English
Assoonasthecoverwasinplace,westartedtopreparesupper.Wewantedsomehotwatertomaketea.Weputtheteakettleonthestove.Wepretendedthatwewerenotinterestedinthewater.Wewantedthewatertothinkthatwedidnotcareaboutit.Webegantopreparesupper.
Thiswastheonlywaytomakethewaterboilonaboat.Ifthewaterknowsyouarewaitingforit,itwillnevergethot.Youmustnotlookatit.It’sagoodideatoshout,‘Idon’twantanytea.Doyou,George?’
Georgeshoutsback,‘Oh,no.Idon’tliketea.I’llhavemilk.’
‘Andyou,Harris?’
‘Teaisterrible.Ineverdrinkit.I’llhavelemonade.’
Thismakesthewaterveryangry.Atthispoint,thewaterwillboil!
Wereallywantedthatsupper.Weneededthatsupper.Forthirty-fiveminutesnobodyspoke.Wejustateandate.Finally,weallhadfullstomachs,andwewerehappy.Afullstomachmakesyoufeelkindandgenerous.Wesatandsmiledateachother.WesmiledatMontmorency,too.Westartedsmokingourpipesandbegantotalk.
Wewenttobedatteno’clock.Ididn’tsleepwell.Iwasn’tcomfortableintheboat.Iwokeupatsixo’clockthenextmorning,andGeorgedid,too.Therewasnoreasontowakeupsoearly.Wewereonholiday.Whydidwewakeupsoearly?Itneverhappenstouswhenwe’reworking.
WedecidedtowakeupHarris.Thiswashardwork.Weusedanoartohelpus.Harrismovedabitandsaid,‘I’llbedownstairsinaminute.Getmybestbootsready,please.’
Wetriedagainwithaboathook.HarrissatupsuddenlyandMontmorencyfelloffthebed.Wepulledupthecanvascoverandallfourofuslookedoutattheriver.Wewereverycold.Wehadplannedtogoswimming,butthewaterlookedsocoldandwet.
‘Well,who’sgoingswimmingfirst?’askedHarris.
Noonewantedtobefirst.Georgedecidedtogetdressed.Montmorencybarkedwithhorrorattheidea.Harriswenttolookforhistrousers.
Idecidedtogototheriverbankandthrowsomewateronmyself.
IheldontothebranchofatreeasImovedtothewater.ItwasverycoldandIdecidednottogoin.Iwantedtogobacktotheboat.Butsuddenly,thebranchofthetreebroke!Ifellintotheriveralongwithmytowel.IalsodrankaboutabottleofThameswater.
‘Goodheavens!OldJisinthewater!’Harrissaid.
‘How’sthewater?’Georgeasked.
‘It’slovely!’Ianswered.‘Whydon’tyoucomein?’
Nobodywantedtotrythewater.WhenIgotbacktotheboat,Iwasverycold.Iwantedtoputonmyshirt,butitfellintotheriver.Thismademeangry.Georgestartedlaughing.
‘Idon’tseeanythingtolaughat,’Isaid.
Georgelaughedevenmore.Ineversawamanlaughsomuch.Iwascoldandfurious.Iwastryingtogetmyshirtoutoftheriver.Georgewaslaughinglouderandlouder.
‘Stoplaughing,youstupididiot!’Ishouted.
WhenIfinallypulledtheshirtoutoftheriver,Isawthatitwasn’tmine–itwasGeorge’sshirt!Istartedlaughingtoo.IlaughedsomuchthatIdroppedtheshirtintotheriveragain.
‘Aren’tyougoingtogetitout?’saidGeorge,whocontinuedlaughing.
Ididn’tanswerhimforawhile,becauseIwaslaughingsomuch.AtlastIsaid,‘itisn’tmyshirt.It’syours!’
Ineversawaman’sfacechangesoquickly.
‘What!’heshouted.‘Youdonkey!IWhycan’tyoubecarefulwiththings?Whydon’tyougoandgetdressedontheriverbank?Peoplelikeyoudon’tknowhowtoliveonaboat!’
Itriedtotellhimhowfunnyitwas,buthedidn’tunderstand.Georgeisalittleslowatunderstandingajokesometimes.
Harrissaid,‘I’mcookingscrambledeggsforbreakfastthismorning.Oncepeopletrymyscrambledeggs,theyalwayswantthem.’
Hewasquitefamousforhisscrambledeggs.GeorgeandIgotthestoveandthefryingpanready.Thenwelookedfortheeggsthatweren’tbroken.Wefoundonlysixofthem.
‘Nowyoucanstart,’wesaid.
BreakingtheeggswasdifficultforHarris.Theeggsgotonhistrousersandwentuphisarms.Heputsixeggsintothefryingpan.Thenhesatdownbythestoveandmixedthemwithafork.
GeorgeandIsawthatitwasdifficultwork.Harrisoftenburnthisfingers.Thenhedancedaroundthestove.Hewavedhishandsintheairandshouted.GeorgeandIthoughtthatthiswasanimportantpartofhiscookingmethod.
Wedidn’tknowwhatscrambledeggswere.WethoughttheyweresomesortofRedIndianfood,and,tocookthemcorrectly,itwasnecessarytodospecialdanceswithmagicwords.
Montmorencywenttoputhisnoseoverthefryingpanonce,andburnthimself.He,too,begandancingaroundandbarking.Itwasinterestingandexcitingtowatchthisshow.GeorgeandIweresorrywhenitwasfinished.
Whenthescrambledeggswereready,therewasverylittletoeat.Sixeggshadgoneintothepan.But,allthatcameoutwasateaspoonfullofburnteggs.
‘Theproblemisthefryingpan,’Harrissaid.‘Ineedanothertypeofpanandanotherstove.’
Wedecidednottotryscrambledeggsagain,untilHarrishadtherightpanandstove.
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