"You couldn't get Herman and Verman in your ole show."

"No, and I wouldn't want 'em, either!"

"Well, what WOULD you have?" insisted Penrod derisively. "You'd have to
have SUMPTHING--you couldn't be a show yourself!"

"How do YOU know?" This was but meandering while waiting for ideas, and
evoked another yell.

"You think you could be a show all by yourself?" demanded Penrod.

"How do YOU know I couldn't?"

Two white boys and two black boys shrieked their scorn of the boaster.

"I could, too!" Roderick raised his voice to a sudden howl, obtaining a
hearing.

"Well, why don't you tell us how?"

"Well, _I_ know HOW, all right," said Roderick. "If anybody asks you,
you can just tell him I know HOW, all right."

"Why, you can't DO anything," Sam began argumentatively. "You talk
about being a show all by yourself; what could you try to do? Show us
sumpthing you can do."

"I didn't say I was going to DO anything," returned the badgered one,