Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno.djvu/166

138 "Shall I sing it?" the Other Professor asked, with a smile of delight.

"If you can," the Professor replied, cautiously.

"Let me try," said the Other Professor, seating himself at the pianoforte. "For the sake of argument, let us assume that it begins on A flat." And he struck the note in question.

"La, la, la! I think that's within an octave of it." He struck the note again, and appealed to Bruno, who was standing at his side. "Did I sing it like that, my child?"

"No, oo didn't," Bruno replied with great decision. "It were more like a duck."

"Single notes are apt to have that effect," the Other Professor said with a sigh. "Let me try a whole verse.

There was a Pig, that sat alone,
 * Beside a ruined Pump.

By day and night he made his moan: It would have stirred a heart of stone To see him wring his hoofs and groan,
 * Because he could not jump.

Would you call that a tune, Professor?" he asked, when he had finished.