“I’b a teacher of elocutiod add a lecturer,” said A. Fish, Esq., importantly.
“Oh! indeed. Teacher of elocution, are you? And how many pupils have you, pray?”
“Well, ad presend I’ve odly wud,” replied A. Fish, Esq., “and that the Wallypug.”
“Oh! the Wallypug’s a pupil of yours, is he? I suppose you find him very stupid, don’t you?”
“Doe, I don’t!” said A. Fish, Esq., loyally. “He’s a very clever pupil, ad he’s gettig od splendidly with his recitig.”
“Oh! is he, indeed; and what do you teach him, may I ask?”
“I’ve taught hib ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star,’ ad ‘Billy’s dead ad gone to glory,’ ad several other things frob Shakespeare.”
“Shakespeare? hum—ha—Shakespeare? I seem to have heard the name before. Who is he?”
“A great poet, born in England in 1564, m’lud,” explained one of the Crocodiles.