really fond of the little Human. She began to feel that she would be
lonely when they parted. However, she did not speak of what was in her
mind, but bounded back to the Platypus to wait for Dot.

When the little girl reached the pool, she was still more surprised, on
a nearer view of the Platypus, that the Kangaroo should think so much of
it. At her feet she beheld a creature like a shapeless bit of wet matted
fur. She thought it looked like an empty fur bag that had been fished
out of the water. Projecting from the head, that seemed much nearer to
the ground than the back, was a broad duck's bill, of a dirty grey
colour; and peeping out underneath were two fore feet that were like a
duck's also. Altogether it was such a funny object that she was inclined
to laugh, only the Kangaroo looked so serious, that she tried to look
serious too, as if there was nothing strange in the appearance of the
Platypus.

"I am the Ornithorhynchus Paradoxus!" said the Platypus pompously.

"I am Dot," said the little girl.

"Now we know one another's names," said the Platypus, with satisfaction.
"If the Kangaroo had introduced us, it would have stumbled over my name,
and mumbled yours, and we should have been none the wiser. Now tell me,
little Human, are you going to write a book about me? because if you
are, I'm off. I can't stand any more books being written about me; I've
been annoyed enough that way."

"I couldn't write a book," said Dot, with surprise; inwardly wondering
what anyone could find to make a book of, out of such a small, ugly
creature.

"You're quite sure?" asked the Platypus, doubtfully, and evidently more
than half inclined to dive into the pool.

"Quite," said Dot.

"Then I'll try to believe you," said the Platypus, clumsily waddling
towards some grass, amongst which it settled itself comfortably. "But
it's very difficult to believe you Humans, for you tell such dreadful
fibs," it continued, as it squirted some dirty water out of the bag that
surrounded its bill, and swallowed some water beetles, small snails and
mud that it had stored there. "See, for instance, the way you have all
quarrelled and lied about me! One great Human, the biggest fool of all,
said I wasn't a live creature at all, but a joke another Human had
played upon him. Then they squabbled together--one saying I was a
Beaver; another that I was a Duck; another, that I was a Mole, or a Rat.
Then they argued whether I was a bird, or an animal,