beginning of filial duty lies in not injuring them. Of one’s own choice to feed these bodies to such things as lice was egregiously unfilial. Whence lice should by all means be hunted out. They should not be raised.
Under these circumstances, disputes arose from time to time between the Mori and Inoue groups. And so long as they simply ended in argument, there was no harm. But in the end things developed unexpectedly from such beginnings even unto the starting of an appeal to the sword.
It came about in this way. One day Mori received from the others a lot of lice which he put into a teacup and set aside, intending to raise them carefully as usual, when Inoue, taking advantage of his incaution, ate them up before he noticed. When Mori came to look for them, there was not one left. Then this precursor flared into anger.
“What’d you eat ’em for?” he demanded, edging up to Inoue with his arms akimbo and his eyes blazing.
“Fact is, it’s idiotic to keep lice,” said Inoue indifferently, showing absolutely no desire to take him up.
“It’s idiotic to eat ’em.”
Mori flew into a fury and, pounding the plank deck shouted,
“Look here! Is there anybody in this ship who isn’t indebted to lice? Takin’ these lice an’ eatin’ ’em is just like payin’ kindness with hate!”
“I haven’t the least recollection of ever receivin’ any favor from lice.”
“Nay, even if you haven’t, to wantonly take the lives of livin’ things is unspeakable.”