a-mousie, crawl-a-mousie, please move on!
We can't move a step till you are gone."

"Don't disturb me," said the lizard. "I'm dreaming about parsnips. Did
you ever taste a parsnip?"

"We're in a hurry, if it's the same to you, sir," said Cap'n Bill
politely.

"Then climb over me or go around, I don't care which," murmured the
lizard. "When they're little, they're juicy; when they're big, there's
more of 'em; but either way there's nothing so delicious as a parsnip.
There are none here in the Fog Bank, so the best I can do is dream of
them. Oh, parsnips, par-snips, p-a-r-snips!" He closed his eyes
sleepily and resumed his dreams.

Walking around the lizard, they resumed their journey and soon came to
the frog, being guided by its grunts and croaks. Then off it went
again, its tremendous leap carrying it far into the fog. Suddenly,
Cap'n Bill tripped and would have fallen flat had not Trot and
Button-Bright held him up. Then he saw that he had stumbled over the
claw of a gigantic land-crab, which lay sprawled out upon the pebbly
bottom.

"Oh, beg parding, I'm sure!" exclaimed Cap'n Bill, backing away.

"Don't mention it," replied the crab in a tired tone. "You did not
disturb me, so there is no harm done."

"We didn't know you were here," explained Trot.

"Probably not," said the crab. "It's no place for me, anyhow, for I
belong in the Constellations, you know, with Taurus and Gemini and the
other fellows. But I had the misfortune to tumble out of the Zodiac
some time ago. My name is Cancer, but I'm not a disease. Those who
examine the heavens in these days, alas! can find no Cancer there."

"Yes we can, sir, Mister Cancer!" said the parrot with a chuckle.

"Once," remarked Cap'n Bill, "I sawr a picter of you in an almanac."

"Ah, the almanacs always did us full justice," the crab replied, "but
I'm told they're not fashionable now."

"If you don't mind, we'd like to pass on," said Button-Bright.

"No, I don't mind, but be careful not to step on my legs. They're
rheumatic, it's so moist here."

They climbed over some of the huge legs and walked around others. Soon
they had left the creature far behind. "Aren't you rather slow?" asked
the frog when once more they came up to him.

"It isn't that," said Trot. "You are rather swift, I guess." The frog
chuckled and leaped again. They noticed that the fog had caught a soft
rose tint and was lighter and less dense than before, for which reason
the sailor rema