"Will you give him a penny not to fwallow me no more?" queried Toddie.
"Yes—a whole lot of pennies."
"Aw wight. Whay-al, don't you fwallow me no more, an' zen my Ocken Hawwy div you whole lots of pennies. You must be weal dood whay-al now, an' then I buys you some tandy wif your pennies, an'——"
Just then two great hands seized Toddie's frock in front, and he disappeared with a howl, while I, with the first feeling of faintness I had ever experienced, went in search of hammer, nails, and some strips of board, to nail on the outside of the window-frame. But boards could not be found, so I went up to the play-room and began to knock a piece or two off the box which had done duty as whale. A pitiful scream from Toddie caused me to stop.
"You're hurtin' my dee old whay-al; you's breakin' his 'tomach all open—you's a baddy man—'top hurtin' my whay-al, ee—ee—ee!" cried my nephew.
"I'm not hurting him, Toddie," said I. "I'm making his mouth bigger, so he can swallow you easier."
TWO GREAT HANDS SEIZED TODDIE
A bright thought came into Toddie's face and shone through his tears. "Then he can fwallow Budgie too, an' there'll be two Djonahs—ha—ha—ha! Make his mouf so big he can fwallow Mike, an' zen mate it 'ittle aden, so Mike tan't det out; nashty old Mike!"