"I don't quite understand that," said Polychrome, with a puzzled
look; "but perhaps it's because I'm accustomed only to the music
of the spheres."
"What's that?" asked Button-Bright.
"Oh, Polly means the atmosphere and hemisphere, I s'pose,"
explained Dorothy.
"Oh," said Button-Bright.
"Bow-wow!" said Toto.
But the musicker was still breathing his constant
Oom, pom-pom; Oom pom-pom--
and it seemed to jar on the shaggy man's nerves.
"Stop it, can't you?" he cried angrily; "or breathe in a whisper;
or put a clothes-pin on your nose. Do something, anyhow!"
But the fat one, with a sad look, sang this answer:
Music hath charms, and it may
Soothe even the savage, they say;
So if savage you feel
Just list to my reel,
For sooth to say that's the real way.
The shaggy man had to laugh at this, and when he laughed he stretched
his donkey mouth wide open. Said Dorothy:
"I don't know how good his poetry is, but it seems to fit the notes,
so that's all that can be 'xpected."
"I like it," said Button-Bright, who was staring hard at the musicker,
his little legs spread wide apart. To the surprise of his companions,
the boy asked this long question:
"If I swallowed a mouth-organ, what would I be?"
"An organette," said the shaggy man. "But come, my dears; I think
the best thing we can do is to continue on our journey before
Button-Bright swallows anything.
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