that means a carp-fish's mouth. Don't you know how they stand
on their heads rooting in the mud? Well, here's a pretence carp-fish (we
can play that the rest of him is drawn). Here's just his mouth, and that
means _ah_.' And she drew this. (1.)

'That's not bad,' said Tegumai, and scratched on his own piece of bark
for himself; but you've forgotten the feeler that hangs across his
mouth.'

'But I can't draw, Daddy.'

'You needn't draw anything of him except just the opening of his mouth
and the feeler across. Then we'll know he's a carp-fish, 'cause the
perches and trouts haven't got feelers. Look here, Taffy.' And he drew
this. (2.)

[Illustration: 2]

'Now I'll copy it.' said Taffy. 'Will you understand _this_ when you see
it?' And she drew this. (3.)

[Illustration: 3]

'Perfectly,' said her Daddy. 'And I'll be quite as s'prised when I see
it anywhere, as if you had jumped out from behind a tree and said "Ah!"'

'Now, make another noise,' said Taffy, very proud.

'Yah!' said her Daddy, very loud.

'H'm,' said Taffy. 'That's a mixy noise. The end part is
_ah_-carp-fish-mouth; but what can we do about the front part?
_Yer-yer-yer_ and _ah! Ya!'_

'It's very like the carp-fish-mouth noise. Let's draw another bit of the
carp-fish and join 'em,' said her Daddy. _He_ was quite incited too.

'No. If they're joined, I'll forget. Draw it separate. Draw his tail. If
he's standing on his head the tail will come first. 'Sides, I think I
can draw tails easiest,' said Taffy.

'A good notion,' said Tegumai. 'Here's a carp-fish tail for the
_yer_-noise.' And he drew this. (4.)

[Illustration: 4]

'I'll try now,' said Taffy. ''Member I can't draw like you, Daddy. Will
it do if I just draw the split part of the tail, and the sticky-down
line for where it joins?' And she drew this. (5.)

[Illustration: 5]

Her Daddy nodded, and his eyes were shiny bright with 'citement.

'That's beautiful,' she said. 'Now make another noise, Daddy.'

'Oh!' said her Daddy, very loud.

'That's quite easy,' said Taffy. 'You make your mouth all around like an
egg or a stone. So an egg or a stone will do for that.'

'You can't always find eggs or stones. We'll have to scratch a round
something like one.' And he drew this. (6.)

[Illustration: 6]

'My gracious!' said Taffy, 'what a lot of noise-pictures we've
made,--carp-mouth, carp-tail, and egg! Now, make another noise, Daddy.'

'Ssh!' said her Daddy, and frowned to himself,