Ernest Hemingway
An excerpt from his short story "Hills Like White Elephants."

"Four reales."
"We want two Anis del Toro."
"With water?"
"Do you want it with water?"
"I don't know, " the girl said. "Is it good with water?"
"It's all right."
"You want them with water?" asked the woman.
"Yes, with water."
"It tastes like licorice," the girl said and put the glass down.
"That's the way with everything."
"Yes," said the girl. "Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe."
"Oh, cut it out."
""You started it," the girl said. "I was being amused. I was having a fine time."
"Well, let's try and have a fine time."
All right. I was trying. I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasn't that bright?"
"That was bright."
"I wanted to try this new drink. That's all we do, isn't it -- look at things and try new drinks?"
"I guess so."
The girl looked across at the hills.
"They're lovely hills," she said. "They don't really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees."
"Should we have another drink?"
"All right."


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