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MOBY DICK; OR 
insult. Captain Ahab kicked ye, didn’t be?’ ‘Yes, be did,’ says I — 
‘right here it was.’ ‘Very good,’ says be — ‘be used bis ivory leg, didn’t 
be ?’ ‘Yes, be did,’ says I. ‘Well then,’ says be, ‘wise Stubb, what have 
you to complain of? Didn’t be kick with right good will? it wasn’t 
a common pitch pine leg he kicked with, was it? No, you were kicked 
by a great man, and with a beautiful ivory leg, Stubb. It’s an honour ; 
I consider it an honour. Listen, wise Stubb. In old England the 
greatest lords think it great glory to be slapped by a queen, and made 
garter-knights of; but, be your boast, Stubb, that, ye were kicked by 
old Ahab, and made a wise man of. Remember what I say; he 
kicked by him; account his kicks honours; and on no account kick 
back; for you can’t help yourself, wise Stubb. Don’t you see that 
pyramid? With that, he all of a sudden seemed somehow, in some 
queer fashion, to swim off into the air. I snored; rolled over; and 
there I was in my hammock! Now, what do you think of that dream, 
Flask?” 
“I don’t know; it seems a sort of foolish to me, tho’.” 
“May be ; may be. But it’s made a wise man of me, Flask. D’ye 
see Ahab standing there, sideways looking over stem? Well, the best 
thing you can do, Flask, is to let that old man alone ; never speak to 
him, whatever he says. Halloa ! What’s that he shouts ? Hark !” 
“Masthead, there! Look sharp, all of ye! there are whales here- 
abouts ! If ye see a white one, split your lungs for him !” 
“What d’ye think of that now, Flask? ain’t there a small drop of 
something queer about that, eh ? A white whale — did ye mark that, 
man ? Look ye — there’s something special in the wind. Stand by for 
it, Flask. Ahab has that that’s bloody on his mind. But, mum; he 
comes this way.” 
CHAPTER XXXI 
CETOLOGY 
Ai.ready we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be 
lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. Ere that come to pass ; 
ere the Pequod’s weedy hull rolls side by side with the barnacled hulls 
