star in his hair, just above
his horn, and this seemed a person of importance. He spoke for the rest
of his people, who treated him with great respect.

"Who are you, Unknown Being?" he asked.

"Scraps," she said, rising to her feet and patting her cotton wadding
smooth where it had bunched up.

"And where did you come from?" he continued.

"Over the fence. Don't be silly. There's no other place I could have
come from," she replied.

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"You are not a Hopper," said he, "for you have two legs. They're not
very well shaped, but they are two in number. And that strange creature
on top the fence--why doesn't he stop kicking?--must be your brother,
or father, or son, for he also has two legs."

"You must have been to visit the Wise Donkey," said Scraps, laughing so
merrily that the crowd smiled with her, in sympathy. "But that reminds
me, Captain--or King--"

"I am Chief of the Horners, and my name is Jak."

"Of course; Little Jack Horner; I might have known it. But the reason I
volplaned over the fence was so I could have a talk with you about the
Hoppers."

"What about the Hoppers?" asked the Chief, frowning.

"You've insulted them, and you'd better beg their pardon," said Scraps.
"If you don't, they'll probably hop over here and conquer you."

"We're not afraid--as long as the gate is locked," declared the Chief.
"And we didn't insult them at all. One of us made a joke that the
stupid Hoppers couldn't see."

The Chief smiled as he said this and the smile made his face look quite
jolly.

"What was the joke?" asked Scraps.

"A Horner said they have less understanding than we, because they've
only one leg. Ha, ha! You see the point, don't you? If you stand on
your legs, and your legs are under you, then--ha, ha, ha!--then your
legs are your under-standing. Hee, hee, hee! Ho, ho! My, but that's a
fine joke. And the stupid Hoppers couldn't see it! They couldn't see
that with only one leg they must have less under-standing than we who
have two legs. Ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee! Ho, ho!" The Chief wiped the tears
of laughter from his eyes with the bottom hem of his white robe, and
all the other Horners wiped their eyes on their robes, for they had
laughed just as heartily as their Chief at the absurd joke.

"Then," said Scraps, "their understanding of the understanding you
meant led to the misunderstanding."

"Exactly; and so there's no need for us to apologize," returned the
Chief.