Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898 -- Parodies, imitations, etc.; Fantasy fiction
Boy was just going to reply when his attention was attracted by a party
of Lobsters on bicycles rushing past them, all dressed alike in dark
green and yellow. One dear little one riding along gallantly at the end
of the procession amused Boy very much indeed, and he was still watching
him when he heard a voice exclaiming, “Cab, sir?” and, turning around,
beheld the most curious vehicle you can possibly imagine: two sea-horses
were attached to a kind of carriage made out of a large shell mounted on
two wheels, and were driven by a small crayfish, wearing a top hat, who
was perched up behind.
[Illustration: 0055]
“Yes, I think we will ride,” said Professor Crab, mounting the steps of
this strange conveyance, and beckoning Boy to follow. Boy was delighted
to do so, and was charmed with the curious little carriage as the
coachman cracked his whip and they bowled quickly along. Presently they
passed a large building looking like a Station, and Professor Crab told
him that it was the Terminus of the Submarine Steam Navigation Company,
and told the cabman to stop a moment so that Boy might watch one of the
boats which was just starting out of the Station. A very curious
affair it turned out to be: shaped like an enormous Cigar, with a screw
propeller at one end of it a deck on top with rails around it, on which
a number of various kinds of fishes were sitting about on deck-chairs,
chatting and reading, while through the large plate-glass windows, of
which, there was one on either side of this curiously-shaped boat, Boy
could see a number of other fishes making themselves comfortable in the
luxuriously furnished saloon. As soon as it floated away out of sight
the cabman whipped up his horses again, and off they started once more,
and did not stop until they reached some large gates with a board over
them, on which was painted in gold letters:=
````DRINKON COLLEGE,
```Principal: Professor Crab.=
The Professor paid the cabman, who touched his hat, and then, followed
by Boy, entered a large building just through the gates. A long corridor
ran right through the building, and through the glass doors at the end
Boy could see a number of the scholars at play.
“Would you like to join them while I give the First Class in Molluscs
their singing lesson?” asked the Professor.
Boy said that he should, and passing out into the playground, was soon
surrounded by a number of young fishes, all dressed in College suits
similar to those Boy had seen before.
“What’s your name?” asked one, as soon as he came up to Boy, and before
he could answer another one had asked, “What’s your father? and how much
pocket money do you have a week?” while a third demanded, “Where did you
go for your holiday last year?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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