“It isn’t a ‘him,’ it’s a ‘she’!” said his sister. “Do be careful, we don’t want to offend it.”
“Yes, I think we’ll have her a proper camel size, to begin with,” she added.
“I don’t believe——” began Tibbs.
But ere he could finish a sentence, Coppertop’s hand was forced open by the swiftly-growing camel, which, with a joyful cry, she put on the ground. There the animal continued to grow rapidly.
“Good morning!” said Miss Smiler, the camel, as soon as she was large enough to have a voice at all.
“She talks!” exclaimed Coppertop.
“Frequently,” said the Camel; “did you ever know a girl who didn’t?”
“She’s still growing!” cried Tibbs, scarcely able to believe his eyes.
“I usually grow faster than this,” said the Camel, “but one of you three didn’t believe I could.”
By this time she was as large as an ordinary camel, and in every way like one, except that she had no hump, and she wore a large silk bow upon her forehead, and another one upon her tail.