“OXTRAGOB BORGS, GOOBLIK!”
“My salt! Oxtragob borgs, gooblik!”
This was Little Hark’s father, and when he said “Oxtragob borgs, gooblik!” he meant, in the private language of the Echo Dwarfs, “Wrong again, stupid!”
Big Hark and Little Hark were standing in front of their cave, and Big Hark was letting Little Hark practice at making echoes, as Merrimeg came up the hill. Not many people came that way, and Big Hark was glad of the chance to give his little boy a lesson.
Merrimeg came on further and further up the hill, and after a while she stopped and called out again:
“Are you still there?”
“Still there!” came back the voice.
This made her quite angry. She did not like to be mocked every time she opened her mouth. She cried out:
“Stop mocking me!”
“Mocking me!” came back the voice.