{"id":"01KG8AJQT1HQKQ09Y4C1J2WMPA","cid":"bafkreifiw5zgqb7cz5rflkvghu67kgwmhqv7pqfl3hps6rfjzgmmswatqy","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XXI. They Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper\n\n## Overview\nThis is Chapter XXI, titled \"They Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper,\" from Herman Melville's novel, [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN). The chapter spans lines 2742 to 2800 of its source text.\n\n## Context\nThis chapter is part of the larger work [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN), which is included in the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. It was extracted from the digital text file [mardi_vol2.txt](arke:01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9). Preceded by [CHAPTER XX. Babbalanja Quotes From An Antique Pagan; And Earnestly Presses It Upon The Company, That What He Recites Is Not His But Another’s](arke:01KG8AJQT19TXW6TXGPSV7NZ3Q), it is followed by [CHAPTER XXII. Yoomy Sings Some Odd Verses, And Babbalanja Quotes From The Old Authors Right And Left](arke:01KG8AJQSZDW1CKST31K7C1ZCK).\n\n## Contents\nChapter XXI describes the protagonists' encounter with a \"wealthy old pauper\" named Jiji. The narrative details Jiji's miserly behavior, his collection of pelican pouches filled with teeth, and his initial denial of possessing any teeth. The chapter includes a philosophical discussion initiated by Babbalanja regarding the principles of barter, referencing \"Vivo, the Sophist.\" The chapter concludes with Jiji begging for food from one of the attendants, Vee-Vee, who provides him with a yam.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:59.947Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER XXI. They Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper","end_line":2800,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:38.723Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XXI. They Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper","source_file":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","start_line":2742,"text":"CHAPTER XXI.\r\nThey Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper\r\n\r\n\r\nContinuing our route to Jiji’s, we presently came to a miserable hovel.\r\nHalf projecting from the low, open entrance, was a bald overgrown head,\r\nintent upon an upright row of dark-colored bags:— pelican\r\npouches—prepared by dropping a stone within, and suspending them, when\r\nmoist.\r\n\r\nEver and anon, the great head shook with a tremulous motion, as one by\r\none, to a clicking sound from the old man’s mouth, the strings of teeth\r\nwere slowly drawn forth, and let fall, again and again, with a rattle.\r\n\r\nBut perceiving our approach, the old miser suddenly swooped his pouches\r\nout of sight; and, like a turtle into its shell, retreated into his\r\nden. But soon he decrepitly emerged upon his knees, asking what brought\r\nus thither?—to steal the teeth, which lying rumor averred he possessed\r\nin abundance? And opening his mouth, he averred he had none; not even a\r\nsentry in his head.\r\n\r\nBut Babbalanja declared, that long since he must have drawn his own\r\ndentals, and bagged them with the rest.\r\n\r\nNow this miserable old miser must have been idiotic; for soon\r\nforgetting what he had but just told us of his utter toothlessness, he\r\nwas so smitten with the pearly mouth of Hohora, one of our attendants\r\n(the same for whose pearls, little King Peepi had taken such a fancy),\r\nthat he made the following overture to purchase its contents: namely:\r\none tooth of the buyer’s, for every three of the seller’s. A\r\nproposition promptly rejected, as involving a mercantile absurdity.\r\n\r\n“Why?” said Babbalanja. “Doubtless, because that proposed to be given,\r\nis less than that proposed to be received. Yet, says a philosopher,\r\nthis is the very principle which regulates all barterings. For where\r\nthe sense of a simple exchange of quantities, alike in value?”\r\n\r\n“Where, indeed?” said Hohora with open eyes, “though I never heard it\r\nbefore, that’s a staggering question. I beseech you, who was the sage\r\nthat asked it?”\r\n\r\n“Vivo, the Sophist,” said Babbalanja, turning aside.\r\n\r\nIn the hearing of Jiji, allusion was made to Oh-Oh, as a neighbor of\r\nhis. Whereupon he vented much slavering opprobrium upon that miserable\r\nold hump-back; who accumulated useless monstrosities; throwing away the\r\nprecious teeth, which otherwise might have sensibly rattled in his own\r\npelican pouches.\r\n\r\nWhen we quitted the hovel, Jiji, marking little Vee-Vee, from whose\r\nshoulder hung a calabash of edibles, seized the hem of his garment and\r\nbesought him for one mouthful of food; for nothing had he tasted that\r\nday.\r\n\r\nThe boy tossed him a yam.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XXI. They Visit A Wealthy Old Pauper"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQT19TXW6TXGPSV7NZ3Q","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQSZDW1CKST31K7C1ZCK","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:41.377Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:00.490Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}