as long as mine?"

"No," replied Marmaduke, "they were short like these," and he showed
him his own hands.

"Pss-ss-iss-sst!" said Choo Choo Choo in disgust, "he couldn't have
been so very honorable then. I guess we'd better behead you without
any more argument."

He looked around at the sky and so did Marmaduke. It was very pretty
and blue, and the road looked very white and inviting, the tea-bushes
very lovely and green.

"It's just the right weather for beheading," remarked Choo Choo Choo,
"soldiers, are your swords very sharp?" and he patted the snake made
of pennies that curved up the white road.

Marmaduke was certainly in danger now, but he kept his head so as not
to lose it. And he found an idea in it.

The idea was this:--

Before he had left the Coal-Giant in the Pit in the centre of the
earth, the Giant had told him, if he ever needed an earthquake to help
him out, to call on him. All Marmaduke was to do was to tap on the
earth three times with his right foot, three times with his left, and
three times more, standing on his head. Then he was to run away. The
Giant had promised to allow five minutes so that Marmaduke and his
friends could get to safety.