Hen is another famous work of Lao She. The article describes the change of his view on hens and expresses his praise for maternal love. The article takes the author's emotional change as a clue, which forms a sharp contrast. The first half wrote the hen's moaning, bullying and showing off desperately, which reproduced its shallowness and kitsch; The second half describes the hen's responsibility, kindness, courage and hard work, and creates a "great mother hen" image. The author's affection for hens changed from disgust to respect, which can be described as the turning point of 180.
Chicken or egg first?
There is a question-which comes first, the chicken or the egg? You will smile and say, the chicken has the egg first. Why? Because it is an "egg" rather than an "egg-laying hen", there are chickens before eggs. That seems reasonable, but the English word for egg is "egg". Will foreigners agree with this statement? Over the years, people from all walks of life have been discussing this issue tirelessly. From philosophy to paleontology to life science.
Generally speaking, people think that the answer to the question "which came first, the chicken or the egg" is futile, because it is the most basic question in nature. Of course, the literal answer to this question is simple and clear: oviparous animals have existed for a long time before chickens appeared, and eggs are eggs, so there are eggs before chickens in nature.
The problem of "chicken and egg" has a long history, and ancient philosophers often mentioned this problem in their philosophical works. Their works show that this problem really bothers them deeply, and philosophers often share and discuss this problem with others. Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, was puzzled by the question "which came first, the chicken or the egg". He finally came to the conclusion that both must have always existed.
It is impossible for anyone in this world to be born without parents, which is not in line with the laws of nature. So it is impossible to have an egg that can hatch birds first, because eggs are born by birds, and vice versa. Plato holds the same view.
Scientists have also seriously discussed this problem. Professor Mark Roger and Professor David of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom discovered "OC- 17 protein", which can help the formation of eggshells. From this point of view, there is chicken first, then chicken protein, and then eggshell (egg). Scientists think that the question "which came first, the chicken or the egg" is boring, but the study itself has other meanings, such as helping scientists study how bones are formed.
According to the theory of evolution, at some point in history, a species like chicken, but not chicken, produced the first "egg" due to genetic mutation.
In religion and fairy tales, there are also discussions about this issue. Both Jewish and Christian myths and legends show that God created everything in the world, including birds. God created birds and made them reproduce, but there was no mention of eggs in mythology. In China mythology, the world was created by Pangu. Before that, the chaotic world was round, just like an egg.
There is no convincing answer about chicken or egg. The opportunity to decrypt is reserved for the little students who love to think.
Second, why does the rooster crow?
We are all familiar with the story of smelling chickens dancing. Legend has it that Zu Ti, the general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was ambitious when he was young. Every time I talk to my good friend Liu Kun about the current situation, he is always impassioned and indignant. In order to serve the country, as soon as they heard the cock crow in the middle of the night, they got up in clothes, drew their swords and practiced martial arts, and worked hard. In the era of underdeveloped technology, people usually get up and work while listening to the cock crow, so the cock is the alarm clock of that era.
But the question is, why do people rely on roosters instead of other birds to tell the time? Why can roosters tell the time on time? Does it have a clock in its head? Does it only crow at dawn?
Except for owls and other birds that feed at night, most other birds that feed during the day are "blind" at night, and cocks are no exception. Generally speaking, roosters sleep at night. At night, they may be attacked by other carnivores at any time, so they will feel very uneasy when they sleep. In the morning, the rooster's eyes can see again, so he is very excited. To express this excitement, I began to sing. This is also the rooster's instinctive response to light stimulation. After a long time, the morning crow has become a rooster's habit and has been preserved. Now, even if the rooster is placed in a dark place so that it can't see the light, it will still crow in the morning.
There is a tissue called "pineal gland" in the cock's brain, which can secrete a substance called melatonin. When the level of melatonin secretion drops, the cock will crow. When the light shines into the eyes, such as the morning sun, the secretion of melatonin will be suppressed and reduced, and the cock will crow involuntarily.
Most cocks can sleep peacefully at night. Only some over-sensitive cocks mistake the moon for the sun and sing at the full moon. Ancient wars were frequent. During the war, it is very likely that a rooster will crow in the middle of the night disturbed by sound and fire, so the ancients also regarded "cock crow at night" as a bad omen of war. With the development of society, people's nightlife is getting richer and richer, and they go to bed later and later. The nights in many big cities are also very bright, and there is no obvious difference between day and night. The interference of artificial light sources such as neon lights has also disturbed the biological clocks of some cocks, and the secretion of melatonin is disordered, so in some places, cocks will crow all night.
The situation of turtles is similar. Newborn turtles should have climbed from the beach to the sea, but scientists found that more and more turtles would get lost. They don't climb to the sea, but in the opposite direction. After research, scientists found that the little turtle used moonlight to judge the direction of the sea. At present, there are too many artificial light sources such as lighthouses, which interfere with the little turtle's judgment and cause the little turtle to get lost.
Roosters crow not only at dawn, but also at ordinary times. Cockcrow is a declaration of sovereignty, which is used to remind other family members that they are the head of the family and have supreme family status. In addition, the cock crows to warn other cocks that he is still strong, so don't play tricks on his family. Moreover, the rooster is also a very aggressive animal. It warns other cocks not to come to its territory by crowing, otherwise it is impolite.
Thirdly, the animals described by Lao She.
Besides cats and hens, Lao She wrote many other small animals. Let's enjoy two clips. "Little Sparrow" mainly tells the story that Lao She saw a little sparrow fighting with a kitten and took the opportunity to save the little sparrow and cure it. "Small Animals (Pigeons) Continued" (excerpt) introduces the trivia of raising pigeons in Lao She's daily life. It is not difficult to see from these words that Mr. Lao She is definitely a caring and understanding person.
sparrow
After the rain, a sparrow came to the yard, just covered with feathers. It jumps in the yard and sometimes flies, but it flies from the ground to the edge of the flowerpot or out of the flowerpot. Seeing that it has flown two or three times, it can be seen that it will not fly higher. Several long feathers on its left wing are twisted together, and one of them is so long that it seems to be falling off. I tried to go forward, and it jumped, but it stopped and looked at me. The little black bean's eyes showed a look of closeness and incomplete trust. I thought of it: this is a mature bird, and it may have been caged since childhood. So it's not very scary. But its left wing may have been torn by the person who raised it or another child, so it loves people and doesn't trust them completely. I suddenly feel very sad when I think about this. How pitiful it is for a bird to lose its wings. I'm afraid this bird can't live without people, but people are too cruel and hurt its feathers. It's been destroyed by people, and you want to rely on people. How pitiful! Its eyes show a dilemma. Although it is only such a humble bird, its movements and expressions can reveal great grievances and difficulties. It wants to save its little life, but it doesn't know what to do. I have no confidence in myself and others, but I am willing to find some support. It jumped, stopped and looked at me, afraid to come over. I want to seduce him with some rice grains, but I'm afraid to leave. I'm afraid the kitten will pounce on him. But the kitten is not in the yard. I hurried into the kitchen and caught some rice grains. By the time I came back, the bird had disappeared. I ran to the outer court, and the kitten was crouching beside the flowerpot in front of the screen. I rushed to drive it away, and it just jumped on and caught the bird! A used sparrow can't even struggle. Its tail and claws hang down beside the cat's mouth, almost as if it were dead.
Looking at the bird, the cat ran into the kitchen and ran to Westinghouse. I dare not chase it, for fear that it will bite harder, but I can't help chasing it. Although I can't see the bird's head, I have never forgotten that look. Eyes that predict the danger of life. There is a little white cat between those eyes and my kindness. After running back and forth a few times, I stopped chasing. It's no use chasing. I think the bird is at least half dead. The cat came to the kitchen again. I paused, and quickly chased after it. Those two black bean eyes seem to be open in my heart.
Into the kitchen, the cat crouched next to an iron pipe-used to make a fire and smoke in winter, and put it in the corner of the kitchen in spring. The bird is missing. The lower end of the iron bucket was not completely buckled on the ground, so the kitten poked her foot into a big crack. My hope came back. The bird didn't die. This kitten is only four months old. It hasn't caught a mouse yet, or it can't kill anything yet. It just plays with a bird. Just thinking like this, the bird suddenly came out, and the cat seemed to be startled and hid back. I saw the bird at a glance, which made me close my eyes. The bird is almost squatting, with its chest close to the ground, squatting on the ground like a person with a stomachache. There is no blood on him. The body seems to be curled up and short. Keep your head down and your mouth pointing to the ground. Those two black eyes! It's dark and big. I don't look at anything. I just stare at a big black top. What little vitality it has is in its eyes, like waiting for a cat to pounce on it, and it has no power to resist and escape; It's like waiting for a cat to forgive it, or a savior. Life and death are in these two eyes, not awake. It is confused and in a coma; Why else would you come out of the iron pipe? However, although I am in a coma, I have a little bit of unconsciousness, the foundation of life and hope. This hope makes it stare at the ground, wait, wait for life and death. It was so scared and so loyal that it completely gave itself to a glimmer of hope and didn't move at all. Just like letting life out of your eyes, it doesn't bark or move.
The kitten didn't jump on it, just tried to touch it with her little feet. It tilted with the impact, its head did not move, its eyes did not move, and it just stared at the ground. But if it can survive, it will never resist. But it is not without courage, it does not move in front of the cat! I walked over gently and caught the cat. Put the cat outside the door, the bird hasn't moved yet. I hold it in my hand. It's really not badly hurt, although it has a little hair on its chest. It gave me a look!
I have no idea: let it go, it must be dead? Keep it. There is no cage at home. I hold it as if all the life in the world were in my hands, and I don't know what to do. The bird is motionless, curled up, and its eyes are still so black, waiting! Leng for a long time, I held it in my bedroom, put it on the table, looked at it, it froze for a long time, and suddenly its head tilted to the left and right, opening its black eyes; I didn't move again, but my body grew a little longer. I looked down and seemed to understand something.
Small animals (pigeons) continued (excerpt)
Raising pigeons, like raising fish and birds, requires a lot of effort. "No pain, no happiness" is right. However, raising fish and birds is more peaceful than raising pigeons; Raising pigeons is a quarrel. But it is sometimes angry to keep birds, but the birds are in cages and have no direct contact with other birds. Pigeons fly all over the sky, flies of the Chang family, flies of the Li family. It's hard to avoid entanglement when flying to a place. You must fight. Therefore, playing with other gadgets does not require laws, but there must be pigeons. Although these laws are not promulgated by the state, they must be observed among pigeon players. For example, when I start raising pigeons, I will start negotiations with the "pigeon house" in the community. For those with good friendship, it can be stipulated that no one should stand up to anyone; If my pigeon is wrapped in a friend's house, he will send it back to me; I did the same to him. This saves a lot of wars. I'm sorry if the two families can't come. Whoever gets and owns it is bound to have a war. With such enemies, raising pigeons is tantamount to quarreling. If you don't fly, I won't fly; You fly, I fly right away, and "bump" with you! "Crash" is very enjoyable. Two pigeon formations are mixed into a ball. If they are combined, they will be divided, and if they are combined, they will be combined. One minute I "pull" yours, and the next minute you "pull" mine, as hard as watching a tug of war. If anyone can "catch" one and land it in his room, he will try to lure it down with food and count it as his victory. However, prisoners in the room can fly away from time to time; I can do this, shoot it down with a crossbow, and if the prisoner is not tempted, he wants to escape. Playing ball can be measured, the technique is good, and it is important to hit the pigeon on the shoulder. Shoulder injury, not life-threatening, but lost the ability to fly. So I rolled down the room and caught it with a net; I'll keep it for a few days. Stupid trick, hit the chest, and then die; Or the bullet is empty and scares the pigeons away. This is called discouragement.
"Crash" is really enjoyable, but it is also awkward. I won't train new pigeons and pigeons. New pigeons and young pigeons must undergo considerable training to understand their homes and not get lost in the battle. Then every time I stood up, the enemy would mobilize troops, and I had no chance to train new troops; Let go of the novice boldly, and you will be taken away by others. So, I had to get up early, breathe a sigh of relief and practice the new army without saying a word. The enemy will also get up early. This is really annoying! We must try to talk about it, or we will die.
Hum, it's not easy to talk. For example, I only have 30 pigeons that can be used for fighting, and the enemy has 80 pigeons. He will not hold a peace meeting with me. I had no choice but to move. For such an enemy, fortunately, I won one for him, and I will definitely sell it in the pigeon market; Not for money, but to humiliate him. He must know that I'm going to the pigeon market to find a pigeon dealer or someone else to buy it, so he's embarrassed to talk to me himself.
Even without this war, raising pigeons is not the way to nourish the spirit; Pigeons always make your heart beat Let's just say I have something to go out. I just walked to the corner and saw a pigeon in the sky. Its wings are exhausted, or it is uncertain. Obviously, it has lost its mind. I can't miss this vacancy. I will fly home at once, put my pigeon on it and wrap this baby. You have to let go of some big things. In fact, it may be the oldest and ugliest rotten goods, but it is more or less a lucky head and cannot be easily let go. Pigeons are "flying around with foreign money and stepping on shit with their feet" because they always walk with their heads held high.
It is also difficult to rest assured when training young pigeons, especially those hatched by hand. The first few flights, you are not sure. Sometimes it is as sad as losing a child to watch the young pigeons hatched at home fly to other homes.
The most embarrassing thing is to make trouble. "Crow Tiger" is a kind of baby eagle, which bullies pigeons in Beiping in autumn and winter. At this time of the year, pigeon breeders take down pigeon bells to avoid crows and tigers. Before releasing pigeons, they should climb very high to see if there is anything in the air. When pigeons have flown, but the air is not right, up and down, and they are not flying seriously. You should immediately "pad" one, so that everyone can fall down and avoid danger; Maybe there is that thing in the distance. Unfortunately, both the crow and the tiger have arrived, and there is only one way, stamping your feet. The way to catch pigeons is to "hold" the flock to the top, almost as small as the swallow, and then it goes around and catches one alone. It is not busy, but it is spinning under the pigeon, and the pigeon wants to fly high. The higher you fly, the more tired you fly; Then the crow and tiger swooped high, and the pigeon was driven out of his mind. Then the pigeon was frightened out of my wits and kept falling. But crows and tigers are faster than them. So some feathers fell in the air, and it caught one and found a quiet place to enjoy it.
Fortunately, the rest ran for their lives and fell. Where did they fall? Fortunately, they left their luck in their room at home, just breathing, which was very pitiful. Well, from beginning to end, pigeon breeders dare not look at it; Just watch, there's nothing I can do! The crow and the tiger are gone, and the pigeon breeder has to wait for the lost pigeon to come back. One will fly back later and the other will come back later. However, if you wait and wait, you may not all come back, because the frightened pigeons are easily taken down by other families. Beware of the remnants of the army, sigh that you are unlucky, and seven feet can't be a little crow!