Similar to the preceding piece, this work was composed in 1914. According to the composer himself, this is the only piece in the collection that bears an extramusical title. He stated: “We sometimes mock something maliciously, rudely, and irresponsibly. However, upon closer inspection, we realize how pathetic what we laughed at is, and how miserable and even moving its insignificance can be. Then we become terrified of our own laughter. The laughter echoes in our heads, but the laughter we hear at that moment is mockery directed at ourselves.” (Quoted from his diary, October 28, 1916). The piece begins with an introduction featuring intense, repeated chord attacks in changing meters, but then rapidly shifts to a quiet, simple, albeit dissonant, texture. In the coda, the opening repeated chord attacks transform into an unusual form, fragmented into small sections, and the piece concludes with an eerie bass line.