id Thimble, "but get in
first and ask leave after."

And Thumb began softly hauling on the rope. But the smooth round stone
on which they stood was coated green with ice, and as he pulled his foot
slipped. He flung out his arms: down went Thumb; down went Nod. No
sooner had their uproar died away than an angry and ogreish voice broke
out from the hut. Thumb, with Thimble at his heels, had only just time
enough to scramble off and hide himself in the giant sedge before down
swung the gibbering Gunga on the crutches of his hairy arms to see what
was amiss, and who was meddling with his boat.

There he found Nod, floating like a sheeny bubble in his puffed-out
sheep's-jacket on the icy water. He stooped down and clawed him up with
one enormous paw, and carried him off into his hut. Then, putting up the
wooden door, he sat him down with a shout before his blazing fire.

"Ohe, ohe, ohe!" he bellowed. "Zutha mu beluthli zakketi zanga x[=u]t!"

Nod, cold and trembling, lifted his little grey face out of his
streaming sheep's-coat and shook his head.

Then the Gunga, seeing this crackle-shell did not understand his
language, bawled at him in Munza-mulgar: "Thief, thief! What were you
after, fishing from great Gunga's boat?" Nod shook his head again, for
he expected every moment that great hand to clutch him up and fling him
into the fire.

"Thief, thief, and son of a thief!" squalled the Gunga again, opening
his great mouth.

But at that Nod's wits grew suddenly clear and still. "Not so fast--not
so fast, Master Gunga," he said. "Mulla-mulgars are neither thieves nor
sons of thieves. Squeal that at the Munza-mulgars, not at Ummanodda!"

The old Gunga stared with jutting teeth. "Mulla-mulgars," he grunted
mockingly. "Off with that sheep-skin, Prince of Fleas! I'll skin ye
'fore I cook ye!"

Nod stared bravely into the glinting sooty face. "Gunga duseepi sooklar,
by N[=o][=o]manossi's harp!"

The old Gunga stooped closer on his fleshless legs and blinked. "What
knows a fly-catching Skeeto of N[=o][=o]manossi's harp?" he said.

"What knows a fish-bait Gunga of the Princes of Tishnar?" Nod answered,
and calmly sat down beside the old Burbhrie cat on a log in front of the
fire. The savage old Puss stretched out her claws, spread back her
tufted ash-coloured ears, and with grey-green eyes stared fiercely into
his face. But Nod clutched tight his Wonderstone, and paid no heed; and
soon she lazily turned again to the flame