I first came across this saying in Visionary and Dreamer, David Cecil's study of the artists Samuel Palmer and Edward Burne-Jones. If I'm remembering correctly, it was a favourite of the latter.
Looking for it online the other day, I found this formulation of it in several places:
A Pacific island chief was being bullied by a missionary about his beliefs.
"Have you, my dear, no conception of a deity?"
The chief replied: "We know that at night-time someone goes by amongst the trees, but we never speak of it."
"They dined on the missionary that same day, but he tasted so nasty that they gave up eating people ever after, so he did some good after all..."
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of another post of mine: I may be related to one of the Tollesbury Cannibals.
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