The Snoogle was a creature quite unlike anything Peter and Mollie had ever seen. It had a long scaly back, three yellow eyes, and bright green spots all along its tail. When the children first spotted it in the shady wood, they held very still. It slithered slowly out from under a fallen log and blinked at them, curious rather than cross. Peter was ready to run. The Snoogle looked, at first glance, absolutely fierce. Its small pointed teeth showed whenever it opened its mouth, and its tail flicked from side to side as though it were about to strike. Mollie clutched Peter's sleeve. Even Chinky held his breath for a moment. Then Chinky burst out laughing. "A Snoogle!" he cried. "A real live Snoogle! They look terrible but they are quite harmless — as long as you never, ever tread on the tail." He gave the children a firm warning about the tail, and the Snoogle, understanding perfectly, kept its tail curled well out of the way. It turned out to be an extremely friendly creature. It let Chinky stroke its scaly head and gave Peter what could only be described as a small, slippery handshake. When the children finally waved farewell and climbed back onto the wishing-chair, the Snoogle waved a paw after them, and Chinky chuckled all the way home about the ridiculous fright they had all just had.