A story with a moral appended is like the bill of a mosquito. It bores you, and then injects a stinging drop to irritate your conscience.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Moral-heavy stories bore and then annoy like a mosquito bite.
- In plain terms
- Telling a moral at the end of a story is annoying.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid preaching at the end of a story.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do you like stories with morals?
- Is preaching effective?
Another view
Some audiences value clear moral lessons.
More from O. Henry
She plucked from my lapel the invisible strand of lint (the universal act of woman to proclaim ownership).
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