Saturday, January 19, 2013

Let Dogs Delight to Bark and Bite

by


Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For 'tis their nature too.

But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes.



Every Saturday is Poetry Day here at the Literature Daily blog. Tomorrow look for another installment from the great Arab book Thousand and One Nights.

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Friday, January 18, 2013

17 Armies

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
by Luo Guanzhong

Today's excerpt from Chapter 5.  Previously

7
Once Cao issued the official call to arms, the nobles from each of the garrisons all raised armies in response:

8
1st garrison: Yuan Shu, governor of Nanyang Commandery, General of the Rear.
2nd garrison: Han Fu, governor of Jizhou Province.
3rd garrison: Kong Zhou, governor of Yuzhou Province.
4th garrison: Liu Dai, governor of Yanzhou Province.
5th garrison: Wang Kuang, governor of Henei Commandery.
6th garrison: Zhang Miao, governor of Chenliu Commandery.
7th garrison: Qiao Mao, governor of Dong Commandery.
8th garrison: Yuan Yi, governor of Shanyang Commandery.
9th garrison: Bao Xin, chief minister of the Kingdom of Jibei.
10th garrison: Kong Rong, governor of Beihai Commandery.
11th garrison: Zhang Chao, governor of Guangling Commandery.
12th garrison: Tao Qian, governor of Xuzhou Province.
13th garrison: Ma Teng, governor of Xiliang Commandery.
14th garrison: Gongsun Zan, governor of Beiping Commandery.
15th garrison: Zhang Yang, governor of Shangdang Commandery.
16th garrison: Sun Jian, governor of Changsha Commandery, Marquis of Wucheng.
17th garrison: Yuan Shao, governor of Bohai Commandery, Marquis of Qixiang.



Continued next week. Tomorrow is Poetry Day here at Literature Daily.

More About This Story


This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.

Chapter Summary: A forged imperial edict is issued: all towns respond to Lord Cao; breaking through the soldiers at the pass: three heroes battle Lü Bu.

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This translation from Wikipedia. See license CC-BY-SA.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

“Are You Sure That Oz Will See You?”

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum


Today's selection from Chapter 10. The Guardian of the Gate. Previously

A woman opened it just far enough to look out, and said, "What do you want, child, and why is that great Lion with you?"

"We wish to pass the night with you, if you will allow us," answered Dorothy; "and the Lion is my friend and comrade, and would not hurt you for the world."

"Is he tame?" asked the woman, opening the door a little wider.

"Oh, yes," said the girl, "and he is a great coward, too. He will be more afraid of you than you are of him."

"Well," said the woman, after thinking it over and taking another peep at the Lion, "if that is the case you may come in, and I will give you some supper and a place to sleep."

So they all entered the house, where there were, besides the woman, two children and a man. The man had hurt his leg, and was lying on the couch in a corner. They seemed greatly surprised to see so strange a company, and while the woman was busy laying the table the man asked:

"Where are you all going?"

"To the Emerald City," said Dorothy, "to see the Great Oz."

"Oh, indeed!" exclaimed the man. "Are you sure that Oz will see you?"

"Why not?" she replied.



Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Romance of the Three Kingdoms the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.

Remember Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?

Illustrated: cover of the book's first edition in 1900.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

July 4 in the Mediterranean

Innocents Abroad
by Mark Twain


You're reading from chapter 10. Previously

But I digress. The thunder of our two brave cannon announced the Fourth of July, at daylight, to all who were awake. But many of us got our information at a later hour, from the almanac. All the flags were sent aloft except half a dozen that were needed to decorate portions of the ship below, and in a short time the vessel assumed a holiday appearance. During the morning, meetings were held and all manner of committees set to work on the celebration ceremonies. In the afternoon the ship's company assembled aft, on deck, under the awnings; the flute, the asthmatic melodeon, and the consumptive clarinet crippled "The Star-Spangled Banner," the choir chased it to cover, and George came in with a peculiarly lacerating screech on the final note and slaughtered it. Nobody mourned.

We carried out the corpse on three cheers (that joke was not intentional and I do not endorse it), and then the President, throned behind a cable locker with a national flag spread over it, announced the "Reader," who rose up and read that same old Declaration of Independence which we have all listened to so often without paying any attention to what it said; and after that the President piped the Orator of the Day to quarters and he made that same old speech about our national greatness which we so religiously believe and so fervently applaud. Now came the choir into court again, with the complaining instruments, and assaulted "Hail Columbia"; and when victory hung wavering in the scale, George returned with his dreadful wild-goose stop turned on and the choir won, of course. A minister pronounced the benediction, and the patriotic little gathering disbanded. The Fourth of July was safe, as far as the Mediterranean was concerned.




Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

More About This Book


This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.

Chapter Summary: Fourth of July at Sea--Mediterranean Sunset--The "Oracle" is Delivered of an Opinion--Celebration Ceremonies--The Captain's Speech--France in Sight--The Ignorant Native--In Marseilles--Another Blunder--Lost in the Great City--Found Again--A Frenchy Scene

Photo: Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

“Stay Where You Are; I Will Go Myself.”

The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas


Today's excerpt is from Chapter 41.

"You see, then," said d'Artagnan, "that I must have that letter. So no more delay, no more hesitation; or else whatever may be my repugnance to soiling my sword a second time with the blood of a wretch like you, I swear by my faith as an honest man--" and at these words d'Artagnan made so fierce a gesture that the wounded man sprang up.

"Stop, stop!" cried he, regaining strength by force of terror. "I will go--I will go!"

D'Artagnan took the soldier's arquebus, made him go on before him, and urged him toward his companion by pricking him behind with his sword.

It was a frightful thing to see this wretch, leaving a long track of blood on the ground he passed over, pale with approaching death, trying to drag himself along without being seen to the body of his accomplice, which lay twenty paces from him.

Terror was so strongly painted on his face, covered with a cold sweat, that d'Artagnan took pity on him, and casting upon him a look of contempt, "Stop," said he, "I will show you the difference between a man of courage and such a coward as you. Stay where you are; I will go myself."



Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

More About This Book


This French novel, written in 1844 has been the subject of numerous movies. The 2004 Disney poster advertises the latest.

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Monday, January 14, 2013

Here’s the Deal

The Illiad
by Homer


We are journeying through Book 3. Previously

The old man trembled as he heard, but bade his followers yoke the horses, and they made all haste to do so. He mounted the chariot, gathered the reins in his hand, and Antenor took his seat beside him; they then drove through the Scaean gates on to the plain. When they reached the ranks of the Trojans and Achaeans they left the chariot, and with measured pace advanced into the space between the hosts. Agamemnon and Ulysses both rose to meet them. The attendants brought on the oath-offerings and mixed the wine in the mixing-bowls; they poured water over the hands of the chieftains, and the son of Atreus drew the dagger that hung by his sword, and cut wool from the lambs' heads; this the men-servants gave about among the Trojan and Achaean princes, and the son of Atreus lifted up his hands in prayer. "Father Jove," he cried, "that rulest in Ida, most glorious in power, and thou oh Sun, that seest and givest ear to all things, Earth and Rivers, and ye who in the realms below chastise the soul of him that has broken his oath, witness these rites and guard them, that they be not vain. If Alexandrus kills Menelaus, let him keep Helen and all her wealth, while we sail home with our ships; but if Menelaus kills Alexandrus, let the Trojans give back Helen and all that she has; let them moreover pay such fine to the Achaeans as shall be agreed upon, in testimony among those that shall be born hereafter. And if Priam and his sons refuse such fine when Alexandrus has fallen, then will I stay here and fight on till I have got satisfaction."



Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

More About This Book


From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.

Summary of Third Book: Alexandria, also called Paris, challenges Menelaus--Helen and Priam view the Achaeans from the wall--The covenant--Paris and Menelaus fight, and Paris is worsted--Venus carries him off to save him--Scene between him and Helen.

Painting: The Wrath of Achilles by Michael Drolling, 1819.

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Porter Is Dismissed

Thousand and One Nights


Today's excerpt is from the story of The Porter And The Three Ladies Of Baghdad.

Then she turned to the others and said to them, 'Let each of you come forward in turn and tell us his history and the manner of his coming hither and after go about his business; but whoso refuses, I will cut off his head.' The first to come forward was the porter, who said, 'O my lady, I am a porter. This lady, the cateress, hired me and took me first to the vintner's, then to the butcher's, from the butcher's to the fruiterer's, from the fruiterer's to the grocer's, from the grocer's to the greengrocer's, from the greengrocer's to the confectioner's and the druggist's, and thence to this place, where there happened to me with you what happened. This is my story; and peace be on thee!' At this the lady laughed and said to him, 'Begone about thy business.' But he said, 'By Allah, I will not budge 'till I hear the others' stories.' Then came forward the first Calender and said, 'Know, O lady, that



Next week: The First Calender's Story. Tomorrow's installment from The Illiad by Homer.

More About This Book


From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.

Picture: Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.

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