About twenty minutes later this gentleman's head stuck out of the window. The head looked around carefully, and soon the gentleman himself came out of the booth. He was wearing trousers – they must have been white at one time – and a black sweater that had collected all the surrounding dirt. The gentleman stood up, holding up his trousers. Bending down, he ran a few steps down the slope and dived into the dense thicket. Nobody saw him, but he didn’t see anyone either. I took advantage of this and climbed into the booth. There was straw on the floor, covered with a torn blanket.
A couple of minutes later the gentleman himself returned. When he saw me, he swore loudly. It was impossible to stand up there, so he knelt down next to me:
– Why are you breaking into my house? Who invited you here?
I looked around. There wasn't even a nail on the slanted walls. In the corner there was only a shovel with a broken handle.
– Are you afraid that I will steal your jewelry? What are you doing here? Did you hate the whole world? Did someone offend you?
– I'm tired of you! Get out! I want to be alone!
“You can stay alone,” I began meaningfully, “but you must not arouse discontent.” My advice to you is to return to people, become a human again. Show me your feet – it's time to plant peas between your toes!
He tucked both legs under him and said nothing. I softened my tone:
– I suggest you move to one of the small villas. It's quiet there, like in a forest under the snow. If you hate furniture, you can throw it away or chop it up as you see fit. A few steps from the house there is a babbling stream – it can replace a bath or shower. You will have soap and a stiff washcloth to give you a good wash, and of course, a toothbrush! And pasta that smells like herbs. I'll make you a different person!
“Well, you’re laughing at me,” said the gentleman. “I’ve been living here for a long time, I have my rights and responsibilities, so why don’t you leave me alone?” After all, I don’t bother anyone, I spend my days like a hardworking beetle. I'm not beautiful, but I'm useful. What do I need your toothpaste for other than to stain my teeth? If I could give you advice, I would say: “Stop all this fuss and come to me. Build a beautiful booth next to mine and don’t give a damn about everything.”