"He doesn't like the extravagance," said the Lion; "he hates any
display, and cannot bear to see children happy."

"Thank you, Griffin," said Christine.

"Listen, all of you," simpered the Griffin, "some one has thanked me.
Oh! Fancy anybody thanking _me_. Has everybody heard me publicly
thanked?" asked the Griffin anxiously.

"Yes, everybody," said the Lion; "we don't want any more of it."

The Griffin looked sulky.

"As long as everybody knows what I did," said the Griffin. "Nobody
else thought of doing it. Do you think it was better than my being the
Sleeping Beauty?" inquired the Griffin eagerly.

"Yes," replied the Lion, "it was more realistic."

"Fancy that, more realistic! how beautiful!" and the Griffin sidled
away, sniggering with self-gratified pride at his own achievement.

"I am afraid," explained the Lion to Christine and Ridgwell, "that he
intends to sing."

"But can he sing?" inquired Ridgwell.

"No," said the Lion, "it is a wretched performance; yet, like all other
people who cannot really sing, he is dying to be asked to do so, and I
feel sure that some one will be misguided enough to ask him. You see,"
explained the Lion, "the Griffin cannot sing in tune, but like most
people afflicted in the same way, he is totally unconscious of his
failing, and really believes his own singing to be quite beautiful."

Christine and Ridgwell both laughed. "It must be very funny," they
said.

"It is so funny," answered the Lion, "and so deplorable at the same
time that it is almost beyond a joke."

Almost before the Lion had finished speaking Carry-on-Merry, with a
particularly wicked laugh, danced to the centre of the bright ball-room
and said he thought that perhaps the Griffin might be persuaded to sing.

"I thought so," groaned the Lion.

The Griffin gurgled with pleasure, and immediately started to look coy,
and playfully tap the golden carpet spread upon the ground with his
forepaws, as if he had suddenly discovered some new beauty in the
pattern of the luxurious floor covering.

"Really," said the Griffin, "I do not think I could. Oh! really _no_."

"Showing off," grunted the Lion; "he'll sing in the end, safe enough.
Worse luck!"

"With all these beautiful singers here," smirked the Griffin, "to ask
_me_. Oh!--really!"

"Oh, please sing," everybody murmured politely.

"Oh--oh!--really," simpered the Griffin, trying in vain to blush. "You
see, I am not perhaps in my usual form."