coming from where he had
been hiding behind a tree. "Pretty friends! What do you call the
creatures?"

"Oh, there's the Archaeopteryx, you know, and the Eteraedarium, and the
Palaeo----"

"Stop! stop!" interrupted the Ambassador, as each of the animals
mentioned bowed gravely. "I absolutely decline to know creatures with
names like _those_. I'm sure they are not respectable, and I'm not at
all sure, even now, that they are not dangerous; however, I shall know
how to deal with _them_ presently. The penalty for alarming the Little
Panjandrum is a very severe one." And he frowned very sternly at the
creatures, who looked rather uncomfortable, and waddled off in the
direction of the lake, whispering together in a decidedly scared way.

"You didn't tell me you had all these hideous objects with you,"
continued the Ambassador, addressing the Dodo.

"I thought you knew," stammered the unlucky bird; "they are prehistoric,
you know," he added, apologetically.

[Illustrastion: There was some consolation, he was allowed to wear his
gloves.]

"That only makes it worse," declared the Ambassador. "In that case they
ought to be dead, every one of them, ever so long ago. They have no
right to be prowling about at a highly-respectable place like the
Crystal Palace. No wonder there's nobody about; they've frightened them
away, that's what it is. And you're to blame as much as anybody for
bringing them here."

"I didn't!" gasped the Dodo.

"You did," said the Ambassador, emphatically. "You said they were your
friends; so they _must_ have come with you. And I'll tell you what, in
order to prevent you from picking up any more undesirable acquaintances,
you shall just commence your duties as Umbrella Bearer at once," and,
untying the ribbons by which the Little Panjandrum's attendant was
attached to His Importance, the Ambassador, bringing forth a heavy pair
of chains from his capacious pockets, proceeded to chain the Dodo up to
the Little Panjandrum's waistband.

The poor Dodo looked the picture of misery as the Umbrella was put into
his hand.

"M--may I have m--my gloves?" he whimpered.

The Ambassador, after considering a minute, gave his consent, on the
score that it _might_ improve his appearance, and caused the black
attendant to hunt for the missing one, which had been thrown down on
the ground near to the roundabout.

He soon returned with it, and the Dodo, with a delighted chuckle, put
the pair on, and, after smoot