“What do you mean by that?” said the Englishman, not a little nettled at the contemptuous air of his rival.
“Vat do I mean?” said the latter; “I means dat a sheap has not got von tail at all.”
“A sheep hasn’t got a tail, ha?” said the Englishman.
“No, not von bit,” said the Frenchman.
“Well, this comes of eating frogs,” said the John Bull. “What can you expect of a man who eats frogs? You say a sheep hasn’t got a tail. I tell you, mounseer, a sheep has got a tail.”
“Pardon, monsieur,” said the other, with a polite bow, yet with a very sneering expression; “you say de sheap has von tail: I say de sheap has no tail, not von bit.”
By this time the parties were greatly excited, and I cannot say what might have happened, had not one of the passengers asked the Frenchman what he meant by a “sheap?”
“Vat I mean by sheap? vy I means von big larsh ting, with sails and ruddair, that go upon de sea.”
“Oh ho!” said the Englishman, “you mean a ship.”
“Oui, monsieur,” was the reply; “I mean von sheap, that has de captain and de sailors, and goes on de vater.”