THE CROCODILE WITHOUT ANY TAIL

Once upon a time there lived a crocodile in a river.
All day long he lay pretending to be an island and long-
ing for the little children coming home from school.

One day a little boy was running along the bank of
the river and the crocodile thrust his nose out of the
rushes, and - - nearly snapped - - snapped off the little
boy's leg.

All the children were very sad. They thought they
would be much happier playing by the river if there was
no crocodile there. So they went to the fairy and asked
her what to do.

what need

"A very x simple matter" said the fairy, "xxx you have to do is to pull out all the crocodile's teeth".

"How" said the children." My dears" said the fairy."if
you like I will do it for you. I can make myself invisible which is far the safest way".

That very night the fairy flew into the crocodile's mouth while he was snoring, and gently drew out all his teeth with an bone - magnet.

He felt nothing. He went on peacefully dreaming of Charley-
chops and Sirloin of Sammy and it was only at sunrise
next morning that he awoke to find that a deep change
had come over his nature. Somehow or other he felt much
more tender and when later in the morning the little children
passed him on their way to school, he felt that in the
future he could only want to kiss them.

For the first time he felt lonely too, and wished that

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And as she had nothing to do but ring for the maid to clear
up after them, there was really no reason why they should
not.

The funny Mamma said she was pleased to meet grandpa
and asked if he took sugar in his tea.
She also helped the children to throw the buns into his
mouth. They all had a delightful time, and the funny Mamma
said "I think if you were to attach a Xmas tree to the croc-
odile for his new tail he would be both useful and orna-
mental.

The crocodile was delighted with the idea and kept
quite still while they tied the Christmas tree to him.
Then he practised walking nobly with his tail straight up,
and when Christmas eve came the children decorated the tree
with coloured candles, fruits and crackers and beautiful toys.
They led him through the streets all lit up, and when they came
to dark and narrow streets the crocodile in at the
doors of the old houses and climbed up the stairs.
The poor cold little children huddled together on the land-
ings and were delightfully surprised to see a Christmas tree walking up stairs.

On every landing the crocodile stood quite still
and his candles shone and his toys twinkled while his friends
gave toys and sweets to the cold little children who clapped
their hands and gurgled with joy. And the funny Mamma
who had trundled along behind with a great big wheel - barrow
heaped with knitted woollen cloths of green and red, of
yellow and blue, dressed the children most cheerfully and
they felt much warmer.

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and a large garden whose trees had been specially trained
for climbing. Indeed they held out branches invitingly
in just the right places. And these said the funny Mamma
would not be too rough on the children's necks.

One afternoon the Crocodile took his six green dolls
out for an airing in a doll's perambulator, when suddenly
it began to rain, the thoughtful Crocodile tied the pram
to a tree, and clasping his children in his arms jumped
into the river to keep out of the rain.
He wae very much upset when he came out to find his
children all sodden with water, quite spoilt. And he arriv-
ed home to tea in a most desperate frame of mind.
"Now cheer up" said the funny Mamma, and stirring the
fire to afine blaze she laid all the Crocodile dolls around
the fender, and when tea was over they were quite dry,
and were soon pulled and patted into shape again.

The Crocodile was growing more human every day. IN t
In this democratic household where all who chose to come and
live there were sure to be accepted on terms of perfect
equality, the Crocodile's better nature expanded under the
sympathetic treatment. It was not long before he could scar
scarcely tell the diference between himself and a child, and
the funny Mamma would often lift him into her lap, and
only realised her mistake when she found that most of the
Crocodile was still sitting on the floor.

The Crocodile became ambitious, he felt that if he could
not be a child he could at least be as like one as
it was possible to be. Infact the Crocodile wished to go
to school.

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The children were called 1 2 3 4 5 and 6 because
as their funny Mamma said so few children approve of the n
names their parents choose for them when they grow up, she
had not thought it worth while to do anything more than
number them until they were old enough to decide for themse
selves.

So 1 2 3 4 5 and 6 went to the school master and
said "Please Sir, the Crocodile wants to come and be taught".
" Taught what?" said the school-master very hurriedly
"Lessons" said the children, "may it?"
"No" said the school-master
"Please" said the children

"It is quite against the rules to receive pupils with even three legs and as for four! - - It would be a most unseemly example to the children, they would become dissatisfied with the number of legs apportioned to them and would probably quarrel with arithmetic."

"Sir!" said 6 "This Crocodile has no teeth. He is quite accustomed to children. He sleeps in our nursery and lets Mamma tie on his bib."

"Well," said the school-master "you may bring him tomorrow to try, and if he is intelligent enough to pass his exams, which I very much doubt, I will accept him as a pupil."

"Oh, thank you Sir" said all the children, "we promise you the Crocodile will be perfect"

On Monday 1 2 3 4 5 and 6 took the Crocodile to see
a singing - master they waited nicely in the parlour and
did not put their feet on the chairs. When the singing mas-
ter came into the room hegave one look at the Crocodile and
dashing into the garden he climbed up the nearest tree.

The children followed him with the Crocodile and called
to him to come down. The singing master was trembling so
hard that all the apples fell off the tree and the children
were able to fill their pockets. And surrounding the tree
they told the singing master that if he could not give a
singing lesson they could.

" Now " said I, " if " if you're a singing master, sing "
" B & b - bu - but " stammered the singing master
quaking with fear .

" Sing " said 2, " Sing " said 3, " Sing " said 4 and 5
And to each in turn the singing master only answered
" B - b - bu - "

" We are going to stay here till you sing " said 6.
The poor singing master seeing there was no help for him
tried his best, but the words would hardly come and the tree
shook more than ever. He tried to sing " IT's a long way
to Tipperary " which somehow came into his mind, but it
sounded more like somebody after a cold bath.

" Just smile at him, to encourage him " said the children to
the Crocodile .

The Crocodile lifted up his and opening his mouth - - - -
- - . The effect on the singing master was magical, he quit
quite regained his voice and the tree stopped shaking .

"Excuse me" said the singing master " I was just looking for a bird's nest " .

They went into the music room and the singing master sat at the piano and struck a note .

"Sing C" said the singing master .

The Crocodile opened his mouth once more to sing - -
But this time the singing master was just as frightenrd as
before he had been comforted at the sight of his open mouth.
Indeed it was a strange sound the Crocodile made.

"I think" said the singing master " it is a doctor not a
singing master that your friend requires " . And bowed them
to the door .

One day the children had a fine idea . They cut two
fine rows of teeth out of white cardboard and fixed them in
the Crocodile's mouth .

There was a fair in Jollyville and the children had
decided to make their fortune as KNEK well as the Crocodile's
so they put up a tent and hung up a big sign .

"Sixpence tosee six little children put their heads in a
crocodile's mouth. "

The Crocodile who would do anything to please his little
friends, played his part as prettily as possible, and looked
as exceedingly ferocious when they put their heads between
his teeth.

The news of this extrava gant heroism spread through the
fair , everybody came to visit the teht , not only the
thousands of sight seers but also the very stall holders
of the Fair tnemselves .

As you can imagine the children earned a large fortune