Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/414

376 The Professor began fluently enough. "Once a coincidence was taking a walk with a little accident, and they met an explanationa very old explanationso old that it was quite doubled up, and looked more like a conundrum" he broke off suddenly. "Please go on!" both children exclaimed. The Professor made a candid confession. "It's a very difficult sort to invent, I find. Suppose Bruno tells one, first." Bruno was only too happy to adopt the suggestion. "Once there were a Pig, and a Accordion, and two Jars of Orange-marmalade" "The dramatis personæ," murmured the Professor. "Well, what then?" "So, when the Pig played on the Accordion," Bruno went on, "one of the Jars of Orange-marmalade didn't like the tune, and the other Jar of Orange-marmalade did like the tune—I know I shall get confused among those Jars of Orange-marmalade, Sylvie!" he whispered anxiously. "I will now recite the other Introductory Verses," said the Other Professor.