CHORUS The queer old Equator, The dear old Equator, The quaint old Equator That ran round the world. From sunset to moonset I look for it vainly, I seek it at noontide, I hunt it at dawn; And when I don’t find it I see very plainly, Too plainly, alas, that it’s probably gone! I bade it good-night with the fondest affection, And lay down beside it to take a brief nap, But leaving no clew that could lead to detection The queer old Equator slid right off the map. CHORUS The queer old Equator, The dear old Equator, The quaint old Equator, Slid right off the map. [Illustration: “Now, Sir, where is that Equator?”] Directly the song was finished Nimbus strode up to the Equine Ox and, shaking his fist angrily at him, demanded: “Now, sir, where is that Equator?” “That’s the question,” said the Equine Ox; “where is he? Who knows the answer?” Then seeing Billy, he added: “Maybe you do!” “Why, no, sir,” replied Billy in confusion. “I don’t. Not at all.” “Pay no attention to him,” said Nimbus. “He’s merely trying to avert suspicion from himself.” Then turning to the Equine Ox, he proceeded: “Tell us how he got away. Be quick, there is no time to lose.” “Oh, yes, there is,” said the Equine Ox; “any quantity of it! I lose a great deal every day and hope to lose a great deal more. As for finding time, now that is another----” “How did the Equator get away?” said Nimbus sternly. “Well, you see, it was this way. Night fell on the tropics and the tropics broke.” “Ho, ho!” exclaimed the conductor. “That’s a joke. Ho, ho!” “What is the gentleman angry about?” uneasily asked the Equine Ox, who always laughed when he was angry. “Nothing,” said Nimbus; “go ahead with your explanation.” “Then a few waves broke,” continued the Equine Ox, “and then day broke and, well--what could the Equator do but break, too?” “Did you sit on it?” asked Billy eagerly. The Equine Ox regarded him gravely. “Did you ever sit on an Equator?” he asked. “Why, no,” said Billy, embarrassed. “I didn’t.” “Neither did I,” said the Equine Ox. “Far be it from me to sit on an Equator when it is going anywhere.” “So it’s completely gone, has it?” asked Nimbus. “Which way did it go?” “Shall I answer both of those questions first?” said the Equine Ox. “I’ll answer the last,” volunteered the Evening Star. “It went south and slipped off the South Pole. I saw it.” Nimbus fell back with a groan and Billy ran forward to catch him. The motorman and conductor gathered around. “Jab him in the ribs with the crank handle,” suggested the conductor. “It’s the way we do when they faints on the car.” But Nimbus revived before this became necessary. “It gave me such a start,” he said. “The Equator’s got a better one,” said the Equine Ox. “Everything’s easy once you get a start,” commented the motorman.