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Melville, Herman, 1819-1891

"Moby Dick: or, the White Whale"


Jollily he, aloft there, wheels through toil and trouble; and so,
alow here, does jolly Stubb. Oh, jolly's the word for aye!
Adieu, Doubloon! But stop; here comes little King-Post;
dodge round the try-works, now, and let's hear what he'll have
to say. There; he's before it; he'll out with something presently.
So, so; he's beginning."
"I see nothing here, but a round thing made of gold, and whoever raises
a certain whale, this round thing belongs to him. So, what's all
this staring been about? It is worth sixteen dollars, that's true;
and at two cents the cigar, that's nine hundred and sixty cigars.
I won't smoke dirty pipes like Stubb, but I like cigars, and here's nine
hundred and sixty of them; so here goes Flask aloft to spy 'em out."
"Shall I call that Wise or foolish, now; if it be really wise it has
a foolish look to it; yet, if it be really foolish, then has it a sort
of wiseish look to it. But, avast; here comes our old Manxman--the old
hearse-driver, he must have been, that is, before he took to the sea.
He luffs up before the doubloon; halloa, and goes round on the other
side of the mast; why, there's a horse-shoe nailed on that side;
and now he's back again; what does that mean? Hark! he's muttering--
voice like an old worn-out coffee-mill.


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