NAME.....Cockroaches On The Tongue
CODE.....AN1603
ORIGIN...Unknown
STATUS...False

In California, a lady cut her tongue while licking an envelope. At first the lady thought nothing of it, but after a week her tongue began to swell up. She went to see a doctor and he couldn't find anything wrong with her. After a few more days, her tongue had swollen up even more. Her tongue was now so sore that she had trouble eating. Her doctor sent her to hospital, and had an X-Ray taken to find the cause of the swelling. The doctors found a lump in her tongue, and decided to perform minor surgery. When her tongue was cut open, a small, live cockroach crawled out.

After investigation, they determined that the envelope seal had cockroach eggs on it. The eggs were then embedded in the cut on the tongue. The eggs were able to hatch because of the lady's saliva, and the conditions being warm and moist.

Andy Hume quoted "Hey, I used to work in an envelope factory. You wouldn't believe the things that float around in those gum applicator trays. I haven't licked an envelope for years."

Summary

This disgusting and revolting tale would make anyone think twice before licking another envelope, but the story has many flaws to its creditability. The main issue is that cockroaches do not lay their eggs in the way described. Apparantly, a cockroach carries its eggs around with it in a hard capsule called an ootheca. Cockroach eggs cannot survive outside of the ootheca. This fact alone blows any creditability this UL had right out of the window!

Another question needs to be raised; who is Andy Hume? Is there such a person, and if so whom did he make the quote to? So in the words of a famous Hip Hop artist 'Will the real Andy Hume please stand up'?

Final Thoughts

Although this UL does have an oral tradition, it has spread rapidly through the use of chain E-Mails, and can feel firmly established in the cyber world of Netlore.