oed Carry-on-Merry blankly, "kiss you? Good gracious!
I give it up."

"Yet," pondered the Griffin, "somebody had to kiss the Sleeping Beauty!"

"You won't find anybody to do it," said Carry-on-Merry decisively.

"Why not?" asked the Griffin sharply.

"I mean," amended Carry-on-Merry, "nobody could be found for the moment
of sufficient importance."

"Oh, I see," replied the Griffin, "yet perhaps Boadicea would oblige."

"Out of the question," said Carry-on-Merry. "Besides you know she
never takes part in any--any--er--_festivities_ at all."

"True," lamented the Griffin, "and yet assuredly I must be kissed for
the thing to be natural."

Carry-on-Merry turned away his head, for Carry-on-Merry almost felt
that he could not trust himself to speak at that moment. Then one of
his many bright ideas occurred to him. "I know," rapidly explained
Carry-on-Merry, "I have it; I will find some important personage
present to give you a rap."

"Where?" moaned the Griffin, "not on my knuckles. You know I cannot
stand anything of that nature on my knuckles."

"No--no----" grinned Carry-on-Merry. "I mean a tap, just a little tap."

"I see," agreed the Griffin. "Very well, one little tap, a tap as
dainty as if a feather had brushed me in my sleep."

"Or a floating piece of thistledown," laughed Carry-on-Merry.

"Oh yes," said the Griffin. "Thistledown sounds more romantic, and
then I shall wake from my dream."

"I don't think myself you ever will," observed Carry-on-Merry, quite as
if he were thinking of something else.

"What!" said the Griffin. "Never wake?"

"Yes, yes," interrupted Carry-on-Merry hastily, "but you have to go to
sleep first, you know, and you had better hurry up whilst the children
are eating, then you won't be observed."

"But I want to be observed," objected the Griffin.

"Of course you do," insisted Carry-on-Merry, "but that comes later on.
Go at once."

The amiable Griffin departed accordingly to carry out his part of the
programme, and forthwith lumped himself in a distant corner, with the
grace of a camel who had found sudden and unexpected opportunities of
benefiting his health through sleep. From this slumber the Griffin
found it necessary to rouse himself after a little while, upon hearing
the children all shouting his name. The entire party having partaken
of the delightful refreshments provided according to the various
requirements of their constitutions, were watching a movin