a man in the east, where they do not require as much clothing as in colder climates, gave up all worldly concerns and retired to a wood, where he built a hut and lived in it.

his only clothing was a piece of cloth which he wore round his waist. but, as ill-luck would have it, rats were plentiful in the wood, so he had to keep a cat. the cat required milk to feed it, so a cow had to be kept. the cow required tending, so a cowboy was employed. the boy required a house to live in, so a house was built for him. to look after the house, a maid had to be engaged. to provide company for the maid, a few more houses had to be built, and people invited to live in them. in this manner a little township sprang up.

the man said: "the farther we seek to go from the world and its cares, the more they multiply!"