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."If he kept all his promises," Sylvie said, with a mischievouslook in her eyes, "he wasn't like some Boys I know of!""He had to put salt with them, a-course," Bruno said gravely: "ooca'n't keep promises when there isn't any salt.And he kept hisbirthday on the second shelf.""How long did he keep his birthday?" I asked."I never can keep minemore than twenty-four hours.""Why, a birthday stays that long by itself!" cried Bruno."Oodoosn't know how to keep birthdays! This Boy kept his a whole year!""And then the next birthday would begin," said Sylvie."So itwould be his birthday always.""So it were," said Bruno."Doos oo have treats on oor birthday,Mister Sir?""Sometimes," I said."When oo're good, I suppose?""Why, it is a sort of treat, being good, isn't it?" I said."A sort of treat!" Bruno repeated."It's a sort of punishment, Ithink!""Oh, Bruno!" Sylvie interrupted, almost sadly."How can you?""Well, but it is," Bruno persisted."Why, look here, Mister Sir!This is being good!" And he sat bolt upright, and put on an absurdlysolemn face."First oo must sit up as straight as pokers-"Page 79 , Sylvie And Bruno Concluded - Lewis Carroll "-as a poker," Sylvie corrected him.-as straight as pokers," Bruno firmly repeated."Then oo mustclasp oor hands-so.Then- 'Why hasn't oo brushed oor hair? Go andbrush it toreckly!' Then- 'Oh, Bruno, oo mustn't dog's-ear thedaisies!' Did oo learn oor spelling wiz daisies, Mister Sir?""I want to hear about that Boy's Birthday," I said.Bruno returned to the story instantly."Well, so this Boy said'Now it's my Birthday!' And so- I'm tired!" he suddenly broke off,laying his head in Sylvie's lap."Sylvie knows it best.Sylvie'sgrown-upper than me.Go on, Sylvie!"Sylvie patiently took up the thread of the story again."So hesaid 'Now it's my Birthday.Whatever shall I do to keep myBirthday?' All good little Boys-" (Sylvie turned away from Bruno,and made a great pretence of whispering to me) "-all good little Boys-Boys that learn their lessons quite perfect- they always keep theirbirthdays, you know.So of course this little Boy kept his Birthday.""Oo may call him Bruno, if oo like," the little fellow carelesslyremarked."It weren't me, but it makes it more interesting.""So Bruno said to himself 'The properest thing to do is to have aPicnic, all by myself, on the top of the hill.And I'll take someMilk, and some Bread, and some Apples: and first and foremost, Iwant some Milk!' So, first and foremost, Bruno took a milk-pail-""And he went and milkted the Cow!" Bruno put in."Yes," said Sylvie, meekly accepting the new verb."And the Cow said'Moo! What are you going to do with all that Milk?' And Bruno said'Please'm, I want it for my Picnic.' And the Cow said 'Moo! But I hopeyou wo'n't boil any of it?' And Bruno said 'No, indeed I wo'n't! NewMilk's so nice and so warm, it wants no boiling!'""It doesn't want no boiling," Bruno offered as an amended version."So Bruno put the Milk in a bottle.And then Bruno said 'Now Iwant some Bread!' So he went to the Oven, and he took out adelicious new Loaf.And the Oven-"."-ever so light and so puffy!" Bruno impatiently corrected her."Oo shouldn't leave out so many words!"Sylvie humbly apologized."-a delicious new Loaf, ever so lightand so puffy.And the Oven said-" Here Sylvie made a long pause."Really I don't know what an Oven begins with, when it wants tospeak!"Both children looked appealingly at me; but I could only say,helplessly, "I haven't the least idea! I never heard an Oven speak!"For a minute or two we all sat silent; and then Bruno said, verysoftly, "Oven begins wiz 'O'.""Good little boy!" Sylvie exclaimed."He d oes his spelling verynicely.He's cleverer than he knows!" she added, aside, to me."So theOven said 'O! What are you going to do with all that Bread?' And Brunosaid 'Please-' Is an Oven 'Sir' or 'm', would you say?" She lookedto me for a reply."Both, I think," seemed to me the safest thing to say.Sylvie adopted the suggestion instantly."So Bruno said 'Please,Page 80 , Sylvie And Bruno Concluded - Lewis Carroll Sirm, I want it for my Picnic.' And the Oven said 'O! But I hope youwo'n't toast any of it?' And Bruno said, 'No, indeed I wo'n't! NewBread's so light and so puffy, it wants no toasting!'""It never doesn't want no toasting," said Bruno."I wiss oo wouldn'tsay it so short!""So Bruno put the Bread in the hamper.Then Bruno said 'Now I wantsome Apples!' So he took the hamper, and he went to the Apple-Tree,and he picked some lovely ripe Apples.And the Apple-Tree said-"Here followed another long pause.Bruno adopted his favourite expedient of tapping his forehead; whileSylvie gazed earnestly upwards, as if she hoped for some suggestionfrom the birds, who were singing merrily among the branchesoverhead.But no result followed."What does an Apple-Tree begin with, when it wants to speak?" Sylviemurmured despairingly, to the irresponsive birds.At last, taking a leaf out of Bruno's book, I ventured on aremark."Doesn't 'Apple-Tree' always begin with 'Eh!'?""Why, of course it does! How clever of you!" Sylvie crieddelightedly.Bruno jumped up, and patted me on the head.I tried not to feelconceited."So the Apple-Tree said 'Eh! What are you going to do with all thoseApples?' And Bruno said 'Please, Sir, I want them for my Picnic.'And the Apple-Tree said 'Eh! But I hope you wo'n't bake any ofthem?' And Bruno said 'No, indeed I wo'n't! Ripe Apples are so niceand so sweet, they want no baking!'""They never doesn't-" Bruno was beginning, but Sylvie correctedherself before he could get the words out."'They never doesn't nohow want no baking.' So Bruno put theApples in the hamper, along with the Bread, and the bottle of Milk.And he set off to have a Picnic, on the top of the hill, all byhimself-""He wasn't greedy, oo know, to have it all by himself," Brunosaid, patting me on the cheek to call my attention; "'cause hehadn't got no brothers and sisters.""It was very sad to have no sisters, wasn't it?" I said."Well, I don't know," Bruno said thoughtfully; "'cause he hadn'tno lessons to do.So he didn't mind."Sylvie went on."So, as he was walking along the road, he heardbehind him such a curious sort of noise- a sort of a Thump! Thump!Thump! 'Whatever is that?' said Bruno, 'Oh, I know!' said Bruno
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