`The Lamb's speech. "Oh, indeed, Sir, I will, Sir!" and the Lamb went away.' (`But oo needn't go away!' Bruno explained. `It's quite the nicest part--what's coming now!' Sylvie smiled. She liked having an appreciative audience.)

`The Lion's speech to Bruno. "Now, Bruno, take those little Foxes home with you, and teach them to be good obedient little Foxes! Not like that wicked old thing there, that's got no head!"' (`That hasn't got no head,' Bruno repeated.)

`Bruno's speech to the Lion. "Oh, indeed, Sir, I will, Sir!" And the Lion went away.' (`It gets betterer and betterer, now,' Bruno whispered to me, `right away to the end!')

`Bruno's speech to the little Foxes. "Now, little Foxes, you're going to have your first lesson in being good. I'm going to put you into the hamper, along with the Apples and the Bread: and you're not to eat the Apples: and you're not to eat the Bread: and you're not to eat anything--till we get to my house: and then you'll have your supper."'

`The little Foxes' speech to Bruno. The little Foxes said nothing.

`So Bruno put the Apples into the hamper--and the little Foxes--and the Bread--' (`They had picnicked all the Milk,' Bruno explained in a whisper) `--and he set off to go to his house.' (`We're getting near the end now,' said Bruno.)

`And, when he had got a little way, he thought he would look into the hamper, and see how the little Foxes were getting on.'

`So he opened the door--' said Bruno.

`Oh, Bruno!' Sylvie exclaimed, `you're not telling the story! So he opened the door, and behold, there were no Apples! So Bruno said "Eldest little Fox, have you been eating the Apples?" And the eldest little Fox said "No no no!"' (It is impossible to give the tone in which Sylvie repeated this rapid little "No no no!" The nearest I can come to it is to say that it was much as if a young and excited duck had tried to quack the words. It was too quick for a quack, and yet too harsh to be anything else.) `Then he said "Second little Fox, have you been eating the Apples?" And the second little Fox said "No no no!" Then he said "Youngest little Fox, have you been eating the Apples?" And the youngest little Fox tried to say "No no no!" but its mouth was so full, it couldn't, and it only said "Wauch! Wauch! Wauch!" And Bruno looked into its mouth. And its mouth was full of Apples! And Bruno shook his head, and he said "Oh dear, oh dear! What bad creatures these Foxes are!"'

Bruno was listening intently: and, when Sylvie paused to take breath, he could only just gasp out the words `About the Bread?'

`Yes,' said Sylvie, `the Bread comes next. So he shut the door again; and he went a little further; and then he thought he'd just peep in once more. And behold, there was no Bread!' (`What do "behold" mean?' said Bruno. `Hush!' said Sylvie.) `And he said "Eldest little Fox, have you been eating the Bread?" And the eldest little Fox said "No no no!" "Second little Fox, have you been eating the Bread?" And the second little Fox only said "Wauch! Wauch! Wauch!" And Bruno looked into its mouth, and its mouth was full of Bread!' (`It might have chokeded it,' said Bruno.) `So he said "Oh dear, oh dear! What shall I do with these Foxes?" And he went a little further.' (`Now comes the most interesting part,' Bruno whispered.)

`And when Bruno opened the hamper again, what do you think he saw?' (`Only two Foxes!' Bruno cried in a great hurry.) `You shouldn't tell it so quick. However, he did see only two Foxes. And he said "Eldest little Fox, have you been eating the youngest little Fox?" And the eldest little Fox said "No no no!" "Second little Fox, have you been eating the youngest little Fox?" And the second little Fox did its very best to say "No no no!" but it could only say "Weuchk! Weuchk! Weuchk!" And when Bruno looked into its mouth,


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