onelywildbird，flyingacrosstheskiesiwilighttounknowinations．

    Chapter3Amalia

    Ah!gentlebreeze，disturbnotmysweetdreams．HowdidIgrowold?Iknownot．Wasitthesprihatblewmeold?EvenifIweretogrowoldthus，Imindnot．Letmegotodreamndamidtheflowers,thebirdsandthespringbreeze．Golden-hairedMaryesrunninghither,herlongtressesflyinginthebreeze,herbreastsslightlyswelling,hereyesbrightandmoistehegesinherbodyaremiraculous,likeadewyrosebudreadytoblossomintoared,redrose．MissSimpsonesby，punctuallyat3:30p.m.withher90-lbgolderieverSpeedy．Shetellsallwhowouldlistenthatofherthreeformerhusbands，nonewereasfaithfusSpeedy．HerfifthhusbandMarkwasamentallyretardedboy，tall,fatandobedient．Theirtwosilhouettescouldoftenbeseenintheraysofthesettingsun．OldEdwardalwayswalksbentlikeabow，hisheadonthelevelwithhisknee．Whenheseessomeoriesthtenupaendtobethemanheisn’t．Hewasobeseefewweeks．Somesayhehasdiedandgooheaven．Alllivingthingssooergoontheirgrave-boundway．Foes，knavesespasshtheages．HowdidIgrowold?Iknownot．Letmelieonthisbenthepark．Letthespringbreezeblowmeold．Letmyfleshbodydreamonamidthefragrantblossomsandthesingingbirds．Inthiswarm,cozyspringbreeze,manshouldremainforeveryoung．ButifIamtogrowoldthus，Idon’tthinkIwouldmindatall．

    Ah!Whyshouldn’tthefleshbodygrowold?Wearebutmortal，so’tisimpossibletotheerosionoftimebeimpregnable．Wearebutmortal，so‘tisquitenaturaltofindbeguilingcaressesirresistible．Sincewearemortal，we’remadeoffleshandblood．Howmanytimeswemakelove?36,000timesatthemost，I’vebeentold．More，ofcourse，ifyou’remadeofsteruff．Whyshouldn’tthefleshbodygrowold?Activeschoolchildrenjustoutofcss，run,jumpandpyonthegrass．Thereinmyskullfreshideasdance,imp-likeandpyful,justlookingforacemysweetdreamstoenhance．Dreamsaremylife,Ilovethemdear．Foradventure,loveandsatisfatheyhavenopeer．Butthewarmcozydaysarenotforever，that’sclear．PerhapsIshouldenjoythemwhilethey’rehere．WhenIdreamIwilldreamofAmalia-mymotherwhoseldomgavememuchear．YouleftmealonewhenIneededyoudear，butthenyouwereboundtoyourelectricchair．Withyou,youtookoldJaIfear．Areyouthere?IwonderasIlookatthesky．Orareyoudownbelow?Butwhereveryouare，Ifeelthetie．I’llsearmydreamshighandlow．

    Dimitriyawnedandsatupfromhisbench，stretgzily．Thetraffichadbeeheavier，thenumberofschoolchildrenintheparkhadincreased，bringingwiththemabuoyantnoisinesswhichmadesleepoutofthequestion．Dimitriwalkedslowlytowardsthekeandlookedatthewater,theskyandtheclouds．Iahechimingofchurchbellsannoungeveningvespersbroughtwithitafeelingofweariness,whieswiththecloseofday．Dimitrithought,"Imeanttotakeafortablenapuhewarmsunandspringbreeze，butinsteadIgavefreereintomythoughtsandwhiledthetimeaway．Ihaven’tcollectedanymaterialformydreamseither．Ohwell，let’sseewhatwilleintomydreamstonight．"

    2

    ThechurchbellstookDimitri’sthoughtstoheaven．Helookedattheskiesandthought．"Dotheresidentsofheavehesamewayaswedo?Dotheygotowork?Dotheirchildrengotoschool?Dotheyhavetraffis?Dotheirchildrenpyintheparkafterschool?Whatareyoudoing,Amalia，mysweetmother?Arethereanychurchesinheaven?Doyougotochurchthere?Theysaylifein

onelywildbird，flyingacrosstheskiesiwilighttounknowinations．

    Chapter3Amalia

    Ah!gentlebreeze，disturbnotmysweetdreams．HowdidIgrowold?Iknownot．Wasitthesprihatblewmeold?EvenifIweretogrowoldthus，Imindnot．Letmegotodreamndamidtheflowers,thebirdsandthespringbreeze．Golden-hairedMaryesrunninghither,herlongtressesflyinginthebreeze,herbreastsslightlyswelling,hereyesbrightandmoistehegesinherbodyaremiraculous,likeadewyrosebudreadytoblossomintoared,redrose．MissSimpsonesby，punctuallyat3:30p.m.withher90-lbgolderieverSpeedy．Shetellsallwhowouldlistenthatofherthreeformerhusbands，nonewereasfaithfusSpeedy．HerfifthhusbandMarkwasamentallyretardedboy，tall,fatandobedient．Theirtwosilhouettescouldoftenbeseenintheraysofthesettingsun．OldEdwardalwayswalksbentlikeabow，hisheadonthelevelwithhisknee．Whenheseessomeoriesthtenupaendtobethemanheisn’t．Hewasobeseefewweeks．Somesayhehasdiedandgooheaven．Alllivingthingssooergoontheirgrave-boundway．Foes，knavesespasshtheages．HowdidIgrowold?Iknownot．Letmelieonthisbenthepark．Letthespringbreezeblowmeold．Letmyfleshbodydreamonamidthefragrantblossomsandthesingingbirds．Inthiswarm,cozyspringbreeze,manshouldremainforeveryoung．ButifIamtogrowoldthus，Idon’tthinkIwouldmindatall．

    Ah!Whyshouldn’tthefleshbodygrowold?Wearebutmortal，so’tisimpossibletotheerosionoftimebeimpregnable．Wearebutmortal，so‘tisquitenaturaltofindbeguilingcaressesirresistible．Sincewearemortal，we’remadeoffleshandblood．Howmanytimeswemakelove?36,000timesatthemost，I’vebeentold．More，ofcourse，ifyou’remadeofsteruff．Whyshouldn’tthefleshbodygrowold?Activeschoolchildrenjustoutofcss，run,jumpandpyonthegrass．Thereinmyskullfreshideasdance,imp-likeandpyful,justlookingforacemysweetdreamstoenhance．Dreamsaremylife,Ilovethemdear．Foradventure,loveandsatisfatheyhavenopeer．Butthewarmcozydaysarenotforever，that’sclear．PerhapsIshouldenjoythemwhilethey’rehere．WhenIdreamIwilldreamofAmalia-mymotherwhoseldomgavememuchear．YouleftmealonewhenIneededyoudear，butthenyouwereboundtoyourelectricchair．Withyou,youtookoldJaIfear．Areyouthere?IwonderasIlookatthesky．Orareyoudownbelow?Butwhereveryouare，Ifeelthetie．I’llsearmydreamshighandlow．

    Dimitriyawnedandsatupfromhisbench，stretgzily．Thetraffichadbeeheavier，thenumberofschoolchildrenintheparkhadincreased，bringingwiththemabuoyantnoisinesswhichmadesleepoutofthequestion．Dimitriwalkedslowlytowardsthekeandlookedatthewater,theskyandtheclouds．Iahechimingofchurchbellsannoungeveningvespersbroughtwithitafeelingofweariness,whieswiththecloseofday．Dimitrithought,"Imeanttotakeafortablenapuhewarmsunandspringbreeze，butinsteadIgavefreereintomythoughtsandwhiledthetimeaway．Ihaven’tcollectedanymaterialformydreamseither．Ohwell，let’sseewhatwilleintomydreamstonight．"

    2

    ThechurchbellstookDimitri’sthoughtstoheaven．Helookedattheskiesandthought．"Dotheresidentsofheavehesamewayaswedo?Dotheygotowork?Dotheirchildrengotoschool?Dotheyhavetraffis?Dotheirchildrenpyintheparkafterschool?Whatareyoudoing,Amalia，mysweetmother?Arethereanychurchesinheaven?Doyougotochurchthere?Theysaylifein