May I be -- skinned ! '' said Sea Vitch , and they all looked at Kotick as you can fancy a club full of drowsy old gentlemen would look at a little boy . Kotick did not care to hear any more about skinning just then ; he had seen enough of it . So he called out : `` Is n't there any place for seals to go where men do n't ever come ? '' `` Go and find out , '' said Sea Vitch , shutting his eyes . `` Run away . We 're busy here . '' Kotick made his dolphin-jump in the air and shouted as loud as he could : `` Clam-eater ! Clam-eater ! '' He knew that Sea Vitch never caught a fish in his life but always rooted for clams and seaweed ; though he pretended to be a very terrible person . Naturally the Chickies and the Gooverooskies and the Epatkas -- the Burgomaster Gulls and the Kittiwakes and the Puffins , who are always looking for a chance to be rude , took up the cry , and -- so Limmershin told me -- for nearly five minutes you could not have heard a gun fired on Walrus Islet . All the population was yelling and screaming `` Clam-eater ! Stareek -LSB- old man -RSB- ! '' while Sea Vitch rolled from side to side grunting and coughing . `` Now will you tell ? '' said Kotick , all out of breath . `` Go and ask Sea Cow , '' said Sea Vitch . `` If he is living still , he 'll be able to tell you . '' `` How shall I know Sea Cow when I meet him ? '' said Kotick , sheering off .
`` He 's the only thing in the sea uglier than Sea XXXXX , '' screamed a Burgomaster gull , wheeling under Sea Vitch 's nose .
Chickies Clam-eater Cow Gooverooskies Gulls Kittiwakes Kotick Vitch dolphin-jump minutes