Heatethestarfishandthegarfish,andthecrabandthedab,andtheplaiceandthedace,andtheskateandhismate,andthemackereelandthepickereel,andthereallytrulytwirly-whirlyeel.
Tillatlasttherewasonlyonesmallfishleftinallthesea,andhewasasmall‘StuteFish,andheswamalittlebehindtheWhale’srightear,soastobeoutofharm’sway.
‘IfyouswimtolatitudeFiftyNorth,longitudeFortyWest(thatismagic),youwillfind,sittingonaraft,inthemiddleofthesea,withnothingonbutapairofbluecanvasbreeches,apairofsuspenders(youmustnotforgetthesuspenders,BestBeloved),andajack-knife,oneship-wreckedMariner,who,itisonlyfairtotellyou,isamanofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity.’
SotheWhaleswamandswamtolatitudeFiftyNorth,longitudeFortyWest,asfastashecouldswim,andonaraft,inthemiddleofthesea,withnothingtowearexceptapairofbluecanvasbreeches,apairofsuspenders(youmustparticularlyrememberthesuspenders,BestBeloved),andajack-knife,hefoundonesingle,solitaryshipwreckedMariner,trailinghistoesinthewater.
(Hehadhismummy’sleavetopaddle,orelsehewouldneverhavedoneit,becausehewasamanofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity.)
ThentheWhaleopenedhismouthbackandbackandbacktillitnearlytouchedhistail,andheswallowedtheshipwreckedMariner,andtherafthewassittingon,andhisbluecanvasbreeches,andthesuspenders(whichyoumustnotforget),andthejack-knife—Heswallowedthemalldownintohiswarm,dark,insidecup-boards,andthenhesmackedhislips—so,andturnedroundthreetimesonhistail.
ButassoonastheMariner,whowasamanofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity,foundhimselftrulyinsidetheWhale’swarm,dark,insidecup-boards,hestumpedandhejumpedandhethumpedandhebumped,andheprancedandhedanced,andhebangedandheclanged,andhehitandhebit,andheleapedandhecreeped,andheprowledandhehowled,andhehoppedandhedropped,andhecriedandhesighed,andhecrawledandhebawled,andhesteppedandhelepped,andhedancedhornpipeswhereheshouldn’t,andtheWhalefeltmostunhappyindeed.
SotheWhalecalleddownhisownthroattotheshipwreckedMariner,‘Comeoutandbehaveyourself.I’vegotthehiccoughs.’
‘Nay,nay!’saidtheMariner.‘Notso,butfarotherwise.Takemetomynatal-shoreandthewhite-cliffs-of-Albion,andI’llthinkaboutit.’Andhebegantodancemorethanever.
‘Youhadbettertakehimhome,’saidthe‘StuteFishtotheWhale.‘Ioughttohavewarnedyouthatheisamanofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity.’
SotheWhaleswamandswamandswam,withbothflippersandhistail,ashardashecouldforthehiccoughs;andatlasthesawtheMariner’snatal-shoreandthewhite-cliffs-of-Albion,andherushedhalf-wayupthebeach,andopenedhismouthwideandwideandwide,andsaid,‘ChangehereforWinchester,Ashuelot,Nashua,Keene,andstationsontheFitchburgRoad;’andjustashesaid‘Fitch’theMarinerwalkedoutofhismouth.
ButwhiletheWhalehadbeenswimming,theMariner,whowasindeedapersonofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity,hadtakenhisjack-knifeandcutuptheraftintoalittlesquaregratingallrunningcriss-cross,andhehadtieditfirmwithhissuspenders(now,youknowwhyyouwerenottoforgetthesuspenders!)
Andhesteppedoutontheshingle,andwenthometohismother,whohadgivenhimleavetotrailhistoesinthewater;andhemarriedandlivedhappilyeverafterward.SodidtheWhale.
Butfromthatdayon,thegratinginhisthroat,whichhecouldneithercoughupnorswallowdown,preventedhimeatinganythingexceptvery,verysmallfish;andthatisthereasonwhywhalesnowadaysnevereatmenorboysorlittlegirls.
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