I am tired of ticking."

5. Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged, that it was on
the very point of _striking_. "Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial-plate,
holding up its hands.

6. "Very good!" replied the pendulum; "it is vastly easy for you,
Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself up
above me,--it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of
laziness! You, who have had nothing to do, all the days of your life,
but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all
that goes on in the kitchen!

7. "Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in
this dark closet, and to wag backwards and forwards, year after year, as
I do."

8. "As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your house, on
purpose for you to look through?"--"For all that," resumed the
pendulum, "it is very dark here; and although there is a window, I dare
not stop, even for an instant, to look out at it.

9. "Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and, if you wish, I'll
tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened this
morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the
course of only the next twenty-four hours; perhaps some of you, above
there, can give me the exact sum."

10. The minute-hand, being _quick_ at figures, presently replied,
"Eighty-six thousand four hundred times."

11. "Exactly so," replied the pendulum; "well, I appeal to you all, if
the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began
to multiply the strokes of one day by those of months and years, really,
it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect: so, after a great
deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I'll stop."

12. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue;
but, resuming its gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really
astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should
have been overcome by this sudden action.

13. "It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so
have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it may fatigue us to
_think_ of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to _do_. Would
you now do me the favor to give about half a dozen strokes, to
illustrate my argument?"

14. The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace.
"Now," resumed the dial, "may I be allowed to inquire if that exerti