..续本文上一页 loads of fish" story for the villagers to hear. He”d tell them that pickled fish from Lopburi was sold as far away as Chaiyaphum province. This annoyed me. We had come out for solitude, not to sell pickled fish. I”d have to keep after him about this, but he had more years in the monkhood than I. When we”d go to stay on a mountaintop, he”d like to build a fire to warm himself — when I was asleep. He wouldn”t dare do it when I was awake. 9 While warming himself, he”d get the two boys, Man and Manu, to join him and talk.

　　After we had stayed for a few days, the group started getting less and less quiet. The first day had been fine: No one dared talk because they were afraid of the tigers and elephants that were plentiful on the plateau. After the fifth day our rice ran out, so we got ready to go down the plateau.

　　When we reached level ground, we stopped to rest for a while. A person who worked for some Westerners saw us and came to spread out a mat for me to sit on. I didn”t accept the offer, so he invited Phra Palat Sri to sit on the mat, which he did. A moment later we heard thunder, even though the sky was sunny, and in that very instant a branch from a nearby tree came crashing down less than a foot from Phra Palat Sri”s head. Phra Palat Sri, his face pale, jumped up from where he had been sitting. "That," I told him, "is what happens to people who don”t have any self-restraint." From that point on, Phra Palat Sri becam, e a very quiet person.

　　After that we went on and stopped to spend the night at a school near Phaa Nok Khao (Owl Cliff). My followers were all tired out. Late that night, when it was quiet, I could hear the sounds of people sneaking out into the forest, so the next morning I asked one of the monks what they had been up to the night before, and was told, "We took your palm sugar. We”ve been carrying it for days now, but haven”t had any, so last night we boiled it in water and drank it all up."

　　When we had finished our meal that morning, we left to cross through a large forest. Before setting out, I made up my mind: "I”m going to ride my own car all the way to Chumphae district," which was 80 kilometers away. "I won”t accept any offers to ride in a car or truck. I”m going to look for solitude in the forest." A few minutes later, after we had gone about a kilometer along the road, a car went whizzing past and then stopped about 200 meters ahead of us. A woman came running in our direction and said, "Please accept a ride in our car. We”ve just bought it."

　　I looked at the faces of the others: They all wanted to accept the ride, but I didn”t agree to it. The woman pleaded with us for a long time, but I still didn”t accept the offer.

　　We walked along — our umbrella tents and bowls slung over our shoulders — through the heat and the sun. After about four kilometers I spotted a hill with a spirit shrine ahead, and so stopped to rest and explore the caves there. A woman came along with a child in her arms and three dead lizards slung over her shoulder, which she placed near the spot where I was resting. I thought of asking her for one of the lizards, but didn”t dare say anything.

　　After I had rested for a moment, a parcel post truck from Loei came past, with Nai Man and Phra Palat Sri sitting in it. The driver stopped, jumped down from the truck and came running towards me. "I”ve seen you walking along the road for several days now," he said. "Please accept a ride from me." He pleaded with me for several minutes, saying "I won”t ask for any fare, not even from the boys." One of my followers had gone on ahead; one was trailing behind. "Thank you," I told him "but we can”t accept your offer." So my followers who were in the truck had to get out.

　　We walked into the Laan Wilds, an area of virgin forest. At about five in t…

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