“Bur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!” roared the sea lion, shaking his whiskers from side to side. “Bur-r-r-r-r!”
“Oh, dear!” cried Neddie, standing still with the lemon pie, he was so frightened. “Oh, dear!”
“Bur-r-r-r-r-r! Wow! Woff! Snuff! Bur-r-r-r!” growled the sea lion. “Don’t be afraid, little bear boy.”
Well, now, I leave it to you, wouldn’t anybody be afraid to be stopped on their way home with a lemon pie for supper—stopped by a sea lion who growled like that? I guess they would. Neddie Stubtail was, anyhow. And by rights, that sea lion ought to have been in the ocean where he belonged. But the ocean was so cold, on account of the ice being in it, that the sea lion had flopped out. And now he was going to catch Neddie. Oh, dear!
“Don’t be afraid,” said the sea lion to Neddie. “I am not going to hurt you. What have you there?”
“A lemon pie, if you please,” answered Neddie, his teeth chattering.
“Bur-r-r-r-r!” growled the sea lion. “Give it to me. I am very fond of lemon pie. I like it better than lollypops.”
“But, if you please,” said Neddie, “this pie is for supper. We have company coming.”
“That matters not to me,” said the sea lion. “Give me that pie!”
And then brave Neddie, thinking he must save the pie, whatever else happened, gave a big jump. Right over the sea lion’s head he went, and then how Neddie ran for home!