Ellen's Lion by Crockett Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

can hide.”
    Before the lion could argue about it Ellen snatched him up and put him in the bottom drawer of the bureau, on top of a pile of clothes. She had to press him down hard to get the drawer closed. Even so it would not close all the way. The lion’s tail was caught and half of it hung down outside the drawer.

    â€œOuch,” said the lion when Ellen finally noticed what the trouble was.
    â€œBe quiet,” she whispered. “Here comes the policeman.”
    â€œHello, Ellen,” the policeman said. “Where is the lion? I have come to put him in a cage in the zoo.”
    â€œYou are too late,” Ellen told him, standing in front of the bureau so he would not see the lion’s tail. “The lion jumped out of the window.”
    â€œOh.” The policeman sounded disappointed. “Then I cannot put him in the zoo.”
    â€œNo,” said Ellen, shaking her head.
    â€œGood-bye,” said the policeman, and he went away. Ellen opened the drawer and took out the lion. She squeezed him all over to unflatten him. But there wasn’t much she could do about the kink in his tail.
    â€œAnyway, you’re safe now, thanks to me,” she said as she made him comfortable on the arm of the big chair. “And you can live here happily ever after.”

TWO PAIRS OF EYES
    â€œI wish I had a drink of water,” said Ellen in the middle of the night.
    â€œWell, get one,” said the lion, from the other end of the pillow.
    â€œI’m afraid,” Ellen said.
    â€œOf what?” said the lion.
    â€œOf things,” said Ellen.
    â€œWhat kind of things?” said the lion.
    â€œFrightening things,” Ellen said. “Things I can’t see in the dark. They always follow along behind me.”
    â€œHow do you know?” said the lion. “If you can’t see them—”
    â€œI can’t see them because they’re always behind me,” said Ellen. “When I turn around they jump behind my back.”
    â€œDo you hear them?” asked the lion.
    â€œThey never make a sound,” Ellen said, shivering. “That’s the worst part of it.”
    The lion thought for a moment.
    â€œHmm,” he said.
    â€œThey’re awful,” Ellen continued.
    â€œEllen,” the lion said, “I don’t think there are any such things.”
    â€œOh, no? Then how can they scare me?” said Ellen indignantly. “They’re terribly scary things.”
    â€œThey must be exceedingly scary,” said the lion.
    â€œIf they keep hiding in back of you they can’t be very brave.”
    Ellen frowned at the lion. Then she considered what he had said.
    â€œI guess they’re not very brave,” she agreed. “They wouldn’t dare bother me if I could look both ways at the same time.”
    â€œYes,” said the lion. “But who has two pairs of eyes?”
    â€œTwo people have,” Ellen said, staring up at where the ceiling was when it wasn’t so dark. “I wouldn’t be afraid to go down the hall for a drink of water if I was two people.”
    Suddenly she reached out for the lion, dragged him to her, and looked him in the eyes.
    â€œMine are buttons,” he said. “They’re sewn on. I can’t see very well in the dark.”
    â€œNobody can,” Ellen whispered as she got out of bed. “But the things don’t know that.”
    â€œHow do you know they don’t know?” said the lion.
    â€œI know all about them,” said Ellen. “After all, I made them up in my head, didn’t I?”
    â€œAh,” said the lion. “I said there were no such things.”
    â€œBut of course there are,” Ellen said. “I just told you I made them up myself.”
    â€œYes,” the lion said. “But—”
    â€œSo I should know, shouldn’t I?” said Ellen, putting the lion up on her shoulder so that he faced behind her.