Taffy was glad of the chance to show off. “Oh, that’s easy. You make up a tale about them. See here. A is the end of a house; it’s just like one with a beam across. B is a cat with his tail curled under him--watch me drawing it. C is an old woman stooping; and D is another cat, only his back is more rounded. Once upon a time, there lived in a cottage an old woman who went about with two cats, one on each side of her--that’s how you go on.” “But I can’t go on. You must do it for me.” “Well, each of these cats had a comb, and was combed every Saturday night. One was a good cat, and kept his comb properly--like E, you see. But the other had broken a tooth out of his--that’s F--” “I expect he was a fulmart,” said Honoria. Taffy agreed. He didn’t know what a fulmart was, but he was not going to confess it. So he went on hurriedly, and Honoria thought him a wonder. They came to W. “So they got into a ship (I’ll show you how to make one out of paper, exactly like W), and sailed up into the sky, for the ship was a Ship of Stars--you make X’s for stars; but that’s a witch-ship; so it stuck fast in Y, which is a cleft ash-stick, and then came a stroke of lightning, Z, and burnt them all up!” He stopped, out of breath. “I don’t understand the ending at all,” said Honoria. “What is a Ship of Stars?” “Haven’t you ever seen one?” “No.” “I have. There’s a story about it--” “Tell me about it.” “I’ll tell you lots of stories afterwards; about the Frog-king and Aladdin and Man Friday and The Girl who trod on a Loaf.” “And the Ship of Stars?” “N--no.” Taffy felt himself blushing. “That’s one of the stories that won’t come--and they’re the loveliest of all,” he added, in a burst of confidence. Honoria thought for a moment, but did not understand in the least. All she said was, “what funny words you use!” She went back to her alphabet--A, house; B, cat. It came more easily now.