At this remark I was brought to a realization of the fact that Arletta,
whom I so ardently loved, aye even worshipped, was treating me in about
the same manner as I would have treated a pet monkey had I been teaching
it some new tricks. She evidently regarded my smiles and feelings for
her with about the same consideration as I should have given to those of
some grinning female baboon had it been trying to make love to me. Her
last thoughts, therefore, aroused my sensitive nature, and a violent
outburst of temper was the result. I did not mind being called an Apeman
so much, but hated the idea of being treated like one, so working myself
into a passion I severely censured her, and with much bluster and many
gestures endeavored to impress upon her mind how much superior I was to
what she had imagined. It was some time before my anger abated, and then
I noticed that she appeared quite unmoved by my wrath but sat looking
calmly and alternately at me and one of the figures in the picture,
while her face bore an expression of sadness and pity. Then I felt
ashamed to think of what a lack of self-control I had exhibited, and
humbly begged her pardon.
"But now," said Arletta, and I fancied that she called me John, "your
soul is at present running the machinery of a very inferior mind and
body which plainly shows all the cruel passions and idiotic ideas of the
Apeman. This has happened through no fault of your own but is the result
of circumstances over which you had no control so that you are not
responsible for your present condition. I now say however that you have
been chosen by nature for a great and glorious work and from this time
forward you must make use of your reasoning faculties for reasonable
purposes and cast aside all the animal passions, silly ideas and
antiquated superstitions which you have inherited from the ignorant of
ages, and begin afresh. Before starting on our journey perhaps it would
be well for us to take some refreshments in order that our minds may
remain strong and clear during the trip. We take our nourishment in a
different way from you cannibals," said Arletta, as she went to one of
the artificial flower gardens, began inhaling and motioned me to do
likewise. "But we are not cannibals," I mildly remonstrated, "we do not
kill and eat human beings." "Do you not kill and eat the flesh of other
living things?" inquired she. "Yes," replied I, "our diet consists of
the flesh of birds, fish and cattle which God with great wisdom created
for that purpose." "Did he? Then you must worship a cannibal god, for it
is but a very short step between eating the flesh of your own species
and that of others. That is one reason why our scientists ranked the
Apeman with the lower animals. But come, inhale this perfume and see if
it is not far more refreshing and less disgusting than to fill your
stomach with roasted flesh."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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