Троє в човні крім собаки

           "There!"hewouldsay,inaninjuredtone,"nowthenail’sgone." 

           Andwewouldallhavetogodownonourkneesandgrovelforit,whilehewouldstandonthechair,andgrunt,andwanttoknowifhewastobekepttherealltheevening. 

           Thenailwouldbefoundatlast,butbythattimehewouldhavelostthehammer. 

           "Where’sthehammer? WhatdidIdowiththehammer? Greatheavens! Sevenofyou,gapingroundthere,andyoudon’tknowwhatIdidwiththehammer!" 

           Wewouldfindthehammerforhim,andthenhewouldhavelostsightofthemarkhehadmadeonthewall,wherethenailwastogoin,andeachofushadtogetuponthechair,besidehim,andseeifwecouldfindit;andwewouldeachdiscoveritinadifferentplace,andhewouldcallusallfools,oneafteranother,andtellustogetdown. Andhewouldtaketherule,andre-measure,andfindthathewantedhalfthirty-oneandthree-eighthsinchesfromthecorner,andwouldtrytodoitinhishead,andgomad. 

           Andwewouldalltrytodoitinourheads,andallarriveatdifferentresults,andsneeratoneanother. Andinthegeneralrow,theoriginalnumberwouldbeforgotten,andUnclePodgerwouldhavetomeasureitagain. 

           Hewoulduseabitofstringthistime,andatthecriticalmoment,whentheoldfoolwasleaningoverthechairatanangleofforty-five,andtryingtoreachapointthreeinchesbeyondwhatwaspossibleforhimtoreach,thestringwouldslip,anddownhewouldslideontothepiano,areallyfinemusicaleffectbeingproducedbythesuddennesswithwhichhisheadandbodystruckallthenotesatthesametime.