A Deal in Ostriches
Encyclopedia
"A Deal in Ostriches" is a short story by the British writer H. G. Wells
. It is a cautionary tale about simple human greed. The taxidermist of Wells’ story "Triumphs of a Taxidermist
" (1894) makes a return appearance as the narrator of the story. The story was originally published anonymously in the December 20th, 1894 issue of the Pall Mall Gazette
and later published in the 1895 short story collection The Stolen Bacillus. The story is the tale of a carefully crafted and skillfully executed con that exploited the natural greed the protagonist's fellow passengers.
ship enroute from India
to London
. Sir Mohini Padishah, a wealthy native Indian, is aboard the vessel with an assortment of fellow passengers. One of the passengers, an unnamed caretaker, was on deck with five ostriches in his charge when one of the birds promptly snatched and swallowed the diamond
from Padishah’s turban
. The bird becomes mixed with the others during the resulting confusion. Word of the incident quickly sweeps the vessel as Padishah demands the return of the diamond. He swore he would retrieve the diamond, but would not buy the birds. He demands his rights as a British Subject and plans to appeal to the British House of Lords
.
The passengers debate the legalities of the situation. As no barrister
is aboard, much of the discussions are speculation. Padishah demands the ostriches from the caretaker who refuses because he does not own the birds. Following a brief stopover in Aden
(the capital of modern day Yemen
on the Arabian Peninsula
) Padishah offers to buy all five birds from the caretaker. The caretaker refuses but tells Padishah that a fellow passenger, Potter, had made a similar offer. While in Aden, Potter wired the birds owners in London and made an offer to purchase the birds. His answer would be waiting for him in Suez
. He announced that he intended to kill each of the birds and find the diamond. Padisha raged over this action and the taxidermist cursed himself for not having thought of it himself.
The birds’ owner accepted Potter’s offer. Padishah publicly wept over the sale. Potter offered to sell the birds to Padishah for more than twice the amount he had paid. When Padishah balked Potter arranged to sell the birds at auction on the ship. Interest in the auction flared when a passenger, a Jewish diamond merchant assessed between three to four thousand British Pounds. After the first bird sold was immediately slaughtered upon the deck, Potter forbid their slaughter until landfall in London. The price for each subsequent bird grew netting Potter more than one thousand Pounds. Padishah provided each new owner with his address and begged the men to mail him the diamond once they found it. They rebuffed him and went their own ways.
The taxidermist completes his narrative by describing a visit to a street in downtown London a week later. While there, he saw Padishah and Potter arm in arm having a “purple time of it.” The taxidermist assures his associate that Padishah was an eminent Hindu
and that the diamond was indeed real. However, he expresses doubt that the bird had ever actually swallowed the diamond.
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
. It is a cautionary tale about simple human greed. The taxidermist of Wells’ story "Triumphs of a Taxidermist
Triumphs of a Taxidermist
"Triumphs of a Taxidermist" is an 1894 short story by British writer H. G. Wells. The story was originally published anonymously in the March 3rd and 15th, 1894 issues of the Pall Mall Gazette and later published in the 1895 short story collection The Stolen Bacillus.-Plot summary:Bellows visits a...
" (1894) makes a return appearance as the narrator of the story. The story was originally published anonymously in the December 20th, 1894 issue of the Pall Mall Gazette
Pall Mall Gazette
The Pall Mall Gazette was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood...
and later published in the 1895 short story collection The Stolen Bacillus. The story is the tale of a carefully crafted and skillfully executed con that exploited the natural greed the protagonist's fellow passengers.
Plot summary
The taxidermist is talking with an unnamed acquaintance about the price of birds when he tells the story of a bird auction he witnessed years before on an East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
ship enroute from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Sir Mohini Padishah, a wealthy native Indian, is aboard the vessel with an assortment of fellow passengers. One of the passengers, an unnamed caretaker, was on deck with five ostriches in his charge when one of the birds promptly snatched and swallowed the diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
from Padishah’s turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
. The bird becomes mixed with the others during the resulting confusion. Word of the incident quickly sweeps the vessel as Padishah demands the return of the diamond. He swore he would retrieve the diamond, but would not buy the birds. He demands his rights as a British Subject and plans to appeal to the British House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
The passengers debate the legalities of the situation. As no barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
is aboard, much of the discussions are speculation. Padishah demands the ostriches from the caretaker who refuses because he does not own the birds. Following a brief stopover in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
(the capital of modern day Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
on the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
) Padishah offers to buy all five birds from the caretaker. The caretaker refuses but tells Padishah that a fellow passenger, Potter, had made a similar offer. While in Aden, Potter wired the birds owners in London and made an offer to purchase the birds. His answer would be waiting for him in Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
. He announced that he intended to kill each of the birds and find the diamond. Padisha raged over this action and the taxidermist cursed himself for not having thought of it himself.
The birds’ owner accepted Potter’s offer. Padishah publicly wept over the sale. Potter offered to sell the birds to Padishah for more than twice the amount he had paid. When Padishah balked Potter arranged to sell the birds at auction on the ship. Interest in the auction flared when a passenger, a Jewish diamond merchant assessed between three to four thousand British Pounds. After the first bird sold was immediately slaughtered upon the deck, Potter forbid their slaughter until landfall in London. The price for each subsequent bird grew netting Potter more than one thousand Pounds. Padishah provided each new owner with his address and begged the men to mail him the diamond once they found it. They rebuffed him and went their own ways.
The taxidermist completes his narrative by describing a visit to a street in downtown London a week later. While there, he saw Padishah and Potter arm in arm having a “purple time of it.” The taxidermist assures his associate that Padishah was an eminent Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and that the diamond was indeed real. However, he expresses doubt that the bird had ever actually swallowed the diamond.