n and then comes to the top o' the water, and, when he sees
anybody watching him, puffs out his cheeks and goes--blub-blub! like
that."

"Like men sometimes, papa?"

"Just like. Well, by 'n' by there were twelve o' the Little Men in green
coats, and they sat under the mango-tree all in a row and looked at me,
and the one at the head o' the row puts up one finger, with his head to
one side and his little round eye rolling out at me, and he says: 'Did
Sonnie-Boy's godfather send him that steam-engine from Japan yet, what
you told us about? 'Cause if he did, we have a fine pome about it.'

"'Yes, he did send him a fine steam-engine from Japan,' I said, 'and you
go on and let me hear your pome, and if it's a good pome I'll give you
all a fine ripe mango to eat.' And so they all puffs out their fat
little cheeks and they begins:

"'Godfather bought him an engine, red and black,
It wabbles slightly and the wheels don't track----'"

"But it don't, papa, 'n' the wheels do track."

"But that's what they said.

"'But Sonnie-Boy felt prouder than England's queen
When it puffed real smoke and sure-enough steam.'"

"But it's a king in England, papa."

"I know, but that's the way the Little Green Men told me. Some things
they don't know yet, they're so little.

"'He named it Lightning 'cause of its speed,
And the 'casional spills he did not heed.
All big roads had accidents, people knew--
There was danger sure when the whistle blew.'"

"It's true, 'bout th' accidents, isn't it, papa?"

"Nothing truer. Now, let me see. What else? Oh, yes:

"'The Lightning Express is coming back,
Clear the way there, people, off the track!
Or Sonnie-Boy's engine, red and black,
Will knock you down and hit you whack!'"

"How's that?"

"That's great, papa. And did they have a band with them?"

"No. No band, but one little six-toed fellow--I 'most forgot him--was
playing on a hook-a-zoo. That's a sausage-shaped thing, with things like
rabbit's ears on it. The music comes out the ears."

"And what kind of music, papa?"

"Oh, like a jew's-harp something, only being bigger 'twas louder.
Zoo-zoo, zoo-zoo-zoo it went."

"I like those Little Green Men, papa, but where was the Little Blue Men
to-day, did they say?"

"Oh, they'd gone to a wedding, the hook-a-zoo player said."

"They know everything, don't they, papa?"

"M-m-most everything."

"And will the Little Men tell me things wh