Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/272

234 But Sylvie overheard him. "You're not to whisper, Bruno! It spoils the story! And when the Lamb had been gone a long time, the Lion said to Bruno 'Do go and see after that silly little Lamb! It must have lost its way.' And Bruno went down the hill. And when he got to the brook, he saw the Lamb sitting on the bank: and who should be sitting by it but an old Fox!"

"Don't know who should be sitting by it," Bruno said thoughtfully to himself. "A old Fox were sitting by it."

"And the old Fox were saying," Sylvie went on, for once conceding the grammatical point, Yes, my dear, you'll be ever so happy with us, if you'll only come and see us! I've got three little Foxes there, and we do love little Lambs so dearly!' And the Lamb said 'But you never eat them, do you, Sir?' And the Fox said 'Oh, no! What, eat a Lamb? We never dream of doing such a thing!' So the Lamb said 'Then I'll come with you.' And off they went, hand in hand."

"That Fox were welly extremely wicked, weren't it?" said Bruno.