B1086 <=> B1088 [BTG XLIII Beelzebub’s opinion of war, p. 1087]

“Now, my boy, from the various intelligentsics enumerated by me it remains for me to tell you about those terrestrial types whom the other beings call zevrocrats and aristocrats, who are distinguished by the cognomens given to them, such as ‘emir,’ ‘count,’ ‘khan,’ ‘prince,’ ‘melik,’ ‘baron,’ and so on, the consonance of which for some reason or other acts extremely pleasantly on that function of your favorites which is always very strongly expressed in them, which remains in them up to their very death and which is called ‘vanity.’

“And I must frankly confess to you, that it is very difficult to explain about these types there not only in ordinary speech but also in the language of our most wise Mullah Nassr Eddin.

“The most we can say of them is they are simply ‘jokes of nature.’

“Still, I must say that although both these types there among your favorites are called differently, yet in fact these same aristocrats and zevrocrats are similar in every respect and have exactly identical inner properties.

“Remember I have already told you that there on your planet, in various communities, there exist two kinds, as is said there, of ‘state organization.’

“One is called a ‘monarchic’ state organization and the other a ‘republican.’

“In the communities where a republican state organization exists, these types are called zevrocrats; but where a monarchic state organization exists, they are called aristocrats.

“Trying to give you at least some notion about these two terrestrial types, I think it will be best if I tell you about one of my embarrassments which occurred to me every time when, being on your planet, I accidentally happened to meet these ‘misconceptions.’ At chance meetings with them, one thing chiefly surprised me – how could this kind of terrestrial three-brained type exist on your peculiar planet almost as long as the other three-brained beings there?