CHAPTER 31

  Queen Mab

  Next morning Stubb accosted Flask.

  "Such a queer dream, King-Post, I never had. You know the old

man's ivory leg, well I dreamed he kicked me with it; and when I tried

to kick back, upon my soul, my little man, I kicked my leg right

off! And then, presto! Ahab seemed a pyramid, and I like a blazing

fool, kept kicking at it. But what was still more curious, Flask-

you know how curious all dreams are- through all this rage that I

was in, I somehow seemed to be thinking to myself, that after all,

it was not much of an insult, that kick from Ahab. 'Why,' thinks I,

'what's the row? It's not a real leg, only a false one.' And there's a

mighty difference between a living thump and a dead thump. That's what

makes a blow from the hand, Flask, fifty times more savage to bear

than a blow from a cane. The living member- that makes the living

insult, my little man. And thinks I to myself all the while, mind,

while I was stubbing my silly toes against that cursed pyramid- so

confoundedly contradictory was it all, all the while, I say, I was

thinking to myself, 'what's his leg now, but a cane-. a whale-bone

cane. Yes,' thinks I, 'it was only a playful cudgelling- in fact, only

a whaleboning that he gave me- not a base kick. Besides,' thinks I,

'look at it once; why, the end of it- the foot part- what a small sort

of end it is; whereas, if a broad footed farmer kicked me, there's a

devilish broad insult. But this insult is whittled down to a point

only.' But now comes the greatest joke of the dream, Flask. While I

was battering away at the pyramid, a sort of badger-haired old merman,

with a hump on his back, takes me by the shoulders, and slews me

round. 'What are you 'bout?' says he. Slid! man, but I was frightened.

Such a phiz! But, somehow, next moment I was over the fright. 'What am

I about?' says I at last. 'And what business is that of yours, I

should like to know, Mr. Humpback? Do you want a kick?' By the lord,

Flask, I had no sooner said that, than he turned round his stern to

me, bent over, and dragging up a lot of seaweed he had for a clout-

what do you think, I saw?- why thunder alive, man, his stern was stuck

full of marlinspikes, with the points out. Says I on second thought,

'I guess I won't kick you, old fellow.' 'Wise Stubb,' said he, 'wise

Stubb;' and kept muttering it all the time, a sort of eating of his

gums like a chimney hag. Seeing he wasn't going to stop saying over

his 'wise Stubb, wise Stubb,' I thought I might as well fall to

kicking the pyramid again. But I had only just lifted my foot for

it, when he roared out, 'Stop that kicking!' 'Halloa,' says I, 'what's

the matter now, old fellow?' 'Look ye here,' says he; 'let's argue the

insult. Captain Ahab kicked ye, didn't he?' 'Yes, he did,' says I-

'right here it was.' 'Very good,' says he- 'he used his ivory leg,

didn't he?' 'Yes, he did,' says I. 'Well then,' says he, 'wise

Stubb, what have you to complain of? Didn't he 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 honor; I consider it an honor. 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; be kicked by him; account his kicks honors; 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 the stern? Well, the best

thing you can do, Flask, is to let the old man alone; never speak to

him, whatever he says. Halloa! What's that he shouts? Hark!"

  "Mast-head, there! Look sharp, all of ye! There are whales

hereabouts!

  If ye see a white one, split your lungs for him!

  "What do you 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."