v.] HARRY’S DREAM. 275

 

And why a king ?. other people lived there, I suppose,
as well ashim. Ihave no patience with kings who
live alone. Tell us something better than chat /’

‘TI shall tell you nothing at all, replied Harry, ‘if
you keep on interrupting so: it’s no use trying to tell
you a story. Let the old gentleman try!’

‘/ tell a story!’ shouted that individual loudly.
‘Never did such a thing in my life. J always tell the
truth,

‘ How tiresome you are!’ said Harry ; ‘you know
perfectly well that we are not talking about sat kind
of story—but a real history of something that hap-
pened to somebody at some time or other,’

“Oh! my dear!’ interposed May,‘ I am sure you
have put a great many too many “somes” and
“ somebodies” into that sentence. Speak properly or
not at all.’

‘To speak a proper-lie would be to tell a story,
gravely interposed the little brown gentleman.

“No punning allowed!’ cried May, and instantly
jumping up, gave the speaker a tremendous box on
the ears. To Harry’s utter astonishment, off came
the old gentleman’s head with the blow, and began
rolling away as hard as it could over the lawn, pre-
serving the most imperturbable gravity upon its coun-
tenance all the while, and avoiding the flower-beds
with the greatest dexterity. His body at first re-
mained immovable, but presently took its seat in one
of the chairs as gravely as if nothing unusual had oc-
curred, and stretching out one of its hands, recovered
the brown wide-awake, which had dropped upon the

ground from the effects of the blow, and calmly
T2