“There! I guess you believe it possible now, don’t you?” the Strange Man said when he stopped singing.
“Meow!” said Johnny. “Meow!” He had changed into a cat.
“Killikaluka, willyculoosa! Now I change you to a boy!” said the Strange Man, again puffing the powder upon Johnny, and changing him back to a boy.
“What shall we do?” Janey cried.
“You must keep still,” the Strange Man commanded, “or I can never change you to pigs!”
“Let us keep yelling at the top of our lungs,” cried Johnny, “so that he can not study the rhyme to change us into pigs!”
So the two children began yelling at the top of their voices, and the Strange Man grew so impatient he finally said, “Well, if you continue like that, I shall have to go outside and study, but it will be all the worse for you when I do change you to pigs, for I shan’t let you see a mud puddle for two years!”
And as the children continued their cries, the Strange Man closed his book and went out by a back door. He stamped along the walk kicking the loose pebbles viciously.
