What business have I with this pipe? This thing that is
meant for sereneness, to send up mild white vapors among
mild white hairs, not among torn iron-grey locks like mine.
I'll smoke no more-"
He tossed the still lighted pipe into the sea. The fire hissed
in the waves; the same instant the ship shot by the bubble
the sinking pipe made. With slouched hat, Ahab lurchingly
paced the planks.
CHAPTER 31
Queen Mab
Next morning Stubb accosted Flask.
"Such a queer dream, King-Post, I never had. You know the old man's
ivory leg, well I dreamed he kicked me with it; and when I tried
to kick back, upon my soul, my little man, I kicked my leg right off!
And then, presto! Ahab seemed a pyramid, and I like a blazing fool,
kept kicking at it. But what was still more curious, Flask--you know
how curious all dreams are--through all this rage that I was in,
I somehow seemed to be thinking to myself, that after all,
it was not much of an insult, that kick from Ahab. 'Why,' thinks I,
'what's the row? It's not a real leg, only a false one.'
And there's a mighty difference between a living thump and a dead thump.
That's what makes a blow from the hand, Flask, fifty times
more savage to bear than a blow from a cane.
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