Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Famous Scrota in Literature, a brief intro

"Keep your eye on the rats. You better have the lead in your lap, handy."

So she dropped the lump into my lap just at that moment, and I clapped my legs together on it and she went on talking. But only about a minute. Then she took off the hank and looked me straight in the face, and very pleasant, and says:

"Come, now, what's your real name?"

"Wh -- what, mum?"

"What's your real name? Is it Bill, or Tom, or Bob? -- or what is it?"

I reckon I shook like a leaf, and I didn't know hardly what to do.


The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 11.

Another book, arguably for young people (and famous for its use of another word) doesn't use the word scrotum. I'd love it if Madame Librarian posted on the Newberry Award winning children's book that does, but Electric Warrior does a fine job. NYT coverage here.

Actually, as far as I can tell, the plot of The Higher Power of Lucky is a quest for the definition of the word scrotum, which is a great plot for a children's book - all about what's said and not said. In the 19th century, it might have been a quest for the definition of appendix.

Illustration by E.W. Kemble, I think. PS. It was Benj who drew the literary comparison here.

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