Historians believe this poem became instantly famous: in April, the poets of Edo gathered at the "bashō" hut for a "haikai no renga" contest on the subject of frogs that seems to have been a tribute to Bashō's "hokku", which was placed at the top of the compilation. Bashō stayed in Edo, continuing to teach and hold contests, with an excursion in the autumn of 1687 when he traveled to the countryside for moon watching, and a longer trip in 1688 when he returned to Ueno to celebrate the Lunar New Year. At home in Edo, Bashō sometimes became reclusive: he alternated between rejecting visitors to his hut and appreciating their company. At the same time, he enjoyed his life and had a subtle sense of humor, as reflected in his "hokku":