“In former days all animals could speak and so could the flowers, the trees and the stones and all lifeless things who were all created by the same God who had created man. Therefore man should be kind to all animals, and treat all lifeless things as if they could still hear and understand. On the day of the Last Judgement the animals would be called in first by God to give evidence against the dead man. Only after the animals had had their say would his fellow creatures be called in as witnesses.”

—  Axel Munthe, book The Story of San Michele

Source: The Story of San Michele (1929), Ch. VII

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Axel Munthe photo
Axel Munthe15
Swedish physician 1857–1949

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