I'm sure,'
gasped the nurse.

'Of course not,' said Curdie.

'You dear, good, kind Curdie! I'll give you a kiss when we get home,'
said the princess.

The nurse gave her a great pull by the hand she held. But at that
instant the something in the middle of the way, which had looked like a
great lump of earth brought down by the rain, began to move. One after
another it shot out four long things, like two arms and two legs, but
it was now too dark to tell what they were. The nurse began to tremble
from head to foot. Irene clasped Curdie's hand yet faster, and Curdie
began to sing again:

'One, two--
Hit and hew!
Three, four--
Blast and bore!
Five, six--
There's a fix!
Seven, eight--
Hold it straight!
Nine, ten--
Hit again!
Hurry! scurry!
Bother! smother!
There's a toad
In the road!
Smash it!
Squash it!
Fry it!
Dry it!
You're another!
Up and off!
There's enough!--
Huuuuuh!'

As he uttered the last words, Curdie let go his hold of his companion,
and rushed at the thing in the road as if he would trample it under his
feet. It gave a great spring, and ran straight up one of the rocks
like a huge spider. Curdie turned back laughing, and took Irene's hand
again. She grasped his very tight, but said nothing till they had
passed the rocks. A few yards more and she found herself on a part of
the road she knew, and was able to speak again.

'Do you know, Curdie, I don't quite like your song: it sounds to me
rather rude,' she said.

'Well, perhaps it is,' answered Curdie. 'I never thought of that; it's
a way we have. We do it because they don't like it.'

'Who don't like it?'

'The cobs, as we call them.'

'Don't!' said the nurse.

'Why not?' said Curdie.

'I beg you won't. Please don't.'

'Oh! if you ask me that way, of course, I won't; though I don't a bit
know why. Look! there are the lights of your great house down below.
You'll be at home in five minutes now.'

Nothing more happened. They reached home in safety. Nobody had missed
them, or even known they had gone out; and they arrived at the door
belonging to their part of the house without anyone seeing them. The
nurse was rushing in with a hurried and not over-gracious good night to
Curdie; but the princess pulled her hand from hers, and was just
throwing her arms round Curdie's neck, when she caught her again and
dragged her away.

'Lootie! Lootie! I promised a kiss,' cried Ir