march 9th. 40 martyrs and 10,000 skylarks

'i am of the opinion that real happiness is impossible without idleness.' - a. chekhov (who also wrote the list that serves as a title)

the great freedom is beginning (though the weather is not giving horsemouth cause for hope). if horsemouth had his act together he could be away for months. but it's true he does feel lighter and more cheerful already, despite the fact that there are still small things to be done at work.

the front cover of the selected letters of anton chekhov shows him with a small daschund type dog but following his trip to sakhalin (far east prison island of the czars - as written up in his book the island) chekhov returns by sea calling in at hong kong, india and sri lanka. it is at the last that he acquires a mongoose - he seems fond of it (though he worries it will attack and kill his dog - or vice versa). later he describes it as a 'rascal' in a letter to his family. the poet tom shapcott has written about it - like foucault's pendulum or the pope's rhinocerous the historical person and the possessive is just too prefect (chekhov's mongoose).

it is the animal spirit of the book - intelligent and flexible and with sharp teeth. of course when chekhov returns from sakhalin bunenin the critic suggests that he goes back there.