It was February 8, 1971. The tree cutters cut down a large tree that was near our swimming pool. The tree consultant had said there was likely to be damage to the pool if not cut down. So, despite our misgivings, we ordered it cut down. The next morning at 6:01 am, the earth quaked in what came to be known as the Sylmar earthquake. It caused a lot of damage. What it caused in me, as I tried to get up from our waterbed and stagger to the glass doors overlooking the pool, was the feeling that the quake would crack the pool in retribution for our cutting down the tree. As I watched the pool, the water splashed onto the deck, but I could see no crack. And later examination of the whole pool revealed that it was intact. Later that day, I asked students to write out what they experienced as they woke up from the earthquake. When I examined these reports, I discovered that more than three-fourths of the responses indicated fantasies or dreams of retribution. I had an impulse to publish these findings, but did not do so. It remains an interesting question.