“I live over there,” said Ho-Lor with pride, pointing to the island with the on it. “Mi-Hy shall row us across, and Gra-Shus shall make us some tea.”  
“Oh! yes,” said Gra-Shus clapping her hands. “And we’ll show Mr. Wallypug our beautiful pet dog—won’t we?”
 
It was impossible not to be interested in these and simple-minded little folk, and after we had all stepped into the little boat and Mi-Hy had pushed off, his Majesty was soon chatting affably with Ho-Lor, who explained that he was a of the Blue Button, and ninety-eighth-cousin-twice-removed to the Emperor of China.
 
We soon reached the opposite bank, and his Majesty having been ceremoniously assisted out of the boat, we a slight hill, and soon found ourselves before Ho-Lor’s residence. To our great surprise we found that it exactly resembled the building so familiar to all who have seen a willow-pattern plate.
 
The tall pillars at the , the quaintly-shaped curly roofs, the little zig-zag fence running along the path, and the curious trees, all seemed to be old friends—while two little islands, one of which was connected to the mainland by a quaint bridge, completed the picture.
 
The two birds, which had by this time finished squabbling about the sandwich, were billing and cooing over our heads, and the sight of them seemed suddenly to convince us of the identity of the spot.
 
“Why, this must be the land of the Willow-pattern plate,” cried his Majesty excitedly.
 
 
“Yes, it is,” admitted Ho-Lor. “Don’t you think it is a very pretty spot?”
 
“Charming,” declared the Wallypug; “I have often wanted to come here.”
 
“The real name of the place,” said Ho-Lor, “is Wer-har-wei, and it is a portion of China; but come, you must see our little dog; I can hear that Mi-Hy has gone to fetch him.”
 
“His name is Kis-Smee,” said Gra-Shus, “and he is such a dear old thing. We’ve had him ever since he was a puppy.”
 
There was a sound of barking, and a confused of chains, which told of a dog being unloosed. A moment afterwards there came bounding out of the house the most extraordinary-looking creature that I have ever .
 
It was a very fat and atrociously animal, bearing but slight resemblance to a dog. Its enormous mouth wore a perpetual grin, and was decorated at the corners with curious little scallops. It was bandy-legged, and its hinder legs were much longer than the front ones. Added to this, the skin on its haunches was wrinkled up into curious kind of rosettes, while its tail was really all sorts of shapes.
 
This beautiful creature came careering down the steps, dragging Mi-Hy with him, and was hailed with delight by Gra-Shus, who cried in endearing tones:
 
“Come along, good dog! Come and speak to the pretty Wallypugs. Good Kis-Smee. Good dog, then!”
 
His Majesty clutched my arm , and retreating behind the carpet-bag, regarded Kis-Smee with a certain amount of suspicion, while I must confess to having experienced a slight feeling of uneasiness myself. For if Kis-Smee took it into his ugly head to object to us, there was no knowing what might be the result.
 
There was no occasion for alarm, however, for Kis-Smee turned out to be one of the mildest and best-behaved of dogs.
 
He made great friends with the Wallypug at once, and clumsily gamboled, or, as his Majesty explained it, “flumped,” about him in the most friendly manner.
 
“He doesn’t take to strangers as a rule,” said Ho-Lor, “but he certainly seems to have taken a fancy to you.”
 
“He is a beautiful creature,” said his Majesty, politely patting the huge animal a little nervously.
 
“Oh! I don’t know about that,” remarked Ho-Lor, looking very pleased nevertheless. “He is of a very rare breed, though.”
 
“What kind of dog do you call him?” I inquired.
 
“He’s a smirkler dog,” replied Ho-Lor proudly.
 
“A what?” I exclaimed.
 
 
“A smirkler. He smirkles for mivlets you know,” was the reply.
 
“Good gracious. What are they?” cried the Wallypug.
 
“Mivlets?” asked Ho-Lor.
 
His Majesty nodded.
 
“Why young mivs, of course.”
 
“But what are mivs?” asked his Majesty .
 
“Things that are smirkled for,” replied Ho-Lor . “But come. I see that Gra-Shus has prepared some tea for us.”
 
We entered the little blue temple and were each presented with a little blue rug, upon which we sat cross-legged, as we observed that Mi-Hy and Ho-Lor were doing. Gra-Shus served us in blue cups what tasted like delicious tea, but which looked exactly like blue ink. No sooner had we taken a few than I noticed that the Wallypug was slowly turning a light blue color, while at the same moment he stared at me a moment, and then exclaimed: “Why, what a funny color you are!”
 
I looked at my hands, and found them a rich blue shade.
 
“We look like the and Cambridge boat race, don’t we?” he continued: “I’m so glad that I’m Cambridge!”
 
I did not at all approve of the change, for although we did not look so very in the midst of our strange surroundings, I could not help thinking what an extraordinary object I should be considered in London if I ever reached that place again.
 
“Oh! Aren’t they pretty now?” exclaimed Gra-Shus, clapping her hands and dancing about excitedly.
 
“I am glad you think so,” I replied, in a huff.
 
“Don’t you like it? Would you rather have been green? We’ve plenty of green tea, you know, if you wish.”
 
“Thanks! I should prefer............