Opening, part 6 · page 21 2101Then the Squibs danced all over the place, and the Bengal Lights made everything look scarlet.checked by a teacher102“Good-bye,” cried the Fire-balloon, as he soared away, dropping tiny blue sparks.103Bang!104Bang! answered the Crackers, who were enjoying themselves immensely.105Every one was a great success except the Remarkable Rocket.106He was so damp with crying that he could not go off at all.107The best thing in him was the gunpowder, and that was so wet with tears that it was of no use.108All his poor relations, to whom he would never speak, except with a sneer, shot up into the sky like wonderful golden flowers with blossoms of fire.109Huzza!110Huzza! cried the Court; and the little Princess laughed with pleasure.111“I suppose they are reserving me for some grand occasion,” said the Rocket; “no doubt that is what it means,” and he looked more supercilious than ever.112The next day the workmen came to put everything tidy.113“This is evidently a deputation,” said the Rocket; “I will receive them with becoming dignity” so he put his nose in the air, and began to frown severely as if he were thinking about some very important subject.114But they took no notice of him at all till they were just going away.115Then one of them caught sight of him.116“Hallo!” he cried, “what a bad rocket!” and he threw him over the wall into the ditch.117“BAD Rocket?118BAD Rocket?” he said, as he whirled through the air; “impossible!119GRAND Rocket, that is what the man said.120BAD and GRAND sound very much the same, indeed they often are the same”; and he fell into the mud.121“It is not comfortable here,” he remarked, “but no doubt it is some fashionable watering-place, and they have sent me away to recruit my health.122My nerves are certainly very much shattered, and I require rest.”123Then a little Frog, with bright jewelled eyes, and a green mottled coat, swam up to him.124“A new arrival, I see!” said the Frog.125“Well, after all there is nothing like mud.126Give me rainy weather and a ditch, and I am quite happy.127Do you think it will be a wet afternoon?128I am sure I hope so, but the sky is quite blue and cloudless.129What a pity!”130“Ahem! ahem!” said the Rocket, and he began to cough.131“What a delightful voice you have!” cried the Frog.132“Really it is quite like a croak, and croaking is of course the most musical sound in the world.133You will hear our glee-club this evening.134We sit in the old duck pond close by the farmer’s house, and as soon as the moon rises we begin.135It is so entrancing that everybody lies awake to listen to us.136In fact, it was only yesterday that I heard the farmer’s wife say to her mother that she could not get a wink of sleep at night on account of us.137It is most gratifying to find oneself so popular.”138“Ahem! ahem!” said the Rocket angrily.139He was very much annoyed that he could not get a word in.140“A delightful voice, certainly,” continued the Frog; “I hope you will come over to the duck-pond.141I am off to look for my daughters.142I have six beautiful daughters, and I am so afraid the Pike may meet them.143He is a perfect monster, and would have no hesitation in breakfasting off them.144Well, good-bye: I have enjoyed our conversation very much, I assure you.”145“Conversation, indeed!” said the Rocket.146“You have talked the whole time yourself.147That is not conversation.”148“Somebody must listen,” answered the Frog, “and I like to do all the talking myself.149It saves time, and prevents arguments.”150“But I like arguments,” said the Rocket.151“I hope not,” said the Frog complacently.152“Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions.153Good-bye a second time; I see my daughters in the distance:” and the little Frog swam away.154“You are a very irritating person,” said the Rocket, “and very ill-bred.155I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do.156It is what I call selfishness, and selfishness is a most detestable thing, especially to any one of my temperament, for I am well known for my sympathetic nature.157In fact, you should take example by me; you could not possibly have a better model.158Now that you have the chance you had better avail yourself of it, for I am going back to Court almost immediately.159I am a great favourite at Court; in fact, the Prince and Princess were married yesterday in my honour.160Of course you know nothing of these matters, for you are a provincial.”161“There is no good talking to him,” said a Dragon-fly, who was sitting on the top of a large brown bulrush; “no good at all, for he has gone away.”162“Well, that is his loss, not mine,” answered the Rocket.163“I am not going to stop talking to him merely because he pays no attention.164I like hearing myself talk.165It is one of my greatest pleasures.166I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.”1 2← previousOpening, part 5next →Opening, part 7↑ back to The Happy Prince, and Other TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg902/6/page/2/