Author commentary: There's a nice unspoken beat here where John takes a moment to angrily hammer some cheeky imps into grist, without making a big enough deal to mention, or even interrupt his conversation at all. He truly is developing the spirit of a warrior.
A big tip from me to you: try to keep "ungrateful earth horse's noisy butthole" in your back pocket as a sick own, for the next time someone doesn't appreciate something you do for them.