How sausage is made.
July 1, 2011 11:05 PM Subscribe
What is the source of this tragic fable that I heard in my youth?
The outlines of the fable:
A boy is raised on a farm by his grandmother to appreciate the culinary arts. He learns all the herbs and spices, and all the fine cooking skills he needs to be a skilled country chef. Finally he is deemed ready to go to the big city. He arrives and approaches a food producer about a job. The food producer looks briefly up from his cigar and newspaper when he hears the youth's question about a job and replies in the affirmative, that yes he does have a position. Then he reaches up and pulls a lever that opens a trap door through which the youth falls into a meat grinder that makes him into sausage.
I heard this fable more than once in the late 70's, then never again since. The story was told with varying degrees of color and detail, but that's the general outline. Anyone know where this one comes from?
The outlines of the fable:
A boy is raised on a farm by his grandmother to appreciate the culinary arts. He learns all the herbs and spices, and all the fine cooking skills he needs to be a skilled country chef. Finally he is deemed ready to go to the big city. He arrives and approaches a food producer about a job. The food producer looks briefly up from his cigar and newspaper when he hears the youth's question about a job and replies in the affirmative, that yes he does have a position. Then he reaches up and pulls a lever that opens a trap door through which the youth falls into a meat grinder that makes him into sausage.
I heard this fable more than once in the late 70's, then never again since. The story was told with varying degrees of color and detail, but that's the general outline. Anyone know where this one comes from?
Response by poster: Yes, very much. I had forgotten about the vegetarian aspect, but that sounds right too. Thanks!
posted by telstar at 11:52 PM on July 1, 2011
posted by telstar at 11:52 PM on July 1, 2011
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However, a lot of Dahl's short stories are based on older stories, so that may not be the original.
posted by PercyByssheShelley at 11:22 PM on July 1, 2011 [6 favorites]