So one of Terry Pratchett’s books — Soul Music, one of his best — has a footnote about how the gods make composers deaf as a joke — a joke that backfires, as deafness doesn’t stop them hearing the music; it stops them hearing the distractions.

Apparently, that doesn’t hold true in Buggland, alas.

On the other hand? Killer ear trumpet, dude.

Transcript:

A bugg with an ear trumpet and a conductor’s baton smiles encouragingly at a quartet of bugg classical musicians, all of whom look a bit strained. The double-bass player in particular looks like he has his eyes screwed up in pain.

The text reads: “Aprovul 2, 1800: Ludwig van Buggthoven leads the premiere of his 1st symphony in Buggiena. No one has the heart to tell the deaf composer how bad it sounds.”