Python Lady said, “Do you still have monkeys on the brain?”
I said, “Do you have anything better to think about?”
Python Lady said, “You have a point.”
Le Grande Palais was a dog-and-rat pit, mostly. It is long gone. Bloodsport is frowned upon, nowadays. I do not know why. The Romans had gladiators, old-time Orleanians had dog fights.
Mostly, Le Grande Palais would pit dog vs. dog, but a dog versus rat fight was a regular feature on the card. People would bet how many rats the dog would kill in five minutes. There was an official hourglass.
An ape, like you and me, has opposable thumbs. A dog cannot use a tool. A dog’s only tool is its tongue-hanging mouth.
Have you ever seen a dogfight? Have you ever seen a monkey fight a dog to the death? Close your eyes and imagine it.
Sometimes, instead of dog vs. dog or dog vs. rat, the management at Le Grande Palais would arrange to have a monkey vs. dog fight. Imagine the excitement. These were fights to the death. It is called bloodsport for a reason.
A bout without blood is a wrestling match. A bout without blood is a bout about nothing, low stakes.
The whole reason people went to Le Grand Palais was to see duels to the death between two animals. 1824 was not 2024. Different strokes for different folks. Had it been 24AD, it they would have been betting on duels to the death between two gladiators.
You say tomato. I say tomato.
More to follow…