"Being of an undiplomatic and demonstrative nature in matters that give me pleasure, I threw the paper up into the air and jumped aloft myself--ending by taking a small fried whiting out of the plate before me and waving it round my foolish head triumphantly till the tail came off and the body and head flew bounce over to the other side of the table d'hote room. Then only did I perceive that I was not alone, but that a party was at breakfast in a recess. Happily for me they were not English, and when I made an apology saying I had suddenly seen some good news of a friend of mine, these amiable Italians said, 'Bravissomo, Signore! We too are delighted! If we had some little fish also, we would be throwing them all over the room with you!' - so we ended by all screaming with laughter."
-Edward Lear in a letter to Lady Wladegrave
From Lear's Italy: In the Footsteps of Edward Lear
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