nto m--me, and ca--ca--calling me
n--n--nasty names. It--it--it's too bad."

"Oh, stop that noise," said the Ambassador, giving the Dodo's wool a
twist; "I'm ashamed of you. Ah, here comes His Importance," he
continued, as the sound of a drum was heard in the distance.

The children all eagerness to see the Little Panjandrum, stood in a
line by the side of the pathway, while the Ambassador, keeping a firm
hold on the Dodo, remained by their side.

The sound of the drum drew nearer, and the children could distinguish
another sound mingling with it.

The Ambassador smiled blandly, while he kept time with his foot.

Presently the children caught sight of a curious procession approaching.
The Little Panjandrum, a little fat man in Oriental costume, was
preceded by two attendants--one playing a kind of drum, and the other a
jew's harp, while a third attendant held an enormous umbrella over His
Importance's head. On the top of the umbrella were a number of curious
signs, of which the children could not possibly imagine the meaning.

"Obbly--bobblee--wallee--bobbel--ob," said the Ambassador, bowing three
times, and dragging the Dodo's head down with him each time.

"Flop!" replied the Little Panjandrum, and the two musicians fell on
their faces.

"Um--sopelee--gumbos--galapaloo--glab," remarked the Ambassador.

"Ploff!" said the Little Panjandrum, and the black slave at the back
jigged the State Umbrella up and down several times very violently.

[Illustration: The Panjandrum and suite passed along.]

"What a funny language," whispered Marjorie. "I wonder what they are
talking about?"

"Semlifee--dobbel--bingle--bingle--boff," cried the Ambassador, lifting
up one leg, while the Dodo painfully followed his example.

The Little Panjandrum gravely kicked the two musicians, who were still
prostrate on the ground before him, and they immediately arose and stood
on one leg each, like the Ambassador. Then His Importance himself
balanced himself in the same way. The black slave at the back, whose
legs were attached to those of the Little Panjandrum, imitated him.

The children were highly interested in this proceeding, when the
Ambassador, without speaking, motioned them to stand on one leg each,
too.

"Come on, let's do it," said Dick, "and see what they are going to do."

So the three children solemnly hopped upon one foot, too.

For a moment or two no one spoke. And at last the Dodo, gasping out,
"Oh! I can't ke