Moby Dick

by Herman Melville

white whale must be the same that some call Moby Dick.’ ‘Moby Dick?’ shouted Ahab. ‘Do ye know the white whale then, Tash?’ ‘Does he fan-tail a little curious, sir, before he goes down?’ said the Gay-Header deliberately. ‘And has he a curious spout, too,’ said Daggoo, ‘very bushy, even for a parmacetty, and mighty quick, Captain Ahab?’ ‘And he have one, two, tree—oh! good many iron in him hide, too, Captain,’ cried Queequeg disjointedly, ‘all twiske-tee be-twisk, like him—him—’ faltering hard for a word, and screwing his hand round and round as though uncorking a bottle—’like him—him—’ ‘Corkscrew!’ cried Ahab, ‘aye, Queequeg, the harpoons lie all twisted and wrenched in him; aye, Daggoo, his spout is a big one, like a whole shock of wheat, and white as a pile of our Nantucket wool after the great annual sheep-shearing; aye, Tashtego, and he fan-tails like a split jib in a squall. Death and devils! men, it is Moby Dick ye have seen—Moby Dick—Moby Dick!’ ‘Captain Ahab,’ said Starbuck, who, with Stubb and Flask, had thus far been eyeing his superior with increasing surprise, but at last seemed struck with a thought which somewhat explained all the wonder. ‘Captain Ahab, I have heard of Moby Dick—but it was not Moby Dick that took off thy leg?’ ‘Who told thee that?’ cried Ahab; then pausing, ‘Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby Dick that dismasted me; Moby Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye,’ he shouted with a terrific, loud, an...