Sara thought they were the most pompous lot she had ever seen. However,
since they were officers and units, she could imagine that they might
have some excuse; but what possible excuse could there be for conceit
in the Fractions, every one of whom had something missing about him?
Some of them, of course, lacked only an ear or a little finger; but
numbers of them had only one leg or one arm, and many of them were
much worse off! Why, at the farthest side of the Three-Times table
Sara saw a Fraction who consisted entirely of one eye!

There was one table, to be sure, the Eleven-Times, the noisiest of all,
that was occupied entirely by Improper Fractions; but aside from their
table-manners and general behavior, which were shocking, Sara thought
they looked even worse than the proper ones. For one of them had two
faces, another three feet, and a third one had as many arms as an
octopus. Sara positively refused to look at them.

While Sara stood gazing in horror and dismay, and feeling so grieved
for her friends that she could not bring herself to ask anybody what
had happened or what could be done, she saw Schlorge coming at a run
down the path from the Dimplesmithy. He looked as wild and distracted
as any of them, but Sara felt a great relief when she saw him, because
she knew he was so clever and practical. She felt, too, that she could
ask him what the trouble was and he could bear it--better than the
Teacup, for instance, who, she feared, would go all to pieces, or the
Echo of the Plynck, who was clearly all in. So she ran up to him and
touched his elbow and asked, almost crying, "What is it, Schlorge? How
did it happen?"

Schlorge, even in his excitement, was comforted by her sympathy, and
evidently very glad to see another ally. "Why--a--" he began, and then,