"You can't see all of us," shouted the Possum, and the Wombat added, "Cause why, some of us is behind the tree."
Bill led the others aside, in order to hold a consultation.
"What on earth's to be done?" he said.
"We shall have to fight them, as usual," said Sam.
"Why do you have to fight them?" asked Bunyip Bluegum.
"Because they're after our Puddin'," said Bill.
"They're after our Puddin'," explained Sam, "because they're professional puddin'-thieves."
"And as we're perfessional puddin'-owners," said Bill, "we have to fight them on principle. The fighting," he added, "is a mere flea-bite, as the sayin' goes. The trouble is, what's to be done with the Puddin'?"
"While you do the fighting," said Bunyip bravely, "I shall mind the Puddin'."
"The trouble is," said Bill, "that this is a very secret, crafty Puddin', an' if you wasn't up to his games he'd be askin' you to look at a spider an' then run away while your back is turned."
"That's right," said the Puddin', gloomily. "Take a Puddin's character away. Don't mind his feelings."