Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson

42 Beelzebub in America

42.1019

“‘“As regards the people who constantly consume meat or those products which contain the element called ‘Eknokh,’ although the appearance of the state of their organism undergoes no change, nevertheless their psyche, especially its chief feature which is sometimes designated by the general word the ‘character’ of man, gradually changes in regard to positiveness and morality for the worse, beyond all recognition.

42.1021

“‘“The results of these last researches of mine made it clear to me that although in general people’s psyche does indeed deteriorate from the constant introduction into the organism of the substance Eknokh, yet this substance has a particularly harmful effect only at certain times of the year.

42.1021

“‘“So, my Brethren in Christ… from all I have said and chiefly from the experimental observations which I made on people daily during a whole year and which clearly showed me that the intensity of the harmful effect of the substance Eknokh decreases at certain times of the year, I can now confidently express my personal opinion that if the custom would be spread and confirmed, among the followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ, of abstaining during at least certain times of the year from the use of these products in the formations of which that substance Eknokh takes a special part, then if such a measure could conceivably be put into effect, it would bring the people a certain amount of benefit.

42.1021-2

“‘“As my numerous alchemic investigations have shown me, the substance Eknokh participates in the formation of the organisms of all lives, without exception, breeding on the surface of the Earth as well as within its different spheres, as, for instance, within the Earth, in the water, in the atmosphere, and so on.

“‘“This substance is present also in everything which exists for the formation of the said organism, as for example in the vascular fluid of every pregnant female of every kind of life, and in such products as milk, eggs, caviar, etc….”

42.1022

“‘The ideas expressed by the great Hertoonano so astounded and agitated all the members of that Kelnuanian council that the commotion made it impossible for the great Hertoonano to continue speaking, and he was compelled to abandon his speech and descend from the rostrum.

42.1022

“‘It was further said in that manuscript that the day’s result was a unanimous decision on the part of the members of the Kelnuanian council to fix, with the help of the great Hertoonano, those times of the year when the substance Eknokh had more harmful effects on people, and to spread widely among the followers of Jesus Christ the custom of fasting at these times of the year—that is, of abstaining at certain times of the year from products containing the, for them, harmful substance Eknokh.

42.1022

“‘As you see from this, the creators of this custom had in view that the followers of that religion should abstain at the fixed times from those products which contain the substance very harmful for their health and particularly to their psyche.

42.1022

“‘But the Russian sorry Orthodox Christians, who consider themselves faithful followers of that great religion, also fast, but during their fast they eat the flesh of fish, that is to say, they eat just those organisms which contain according to the researches of the great Hertoonano that harmful substance Eknokh, precisely to guard them against which that wise and salutary custom was created.’