ggs, and as full of revenge
against puddin'-thieves as ourselves.'

'Hospitably spoken,' said Bunyip Bluegum, and the Puddin'-owners sang--

'Come join us we intreat,
Come join us we implore,
In Friendship's name our guest we claim,
And Friendship's name is law.

'We've Puddin' here a treat,
We've Puddin' here galore;
Do not decline to stay and dine,
Our Puddin' you'll adore.

'Our Puddin', we repeat,
You really cannot beat,
And here are we its owners three
Who graciously intreat
You'll be at our request,
The Puddin'-owners' guest.'

'For these sentiments of esteem, admiration, and respect,' said Ben, 'I
thank you. As one market-gardener to three Puddin'-owners, I may say I
wouldn't wish to eat the Puddin' of three finer fellers than
yourselves.'

With this cordial understanding they set about preparing the camp fire,
and the heartiest expressions of friendship were indulged in while the
Puddin' was being passed round. As Bunyip aptly remarked--

'All Fortune's buffets he can surely pardon her,
Who claims as guest our courteous Market Gardener.'

To which Benjimen handsomely replied--

'Still happier he, who meets three Puddin'-owners,
Whose Puddin' is the equal of its donors.'

And, indeed, a very pleasant evening they had round the camp fire.

Fourth Slice

'This is what I call satisfactory,' said Bill, as they sat at breakfast
next morning. 'It's a great relief to the mind to know that them
puddin'-thieves is sufferin' the agonies of remorse, and that our
Puddin' is safe from bein' stolen every ten minutes.'

'You're a bun-headed old optimist,' said the Puddin' rudely.
'Puddin'-thieves never suffer from remorse. They only suffer from
blighted hopes and suppressed activity.'

'Have you no trust in human nature, Albert?' asked Bill, sternly. 'Don't
you know that nothin' gives a man greater remorse than havin' his face
punched, his toes trod on, and eggs rubbed in his hair?'

'I have grave doubts myself,' said Bunyip Bluegum, 'as to the sincerity
of their repentance'; and Ben Brandysnap said that, speaking as a market
gardener, his experience of carrot catchers, onion snatchers, pumpkin
pouncers, and cabbage grabbers induced him to hold the opinion that
shooting them with pea-rifles was the only sure way to make them feel
remorse.

In fact, as Sam said--

'The howls and groans of pain and grief,
The accents of remorse,
Extrac