The united efforts of the Little Panjandrum's suite (who had by this time returned, having been assured that the creatures which had so alarmed them had been rendered harmless) soon succeeded in overthrowing Cupid from his pedestal, and after a great deal of pulling, pushing, and straining, the Dodo, still posing in his grotesque attitude, was stuck up in his place. "There must be an inscription," said the Ambassador, and, rummaging about in his pockets, he brought forth a piece of black crayon. "THE DODO, NOW FORTUNATELY EXTINCT," he wrote in large letters, and then stood back to admire the effect. [Illustrastion: The Dodo's Monument.] The Little Panjandrum beamed approval, and calling together his suite, the Black Attendant once more raised the State Umbrella over His Importance's head, and the tom-tom and Jew's harp began their strange music, while the Ambassador took a hurried leave of the children, and the cortege passed out of sight. Fainter and fainter grew the sound of the instruments, and the children, somewhat alarmed at being left all alone, were half undecided whether to follow or not, when their attention was called to a smothered giggling at the back of them. Turning around, they beheld the Dodo holding his hands to his sides, and shaking with suppressed laughter. "Ho! ho! ho!" he laughed, dancing about on the pedestal, "haven't I tricked them beautifully? _Turned to stone! The Dodo, now fortunately extinct!_ Ha! ha! ha! he! he! _what_ a lark! They'll find I'm not so extinct as they think." And, jumping down, he made a grimace in the direction in which the Little Panjandrum and suite had vanished. "I think I've got the best of them _this_ time," he continued, triumphantly. "But come, let's get out of this as soon as possible. You want to get to London, don't you? Let's start at once, if not sooner." "But, I say, what are we going to do for money?" said Dick. "One can't get to London without that, you know." "Oh, we'll find a way somehow," said the Dodo, hopefully. "Come along." So the children all trudged back to the Palace again. Fidge, who was very glad to see his old friend the Dodo restored to life again, wouldn't leave his side, but trotted along with him, chatting merrily. "Ah!" said the Dodo, as they went up the steps leading into the great hall, "there's my old friend the Missionary; perhaps he will be able to help us out of our difficulty." And going up to the gentleman, he gave him a playful pat on the shoulder, and exclaimed, pleasantly-- "Here we are again, you see!" The Missionary started nervously, and peered at the Dodo through his glasses. "Oh--er--how do you do?" he cried, hurriedly, giving a rather startled glance all round him. "Are your other friends with you?" [Illustration:"'You're very good,' said the Dodo."] "Oh, you mean the Eteraedarium, and the Palaeotherium. No--they--er, they've met with a rather nasty accident. They've been turned into stone."