3. Why didn't Winkle admit his inability to skate? What do you consider the funniest part of the Winkle story?
4. What is ludicrous about Pickwick's sliding? When he fell into the water, why was there so little assistance offered at first, and so much later?
5. If you have had a funny experience of your own on ice, tell it to the class.
If ever there lived a Yankee lad, Wise or otherwise, good or bad, Who, seeing the birds fly, didn't jump With flapping arms from stake or stump, Or spreading the tail 5 Of his coat for a sail, Take a soaring leap from post or rail, And wonder why _He_ couldn't fly, And flap and flutter and wish and try-- 10 If ever you knew a country dunce Who didn't try that as often as once-- All I can say is, that's a sign He never would do for a hero of mine.
An aspiring genius was D. Green: 15 The son of a farmer--age fourteen; His body was long and lank and lean-- Just right for flying, as will be seen; He had two eyes as bright as a bean, And a freckled nose that grew between, 20 A little awry;--for I must mention That he had riveted his attention Upon his wonderful invention, Twisting his tongue as he twisted the strings, And working his face as he worked the wings, 25 And with every turn of gimlet and screw Turning and screwing his mouth round too, Till his nose seemed bent To catch the scent, Around some corner, of new-baked pies, And his wrinkled cheeks and squinting eyes 5 Grew puckered into a queer grimace, That made him look very droll in the face, And also very wise.
And wise he must have been, to do more Than ever a genius did before, 10 Excepting Dædalus of yore, And his son Icarus, who wore Upon their backs Those wings of wax He had read of in the old almanacs. 15 Darius was clearly of the opinion, That the air was also man's dominion, And that, with paddle or fin or pinion, We soon or late Shall navigate 20 The azure as now we sail the sea. The thing looks simple enough to me; And if you doubt it, Hear how Darius reasoned about it:
"The birds can fly, 25 An' why can't I? Must we give in," Says he with a grin, "That the bluebird an' phoebe Are smarter 'n we be? 30 Jest fold our hands an' see the swaller An' blackbird an' catbird beat us holler? Does the leetle chatterin', sassy wren, No bigger'n my thumb, know more than men? Jest show me that 5 Er prove 't the bat Hez got more brains than's in my hat, An' I'll back down, an' not till then!"