explained in a whisper) "and he set off to go to his house." ("We're getting near the end now," said Bruno.)
"And, when he had got a little way, he thought he would look into the hamper, and see how the little Foxes were getting on."
"So he opened the door" said Bruno.
"Oh, Bruno!" Sylvie exclaimed, "you're not telling the story! So he opened the door, and behold, there were no Apples! So Bruno said ' Eldest little Fox, have you been eating the Apples? 'And the eldest little Fox said 'No no no!'" (It is impossible to give the tone in which Sylvie repeated this rapid little 'No no no!' The nearest I can come to it is to say that it was much as if a young and excited duck had tried to quack the words. It was too quick for a quack, and yet too harsh to be anything else.) "Then he said 'Second little Fox, have you been eating the Apples?' And the second little Fox said 'No no no!' Then he said 'Youngest little Fox, have you been eating the Apples?' And the youngest little Fox tried to say 'No no no!' but its mouth was so full, it couldn't, and it only
