The duck had beans and buttered toast And sugar in her tea; The crane had macaroni soup And apples, two or three. The speckled hen had spinach, too, And marmalade and meat; The chicks had cakes and malted milk, As well as cream of wheat. A splendid supper had they all, As much as they could wish; They emptied every single plate And cleared off every dish. And when they'd eaten all they could, They stood up in a row, And made a bow to Margaret, For it was time to go. 'We're very much obliged,' they said. 'We're very glad we came'. The duck, the crane, the hen, the chicks, They each one said the same. And when they all got home again Upon the hill so steep, They tucked their heads beneath their wings And quickly went to sleep. For, Oh! For, Oh! We're out for a regular spree, And you shall have anything else you like If only you'll come to tea." At the end of the song, while everybody was applauding and crying, "Encore," the dragon, with his tail hung over his arm, waltzed round and round in a solemn manner until he was out of breath, when he sat down with his back against the tower and fanned himself with the music. "Very good song," said the King. "Does you credit, Drum Major. Now, get your breath again and sing us another. Something about Frances this time." "Please do," begged Frances, coming forward with Periwinkle under her arm. "Something about me and Periwinkle--or is that _too_ difficult?" "Not at all," replied Lobsterneck. "Simplest thing possible. Just a moment." So saying, he took his fountain pen from behind his ear, and spreading the music on the door-step of the tower, he scratched out "Margaret's Tea Party", and wrote instead, "Frances and the Spotted Pup." Having done so, he sat up straight once more, tucked his pen behind his ear, thumped his chest two or three times, just to see if his scales were in tune, and began again: "One summer day as Frances went A-walking up the street, She met a little spotted pup Who had a piece of meat. Said Frances to the spotted pup, 'If you eat all of that, I greatly fear, my little Dear, You'll grow a deal too fat'." Once more everybody joined in the chorus, though the words were almost entirely different: "For, Oh! For, Oh! There surely is no question, That if you gobble your meals too fast You'll have the indigestion." With his eye fixed on Periwinkle, as if to remind him that he was the subject of his song, the dragon went on: "The spotted pup, he shut one eye And gave a little squeak. He could not talk, because his mouth Was much too full to speak. And then that foolish spotted pup-- I wonder he could do it-- He swallowed that great piece of meat And never thought to chew it.