The Lazy Tour of Two Idle ApprenticesDickens, Charles
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The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Dickens, Charles
Apprentices -- Fiction; Cumbria (England) -- Description and travel -- Fiction; Walking -- England -- Cumbria -- Fiction
The dearest friend the Gong-donkey has in the world, is a sort of
Jackall, in a dull, mangy, black hide, of such small pieces that it looks
as if it were made of blacking bottles turned inside out and cobbled
together. The dearest friend in the world (inconceivably drunk too)
advances at the Gong-donkey, with a hand on each thigh, in a series of
humorous springs and stops, wagging his head as he comes. The
Gong-donkey regarding him with attention and with the warmest affection,
suddenly perceives that he is the greatest enemy he has in the world, and
hits him hard in the countenance. The astonished Jackall closes with the
Donkey, and they roll over and over in the mud, pummelling one another.
A Police Inspector, supernaturally endowed with patience, who has long
been looking on from the Guildhall-steps, says, to a myrmidon, ‘Lock ’em
up! Bring ’em in!’
Appropriate finish to the Grand Race-Week. The Gong-donkey, captive and
last trace of it, conveyed into limbo, where they cannot do better than
keep him until next Race-Week. The Jackall is wanted too, and is much
looked for, over the way and up and down. But, having had the good
fortune to be undermost at the time of the capture, he has vanished into
air.
On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Goodchild walks out and looks at the Course.
It is quite deserted; heaps of broken crockery and bottles are raised to
its memory; and correct cards and other fragments of paper are blowing
about it, as the regulation little paper-books, carried by the French
soldiers in their breasts, were seen, soon after the battle was fought,
blowing idly about the plains of Waterloo.
Where will these present idle leaves be blown by the idle winds, and
where will the last of them be one day lost and forgotten? An idle
question, and an idle thought.; and with it Mr. Idle fitly makes his bow,
and Mr. Goodchild his, and thus ends the Lazy Tour of Two Idle
Apprentices.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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