He tried to grab hold of them, but he fell, and Wienerwurst after him,
right plump among the pigtails, landing on the three Chinamen way down
in the hole, and knocking them flat on their backs until their feet
with the funny black slippers kicked in the air.

Then they all got up and rubbed their tummies under the blue pajamas.

"Velly wude little Mellican boy," said the first little Chinaman,
whose name was Ping Pong.

"Velly bad manners," said the second, who was called Sing Song.

"You beggy our pardon," the third, whose name was Ah See.

Now Marmaduke intended to do that very thing--that is, beg their
pardon, for he was very polite for an American boy.

"I'm very sorry--I didn't mean to hurt you," he explained, "I just
fell down that hole."

At this he looked up the sides of the hole. It seemed as if he were at
the bottom of a great round stove-pipe, or a well with brown sides.
Far, far above him was a little circle of light blue, the top of the
hole where he had fallen in.

After he had begged their pardon so nicely, the three little yellow
men said, all together,--

"Little Mellican boy velly politely; he has honorable ancestors."