Humorous stories, American; Short stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
FRIDAY.--She has taken to beseeching me to stop going over the Falls.
What harm does it do? Says it makes her shudder. I wonder why; I have
always done it--always liked the plunge, and coolness. I supposed it was
what the Falls were for. They have no other use that I can see, and
they must have been made for something. She says they were only made for
scenery--like the rhinoceros and the mastodon.
I went over the Falls in a barrel--not satisfactory to her. Went over
in a tub--still not satisfactory. Swam the Whirlpool and the Rapids in
a fig-leaf suit. It got much damaged. Hence, tedious complaints about
my extravagance. I am too much hampered here. What I need is a change of
scene.
SATURDAY.--I escaped last Tuesday night, and traveled two days, and
built me another shelter in a secluded place, and obliterated my tracks
as well as I could, but she hunted me out by means of a beast which she
has tamed and calls a wolf, and came making that pitiful noise again,
and shedding that water out of the places she looks with. I was obliged
to return with her, but will presently emigrate again when occasion
offers. She engages herself in many foolish things; among others; to
study out why the animals called lions and tigers live on grass and
flowers, when, as she says, the sort of teeth they wear would indicate
that they were intended to eat each other. This is foolish, because to
do that would be to kill each other, and that would introduce what, as
I understand, is called “death”; and death, as I have been told, has not
yet entered the Park. Which is a pity, on some accounts.
SUNDAY.--Pulled through.
MONDAY.--I believe I see what the week is for: it is to give time to
rest up from the weariness of Sunday. It seems a good idea. ... She has
been climbing that tree again. Clodded her out of it. She said nobody
was looking. Seems to consider that a sufficient justification for
chancing any dangerous thing. Told her that. The word justification
moved her admiration--and envy, too, I thought. It is a good word.
TUESDAY.--She told me she was made out of a rib taken from my body.
This is at least doubtful, if not more than that. I have not missed any
rib.... She is in much trouble about the buzzard; says grass does not
agree with it; is afraid she can't raise it; thinks it was intended to
live on decayed flesh. The buzzard must get along the best it can with
what is provided. We cannot overturn the whole scheme to accommodate the
buzzard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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