"Why don't you like boys, sir? I'm sure"—and then he stopped. He was on the point of saying "boys like tomatoes" when he remembered that this might sound a little personal and thought better of it.
The Tomato did not notice this, however, and said, wiping a dew tear from his eye, "A boy threw my favourite sister at a cat last week and I have never been able to abide boys since; and, come to think of it, you look like that boy."
"Oh! no, sir, it wasn't I," said Billy, frightened. "I—I've only just come."
"Well, maybe not; goodness knows, though, you're ugly enough. Where are you going?"
"Come, now, don't give me any of your tomato sauce."—Page 39.
"I'm taking a message to Bogie Man, sir; and—and I really must go at once. Good bye."
"Oh! ho! so you're the boy Bumbus warned me about last night. I guess you'll have to stay here," said the Tomato threateningly.
This made Billy angry. "I guess not," he said, and gave a great jump into the air.
"Not so fast, Mr. Rubber Ball, not so fast," said the Tomato in Billy's ear. And though Billy was many, many feet away from the ground, Tomato's vines had grown right up to him, while one of his tendrils had wound itself about his feet.