164 



FOUR-HANDED FOLK. 



notions that were not so easy to get over. One 

 was a fancy for something to suck, even after 

 he had teeth and could eat. It was strange, 

 but he never seemed to forget the comfort he 

 got out of that sponge in the first place; and 

 he quickly discovered that nothing was quite so 

 much to his taste as human flesh. So long as 

 one would allow him to hold finger or toe, or a 

 bit of arm or neck in his mouth, he was happy, 

 and would lie and purr like any old cat. But 

 he drew the flesh more and more into his mouth, 

 his sharp teeth were dangerously near ; and no 

 one could help thinking that if he should happen 

 to break the skin and taste the blood he might 

 forget he was a tame tiger at a boarding school, 

 and suddenly show his wild side. So his friends 

 were a little nervous about indulging this taste 

 of his, and would not allow it. 



Did he give it up ? not he ! Giving up is n't 

 the way to get anything, and the thought of 

 going without what he desired never came into 

 his head. He turned cunning ; he watched his 

 chances. One lying in a hammock with arm 

 hanging out, or a school girl in the dormitory 

 with foot uncovered, became his victim. When- 

 ever he found a sleeper, he stole quietly up to 

 her, and began a very gentle licking, so soft as 

 not to disturb the lightest sleeper. Gradually 

 he went further and got the toe or finger into 



