be useful for you to keep yourself warm with.'

"'I fits in 'ere fine,' ses I, 'and so 'elp me I think ye're a stunner.
But I never knowed as lions talked afore.'

"'My good little boy, there are many things that you do not know,'
answered the Lion, 'one of them being that you do not know how to speak
English correctly. I am afraid you are quite ignorant.'

"''Ere, 'old on, Mister,' ses I, 'I've been to school, yer know.'

"'The wrong schools, I fear,' replied the Lion; 'and would you oblige
me by not calling me Mister; in future always call me Lal.'

"'Do them other three lions talk, Lal?' I asked.

"'No, I am the only one that talks.'

"'Then I should say as 'ow you're the best of the 'ole bunch,' I
remarked.

"Lal sighed deeply. 'How dreadfully wrong,' he said; 'imagine a bunch
of lions! No, you certainly cannot speak at all correctly, so I think
perhaps you had better go to sleep instead.'

"Well, before I went to sleep I remembered at the night school I had
gone to they always said people ought to say their prayers, so I
thought to myself for a minute, and I'm afraid this is something in the
nature of what I said--

"'Please send me as soon as you 'ave it, a goodish-sized lump o' bread
and drippin', or a big baked 'tater, cos' I am as empty as ever I can
'ang together. I don't want nothink tasty, but jist somethink fillin'.
I'm very grateful for lions wot talk and 'elps yer like a pal; and
please don't let no blighted coppers a see me, and lock me up. Don't
forget the drippin'--any sort, beef, mutton, or pork. Amen.'

"'Humph!' remarked the Lion, when I concluded, 'that is a most singular
petition; to whom is it addressed?'

"'Up there, Lal,' I answered, looking into the sky; 'they say you gits
everythink from there.'

"'Dear me,' replied the Lion, 'really most singular. I notice you did
not describe the manner in which you expected these provisions to
arrive.'

"'I'll get 'em, Lal; if not ter-night, ter-morrer.'

"The Lion looked down at me quite kindly I thought. 'What is your
name?' he asked.

"'Ain't got no name that I knows of 'cept Skylark.'

"The Lion purred softly. 'You will have a name some day,' he said,
'and a great name, too. Why are you called Skylark now?'

"''Cos I sings and whistles, t'other blokes in the streets calls me
that.'

"I was just starting to show him how I could whistle, and had done a
bit, when we heard pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and the sound of
fl