"thanks vvb." "Supper !" "Wake up !" "We're going to have supper." " I'm not very hungry." " Come on... eat." " You can't fish and not eat." " I have." "You'll not fish without eating while I'm alive." "Then live a long time and take care of yourself." "Santiago, I could go with you again." "We've made some money." "No, no..." "you're on a lucky boat, now." "I know you did not leave because you doubted me." "It's been eighty-four days since I got a fish." "Stay with them." "It was papa who made me leave." "I am a boy and I must obey him." "I know..." "It is quite normal." "When I was your age I was before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa." "I have seen lions on the beaches in the evening." "Yeah, I know." "You told me." "Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this current." "Where are you going to go ?" "Far out to come in when the wind shifts." "Santiago, how old was I when you first took me in a boat ?" "Five and you nearly were killed when I brought the fish in too green." "And he nearly tore the boat to pieces." "Can you remember ?" "I remember everything from when we first went together." "Good luck, Manolin." "Good luck, old man." "He's got something." "Ah !" "There you are, little lad." "You'll make a beautiful bait." "There might be a big fish around this school." "It has to be swimming nearby." "Yes... yes !" "There it is." "I cannot lose this chance." "This far out, he must be huge in this month." "Eat it !" "Come on, fish... eat it !" "He will take it." "God help him to take it." "Come up easy... and let me put the harpoon into you." "Are you ready ?" "Now !" "What's that ?" "My God !" "What a weight !" "I am being towed by the fish." "He can't be that big !" "I hope he doesn't know there is only one man against him... an old man." "I must convince him of my strength." "I convinced everybody else, that time in the tavern in Casablanca... when I played the hand game with that great black who was the strongest man on the docks." "We had gone one day and one night facing one another." "Our forearms were straight up and our hands gripped tight." "We were trying to force each other's hand down on the table." "There was much betting and people went in and out of the room under the kerosene lamps." "Eleven hours and still counting." "They changed the referees every four hours so that the referees could sleep." "Many of the bettors had asked for a draw because they had to go to work on the docks loading sacks of sugar." "Otherwise everyone would have wanted it to go to a finish." "Yes Santiago !" "Come on !" "You can do it !" "Go on !" "Kill him down !" " Barkeep !" " For you, young man !" "We have a winner." "The match had started on a Sunday morning and ended on a Monday morning." "For a long time after that everyone had called me The Champion." "Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts." "But they are not as intelligent as we who kill them." "They are more noble and more able." "I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea." "The fish is my brother but I must kill him." "I am glad we do not have to kill the stars." "Imagine if each day a man must try to kill the moon." "The moon runs away." "But imagine if a man each day should have to try to kill the sun..." "We were born lucky." "It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers." "I have never seen or heard of such a fish." "And now, we are joined together." "Watch out, Santiago !" "I will stay with you until I am dead, fish !" "Oh God, my hand !" "God help me endure !" "I wish the boy was here." "He will be proud of me." "I am a tired old man but I have done it !" "It was too good to last..." "Sharks !" "I should not have gone out so far, fish." "I'm sorry, fish." "Don't sit up !" "Drink this." "They beat me, Manolin." "He didn't beat you." "Not the fish." "No." "Truly." "It was afterwards." " Did they search for me ?" " Of course." " How much did you suffer ?" " Plenty..." " You know..." "I missed you." " Now we fish together again." "I am not lucky anymore." "The hell with luck !" "I'll bring the luck with me." "Get well fast... for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything." "I will bring you something to eat." "Rest well, old man." "Sub : melmoth thanks vvb."