“Comeback! comeback!” screamedtheRocket, “Ihaveagreatdealtosaytoyou;” buttheDuckpaidnoattentiontohim.“Iamgladthatshehasgone,” hesaidtohimself, “shehasadecidedlymiddle-classmind;” andhesankalittledeeperstillintothemud, andbegantothinkaboutthelonelinessofgenius, whensuddenlytwolittleboysinwhitesmockscamerunningdownthebank, withakettleandsomefaggots.“Thismustbethedeputation,” saidtheRocket, andhetriedtolookverydignified.“Hallo!” criedoneoftheboys, “lookatthisoldstick! Iwonderhowitcamehere;” andhepickedtheRocketoutoftheditch.“OldStick!” saidtheRocket, “impossible! GoldStick, , hemistakesmeforoneoftheCourtdignitaries!”
“Letusputitintothefire!” saidtheotherboy, “itwillhelptoboilthekettle.”
Sotheypiledthefaggotstogether, andputtheRocketontop, andlitthefire.“Thisismagnificent,” criedtheRocket, “theyaregoingtoletmeoffinbroadday-light, sothateveryonecanseeme.”
“Wewillgotosleepnow,” theysaid, “andwhenwewakeupthekettlewillbeboiled;” andtheylaydownonthegrass, , , however, thefirecaughthim.“NowIamgoingoff!” hecried, andhemadehimselfverystiffandstraight.“IknowIshallgomuchhigherthanthestars, muchhigherthanthemoon, , Ishallgosohighthat—”
Fizz! Fizz! Fizz! andhewentstraightupintotheair.“Delightful,” hecried, “!”.“NowIamgoingtoexplode,” hecried.“Ishallsetthewholeworldonfire, andmakesuchanoisethatnobodywilltalkaboutanythingelseforawholeyear.” ! Bang! Bang! , noteventhetwolittleboys, , andthisfelldownonthebackofaGoosewhowastakingawalkbythesideoftheditch.“Goodheavens!” criedtheGoose.“Itisgoingtorainsticks;” andsherushedintothewater.“IknewIshouldcreateagreatsensation,” gaspedtheRocket, andhewentout.
