　striving　and　a　fluttering　in

the　abyssal　part　of　my　ghost；　a　sensation　as　of　memories　struggling　to

reach　the　light　beyond　the　obscurations　of　a　million　million　deaths　and

births。　I　hope　to　remain　within　hearing　of　that　bell。。。　And；　considering

the　possibility　of　being　doomed　to　the　state　of　a　Jiki…ketsu…gaki；　I　want

to　have　my　chance　of　being　reborn　in　some　bamboo　flower…cup；　or　mizutame；

whence　I　might　issue　softly；　singing　my　thin　and　pungent　song；　to　bite　some

people　that　I　know。









ANTS



I





This　morning　sky；　after　the　night's　tempest；　is　a　pure　and　dazzling　blue。

The　air　　the　delicious　air！　　is　full　of　sweet　resinous　odors；　shed　from

the　countless　pine…boughs　broken　and　strewn　by　the　gale。　In　the　neighboring

bamboo…grove　I　hear　the　flute…call　of　the　bird　that　praises　the　Sutra　of

the　Lotos；　and　the　land　is　very　still　by　reason　of　the　south　wind。　Now　the

summer；　long　delayed；　is　truly　with　us：　butterflies　of　queer　Japanese

colors　are　flickering　about；　semi　（1）　are　wheezing；　wasps　are　humming；

gnats　are　dancing　in　the　sun；　and　the　ants　are　busy　repairing　their　damaged

habitations。。。　I　bethink　me　of　a　Japanese　poem：



　　　　　Yuku　e　naki：

Ari　no　sumai　ya！

　　　　　Go…getsu　ame。







＇Now　the　poor　creature　has　nowhere　to　go！。。。　Alas　for　the　dwellings　of　the

ants　in　this　rain　of　the　fifth　month！＇







But　those　big　black　ants　in　my　garden　do　not　seem　to　need　any　sympathy。

They　have　weathered　the　storm　in　some　unimaginable　way；　while　great　trees

were　being　uprooted；　and　houses　blown　to　fragments；　and　roads　washed　out　of

existence。　Yet；　before　the　typhoon；　they　took　no　other　visible　precaution

than　to　block　up　the　gates　of　their　subterranean　town。　And　the　spectacle　of

their　triumphant　toil　to…day　impels　me　to　attempt　an　essay　on　Ants。





I　should　have　like　to　preface　my　disquisitions　with　something　from　the　old

Japanese　literature；　something　emotional　or　metaphysical。　But　all　that　my

Japanese　friends　were　able　to　find　for　me　on　the　subject；　excepting　some

verses　of　little　worth；　was　Chinese。　This　Chinese　material　consisted

chiefly　of　strange　stories；　and　one　of　them　seems　to　me　worth　quoting；

faute　de　mieux。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







In　the　province　of　Taishu；　in　China；　there　was　a　pious　man　who；　every　day；

during　many　years；　fervently　worshiped　a　certain　goddess。　One　morning；

while　he　was　engaged　in　his　devotions；　a　beautiful　woman；　wearing　a　yellow

robe；　came　into　his　chamber　and　stood　before　him。　He；　greatly　surprised；

asked　her　what　she　wanted；　and　why　she　had　entered　unannounced。　She

answered：　〃I　am　not　a　woman：　I　am　the　goddess　whom　you　have　so　long　and　so

faithfully　worshiped；　and　I　have　now　come　to　prove　to　you　that　your

devotion　has　not　been　in　vain。。。　Are　you　acquainted　with　the　language　of

Ants？〃　The　worshiper　replied：　〃I　am　only　a　low…born　and　ignorant　person；

not　a　scholar；　and　even　of　the　language　of　superior　men　I　know　nothing。〃　At

these　words　the　goddess　smiled；　and　drew　from　her　bosom　a　little　box；

shaped　like　an　incense　box。　She　opened　the　box；　dipped　a　finger　into　it；

and　took　therefrom　some　kind　of　ointment　with　which　she　anointed　the　ears

of　the　man。　〃Now；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃try　to　find　some　Ants；　and　when　you

find　any；　stoop　down；　and　listen　carefully　to　their　talk。　You　will　be　able

to　understand　it；　and　you　will　hear　of　something　to　your　advantage。。。　Only

remember　that　you　must　not　frighten　or　vex　the　Ants。〃　Then　the　goddess

vanished　away。





The　man　immediately　went　out　to　look　for　some　Ants。　He　had　scarcely

crossed　the　threshold　of　his　door　when　he　perceived　two　Ants　upon　a　stone

supporting　one　of　the　house…pillars。　He　stooped　over　them；　and　listened；

and　he　was　astonished　to　find　that　he　could　hear　them　talking；　and　could

understand　what　they　said。　〃Let　us　try　to　find　a　warmer　place；〃　proposed

one　of　the　Ants。　〃Why　a　warmer　place？〃　asked　the　other；　〃what　is　the

matter　with　this　place？〃　〃It　is　too　damp　and　cold　below；〃　said　the　first

Ant；　〃there　is　a　big　treasure　buried　here；　and　the　sunshine　cannot　warm　the

ground　about　it。〃　Then　the　two　Ants　went　away　together；　and　the　listener

ran　for　a　spade。





By　digging　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　pillar；　he　soon　found　a　number　of

large　jars　full　of　gold　coin。　The　discovery　of　this　treasure　made　him　a

very　rich　man。





Afterwards　he　often　tried　to　listen　to　the　conversation　of　Ants。　But　he

was　never　again　able　to　hear　them　speak。　The　ointment　of　the　goddess　had

opened　his　ears　to　their　mysterious　language　for　only　a　single　day。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







Now　I；　like　that　Chinese　devotee；　must　confess　myself　a　very　ignorant

person；　and　naturally　unable　to　hear　the　conversation　of　Ants。　But　the

Fairy　of　Science　sometimes　touches　my　ears　and　eyes　with　her　wand；　and

then；　for　a　little　time；　I　am　able　to　hear　things　inaudible；　and　to

perceive　things　imperceptible。







II





For　the　same　reason　that　it　is　considered　wicked；　in　sundry　circles；　to

speak　of　a　non…Christian　people　having　produced　a　civilization　ethically

superior　to　our　own；　certain　persons　will　not　be　pleased　by　what　I　am　going

to　say　about　ants。　But　there　are　men；　incomparably　wiser　than　I　can　ever

hope　to　be；　who　think　about　insects　and　civilizations　independently　of　the

blessings　of　Christianity；　and　I　find　encouragement　in　the　new　Cambridge

Natural　History；　which　contains　the　following　remarks　by　Professor　David

Sharp；　concerning　ants：







〃Observation　has　revealed　the　most　remarkable　phenomena　in　the　lives　of

these　insects。　Indeed　we　can　scarcely　avoid　the　conclusion　that　they　have

acquired；　in　many　respects；　the　art　of　living　together　in　societies　more

perfectly　than　our　own　species　has；　and　that　they　have　anticipated　us　in

the　acquisition　of　some　of　the　industries　and　arts　that　greatly　facilitate

social　life。〃







I　suppose　that　a　few　well…informed　persons　will　dispute　this　plain

statement　by　a　trained　specialist。　The　contemporary　man　of　science　is　not

apt　to　become　sentimental　about　ants　or　bees；　but　he　will　not　hesitate　to

acknowledge　that；　in　regard　to　social　evolution；　these　insects　appear　to

have　advanced　〃beyond　man。〃　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer；　whom　nobody　will　charge

with　romantic　tendencies；　goes　considerably　further　than　Professor　Sharp；

showing　us　that　ants　are；　in　a　very　real　sense；　ethically　as　well　as

economically　in　advance　of　humanity；　their　lives　being　entirely　devoted

to　altruistic　ends。　Indeed；　Professor　Sharp　somewhat　needlessly　qualifies

his　praise　of　the　ant　with　this　cautious　observation：







〃The　competence　of　the　ant　is　not　like　that　of　man。　It　is　devoted　to　the

welfare　of　the　species　ra