CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
In former days,--that is to say, once upon a time,--there lived in the Land of Gramble-Blamble seven families.

They lived by the side of the great Lake Pipple-Popple (one of the seven families, indeed, lived _in_ the lake), and on the outskirts of the city of Tosh, which, excepting when it was quite dark, they could see plainly.

The names of all these places you have probably heard of; and you have only not to look in your geography-books to find out all about them.
Now, the seven families who lived on the borders of the great Lake Pipple-Popple were as follows in the next chapter..