showed two rows of sharp, white teeth. In spite of his red coat and
yellow-embroidered vest, his standing collar and carefully tied
cravat, the legs of the octopus were bare, and Trot noticed he used
some of his legs for arms, as in one of them was held a slender cane
and in another a handkerchief.

"Well, well!" said the Octopus. "Are you all dumb? Or don't you know
enough to be civil when you meet a neighbor?"

"We know how to be civil to our friends," replied Trot, who did not
like the way he spoke.

"Well, are we not friends, then?" asked the Octopus in an airy tone
of voice.

"I think not," said the little girl. "Octopuses are horrid
creatures."

"OctoPI, if you please; octoPI," said the monster with a laugh.

"I don't see any pie that pleases me," replied Trot, beginning to
get angry.

"OctoPUS means one of us; two or more are called octoPI," remarked
the creature, as if correcting her speech.

"I suppose a lot of you would be a whole bakery!" she said
scornfully.

"Our name is Latin. It was given to us by learned scientists years