` She bumped a lot , sir , ' said Dan . ` There 's hardly any water this summer . ' ` Ah , the brook was deeper and wider when my children played at Danish pirates . Are you pirate-folk ? ' ` Oh no . We gave up being pirates years ago , ' explained Una . ` We 're nearly always explorers now . Sailing round the world , you know . ' ` Round ? ' said Sir Richard . He sat him in the comfortable crotch of an old ash-root on the bank . ` How can it be round ? ' ` Was n't it in your books ? ' Dan suggested . He had been doing geography at his last lesson . ' I can neither write nor read , ' he replied . ` Canst thou read , child ? ' ` Yes , ' said Dan , ` barring the very long words . ' ` Wonderful ! Read to me , that I may hear for myself . '
XXXXX flushed , but opened the book and began -- gabbling a little -- at ` The Discoverer of the North Cape . '
Canst Dan Danish Richard Una ash-root brook crotch lot summer