The Following Pair by Ambrose Bierce

Name: The Following Pair
Author: Ambrose Bierce

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By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1895 · Genre: Fiction, Horror, Fantasy · 153 words

First lines

O very remarkable mortal, What food is engaging your jaws And staining with amber their portal? "It's 'baccy I chaws."

And why do you sway in your walking, To right and left many degrees, And hitch up your trousers when talking? "I follers the seas."

Great indolent shark in the rollers, Is "baccy," too, one of your faults? -- You, too, display maculate molars. "I dines upon salts."

Strange diet! -- intestinal pain it Is commonly given to nip.

The Following Pair is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1895 CE.

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How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Fiction — Ambrose Bierce is known for his fictional work
Horror — Bierce often incorporates elements of horror and dark humour into his stories
Fantasy — Bierce's writing often contains elements of fantasy, particularly in the form of supernatural events or phenomena.
Historical — In many of his works, Bierce draws from his own experiences during the Civil War and thus could be considered historical fiction.