diff --git a/Doc/ext/noddy2.c b/Doc/ext/noddy2.c
index fcce2ab..03fe288 100644
--- a/Doc/ext/noddy2.c
+++ b/Doc/ext/noddy2.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     return (PyObject *)self;
 }
 
-static PyObject *
+static int
 Noddy_init(Noddy *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 {
     PyObject *first=NULL, *last=NULL;
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     if (! PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "|OOi", kwlist, 
                                       &first, &last, 
                                       &self->number))
-        return NULL; 
+        return -1; 
 
     if (first) {
         Py_XDECREF(self->first);
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@
         self->last = last;
     }
 
-    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-    return Py_None;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/Doc/ext/noddy3.c b/Doc/ext/noddy3.c
index 08ac31e..9984a3d 100644
--- a/Doc/ext/noddy3.c
+++ b/Doc/ext/noddy3.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     return (PyObject *)self;
 }
 
-static PyObject *
+static int
 Noddy_init(Noddy *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 {
     PyObject *first=NULL, *last=NULL;
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     if (! PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "|OOi", kwlist, 
                                       &first, &last, 
                                       &self->number))
-        return NULL; 
+        return -1; 
 
     if (first) {
         Py_DECREF(self->first);
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@
         self->last = last;
     }
 
-    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-    return Py_None;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static PyMemberDef Noddy_members[] = {