Your humble servant cat
Sosaki Natsume
Your humble servant cat
The narrator is a cat, just a cat that does not have a name. He does not know who his parents are, only he remembers how he got into the kitchen of a house in search of food and the host took pity on him and took shelter. It was Kusya – a school teacher. Since then the kitten has grown and has turned to the big fluffy cat. He fights with the maid, plays with the children of the landlords, takes care of his master. He is intelligent and inquisitive. The owner, in whom the features of Natsume himself are clearly visible, is often locked in the office, and the households consider him very industrious, and only the cat knows that the owner often sleeps for a long time, buried in an open book. If the cat was a man, he would certainly become a teacher: it’s so nice to sleep. True, the owner says that there is nothing ungrateful of the work of the teacher, but, in the opinion of the cat, he is simply drawn. The owner does not shine
His friend, Maitei, whom the cat considers an art critic, leads the master to the example of Andrea del Sarto, who said that it is necessary to depict what is available in nature, no matter what. After listening to the wise advice, Kusya begins to draw a cat, but the cat does not like its own portrait. Kusya rejoices that thanks to the saying of Andrea del Sarto comprehended the true essence of painting, but Maitey confesses that he joked and the Italian artist did not say anything like that. The cat believes that although Mightay wears gold-rimmed spectacles, but with impudence and unceremoniousness sounds like a neighbor’s cat-bully Kuro. The cat is upset that he was never given the name: apparently, he will have to live his whole life in this house nameless. The cat has a girlfriend – a cat Mikeko, about which the landlady takes great care:
To Kusya from time to time comes his former student, who became an adult and even graduated from the university, – Kangetsu. This time he invited the owner to take a walk. The city is very fun: Port Arthur fell. When Kusyami and Kangetsu leave, the cat, after sacrificing some rules of decency, eats up the pieces of fish left on the dish: the teacher is poor, and the cat is not very nutritious. The cat talks about how human psychology is difficult to understand. He can not comprehend the attitude of the master to life in any way: he is either laughing at this world, or he wants to dissolve in it, or at least he has renounced everything worldly. Cats in this respect much easier. And most importantly, cats never have such unnecessary things as diaries. People who live like a Kusya have a double life, maybe there is a need, at least in a diary, to express those aspects of their nature,
To Kusya with a letter of recommendation from Kangetsu comes Oti Tofu, who together with his friends organized a circle of recitation. Tofu asks Kusya to become one of the patrons of the circle, and, having found out that this does not entail any duties, agrees: he is ready to become even a participant in an anti-government conspiracy, unless this entails unnecessary trouble. Tofu tells how Matei invited him to a European restaurant to try totimembo, but the waiter could not figure out what kind of dish was, and to hide the confusion, said that now there are no necessary products to cook it, but in the near future, maybe, will appear. Maitei asked what the toti-membo is made from in their restaurant – not from Nihong’s (Togi Mambo is one of the poets in the Nihong group) and the waiter confirmed that yes, namely from the “nihong”. This story is very funny Kusya.
Kangeiu and Maitei come to congratulate Kusya on the New Year. He says that Tofu visited him. Maitei remembers how one day at the end of the old year he waited all day for the arrival of Tofu and, without waiting, went for a walk. Accidentally, he came upon the pine deportees. Standing under this pine tree, he felt a desire to hang himself, but he felt awkward in front of Tofu, and he decided to return home, talk to Tofu, and then return and hang himself. At home, he found a note from Tofu, where he asked for forgiveness for not coming because of urgent matters. Mightay was delighted and decided that now you can safely go and hang yourself, but when he came running to the treasured pine, it turned out that someone had already outstripped him. So, after being late for just a minute, he remained alive.
Kangetsu says that with him, too, before the New Year there was an incredible story. He met at a party with the young lady N, and a few days later she fell ill and deliriously kept repeating his name. Learning that the young lady N is dangerously ill, Kangetsu, walking along the bridge Azumabashi, thought about her, and suddenly heard her voice calling him. He thought that he heard it, but when the cry was repeated three times, he strained his will, jumped high and rushed from the bridge down. He lost consciousness, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself very cold, but his clothes were dry: it turned out that he mistakenly jumped not into the water, but in the other direction, to the middle of the bridge. No matter how much Maitey inquired about what kind of young lady she was talking about, Kangetsu did not mention her name. The owner also told a funny story. His wife asked him to take her to the theater as a New Year’s gift. Kusya very much wanted to make his wife pleasant, but he did not like the play, another, too, and on the third he was afraid not to get tickets. But my wife said that if you arrive no later than four hours, then everything will be all right. The host began to gather in the theater, but felt a chill. He hoped to recover until four o’clock, but as soon as he brought a cup of medicine to his mouth, he began to feel nausea, and he could not swallow it. But as soon as four o’clock struck, the master’s nausea immediately passed, he was able to drink medicine and immediately recovered. If the doctor came to him a quarter of an hour earlier, he and his wife would have had time to go to the theater, and it was already late. The host began to gather in the theater, but felt a chill. He hoped to recover until four o’clock, but as soon as he brought a cup of medicine to his mouth, he began to feel nausea, and he could not swallow it. But as soon as four o’clock struck, the master’s nausea immediately passed, he was able to drink medicine and immediately recovered. If the doctor came to him a quarter of an hour earlier, he and his wife would have had time to go to the theater, and it was already late. The host began to gather in the theater, but felt a chill. He hoped to recover until four o’clock, but as soon as he brought a cup of medicine to his mouth, he began to feel nausea, and he could not swallow it. But as soon as four o’clock struck, the master’s nausea immediately passed, he was able to drink medicine and immediately recovered. If the doctor came to him a quarter of an hour earlier, he and his wife would have had time to go to the theater, and it was already late.
After Mikeco’s death and quarrel with Kuro, the cat feels lonely, and only communication with people brightens up his loneliness. Since he believes that he has almost turned into a man, then it will only be narrated from now on Kangetsu and Maitei. One day, Kangetsu, before making a report in the Physical Society, decides to read it with Kusya and Maitei. The report is called “The Mechanics of Hanging” and is replete with formulas and examples. Shortly thereafter, the wife of the wealthy merchant, Mrs. Kaneda, comes to Kusya, whom the cat immediately gives the nickname Hanako (Mrs. Nose) for her huge hooked nose, which stretched, stretched upwards, and suddenly zaskromnichal and, having decided to return to his former place, bent down and remained hang. She came to inquire about Kangets, who allegedly wants to marry their daughter. Her daughter has a dark admirer, and she and her husband want to choose the most worthy of them. If Kangetsu soon becomes a doctor of science, then he will suit them. Kusya and Mightay doubt that Kangetsu wants to marry Kaneda’s daughter, but rather, she shows an interest in him. In addition, Ms. Nos is so arrogant that friends do not have a desire to promote Kangetsu’s marriage to Kaneda’s young lady. Without telling the visitor anything definite, Kusya and Maitei sigh with relief after she leaves, and she, who is unhappy with the reception, begins to harm Kusya in every way-bribes his neighbors so that they make noise and scold him under the windows. The cat makes his way to the house-Kaneda, He sees their capricious daughter who mocks the servant, her arrogant parents who despise everyone who is poorer than them. Kusya and Mightay doubt that Kangetsu wants to marry Kaneda’s daughter, but rather, she shows an interest in him. In addition, Ms. Nos is so arrogant that friends do not have a desire to promote Kangetsu’s marriage to Kaneda’s young lady. Without telling the visitor anything definite, Kusya and Maitei sigh with relief after she leaves, and she, who is unhappy with the reception, begins to harm Kusya in every way-bribes his neighbors so that they make noise and scold him under the windows. The cat makes his way to the house-Kaneda, He sees their capricious daughter who mocks the servant, her arrogant parents who despise everyone who is poorer than them. Kusya and Mightay doubt that Kangetsu wants to marry Kaneda’s daughter, but rather, she shows an interest in him. In addition, Ms. Nos is so arrogant that friends do not have a desire to promote Kangetsu’s marriage to Kaneda’s young lady. Without telling the visitor anything definite, Kusya and Maitei sigh with relief after she leaves, and she, who is unhappy with the reception, begins to harm Kusya in every way-bribes his neighbors so that they make noise and scold him under the windows. The cat makes his way to the house-Kaneda, He sees their capricious daughter who mocks the servant, her arrogant parents who despise everyone who is poorer than them. that friends do not have a desire to promote the marriage of Kangetsu with the young lady Kaneda. Without telling the visitor anything definite, Kusya and Maitei sigh with relief after she leaves, and she, who is unhappy with the reception, begins to harm Kusya in every way-bribes his neighbors so that they make noise and scold him under the windows. The cat makes his way to the house-Kaneda, He sees their capricious daughter who mocks the servant, her arrogant parents who despise everyone who is poorer than them. that friends do not have a desire to promote the marriage of Kangetsu with the young lady Kaneda. Without telling the visitor anything definite, Kusya and Maitei sigh with relief after she leaves, and she, who is unhappy with the reception, begins to harm Kusya in every way-bribes his neighbors so that they make noise and scold him under the windows. The cat makes his way to the house-Kaneda, He sees their capricious daughter who mocks the servant, her arrogant parents who despise everyone who is poorer than them.
At night, a thief penetrates into Kusya’s house. In the bedroom at the head of the hostess, like a casket with jewels, there is a box nailed up with nails. It stores wild sweet potatoes, received by the owners as a gift. This drawer attracts the thief’s attention. In addition, he steals a few more things. When filing a complaint with the police, the spouse quarrels, determining the price of the missing items. They discuss what the thief will do with the wild sweet potato: just cook or cook soup. Tatara Sampei, who brought Batas with Kusai, advises him to become a merchant: money is easy for businessmen, not just for teachers. But Kusya, although he hates teachers, but hates even more businessmen.
There is a Russian-Japanese war, and the cat-patriot dreams of forming a composite cat’s brigade to go to the front to scratch Russian soldiers. But since he was surrounded by ordinary people, he has to accept it, remaining an ordinary cat, and ordinary cats must catch mice. Going out to night hunting, he is attacked by mice and, escaping from them, overturns the utensils standing on the shelf. Hearing the rumble, the owner thinks that thieves have again got into the house, but he does not find anyone.
Kusya and Maitei ask Kangetsu what the theme of his dissertation is and whether he will finish it soon. Kangetsu responds that he writes a thesis on “The influence of ultraviolet rays on electrical processes occurring in the eyeball of a frog” and, since this topic is very serious, intends to work on it for ten years, or even twenty.
The cat begins to play sports. Enviable health of fish convinces him of the benefits of sea bathing, and he hopes that someday cats, like people, will be able to travel to resorts. And while the cat catches praying mantises, does the exercise “slip on the pine tree” and carries out the “circumvention of the fence.” The cat gets a flea, and he goes to the bath, whose visitors seem to him werewolves. The cat has never seen anything like this and believes that everyone should definitely visit this institution.
Kusami reflects on the greatest question that occupies the minds of philologists: what is the “meow” of the cat or “yes-yes”, to which the wife responds to his call-interjections or adverbs. My wife is puzzled:
Do cats mew in Japanese? Kusya explains that this is just the whole difficulty and that this is called comparative linguistics. The pupils of the private gymnasium in the neighborhood are baking cunts, and his friend philosopher Dokusan advises him not to be influenced by the European spirit of activity, the lack of which is that she knows no limits. European culture has made progress, but it is the culture of people who do not know the satisfaction and never stop there. Dokusen, as an adept of Japanese culture, believes that, no matter how great a person, he will never be able to remake the world, and only with himself a person is free to do whatever he likes. The main thing is to learn how to manage yourself, to achieve unruffled calm, perfecting your spirit in an all-passive way. Kusya imbued with ideas Dokusen, but Maitey raises him to laugh:
Police catch a thief, robbed Kusya, He goes to the police department for his things. In the meantime, his wife is visited by the seventeen-year-old niece of the owner Yukie, who tells her how to behave with her husband. Since there is a spirit of contradiction in Kusi, it is necessary to say everything in reverse. For example, when he decided to make Yukie a gift, she purposely said that she does not need an umbrella – and he bought an umbrella for her. Kusya’s wife wanted him to insure himself, but did not agree with Kusya. When he returns from the police department, the wife says how well he did that he did not insure himself – and Kusya immediately objects to her, promising to insure himself from next month.
Kangetsu goes to his homeland and marries his countrywoman. When he returns to Tokyo and tells his friends about it, they regret Tofu, who, in anticipation of the wedding of Kangetsu with the girl Kaneda, has already composed “The Song of the Eagle,” but Tofu quickly redirects his poem. Tatara Sampei, learning that Kashakh has never become a doctor, wants to marry Tomiko Kaneda, and Kangetsu gladly gives him this honor. Sampei invites everyone to the wedding. When the guests Diverge, the cat reflects on their life. “All these people seem carefree, but knock on the bottom of their souls, and you will hear some sad echo.” The cat is more than two years old. Until now, he considered himself the most intelligent cat in the world, but recently read the arguments of the cat of Murra, and they struck him: “I learned that the cat Murr died a long time ago, a hundred years ago. only to surprise me, he became a ghost and is to me from a far beyond. This cat did not know the laws of filial duty. One day he went to visit his mother, carrying a fish as a gift, but he could not stand it and ate it himself. Hence it can be seen that his mind was not inferior to the mind of man. Once he even surprised his master by composing poetry. And if such a hero lived a century ago, such an insignificant cat as I should long have said goodbye to this light and go to that kingdom where Nothing reigns. “The cat decides to try the beer and pours drunk. After leaving the yard, he gets into the tub with water, rummaged in the ground. Probachtavshis for a while, he realizes that he still does not get out, and entrusts himself to fate. It becomes easier and easier, and he no longer understands what he experiences – torment or bliss, and finds a great peace,
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