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251
auricula
of women who gave birth in
the first half of June the
following year, which was also
a leap year, not only gave birth
to a child but also to an ear
(outer). The ear was of natural
size and characterized to a
normal extent by the parents.
The only visible difference
was that where the ear would
typically be connected via a
cranium’s bone and cartilage
structure was a fused scar, a
fold whose insignificance
brought to mi nd a
hermaphrodite’s genitalia. If
the ear had come equipped
with, say, the human being’s
complicated inner workings,
it would have had to learn to
play the hermit crab and find
an object fit to contain its
half-shape. Most ears simply
slipped away during the usual
hullabaloo following a child’s
birth, while others liberated
themselves by clinging to the
afterbirth.Wastemanagement
r e l u c t an t l y
men t i on s
scattered colonies in the
sewers. One can certainly
surmise that some ears were
not able to slip away when
the chance presented, and so
had to escape with a later
birth or simply stay put. Since
the ear is only capable of self-
hearing, however, there is no
disadvantage to its remaining
put, either for the mother or
the ear. In Seem near Ribe,
according to a report given by
the local midwife to the
district medical officer, it so
happened that immediately
after the birth, as the ear in
question was trying to sneak
away, it was mistaken for the
ful ly developed chi ld’s
unevolved twin, stalled by
some fatal process or other.
Later, over coffee and in
consultation with the parents,
it was concluded that at most