"You said up there, didn't you? and now look yourself, and see
where your tongs are pointing. But, perhaps you expect to get
into heaven by crawling through the lubber's hole, cook; but, no,
no, cook, you don't get there, except you go the regular way,
round by the rigging. It's a ticklish business, but must be done,
or else it's no go. But none of us are in heaven yet.
Drop your tongs, cook, and hear my orders. Do ye hear?
Hold your hat in one hand, and clap t'other a'top of your heart,
when I'm giving my orders, cook. What! that your heart, there?--
that's your gizzard! Aloft! aloft!--that's it--now you have it.
Hold it there now, and pay attention."
"All 'dention," said the old black, with both hands placed as desired,
vainly wriggling his grizzled head, as if to get both ears in front
at one and the same time.
"Well then, cook, you see this whale-steak of yours was so very bad,
that I have put it out of sight as soon as possible; you see that,
don't you? Well, for the future, when you cook another whale-steak
for my private table here, the capstan, I'll tell you what to do
so as not to spoil it by overdoing. Hold the steak in one hand,
and show a live coal to it with the other; that done, dish it; d'ye hear?
And now to-morrow, cook, when we are cutting in the fish, be sure
you stand by to get the tips of his fins; have them put in pickle.
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