As Gregor was in the process of lifting himself half out of
bed—the new method was more of a game than an effort; he needed
only to rock with a constant rhythm—it struck him how easy all this
would be if someone were to come to his aid. Two strong people—he
thought of his father and the servant girl—would have been quite
sufficient. They would have only had to push their arms under his
arched back to get him out of the bed, to bend down with their
load, and then merely to exercise patience and care that he
completed the flip onto the floor, where his diminutive legs would
then, he hoped, acquire a purpose. Now, quite apart from the fact
that the doors were locked, should he really call out for help? In
spite of all his distress, he was unable to suppress a smile at
this idea.
