-- About the Firedrake . OF all the people who did not like Prigio , his own dear papa , King Grognio , disliked him most . For the king knew he was not clever himself . When he was in the counting-house , counting out his money , and when he happened to say , `` Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds , fifteen , '' it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper , `` One pound , ten and twopence , '' -- which , of course , it is . And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire , and get made king himself -- which was the last thing Prigio really wanted . He much preferred to idle about , and know everything without seeming to take any trouble . Well , the king thought and thought . How was he to get Prigio out of the way , and make Enrico or Alphonso his successor ? He read in books about it ; and all the books showed that , if a king sent his three sons to do anything , it was always the youngest who did it , and got the crown . And he wished he had the chance . Well , it arrived at last . -LSB- Illustration : Page 15 -RSB- There was a very hot summer ! It began to be hot in March . ' All the rivers were dried up . The grass did not grow . The corn did not grow . The thermometers exploded with heat . The barometers stood at Set Fair . The people were much distressed , and came and broke the palace win-dows -- as they usually do when things go wrong in Pantouflia . The king consulted the learned men about the Court , who told him that probably a FIREDRAKE was in the neighbourhood .
Now , the Firedrake is a beast , or bird , XXXXX the bigness of an elephant .
For about as at in like of that to with