Jimmieboy didn't believe the Clam could do all this, and he said so to the Imp, but the Imp told him to "wait and see," and when the boy did wait he certainly did see, for the Clam did everything that was promised, and when Jimmieboy, just to test the resources of the wonderful hat, asked the Clam to bring out three dozen jam tarts, the Clam brought out the three dozen jam tarts--only they were picture jam tarts, and Jimmieboy could only decide that it was a wonderful performance, though he would have liked mightily to taste the tarts, and see if they were as good as they looked. "What comes next?" queried Jimmieboy, as the Clam bowed himself out of the ring. "Listen, and the Book will tell," returned the Imp. The Book resumed: "We now shall have the privilege Of witnessing the Whale Come forth, and set our teeth on edge By standing on his tail. "When this is done, he'll open wide That wondrous mouth of his, And let us see how the inside Of such great creatures is; "And those who wish to take a trip-- Like Jonah took one time-- Can through his mammoth larynx slip For one small silver dime. "For dollars ten, he'll take you to The coast of Labrador, The Arctic Ocean he'll go through For dollars twenty-four; "And should you wish to see the Pole, He'll take you safely there, If you will pay the usual toll-- Ten thousand is the fare." "I'd like to go to the North Pole," said Jimmieboy. "Got ten thousand dollars in your pocket?" queried the Imp, with a snicker. "No; but I've got a dollar in my iron bank," said Jimmieboy; "perhaps he'd take me for that." [Illustration: YOUR EARS WOULD BE FROZEN SOLID.] "Very likely he would," said the Imp. "These circus fellows will do almost anything for money; but when he got you there he would tell you you could stay there until you paid the other $9999; and think how awful that would be. Why, your ears would be frozen solid inside of four weeks." "Is it as cold as that at the Pole?" said Jimmieboy. "Colder!" ejaculated the Imp. "Why, when I was there once I felt chilly in spite of my twenty-eight seal-skin sacques and sixty-seven mufflers, so I decided to build a fire. I got the fagots all ready, lit the match, and what do you suppose happened?" "What?" queried Jimmieboy, in a whisper, for he was a little awed by the Imp's manner. "Wouldn't the match light?" "Worse than that," replied the Imp. "It lit, but before I could touch it to the fagots the flame froze!" Jimmieboy eyed the Imp closely. This seemed to him so like a fairy story, in which the first half is always untrue and the last half imaginary, that he did not exactly know whether the Imp meant him to believe all he said or not. It did him no particular good, though, to scrutinize the Imp's countenance, for that worthy gave not the slightest sign that there was any room for doubt as to the truth of this story; indeed, he continued: