Hitler's Table Talk

6o8
HITLER'S PARENTS
harlot in history, who was decorated by the Pope with the Rose
of Virtue about the same time as our Ludwig of Bavaria was
all but crucified on account of Lola Montez ! The real tragedy
for Spain was the death of Mola ; there was the real brain, the real
leader. Franco came to the top like Pontius in the Creed. The
most evil spirit is undoubtedly Serrano Suner, whose task it is
to prepare the way for the Latin Union. In reality he is the gravedigger
of modern Spain !
276 3rd August 1942, evening
Bees and ants—Intelligence and instinct—Weak and strong.
Here is one of the most curious things in nature. There is a
certain species of ant, in which the whole race dies when the
queen ant dies. If a queen bee is ill, the whole hive is uneasy.
There is another species of ant which cultivates mushrooms on
which to raise lice. The ants look after the lice, carry them out
into the sunshine and then back into the mushroom box. Then
they make a special brew of them, on which the queen ant is
constantly fed.
The question occurs to me—where does natural instinct end
and human reason begin? One must draw distinctions. A bitch
has puppies. Bitches get no training, but they all tend their
young with uniform efficiency. That is basic instinct, which
most not be confused with reason, which takes its decisions
according to certain definite facts. The most primitive of instincts,
to which all forms of life respond, are those of feeding
and reproduction of the species.
In my youth I had every opportunity to study bees, for my
old father was a keen apiarist. Unfortunately I was frequently
so badly stung that I all but died ! To be stung by a bee in our
family was an ordinary, everyday occurrence. My mother often
pulled out as many as forty-five or fifty stings from the old
gentleman when he returned from clearing the hives. He never
protected himself in any way; all he did was to smoke all the
time—in other words, a good excuse for another cigar!
The weakling has always in history gathered to himself the
smallest following. This was the case in Russia. The last Tsar,
who was a man of no personality, had no following. It is the