SPOILERS
Love the music playing as the librarian reads the snippet. ALL written accounts of this episode omit the actual story the young murderer was reading, which the librarian summarizes. Gustave Flaubert's tale, "Three Short Works" -- the middle tale. "The Legend of Saint-Julian the Hospitaller." A rich, princely husband and wife are enjoying a festival. Their son Julian loves hunting and giving alms to the poor. The parents are visited by two old gray men with two destinies for their son, Jullian. In sackcloth, at her bed, an old man appears."Rejoice, O mother! Thy son shall be a saint." Later, the father is giving alms to beggars when a 'gipsy' appears. "Ah! Ah! Thy son!--great bloodshed--great glory--happy always--an emperor's family." Neither parent discussed either's warning to each other. In church, the devout son Julian is infuriated a mouse appears. He plots, murders, and crushes it. The son Julian grows up finding his sport: love of death, killing, and hunting alone as primitive as possible. After one night's murder of all manner of animals, he delights in attacking a stag, his doe, and their fawn. After the fawn and doe are slaughtered, the wounded stag charges, only to stop and speak a curse before dying. "Accursed! Accursed! Accursed! Some day, ferocious soul, thou wilt murder thy father and thy mother!" Returning home, Julian vows to never hunt. His father encourages him out of the funk. Jullian, in moving a hung sword accidentally strikes his father and aiming at what he considers to be a stork, strikes his mother's hat. Julian runs away; becoming a mercenary. Growing powerful with an army, he marries a king's daughter, becomes peaceful, and never travels. Julian tells his secret to his wife who tells him to hunt and to ignore the curse. Julian hunts all night. Coming home, he sneaks to surprise his wife. Unbeknownst to him, Julian's parents had been looking for him and found his wife and she hosted them in her bed. Believing the couple in the bed to be lovers, he kills them and then realized his mistake in fulfilling the prophecy. Julian gives his wife burial instructions, all his property, attends as a monk, then leaves forever. He wanders, begs, and endures insults. Traveling to the ends of the earth, he becomes a ferryman, creating his own popular service. One day a leper appears and comes aboard. Leper demands food, drink, and warmth. Finally, Julian strips nude face to face. The leper reveals himself as Jesus Christ and takes Julian to Heaven.
Why anyone who hasn't seen a show and wants to remain safe wouldvseekout a review sight is unfathomable. Read the TV Guide. LOL.
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