Illustration by Sidney Sime, “How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon The Gnoles.” The Book of Wonder, 1912. Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany The Man Who Sold Rope To The Gnolls The gnoles have a bad reputation, and Mortensen was quite aware of this. But he reasoned, correctly enough, that cordage must be something for which the gnoles had a long unsatisfied want, and he saw no reason why he should not be the one to sell to them. What a triumph such a sale would be! The district sales manager might single out Mortensen for special mention at the annual sales-force dinner. It would help his sales quota enormously. And, after all, it was none of his business what the gnoles used cordage for. Mortensen decided to call on the gnoles on Thursday morning. On Wednesday night he went through his Manual of Modern Salesmanship, underscoring things "The mental states through which the mind pa...