The Life of the Caterpillar 



sionary. The same itching, the same burning, 

 the same swelling with the flesh throbbing 

 and inflamed, the same serous exudation, the 

 same peeling of the skin, the same persistent 

 redness, which lingers for three or four 

 months, long after the ulceration itself has 

 disappeared. 



Without being very painful, the sore is so 

 irksome and above all looks so ugly that I 

 swear never to let myself in for it again. 

 Henceforth, without waiting for the thing to 

 eat into my flesh, I shall remove the cater- 

 pillar plaster as soon as I feel a conclusive 

 itching. 



In the course of these painful experiences, 

 friends upbraid me with not having recourse 

 to the assistance of some animal, such as the 

 Guinea-pig, that stock victim of the physiolo- 

 gists. I take no note of their reproaches. 

 The animal is a stoic. It says nothing of its 

 sufferings. If, the torture being a little too 

 intense, it complains, I am in no position to 

 interpret its cries exactly or to attribute them 

 to a definite impression. 



The Guinea-pig will not say : 



"It smarts, it itches, it burns." 



He will simply say: 

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