“Oh yes, brother Malkin, but what good will that do, if you don’t know what it is?”
“That’s so, that’s so. I never thought of that. Oh dear me, I’m sure I don’t know what we’re going to do about it.”
Merrimeg very nearly lost all patience at this.
“Why don’t you tell him what it is, then?” she said.
“I do hope she isn’t going to be cross,” said Malkin’s voice. “But anyway, that’s a pretty good idea. Suppose you tell me what the word is? Isn’t it something like cat-tails?”
“Nothing like that, brother, nothing like that!”
“What is it, then?”
“It’s kitten-tails!”
“Then we’d better tell her now, before old Sappy comes up, so she’ll know the word.”