(Un)natural taxonomy
"On those remote pages it is written that animals are divided into (a) those that belong to the Emperor, (b) embalmed ones, (c) those that are trained, (d) suckling pigs, (e) mermaids, (f) fabulous ones, (g) stray dogs, (h) those that are included in this classification, (i) those that tremble as if they are mad, (j) innumerable ones, (k) those drawn with a very fine camel's hair brush, (l) others, (m) those that have just broken a flower vase, (n) those that resemble a fly from a distance."
Allegedly from The Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge, an ancient Chinese encyclopedia, via Franz Kuhn, via Jorge Luis Borges. (So, in fact, it may have been entirely fabricated by Borges.)
Allegedly from The Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge, an ancient Chinese encyclopedia, via Franz Kuhn, via Jorge Luis Borges. (So, in fact, it may have been entirely fabricated by Borges.)