And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
—Rev. 8:1
5679 Fairy-Tale Landings
Sometime ago 11-year-old Sheila Nosworthy of Cambridge, England, went deaf. When specialists predicted that she would never hear again Sheila switched her attention from television to books.
One day a stack of storybooks fell from the top of her closet onto her head. The pretty little blonde was stunned—stunned to discover that her hearing had returned!
“It was Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White that hit me hardest,” said Sheila afterward. “I’ll believe in fairy tales the rest of my life.”
5680 Never Mind Bullet In Herself
A story of the heroism and fortitude of a seventeen-year-old girl came from Meanford, Ontario. June Mottershaw was in a hospital with a bullet hole through her chest. She came to the hospital after suffering from that dangerous wound for two days—and saying nothing to anybody about it.
June shot herself accidentally with a thirty-two-caliber revolver. The bullet pierced the base of her left lung, just below the heart. Nobody saw the mishap, and June was afraid to tell anybody about it—afraid to go to a doctor. She thought her parents would not be able to pay the doctor’s bill. They were poor, and she didn’t want to cause them so much expense. Injured in so perilous way, she went about as if nothing had happened. She ate at mealtime, slept at night, answered the doorbell, and talked to various friends. That—for two days.
Finally she couldn’t keep the secret any longer, and mentioned to a girl friend how she had shot herself. Not that June was weakening about it—apparently she just couldn’t keep a secret. Taken to a hospital, the doctor said the bullet wound might easily have been fatal, but they found no infection and June got well.
5681 When A Clock Struck Thirteen
Many years ago one of the sentries of Windsor Castle was charged with being asleep at his post. The penalty for this offence was death. The prisoner was tried, when he solemnly asserted his innocence, declared that he had not been asleep and, to prove it, stated that as he was pacing up and down his beat he heard the clock of St. Paul’s in London strike at midnight. He stopped, and counted one—two—three—four—five—six—seven—eight—nine—ten—eleven—twelve—thirteen! And then, wondering that the clock should have struck so many times, and supposing that he must have been mistaken, he resumed his beat. His story was received with incredulity.
But inquiry being made, it was found that the clock had struck thirteen instead of twelve on that particular night. So on that incident hung a brave man’s life; and that combination of circumstances—that the night was still, the wind setting that way, and that the clock should strike an extra stroke at that particular hour and none other—we may well call providential.
5682 Swallowing The Snake
It was a case of snake alive! Eighteen-month-old Paul Jess of Perth, Australia, had swallowed eight inches of a foot-long snake before his mother found him with the tail wriggling in his mouth. Mrs. Jess snatched the snake out of his mouth, but Paul did not want to let it go. He made a grab to have another chew!
Mrs. Jess rushed him to a chemist and then rang the hospital. Doctors there identified the snake as a highly-venomous dugite. Little Paul, however, was not harmed by his experience.
5683 Pilot Wrestling With Plane
Incredible as it may seem, Walter Murphee was left standing at a Columbus, Ohio, airport, watching his airplane take off without him. Unfortunately, however, Murphee was the pilot.
Earlier Murphee had tied down his two-place airplane at a private air strip while he ran an engine check. He was standing outside the plane. Somehow the throttle opened. The plane broke its restraints and headed down the runway with Murphee in hot pursuit. The plane lifted off for about 75 feet and then landed. Murphee grabbed a wing strut forcing the plane to taxi in circles.
After a wrestling match during which Murphee was knocked down several times, the plane broke away and rammed a utility pole. Murphee was treated and released at a local hospital. His plane suffered major damages.
5684 The “Dead Room”
The quietest place on earth is the “dead room” in the Bell Telephone System Laboratory at Murray Hill, New Jersey. The room is 35 feet by 28 feet, and inside it, 99.98% of all reflected sounds are eliminated.
5685 Pacific Zone Of Silence
In the Pacific off Vancouver Island, there is a stretch of water known as “The Zone of Silence.” Because this area is acoustically dead, no sound can penetrate it. And since no bell or siren can warn ships of dangerous reefs, the ocean floor is studded with wrecks.
5686 Gadget Which Deadens Sound
There is an instrument that can deaden sound waves before they hit the ear. Electronically, this gadget is able to decrease the air pressure in a given space enough to nullify sonic vibrations. Thus a small “quiet zone” is set up to a distance of 2 feet, reducing by 75 percent that loudness of all deep-toned noise. It’s like muffling it by closing a door. This equipment can be used in many interesting ways. Hung over the head of a person at night, it can keep his sleep undisturbed. Installed near the operator of a machine which emits a rumbling sound, it protects the eardrum of the worker from the constant roar.
—P. R. Van Gorder
5687 Cabbies Told To Shut Up
Frankfurt, West Germany (AP)—West German officialdom introduced new regulations forbidding taxi drivers to talk to their passengers.
German cabbies are as fond of a chat about the weather, football, politics or the city sights as their counterparts in Brooklyn or Bombay.
They’re up in arms about the regulations, which also forbid them to smoke and listen to their radios on the job—all in the interest of road safety.
5688 “Courtesy Of Library”
In the midst of a television newscast on KCRA, Sacramento, there was a sudden unexplained silence. The seconds built up to what began to seem like an eternity. The newscaster suddenly had a bright idea: “The foregoing silence, ladies and gentlemen, was brought to you by courtesy of the Sacramento City Library.”
5689 Equal Time For Silence
To our way of thinking, the brightest spot on the radio horizon is the small town in Westphalia, Germany, where an acquaintance of ours dropped into a cafe for his afternoon coffee and cake. There was a small radio in the establishment playing a musical program. It came to an end, and the announcer said: “The next ten minutes are devoted to the news of the day. Since there is no news, there will be an equal period of silence.” And there was.
—Selected
5690 Silence Already Too Loud
Bruno Walter, famed orchestra leader, once walked into rehearsal, bowed a courtly good-morning to the musicians, then raised his hands for silence.
“Now, gentlemen,” he said, “the opening of this symphony must be piano—softly, but very, very softly. It opens like a whisper. Now!”
He raised his baton. Tensely the men placed their instruments in position, but before a single note was played, Walter lowered his baton. “No, no, gentlemen,” he said solemnly. “Already too loud.”
—Selected
5691 Three Ascetics’ Silence
Three men decided to perform the ascetic practice of absolute silence until midnight, when they would gaze at the harvest moon. One of them happened to say, “It’s difficult not to say anything at all!” The second said, “Aren’t you speaking during the time of silence?” The third man said, “I’m the only one who hasn’t spoken yet.”
—Japanese Anecdote
5692 Three Hermits’ Silence
Three hermits went out and lived in a cave, promising to keep silence. After several years one of the boys saw a cow that reminded him of his youth.
“I am reminded of the days of old,” said he.
A year passed and one of the other hermits said, “So am I.”
Another year passed and the third hermit said, “If you two can’t keep silence, I’m going to leave.”
5693 Peaking Among Athletes
In swimming especially, athletes use “peaking” to prepare for competitions, as follows:
(1) Several months before the time, they train very, very hard; swimming 4–5 hours a day.
(2) Then, 4–5 days before the meet, they stop the intensive training and begin to peak. That is, they reduce the training to ½ hour a day, doing nothing to dissipate their energy, cut down on studies, rest in the afternoon, read and watch TV, eat and sleep. Given no outlet to their tensions which are now building up in them, at the competition, they will just explode!
5694 To Give Enemy Material
John Wesley one day said to Dr. Clarke, “As I was walking through St. Paul’s churchyard I observed two women standing opposite to one another. One was speaking and gesticulating violently, while the other stood perfectly still and in silence.
“Just as I came up and was about to pass them, the virago, clenching her fist and stamping her foot at her imperturbable neighbor, exclaimed, “Speak, wretch, that I may have something to say.”” “Adam,” said Mr. Wesley, “that was a lesson to me; silence is often the best answer to abuse.”
—Current Anecdotes
5695 Reason For Euler’s Silence
Euler, the mathematician, lived at St. Petersburg during the tyrannical administration of the Empress Anna. Subsequently he moved to Berlin, where his fame made him much noticed and sought after, and the Queen of Prussia took pains to converse with him. She could scarely make him speak, and when she wondered at his taciturnity, he said, “I come from a place where if a man says a word he is hanged. Silent and peaceable people rarely come to harm or do harm.”
—Walter Baxendale
5696 “Shut Your Ash-Pan”
“Shut your ash-pan” may be seen on the Erie Railroad, just out of New York on the entrance to a bridge, intended as a warning to the fireman, lest sparks from beneath his engine should ignite the dry timbers in the trestle and destroy the entire bridge by a conflagration.
—J. H. Bomberger
5697 Stones In Cranes’ Mouths
The heights and recesses of Mount Taurus are said to be much infested with eagles, who are never better pleased than when they pick the bones of a crane. Cranes are prone to cackle and make a noise and particularly so while they are flying. The sound of their voices arouses the eagles, who spring up at the signal, and often make the talkative travelers pay dearly for their impudent chattering.
The older and more experienced cranes, sensible of their besetting foible and the peril to which it exposes them, take care before venturing on the wing to pick up a stone large enough to fill the cavity of their mouths, and consequently to impose unavoidable silence on their tongues, and thus they escape the danger.
5698 To Amend Overspeaking
Jerome tells of Sulpitius Severus who, having been deceived by the Pelagians because of his own loquatiousness, never again spoke one word until his death. This was done to make amends for his sin of overspeaking.
5699 Einstein On Silence
Professor Albert Einstein gave what he considered the best formula for success in life. “If a is success in life, I should say the formula is a equals x plus y plus z, x being work and y being play.” “And what is z?” inquired the interviewer. “That,” he answered, “is keeping your mouth shut.”
—Christian Register
5700 His Hoe Was Stolen
A man was at work in the fields when his wife called to him to come in to dinner.
“Wait a minute,” he shouted back, “until I have hidden my hoe.”
When he got in, his wife reproved him, saying, “You should hide your hoe secretly; to shout out, as you did, is the way to get it stolen.”
Urged by her, he went back to look after his hoe, and found it gone. He hurried back, and whispered very softly into his wife’s ear:
“Someone has stolen it.”
—Chinese Humor
5701 Epigram On Silence
• A wise man is one who thinks twice before saying nothing.
• It often shows a fine command of language to say nothing.
—The Irish Digest
• Blessed are they who have nothing to say, and who cannot be persuaded to say it.
• At times, it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you’re a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
—James G. Sinclair
• One reason the dog has so many friends: he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
• Nothing preaches better than the ant and she says nothing.
—Japanese Proverb
• I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.
—Calvin Coolidge
• Smart people speak from experience—smarter people from experience, don’t speak.
• Sign outside a monastery:
“Stop air pollution—Keep your mouth shut.”
• When it pays better to talk than listen, change your company.
—Ladies’ Home Journal
• King Demaratus being asked in company whether he was silent through folly, or wisdom, answered, “A fool cannot be silent.”
• It takes a baby approximately two years to learn to talk and between 60 to 70 years to learn to keep his mouth shut.
See also: Pollution, Noise ; Talking.