At this moment a farmer, with bright red hair, thrust his head in at the grating, and calling out, "Here comes Gobobbles!" disappeared again; and Davy and the Goblin rushed out, and were just in time to see Gobobbles go by like a flash, with a crowd of people armed with pitchforks in hot pursuit. Gobobbles was going in fine style, bounding over the hedges and stone-walls like a kangaroo, and thumping vigorously, as usual, with his wings, and Davy and the Goblin were just setting off on a run to join in the chase, when a voice said, "Ahem!" and, looking up, they saw Badorful staring at them over the top of the wall. "How does _this_ strike you?" he said, addressing himself to Davy:-- _Although I am a giant of the exhibition size, I've been nicely educated, and I notice with surprise That the simplest rules of etiquette you don't pretend to keep, For you skurry off to races while a gentleman's asleep._ _Don't reply that I was drowsy, for my nap was but a kind Of dramatic illustration of a peaceful frame of mind; And you really might have waited till I woke again, instead Of indelicately pounding, with a stone, upon my head._ _Very probably you'll argue that our views do not agree,-- I've often found that little boys have disagreed with me,-- But I'm properly entitled, on the compensation plan, To three times as much politeness as an ordinary man._ Davy was greatly distressed at having these severe remarks addressed to him. "If you please, sir," he said earnestly, "_I_ didn't pound you." At this the giant glared savagely at the Goblin, and continued:-- _My remarks have been directed at the one who, I supposed, Had been violently thumping on my person while I dozed; By a simple calculation, you will find that there is due Just six times as much politeness from a little chap like you._ "Oh! you make me ill!" said the Goblin, flippantly. "Go to sleep." Badorful stared at him for a moment, and then, with a sickly smile, murmured, "Good-afternoon," and disappeared behind the wall. Davy and the Goblin now hurried off in pursuit of Gobobbles, and presently came upon the crowd of farmers who had joined hands in a ring, and were dancing around a large white object lying on the ground. Davy pushed his way eagerly through the crowd, expecting to see Gobobbles; but the white object proved to be the Cockalorum hemmed in by a ring of pitchforks sticking in the ground, and with his feathers more rumpled than ever. "Dear me!" exclaimed Davy, perfectly amazed, "I thought we were chasing Gobobbles!" "Of course you did," said the Goblin, complacently; "but in this part of the world things very often turn out to be different from what they would have been if they hadn't been otherwise than as you expected they were going to be."