Quote by Mark Twain

It was such ecstacy to dream, and dream - till you got a bite.A scorpion bite. Then the first duty was to get up out of the grass and kill the scorpion; and the next to bathe the bitten place with alcohol or brandy; and the next to resolve to keep out of the grass in the future. Then came an adjournment to the bedchamber and the pastime of writing up the day's journal with one hand and the destruction of mosquitoes with the other - a whole community of them at a slap. Then, observing an enemy approaching - a hairy tarantula on stilts - why not set the spittoon on him? It is done, and the projecting ends of his paws give a luminous idea of the magnitude of his reach. Then to bed and become a promenade for a centipede with forty-two legs on a side and every foot hot enough to burn a whole through a raw-hide. More soaking with alcohol, and a resolution to examine the bed before entering it, in future. Then wait, and suffer, till all the mosquitoes in the neighborhood have crawled in under the bar, then slip out quickly, shut them in and sleep peacefully on the floor till morning. Meantime, it is comforting to curse the tropics in occasional wakeful intervals.

Summary

In this quote, the author vividly describes a series of troublesome encounters with pests in a tropical environment. From a scorpion bite to dealing with mosquitoes, a tarantula, and a centipede, the narrator finds themselves in a continuous battle to protect themselves and find solace in sleep. The quote reflects the challenges and frustrations of living in such an environment, highlighting the need to take precautions, adapt, and find small victories like killing pests to maintain some sense of control. Intermixed with the difficulties, there is a hint of humor and the relief of venting frustrations.