So it came to pass that Baby Grimstone was born in a hurry as the caravans were entering Ryecester, before there was time to send for a doctor. Good Mrs Jollyman, who had heard on the road that her pet Fanny was ill, was Mrs Grimstone's nurse. As soon as she had heard of what was likely to happen, she had hurried to the caravan with a chimney sticking out of it, in which Mrs Grimstone lay.

It is this baby Grimstone-afterwards called Jollyman Grimstone, in honour of his godfather and godmother-whose adventures I am going to relate.

CHAPTER II.

JOLLYMAN GRIMSTONE AND the lion king.

ABY GRIMSTONE became Jollyman Grim

BABY

stone in Ryecester. He was not a very strong baby, and accordingly Mrs Jollyman, who prided herself on being a strict churchwoman, insisted on his being taken to St Runwold's to be christened on the second Sunday the menagerie stayed in Ryecester.

Bob had faithfully promised to act as one godfather; he had even dressed himself, with many grumbles, in his smartest Sunday best, professedly for that purpose; but when good-natured Mr and Mrs Jollyman, Fanny, and Baby were ready for church, Bob was nowhere to be found. The Lion King, who was as good-natured as Mr and Mrs

Jollyman, condescendingly volunteered to take his place; and so Baby Grimstone became Jollyman Grimstone under very distinguished auspices.

I think that is nearly all I need tell you about his baby days-the boys amongst you, at any rate. They, I fancy, would not be greatly interested in hearing how little Jollyman cut his teeth, and began to toddle, and say, "Mum-ma," and had the measles, and the whooping-cough, and so on.

It will be enough to say that Bob Grimstone cared very little for his baby boy, and that Fanny cared a very great deal for him, and good Mrs Jollyman, who had never had any children of her own, almost more. Mr Jollyman and the Lion King had generally a smile and a chirp and a tickle for the little fellow when they came across him, because they were his godfathers; and little Jollyman was also a favourite with most of the rest of the menagerie people, because he was a merry little chap, and had been born in the menagerie, like a lion's cub.

Little Jollyman loved his mother dearly, and he was very fond of the godfather and godmother who had given him that name in his baptism; but the person whom he thought the greatest person in the whole world was M. Sohier, the Lion King.

M. Sohier was a big, good-looking, as well as good-natured, Frenchman, broad in the shoulders, narrow in the flanks, without an ounce of superfluous fat, but of muscle as hard as an oak log.

When little Jollyman's mother read to him about Daniel, little Jollyman had a hazy idea that Daniel was the father, or grandfather, or some other near kinsman of M. Sohier; for M. Sohier, like Daniel, came unhurt out of the lion's den. M. Sohier also went into the leopard's cage, and made the lithe, beautiful, treacherous-eyed creatures leap through hoops, and over his arm, and over his whip. He sometimes had to bring down the loaded butt-end of his whip as well as the lash on his spotted dancing-pupils.

Little Jollyman used to collect cats and kittens,

B

and try to go through similar performances with them, except that he never struck them; partly, perhaps, because he was afraid that they would bite and scratch him if he did, but chiefly because he was so fond of every kind of beast and bird that he could not bear to give them any pain. One day M. Sohier saw little Jollyman performing with his cats.

"A-ha!" said the Frenchman. "Ver good, três bien, my leetle boy, my leetle godson. But you must vheep, or dey no mind, my leetle godson. Nous autres, ve'ave to vheep your Breetannick leopard before he minds. Dis is de vay."

And M. Sohier proceeded to put the cats through their exercise, but found, to his astonishment, that little Jollyman could manage them better than he could.

"Par example!" he cried. "Vat will his fazer make vid my leetle godson, Madame Greemstun? Vat you veesh for your métier, my leetle boy-vat trade you be? Comprenez vous?"