- end_line
- 9457
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:18.539Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 9420
- text
- hearing that an hour or two previous she had been partaking of some
twenty unripe bananas, I rather fancied that that circumstance might
have had something to do with her sufferings. But however it was, all
the herb-leeches on the island would not have altered her own opinions
on the subject.”
“No,” said Braid-Beard; “a post-mortem examination would not have
satisfied her ghost.”
“Curious to relate,” he continued, “the people of that island never
abuse the Plujii, notwithstanding all they suffer at their hands,
unless under direct provocation; and a settled matter of faith is it,
that at such times all bitter words and hasty objurgations are entirely
overlooked, nay, pardoned on the spot, by the unseen genii against whom
they are directed.”
“Magnanimous Plujii!” cried Media. “But, Babbalanja, do you, who run a
tilt at all things, suffer this silly conceit to be uttered with
impunity in your presence? Why so silent?”
“I have been thinking, my lord,” said Babbalanja, “that though the
people of that island may at times err, in imputing their calamities to
the Plujii, that, nevertheless, upon the whole, they indulge in a
reasonable belief. For, Plujii or no Plujii, it is undeniable, that in
ten thousand ways, as if by a malicious agency, we mortals are woefully
put out and tormented; and that, too, by things in themselves so
exceedingly trivial, that it would seem almost impiety to ascribe them
to the august gods. No; there must exist some greatly inferior spirits;
so insignificant, comparatively, as to be overlooked by the supernal
powers; and through them it must be, that we are thus grievously
annoyed. At any rate; such a theory would supply a hiatus in my system
of meta-physics.”
“Well, peace to the Plujii,” said Media; “they trouble not me.”
- title
- Chunk 2