, sherealizedthatshemightaswellhaveaskedthewholemountaintomoveasideforherconvenience.
Thedeliciousripplingnoiseofthestreamwasdrivinghernearlyfrantic.
“Willyoupromisenotto—doanythingtome, ifIdocome? ” saidJill.
“Imakenopromise, ” saidtheLion.
Jillwassothirstynowthat, withoutnoticingit, shehadcomeastepnearer.
“Doyoueatgirls? ” shesaid.
“Ihaveswallowedupgirlsandboys, womenandmen, kingsandemperors, citiesandrealms, ” 'tsaythisasifitwereboasting, norasifitweresorry, .
“Idaren'tcomeanddrink, ” saidJill.
“Thenyouwilldieofthirst, ” saidtheLion.
“Ohdear! ” saidJill, cominganotherstepnearer.“IsupposeImustgoandlookforanotherstreamthen.”
“Thereisnootherstream, ” saidtheLion.
ItneveroccurredtoJilltodisbelievetheLion—noonewhohadseenhissternfacecoulddothat—, butshewentforwardtothestream, kneltdown, ,'tneedtodrinkmuchofit, , .
“Comehere, ” , 'tstandthatforlong; shedroppedhereyes.
“HumanChild, ” saidtheLion.“WhereistheBoy? ”
“Hefelloverthecliff, ” saidJill, andadded, “Sir.” Shedidn'tknowwhatelsetocallhim, anditsoundedcheektocallhimnothing.
“Howdidhecometodothat, HumanChild? ”
“Hewastryingtostopmefromfalling, Sir.”
“Whywereyousoneartheedge, HumanChild? ”
“Iwasshowingoff, Sir.”
“Thatisaverygoodanswer, ” (hereforthefirsttimetheLion'sfacebecamealittlelessstern) “.”
“Please, whattask, Sir? ” saidJill.
“ThetaskforwhichIcalledyouandhimhereoutofyourownworld.”
ThispuzzledJillverymuch.“It'smistakingmeforsomeoneelse, ”'tdaretotelltheLionthis, thoughshefeltthingswouldgetintoadreadfulmuddleunlessshedid.
