The Author of {patteran} is otherwise unknown; similarly, the carefree spirit of his rambling "anecdote" provides a happy contrast to the anxious or lugubrious mood of other wanderers whose writings appear in the Archives.

Some say he was a government official who lost his position and then decided that this was best for all concerned, especially for himself; others propose that he was one among many vagabond scholars who roam the world during eras of political disarray, living by their wits alone.

However this may be, it is regrettable that more of his Writings, if any still survive, have not been found — or that so many of us who read this one seem unable to adopt (let alone maintain) his joyous approach to life.