B312 <=> B314 [BTG XXIII Beelzebub’s fourth sojourn, p. 314]

“Though we had previously decided to carry out the experiments with these apes only on the following year, when they would have become thoroughly acclimatized and orientated to existence under the new conditions, I ascended then to the planet Saturn so soon because at my last personal meeting with Gornahoor Harharkh, I had promised him to be present at his family solemnity which had soon to take place.

“And this family solemnity of Gornahoor Harharkh’s was that beings like himself around him were to consecrate the first heir produced by him.

“I promised to attend this family solemnity Krikhrakhri in order to undertake, regarding his recently arisen heir, what is called the ‘Alnatoorornian-being-duty.’

“Here it is interesting to remark that this kind of procedure for undertaking this being-duty, took place among the ancient three-brained beings of your planet also, and even reached your contemporary favorites, though these latter, just as in everything else, take only the external form of this serious and important procedure. The beings who undertake, as it were, these duties, are called by your contemporary favorites ‘godfathers’ and ‘godmothers.’

“The heir of Gornahoor Harharkh was then called Raoorkh.”