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KING PELLINORE’S LITERARY MAGAZINE

she came, and would have hurt herself you might think it was a lake, only
but for me. you know it isn’t; and there’s storms of
Was she satisfied now? No. sociable birds, and hurricanes of
Nothing ever satisfies her but whirring wings; and when the sun
demonstration; untested theories are strikes all that feathery commotion,
not in her line, and she won’t have you have a blazing up of all the colors
them. It is the right spirit, I concede you can think of, enough to put your
it; it attracts me; I feel the influence eyes out.
of it; if I were with her more I think I We have made long excursions, and
should take it up myself. Well, she I have seen a great deal of the world;
had one theory remaining about this almost all of it, I think; and so I am
colossus: she thought that if we could the first traveler, and the only one.
tame it and make him friendly we When we are on the march, it is an
could stand in the river and use him imposing sight--there’s nothing like it
for a bridge. It turned out that he was anywhere. For comfort I ride a tiger
already plenty tame enough--at least or a leopard, because it is soft and has
as far as she was concerned--so she a round back that fits me, and because
tried her theory, but it failed: every they are such pretty animals; but for
time she got him properly placed in long distance or for scenery I ride the
the river and went ashore to cross over elephant. He hoists me up with his
him, he came out and followed her trunk, but I can get off myself; when
around like a pet mountain. Like the we are ready to camp, he sits and I
other animals. They all do that. slide down the back way.
The birds and animals are all
Tuesday--Wednesday--Thursday-- friendly to each other, and there are
and today: all without seeing him. It no disputes about anything. They all
is a long time to be alone; still, it is talk, and they all talk to me, but it
better to be alone than unwelcome. must be a foreign language, for I
cannot make out a word they say; yet
FRIDAY--I HAD to have company they often understand me when I talk
--I was made for it, I think--so I made back, particularly the dog and the
friends with the animals. They are elephant. It makes me ashamed. It
just charming, and they have the shows that they are brighter than I
kindest disposition and the politest am, for I want to be the principal
ways; they never look sour, they never Experiment myself--and I intend to
let you feel that you are intruding, be, too.
they smile at you and wag their tail, if I have learned a number of things,
they’ve got one, and they are always and am educated, now, but I wasn’t at
ready for a romp or an excursion or first. I was ignorant at first. At first
anything you want to propose. I think it used to vex me because, with all my
they are perfect gentlemen. All these watching, I was never smart enough to
days we have had such good times, and be around when the water was
it hasn’t been lonesome for me, ever. running uphill; but now I do not mind
Lonesome! No, I should say not. it. I have experimented and
Why, there’s always a swarm of them experimented until now I know it
around--sometimes as much as four or never does run uphill, except in the
five acres--you can’t count them; and dark. I know it does in the dark,
when you stand on a rock in the midst because the pool never goes dry, which
and look out over the furry expanse it it would, of course, if the water didn’t
is so mottled and splashed and gay come back in the night. It is best to
with color and frisking sheen and sun- prove things by actual experiment;
flash, and so rippled with stripes, that then you KNOW; whereas if you

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