SCALES, MIRRORS, LEATHERS 



went into this water crowded with fish, and busied 

 himself catching them with an implement like a 

 shrimping net. He plunged it into the water, drew 

 it horizontally for a moment and, each time, brought 

 out several fish. The carp, stupefied by the cold, 

 made no attempt to escape. They allowed themselves 

 to be captured and lifted out, like inert bodies. Then 

 the fisherman set them down on the nearest straw beds 

 and went back to the water for another haul which 

 he carried back in the same way, going and coming 

 all the time. 



While this was going on, his comrades on the bank 

 were busying themselves about the fish already brought 

 out. The carp, although the cold had certainly affected 

 them, yawned, raised and lowered their gill-covers in 

 the effort to breathe, flapped their tails, and occasion- 

 ally turned a somersault. They were taken one 

 after another, passed through a washing tank to clean 

 the mud off them; then weighed, counted, and put 

 into baskets to await the final packing. Everyone 

 went about his work, chatting, laughing, singing, 

 sometimes going off to warm at the fire hands almost 

 frozen by the chilly water, then returning to his 

 appointed place. Everyone was on the qui vive, 

 workers and curious alike, both those who had a job 

 to do and those who were only there to look on. And 

 every moment there was something to attract and hold 

 the attention, a summons to come and see a specially 

 fine specimen, or a call for assistance when there was 

 a moment's difficulty. And so passed hour after hour 

 and everybody was content and interested. 



Yet the hours did pass, and the morning drew 

 near its close. It was a fine day and, the sun mounting 

 higher and higher in the sky, its warmth and light, 

 although not very strong in the winter season, pro- 

 duced their unfailing effect. Voices grew louder. 

 Less frequently was the fire visited for warmth. The 

 busy hands grew busier. Even the business of fishing 



93 



