It made me very sick . '' `` That was better than my case , '' said the Adjutant . `` When I was in my third season , a young and a bold bird , I went down to the river where the big boats come in . The boats of the English are thrice as big as this village . '' `` He has been as far as Delhi , and says all the people there walk on their heads , '' muttered the Jackal . The Mugger opened his left eye , and looked keenly at the Adjutant . `` It is true , '' the big bird insisted . `` A liar only lies when he hopes to be believed . No one who had not seen those boats COULD believe this truth . '' `` THAT is more reasonable , '' said the Mugger . `` And then ? '' `` From the insides of this boat they were taking out great pieces of white stuff , which , in a little while , turned to water . Much split off , and fell about on the shore , and the rest they swiftly put into a house with thick walls . But a boatman , who laughed , took a piece no larger than a small dog , and threw it to me . I -- all my people -- swallow without reflection , and that piece I swallowed as is our custom . Immediately I was afflicted with an excessive cold which , beginning in my crop , ran down to the extreme end of my toes , and deprived me even of speech , while the boatmen laughed at me . Never have I felt such cold . I danced in my grief and amazement till I could recover my breath and then I danced and cried out against the falseness of this world ; and the boatmen derided me till they fell down . The chief wonder of the matter , setting aside that marvellous coldness , was that there was nothing at all in my crop when I had finished my lamentings ! '' The Adjutant had done his very best to describe his feelings after swallowing a seven-pound lump of Wenham Lake ice , off an American ice-ship , in the days before Calcutta made her ice by machinery ; but as he did not know what ice was , and as the Mugger and the Jackal knew rather less , the tale missed fire .
`` Anything , '' said the Mugger , shutting his XXXXX eye again -- `` ANYTHING is possible that comes out of a boat thrice the size of Mugger-Ghaut .
Adjutant Calcutta Delhi English Jackal fire ice-ship lamentings left third