"Look."
So Baby peeped round Tiny's shoulder.
And there was a dear little brown mannikin, only so high, with a winky way with him, who scuttled about on bandy legs, and nibbled a nut.
Then Baby whispered,
"Why?"
So Tiny answered,
"By order of the King."
And he told Baby how the mannikin really belonged to the King, who had taken him away from home, to try to make a better mannikin of him, for really he was so very naughty; and the King has to be very strict, although he is so good and kind.
And the King lent him Tiny (by the secret advice of the Commander-in-Chief) to spit on his boots for him. And in return Tiny was to keep him good and tight in the boot-hole, only when he let him out for a little run in the back-yard at dark; which he did now.
And after he had done him up again, he went and hung the key on the nail in the kitchen, where it lived.