INDIANA UNIVERSITY

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY

220 Jordan Hall

June 18, 1962

Prof, Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine
Stanford University
Palo Alto, Calif,

Dear Lambda~jin:

How you do get around! Imagine, a trip to my fatherland. Dr. Tim
who has been so interested in me for quarter of a century, thinks my
ancestors came over from the ponds and stream of Japan long ago by puddle-
hopping across to Alaska when that region was much warmer and there were
many puddles in a continuous land bridge. iIn fact, he has some little
glass-enclosed ponds here right next to mine and there are some kappas in
it that he had flown over from Japan, water and all. I can't get out and
make friends with them because he keeps me shut in my little @lass-enclosed
pond except when he puts me under a microscope and throws a bright light
on mes Once when he was looking at me I heard him say "Gad, little kappa,
you are exactly like the kappas that were sent to me from Japan". And it
was only yesterday that I heard him say "You little devil, I knew you were
an elusive, slippery water-sprite and that you delighted in showing me how
stupid I am; but I didn't know much else about you because that beautiful
book about you that Makino sent me is in Japanese. But Lambda-jin was
thoughtful and kind enough to send me one in English and now I find you are
charming in a gawkish kind of way and that it is not just me you show up
as stupid, but human beings in general. I will certainly write Lambda-jin
and tell him how grateful I am for his gift."

So, I thought I'd let you know first. Do come see. me when you can
and meanwhile my best regards to your litchi-wife,.

As ever,

L,,,,