THE MAGIC SPECTACLES 15 



dinner time ; you often do now," said the hound, 

 with a sigh. 



" Why ! how plainly you can answer me, " 

 cried Tommy-Anne, in delight ; " I never un- 

 derstood more than half that you used to say." 



"No, mistress, you did not" said Waddles, 

 complacently. " You never would understand, 

 though I kept saying the same thing over and 

 over again. I always had to push and jump, 

 make faces or wag my tail, before you would 

 attend to me. That is the reason why I some- 

 times helped myself, to save you trouble ; but 

 your aunt always mistakes my motives and 

 cuffs my ears. 



"By the way, now that we understand each 

 other, would you mind telling your aunt never 

 to cuff my ears? You cannot tell how it up- 

 sets my brain and makes it roar until tears come 

 in my eyes, and all day long I can hardly tell 

 a rat from a rabbit, and then you scold me and 

 call me dumpish. An ache in ears like mine is ten 

 times as big as it is in little ones like yours. Yet, 

 when you have an earache you go to bed and have 

 a nice, soft, hot-water bag to comfort it, while 

 most likely I end the day in the wood-house." 

 And Waddles looked up at Tommy-Anne with 

 a very sad expression in his great brown eyes. 



