"Certainly not; it was meant for the truth."
"But it's not the truth."
"I didn't say it was the truth," said Bumbus.
"You just said it was meant for the truth," said Billy.
"Yes, meant for the truth—it was just an imitation, so there's no more truth than poetry in it."
"It's my turn now," said the Head Scally Wag. "We couldn't joke him to death, so lets tickle him into little bits."
"Oh, don't!" cried Billy; "I'm ticklish."
"So much the better," said Bumbus. "But if you will give up the note we'll let you go."
"I can't do that," said Billy decidedly, "I've got to carry that to Bogie Man."
"Come on," cried the Scally Wags, and they swarmed over Billy digging their fingers in the spots where he should have been ticklish. But of course they didn't know that he had on his air suit, and the more they tickled the more serious Billy looked.