Now Gollup wasn’t sure what just happened though he was now on his way to Wunderlingshire Township again, though rather not sure of the mixed company. Now although he was prepared for casual crossing of mixed company he had rather only thought in terms of those coming from Wunderlingshire Township and as there were no other creatures on the road assumed that he would not run across any other creatures on the way to Wunderlingshire Township (having carefully looked both left and right to confirm that there were neither anyone ahead of him, or behind him on his little walk on the road). Of course, he had to admit the mopsies (as there were more than 1) do indeed move very very quickly for suck slight creatures, more little than he.

For they were scurrying about all around him in a rather not uniform pattern of up and down and left and right, and round and round as he walked or attempted to walk – without tripping over a tiny mopsy running around in front and behind – he was given the chance to actually view and absorb a mopsy in order to commit them to memory, as gollups tend to do (of which gollup is no longer the only one, however, having not heard that he wasn’t the only one, still personally, continues to be the only one).

Of course all of this was amidst the chitter chatter of perpetual sound coming from each and every mouth of the Toodle family….

Now mopsies have rather longish bodies for such little creatures, and dainty little paws, with thin manicured fingers of perfectly pointy little nails, although the little ones tended to scurry on all fours, were quite clean, and Gollup supposed that they must move so quickly as to barely touch the ground at all.

He found their ears to be quite cute in a dainty little way as they poked through the top hats that were worn by Ceedee and Barlet Toodle, and thought that Meedee, Needee and Sesha looked positively regal with their floral bands to hold their heads (as it didn’t seem that there was much hair except for the short hair across all of the extremities which Gollup could see, without appearing to look in an obvious manner (never having seen another creature before).

He did however find it quite odd that they would scurry forward, and stop and stand on their hind legs (as befitting their manner of dress) and seem to bend almost without bones to reach forward into the air while twitching their little snouts with their whiskers moving up and down, and then run back and circle the rest of the mopsies (and Gollup as he was in their midst), for it was just silly to run forward and then come back to just circle and run forward again, however, as this didn’t seem to disturb Barlet and Sesha (who was carrying Meedee – to whom Gollup had given a spot of honey tea).

Now during this entire observation of the Toodles, Gollup was predisposed to “hmm!” and “ohhh!” and “ahhh” and “hmmm” as Barlet Toodle had not at all stopped chattering the entire time, not waiting for a response and seeming to answer his own questions of Gollup, seeming more happy to just have another creature along to speak at than actually be involved in conversation.

Some of what Barlet Toodle said was
“We have to purchase new clothes for the children,
how they grow up so quick is bewilderin,
for it seems that just yesterday Meedee was born,
but look can’t you see how she’s grown?

I’m a gatherer by trade though not foreman you see,
as I’ve not enough time logged on the corporate tree,
but worry you not for i can cover this lot,
my I’m thinking of lunch can you see a good spot?”

“so what about you?
can you tell me whats new?
Visiting friends in the town?
oh how nosey I’ve grown,

just forget what I’ve said,
please you should share instead,
and sometimes forgetting,
my manners are slipping!”

and on and on and on, went Barlet, while the children ran in circles and up ahead, and then again and then behind, as Sesha and Meedee cuddle and nuzzled and spoke to each other.

Well all of this was rather overwhelming for poor Gollup, the movement, the constant chattering, and it was having a dizzying affect on the poor little gollup and the idea of lunch, as suggested by Barlet struck Gollup as an excellent idea. After all if he was going to be surrounded by this much motion the entire trip to Wunderlingshire, than indeed he would have to eat much more sweets than he had in his midmorning snack.

However, as he was about to speak up Sesha suddenly piped up with,

“oh look up ahead!
shall we stop there instead?
i’ve a bit of a growel,
deep deep in my bowel,
and i must have a bite,
or i’ll faint as from fright,
so now children stay close!
oh now where is that toast?”

as they seemed to move to a little area that is set at the side of the road to Wunderlingshire just for such events as stopping for a bit of lunch. With a few picnic tables and appropriate shade and sinks and cloths for washing and cloths for drying.