Thoughheknowsthathehastravelleditathousandtimes，hecannotrecognizeafeatureinit，butitisasstrangetohimasifitwerearoadinSiberia。Bynight，ofcourse，theperplexityisinfinitelygreater。Inourmosttrivialwalks，weareconstantly，thoughunconsciously，steeringlikepilotsbycertainwell-knownbeaconsandheadlands，andifwegobeyondourusualcoursewestillcarryinourmindsthebearingofsomeneighboringcape；andnottillwearecompletelylost，orturnedround——foramanneedsonlytobeturnedroundoncewithhiseyesshutinthisworldtobelost——doweappreciatethevastnessandstrangenessofnature。Everymanhastolearnthepointsofcompassagainasoftenasbeawakes，whetherfromsleeporanyabstraction。Nottillwearelost，inotherwordsnottillwehavelosttheworld，dowebegintofindourselves，andrealizewhereweareandtheinfiniteextentofourrelations。
Oneafternoon，neartheendofthefirstsummer，whenIwenttothevillagetogetashoefromthecobbler’s，Iwasseizedandputintojail，because，asIhaveelsewhererelated，Ididnotpayataxto，orrecognizetheauthorityof，theStatewhichbuysandsellsmen，women，andchildren，likecattle，atthedoorofitssenate-house。Ihadgonedowntothewoodsforotherpurposes。
But，whereveramangoes，menwillpursueandpawhimwiththeirdirtyinstitutions，and，iftheycan，constrainhimtobelongtotheirdesperateodd-fellowsociety。Itistrue，Imighthaveresistedforciblywithmoreorlesseffect，mighthaverun“amok“
againstsociety；butIpreferredthatsocietyshouldrun“amok“
againstme，itbeingthedesperateparty。However，Iwasreleasedthenextday，obtainedmymendedshoe，andreturnedtothewoodsinseasontogetmydinnerofhuckleberriesonFairHavenHill。IwasnevermolestedbyanypersonbutthosewhorepresentedtheState。I
hadnolocknorboltbutforthedeskwhichheldmypapers，notevenanailtoputovermylatchorwindows。Ineverfastenedmydoornightorday，thoughIwastobeabsentseveraldays；notevenwhenthenextfallIspentafortnightinthewoodsofMaine。Andyetmyhousewasmorerespectedthanifithadbeensurroundedbyafileofsoldiers。Thetiredramblercouldrestandwarmhimselfbymyfire，theliteraryamusehimselfwiththefewbooksonmytable，orthecurious，byopeningmyclosetdoor，seewhatwasleftofmydinner，andwhatprospectIhadofasupper。Yet，thoughmanypeopleofeveryclasscamethiswaytothepond，Isufferednoseriousinconveniencefromthesesources，andInevermissedanythingbutonesmallbook，avolumeofHomer，whichperhapswasimproperlygilded，andthisItrustasoldierofourcamphasfoundbythistime。Iamconvinced，thatifallmenweretoliveassimplyasI
thendid，thievingandrobberywouldbeunknown。Thesetakeplaceonlyincommunitieswheresomehavegotmorethanissufficientwhileothershavenotenough。ThePope’sHomerswouldsoongetproperlydistributed。
“Necbellafuerunt，Faginusastabatdumscyphusantedapes。“
“Norwarsdidmenmolest，Whenonlybeechenbowlswereinrequest。“
“Youwhogovernpublicaffairs，whatneedhaveyoutoemploypunishments？Lovevirtue，andthepeoplewillbevirtuous。Thevirtuesofasuperiormanarelikethewind；thevirtuesofacommonmanarelikethegrass——Ithegrass，whenthewindpassesoverit，bends。“
ThePondsSometimes，havinghadasurfeitofhumansocietyandgossip，andwornoutallmyvillagefriends，IrambledstillfartherwestwardthanIhabituallydwell，intoyetmoreunfrequentedpartsofthetown，“tofreshwoodsandpasturesnew，“or，whilethesunwassetting，mademysupperofhuckleberriesandblueberriesonFairHavenHill，andlaidupastoreforseveraldays。Thefruitsdonotyieldtheirtrueflavortothepurchaserofthem，nortohimwhoraisesthemforthemarket。Thereisbutonewaytoobtainit，yetfewtakethatway。Ifyouwouldknowtheflavorofhuckleberries，askthecowboyorthepartridge。Itisavulgarerrortosupposethatyouhavetastedhuckleberrieswhoneverpluckedthem。A
huckleberryneverreachesBoston；theyhavenotbeenknowntheresincetheygrewonherthreehills。Theambrosialandessentialpartofthefruitislostwiththebloomwhichisrubbedoffinthemarketcart，andtheybecomemereprovender。AslongasEternalJusticereigns，notoneinnocenthuckleberrycanbetransportedthitherfromthecountry’shills。
Occasionally，aftermyhoeingwasdonefortheday，Ijoinedsomeimpatientcompanionwhohadbeenfishingonthepondsincemorning，assilentandmotionlessasaduckorafloatingleaf，and，afterpractisingvariouskindsofphilosophy，hadconcludedcommonly，bythetimeIarrived，thathebelongedtotheancientsectofCoenobites。Therewasoneolderman，anexcellentfisherandskilledinallkindsofwoodcraft，whowaspleasedtolookuponmyhouseasabuildingerectedfortheconvenienceoffishermen；andIwasequallypleasedwhenhesatinmydoorwaytoarrangehislines。Onceinawhilewesattogetheronthepond，heatoneendoftheboat，andIattheother；butnotmanywordspassedbetweenus，forhehadgrowndeafinhislateryears，butheoccasionallyhummedapsalm，whichharmonizedwellenoughwithmyphilosophy。
Ourintercoursewasthusaltogetheroneofunbrokenharmony，farmorepleasingtorememberthanifithadbeencarriedonbyspeech。
When，aswascommonlythecase，Ihadnonetocommunewith，Iusedtoraisetheechoesbystrikingwithapaddleonthesideofmyboat，fillingthesurroundingwoodswithcirclinganddilatingsound，stirringthemupasthekeeperofamenageriehiswildbeasts，untilIelicitedagrowlfromeverywoodedvaleandhillside。
InwarmeveningsIfrequentlysatintheboatplayingtheflute，andsawtheperch，whichIseemtohavecharmed，hoveringaroundme，andthemoontravellingovertheribbedbottom，whichwasstrewedwiththewrecksoftheforest。FormerlyIhadcometothispondadventurously，fromtimetotime，indarksummernights，withacompanion，and，makingafireclosetothewater’sedge，whichwethoughtattractedthefishes，wecaughtpoutswithabunchofwormsstrungonathread，andwhenwehaddone，farinthenight，threwtheburningbrandshighintotheairlikeskyrockets，which，comingdownintothepond，werequenchedwithaloudhissing，andweweresuddenlygropingintotaldarkness。Throughthis，whistlingatune，wetookourwaytothehauntsofmenagain。ButnowIhadmademyhomebytheshore。
Sometimes，afterstayinginavillageparlortillthefamilyhadallretired，Ihavereturnedtothewoods，and，partlywithaviewtothenextday’sdinner，spentthehoursofmidnightfishingfromaboatbymoonlight，serenadedbyowlsandfoxes，andhearing，fromtimetotime，thecreakingnoteofsomeunknownbirdcloseathand。
Theseexperienceswereverymemorableandvaluabletome——anchoredinfortyfeetofwater，andtwentyorthirtyrodsfromtheshore，surroundedsometimesbythousandsofsmallperchandshiners，dimplingthesurfacewiththeirtailsinthemoonlight，andcommunicatingbyalongflaxenlinewithmysteriousnocturnalfisheswhichhadtheirdwellingfortyfeetbelow，orsometimesdraggingsixtyfeetoflineaboutthepondasIdriftedinthegentlenightbreeze，nowandthenfeelingaslightvibrationalongit，indicativeofsomelifeprowlingaboutitsextremity，ofdulluncertainblunderingpurposethere，andslowtomakeupitsmind。Atlengthyouslowlyraise，pullinghandoverhand，somehornedpoutsqueakingandsquirmingtotheupperair。Itwasveryqueer，especiallyindarknights，whenyourthoughtshadwanderedtovastandcosmogonalthemesinotherspheres，tofeelthisfaintjerk，whichcametointerruptyourdreamsandlinkyoutoNatureagain。ItseemedasifImightnextcastmylineupwardintotheair，aswellasdownwardintothiselement，whichwasscarcelymoredense。ThusIcaughttwofishesasitwerewithonehook。
ThesceneryofWaldenisonahumblescale，and，thoughverybeautiful，doesnotapproachtograndeur，norcanitmuchconcernonewhohasnotlongfrequenteditorlivedbyitsshore；yetthispondissoremarkableforitsdepthandpurityastomeritaparticulardescription。Itisaclearanddeepgreenwell，halfamilelongandamileandthreequartersincircumference，andcontainsaboutsixty-oneandahalfacres；aperennialspringinthemidstofpineandoakwoods，withoutanyvisibleinletoroutletexceptbythecloudsandevaporation。Thesurroundinghillsriseabruptlyfromthewatertotheheightoffortytoeightyfeet，thoughonthesoutheastandeasttheyattaintoaboutonehundredandonehundredandfiftyfeetrespectively，withinaquarterandathirdofamile。Theyareexclusivelywoodland。AllourConcordwatershavetwocolorsatleast；onewhenviewedatadistance，andanother，moreproper，closeathand。Thefirstdependsmoreonthelight，andfollowsthesky。Inclearweather，insummer，theyappearblueatalittledistance，especiallyifagitated，andatagreatdistanceallappearalike。Instormyweathertheyaresometimesofadarkslate-color。Thesea，however，issaidtobeblueonedayandgreenanotherwithoutanyperceptiblechangeintheatmosphere。Ihaveseenourriver，when，thelandscapebeingcoveredwithsnow，bothwaterandicewerealmostasgreenasgrass。
Someconsiderblue“tobethecolorofpurewater，whetherliquidorsolid。“But，lookingdirectlydownintoourwatersfromaboat，theyareseentobeofverydifferentcolors。Waldenisblueatonetimeandgreenatanother，evenfromthesamepointofview。Lyingbetweentheearthandtheheavens，itpartakesofthecolorofboth。
Viewedfromahilltopitreflectsthecolorofthesky；butnearathanditisofayellowishtintnexttheshorewhereyoucanseethesand，thenalightgreen，whichgraduallydeepenstoauniformdarkgreeninthebodyofthepond。Insomelights，viewedevenfromahilltop，itisofavividgreennexttheshore。Somehavereferredthistothereflectionoftheverdure；butitisequallygreenthereagainsttherailroadsandbank，andinthespring，beforetheleavesareexpanded，anditmaybesimplytheresultoftheprevailingbluemixedwiththeyellowofthesand。Suchisthecolorofitsiris。
Thisisthatportion，also，whereinthespring，theicebeingwarmedbytheheatofthesunreflectedfromthebottom，andalsotransmittedthroughtheearth，meltsfirstandformsanarrowcanalaboutthestillfrozenmiddle。Liketherestofourwaters，whenmuchagitated，inclearweather，sothatthesurfaceofthewavesmayreflecttheskyattherightangle，orbecausethereismorelightmixedwithit，itappearsatalittledistanceofadarkerbluethantheskyitself；andatsuchatime，beingonitssurface，andlookingwithdividedvision，soastoseethereflection，Ihavediscernedamatchlessandindescribablelightblue，suchaswateredorchangeablesilksandswordbladessuggest，moreceruleanthantheskyitself，alternatingwiththeoriginaldarkgreenontheoppositesidesofthewaves，whichlastappearedbutmuddyincomparison。Itisavitreousgreenishblue，asIrememberit，likethosepatchesofthewinterskyseenthroughcloudvistasinthewestbeforesundown。
Yetasingleglassofitswaterhelduptothelightisascolorlessasanequalquantityofair。Itiswellknownthatalargeplateofglasswillhaveagreentint，owing，asthemakerssay，toits“body，“butasmallpieceofthesamewillbecolorless。HowlargeabodyofWaldenwaterwouldberequiredtoreflectagreentintI
haveneverproved。Thewaterofourriverisblackoraverydarkbrowntoonelookingdirectlydownonit，and，likethatofmostponds，impartstothebodyofonebathinginitayellowishtinge；
butthiswaterisofsuchcrystallinepuritythatthebodyofthebatherappearsofanalabasterwhiteness，stillmoreunnatural，which，asthelimbsaremagnifiedanddistortedwithal，producesamonstrouseffect，makingfitstudiesforaMichaelAngelo。
Thewaterissotransparentthatthebottomcaneasilybediscernedatthedepthoftwenty-fiveorthirtyfeet。Paddlingoverit，youmaysee，manyfeetbeneaththesurface，theschoolsofperchandshiners，perhapsonlyaninchlong，yettheformereasilydistinguishedbytheirtransversebars，andyouthinkthattheymustbeasceticfishthatfindasubsistencethere。Once，inthewinter，manyyearsago，whenIhadbeencuttingholesthroughtheiceinordertocatchpickerel，asIsteppedashoreItossedmyaxebackontotheice，but，asifsomeevilgeniushaddirectedit，itslidfourorfiverodsdirectlyintooneoftheholes，wherethewaterwastwenty-fivefeetdeep。Outofcuriosity，Ilaydownontheiceandlookedthroughthehole，untilIsawtheaxealittleononeside，standingonitshead，withitshelveerectandgentlyswayingtoandfrowiththepulseofthepond；andthereitmighthavestooderectandswayingtillinthecourseoftimethehandlerottedoff，ifIhadnotdisturbedit。MakinganotherholedirectlyoveritwithanicechiselwhichIhad，andcuttingdownthelongestbirchwhichIcouldfindintheneighborhoodwithmyknife，Imadeaslip-noose，whichIattachedtoitsend，and，lettingitdowncarefully，passeditovertheknobofthehandle，anddrewitbyalinealongthebirch，andsopulledtheaxeoutagain。