A so-so piece in the WaPo about the death of Addwaita, a very old turtle:
One of the world’s oldest living creatures died last week in Calcutta.
Addwaita, a tortoise believed to be 250 years old, died at the local zoo. The tortoise arrived there in 1875. Zoo officials, who have yet to definitively prove Addwaita’s age, say he was one of four tortoises that had been brought to India more than a century earlier by British sailors from the Seychelles islands as a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Co. Clive, who kept the turtle in his garden, was instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India before he returned to England in 1767.
Mostly, what this piece has to recommend it is its continued reliance on the words of Don Marquis’ archy. Everybody loves archy.
Don Marquis! One of the most pleasant poets ever! I try and reread “archy and mehitabel” every few years or so to replenish my giddiness. I can’t even tell you how many copies of the book I’ve bought for friends over the years.