In 1873, a team of German explorers were assigned by the German Catholic Church to penetrate the heart of the Amazon jungle. They were instructed to establish a fort for the Church to use as a base in its efforts to proselytize the local indigenous natives. The explorers were allowed to take their three German Shepherd dogs as companions.
After months of tramping through the thick South American
jungle the explorers built a fortress along a river near an Incan village.
To placate the locals, they constructed a large one-eyed pagan idol at the fort's entrance. An impressive ruby was set in the idol's eye socket. The fort became known locally as the Fortress of the Jewel Eye.
The German Church sent out their best man, Friar Wilhelm Werks, three times to check on the progress of the fort. Each time the appearance of the idol sent him into fiery fits of screaming, complete with curses and the rending of his
garments. His tirades were so loud that the three dogs would run for cover. After each visit he left a warning that the idol had better be torn down before his next visit.
Some time later, the commander of the fort, Hans Brickner, received a message that Friar Wilhelm Werks would be visiting again in a fortnight. He quickly called a meeting with his top commanders. All five agreed that the friar would likely explode if he saw the idol still standing.
"But," said Commander Brickner, "there's nothing to be done. If we take down the idol, we will anger the local tribe and, without their cooperation, we're dead."
His second-in-command, Herr Kommandant Wagner, said,
"In that case, we'd better make sure we put the dogs away."
"Why?" Brickner asked.
"You know how scared the dogs get when Friar Werks goes off on the Fort of Jewel Eye."
After months of tramping through the thick South American
jungle the explorers built a fortress along a river near an Incan village.
To placate the locals, they constructed a large one-eyed pagan idol at the fort's entrance. An impressive ruby was set in the idol's eye socket. The fort became known locally as the Fortress of the Jewel Eye.
The German Church sent out their best man, Friar Wilhelm Werks, three times to check on the progress of the fort. Each time the appearance of the idol sent him into fiery fits of screaming, complete with curses and the rending of his
garments. His tirades were so loud that the three dogs would run for cover. After each visit he left a warning that the idol had better be torn down before his next visit.
Some time later, the commander of the fort, Hans Brickner, received a message that Friar Wilhelm Werks would be visiting again in a fortnight. He quickly called a meeting with his top commanders. All five agreed that the friar would likely explode if he saw the idol still standing.
"But," said Commander Brickner, "there's nothing to be done. If we take down the idol, we will anger the local tribe and, without their cooperation, we're dead."
His second-in-command, Herr Kommandant Wagner, said,
"In that case, we'd better make sure we put the dogs away."
"Why?" Brickner asked.
"You know how scared the dogs get when Friar Werks goes off on the Fort of Jewel Eye."
