{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-oleomargarine-man",
 "title": "The Oleomargarine Man",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "book_slug": "black-beetles-in-amber",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 68,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1892,
  "venue": "Black Beetles in Amber (1892)",
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  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
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  [
   {
    "text": "Once⁠—in the county of Marin,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where milk is sold to purchase gin⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Renowned for butter and renowned",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For fourteen ounces to the pound⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A bull stood watching every turn",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of Mr. Wilson with a churn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As that deigning worthy stalked",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "About him, eying as he walked",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "El Toro’s sleek and silken hide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His neck, his flank and all beside;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thinking with secret joy: “I’ll spread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This mammal on a slice of bread!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Soon Mr. Wilson’s keen concern",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To get the creature in his churn",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Unhorsed his caution⁠—made him blind",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To the fell vigor of bullkind,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till, filled with valor to the teeth,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He drew his dasher from its sheath",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And bravely brandished it; the while",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He smiled a dark, portentous smile;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A deep, sepulchral smile; a wide",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And open smile, which, at his side,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The churn to copy vainly tried;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A smile so like the dawn of doom",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That all the field was palled in gloom,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And all the trees within a mile,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As tribute to that awful smile,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Made haste, with loyalty discreet,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To fling their shadows at his feet.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then rose his battle-cry: “I’ll spread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This mammal on a slice of bread!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "To such a night the day had turned",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That Taurus dimly was discerned.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He wore so meek and grave an air",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It seemed as if, engaged in prayer",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This thunderbolt incarnate had",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "No thought of anything that’s bad:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This concentrated earthquake stood",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And gave his mind to being good.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lightly and low he drew his breath⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This magazine of sudden death!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All this the thrifty Wilson’s glance",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Took in, and, crying, “Now’s my chance!”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Upon the bull he sprang amain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To put him in his churn. Again",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rang out his battle-yell: “I’ll spread",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This mammal on a slice of bread!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Sing, Muse, that battle-royal⁠—sing",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The deeds that made the region ring:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The blows, the bellowing, the cries,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The dust that darkened all the skies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The thunders of the contest, all!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nay, none of these things did befall.",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "A yell there was⁠—a rush⁠—no more:",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "El Toro, tranquil as before,",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "Still stood there basking in the sun,",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor of his legs had shifted one⁠—",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "Stood there and conjured up his cud",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "And meekly munched it. Scenes of blood",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "Had little charm for him. His head",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "He merely nodded as he said:",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "“I’ve spread that butterman upon",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "A slice of Southern Oregon.”",
    "indent": 3
   }
  ]
 ]
}