Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno.djvu/190

162 sobbed." And he lets Uggug take away all my toys ! And such horrid meals!"

"What did you have for dinner to-day?" said the Professor.

"A little piece of a dead crow," was Bruno's mournful reply.

"He means rook-pie," Sylvie explained.

"It were a dead crow," Bruno persisted. "And there were a apple-pudding——and Uggug ate it all——and I got nuffin but a crust! And I asked for a orange——and——didn't get it!" And the poor little fellow burled his face in Sylvie's lap, who kept gently stroking his hair, as she went on. "It's all true, Professor dear! They do treat my darling Bruno very badly! And they're not kind to me either," she added in a lower tone, as if that were a thing of much less importance.

The Professor got out a large red silk handkerchief, and wiped his eyes. "I wish I could help you, dear children!" he said. "But what can I do?"

"We know the way to Fairyland——where Father's gone——quite well," said Sylvie: "if only the Gardener would let us out."