Life, 1923-05-10 · page 11 of 36
Life — May 10, 1923 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains "The Birth of Trouble," a satirical retelling of the Adam and Eve story. The narrative presents Adam as a stubbornly law-abiding citizen citing the Constitution, while Eve—portrayed as sly and clever—tempts him with the forbidden fruit anyway. A serpent deliberately drops a cinder in Adam's eye, causing him to blink and inadvertently signal Eve to eat the apple. The satire suggests that mankind's downfall resulted not from rational choice but from a combination of feminine cunning and accidental circumstance. The accompanying illustrations show anthropomorphic animals (likely representing humans in animal form, common in period satire), with a lower image depicting a pastoral scene titled "A Corner in Wheat About to Be Broken by a Bearish Movement"—likely referencing financial market speculation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Birth of Trouble > VE held forth the apple. E “Oh, come now, Adam,” she purred, with a touch oi petulance, “don’t be so stubborn. Eat the old apple, and be done with it.” “No,” responded Adam, deliberately, “I won't eat it. I was told expressly to lay off the forbidden fruit on the Tree of Life, and I intend to obey that command. I’m a decent, law-abiding citizen, and I hold the Constitution as sacred. Besides,” he added, “how do I know that it won't poison me? A man can’t be too careful about what he eats nowadays.” \t that particular moment the serpent, sly, clever fel- low that he was, dropped an insignificant cinder into ok left eye. Eve biinked. Adam, noting the grimace, blinked in return—and ate the apple. xe Thus was the wink born; and thus, on its initial ap- pearance, did it wield that limitless power which was to be its share through the centuries to come. RE. S. Tue explanation of this long-distance dancing craze probably lies in the fact that one step naturally leads to another. The reason Fanny Flatfoot didn’t find Reggie Ringnose waiting for her at the big oak. A Corner in Wheat About to Be Broken by a Bearish Movement comicbooks.com