Floating on the water, so near the raft that he could have touched it, Nibbles saw a huge animal covered with brown scales. It had small black eyes, and a long tail, while its head was mostly made up of a very long nose, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth.
“Hullo!” said the Animal, “I thought you were never coming up. What kept you so long under the water?”
Poor Nibbles was dripping wet, covered with sand, and still gasping for breath, but he tried to answer politely:
“I could not come up any sooner, Sir, because my head was stuck in the sand. Will you please tell me what you are? I thought you were a landing place.”
“No, no,” replied the Animal, “my name is Scratchetty-Claw, and I am an Alligator of a very fine old family. I have lived in this river for a hundred years, and I probably shall live a thousand. I am very sorry that I upset you, but I thought a fly had lighted on my back, so I swished my tail, and I am afraid that you rolled off.”
“I certainly did,” said Nibbles sadly, as he tried to wipe the sand out of his eyes and ears.
Suddenly Mr. Scratchetty-Claw opened his eyes very wide, and staring at Nibbles, he shouted:
“Why, what have you got around your neck?”