The Sacred Beetle 



conflict may decree. The former, a brawny 

 desperado, no novice at the game, often has 

 the best of the fight. Then, after two or 

 three unsuccessful attempts, the defeated 

 Beetle wearies and returns philosophically to 

 the heap, to make himself a new pellet. 

 As for the other, with all fear of a surprise 

 attack at an end, he harnesses himself to the 

 conquered ball and pushes it whither he 

 pleases. I have sometimes seen a third thief 

 appear upon the scene and rob the robber. 

 Nor can I honestly say that I was sorry. 



I ask myself in vain what Proudhon ^ 

 introduced into Scarabsean morality the da- 

 ring paradox that " property means plunder," 

 or what diplomatist taught the Dung-beetle 

 the savage maxim that " might is right." 

 I have no data that would enable me to trace 

 the origin of these spoliations, which have 

 become a custom, of this abuse of strength 

 to capture a lump of ordure. All that I can 

 say is that theft is a general practice among 

 the Scarabs. These dung-rollers rob one 

 another with a calm effrontery which, to my 

 knowledge, is without a parallel. I leave it 

 to future observers to elucidate this curious 



1 Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865), the French 

 socialist, author of Qii'est-ce que la propriete? etc. — Trans- 

 lator's Note. 



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