The Old Man And The Sea
I'm on the couch and playing Animal Crossing. The television is on, and the volume for the DS is low.
I see the mighty shadow gliding under the ocean surface and the distinctive fin that accompanies it above the water. Slowly...carefully...silently...I set the DS on the couch at my side and reach down into my backpack to pull the headphones out. I don't dare startle this one. I keep my eye on the great fish's fin, as I gently pull the headphones over my ears and plug them into the DS so that I can best hear the sound of the bobber when the great beast must inevitably yank it underwater - that all-critical moment at which I'll have a fraction of a second to strike.
The gentle rhythmic sound of the surf beats against the beach over and over. The leviathan has a bead on my lure now. A gentle nudge at the bobber. Another. And then the bobber submerges with a sploosh. I press the button to draw in my reel, but as quick as I am, I'm too late. The fin and the shadow disappear into the depths.
"I'm not talkin' 'bout pleasure boatin' or day sailin'. I'm talkin' 'bout workin' for a livin'. I'm talkin' 'bout sharkin'!"
"Y'all know me. Know how I earn a livin'. I'll catch this bird for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down the pond chasin' bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow you whole. Little shakin', little tenderizin', an' down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin' basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
(A shark in Animal Crossing actually sells for 15,000 bells - not ten.)
I see the mighty shadow gliding under the ocean surface and the distinctive fin that accompanies it above the water. Slowly...carefully...silently...I set the DS on the couch at my side and reach down into my backpack to pull the headphones out. I don't dare startle this one. I keep my eye on the great fish's fin, as I gently pull the headphones over my ears and plug them into the DS so that I can best hear the sound of the bobber when the great beast must inevitably yank it underwater - that all-critical moment at which I'll have a fraction of a second to strike.
The gentle rhythmic sound of the surf beats against the beach over and over. The leviathan has a bead on my lure now. A gentle nudge at the bobber. Another. And then the bobber submerges with a sploosh. I press the button to draw in my reel, but as quick as I am, I'm too late. The fin and the shadow disappear into the depths.
"I'm not talkin' 'bout pleasure boatin' or day sailin'. I'm talkin' 'bout workin' for a livin'. I'm talkin' 'bout sharkin'!"
"Y'all know me. Know how I earn a livin'. I'll catch this bird for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down the pond chasin' bluegills and tommycods. This shark, swallow you whole. Little shakin', little tenderizin', an' down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin' basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
(A shark in Animal Crossing actually sells for 15,000 bells - not ten.)