One day Bird had approached his father with this question; he was six years old: Father, where was I a hundred years before I was born? Where will I … - Kenzaburō Ōe

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One day Bird had approached his father with this question; he was six years old: Father, where was I a hundred years before I was born? Where will I be a hundred years after I die? Father, what will happen to me when I die? Without a word, his young father had punched him in the mouth, broke two of his teeth and bloodied his face, and Bird forgot the fear of death.