Gutenberg · eo1.org

← catalogue

The Autobiography of a Monkey

by Albert Bigelow Paine · English · Gutenberg #33629 · 29,824 chars · public domain (US)

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Autobiography of a Monkey
    
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: The Autobiography of a Monkey

Author: Albert Bigelow Paine

Illustrator: Henry Mayer


        
Release date: September 4, 2010 [eBook #33629]
                Most recently updated: January 6, 2021

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33629

Credits: Produced by Chris Curnow, monkeyclogs and the Online
        Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
        file was produced from images generously made available
        by The Internet Archive)


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A MONKEY ***




Produced by Chris Curnow, monkeyclogs and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)









THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A MONKEY

[Illustration]

FOUND AND PICTURED BY HY. MAYER

VERSES BY ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE

[Illustration]

NEW YORK R. H. RUSSELL

MDCCCXCVII


  Copyright 1897
  BY
  ROBERT HOWARD RUSSELL




[Illustration]

PART FIRST.

THE DEPARTURE FROM THE FOREST.


    Where the light laughs in through the tree-tops
      And sports with the tangled glade,
    In the depths of an Afric forest
      My earliest scenes were laid.

[Illustration]

    In a bower that was merry with smilax
      From the grimace of no-where, I woke
    I was born on the first day of April
      And they called me a jungle joke.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And the voices of birds were about me--
      And the beat and the flutter of wing;
    While morning returned at the trumpet
      Of Tusky, our elephant king.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    My nurse was a crooning old beldame
      Who gazed in the palms of my hands
    And vowed I was destined to travel
      In many and marvellous lands.

[Illustration]

    But little I heeded her croaking,
      For I gamboled the whole day long,
    And swung by my tail from the tree-top,
      Or joined in the jungle song.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

THE SONG OF THE JUNGLE.


    _The Elephant:_

        Oh, I am the lord of the forest and plain!

    _The Lion, Tigers, etc.:_

        And we are the beasts that acknowledge your reign!

    _The Birds:_

        And we are the minstrels that come at your call!

    _The Monkeys:_

        And we are the jesters that laugh at you all!

[Illustration]

    _Chorus, All--_

    _Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Oh, yes!_
      _The tribes of the jungle are we--_
    _Our home is the darksome wilderness_
      _That never a man shall see._

    _The Elephant:_

        Oh, the jungle was meant and was made for my will!

    _The Lions, Tigers, etc.:_

        For the sport of the chase and the zest of the kill!

    _The Birds:_

        For the beating of wings and the echo of song!

    _The Monkeys:_

        For gambol and grimace the whole season long!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    _Chorus, All:_

    _Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Oh, yes!_
      _For all of the tribes that be_
    _With homes in the tangled wilderness_
      _That never a man shall see._

[Illustration]

    But, alas, for the boasts of the jungle!
      The men came among us one day,
    And one with a box that made music
      Enticed foolish monkeys away.

    The birds and the beasts of the forest
      Were mute at the marvellous song,
    But the monkeys crept out of the tree-tops--
      An eager and wondering throng.

[Illustration]

    The birds and the beasts of the forest
      Kept hidden and silent that day,
    But the monkey-folk formed a procession
      And followed the minstrel away.

    And thus did we give up the forest
      To dwell with our brothers, the men--
    Farewell to the beautiful jungle!
      'Twas long ere I saw it again!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

PART SECOND.

THE WAYS OF MEN.


    Then away to a far distant country
      On a drift that they said was a ship,
    And I studied the ways of my master
      And profited much by the trip.

    And we sailed to his home in fair Naples,
      Where I studied the language of men,
    And I sat on a bench with his children,
      But soon we went sailing again.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And I made some nice friends on the voyage,
      And engaged in a pretty romance.
    I charmed all the ladies by climbing,
      And one of them taught me to dance.

[Illustration]

    Yet often I longed for the jungle--
      Its song and the rustle of wing--
    And sometimes at night in my slumber
      I talked with our elephant king.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    One morning my master awoke me,
      And, dressed in a gaudy new suit,
    I beheld the New World in the sunlight,
      And lifted my hat in salute.

    And then began troubles and trials--
      Through the streets by a string I was led;
    Toiling hard all the day for my master,
      Yet oft going hungry to bed.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    But he sold me at last to a circus
      And my lot became easier then,
    So I gave many moments of leisure
      To acquiring the habits of men.

    I copied their manners and customs
      I made of each fashion a note;
    And the children admired my performance
      And the ladies the cut of my coat.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    By and by I was sold to a banker
      Who was charmed with my ball-rolling feat,
    And arrayed in a Fauntleroy costume
      I passed all my time on the street.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    But alas for my plans of the future!
      He died without leaving a cent,
    And I had to go out to hard labor
      To pay for my victuals and rent;

    Till I met with a gentleman's valet
      Who was like me in manner and face,
    And I told him some stories that pleased him
      And bribed him to give me his place.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    Then I started to serve my new master--
      A bachelor cynic was he,
    Who quickly saw through the deception
      And made a proposal to me.

    Said he: "You're a monkey, you rascal,
      And an excellent type of the brood;
    Let's play a good joke on society
      By passing you off as a dude."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    So he took me at first to his barber,
      Who shaved me and shortened my hair,
    And the last tangled trace of the jungle
      Was gone when I rose from his chair.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And then to his tailor and hatter--
      His hosier and all of the rest,
    Till at night I was changed from a monkey
      To a chappie most stylishly dressed.

    And standing alone and reflecting
      I thought of the why and the how,
    And I wondered what Tusky was doing
      And what would the jungle say, now.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

PART THIRD.

THE BUTTERFLY WHIRL.

    It was then for the triumphs of conquest!
      Oh, then for the life of the swell!
    I dwelt like a lord with my patron
      In a suite of a gilded hotel.

    And we went out to plays and to dinners--
      On the ladies he took me to call--
    And once we received invitations
      To a beautiful fancy-dress ball.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    'Twas a famous affair and it won me,
      With its titter and tinsel and tune,
    For it carried me back to the jungle
      And the monkey-dance under the moon.

    Then I mingled with other diversions.
      I learned how to paint and to ride;
    I cut a great figure at polo--
      The science of golfing I tried.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    As a wheelman I soon became famous
      And made a great score on the track--
    I was known as the king of the scorchers,
      With the typical bicycle back.

    Then a girl who was youthful and silly
      Made love to me just for a lark,
    And came with an elegant turnout
      And took me to drive in the park.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And I took her out boating next morning,
      For the face of my charmer was fair;
    It carried me back to the jungle--
      To the flow'rs that were blossoming there.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    But soon, in the midst of my pleasure,
      In the glow of a roseate dream,
    The boat struck a rock and tipped over
      And tumbled us both in the stream.

    Then, ho, for the skill of the jungle!
      The deftness of foot and of hand!
    For I hung from a limb and I saved her
      And drew her at last to the strand.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And then to her home I went proudly
      To claim the fair maid for my own,
    But her father demanded a title,
      And hardened his heart like a stone.

    And now came the death of my patron,
      That left me alone in the strife,
    And yearning once more for the jungle,
      I turned to political life.

[Illustration]




PART FOURTH.

THE RETURN PATH.


    Then I studied a week to gain knowledge,
      And waded through volumes of stuff,
    And I found that the only requirements
      Were cunning and blarney and bluff.

    And these I had brought from the jungle--
      Inherited straight from my race--
    With a gift for political music
      And a truly political face.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    Thus feeling at home in my labors,
      My plan was successful, of course,
    And when they came round with appointments
      They gave me a job on "the force."

    And such was my skill as a roundsman,
      And talent in keeping the peace,
    That I rose in a year to be Captain,
      And then to be Chief of Police!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    And then, as my years were advancing,
      So great was their honor and trust,
    That they twined me a chaplet of laurel
      And sculptured in marble my bust.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    Yet often I dreamed of the jungle--
      Its song and the rustle of wing--
    And sometimes still talked in my slumber
      With Tusky, our elephant king.

    When, lo, my political party,
      That now was in power and supreme,
    Conferred a most noble appointment
      That realized all of my dream.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    For they made me their African envoy,
      And soon I went sailing again,
    To meet my old playmates and tell them
      The ways and the customs of men.

    To calm the dusk native, and gather
      My people in sun-haunted nooks
    To tell them my story, and teach them
      The wisdom that cometh of books;

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    The words and the ways of _their fathers_,
      And deliver my race from its ban,
    For man did not spring from the monkey,
      But monkey _descended from man!_

[Illustration]

[Illustration]







*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A MONKEY ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516,
Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.


Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/33629