"Is this a conundrum?" demanded Cookie. "If so, I don't know no answer to it, Master Ridgie."
"It isn't a riddle, Cookie, at all. If a Lion really came to see you, what would you do?"
"I should fetch a policeman at once," announced Cookie.
Ridgwell smiled. "A policeman wouldn't be any good, Cookie! Really, you know, he couldn't do anything."
"Then I should fetch two policemen," said Cookie, shortly and conclusively. Cookie, at this point in the argument, beat the three new-laids at such a furious rate, that the foam of them whirled round and round very much like the agitated thoughts of Cookie herself at being confronted with such an outrageous problem the first thing in the morning.
"'Owever," amended Cookie, "afore I went to fetch them policemen, I'd throw all the boiling green water over him, from the window first, and see if that wouldn't shift 'im."
Both Ridgwell and Christine laughed outright, the idea was too ridiculous. To think of their friendly and Pleasant-Faced Lal coming to make a society call and having boiling cabbage water thrown over his stately head, was altogether too much for their gravity.
"How indignant he would be," laughed Ridgwell. "Oh! Chris only think how hurt he would feel as he shook the stuff off his mane and whiskers!"
This imaginary picture, however, seemed to be too much for Christine, so she determined to speak seriously to Cookie.
"Cookie," said Christine in her most earnest manner, "a lion may arrive outside this door (pointing to the article in question in a most impressive fashion) at any moment to-day."