full of these Dragons. In
the face they were like the dragons one sees made of very old blue and
white china; and they had forked tongues, like the tongues of
serpents. They were most beautiful in color, being sky-blue. Lobsters
who have just changed their coats are very handsome, but the violet
and indigo of a lobster's coat is nothing to the brilliant sky-blue of
a Snap-Dragon.

How they leaped about! They were for ever leaping over each other like
seals at play. But if it was "play" at all with them, it was of a very
rough kind; for as they jumped, they snapped and barked at each
other, and their barking was like that of the barking Gnu in the
Zoological Gardens; and from time to time they tore the hair out of
each others heads with their claws, and scattered it about the floor.
And as it dropped it was like the flecks of flame people shake from
their fingers when they are eating snap-dragon raisins.

Harry stood aghast.

"What fun!" said a voice close by him; and he saw that one of the
Dragons was lying near, and not joining in the game. He had lost one
of the forks of his tongue by accident, and could not bark for awhile.

"I'm glad you think it funny," said Harry, "I don't."

"That's right. Snap away!" sneered the Dragon. "You're a perfect
treasure. They'll take you in with them the third round."

"Not those creatures?" cried Harry.

"Yes, those creatures. And if I hadn't lost my bark, I'd be the first
to lead you off," said the Dragon. "Oh, the game will exactly suit
you."

"What is it please?" Harry asked.

"You'd better not say 'please' to the others," said the Dragon, "if
you don't want to have all your hair pulled out. The game is this. You
have always to be jumping over somebody else, and you must either talk
or bark. If anybody speaks to you, you must snap in return. I need
not explain what _snapping_ is. _You know._ If anyone by accident
gives a civil answer, a claw-full of hair is torn out of his head to
stimulate his brain. Nothing can be funnier."

"I dare say it suits you capitally," said Harry; "but I'm sure we
shouldn't like it. I mean men and women and children. It wouldn't do
for us at all."

"Wouldn't it?" said the Dragon. "You don't know how many human beings
dance with dragons on Christmas Eve. If we are kept going in a house
till after midnight, we can pull people out of their beds, and take
them to dance in Vesuvius."

"Vesuvius!" cried Harry.

"Yes, Vesuvius. We come from It