innocent thing as a choomer, Ursula?"

"Innocent thing, do you call it, brother?"

"The world calls it so, Ursula. Well, do the people who give you
the fine things never expect a choomer in return?"

"Very frequently, brother."

"And do you ever grant it?"

"Never, brother."

"How do you avoid it?"

"I gets away as soon as possible, brother. If they follows me, I
tries to baffle them, by means of jests and laughter; and if they
persist, I uses bad and terrible language, of which I have plenty
in store."

"But if your terrible language has no effect?"

"Then I screams for the constable, and if he comes not, I uses my
teeth and nails."

"And are they always sufficient?"

"I have only had to use them twice, brother; but then I found them
sufficient."