CHAPTER 17 The Ramadan

AsQueequeg'sRamadan,orFastingandHumiliation,wastocontinueallday,Ididnotchoosetodisturbhimtilltowardsnight-fall;forIcherishthegreatestrespecttowardseverybody'sreligiousobligations,nevermindhowcomical,andcouldnotfinditinmyhearttoundervalueevenacongregationofantsworshippingatoad-stool;orthoseothercreaturesincertainpartsofourearth,whowithadegreeoffootmanismquiteunprecedentedinotherplanets,bowdownbeforethetorsoofadeceasedlandedproprietormerelyonaccountoftheinordinatepossessionsyetownedandrentedinhisname.

Isay,wegoodPresbyterianChristiansshouldbecharitableinthesethings,andnotfancyourselvessovastlysuperiortoothermortals,pagansandwhatnot,becauseoftheirhalf-crazyconceitsonthesesubjects.TherewasQueequeg,now,certainlyentertainingthemostabsurdnotionsaboutYojoandhisRamadan;—butwhatofthat?Queequegthoughtheknewwhathewasabout,Isuppose;heseemedtobecontent;andtherelethimrest.Allourarguingwithhimwouldnotavail;lethimbe,Isay:andHeavenhavemercyonusall—PresbyteriansandPagansalike—forweareallsomehowdreadfullycrackedaboutthehead,andsadlyneedmending.

Towardsevening,whenIfeltassuredthatallhisperformancesandritualsmustbeover,Iwentuptohisroomandknockedatthedoor;butnoanswer.Itriedtoopenit,butitwasfastenedinside."Queequeg,"saidIsoftlythroughthekey-hole:—allsilent."Isay,Queequeg!whydon'tyouspeak?It'sI—Ishmael."Butallremainedstillasbefore.Ibegantogrowalarmed.Ihadallowedhimsuchabundanttime;Ithoughthemighthavehadanapoplecticfit.Ilookedthroughthekey-hole;butthedooropeningintoanoddcorneroftheroom,thekey-holeprospectwasbutacrookedandsinisterone.Icouldonlyseepartofthefoot-boardofthebedandalineofthewall,butnothingmore.IwassurprisedtobeholdrestingagainstthewallthewoodenshaftofQueequeg'sharpoon,whichthelandladytheeveningprevioushadtakenfromhim,beforeourmountingtothechamber.That'sstrange,thoughtI;butatanyrate,sincetheharpoonstandsyonder,andheseldomornevergoesabroadwithoutit,thereforehemustbeinsidehere,andnopossiblemistake.

"Queequeg!—Queequeg!"—allstill.Somethingmusthavehappened.Apoplexy!Itriedtoburstopenthedoor;butitstubbornlyresisted.Runningdownstairs,IquicklystatedmysuspicionstothefirstpersonImet—thechamber-maid."La!la!"shecried,"Ithoughtsomethingmustbethematter.Iwenttomakethebedafterbreakfast,andthedoorwaslocked;andnotamousetobeheard;andit'sbeenjustsosilenteversince.ButIthought,maybe,youhadbothgoneoffandlockedyourbaggageinforsafekeeping.La!la,ma'am!—Mistress!murder!Mrs.Hussey!apoplexy!"—andwiththesecries,sherantowardsthekitchen,Ifollowing.

Mrs.Husseysoonappeared,withamustard-potinonehandandavinegar-cruetintheother,havingjustbrokenawayfromtheoccupationofattendingtothecastors,andscoldingherlittleblackboymeantime.

"Wood-house!"criedI,"whichwaytoit?RunforGod'ssake,andfetchsomethingtopryopenthedoor—theaxe!—theaxe!he'shadastroke;dependuponit!"—andsosayingIwasunmethodicallyrushingupstairsagainempty-handed,whenMrs.Husseyinterposedthemustard-potandvinegar-cruet,andtheentirecastorofhercountenance.

"What'sthematterwithyou,youngman?"

"Gettheaxe!ForGod'ssake,runforthedoctor,someone,whileIpryitopen!"

"Lookhere,"saidthelandlady,quicklyputtingdownthevinegar-cruet,soastohaveonehandfree;"lookhere;areyoutalkingaboutpryingopenanyofmydoors?"—andwiththatsheseizedmyarm."What'sthematterwithyou?What'sthematterwithyou,shipmate?"

Inascalm,butrapidamanneraspossible,Igavehertounderstandthewholecase.Unconsciouslyclappingthevinegar-cruettoonesideofhernose,sheruminatedforaninstant;thenexclaimed—"No!Ihaven'tseenitsinceIputitthere."Runningtoalittleclosetunderthelandingofthestairs,sheglancedin,andreturning,toldmethatQueequeg'sharpoonwasmissing."He'skilledhimself,"shecried."It'sunfort'nateStiggsdoneoveragain—theregoesanothercounterpane—Godpityhispoormother!—itwillbetheruinofmyhouse.Hasthepoorladasister?Where'sthatgirl?—there,Betty,gotoSnarlesthePainter,andtellhimtopaintmeasign,with—"nosuicidespermittedhere,andnosmokingintheparlor;"—mightaswellkillbothbirdsatonce.Kill?TheLordbemercifultohisghost!What'sthatnoisethere?You,youngman,avastthere!"

Andrunningupafterme,shecaughtmeasIwasagaintryingtoforceopenthedoor.

"Idon'tallowit;Iwon'thavemypremisesspoiled.Goforthelocksmith,there'soneaboutamilefromhere.Butavast!"puttingherhandinherside-pocket,"here'sakeythat'llfit,Iguess;let'ssee."Andwiththat,sheturneditinthelock;but,alas!Queequeg'ssupplementalboltremainedunwithdrawnwithin.

"Havetoburstitopen,"saidI,andwasrunningdowntheentryalittle,foragoodstart,whenthelandladycaughtatme,againvowingIshouldnotbreakdownherpremises;butItorefromher,andwithasuddenbodilyrushdashedmyselffullagainstthemark.

Withaprodigiousnoisethedoorflewopen,andtheknobslammingagainstthewall,senttheplastertotheceiling;andthere,goodheavens!theresatQueequeg,altogethercoolandself-collected;rightinthemiddleoftheroom;squattingonhishams,andholdingYojoontopofhishead.Helookedneitheronewaynortheotherway,butsatlikeacarvedimagewithscarceasignofactivelife.

"Queequeg,"saidI,goinguptohim,"Queequeg,what'sthematterwithyou?"

"Hehain'tbeenasittin'soallday,hashe?"saidthelandlady.

Butallwesaid,notawordcouldwedragoutofhim;Ialmostfeltlikepushinghimover,soastochangehisposition,foritwasalmostintolerable,itseemedsopainfullyandunnaturallyconstrained;especially,asinallprobabilityhehadbeensittingsoforupwardsofeightortenhours,goingtoowithouthisregularmeals.

"Mrs.Hussey,"saidI,"he'saliveatallevents;soleaveus,ifyouplease,andIwillseetothisstrangeaffairmyself."

Closingthedooruponthelandlady,IendeavoredtoprevailuponQueequegtotakeachair;butinvain.Therehesat;andallhecoulddo—forallmypoliteartsandblandishments—hewouldnotmoveapeg,norsayasingleword,norevenlookatme,nornoticemypresenceintheslightestway.

Iwonder,thoughtI,ifthiscanpossiblybeapartofhisRamadan;dotheyfastontheirhamsthatwayinhisnativeisland.Itmustbeso;yes,it'spartofhiscreed,Isuppose;well,then,lethimrest;he'llgetupsoonerorlater,nodoubt.Itcan'tlastforever,thankGod,andhisRamadanonlycomesonceayear;andIdon'tbelieveit'sverypunctualthen.

Iwentdowntosupper.Aftersittingalongtimelisteningtothelongstoriesofsomesailorswhohadjustcomefromaplum-puddingvoyage,astheycalledit(thatis,ashortwhaling-voyageinaschoonerorbrig,confinedtothenorthoftheline,intheAtlanticOceanonly);afterlisteningtotheseplum-puddingerstillnearlyeleveno'clock,Iwentupstairstogotobed,feelingquitesurebythistimeQueequegmustcertainlyhavebroughthisRamadantoatermination.Butno;therehewasjustwhereIhadlefthim;hehadnotstirredaninch.Ibegantogrowvexedwithhim;itseemedsodownrightsenselessandinsanetobesittingtherealldayandhalfthenightonhishamsinacoldroom,holdingapieceofwoodonhishead.

"Forheaven'ssake,Queequeg,getupandshakeyourself;getupandhavesomesupper.You'llstarve;you'llkillyourself,Queequeg."Butnotaworddidhereply.

Despairingofhim,therefore,Ideterminedtogotobedandtosleep;andnodoubt,beforeagreatwhile,hewouldfollowme.Butprevioustoturningin,Itookmyheavybearskinjacket,andthrewitoverhim,asitpromisedtobeaverycoldnight;andhehadnothingbuthisordinaryroundjacketon.Forsometime,doallIwould,Icouldnotgetintothefaintestdoze.Ihadblownoutthecandle;andthemerethoughtofQueequeg—notfourfeetoff—sittingthereinthatuneasyposition,starkaloneinthecoldanddark;thismademereallywretched.Thinkofit;sleepingallnightinthesameroomwithawideawakepaganonhishamsinthisdreary,unaccountableRamadan!

ButsomehowIdroppedoffatlast,andknewnothingmoretillbreakofday;when,lookingoverthebedside,theresquattedQueequeg,asifhehadbeenscreweddowntothefloor.Butassoonasthefirstglimpseofsunenteredthewindow,uphegot,withstiffandgratingjoints,butwithacheerfullook;limpedtowardsmewhereIlay;pressedhisforeheadagainagainstmine;andsaidhisRamadanwasover.

Now,asIbeforehinted,Ihavenoobjectiontoanyperson'sreligion,beitwhatitmay,solongasthatpersondoesnotkillorinsultanyotherperson,becausethatotherpersondon'tbelieveitalso.Butwhenaman'sreligionbecomesreallyfrantic;whenitisapositivetormenttohim;and,infine,makesthisearthofoursanuncomfortableinntolodgein;thenIthinkithightimetotakethatindividualasideandarguethepointwithhim.

AndjustsoInowdidwithQueequeg."Queequeg,"saidI,"getintobednow,andlieandlistentome."Ithenwenton,beginningwiththeriseandprogressoftheprimitivereligions,andcomingdowntothevariousreligionsofthepresenttime,duringwhichtimeIlaboredtoshowQueequegthatalltheseLents,Ramadans,andprolongedham-squattingsincold,cheerlessroomswerestarknonsense;badforthehealth;uselessforthesoul;opposed,inshort,totheobviouslawsofHygieneandcommonsense.Itoldhim,too,thathebeinginotherthingssuchanextremelysensibleandsagacioussavage,itpainedme,verybadlypainedme,toseehimnowsodeplorablyfoolishaboutthisridiculousRamadanofhis.Besides,arguedI,fastingmakesthebodycavein;hencethespiritcavesin;andallthoughtsbornofafastmustnecessarilybehalf-starved.Thisisthereasonwhymostdyspepticreligionistscherishsuchmelancholynotionsabouttheirhereafters.Inoneword,Queequeg,saidI,ratherdigressively;hellisanideafirstbornonanundigestedapple-dumpling;andsincethenperpetuatedthroughthehereditarydyspepsiasnurturedbyRamadans.

IthenaskedQueequegwhetherhehimselfwasevertroubledwithdyspepsia;expressingtheideaveryplainly,sothathecouldtakeitin.Hesaidno;onlyupononememorableoccasion.Itwasafteragreatfeastgivenbyhisfathertheking,onthegainingofagreatbattlewhereinfiftyoftheenemyhadbeenkilledbyabouttwoo'clockintheafternoon,andallcookedandeatenthatveryevening.

"Nomore,Queequeg,"saidI,shuddering;"thatwilldo;"forIknewtheinferenceswithouthisfurtherhintingthem.Ihadseenasailorwhohadvisitedthatveryisland,andhetoldmethatitwasthecustom,whenagreatbattlehadbeengainedthere,tobarbecuealltheslainintheyardorgardenofthevictor;andthen,onebyone,theywereplacedingreatwoodentrenchers,andgarnishedroundlikeapilau,withbreadfruitandcocoanuts;andwithsomeparsleyintheirmouths,weresentroundwiththevictor'scomplimentstoallhisfriends,justasthoughthesepresentsweresomanyChristmasturkeys.

Afterall,IdonotthinkthatmyremarksaboutreligionmademuchimpressionuponQueequeg.Because,inthefirstplace,hesomehowseemeddullofhearingonthatimportantsubject,unlessconsideredfromhisownpointofview;and,inthesecondplace,hedidnotmorethanonethirdunderstandme,couchmyideassimplyasIwould;and,finally,henodoubtthoughtheknewagooddealmoreaboutthetruereligionthanIdid.Helookedatmewithasortofcondescendingconcernandcompassion,asthoughhethoughtitagreatpitythatsuchasensibleyoungmanshouldbesohopelesslylosttoevangelicalpaganpiety.

Atlastweroseanddressed;andQueequeg,takingaprodigiouslyheartybreakfastofchowdersofallsorts,sothatthelandladyshouldnotmakemuchprofitbyreasonofhisRamadan,wesalliedouttoboardthePequod,saunteringalong,andpickingourteethwithhalibutbones.