Only two people can play chess at once with one set of chessmen (and anyway it's very much too much like lessons for a game), and only one can ride on a rocking-horse.

Suddenly, in the midst of the discussion, the Phoenix spread its wings and fluttered to the floor, and from there it spoke.
'I gather,' it said, 'from the carpet, that it wants you to let it go to its old home, where it was born and brought up, and it will return within the hour laden with a number of the most beautiful and delightful products of its native land.' 'What IS its native land ?' 'I didn't gather.

But since you can't agree, and time is passing, and the tea-things are not washed down--I mean washed up--' 'I votes we do,' said Robert.

'It'll stop all this jaw, anyway.

And it's not bad to have surprises.