Chapter 69 64．Stubb's Dinner

The place where we killed the sperm whale was still some distance from our big ship. But the weather was fine, with little wind and no waves, which made it easier for us to haul the monstrous thing back to our ship. We strung together three whaling skiffs and rowed slowly back, dragging our prize. We only heard about it before, but now we have experienced the feeling of being a tracker on the Grand Canal in China. No, it should be said that our feeling now is even more uncomfortable than that. There were eighteen people in our three boats, and thirty-six arms were paddling vigorously. It took a long time to see the huge thing move a little.

An hour went by, and an hour went by, and we dragged the fellow back to the Pequod when the sun was setting and it was getting dark. Captain Ahab stood at the bow, watching us all the way. Three lights had already been lit on the big ship, hanging high on the mast, more or less showing us the way. Captain Ahab brought a lamp from elsewhere, and set it on the bulwark, to light the Sperm Whale we were hauling. He looked blankly, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while, Captain Ahab came back from his contemplation and told us to tie up the dead whale before boarding the ship.Afterwards he went back to his cabin without a word, and was not seen till the next morning.

The iron chain rattled, and the anchor was thrown into the sea. We're busy tying up that huge thing, tying its head to the stern and its tail to the bow. Captain Ahab was not very happy, even a little unhappy and disappointed, as if seeing the sperm whale's carcass, he immediately thought of his mortal enemy - the white whale Moby Dick. He wasn't interested in this sweet whale. His great purpose and almost crazy obsession all lay in the guy who had been rummaging in his mind for a long time. For Ahab, none of Moby Dick's kind except Moby Dick could arouse his excitement and satisfaction.

Although Captain Ahab, who was always sullen, was not happy, Stubb, the number one hero of this victory, was very excited. He walked up and down the deck, glowing red, talking and laughing loudly to this and that, and looking unusually active. Stubb's elation, besides the joy of victory, also had another reason that made him feel more satisfied: he loved to eat, especially whale meat, and this time, he was going to feast on it. "Hey, big man," Stubb called to Tustego in a voice, "I'm going to have a big whale steak before I go to bed to-day! Get in the water and get me some, If you want that waist, hurry up!"

The reason why Stubb did this was really out of his extreme liking for whale meat, not out of hatred for big whales, just like after the war between the two warring parties, the victor must file a claim against the defeated party . Those who are familiar with these whalers know that there are many whalers who like to eat whale meat like Stubb, and some even prefer some small organs of whales. At midnight Stubb's platoon was ready and brought in. Stubb sat down beside the winch on deck, eager to prepare his fists, and began to eat and munch by the light of two sperm whale oil lamps. While Stubb was enjoying his delicious meal, thousands of sharks shared the same joy of eating as Stubb.

They came in groups, gathered around the sperm whale that Stubb and the others had killed, tore and vehemently ate pieces of delicious food, and chewed them with great pleasure. A group of sharks left satisfied after eating, and another group of hungry sharks came again. The crew members sleeping in the bilge were only less than a foot away from the shark through the plank. The shark was swimming outside, its tail beating against the hull from time to time, and the sound of "snap" made the crew members feel anxious. Woke up from deep sleep. If you stand on the deck and look out over the side of the boat, you will find the fierce and insatiable creatures.

They scrambled and rolled in the dark water, vying to enjoy the delicious meal without giving in. The way this group of sharks tear at the whale is so unique that people can't help but marvel. They first bit a place on the whale with their mouths, and then leaned back. As a result, a piece of whale meat as big as a human head was gouged out from the whale by them. The uniform size of the meat is simply incredible. After the group of guys had finished their meal and moved forward, countless holes of the same size would be left on the body of the dead whale, just like the holes that a carpenter drilled on the board with a wooden drill in advance to install screws.

While Stubb was feasting on the deck, thousands of sharks were feasting in the sea below him, each doing the same happy thing, but each ignoring the other. exist. The most faithful followers of the whaling ships in their long whaling voyages are those who are now feasting on the spoils they have risked their lives to catch. Of course, these sharks follow the whaling ships, not to escort them, but to enjoy the fruits of the whaling ships' labor effortlessly. Opportunity. When the whaling ship and the sperm whale were fighting to the death, they hid aside and watched with cold eyes. When the sperm whale, which they themselves were usually afraid of, was killed by the whaling ship, they flocked to the door.

These sharks are doing countless beggars of the same nature on the sea, more precisely, they are like pirates. They follow the slave trade ships to get the dead slaves from time to time, attack the beach, and make the tourists happy. Tourists die, blah blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. In human society, around you and around me, aren't there countless guys like these sharks wandering around?Some you feel his presence, some you don't feel his presence, but no matter whether you feel their presence or not, they are always staring at you with hungry eyes, waiting to eat you Opportunity.

But Costubb apparently ignored the sharks now, complaining only that the chef's steaks didn't taste right to him. Stubb flung his knife and fork into the plate as if he were throwing a javelin. "Chef, come here!" Stubb called out to the black chef. The black old man had just fallen asleep in the warm cabin when he was woken up by Jin Tabu. He seemed unhappy, but there was nothing he could do about it. The black old man came out of the cabin somewhat limping, holding his poker, walked towards Stubb, stopped not far from him, bowed his head to Stubb, and at the same time tilted his head, using the good one Ear to Stubb, waiting for his lecture.

"Hey, I said chef, I told you more than once, the whale steak should not be overcooked, it should be cooked raw, look at what you cooked." Jin Tabu held up a bloody thing with a fork and showed it to the old chef, then quickly threw it into his mouth and began to chew. “It was overcooked!” Stubb went on to say: "Go and look under the side of the boat, do those sharks like to eat tender raw ones, or those that are too old to chew, go!" Stubb grabbed a lantern and handed it to the old cook: "Please help me send a message to the sharks by the way, just say that I promise to let them eat as much as they want, but don't make noise, don't fight, don't interfere with me eating my whale steak, otherwise I will be impolite! " The old chef took the lantern with a displeased face, limped towards the side of the ship, stretched the lantern out of the side of the ship to illuminate the sea, and waved his big poker with the other hand in a serious manner, leaning over the side, Nag to the sharks below: "I say fellow sharks down there, and now I'm delivering Mr. Stubb's order that you stop that damned rowdy at once, because Mr. Stubb's eating the same supper as you." "Look at your mouths, how loud and annoying you are! Mr. Stubb says it doesn't matter how much you eat as long as you're quiet, as long as your stomachs are full and stuffed up to your throats." .” While the cook was chattering to the shark, Stubb stood behind him, slapped the cook on the shoulder hard, and said: "Why do you speak to them so gently? They are criminals. You have to be cruel to them, and you have to scold them viciously. Otherwise, how can they reform themselves?" The cook turned around unhappily and wanted to leave: "Then you should talk to them!" "That won't work, you have to go on." Stubb stopped the cook. The cook had no choice but to continue: "Dear guys, although greed is your nature, although you can't change this nature in any way, I still advise you to restrain yourself a little bit, at least don't keep knocking our boat so fucking loud with your tail , you know how fucking annoying it is!" "But, I also know that you will never change your nasty temper, otherwise you will not be sharks, otherwise you will become immortals, but then again, even if you become immortals now, it may not be good temper." "Hey, let me tell you, don't lose face like this, okay? Don't fight, don't grab people's mouths! You should be more modest with each other, so that the little shark can eat a little bit, ah, you know, you eat now It's not your own thing!" Stubb, who had been listening, now praised: "Well said, go on." "But they won't listen at all. They are busy filling their greedy bellies now, and it's useless to talk about it." "Yes, I think so, then let them go, I have my supper!" The cook heard this, and screamed at the sharks: "You damn fellows, fight and eat, sooner or later you will all be exhausted!" "How old are you?" Stubb asked the cook as he ate the steak. "What does this have to do with whale platoons?" "Don't argue, tell me." "Ninety, that's what they say." "Ha, almost a hundred years old, but still don't know how to cook whale steak, so where were you born?" "On a ferry in Virginia, USA." "I reckon you'd better do another calf so you can learn how to cook whale steak better." The cook turned around and wanted to leave. "Come back, you haven't tasted your whale steak yet!" Stubb gave the old man a piece with the poker. The old man took a piece with his shriveled mouth, clicked weakly for a while, and murmured: "I have never eaten such a good whale steak!" "Cook, let me ask you again, do you believe in religion?" "Went to church once." "Is it considered religious if you have been there once? But I still want to ask you, where will you go after you die?" "I don't need to worry about this, there will be a fairy to pick me up when the time comes." "Where will I pick you up?" "Above." The cook solemnly pointed to the sky with the tongs. "The toptop, then; it's cold up there." Stubb quipped. "I didn't mean there." "I see, you mean you're going to climb up to heaven from there, don't you?" "I suppose so." "But……" Stubb's conversation returned to the whale platoon. "You can't even do whale platoons, and you still want to go to heaven? Remember, you must follow the method I taught you next time. In addition, when you cut the big whale tomorrow, you have to stand aside and keep the tip of the whale fin Pick it out and keep the pickles for eating. Also, tomorrow morning I want to eat fried fish balls, and tomorrow night I want to eat fried whale chips. Do you hear me clearly? If you hear me clearly, bow to me and let’s go. " The cook was finally released by Stubb. As he went back to his bunk, he whispered resentfully: "He's more of a shark than a shark, please God, don't let him eat a whale anymore, let the whale eat him!"