 killing any living being for
the sake of eating it. The only animal food that you may eat, is the flesh of
any birds, beasts, or fishes that you may come upon as having died a natural
death, or any that may have been born prematurely, or so deformed that it is a
mercy to put them out of their pain; you may also eat all such animals as have
committed suicide. As regards vegetables you may eat all those that will let you
eat them with impunity.«
    So wisely and so well did the old prophet argue, and so terrible were the
threats he hurled at those who should disobey him, that in the end he carried
the more highly educated part of the people with him, and presently the poorer
classes followed suit, or professed to do so. Having seen the triumph of his
principles, he was gathered to his fathers, and no doubt entered at once into
full communion with that unseen power whose favour he had already so
pre-eminently enjoyed.
    He had not, however, been dead very long, before some of his more ardent
disciples took it upon them to better the instruction of their master. The old
prophet had allowed the use of eggs and milk, but his disciples decided that to
eat a fresh egg was to destroy a potential chicken, and that this came to much
the same as murdering a live one. Stale eggs, if it was quite certain that they
were too far gone to be able to be hatched, were grudgingly permitted, but all
eggs offered for sale had to be submitted to an inspector, who, on being
satisfied that they were addled, would label them »Laid not less than three
months« from the date, whatever it might happen to be. These eggs, I need hardly
say, were only used in puddings, and as a medicine in certain cases where an
emetic was urgently required. Milk was forbidden inasmuch as it could not be
obtained without robbing some calf of its natural sustenance, and thus
endangering its life.
    It will be easily believed that at first there were many who gave the new
rules outward observance, but embraced every opportunity of indulging secretly
in those flesh-pots to which they had been accustomed. It was found that animals
were continually dying natural deaths under more or less suspicious
circumstances. Suicidal mania, again, which had hitherto been confined
exclusively to donkeys, became alarmingly prevalent even among such for the most
part self-respecting creatures as sheep and cattle. It was astonishing how some
of these unfortunate animals would scent out a butcher's knife if there was one
