One day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles, and seized one in each hand. Then I saw a third and new kind, which I could not bear to lose, so I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth. Alas! it ejected some intensely acrid fluid, which burnt my tongue so that I was forced to spit the beetle out, which was lost, as was the third one.

Summary

This quote illustrates a moment of curiosity and impulsiveness. The speaker encounters two unique beetles and, not wanting to lose the opportunity, quickly captures them with both hands. However, when a third beetle, even more interesting to the speaker, appears, they decide to temporarily store one of the beetles in their mouth. Unfortunately, the beetle releases a noxious fluid, causing the speaker to spit it out involuntarily and lose both the unpleasant beetle and the desired new discovery. This anecdote emphasizes the consequences of impulsive actions without considering the potential risks involved.

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