Study of Beelzebub's Tales

Chapter.Page

Nokhan

 

43 Beelzebub’s Survey of the Process of the Periodic Reciprocal Destruction of Men, or Beelzebub’s Opinion of War

43.1079

“At every step one might also observe such an absurdity as this: One of them who even does not know in the least what that ordinary tiny being which often bites him, called ‘flea,’ looks like, writes a ‘huge volume’ or draws up a special what is called ‘popular lecture’ that the flea whose bite made the neck of a certain historical King Nokhan swell, had on its left paw an ‘abnormal orange-crimson growth of a peculiar strange form.’

43.1079

“Well then, if this expert in fleas there will write his voluminous work or if he will read for a whole evening his popular lecture on the ‘orange-crimson growth’ on the mentioned flea, then if anyone will not believe him and will express his doubt to his face, he will not only be offended but even greatly indignant; and he will be indignant chiefly because this somebody is such a what is called ‘ignoramus,’ that he has even not yet heard anything about the ‘truths’ communicated to him by this ‘expert.’