But as soon as the first glimpse of sun entered the window,
up he got, with stiff and grating joints, but with a cheerful look;
limped towards me where I lay; pressed his forehead again
against mine; and said his Ramadan was over.
Now, as I before hinted, I have no objection to any person's religion,
be it what it may, so long as that person does not kill or insult
any other person, because that other person don't believe it also.
But when a man's religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive
torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable
inn to lodge in; then I think it high time to take that individual
aside and argue the point with him.
And just so I now did with Queequeg. "Queequeg," said I,
"get into bed now, and lie and listen to me." I then went on,
beginning with the rise and progress of the primitive religions,
and coming down to the various religions of the present time,
during which time I labored to show Queequeg that all
these Lents, Ramadans, and prolonged ham-squattings in cold,
cheerless rooms were stark nonsense; bad for the health;
useless for the soul; opposed, in short, to the obvious laws
of Hygiene and common sense. I told him, too, that he being
in other things such an extremely sensible and sagacious savage,
it pained me, very badly pained me, to see him now so deplorably
foolish about this ridiculous Ramadan of his.
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