“How could I do what?” Johannes asked surprised.
“Swallow that human soup!”
“Human soup?”
“Yes, human soup; don’t you see that baby which Schlickeisen has fished up?”
Johannes had gained his end; those stupid Europeans were nicely sold. He burst out laughing.
“Ha! ha! ha! human soup. You never get such fare in Europe, not even in the best Parisian restaurants. Capital!” he roared. “I shall laugh myself to death.”
And snatching the fork from Schlickeisen he produced the entire mass of flesh from the pot, exhibiting besides the parts already seen, two long legs and a tail a yard long.
“A monkey!” La Cueille gasped.
“One of the boehies killed a little while ago. The women quietly immersed this animal in boiling water to remove its hair, and then made it into a delicious soup.”
The Walloon and the two Swiss still hesitated, but Johannes tried to reconcile them to this new fare by explaining that the monkey is one of the cleanest and daintiest animals in creation, feeding entirely upon vegetable diet.