And a general chorus of voices answered him "Porcupine! Prince Uggug has turned into a Porcupine!"
"A new Specimen!" exclaimed the delighted Professor. "Pray let me go in. It should be labeled at once!"
But the strong men only pushed him back.
"Label it, indeed! Do you want to be eaten up?" they cried.
"Never mind about Specimens, Professor!" said the Emperor, pushing his way through the crowd. "Tell us how to keep him safe!"
"A large cage!" the Professor promptly replied. "Bring a large cage," he said to the people generally, "with strong bars of steel, and a portcullis made to go up and down like a mouse-trap! Does any one happen to have such a thing about him?"
It didn't sound a likely sort of thing for any one to have about him; however, they brought him one directly: curiously enough, there happened to be one standing in the gallery.
"Put it facing the opening of the door, and draw up the portcullis!" This was done in a moment.
