Human Hides! – A Black Comedy Short Story
Photo Credit: www.cepolina.com
A peculiar taste!
The king developed a peculiar taste. He wanted human hides for the curtains of his palace. Yes, curtains of human hides!
He summoned his army chief and desired for it. In compliance, the army chief ordered his soldiers to peel the skins from the people.
The operation started and the army began peeling people.
Curtains began hanging made of human hides.
After some time an epidemic broke out in the country because of the stink which emerged from the peeled bodies. Soldiers and the elite class began to die; but none among peeled people. This situation led to chaos and confusion in the country.
People were very delighted to discover their very bad odor an effective weapon to fight the tyrant king. They assembled and marched towards the king’s palace. Whoever came in their way died of their stink.
The King’s own men, courtiers and family members, were terribly frightened of this news. They began to gather in the hall of the palace.
Peeled people reached nearer the palace. Their joyful cries made the king’s men scared out of their wits. They began to weep and cry upon seeing death coming nearer to them.
Peeled people trooped into the palace. All persons present there died of stink one by one. But the king was unharmed. This stink could not kill him. Peeled people were terribly worried as their only weapon had proved ineffective on the king. They went close to king but even then the king was safe.
The king roared with laughter and said: ”You bloody creatures! You can not kill me. It is me who has the power to trample you”.
In the meantime, an old man from the peeled people went out of the palace and brought back a rose from somewhere. He took the flower near the king. When the king smelt it, he died there and then. The old man remarked: ”He who does not die of stink, fragrance kills”.
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