▁the ▁spect ators ' ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁row ' s ▁hearts ▁he ▁not ices ▁all ▁kinds ▁of ▁b izar re ▁views . ▁He ▁con cludes ▁he ▁must ▁have ▁had ▁too ▁much ▁blood ▁r ushing ▁to ▁his ▁head ▁and ▁wishes ▁he ▁could ▁take ▁a ▁Russian ▁steam ▁bath . ▁Sud den ly ▁he ▁is ▁indeed ▁there , ▁but ▁fully ▁cloth ed ▁and ▁sc aring ▁off ▁the ▁other ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁room . ▁He ▁has ▁enough ▁sense ▁to ▁pull ▁himself ▁together ▁and ▁tell ▁everybody ▁it ' s ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁bet . ▁He ▁then ▁returns ▁home ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁bl ister ed ▁back . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁watch man ▁pick s ▁up ▁the ▁gal osh es ▁at ▁the ▁hospital ▁and ▁turns ▁them ▁in ▁at ▁the ▁police ▁station ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁accident ally ▁given ▁to ▁a ▁cl erk ▁whose ▁gal osh es ▁happened ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁lost ▁too . ▁During ▁a ▁walk ▁the ▁cl erk ▁meets ▁a ▁friend ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁poet ▁and ▁des ires ▁to ▁live ▁his ▁life , ▁for ▁it ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁much ▁more ▁enjoy able ▁than ▁his . ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁cl erk ▁enjo ys ▁being ▁a ▁poet ▁full ▁of ▁insp iration . ▁Then ▁he ▁wishes ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁l ark , ▁but ▁is ▁caught ▁by ▁a ▁little ▁boy ▁and ▁sold ▁off ▁to ▁a ▁family , ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁put ▁inside ▁a ▁c age . ▁He ▁tal ks ▁with ▁a ▁can ary ▁and ▁par rot , ▁who ▁both ▁l ament ▁the ▁days ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁still ▁free .