The narrative discusses several instances of deception and the lengths people will go to in order to deceive others. It starts with the speaker, a "Guardian, History Collector," who keeps track of people's decisions and mistakes, including deception. The speaker then shares a story about the British MI-9 intelligence service during World War II, which devised a plan to send playing cards with maps hidden inside them to prisoners of war. The cards were a form of deception, as the prisoners were taught to assemble the maps from the cards and use them to plan escapes.
The narrative then moves on to a story about a woman named Hazel, who allegedly killed her twin children and replaced them with dolls. The narrator discusses the court case that ensued, where Hazel claimed that the children were actually dolls. Despite the lack of physical evidence, Hazel was acquitted, suggesting a high level of deception and manipulation.
Finally, the narrative concludes with a story about James Bernard Shaffer, a charlatan who claimed to be able to make people immortal through positive thoughts and a specific diet. Shaffer gathered a large following and lived in a mansion funded by his followers. However, when the mother of one of Shaffer's "immortal" children demanded her child back, Shaffer had no choice but to give her away.
In summary, the narrative explores the concept of deception in various contexts, from historical events to personal stories. It emphasizes the power of deception and the lengths people will go to in order to deceive others.
1. The speaker is a "Guardian History Collector" who keeps track of people's actions and decisions, including their mistakes. [Source: Text]
2. The speaker mentions stories of wealth, poverty, help, indifference of life and death. All these stories are united by one important detail: deception. [Source: Text]
3. The speaker mentions a story about a brilliant deception that left a small mark on popular culture. [Source: Text]
4. The speaker talks about a case involving the British MI-9, an intelligence service during World War II, which taught soldiers interesting things if they suddenly got captured. [Source: Text]
5. The speaker mentions a story about a prisoner of war rescue operation in America, where they used playing cards to teach soldiers how to escape captivity. [Source: Text]
6. The speaker talks about a case in Vietnam where the Americans mistakenly believed that the Viet Cong were afraid of the symbol on the ace of spades, which was interpreted as death. [Source: Text]
7. The speaker recounts a story about a court case in 1922, involving a man named Frank McNally who married his housekeeper and claimed to have twin children with her. However, neighbors suspected something was wrong and Hazel, the housekeeper, was detained. [Source: Text]
8. Hazel, the housekeeper, claimed that she didn't give birth and that the children were originally dolls. The court acquitted her to loud applause. [Source: Text]
9. The speaker talks about a story involving James Bernard Shaffer, who founded the Royal Brotherhood of Master Metaphysicians and claimed to have the power to heal with thoughts and achieve immortality. [Source: Text]
10. Shaffer claimed that he would create an Immortal child, Jean Gaunt, who would never die due to his strict and unusual upbringing. [Source: Text]