Thoreau (Walden) 1. An old farmer (as recorded by Mrs. Daniel Chester French): Henry D. Thoreau -- Henry D. Thoreau, jerking out the words with withering contempt. His name aint no more Henry D. Thoreau than my name is Henry D. Thoreau. And everybody knows it, and he knows it. His names Da-a-vid Henry and it aint never been nothing but Da-a-vid Henry. And he knows that! Why one morning I went out in my field across there to the river, and there, beside that little old mud pond, was standing Da-a-vid Henry, and he wasnt doin nothin but just standin there -- lookin at that pond, and when I came back at noon, there he was standin with his hands behind him just lookin down into that pond, and after dinner when I come back again if there want Da-a-vid standin there just like as if he had been there all day, gazin down into that pond, and I stopped and looked at him and I says, Da-a-vid Henry, what air you a-doin? And he didnt turn his head and he didnt look at me. He kept on lookin down at that pond, and he said, as if he was thinkin about the stars in the heavens, Mr. Murray, Im a-studyin -- the habits -- of the bullfrog! And there that darned fool had been standin -- the livelong day -- a-studyin -- the habits -- of the bull-frog! (19)
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 01:17:55 +0000