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OTHER CHANGES

Page history last edited by Amanda 14 years, 9 months ago

There are other changes to remove or alter phrasing that might be considered derogatory.  Page 182 of 1922/1950 and page 133 of 1998 both read:

"'Listen,' said Polynesia, 'I've been breaking my head trying to think up some way we can get money to buy those stores with; and at last I've got it.' 'The money?' said Bumpo. 'No, stupid. The idea—to make the money with.'"

 

1988 (p. 155) and 2001 (p. 171) both omit the word "stupid."


 

On page 266 of 1922/1950 and page 255 of 2001:

"'Poor perishing heathens!' muttered Bumpo. 'No wonder the old chief died of cold!'"

 

becomes (on page 230 of 1988 and page 202 of 1998):

"'No wonder the old chief died of cold!' muttered Bumpo."

 


 

There’s a passage at the end of Part III, Chapter 4, in 1922/1950 (p. 166), where Bumpo suggests cannibalizing a stowaway who has eaten all the salt beef:

"'Would it not be good political economy,' Bumpo whispered back, 'if we salted the able seaman and ate him instead? I should judge that he would weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds.'

 

'How often must I tell you that we are not in Jolliginki,' snapped Polynesia. 'Those things are not done on white men's ships—Still,' she murmured after a moment's thought, 'it's an awfully bright idea. I don't suppose anybody saw him come on to the ship—Oh, but Heavens! we haven't got enough salt. Besides, he'd be sure to taste of tobacco.'"

 

Here is the 1988 version of the passage (p. 142), with the changed part marked in boldface:

"'Would it not be good political economy,' Bumpo whispered back, 'if we salted the able seaman and ate him instead? I should judge that he would weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds.'

 

'Don't be silly,' snapped Polynesia. 'Those things are not done anymore.—Still,' she murmured after a moment's thought, 'it's an awfully bright idea. I don't suppose anybody saw him come on to the ship—Oh, but Heavens! we haven't got enough salt. Besides, he'd be sure to taste of tobacco.'"

 

 

2001 eliminates these two paragraphs (the last two of the chapter) entirely (see p. 157). 1998 (p. 122-3) leaves the first paragraph intact, but changes the second paragraph to read:

”'It’s an awfully bright idea,' Polynesia murmured after a moment’s thought. 'I don't suppose anybody saw him come on to the ship. Oh, but Heavens! We haven't got enough salt. Besides, he'd be sure to taste of tobacco.'"

 


 

1922/1950 (p. 318) and 2001 (p. 304) read:

"Then in the afternoon he taught school. The sort of things he taught were not always those you find in ordinary schools. Grown-ups as well as children came to learn. You see, these Indians were ignorant of many of the things that quite small white children know—though it is also true that they knew a lot that white grown-ups never dreamed of."

 

 

1988 (p. 273) eliminates the part in boldface entirely, while 1998 (p. 241) changes “white children” to “British schoolchildren” and “white grown-ups” to “British grown-ups."


 

All of the later editions make a number of changes to this passage from 1922/1950 (p. 324-6):

"'Well, as a matter of fact,' said he after a moment, 'I meant to speak to you myself this evening on that very subject. But it's—er—a little hard to make any one exactly understand the situation. I am afraid that it would be impossible for me to leave the work I am now engaged on.... You remember, when they first insisted on making me king, I told you it was not easy to shake off responsibilities, once you had taken them up. These people have come to rely on me for a great number of things. We found them ignorant of much that white people enjoy. And we have, one might say, changed the current of their lives considerably. Now it is a very ticklish business, to change the lives of other people. And whether the changes we have made will be, in the end, for good or for bad, is our lookout.'

 

He thought a moment—then went on in a quieter, sadder voice:

 

'I would like to continue my voyages and my natural history work; and I would like to go back to Puddleby—as much as any of you. This is March, and the crocuses will be showing in the lawn... . But that which I feared has come true: I cannot close my eyes to what might happen if I should leave these people and run away. They would probably go back to their old habits and customs: wars, superstitions, devil-worship and what not; and many of the new things we have taught them might be put to improper use and make their condition, then, worse by far than that in which we found them.... They like me; they trust me; they have come to look to me for help in all their problems and troubles. And no man wants to do unfair things to them who trust him.... And then again, I like THEM. They are, as it were, my children—I never had any children of my own—and I am terribly interested in how they will grow up. Don't you see what I mean?—How can I possibly run away and leave them in the lurch?... No. I have thought it over a good deal and tried to decide what was best. And I am afraid that the work I took up when I assumed the crown I must stick to. I'm afraid—I've got to stay.'"

 

 

1988 (p. 280-1) eliminates only the words that are boldface, 1998 (p. 247-8) eliminates those plus the ones that are both boldface and italicized, while 2001 (p. 310-1) eliminates all those plus the words that are only italicized.


 

1922/1950 (p. 332-3) reads:

"The old parrot had grown very tired of the Indians and she made no secret of it. 'The very idea,' she said to me one day as we were walking on the seashore—'the idea of the famous John Dolittle spending his valuable life waiting on these greasy natives!—Why, it's preposterous!'"

 

 

2001 (p. 317-8) eliminates the word “greasy,” while 1988 (p. 286-7) and 1998 (p. 253) change “greasy natives” to “people."

 

Next: THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PASSAGE

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