The dogs bounded along in the best of spirits, and even the camel seemed less a prey than usual to that proud melancholy which you must have noticed in your visits to the Zoo as his most striking quality.
It was certainly very grand to ride on a camel, and Lucy tried not to think how difficult it would be to get on and off.

The parrot was interesting too.

It talked extremely well.

Of course you understand that, if you can only make a parrot understand, it can tell you everything you want to know about other animals; because it understands _their_ talk quite naturally and without being made.

The present parrot declined ordinary conversation, and when questioned only recited poetry of a rather dull kind that went on and on.