"
There was a pause in the outcry, and from Hans' mouth came an imitation of a
snake's hiss, so perfect that I almost sprung to my feet. The sustained
murderous sound ran along the deck, and the wrenching at the bars ceased. The
orangoutang was quaking in an ecstasy of pure terror.
"Dot stop him," said Hans. "I learned dot trick in Mogoung Tanjong when I was
collecting liddle monkeys for some peoples in Berlin. Efery one in der world is
afraid of der monkeys except der snake. So I blay snake against monkey, and he
keep quite still. Dere was too much Ego in his Cosmos. Dot is der soul-custom
of monkeys. Are you asleep, or will you listen, and I will tell a dale dot you
shall not pelief?"
"There's no tale in the wide world that I can't believe," I said.
"If you have learned pelief you haf learned somedings. Now I shall try your
pelief. Good! When I was collecting dose liddle monkeys--it was in '79 or '80,
und I was in der islands of der Archipelago--over dere in der dark"--he pointed
southward to New Guinea generally--"Mein Gott! I would sooner collect life red
devils than liddle monkeys. When dey do not bite off your thumbs dey are always
dying from nostalgia--homesick--for dey haf der imperfect soul, which is midway
arrested in defelopment--und too much Ego.
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