The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered each other, and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbours nudged him.

Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:

'Please, sir, I want some more.'

The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupified astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear.

'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice.

'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'

The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle.

Mullfoto of the Day


Reagan National Airport at about 10 AM on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I guess everyone was shopping.

Catchy Caption of the Day

Actual Caption:

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., talks during an interview with a local television news in her office on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 file photo. When a man sounding remarkably like President-elect Barack Obama called the Florida congresswoman Wednesday Dec. 3, 2008 she assumed it was a crank call and hung up.

Then Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, called the congresswoman to tell her it wasn't a joke. But she hung up on him, too.

I ... I can't top that.

(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, FILE)