{"id":"01KJNXJR0YAH2H6VZP910CQKKX","cid":"bafkreie4oeeuyu3lgojixxvtquyl3dsmesv5y7ea5vvqxnn2bnue4zxppq","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":662316,"char_start":654316,"chunk_index":92,"chunk_total":178,"estimated_tokens":2000,"source_file_key":"moby-dick","text":"cause of all this liveliness in Stubb, was soon made strangely\r\nmanifest. Stubb was a high liver; he was somewhat intemperately fond of\r\nthe whale as a flavorish thing to his palate.\r\n\r\n“A steak, a steak, ere I sleep! You, Daggoo! overboard you go, and cut\r\nme one from his small!”\r\n\r\nHere be it known, that though these wild fishermen do not, as a general\r\nthing, and according to the great military maxim, make the enemy defray\r\nthe current expenses of the war (at least before realizing the proceeds\r\nof the voyage), yet now and then you find some of these Nantucketers\r\nwho have a genuine relish for that particular part of the Sperm Whale\r\ndesignated by Stubb; comprising the tapering extremity of the body.\r\n\r\nAbout midnight that steak was cut and cooked; and lighted by two\r\nlanterns of sperm oil, Stubb stoutly stood up to his spermaceti supper\r\nat the capstan-head, as if that capstan were a sideboard. Nor was Stubb\r\nthe only banqueter on whale’s flesh that night. Mingling their\r\nmumblings with his own mastications, thousands on thousands of sharks,\r\nswarming round the dead leviathan, smackingly feasted on its fatness.\r\nThe few sleepers below in their bunks were often startled by the sharp\r\nslapping of their tails against the hull, within a few inches of the\r\nsleepers’ hearts. Peering over the side you could just see them (as\r\nbefore you heard them) wallowing in the sullen, black waters, and\r\nturning over on their backs as they scooped out huge globular pieces of\r\nthe whale of the bigness of a human head. This particular feat of the\r\nshark seems all but miraculous. How at such an apparently unassailable\r\nsurface, they contrive to gouge out such symmetrical mouthfuls, remains\r\na part of the universal problem of all things. The mark they thus leave\r\non the whale, may best be likened to the hollow made by a carpenter in\r\ncountersinking for a screw.\r\n\r\nThough amid all the smoking horror and diabolism of a sea-fight, sharks\r\nwill be seen longingly gazing up to the ship’s decks, like hungry dogs\r\nround a table where red meat is being carved, ready to bolt down every\r\nkilled man that is tossed to them; and though, while the valiant\r\nbutchers over the deck-table are thus cannibally carving each other’s\r\nlive meat with carving-knives all gilded and tasselled, the sharks,\r\nalso, with their jewel-hilted mouths, are quarrelsomely carving away\r\nunder the table at the dead meat; and though, were you to turn the\r\nwhole affair upside down, it would still be pretty much the same thing,\r\nthat is to say, a shocking sharkish business enough for all parties;\r\nand though sharks also are the invariable outriders of all slave ships\r\ncrossing the Atlantic, systematically trotting alongside, to be handy\r\nin case a parcel is to be carried anywhere, or a dead slave to be\r\ndecently buried; and though one or two other like instances might be\r\nset down, touching the set terms, places, and occasions, when sharks do\r\nmost socially congregate, and most hilariously feast; yet is there no\r\nconceivable time or occasion when you will find them in such countless\r\nnumbers, and in gayer or more jovial spirits, than around a dead sperm\r\nwhale, moored by night to a whaleship at sea. If you have never seen\r\nthat sight, then suspend your decision about the propriety of\r\ndevil-worship, and the expediency of conciliating the devil.\r\n\r\nBut, as yet, Stubb heeded not the mumblings of the banquet that was\r\ngoing on so nigh him, no more than the sharks heeded the smacking of\r\nhis own epicurean lips.\r\n\r\n“Cook, cook!—where’s that old Fleece?” he cried at length, widening his\r\nlegs still further, as if to form a more secure base for his supper;\r\nand, at the same time darting his fork into the dish, as if stabbing\r\nwith his lance; “cook, you cook!—sail this way, cook!”\r\n\r\nThe old black, not in any very high glee at having been previously\r\nroused from his warm hammock at a most unseasonable hour, came\r\nshambling along from his galley, for, like many old blacks, there was\r\nsomething the matter with his knee-pans, which he did not keep well\r\nscoured like his other pans; this old Fleece, as they called him, came\r\nshuffling and limping along, assisting his step with his tongs, which,\r\nafter a clumsy fashion, were made of straightened iron hoops; this old\r\nEbony floundered along, and in obedience to the word of command, came\r\nto a dead stop on the opposite side of Stubb’s sideboard; when, with\r\nboth hands folded before him, and resting on his two-legged cane, he\r\nbowed his arched back still further over, at the same time sideways\r\ninclining his head, so as to bring his best ear into play.\r\n\r\n“Cook,” said Stubb, rapidly lifting a rather reddish morsel to his\r\nmouth, “don’t you think this steak is rather overdone? You’ve been\r\nbeating this steak too much, cook; it’s too tender. Don’t I always say\r\nthat to be good, a whale-steak must be tough? There are those sharks\r\nnow over the side, don’t you see they prefer it tough and rare? What a\r\nshindy they are kicking up! Cook, go and talk to ’em; tell ’em they are\r\nwelcome to help themselves civilly, and in moderation, but they must\r\nkeep quiet. Blast me, if I can hear my own voice. Away, cook, and\r\ndeliver my message. Here, take this lantern,” snatching one from his\r\nsideboard; “now then, go and preach to ’em!”\r\n\r\nSullenly taking the offered lantern, old Fleece limped across the deck\r\nto the bulwarks; and then, with one hand dropping his light low over\r\nthe sea, so as to get a good view of his congregation, with the other\r\nhand he solemnly flourished his tongs, and leaning far over the side in\r\na mumbling voice began addressing the sharks, while Stubb, softly\r\ncrawling behind, overheard all that was said.\r\n\r\n“Fellow-critters: I’se ordered here to say dat you must stop dat dam\r\nnoise dare. You hear? Stop dat dam smackin’ ob de lip! Massa Stubb say\r\ndat you can fill your dam bellies up to de hatchings, but by Gor! you\r\nmust stop dat dam racket!”\r\n\r\n“Cook,” here interposed Stubb, accompanying the word with a sudden slap\r\non the shoulder,—“Cook! why, damn your eyes, you mustn’t swear that way\r\nwhen you’re preaching. That’s no way to convert sinners, cook!”\r\n\r\n“Who dat? Den preach to him yourself,” sullenly turning to go.\r\n\r\n“No, cook; go on, go on.”\r\n\r\n“Well, den, Belubed fellow-critters:”—\r\n\r\n“Right!” exclaimed Stubb, approvingly, “coax ’em to it; try that,” and\r\nFleece continued.\r\n\r\n“Do you is all sharks, and by natur wery woracious, yet I zay to you,\r\nfellow-critters, dat dat woraciousness—’top dat dam slappin’ ob de\r\ntail! How you tink to hear, spose you keep up such a dam slappin’ and\r\nbitin’ dare?”\r\n\r\n“Cook,” cried Stubb, collaring him, “I won’t have that swearing. Talk\r\nto ’em gentlemanly.”\r\n\r\nOnce more the sermon proceeded.\r\n\r\n“Your woraciousness, fellow-critters, I don’t blame ye so much for; dat\r\nis natur, and can’t be helped; but to gobern dat wicked natur, dat is\r\nde pint. You is sharks, sartin; but if you gobern de shark in you, why\r\nden you be angel; for all angel is not’ing more dan de shark well\r\ngoberned. Now, look here, bred’ren, just try wonst to be cibil, a\r\nhelping yourselbs from dat whale. Don’t be tearin’ de blubber out your\r\nneighbour’s mout, I say. Is not one shark dood right as toder to dat\r\nwhale? And, by Gor, none on you has de right to dat whale; dat whale\r\nbelong to some one else. I know some o’ you has berry brig mout,\r\nbrigger dan oders; but den de brig mouts sometimes has de small\r\nbellies; so dat de brigness of de mout is not to swaller wid, but to\r\nbit off de blubber for de small fry ob sharks, dat can’t get into de\r\nscrouge to help demselves.”\r\n\r\n“Well done, old Fleece!” cried Stubb, “that’s Christianity; go on.”\r\n\r\n“No use goin’ on; de dam willains will keep a scougin’ and slappin’\r\neach oder, Massa Stubb; dey don’t hear one word; no use a-preachin’ to\r\nsuch dam g’uttons as you call ’em, till dare bellies is full, and dare\r\nbellies is bottomless; and when dey do get ’em full, dey wont hear you\r\nden; for den dey sink in de sea, go fast to "},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJNXEDHZCC8DR4EPSQD0QP4P","peer_label":"moby-dick","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJNXECF9R1EZKS5Z7J8A8ZSB","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJNXKV8861P977B7BE45JR4K","peer_label":"daggoo","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXKV7VCG1M1V2KKXZJD4A9","peer_label":"stubb","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXMAX48RP7SN35GX7M6ZC9","peer_label":"fleece","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXM327DWSN71XGM2XQ35AP","peer_label":"bulwarks","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"ship_part","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXNFH2S6EPWRT59CXNGF47","peer_label":"sharks","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"marine_animal","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXMTECPEM9R64ZS1HSBX0H","peer_label":"sperm whale","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"marine_mammal","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXNH9TEGNHMZSY0498GV10","peer_label":"nantucketers","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group_of_people","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXNDRX49BV4W719FSSB940","peer_label":"capstan-head","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"ship_part","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXNGKA7T04QK5CR02G3G7H","peer_label":"whale steak","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"food_item","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQ2B0K22F48KGGCYM6TX4","peer_label":"sideboard","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"furniture","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQ70AWK123H70WCQSBGP4","peer_label":"sermon to sharks","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"event","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQQSJSV6N9GHXMG1SMEFF","peer_label":"lantern","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"light_source","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQVQDGKPJ3613GMZYQYQ6","peer_label":"christianity","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXP6ZNCFSPFHTG1NBFZF66","peer_label":"leviathan","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"creature_reference","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXPZ10DYW23FHAGP9RQ0AR","peer_label":"whaleship","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"ship","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQ26X87XE1MRZGEBVECYM","peer_label":"sperm oil","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"substance","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXZ3PPNK48SV3K6W7HJ0WH","peer_label":"tongs","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"tool","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}},{"peer":"01KJNXQ25R2APE9VZ3E2N5S3ZD","peer_label":"galley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"ship_location","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T00:08:18.598Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-02T00:01:15.806Z","ts":"2026-03-02T00:08:19.761Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}