hing them carefully, regarded his hands
very complacently, and seemed to consider having them some compensation
for the degraded occupation to which he had been put.

"I'll go now and settle the others," declared the Ambassador. "What did
you say their names were?" he inquired, sternly, of the Dodo.

The poor bird called out the names one by one, and the Ambassador
carefully entered them in his pocket-book, and then stalked majestically
away in the direction of the lake, while the Little Panjandrum settled
himself on a gaudily-colored rug, which the black attendant carefully
spread on the ground at his feet, and with a self-satisfied smile on his
little round face gravely twiddled his thumbs and took no notice of
anybody.

"Go and see what he does to them," whispered the Dodo, referring to the
Ambassador and the creatures.

Nothing loth, the children ran off to the lake to see what was
happening. Pushing aside the bushes, they could see the Ambassador
standing on the edge of the path, waving a wand in one hand, while in
the other he flourished a legal-looking document.

[Illustration: "In the name of the Panjandrum, I command you."]

The prehistoric creatures were scrambling through the water, and getting
as far away as possible on to the islands in the middle of the lake.

"All you Palaeotheriums, Eteraedariums, Archaeopteryx, Megatheriums,
Pleisiosauruses, Ichthyosauruses, and other prehistoric wretches, in the
name of the Panjandrum, I command you--_be turned into stone_."

When the Ambassador uttered these terrible words a most singular thing
happened. In whatever attitude the creatures were they remained so; and
gradually each assumed a stony and lifeless expression, and the spell or
incantation which the Ambassador had pronounced had evidently taken
effect.

The children were very much alarmed, and ran back to the Dodo, and in a
hurried whisper informed him of what had occurred.

"Turned all the prehistoric animals into stone, has he?" said the bird,
gleefully; "then I can see a splendid way out of my troubles. Wait till
the Ambassador returns, and you will see some capital fun." And the Dodo
struck a rigid attitude, and remained in that position, totally
disregarding the questions with which the children plied him.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE DODO'S LITTLE RUSE.

The State Umbrella, which the Dodo had been carrying, fell to the ground
with a crash, and so startled the Little Panjandrum that he jum