Big (Aubergine) Wheel Keep on Turnin'

Excerpt from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams, (New York: Harmony Books, 1980), p. 229. In this excerpt, Ford Prefect is talking to people who have crash-landed on the earth 2 million years ago. They have no technology, and are not doing well developing - or redeveloping -- their own:


"And the wheel," said the Captain, "what about this wheel thingy. It sounds a terribly interesting project."

"Ah," said the marketing girl, "well, we're having a little difficulty there."

"Difficulty?" exclaimed Ford. "Difficulty? What do you mean, difficulty? It's the single simplest machine in the entire Universe!"

The marketing girl soured him with a look. "All right, Mr. Wiseguy," she said, "you're so clever, you tell us what color it should be."