"Oh, don't you, indeed!" said Gobobbles. "Well, then, _I_ don't mind having _you_ go!" and here he began hopping his chair forward in such a threatening manner that Davy turned and walked away with as much dignity as he could assume. As he went around the corner of the house again he found himself in a pleasant lane, bordered on either side by a tall hedge, and, as he was now out of sight of Gobobbles, he started off on a gentle run by way of getting out of the neighborhood as soon as possible. Before he had gone a dozen steps, however, he heard a thumping sound behind him, and, looking back, he saw, to his dismay, that Gobobbles had in some way got loose from his high chair, and was coming after him, thumping himself in a perfect frenzy. In fact, his appearance was so formidable that Davy did not pause for a second look, but started off at the top of his speed. Gobobbles, however, proved himself to be a capital runner, and, in spite of all Davy's efforts, he could hear the dreadful thumping sound coming nearer and nearer, until it seemed to be just at his heels. At this instant something sprang upon his back; but, before he could cry out in his terror, a head was suddenly thrust over his shoulder, and he found the Goblin, who was now of a bright purple color, staring him in the face and laughing with all his might. CHAPTER VI. THE GIANT BADORFUL. "Goblin," said Davy, very seriously, as the little man jumped down from off his back, "if you are going to play such tricks as _that_ upon me I should like to go home at once." "Where's the harm?" said the Goblin, sitting down on the grass with his back against a wall and smiling contentedly. "The harm is that I thought it was Gobobbles," said Davy, indignantly. "Oh, you needn't be afraid of Gobobbles!" said the Goblin. "He's got all that he can attend to, taking care of himself. You see, he's wanted for Christmas, but why anybody should want _him_ to eat is more than I can understand. Why, he's seventy years old if he's a day, and as indigestible as an old cork." Just at this moment a loud, rumbling noise, like distant thunder, came from behind the wall against which the Goblin was leaning, followed by a tremendous sneeze, that fairly shook the ground. "What's that?" whispered Davy to the Goblin, in great alarm. "It's only Badorful," said the Goblin, laughing. "He's always snoring and waking himself up, and I suppose it's sleeping on the ground that makes him sneeze. Let's have a look at him;" and the Goblin led the way along the wall to a large grating.