What the Daddy chose to say of the Fly , however, was no business of mine. What it said of myself was . After the noble manner in which the Owl , the Toad , the Mole , had expressed themselves in respect to my ability, it was rather too much to be coolly spoken of by a thing like the Daddy-Long-Legs , as merely “a gentleman of high genius and a scholar.” Gentleman indeed! I made up my mind at once, either to get a written apology from the Daddy-Long-Legs , or to call it out.
Full of this purpose, I looked about me to find a friend whom I could entrust with a message to his Daddy ship, and as the editor of the Lollipop had given me marked tokens of regard, I at length concluded to seek assistance upon the present occasion.
I have never yet been able to account, in a manner satisfactory to my own understanding, for the very peculiar countenance and demeanor with which Mr. Crab listened to me, as I unfolded to him my design. He again went through the scene of the bell-rope and cudgel, and did not omit the duck. At one period I