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The Last Rites of the Bokononist Faith
from "Cat's Cradle" by: Kurt Vonnegut
jr.
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"Gott mate mutt," crooned Dr. Von Koenigswald.
"Dyot meet mat." echoed "Papa" Monzano.
"God mad mud." was what they'd said, each in his
own dialect. I will here abandon the dialects of the litany.
"God got lonesome," said Von Koenigswald.
"God got lonesome."
"So God said to some of the mud, "Sit up!"
"So God said to some of the mud, "Sit up!"
"See all I've made,' said God, "the hills, the
sea, the sky, the stars.'"
"See all I've made,' said God, "the hills, the
sea, the sky, the stars.'"
"And I was some of the mud that got to sit up
and look around."
"And I was some of the mud that got to sit up
and look around."
"Lucky me, lucky mud."
"Lucky me, lucky mud." Tears were streaming down
"Papa's cheeks.
"I, mud sat up and saw what a nice job God had
done."
"I, mud sat up and saw what a nice job God had
done."
"Nice going God!"
"Nice going God!" "Papa" said it with all his
heart.
"Nobody but You could have done it, God! I certainly
couldn't have."
"Nobody but You could have done it, God! I certainly
couldn't have."
"I feel very unimportant compared to You."
"I feel very unimportant compared to You."
"The only way I can feel the least bit important
is to think of all the mud that didn't even get to sit up and look around."
"The only way I can feel the least bit important
is to think of all the mud that didn't even get to sit up and look around."
"I got so much, and most mud got so little."
"I got so much, and most mud got so little."
"Deng you vore da on-oh!" cried Von Koenigswald.
"Tz-yenk voo vore lo yon-yo!" wheezed "Papa."
What they had said was, "Thank you for the honor!"
"Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep."
"Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep."
"What memories for mud to have!"
"What memories for mud to have!"
"What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud
I met!"
"What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud
I met!"
"I loved everything I saw!"
"I loved everything I saw!"
"Good night."
"Good night."
"I will go to heaven now."
"I will go to heaven now."
"I can hardly wait. . ."
"I can hardly wait. . ."
"To find out for certain what my wampeter
was. . ."
"To find out for certain what my wampeter
was. . ."
"And who was in my karass. . ."
"And who was in my karass. . ."
"And all the good things our karass did
for you. . ."
"And all the good things our karass did
for you. . ."
"Amen."
"Amen."
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