So saying, he withdrew his head, the children could hear his scales going clish-clash as he slid down the stairs, and presently he came oozing out of the arched doorway—there seemed to be no end to him.
As he was the first dragon they had ever seen, the two little girls, of course, gazed upon him with great interest. He had a long body and a long tail and a long neck which he could draw in or stretch out like a telescope, just as he pleased; he had six feet, on each of which he was wearing his best, white-kid, company boxing-gloves; and his back was shingled all over with copper-colored scales, two of which, placed just beneath his shoulder-blades, were about the size and shape of stove-lids. These two big scales appeared to work on hinges, like the lid of a box, the reason for which arrangement the children could not at first understand.
"Now, Lobsterneck, old boy!" said the King. "Clear your pipes and get to work."
"Very well," replied the dragon. "What would you like first?"
"Give us a fantasia on the drum and cymbals—just to show the ladies how you do it."
At this, the obliging old snap-dragon sat up straight, with his tail curled round his hind feet, when, with his middle pair of fists he hit himself several hard thumps on his chest, producing a sound like the beating of a big drum. At the same time, every thump on his chest caused the "stove-lid" scales on his back to fly up on their hinges and come down again with a clash, making altogether a pretty good imitation of the drum and cymbals.
"Good!" cried Frances, clapping her hands. "Isn't that clever!"
"Isn't it!" responded Margaret. "Did it take you a very long time to learn, Mr. Snap-Dragon?"
"A longish time," replied the dragon, with a sideways wag of his head. "The drum part is easy enough, of course, but I've had to spend hours and hours practising my scales."
"I should think so," said Margaret, feelingly. "Scales on the piano are difficult enough, but scales on your back must be much worse. Now, won't you please sing us a song?"