B104 <=> B106 [BTG XIII Fantasy perceived as reality, p. 105]

“But they themselves were personally to blame for it, and just on account of the abnormal conditions of external ordinary being-existence which they themselves have gradually established and which have gradually formed in their common presence just what has now become their inner ‘Evil–God,’ called ‘Self-Calming.’

“But all this you yourself, later on, will well understand, when I shall have given you, as I have already promised, more information about that planet which has taken your fancy.

“In any case, I strongly advise you to be very careful in the future in your references to the three-brained beings of that planet, not to offend them in any way; otherwise – as they also say there, ‘With what may the Devil not joke? – they might find out about your insulting them and, to use another of their expressions, ‘lay you by the heels.’

“And in the present case there is no harm in recalling again one of the wise sentences of our dear Mullah Nassr Eddin, who says:

“’Struth! What might not happen in this world. A flea might swallow an elephant.’”

Beelzebub intended to say something more, but at that moment a ship’s servant entered and, approaching, handed him an “etherogram” in his name.

When Beelzebub had finished listening to the contents of the said “etherogram” and the ship’s servant had gone, Hassein turned to Beelzebub again with the following words:

“Dear Grandfather, please go on talking about the three-centered beings arising and existing on that interesting planet called Earth.”

Beelzebub having looked at his grandson again with a special smile, and having made a very strange gesture with his head, continued to speak as follows: