Worms are as bad, said Anthea, and eels and slugsI think its because we dont like things that havent got legs.
Father says snakes have got legs hidden away inside of them, said Robert.
Yesand he says WEVE got tails hidden away inside usbut it doesnt either of it come to anything REALLY, said Anthea. I hate things that havent any legs.
Its worse when they have too many, said Jane with a shudder, think of centipedes!
They stood there on the pavement, a cause of some inconvenience to the passersby, and thus beguiled the time with conversation. Cyril was leaning his elbow on the top of a hutch that had seemed empty when they had inspected the whole edifice of hutches one by one, and he was trying to reawaken the interest of a hedgehog that had curled itself into a ball earlier in the interview, when a small, soft voice just below his elbow said, quietly, plainly and quite unmistakablynot in any squeak or whine that had to be translatedbut in downright common English
Buy medoplease buy me!
Cyril started as though he had been pinched, and jumped a yard away from the hutch.
Come backoh, come back! said the voice, rather louder but still softly; stoop down and pretend to be tying up your bootlaceI see its undone, as usual.
Cyril mechanically obeyed. He knelt on one knee on the dry, hot dusty pavement, peered into the darkness of the hutch and found himself face to face withthe Psammead!
It seemed much thinner than when he had last seen it. It was dusty and dirty, and its fur was untidy and ragged. It had hunched itself up into a miserable lump, and its long snails eyes were drawn in quite tight so that they hardly showed at all.
Listen, said the Psammead, in a voice that sounded as though it would begin to cry in a minute, I dont think the creature who keeps this shop will ask a very high price for me. Ive bitten him more than once, and Ive made myself look as common as I can. Hes never had a glance from my beautiful, beautiful eyes. Tell the others Im herebut tell them to look at some of those low, common beasts while Im talking to you. The creature inside mustnt think you care much about me, or hell put a price upon me far, far beyond your means. I remember in the dear old days last summer you never had much money. OhI never thought I should be so glad to see youI never did. It sniffed, and shot out its long snails eyes expressly to drop a tear well away from its fur. Tell the others Im here, and then Ill tell you exactly what to do about buying me. Cyril tied his bootlace into a hard knot, stood up and addressed the others in firm tones
Look here, he said, Im not kiddingand I appeal to your honour, an appeal which in this family was never made in vain. Dont look at that hutchlook at the white rat. Now you are not to look at that hutch whatever I say.
He stood in front of it to prevent mistakes.
Now get yourselves ready for a great surprise. In that hutch theres an old friend of oursDONT look!Yes; its the Psammead, the good old Psammead! it wants us to buy it. It says youre not to look at it. Look at the white rat and count your money! On your honour dont look!
The others responded nobly. They looked at the white rat till they quite stared him out of countenance, so that he went and sat up on his hind legs in a far corner and hid his eyes with his front paws, and pretended he was washing his face.
Cyril stooped again, busying himself with the other bootlace and listened for the Psammeads further instructions.
Go in, said the Psammead, and ask the price of lots of other things. Then say, What do you want for that monkey thats lost its tailthe mangy old thing in the third hutch from the end. Ohdont mind MY feelingscall me a mangy monkeyIve tried hard enough to look like one! I dont think hell put a high price on meIve bitten him eleven times since I came here the day before yesterday. If he names a bigger price than you can afford, say you wish you had the money.
But you cant give us wishes. Ive promised never to have another wish from you, said the bewildered Cyril.
Dont be a silly little idiot, said the Sand-fairy in trembling but affectionate tones, but find out how much money youve got between you, and do exactly what I tell you.
Cyril, pointing a stiff and unmeaning finger at the white rat, so as to pretend that its charms alone employed his tongue, explained matters to the others, while the Psammead hunched itself, and bunched itself, and did its very best to make itself look uninteresting. Then the four children filed into the shop.
How much do you want for that white rat? asked Cyril.
Eightpence, was the answer.
And the guinea-pigs?
Eighteenpence to five bob, according to the breed.
And the lizards?
Ninepence each.
And toads?
Fourpence. Now look here, said the greasy owner of all this caged life with a sudden ferocity which made the whole party back hurriedly on to the wainscoting of hutches with which the shop was lined. Lookee here. I aint agoin to have you a comin in here a turnin the whole place outer winder, an prizing every animile in the stock just for your larks, so dont think it! If youre a buyer, BE a buyerbut I never had a customer yet as wanted to buy mice, and lizards, and toads, and guineas all at once. So hout you goes.
Oh! wait a minute, said the wretched Cyril, feeling how foolishly yet well-meaningly he had carried out the Psammeads instructions. Just tell me one thing. What do you want for the mangy old monkey in the third hutch from the end?
The shopman only saw in this a new insult.
Mangy young monkey yourself, said he; get along with your blooming cheek. Hout you goes!
Oh! dont be so cross, said Jane, losing her head altogether, dont you see he really DOES want to know THAT!
Ho! does e indeed, sneered the merchant. Then he scratched his ear suspiciously, for he was a sharp business man, and he knew the ring of truth when he heard it. His hand was bandaged, and three minutes before he would have been glad to sell the mangy old monkey for ten shillings. NowHo! e does, does e, he said, then two pun tens my price. Hes not got his fellow that monkey aint, nor yet his match, not this side of the equator, which he comes from. And the only one ever seen in London. Ought to be in the Zoo. Two pun ten, down on the nail, or hout you goes!
The children looked at each othertwenty-three shillings and fivepence was all they had in the world, and it would have been merely three and fivepence, but for the sovereign which Father had given to them between them at parting. Weve only twenty-three shillings and fivepence, said Cyril, rattling the money in his pocket.
Twenty-three farthings and somebodys own cheek, said the dealer, for he did not believe that Cyril had so much money.
There was a miserable pause. Then Anthea remembered, and said
Oh! I WISH I had two pounds ten.
So do I, Miss, Im sure, said the man with bitter politeness; I wish you ad, Im sure!
Antheas hand was on the counter, something seemed to slide under it. She lifted it. There lay five bright half sovereigns.
Why, I HAVE got it after all, she said; heres the money, now lets have the Sammy, the monkey I mean.
The dealer looked hard at the money, but he made haste to put it in his pocket.