But a time will come , O Babe of Tegumai , when we shall make letters -- all twenty-six of 'em , -- and when we shall be able to read as well as to write , and then we shall always say exactly what we mean without any mistakes . Let the Neolithic ladies wash the mud out of the stranger 's hair . ' ' I shall be glad of that , ' said Taffy , ` because , after all , though you 've brought every single other spear in the Tribe of Tegumai , you 've forgotten my Daddy 's black-handled spear . ' Then the Head Chief cried and said and sang , ` Taffy dear , the next time you write a picture-letter , you 'd better send a man who can talk our language with it , to explain what it means . I do n't mind it myself , because I am a Head Chief , but it 's very bad for the rest of the Tribe of Tegumai , and , as you can see , it surprises the stranger . ' Then they adopted the Stranger-man -LRB- a genuine Tewara of Tewar -RRB- into the Tribe of Tegumai , because he was a gentleman and did not make a fuss about the mud that the Neolithic ladies had put into his hair . But from that day to this -LRB- and I suppose it is all Taffy 's fault -RRB- , very few little girls have ever liked learning to read or write . Most of them prefer to draw pictures and play about with their Daddies -- just like Taffy . THERE runs a road by Merrow Down -- A grassy track to-day it is An hour out of Guildford town , Above the river Wey it is . Here , when they heard the horse-bells ring , The ancient Britons dressed and rode To watch the dark Phoenicians bring Their goods along the Western Road . And here , or hereabouts , they met To hold their racial talks and such -- To barter beads for Whitby jet , And tin for gay shell torques and such . But long and long before that time -LRB- When bison used to roam on it -RRB- Did Taffy and her Daddy climb That down , and had their home on it . Then beavers built in Broadstone brook And made a swamp where Bramley stands : And hears from Shere would come and look For Taffimai where Shamley stands . The Wey , that Taffy called Wagai , Was more than six times bigger then ; And all the Tribe of Tegumai They cut a noble figure then ! HOW THE ALPHABET WAS MADE THE week after Taffimai Metallumai -LRB- we will still call her Taffy , Best Beloved -RRB- made that little mistake about her Daddy 's spear and the Stranger-man and the picture-letter and all , she went carp-fishing again with her Daddy . Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home and help hang up hides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their Neolithic Cave , but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early , and they fished . Presently she began to giggle , and her Daddy said , ` Do n't be silly , child . ' ` But was n't it inciting ! ' said Taffy . ` Do n't you remember how the Head Chief puffed out his cheeks , and how funny the nice Stranger-man looked with the mud in his hair ? '
` Well do I , ' said XXXXX . '
Britons Metallumai Neolithic Stranger-man Taffy Tegumai day drying-poles horse-bells picture-letter