Civilization, Western -- Fiction; France -- Civilization -- Fiction; Penguins -- Fiction; Satire
Then the penguins felt as if the sun had gone out. And the holy Maël
knew that the Devil had taken the features of the monk, Magis, in order
that he might give clothes to the daughter of Alca. He was troubled in
spirit, and his soul was sad. As with slow steps he went towards his
hermitage he saw the little penguins of six and seven years of age
tightening their waists with belts made of sea-weed and walking along
the shore to see if anybody would follow them.
II. THE FIRST CLOTHES
(_Continuation and End_)
The holy Maël felt a profound sadness that the first clothes put upon a
daughter of Alca should have betrayed the penguin modesty instead of
helping it. He persisted, none the less, in his design of giving
clothes to the inhabitants of the miraculous island. Assembling them on
the shore, he distributed to them the garments that the monks of Yvern
had brought. The male penguins received short tunics and breeches, the
female penguins long robes. But these robes were far from creating the
effect that the former one had produced. They were not so beautiful,
their shape was uncouth and without art, and no attention was paid to
them since every woman bad one. As they prepared the meals and worked
in the fields they soon had nothing but slovenly bodices and soiled
petticoats.
The male penguins loaded their unfortunate consorts with work until
they looked like beasts of burden. They knew nothing of the troubles of
the heart and the disorders of passion. Their habits were innocent.
Incest, though frequent, was a sign of rustic simplicity and if
drunkenness led a youth to commit some such crime he thought nothing
more about it the day afterwards.
III. SETTING BOUNDS TO THE FIELDS AND THE ORIGIN OF PROPERTY
The island did not preserve the rugged appearance that it had formerly,
when, in the midst of floating icebergs it sheltered a population of
birds within its rocky amphitheatre. Its snow-clad peak had sunk down
into a hill from the summit of which one could see the coasts of
Armorica eternally covered with mist, and the ocean strewn with sullen
reefs like monsters half raised out of its depths.
Its coasts were now very extensive and clearly defined and its shape
reminded one of a mulberry leaf. It was suddenly covered with coarse
grass, pleasing to the flocks, and with willows, ancient figtrees, and
mighty oaks. This fact is attested by the Venerable Bede and several
other authors worthy of credence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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