The Old Lady and the Dog
The old lady, a guest in a landlord’s villa, was very fond of a huge armchair. However, every time she entered the room and made her way to the chair, she found the landlord’s large old dog occupying it.
Knowing the dog’s weakness, the old lady devised a clever plan. She would approach the window and scream, “Hey, cat!” The dog would jump off the chair in hopes of chasing the cat, allowing the lady to take her place in the armchair.
One afternoon, the dog discovered the old lady sprawling comfortably in the coveted chair with her eyes closed. It silently approached the window and began barking furiously.
Curious about the commotion, the old lady left the chair to see what was happening outside. Seizing the opportunity, the dog quickly jumped into the chair and curled up contentedly.
(Ishmael had gone whaling under the tactical Captain Ahab, whose only purpose in life was to catch Moby Dick, the great white whale responsible for his losing a leg. After a whale hunt, Ishmael and the men in his boat fought their way through a raging squall towards their ship, the Pequod.)
The whale’s fluke smashed down upon the waters, and our boat rose high into the air. In that moment, I was convinced that my last hour had come.
The waves curled and hissed around us, resembling the erect crests of enraged serpents. Then, suddenly, there came an invisible push from behind, while the boat seemed to strike a ledge. A gush of scalding vapor shot up nearby.
The whale sank immediately afterward, and we landed once more on the water, thoroughly swamped but unharmed. However, our troubles were far from over. The squall continued to roar around us as we fought our way back to the Pequod. The intensity of the storm made me wonder if we would sink before reaching safety.
