Surely there can be nothing worse than not returning a dance book. Most are in print for such a short period that you may never be able to get a replacement. <P>Clearly the good monks of San Pedro, Barcelona felt much the same about the precious books in their library:<P><BR>Curse Against Book Stealers <P>Monastery of San Pedro, Barcelona <P>For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no sur-cease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye. <P><BR>And you thought it was just going to be a $3 library fine!<BR>

.<p>[This message has been edited by Gavin (edited March 09, 2001).]

I volunteer at the San Diego Public Library twice a week - in fact I just came back from my morning there. I have printed out the "curse" and will present it to the librarian for consideration. LOL<P>Some times I sort through boxes of books that people donate to our library and fairly often I come across books that have been "not returned" - STOLEN - from libraries all across the country. <P>Does our library return them? Yes, we do - and it costs us time, effort and postage. As well as all the people who were prevented from enjoying the books in the interim.<P>The dance collection in the main library has been devastated by people tearing out beautiful pictures or keeping the books.<P>So, my friends, I take that curse very, very seriously and I think that monks were rather kind and merciful.

There was a monastery of monks laboring over the copying of books. One of the monks was copying a book from a copy of a book, as was done. With some concern, he asked the abbot if he could check the original in the archives. The abbot didn't really see a need, but decided to indulge the young monk. <P>Some time later, there was a shriek, followed by loud sobbing coming from the archival vault. Startled and concerned, the abbot and other monks dropped what they were doing, and rushed to see what had happened. <P>Seeing the young monk clutchiing an open book, but otherwise unharmed, the abbot angrily asked, "What is it, pray tell!"<P>The young monk, sobbed through his tears, "The word is CELEBRATE. Thou shalt CELEBRATE."