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diff --git a/37976.txt b/37976.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6b13c72 --- /dev/null +++ b/37976.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4925 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dot and Tot of Merryland, by L. Frank Baum + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Dot and Tot of Merryland + +Author: L. Frank Baum + +Illustrator: W. W. Denslow + +Release Date: November 11, 2011 [EBook #37976] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOT AND TOT OF MERRYLAND *** + + + + +Produced by Michael Gray + + + + +Books for Children +by +L. Frank Baum +Illustrated by W. W. Denslow + +---- + +---- + +The Wonderful Wizard of Oz + +Uniform with Dot and Tot. 275 pages. 24 full page inserts in eight +colors and over 150 colored text illustrations. + +Price $1.50 + +---- + +Father Goose: His Book + +Large Quarto, printed in four colors, ornamental boards. + +Price $1.25 + +The most successful juvenile book of the age. + +---- + +The Songs of Father Goose + +With Music by Alberta N. Hall. Large Quarto, ornamental boards. + +Price $1.00 + + + +Dot and Tot of Merryland + +By L. Frank Baum + +Pictures by W. W. Denslow + + +Geo M. Hill Co. +Chicago New York +Publishers +1901 + + +Copyright 1901 +By L. Frank Baum +And W. W. Denslow + + + +AUTHOR'S NOTE + +The success achieved last year by "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"--a +book that not only ran through many large editions, but brought the +author hundreds of letters from interested little folks--has induced +me to follow that tale with another, herein presented. + +Should "Dot and Tot of Merryland" win the approval of my young +friends, I shall be pleased and contented. + +In any event Mr. Denslow's quaint and merry pictures, which, in this +book excel all his previous work, will be sure to induce happiness in +the heart of every beholder. + +L. FRANK BAUM. +Chicago, July 1, 1901. + + + +DEDICATION. + + + To ev'ry laughter-loving Tot-- + Whether your name be Dot or not; + And may you find a Merryland + Forever lying close at hand. + + + +CHAPTER LIST + + I.--Roselawn + II.--Tot + III.--The Boat + IV.--Under the Cliffs + V.--The Watch-Dog of Merryland + VI.--The First Valley + VII.--The Clown Country + VIII.--The Second Valley + IX.--The Third Valley + X.--The Queen of Merryland + XI.--The Palace of Wonders + XII.--Prince Tot and Princess Dot + XIII.--The Revolt of the Dolls + XIV.--The Queen's Fairy Wand + XV.--The Valley of Pussycats + XVI.--The Busy Mr. Split + XVII.--The Animals that Wound Up + XVIII.--The Valley of Lost Things + XIX.--The Lost Crowns + XX.--The Voyage Ends + + + + + CHAPTER 1 + ROSELAWN + + +You should have seen Dot as she nestled among the cushions of the +carriage on her way to the railway station with her father and +governess, Miss Bombien. Her dainty white gown was covered with tucks +and puffings and embroideries, as became the dress of the daughter of +the wealthy banker who sat smilingly beside her. Her soft, braided +white hat had a wide brim that drooped languidly over the pale little +face beneath, and broad, white ribbons drew down the brim until all +the yellow curls were hidden away. Indeed, the only bits of color +about Dot that showed were her deep blue eyes and rosy lips. Even +these last were not so rosy as they should have been, for Dot was not +in her usual good health, having been confined to the big city house +during a long winter and a chill, uncomfortable spring. + +But, now that the flowers were blooming and the birds singing in the +new-leaved trees, she was going, in charge of her governess, to pass +the summer at Roselawn, a beautiful country home her father had +recently purchased. + +"You must try not to be lonely, dear," said her father, as he held +her little hand in his big, strong one. "I have told Miss Bombien to +let you run and romp to your heart's content, so the roses may more +quickly return to your pale cheeks." + +Dot's eyes brightened. To run and romp as she pleased would indeed be +a new experience to her, and she was happy even to think of such +delight. + +"You will have no one but Miss Bombien for company," continued her +father; "but there are plenty of servants, and I am told the grounds +are in beautiful condition. In a few days, at most, Sweetheart, I +shall run down to see you, and then you can tell me how you like your +new home. In the meanwhile, Miss Bombien will simply look after your +comfort; there will be no lessons to bother you. All you must do is +eat and sleep and play, and to grow strong and rosy-cheeked again." + +Dot listened to al this with much pleasure, and decided she was about +to have a fine holiday. Her real name, by the way, was Evangeline +Josephine Freeland; but mamma and papa had always called her "Dot" +from the day she was born, so sometimes she almost forgot she had +such a beautiful name as Evangeline Josephine. + +Dot's mamma was an invalid, and had been taken by her father--Dot's +grandfather, you know--for a trip to Europe, in search of better +health, and so she had been forced to leave her little daughter to +the watchful care of Miss Bombien. Mr. Freeland, although he loved +Dot dearly, was a very busy man and could devote but little time to +his child. "So, Sweetheart," he told her, "you will be Queen of +Roselawn this summer, and I will come down once in a while to bow +before your Majesty's throne." + +What he really feared was that Dot might grow up weak and delicate as +her mother was; but he did not tell the child this. He resolved, +however, that if fresh air and healthy surroundings could give his +little girl strength and health, they should be at her command, and +therefore he had purchased Roselawn almost entirely on Dot's account. + +Before she realized it, Dot found herself at the railway station and +aboard a parlor car, where her father gave her a long and loving +farewell kiss. Then Mr. Freeland stood upon the platform and waved +his hand to his daughter, while the train slowly glided out from the +station and began its journey into the sweet, fresh country. + +Roselawn won the girl's heart at first sight. The cool but sun-kissed +mansion seemed delightful after the stuffy, formal city house. It was +built in a quaint yet pretty fashion, with many wings and gables and +broad verandas on every side. Before it were acres and acres of +velvety green lawn, sprinkled with shrubbery and dotted with beds of +bright flowers. In every direction were winding paths, covered with +white gravel, which led to all parts of the grounds, looking for all +the world like a map, Dot thought. + +From the first day of her arrival, Dot was all eagerness and joy. +Miss Bombien fully obeyed her instructions to let the child run. Dot +entered the house only to eat her meals, which she did with growing +appetite, and then away she would romp to chase butterflies, visit +the stables or poultry yard, or sit near the river bank and watch the +driftwood float by. Sometimes a boat danced over the broad, blue +waters, and then Dot would jump up and down and clap her hands in +ecstasy at the pretty sight. The river soon became her favorite +resort, for the green banks and terraces before the house ran down to +the water's edge. + +Miss Bombien passed her days in hammock swung under a side porch, +where she read a great many books and enjoyed herself in her own way. +She did not bother to watch Dot, thinking the child could get into no +mischief beyond a torn frock or a soiled lace. + +One morning, having finished her breakfast and scampered out upon the +lawn, as usual, Dot chanced to notice a tiny path that led through a +small opening in a high and thick hedge. She had never been in this +direction before, and although she had often seen the hedge, she had +not thought there was a way to pass through it. So a spirit of +adventure came over her. + +"I'll explore," said Dot to herself. + +Pat, pat, patter went the little feet on the gravel, and soon the +busy hedge was reached and the opening passed. + +Then Dot stopped suddenly and looked around. A cozy little +vine-covered cottage nearly surrounded by blooming posies, was before +her. From the doorway, however, a path led to Dot's feet, and sitting +in the middle of this path, slowly piling pebbles into his +broad-brimmed straw hat, was a little boy. + + + + CHAPTER 2 + TOT + +The boy was a year or two younger than Dot, and seemed a chubby +little fellow as he sat with his legs spread apart and his dark eyes +raised wonderingly to the face of his unexpected visitor. Waves of +brown hair clustered loosely about his broad forehead, and his dress +was neat, though of a coarse material. + +He paused in his play and stared hard at Dot for a moment; then +dropped his eyes bashfully and ran his fingers through the white +pebbles in an embarrassed way. + +"Who are you?" asked the girl, in the calm, matter-of-fact tone +peculiar to children, while she continued to regard the boy with the +interest of a discoverer. + +"Tot," was the low reply. + +"Tot who?" she demanded. + +"Tot Tompum," murmured the boy. + +"Tompum! That doesn't mean anything," said Dot, decidedly. + +This positive statement seemed to annoy the little fellow. He raised +his eyes half shyly a moment and said, in a louder voice: + +"Papa Tompum cuts the grass, an' makes the flowers grow. I'm Tot +Tompum." + +"Oh," said Dot; "you must mean Thompson. Thompson's the gardener, I +know, and gardeners make the flowers grow and cut the grass." + +The boy nodded his head twice as if to say she was right. + +"Gard'ner," he repeated. "Papa Tompum. I'm Tot Tompum." + +Then he took courage to look up again, and seeing a friendly smile +upon Dot's face he asked boldly, "Who is you?" + +"Oh, I'm Dot," she answered, sitting down beside him. "My whole name +is Dot Freeland." + +"Dot F'eelan'," said Tot. + +"Freeland," corrected Dot. + +"F'eelan'," said Tot. + +"Never mind," laughed the girl; "let us play together. What were you +doing with the pebbles?" + +"Jack-stones," said the boy, and gravely picking out five of the +white pebbles, nearly of one size, he tossed them into the air and +tried to catch them on the back of his hand. Two tumbled off, and Dot +laughed. The boy laughed, too, and tried it again. Before long they +had become fast friends, and were laughing and chatting together as +happily as if they had known one another for months. + +Tot's mother, hearing their voices, came to the door of her cottage; +but seeing her boy's new playmate was "the young lady at the +mansion," she smiled and returned to her work. + +Presently Dot jumped up. + +"Come, Tot," she cried, "let us go where your father is working. I +saw him weeding one of the flower beds this morning." + +Tot scrambled to his feet and poured the white pebbles from his hat, +after which he placed it upon the back of his head; so far back, +indeed, that Dot wondered why it did not tumble off. + +"We'll go see Papa Tompum," he said, trotting along beside his new +friend. + +Thompson, the gardener, was quite surprised to see his little boy +holding fast to the hand of the rich banker's daughter, and chatting +away as frankly as if he had known her for years; but Thompson had +learned by this time that Dot ruled everyone about the place and did +exactly as she pleased, so he made no protest. As he watched the +children running about the grounds where Tot was usually forbidden to +play, Thompson felt proud that his boy had been selected by "the +young lady" for so high and honorable a position as her playmate. + +He made no protest when they raced across a flower bed and left the +prints of their small feet upon the soft earth, for Dot held Tot +firmly by the hand, and he obediently followed wherever she led. The +big red roses attracted her fancy, and she ruthlessly plucked a +handful and stuck them in rows around the rim of Tot's hat as well as +her own, although the poor gardener, who had tended these flowers so +patiently that they had become precious in his eyes, actually winced +and shivered with dismay at witnessing the careless and, to him, +cruel manner in which the young mistress of the house destroyed them. +But Dot knew they were her property and enjoyed the roses in her own +way; while Tot, although he may have felt guilty, wisely shifted all +responsibility to his companion, and admired the royal way in which +she accepted everything about the place as her very own. + +When the luncheon gong sounded from the big house, and Dot left Tot +to obey the summons, she said to him, "Tomorrow I will bring a basket +of sandwiches and cake, and we'll have a picnic down by the river +bank." + +"All right!" answered Tot, and trotted away toward his father's +cottage. + +It had been an eventful day to him, for he had found a delightful +playmate. + + + + CHAPTER 3 + THE BOAT + +Early next morning Dot came out of the house with a basket on her arm +so big and heavy she could hardly carry it. Indeed, she stopped +several times between the house and the gap in the big hedge to set +the basket down while she rested. Once she was sorely tempted to +chase a pretty butterfly that fluttered lazily over the lawn near by; +but a glance at the basket and a thought of Tot recalled her to the +fact that this was "a picnic day," and so she trudged steadily on and +passed through the hedge. + +Tot was sitting on the door-step waiting for her. He wore a clean +sailor waist and blue brownie overalls, and his face and hands had +been freshly washed for the important occasion. + +When he saw Dot's basket his eyes grew big and round, and he asked, +"What you got?" + +"Oh, that's our lunch," said the girl, setting down her burden with a +sigh of relief. + +"What's lunch?" demanded Tot. + +"Why--something to eat, you know," she answered. + +"Oh," said Tot. Then he looked at the basket with new interest and +asked, "Basket all full somefin' t'eat?" + +"Yes," replied Dot, with some pride. "I begged cook to give me all +the good things she had in the pantry, 'cause you and I are going to +have a picnic, and eat our lunch down by the river. So she filled it +way up to the top, 'cause cook always does anything I ask. And it's a +great big basket, Tot, too." + +"Yes," answered Tot, gravely, "big basket!" Then he jumped up and, +all eagerness, approached the basket. + +"Let's eat it!" he exclaimed. + +"Oh, no," cried Dot reprovingly. "It isn't time for lunch yet. And +I've just had my breakfast. But we'll go down to the river and start +the picnic right away. And, if you're good, Tot, perhaps I'll give +you just one piece of jelly-cake before lunch time." + + +Tot's mother came out and kissed her boy good-bye, and then he and +Dot took hold of the handle of the big basket and started for the +river. + +Of course, it took them a long time to get there, for often they set +down the basket to pick flowers or watch a robin redbreast carrying +food to its nest full of babies, or to run over the soft, +close-cropped grass and chase each other, in very joyful and good spirits. + +But they always returned to the basket, and at last carried it down +to the water's edge, where they placed it upon a large, flat stone. + +"That will be our table, when it's time for lunch," said Dot. + +"Time now," remarked Tot, wistfully. + +"Not yet," said the girl, "but you shall have the jelly-cake, 'cause +there's plenty to last all day." + +So she drew aside the white cloth that covered the basket and took +out two big slices of cake, one for Tot and one for herself. While +they ate it, they walked along the shore. The river was entirely +deserted by boats, for it was a warm day and even the fisher folk did +not care to be out. On the opposite shore were great walls of rock +rising up from the river, but at the foot of the cliffs were bushy +trees that lined the further edge of the water. + +"Just like whiskers," said Tot. + +"So they are, from here," agreed Dot; "but if we were on the other +side of the river we would find them to be big trees. It's because +they are so far away that they look like the river's whiskers." + +They walked farther along the shore until they were past the grounds +of Roselawn, and then, turning a little bend in the river, they came +to some low bushes growing down by the water. + +"Oh, Tot," cried the girl, "wouldn't it be nice to lunch under those +trees, where it is cool and shady? Let us go back and fetch the +basket." + +Tot followed obediently, for he recognized Dot as the leader not only +because she was older, but because she possessed the wonderful basket +of good things. They walked back to the big stone where they had left +the basket, and after a good deal of labor managed to carry it to the +grove of low trees. Pushing the branches aside, they crept through +the bushes until they reached the edge of the river, and then Dot +uttered an exclamation of delight. + +"Here's a boat!" she said. "And a pretty boat, too. I wonder whom it +belongs to. But never mind, there's no one here; so we will climb +into it and eat our luncheon on the seats." + +It really was a pretty boat, painted all white, except for a red +stripe running along the outer edge. There was a broad seat at each +end and two seats in the middle, and in the bottom of the boat, under +the seats, were two oars. + +One end of the boat was drawn up on the shore, while the rest of it +lay quietly upon the water; but the branches of the trees threw a +cool shade over all, and it seemed to Dot and Tot the most pleasant +place to eat their luncheon. + +They carried the basket to the broad seat farthest out in the water, +and Dot spread her white cloth over it, and laid upon that all the +good things cook had put into her basket. + +"Let's play house," said Tot. + +"Not house," corrected Dot; "we'll play this is a ship, and we're on +a trip across the ocean. Won't it be jolly?" + +Sitting upon the bottom of the boat, close to the seat which formed +their table, they laughed and talked and ate their luncheon with the +keen appetites all healthy children have. + +The time passed so quickly they never knew how long they sat there; +but suddenly Tot exclaimed, "It's hot!" and put on his hat to keep +the sun from his head. + +Dot looked up, surprised to find that the sun was indeed shining full +upon them. Then she noticed that the shade of the trees was gone and +only the blue of the sky was over the boat. + +She stood up and gave a little cry of dismay. + +"We're in the river, Tot," she said; "the boat has got away!" + + + + CHAPTER 4 + UNDER THE CLIFFS + +Tot scrambled to his feet and sat upon a seat of the boat, holding +fast to the sides with both hands. As he looked around and saw the +boat was far from land, he smiled and nodded his head, saying, "Now +we'll play ship, an' ride on 'e ocean. Won't we, Dot F'eelun'?" + +"Oh, Tot!" exclaimed the little girl; "I'm afraid we'll be drowned. +How can we ever get home again?" + +"Ride in 'e boat," said Tot, composedly. + +"But the boat is carrying us farther away every minute. We're +floating downstream; and by-and-by we'll come to the ocean, where +there are big waves," declared Dot, who was really frightened. + +But Tot refused to be afraid. As the swift current carried them +along, he clapped his hands together joyfully and gave a little laugh +of delight. "Nice ride!" he said again and again. "Hooray!" + +Dot was older and wiser. She knew a boat could be rowed by means of +oars, and there were two oars lying on the bottom of the boat. She +decided to make an attempt to reach the shore, for then someone might +be found to help them back to Roselawn, which they had now left far +behind. + +She drew out one of the oars and with difficulty, for it was heavy +for the child to handle, managed to push one end into the water and +rest the other against the row-lock of the boat. Then she began to +row as hard as she could; but her strength was not great, and all she +did was to push the front of the boat half around, so that it headed +toward the rocky cliffs on the far side of the river. + +Her efforts pleased Tot, who laughed merrily as the oar splashed in +the water; but Dot was determined to get to land if possible and +struggled desperately at her task. + +The boat was still headed toward the rocky cliffs, when suddenly the +oar flew out of Dot's hands and she fell backward off the seat. + +She was not hurt, but when she got up she saw the oar floating in the +water, out of her reach; still she was reassured to notice that the +boat was now gliding swiftly along, and presently, to her joy, she +saw it was headed directly toward the fringe of trees, and getting +nearer to the bank every moment. + +"It must be another current, Tot," she cried, "and this one is taking +us to the shore. So I did some good by rowing, even if I lost the +oar." + +Tot nodded, but said nothing. He was still enjoying the novel boat +ride. Dot sat down on the seat beside him, and they watched the shore +grow nearer and more distinct every moment as the boat glided +steadily on. + +The trees were bigger than they had thought, and grew close down to +the water's edge. Dot became worried when she noticed the speed of +the boat increasing as they drew nearer to the shore. + +"If we bump those trees," she said, "we may be hurt, and the branches +will scratch our faces dreadfully." + +Tot stopped smiling when he heard this, and took hold of Dot's hand, +which he clasped tightly in his own. + +The next moment, still speeding onward, the boat reached the trees. +The two children were caught by the branches, swept quickly from the +seat, and sent sprawling at the bottom of the boat. But the boat +itself never stopped an instant. There was just room for it to float +underneath the thick branches, and instead of bumping into the shore, +the water carried it through a small opening in the face of the rocky +cliff, and then, in total darkness, it continued swiftly on its way! + +Dot and Tot, who were both startled by this unexpected danger, +managed to get up and sit together upon the seat of the boat; but +they could see nothing before them and only a faint light behind, +where they had entered this hidden tunnel in the cliff. + +For some moments they sat in silence. Then Dot reached out her hand +to see if she could feel anything; but the cool, damp air was all +around them. Then she reached upward, and her hand struck against a +piece of projecting rock which hurt her. + +"Tot," she whispered, "I think we'd better lie down in the bottom of +the boat. The roof isn't very high up, and it may bump our heads if +we sit here." + +Tot slipped off the seat at once and stretched himself out on the +boards underneath. Dot quickly followed him, and then for a time they +lay very still in the darkness, listening to the water as it rippled +softly along the sides of the boat. + +Presently the girl asked, "Are you frightened, Tot?" + +"Not, much," was the hesitating answer; and then, after a long pause, +he added, "but some." + +"Oh, I'm some frightened myself," said Dot. "But I don't know what we +can do." + +"I know," declared Tot, solemnly. + +"What?" she inquired, in an anxious voice. + +"Nuthin'." + +Dot saw no need of replying to this, and another long period of +silence followed. + +They did not seem to be in any immediate danger, for the boat swept +along with a free, easy motion that was very pleasant, and the air +was delightfully cool after the heat of the sun outside in the open +river. + +But two things worried Dot. One was the fact that she was being +carried a long ways from home, and the other a fear of where the +underground river might lead them. She wasn't at all sure they were +not floating down into the middle of the earth, and the chances of +ever seeing Roselawn again were growing smaller every minute. + +Nothing seemed to worry Tot, however. The darkness and the murmuring +of the water made him drowsy, and before long he was fast asleep, +with his chubby little arms clasped around Dot's neck. + +The girl was also gradually recovering from her fright, since nothing +terrible seemed to happen. They were having a long journey under the +cliffs; but she knew there must come an end to it some time, and +probably they would float out of the dark tunnel into the daylight +sooner or later. + +On and on sped the little boat, until at last, as Dot lay staring +into the darkness, she noticed a dim light about her, and began to +see the rocky roof of the cavern through which they were passing. + +Then she sat up, and, far away in the distance, she saw a round, +bright spot that reminded her of a full moon. It seemed to be getting +nearer and bigger, and finally she gave a cry of joy and awakened her +companion. + +"Tot! Oh, Tot!" she called. "We've got to the end at last and are +coming out of the tunnel!" + +Tot sat up and rubbed his eyes. He gave one careless glance at the +opening, and then turned his eyes upon the lunch basket, saying, +sleepily, "I'm hungry!" + + + + CHAPTER 5 + THE WATCH-DOG OF MERRYLAND + +Of course, Dot paid no attention, during this exciting moment, to the +boy's demand for food. + +There would be plenty of time to eat after they were out of the +tunnel and in safety. + +The boat glided on as gracefully as a swan, and in a few minutes it +passed through the jagged rocks that formed the mouth of the tunnel +and floated into a broad, open river. + +Dot and Tot quickly scrambled upon the seat and looked around them. + +They were in a deep valley, shaped very much like a chopping bowl, +only around the outer edge were high, peaked mountains. Not a tree +nor a green thing was to be seen anywhere, but the valley was thickly +covered with stones--big stones and little stones and stones of all +sizes--scattered about in every direction. + +Through the center of the valley ran the broad, blue river, at one +end of which was now the boat, while at the other end the children +saw a low archway, through which the water seemed to pass into some +country beyond. + +Very slowly the boat was floating toward this archway, and Dot +decided there would be ample time to eat something from the basket +before they had passed through the valley of stones. + +"We may as well go on, Tot," she said, as she arranged the luncheon; +"for this isn't a pleasant place to stop in, and we should never be +able to climb over those high mountains." + +"Never could," agreed Tot, as he bit into a sandwich. + +"What a queer place this is," she continued, looking around them. "I +don't believe anyone has ever been here before. Let us give it a +name. That's what all explorers do. We'll call it Stony Vale." + +"All right," said Tot, contentedly. Then he stretched out his arm and +pointed to something that was moving among the stones. + +"See!" he said. "Funny man." + +"Why, I really believe it is, Tot!" exclaimed the girl, looking +toward the place. "No, it isn't a man; it's a bear." + +"Bear!" repeated Tot, with wide open eyes. "Funny bear!" + +Halfway up the valley they saw a shaggy-looking creature sitting upon +a rock. It seemed to have the form of a man, as Tot had first +declared; but it was covered with long, thick hair, which made Dot +decide it must be a bear. + +Whatever it was, the creature was surely alive, and it had also seen +the boat, for the next moment it rose from the rock and came bounding +down to the shore of the river, leaping from stone to stone, and +moving so swiftly that its long hair streamed out behind it in the +wind. + +The boat was now being carried by the current directly toward the +shore, and soon its front end touched softly upon the gravelly beach. +At the same time the strange creature drew closer to them and sat +down upon a big stone only a few feet away. + +Dot and Tot had been watching it, and now saw that what they had +taken for a bear was an old man, with whiskers and hair so long that +they reached down to the soles of his feet, and probably would have +grown still longer had not the rough stones worn away the ends of the +hair. Not a bit of his body could be seen; the flowing white hair +covered him everywhere like a gown, except upon the top of his head, +which was smooth and bald. So thick, indeed, was the covering that +when he stretched out his arms, the old man could only push his hands +and wrists through the masses of hair. + +The curious appearance of this strange person surprised the children, +and they remained for some time staring at him without trying to say +a word. + +The hairy man looked at them, in return with equal interest, and was +the first to speak, saying in a mild, sad voice: + +"Strangers, who are you?" + +"I'm Dot, sir," answered the girl. "Dot Freeland." + +"She's Dot F'eelun'," repeated Tot. + +"And this is my friend, Tot Thompson," she continued. + +"I'm Tot Tompum," said Tot gravely. + +"Oh," replied the man. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm +the Watch-Dog of Merryland." + +"What a queer name!" exclaimed Dot. "Why do they call you that?" + +"Because I'm placed here to keep everyone from passing through the +archway that spans the river into the fair and happy valleys of +Merryland." + +"How can you keep them from passing through?" asked the girl. + +"Why, tell them they mustn't, of course." + +"But suppose they won't mind you, what will you do then?" + +The old man looked puzzled, and shook his head slowly. + +"I'm sure I don't know what I could do in that case," he answered. +"You see, no one has ever before come here since I was commanded to +guard the entrance to Merryland." + +"How long have you been here?" inquired Dot. + +"About three hundred years, I think; but I've lost track of the exact +time." + +"Don't you ever die?" asked Tot wondering at this great age. + +"I haven't died yet," answered the old man, thoughtfully. + +"But you will, won't you?" persisted the boy. + +"Why, I suppose so, if the Queen lets me," was the reply. + +"Who is the Queen?" questioned Dot. + +"She who rules Merryland," answered the man. + +Then, for a few moments, there was silence, while Dot and Tot stared +at the hairy old man and he stared at them. + +Presently Dot broke the silence the stillness by asking, "What do you +do in this lonesome place, where you have no one to talk to?" + +"Why, most of the time I watch, as it is my duty to do. And when I +get lonely, I count my whiskers." + +"Oh!" said Dot. Then she inquired, curiously, "How many whiskers have +you?" + +"Well, answered the Watch-Dog of Merryland," confidentially, "there +are either eighty-seven thousand four hundred and twenty-six, or else +eighty-seven thousand four hundred and twenty-eight. Sometimes I make +it one figure and sometimes the other, so I can't really tell which +is right. I was engaged in counting my whiskers when I looked up and +saw your boat. I had then counted sixty-nine thousand three hundred +and fifty-four; but I was so surprised to see you that I missed the +count, and now I shall have to begin all over again." + +"I'm sorry," said Dot, sympathetically; "I'd like to know just which +is the right number." + +"If you will wait I'll count them," he replied, eagerly. "Perhaps +then you can tell if I make a mistake." + +"How long will it take?" she asked. + +"I can do it in about four months." + +"Oh, we couldn't possibly wait that long," declared the girl. "I +really think we should be going now." + +"Where will you go?" he asked. + +"There is only one way for us to go--through that archway into +Merryland, as you call it. We are not strong enough to pull the boat +upstream, so we must let it float where it will." + +"It will be a terrible disgrace to me," said the Watch-Dog of +Merryland, in a solemn voice, "if you escape me. What will the Queen +say when she knows I have watched here three hundred years without +seeing anyone, and then allowed the first strangers who came along to +pass through the archway?" + +"I do not see that she can blame you," returned Dot. "You say +yourself you would be unable to stop us if we decided not to mind +you. So the Queen can only blame us for not minding you." + +"That is true," said the old man, more cheerfully. + +"Want somethin' t'eat?" inquired Tot, holding out a slice of +jellycake. + +"Dear me!" said the Watch-Dog, taking the cake in his hand and +looking at it with much curiosity. "What is it?" + +"Eat it," said Tot; "it's good." + +"But I can't eat," replied the old man. "I don't know how. I've +never eaten anything in my life." + +"Not even when you were a little boy?" Tot asked, in wonder. + +"Well, I've forgotten what happened when I was a little boy, it's so +long ago," returned the man. "But I certainly have no desire to eat +now, and if I had there is nothing in the Valley to devour except +stones. I suppose eating is a habit you have acquired. Why don't you +break yourself of it?" + +"I get hungry," answered Tot. + +"Hunger must be a habit, too," remarked the old man, "for I never +have had it since I have been in this valley. However, if you will +allow me to keep the cake, I will amuse myself by looking at it when +I'm tired of counting my whiskers." + +"You are quite welcome to the cake," said Dot. "But now I must ask +you to excuse us, for it is time we started upon our journey." + +"Oh, don't let me detain you," replied the Watch-dog of Merryland, +politely; "that is, if you are determined to disobey my orders." + +"I fear we must," said the girl. "Is Merryland the other side of that +archway?" + +"Part of it is," answered the old man. "There are Seven Valleys in +Merryland, connected by archways, for the river flows through them +all." + +"And what is beyond the Seventh Valley?" asked Dot. + +"No one knows except those who pass through, and those who pass +through never return to tell," he replied. + +"Well, good-bye," said Dot. + +"Bye!" repeated Tot, briefly. + +"Good-bye," answered the Watch-Dog. + +The girl took the remaining oar and pushed the boat away from the +shore with it. The little craft glided out into the river very +slowly, and drifted along with the current in the direction of the +archway. + +Dot and Tot sat on the seat and watched the friendly old man until a +shadow fell upon them, and called their attention to the fact that +they were passing through the arch into the First Valley of +Merryland. + + + + CHAPTER 6 + THE FIRST VALLEY + +The rocky arch was not very thick, yet before Dot and Tot had floated +to the other side of it, shouts of merry laughter and the chattering +of many voices came to their ears. Some of the voices sounded loud +and shrill, others low and deep, but all rang with a happy tone that +aroused the children's interest at once, and made them wonder what +occasion could cause so much amusement. + +Then, so suddenly that it quite startled the childish voyagers, the +boat glided from the archway into the most beautiful country one +could imagine. + +It was a Valley, as the Watch-Dog had said; but it was level and +sunny and dotted with broad-leaved trees; while soft, tender grasses, +mingled with brilliant flowers, covered the ground in every +direction. There seemed to be no houses at all, yet streets were laid +out in regular order, having at their sides raised platforms in place +of houses. Each of the platforms was four feet high and fifteen feet +square on the top, and they were separated from one another by +stretches of the flower-strewn lawn. The top and sides of every +platform were padded like the mattresses of a bed, and were covered +with silks and velvets of the most gorgeous patterns, no two being of +the same combinations of colors. + +On many of these raised and padded platforms, Dot and Tot saw groups +of funny-looking Clowns, all dressed in wide, baggy trousers, puffy +jackets and soft, pointed caps. Yet in their costumes was an endless +variety of colorings and combinations of colors, making the groups +look remarkably bright and pleasing. + +The faces of the Clowns were painted in a fanciful way, with rings of +red and blue and yellow on their cheeks, and spots and streaks of the +same gorgeous colors over their eyes and around their chins. + +When the children first came into the Valley of the Clowns, they saw +many of them leaping and tumbling and turning somersaults upon the +platforms, while others were juggling with balls, or balancing long +feathers and sticks upon their noses and chins. These feats were +greeted with shouts of laughter by other Clowns who were resting and +looking on, and these spectators also cried out their approval or +poked fun at the performers when they failed to accomplish the acts +they were attempting. + +While Dot and Tot sat in their boat, looking with amazement at the +strange sights all about them, one of the Clowns chanced to look +their way, and upon seeing the children, he set up a shout and rushed +down to the shore, followed by more than a hundred of his fellows. + +As they ran, the Clowns leaped over one another, turned somersaults +into the air, and walked upon their hands nearly as fast as they +could upon their feet; and so swift were all their movements that, in +less time than one could think possible, they were all crowded along +the river bank, and shouting loud greetings to the new arrivals. + +Dot had to put her fingers in her ears at first, for the noise +bewildered her, and while she wondered what she should say to these +lively creatures, she noticed a richly dressed Clown standing before +the others, and making low bows to her and to Tot. As his lips seemed +to move, she took away her fingers from her ears that she might hear +what he was saying. + +Everyone was talking at the same time, and at first Dot could hear +nothing plainly; but the Clown who was standing in front of his +comrades clapped his hands loudly together three times, at which the +others instantly became silent and motionless. + +Then, with another bow, the leader addressed her, speaking in a sweet +and most pleasing tone of voice, "Welcome, O King and Queen of +Children, to the Valley of Clowns! We live but for your amusement; we +love your happy and smiling faces more than anything else in the +world, and this day on which you have come to visit your slaves is +the most joyful we have ever known." + +Here he made another bow and threw his pointed cap high into the air, +where it whirled over and over and finally fell straight upon his +head again. There was a shout of applause at this feat, and Tot +laughed loudly and clapped his hands. + +Then the leader of the Clowns again spoke, "If you will graciously +consent to land in our country, where everything we have is at your +service, we shall be delighted to amuse you to the best of our +ability." + +"You are very kind," answered Dot, "and as we are tired by sitting in +the boat so long, we shall be glad to accept your invitation." + +Then she pushed the boat to the shore, where a dozen Clowns seized it +and drew it far up on the grassy bank. Then Dot and Tot stepped out +upon land, and as they did so every Clown present turned a backward +somersault and shouted, "Here we are again!" + +The one who had first spoken to them now came forward and shook hands +with both Dot and Tot in a very polite manner. + +"My name is Flippityflop," he said, "and I am the Prince of Clowns, +ruling here under the gracious favor of her Majesty the Queen of +Merryland. I beg you will allow me to escort you to my dwelling; but +first I should like to know your names, and how you came here." + +"I'm Tot Tompum," said the boy, looking up into the Clown's painted +face, "and here's Dot F'eelun. We've come in a boat, long, long ways +off. An' we don't know how to get home again." + +"We are delighted to have you with us, however you came here," +replied the Clown; "and as for your getting home again, why, that is +worry, and no one ever worries in the Valley of Clowns. You are +welcome to remain our guests as long as you please, and while you are +with us you must consider us your slaves, for Clowns have always been +the slaves of children." Then he turned to the others. + +"Brothers!" he shouted. "Allow me to introduce you to our friends Dot +and Tot, of the Big Round World. We are all their slaves. Salute +them!" + +Instantly every Clown stood upon his head and knocked his heels +together in the air. As they wore silver bells around their ankles, +this made a most delightful, tinkling sound, and the sight of so many +topsy-turvy Clowns was so pretty that Dot and Tot both laughed and +clapped their hands. + +Then Flippityflop caught the children in his arms and seated one of +them upon each of his shoulders, after which he marched up the +street, followed by the rest of the Clowns, who sang and danced as +they came. + +The Prince carried them to one of the prettiest platforms and set +them gently upon its cushioned top. Then he leaped into the air, +whirled around like a windmill and landed gracefully beside them. + +"Welcome to my dwelling," he said. + +"But this isn't a dwelling," exclaimed Dot. "A dwelling is a house." + +"And this is a sofa!" declared Tot. + +"Oh, no; it's a real house," said Flippityflop, "although it may be +different from the dwellings you are accustomed to. Let us enter." + +He seized a silken strap and opened a trap-door in the top of the +platform. + +"Come on!" he cried, and jumping down the hole, disappeared from +view. + +Dot crept up to the trapdoor and looked down. Just beneath her was +Flippityflop, holding out his arms. + +"Come on!" he said again; "I'll catch you." + +Dot did not hesitate, but dropped through the opening, and the Prince +caught her safely in his arms. Tot followed a moment later, and then +the children gazed about them curiously. + + + + CHAPTER 7 + THE CLOWN COUNTRY + +Flippityflop's house proved to be one big room, built under the +platform, and lighted by a soft glow from hidden electric lamps. The +walls were covered with bright-yellow silk hangings and on the floor +was a crimson carpet. All around the sides were wide benches with +soft cushions of purple velvet, and near the middle of the room was a +small table of blue and silver. On the walls Dot noticed several +gaudily colored pictures of Clowns, and when Flippityflop saw the +children looking at these pictures he said: + +"Those are portraits of my father and grandfather and great-grandfather. +They were all Princes of this Valley of Merryland, as well as good men +and clever Clowns. Therefore I am proud of them." + +"They look very jolly," said Dot. + +"They were jolly, and proved a comfort to thousands of children. But +you must be hungry, and I trust you will allow me to offer you some +dinner. What will you have?" + +"What you got?" inquired Tot. + +"Well, I have in my cupboard some fried goldfish, boiled buttercups +and pickled shoelaces," he answered. + +"Don't want any," said Tot. + +"These seem rather foolish things to eat," remarked Dot. + +"Of course, they are foolish things," agreed Flippityflop, +cheerfully. "Everything we do here is foolish. You certainly can't +expect wisdom in a country of Clowns." + +"Course not," said Tot. + +"If you'll send to the boat for our basket, I think we will prefer to +eat the things we brought with us," declared Dot. + +"Certainly!" answered the Prince, and immediately sticking his head +through the trapdoor, he asked a Clown who stood outside to fetch the +basket. + +It came in a remarkably short time, and then Flippityflop assisted +Dot to lay the cloth on the blue and silver table, while the children +proceeded to eat of the sandwiches, cake and apple-tarts that +remained in the basket. + +"Wouldn't you like something to drink?" asked the Prince. + +"I am rather thirsty," admitted Dot; "have you any milk?" + +"No, we do not use milk in this Valley," he answered. "But we have +some excellent green paint, or, if you prefer it, I can give a bottle +of red mucilage." + +"No, thank you," said Dot; "we couldn't drink those. Perhaps you will +bring us some fresh water from the river." + +"But the water is quite wet," exclaimed the Clown, "and is liable to +make you damp. Surely you won't think of drinking it!" + +"Oh, yes; we're accustomed to drinking water," said the girl. + +So the water was sent for, and Dot and Tot took long and refreshing +drinks, although their action alarmed Flippityflop, who urged them to +eat a few handfuls of sawdust afterward to absorb the dampness. + +"Do all the Clowns live in this Valley?" asked the girl, when the +table was cleared. + +"Yes, all except those we send into the world to amuse the children," +answered Flippityflop. "You see, we train them all very carefully, +and every year one is selected to go into the world." + +"How do they get there?" asked the child. + +"At the upper edge of our Valley there is one place not so steep as +the rest. The Clown who is leaving us climbs to this place and finds +himself on the top of a mountain. So he makes himself into a ball, as +he has been taught to do, and rolls down the mountain into the +outside world, where he travels around until he finds a circus to +join." + +"Oh!" exclaimed Dot. "I've seen 'em--in circuses." + +"To be sure; that's the proper place for Clowns. Do they make the +children laugh?" + +"Sometimes," said the girl. + +"When they do not," said Flippityflop, gravely, "they are imitation +Clowns, and were never trained in this Valley of Merryland. The real +Clowns are sure to make you laugh. But come, it is time our people +were gathering on the platforms for their evening practice. Would you +like to watch them?" + +"Yes, indeed!" cried Dot, joyfully; and Tot clapped his hands and +echoed: "'Deed, yes!" + +So Flippityflop lifted them through the hole to the top of the padded +platform, where they saw a strange and merry sight. + +All the platforms on both sides of the street were now occupied by +Clowns, who were performing in a most marvelous manner. The trees +were full of electric lights, which shed brilliant rays over the +scene and enabled the children to see everything distinctly. + +"Come with me," said their friend, "and I will lead you through the +street, that you may see what my brothers are doing." + +They left the Prince's platform and came to the next, where three +gaily dressed Clowns were bounding into the air and whirling around +before they came down again. Every time they jumped they cried: "All +right, Mr. Johnson!" in their shrill voices, and often one of them +would fall on his head or back instead of landing on his feet. When +this happened they were not hurt, for the platform was soft and +yielding; so they sprang up at once and tried it over again, laughing +at their own mishaps. + +At the next platform were some juggling Clowns. One of these placed a +light ladder on his shoulders, and another ran up it and stood upon +his head on the top rung. + +In another place the Clowns threw small silver balls into the air, +one after the other, and then caught them cleverly as they came down. + +Near the end of the street a Clown, dressed in a costume of scarlet +with green spots upon it, and wearing a white, pointed cap upon his +head, was singing a comic song. They stopped to listen while he sang +as follows: + + A goat to a barber went one day; + "Just trim my beard," the goat did say, + "And cut my hair in a stylish way"-- + Sing shivvy, shovvy, shavey! + The barber then began to snip, + But soon he let the scissors slip, + And cut the goat upon his lip-- + Sing shivvy, shovvy, shavey! + + Then Mr. Goat, with angry bleat, + Gave one big jump from out his seat, + And knocked the barber off his feet-- + Sing shivvy, shovvy, shavey! + "Enough!" he cried, "I'll have you know, + If barbers treat their patrons so, + I'll just allow my beard to grow!" + Sing shivvy, shovvy, shavey! + +After each verse another Clown cracked a long whip at the singer, +which made him leap into the air and screw his face up in such a +comical way that Dot and Tot were greatly amused, and applauded him +rapturously. + +Just across the street was another singing Clown; but this one was +dressed in a curious costume that was all white on one side of his +body and all red on the other side. This fellow balanced the point of +his cap upon the end of his nose, and then, making a bow, sang the +following song: + + Little Tommy Harris + Made a trip to Paris. + There he went within a tent, + Saw a convex firmament; + Then he peered within a booth, + Saw a shark without a tooth, + Heard a dumb man sing and chant, + Saw a crimson elephant. + Next he walked into a street, + Saw a lamp-post drink and eat, + Heard a turtle loudly roar, + Saw a rainbow through a door. + Then a man without a leg + Danced upon a horse's egg. + Then a steeple on a dome + Cried, "My boy, you'd best go home." + But as Tommy homeward sped, + He awoke--and was in bed! + Little Tommy Harris + Never went to Paris! + +This singer had so droll an expression on his face that Tot yelled +with rapture, and Dot found herself laughing heartily. Indeed, the +whole performance was a delight to the children, and they were sorry +when a bell rang and put a stop to the antics of the Clowns. + +At once the they all dived into the trapdoors of their platforms, and +Flippityflop said they had gone to bed and would not appear until the +next morning. + +The children were somewhat tired by the adventures of the day, so +when Flippityflop helped them to gain the room under his platform, +they crept to the soft-cushioned benches that lined the walls and lay +down. In less than a minute Dot and Tot were fast asleep, curled up +side by side, with their arms entwined. + +Next morning they were awakened by the strains of sweet music. Dot at +once sat up and asked, "What is that?" + +"That is my alarm clock," answered Flippityflop, who had been +reclining upon a bench at the other side of the room. "It tells me +when it is time to get up." + +"It's a queer alarm clock," said the girl. + +"But a very good one," returned the Clown. "It is really a big +music-box under the bench, which starts playing every morning at seven +o'clock. So, instead of being awakened by a rattling and clanging of +bells, such as most alarm clocks make, I open my eyes with a +sensation of pleasure, and get up feeling jolly and content. + +"I think it's a lovely clock," said Tot. + +"Won't you join me at breakfast?" asked the prince. "I'm going to +have a dish of scrambled egg-shells and a few fried buttons. The +eggshells make our complexion white and chalky, and we are very fond +of them." + +"I prefer to eat something from our basket," replied the girl. "But +Tot may eat the egg-shells and buttons, if he wants them." + +"Don't want 'em!" cried Tot. "Want bread and butter." + +"Well, I declare!" said the Clown. "What peculiar tastes you children +have!" + +But he allowed them to breakfast from their own stock of food, and +when the meal was finished Dot said, "We must be going now; but first +I wish to thank you for the pleasant time we have had in your Valley. +We enjoyed the Clowns very much indeed." + +"Nice Clowns," declared Tot, with emphasis. + +"I'm sorry to have you go," said Flippityflop, "but I suppose you +cannot stay here always, especially as you are going to visit our +Queen." + +Then he carried the big basket down to the boat for them, and all the +Clowns came to the river bank in a long procession, to bid them +good-bye. + +After they were seated in the boat and had begun to float out into +the river again, the Clowns started singing a comic song, in one big +chorus, as a farewell entertainment. + +Dot and Tot laughed and waved their handkerchiefs at the jolly +fellows until the archway leading into the next Valley was reached, +and as the shadow of the rocks fell upon them and shut out their view +of the First Valley of Merryland, they sighed and turned wonderingly +to face whatever adventures might lie before them. + + + + CHAPTER 8 + THE SECOND VALLEY + +Gliding out of the archway into the Second Valley of Merryland, our +little voyagers saw before them a big enclosure shaped like a +diamond. Along two sides of this diamond the river ran very slowly, +and upon the bank at their left rose a huge, straight wall of solid +rock, that seemed, as they looked up, to reach to the clouds. + +Upon the bank at their right hand, however, was a broad, flat +country, which seemed at first sight to resemble any other beautiful +valley, having trees and meadow, roads and fences, and a few pretty +houses clustered near the river bank. + +But on looking closer, Dot and Tot saw that all the trees had smooth +trunks, with bright colors twisted around them like sticks of candy. +The branches, though smaller than the trunks, had the same +stick-candy appearance; while the leaves, which were of various colors, +looked soft and thick, as if they were made of candy, too. + +The houses were many-colored, being pink and brown and white and +lavender, and the walls of all of them were as smooth as taffy. One +big house, that was built exactly at the bend in the river, seemed to +Dot to be made entirely of molasses candy, for it had the same color +and appearance. + +The trees and houses and fences were all smaller than one usually +sees, but the brilliant colors made them look very pretty indeed. + +The boat floated slowly toward the bend in the stream, and finally +came close to the bank in front of the big molasses-candy house, +where it stopped. Dot stepped out upon the bank and fastened the +boat, and then Tot jumped out beside her. There was a little path, +brown in color and rather rough, that led past the house and down to +the river where they stood, and as Tot jumped upon this path he +stubbed his toe and fell down. Then Dot saw him pick up a piece of +the brown path that had become loosened, and after looking at it a +moment put it into his mouth. + +"Don't do that, Tot!" called the girl, in horror. "You mustn't eat +mud." + +"T'ain't mud," said Tot, with his mouth full. "It's fudge." + +"Fudge!" echoed Dot. "You must be crazy, Tot." But she tasted a small +piece herself and found that Tot was right. It was very nice fudge, +too. + +Just then as Dot was looking curiously toward the house, she saw the +door open and a little man come out, followed the next moment by a +little woman. They were not only very little, but short and very fat. +The man wore a tall hat, a swallow-tail coat and tight breeches; but +all his garments seemed fastened to him in some way, as if they were +not made to come off, and their bright colors looked to have been +painted on. The woman's dress had the same appearance, and the big +Shaker bonnet she wore seemed really a part of her head. + +When these people saw Dot and Tot, they stopped short and looked at +each other in surprise; but the man seemed soon to recover himself +and walked quickly toward the children, swinging a candy cane in his +hand as he came. + +"Good morning, my dears," he said, pleasantly. + +"Good morning," answered Dot. + +"Mornin'," said Tot. + +"Will you kindly tell us how you came here?" continued the fat little +man. "You must excuse my curiosity, but I cannot remember ever having +seen any real children before." + +"Our boat brought us," said Dot. "We're drifting down the river and +have to go wherever it takes us." + +"Oh, I see," said the man. "Well, since you are here, permit me to +welcome you to the Valley of Bonbons," and he reached out his hand, +with a graceful bow, to the little girl. + +Dot shook hands with him, of course; but it made her shiver a little, +the hand felt so soft and flabby; and when she withdrew her own hand +she noticed upon it a fine white powder like flour. This she brushed +off, but the little man laughed and said. "It's only powdered sugar, +my dear. I'm obliged to keep myself covered with it, you know, so I +won't stick to things." + +"But--but I don't understand," stammered the girl. "Aren't you made +like other people?" + +"Certainly; I am made like everyone I have ever seen until I met you +and this little boy. It strikes me you are the ones who are queerly +made. You don't seem to be candy at all." + +"Oh no!" said Dot, in a matter-of-fact way. "We're just flesh and +blood and bones." + +"And clothes," added Tot, who was looking with greedy eyes at the +strange little man. + +"Well, well!" said the man, thoughtfully tapping the ground with his +cane; "what strange creatures you must be. In this Valley everyone is +made of candy." + +"And everything else is candy," exclaimed the little woman, who was +peering over the man's shoulder and had not spoken before. + +"Oh yes; everything we know of is candy except the river," continued +the man. + +"Are you candy?" asked Tot, with wide open eyes. + +"To be sure. My bones are all made of stick candy and my flesh is +marshmallow. That is why I must keep myself covered with powdered +sugar; otherwise I would melt or stick to everything I touched. My +wife is made in the same way, and we are very proud to know we are +very pure and wholesome." + +"What do you eat?" asked Tot, curiously. + +"We eat candy, of course; that is what makes us so fat. Candy is very +fattening, you know," said the little man cheerfully. + +"But you haven't any teeth," remarked Dot, who had noticed this fact. + +"Teeth! Certainly not. No one can eat much candy and still have +teeth. Haven't you heard that candy always destroys a person's +teeth?" + +"I've been told so," replied Dot. + +"But we get along very nicely without them. Indeed, our lives are +decidedly sweet and peaceful." + +Just then they heard a shrill scream, and at once the woman rushed +toward the house, running in a very comical manner because she was so +short and fat. + +"That's the voice of our youngest child, the baby," explained the +man. "I fear some accident has happened to it. One of our greatest +troubles is that we cannot depend upon our colored servants, who are +chocolate. Chocolates can seldom be depended on, you know." + +"I hope nothing serious has happened to your baby," said Dot, with +ready sympathy. + +"Probably not," answered the candy man. "But I hope you will now +permit me to escort you to my house. You must be hungry; and I will +have luncheon served at once." + +"Thank you," said Dot. + +So, led by their fat little host, who waddled as he walked in a way +that made Tot laugh, they went to the house and were ushered into the +front parlor. + +The room was beautifully furnished; but the chairs, tables, pictures +and ornaments were all composed of candy of some sort, and there was +a fragrant odor of wintergreen, peppermint and rose about the room +that made Tot's mouth water in delightful anticipation. The boy +seated himself in a pretty pink and white chair, and Dot sat down +upon a small sofa; but happening to remember the sofa was candy, she +quickly arose and remained standing, although she was also a little +afraid of the sticky floor, which seemed to be well powdered. + +Soon the woman entered the room and, having welcomed them, she said, +"Our colored nurse, Aunt Lowney, had left the baby, little Huyler, +out in the sun, and before she noticed he was getting warm, his left +hand had all melted away. That was what made him cry." + +"Oh, that is terrible!" cried Dot, clasping her hands in horror at +the sad accident. "What can you do for the poor child?" + +"I have sent Aunt Lowney into the marshmallow field to get him some +more fingers. We shall be able to patch him up all right, I think, so +do not let it distress you. Accidents are always happening in our +Valley. But I will order luncheon served at once, for you must be +hungry after your journey." + +She then left the room, but soon returned, followed by two serving +maids, with complexions so dark brown in color that Dot was almost +afraid of them. + +"They are only chocolate, you know," whispered the man, "and quite +harmless when taken in moderation." + +Dot hardly understood what he meant, but felt more at ease after the +explanation. + +The maids brought many candy dishes to the table all filled with +delicious bonbons and sugar-plums of every description. There were +apples, pears, oranges and grapes, berries and peaches, rose-leaves +and violets; but all were composed of candy and proved delightful +eating. For drink they had pink lemonade, served in dainty candy +cups. + +"This pink lemonade," said the woman, "is one of the features of our +Valley, through which it flows in a pretty stream. Sometimes we also +drink the river water, but not often, for it is hardly sticky enough +for our taste. Our luncheon is now ready, so please draw your chairs +to the table." + +Tot tried to rise then, but found he was stuck fast to his chair, +owing to the heat of his body having warmed the candy. Finding he +could not get up he began to cry, but Dot helped him, and by +carefully pulling his clothes away, an inch at a time, she managed to +get him loose. His clothes left a soft fuzz upon the seat and back of +the chair, and to avoid further trouble, the candy man scattered +powdered sugar over the chairs in which Dot and Tot sat at the table. + +"I suppose it will powder your clothes somewhat," said he, "but they +can be brushed clean before you leave the Valley." + +The children enjoyed their novel luncheon. "It's the first time," +whispered Dot to Tot, "I ever had all the candy I wanted to eat." + +"Won't we get sick?" asked the boy, who was busily eating a delicious +peach--rose candy outside and a soft, delicate cream within. + +"I suppose so," answered Dot, truthfully, "but there's nothing else +to eat, you see." + +"Don't want nuthin' else," said Tot. + +"Allegretti," called the woman to one of the brown maids, "bring a +dish of those new cocoanut-kisses for our guests. Won't you have a +few more maple caramels?" she asked, politely, turning to Dot. + +"No, thank you," replied the child; "I've eaten so much already that +I fear I shall be ill." + +"Oh, nonsense!" returned the little man; "you cannot become ill +eating this sort of candy, for it's the purest in all the world. But +if you lived here always you would doubtless become as fat as we are, +and probably you would lose all your teeth." + +"We're not going to stay," answered Dot, in alarm. "We shall have to +start in just a few minutes." + +"But not until you have taken a short walk around our Valley," +remonstrated the little man. "You may never come here again, you +know, and it is a very sweet sight." + +They agreed to join their kind host in a walk, and after the candy +man had carefully dusted himself afresh with powdered sugar, they +started out. + +As they walked up the street, they noticed that many people came to +the doors of the candy houses and looked at the strangers with great +curiosity. These people seemed made of many different kinds of candy, +but all were quite fat, and had their clothes painted upon them in +bright colors, like the candy images that are sold in shops at +Christmas time. + +"Aren't the people here very brittle?" asked Dot, as they walked +along. + +"Yes, I may admit they are somewhat brittle," answered the man. "That +is one of the drawbacks we suffer from being made of candy. Only two +days ago, Mr. Gunther, a particular friend of mine, fell down a hill +and was broken into seventeen different pieces." + +"Dear me!" exclaimed Dot. "What did you do with him?" + +"Oh, as he was ruined beyond repair, we divided him up among the +neighbors who loved him best, and ate him the next morning for +breakfast." + +"Ate him!" cried the girl, who was greatly shocked. + +"Certainly; Mr. Gunther was a very sweet man." + +"But this is horrible," said Dot, with a shudder. "You are all +cannibals!" + +"Cannibals! What are those?" inquired the candy man. + +"Why, people who eat each other," said Dot. + +"Oh, then we are cannibals, sure enough," declared the little man, +calmly. + +"But cannibals are wicked creatures," said the child, aghast at such +savagery. + +"Is it wicked to eat candy in the country where you live?" demanded +the man. + +"No; but then people are not made of candy there." + +"Well, here there is nothing else than candy; so if we eat at all we +must eat candy. Is it wicked to eat in the country you came from?" + +"No," replied Dot, who was beginning to be puzzled at all this. + +"Then," said the little man, "you cannot consider us wicked for +eating each other. Of course, we never eat anyone who is not broken; +but when a man breaks himself into seventeen parts, it is considered +quite a compliment to him for the neighbors who feast upon his +pieces." + +This did not seem quite right to Dot, but she did not know how to +reply; and to add to her confusion, the candy man suddenly held up +his left hand, which he had placed behind him as he talked, and +showed her that his thumb and two of the fingers were missing. + +"Why, what can have happened to them?" she asked, in real distress. + +The candy man looked at his hand carefully, and then quickly turned +and looked at Tot. + +"There are marks of teeth on my hand," said he, "and no one in this +Valley has teeth except you two children." + +"Tot!" cried Dot; "did you bite off this gentleman's fingers?" + +Tot hung his head. + +"Answer me!" said the girl. "Have you been eating our friend?" + +"Well," said Tot, slowly, "he said the folks here were good to eat; +an'--an'--he held his hand behind his back--right in front of my +mouth; an'--so I took one of little bite off his fingers, an'--" + +"Tot," said Dot, "I'm ashamed of you! The idea of eating one who has +been so kind to us, and so soon after luncheon, too!" + +"Pray, do not scold him," said the candy man. "He says I am good to +eat, and that makes me so proud that I shall not mind the loss of my +fingers. When I have time I can get some new ones patched on; so it +does not matter much in the least." + +Still, Dot was hurt and angry at the occurrence, and Tot walked +behind them with hanging head. + +Very soon they saw, sitting by the roadside, a child who was so +exceedingly black in color that Dot exclaimed: + +"Surely, that baby isn't made of chocolate!" + +"No," said her friend, "that's a licorice child. We have a few of +them in the Valley and they are much admired. But here is our stream +of pink lemonade, and we will cross it by this little bridge." + +The bridge was remarkably pretty, being made of pea-green and +orange-colored candy, twisted together and ornamented with dainty frosted +work such as bakers put upon wedding cakes. + +Upon reaching the other side of the stream they found themselves near +the mountains, which shut in the far side of the Valley. Dot looked +up at these mountains and asked, curiously, "Who are all those people +sitting on the rocks?" + +At the question, Tot looked up also and saw long rows of candy men +and women sitting close together at the foot of the mountains. + +"Those people are the gum chewers," replied their guide. + +"What are they doing there?" inquired the girl. + +"They are being punished," returned the candy man, gravely. "If you +look over yonder, to the left, you will see a number of low bushes. +On these grow all kinds of chewing gums, and sometimes those who are +naughty go out there and pick the sticks of gum." + +"But I thought they had no teeth," said Dot. + +"Nor have they; but their gums are hardened by long use, so they are +able to chew as well as you do. This gum-chewing is a very +disagreeable habit, as doubtless you know; so when anyone is +discovered indulging in this habit, we make them come out here to the +mountains and sit on the rocks for seven days and seven nights. It is +a terrible disgrace, of course; but all naughtiness must be punished +in some way." + +Dot watched the gum-chewers thoughtfully for a time, being ashamed to +remember that she herself had often been guilty of indulging in this +condemned habit; but she said nothing about it, and soon they turned +and retraced their steps past the bridge and the village and the home +of their kind host, coming at last to the river's edge where they had +landed. + +Here Dot and Tot were surprised to find one end of their boat filled +with delicious looking candies, which the colored maids had placed +there during their walk, being directed in the work by the little +candy woman with the Shaker bonnet. + +Dot thanked the kind lady earnestly, for the food she had brought in +the basket was nearly gone. Then the candy lady gave each of the +children a sweet kiss, and the candy man shook hands with them, being +careful not to let Tot bite off any more of his fingers. + +Our little adventurers now seated themselves in the boat, and the +chocolate maids pushed it off the bank for them. Soon they were +drifting down the river again, and before long reached the archway +that led to the Third Valley of Merryland. + + + + CHAPTER 9 + THE THIRD VALLEY + +Soft strains of sweet and soothing music fell upon the ears of the +children as the boat glided silently through the arch that led into +the Third Valley. Then the jagged rocks surrounding them melted away +in the rear, and they passed into a country that lay peaceful and +smiling under the pleasant rays of the sun. + +At first, Dot thought the entire Valley was carpeted with soft, white +plush, but afterward she found it was a silken moss which grew +thickly everywhere. There were a few trees, with wide-spreading +branches, and upon these grew beautiful flowers that filled the air +with delicate perfume, but in most places the Valley, which was +shaped like a great cup with gently sloping sides, was open to the +warm rays of summer sunshine which flooded it. + +The entire scene was pretty to look upon; but what made the +children's eyes open wide with wonder was the sight of hundreds of +little, naked babies lying about upon the soft moss. They were waving +their dimpled arms about, kicking out their chubby feet, or holding +their tiny, fat thumbs in their mouths, while they cooed and crowed +in a very happy and contented way. The breeze that blew gently +through the trees made the music Dot and Tot heard; but the strains +were soft and low, and seemed like a lullaby to hush the babies to +sleep. + +Some of these little ones were sleeping as the boat drew near, and +they looked cozy and comfortable as they lay curled up on the moss; +but others were wide awake and full of playfulness, while none of +them cried or fretted or seemed a bit cross. + +The babies were not the only inhabitants of this strange Valley, +however. Walking among them were several long-legged, solemn-looking +Storks, pure white in color, with splashes of black upon their wings. +They appeared to act as nurses or guardians of the babies, and every +now and then would fill a bottle with sweet milk from the fountain, +and placed it beside a baby that acted as if it might be hungry. This +fountain stood in about the center of the Valley and sent many sprays +of new milk into the air, from whence it fell in graceful curves into +a big basin of pure white marble. The nursing bottles were kept on a +wide shelf at the edge of the fountain, where they were handy for the +Storks to use. + +While Dot and Tot were looking at the strange sights of this Valley, +which was so different from the others they had seen, their boat +drifted close to the shore, and one or two of the Storks came down to +the river bank and looked at them curiously with their bright eyes. + +Then one of the big, long-legged birds spoke to them in a voice that +was soft and pleasing. "Why did you come to our Valley?" it asked. +"You are too old to become babies again." + +"Oh, we're not babies," said Dot, earnestly. "We're quite grown up. +And we came here because we could not help it. In a few minutes we +will go away again into the next Valley." + +"Oh," said the Stork, "very well." + +"Isn't that milk I see in the fountain?" asked the child, after a +little pause. + +"Certainly it is," answered the Stork; "we feed the babies with it." + +"Could--could I have a drink of it?" asked Dot, who was thirsty from +eating so much candy. + +"Why, bless the child! Of course you can. We have plenty and to +spare. Come on shore at once, but be careful not to step on the +babies." + +"I want a drink, too!" cried Tot, who had been so much astonished to +hear a bird speak that he had remained silent until now. + +"You may both drink as much as you wish," replied the Stork, in a +kindly voice. + +So the children stepped out upon the bank and fastened their boat, +that it might not float away without them. Then, taking each other's +hands, they followed the Stork over the silken moss to the fountain. +There were no cups, so Dot and Tot drank from bottles; but they +thought it the most delicious milk they had ever tasted. + +While Dot was drinking she happened to look up into the sky, and +something she saw there made her utter a cry of surprise. A fleecy, +flower-like bud was floating, lightly as thistle-down, high in the +air, and seemed to be slowly dropping into the Valley. + +"What is that?" asked the girl, wonderingly. + +"That?" answered the Stork, turning its head sideways so that its +round, black eye could look at the sky; "why, that's a baby-blossom +to be sure." + +"And what is a baby-blossom?" inquired Dot. + +"Wait a moment and you will see," replied the Stork. + +Slowly and gently the white object floated downward, and even as Dot +and Tot watched it, the fleecy blossom sank upon the moss a few feet +from where they stood. Then one white leaf unfolded, and another, and +still another, until they saw lying in the center of the flower a +beautiful baby, fast asleep. While the children looked upon this +sight, hushed and silent at the wonder of it, the leaves of the +blossom faded away and disappeared, while the new baby rolled over +and opened wide its big, blue eyes. + +"It will be hungry after the long journey," said the old Stork, and, +filling a bottle at the fountain, the bird carried it in its long +bill to the baby and began to feed it, crooning at the same time the +following verse: + + Hushaby, lullaby, + Sweet flower from the sky; + Glad be thy dreams, for thy + Life lies before thee. + Soon shalt thou be at rest, + Soon fondled and caressed, + Pressed to the mother's breast + Who will adore thee. + +The baby looked up at the Stork, smiled sweetly and then closed its +eyes in sleep; while Tot, who had watched this scene with much +interest, asked in a low voice, "Do all the babies come from the +sky?" + +The old Stork did not seem to hear him; but another bird, which was +busily filling nursing bottles at the fountain, replied: + +"Certainly, they do." + +"I should think it would get crowded," said practical Dot, "for here +comes another blossom." + +"Two of 'em!" added Tot, looking upwards. + +Indeed, two more of the baby-blossoms were seen floating down from +the clear, blue sky, and the children watched them until they settled +upon the white moss and opened their leaves, setting free two more +rosy, new-born babies. + +The Stork at the fountain was now singing an odd little song in a +soft, cooing voice, and as Dot listened she caught the following +words: + + Coo-oo-oo, Coo-oo-oo! + Babies are born ev'ry minute, 'tis true + Babies are best when they're chubby and new; + 'Most anybody will want one or two; + Some people willingly take quite a few. + Here comes another! For babies are due + To fall when they're fresh and tender and new. + Coo-oo-oo, Coo-oo-oo! + Babies are blossoms that fall like the dew. + +Just then the older Stork, which seemed to be the chief of the +nurses, came toward the fountain and said to another of the birds, +"It is time to take one of the babies into the world. They are coming +quite fast to-day, and we must make room for the new ones." + +"Very well," answered the other. They walked among the babies until +they came to one quite big and strong, who was lying fast asleep. +This baby the Stork picked up very tenderly and placed upon the other +bird's back, twining its little arms around the long, soft neck, to +which it clung tightly. + +Then, spreading its great wings, the Stork flew into the air, bearing +the baby gently, and sailed over the edge of the Valley into the +world beyond, where it disappeared from view. + +"That is the way we keep our Valley from getting crowded," said the +old Stork. + +"Do you suppose," asked Dot, "that I lived here once, when I was a +baby?" + +"Probably," answered the bird. "But, of course, I cannot remember all +the babies, especially after they grow big." + +"Oh, of course not," exclaimed the girl. + +"Course not," said Tot; "too many of 'em." + +"Now, if you will excuse me, I'll feed the two babies who have just +arrived," said the motherly old Stork; and so the children watched it +and the other Storks for some time, and admired the gentle way in +which they tended the babies, and heard again and again the crooning +song: + + Hushaby, lullaby, + Sweet flower from the sky, + +which always seemed to have the effect of sending the babies to +sleep. + +Having taken one more drink at the fountain and said goodbye to the +kind Storks, Dot and Tot returned to their boat. + +As they pushed it out into the stream, Dot asked a Stork that stood +watching them: + +"What is in the next Valley?" + +"Oh, the Queen of all Merryland lives there," answered the bird, "for +that is the Fourth Valley, and lies in the center of the Seven." + +Then, with a feeling of awe at their approach to the Queen who ruled +this wonderful land, the children turned their eyes anxiously toward +the fourth archway. But as the boat drifted through its entrance, Tot +looked back into the Valley they were leaving and noticed another +baby-blossom floating down from the sky, while the voice of a Stork +sang softly: + + "Coo-oo-oo, Coo-oo-oo! + Babies are born every minute, 'tis true." + + + + CHAPTER 10 + The Queen of Merryland + +When the boat carried Dot and Tot beyond the rocky arch that led to +the Fourth and most important Valley of Merry-land, the children held +their breaths in suspense; for here lived the Queen of all this +wonderful country, and they had no idea what she was like. + +"Perhaps she will be angry with us for disobeying the Watch-Dog's +orders," Dot whispered; "and then she may punish us in some terrible +manner." + +"No, she won't," replied Tot, confidently. + +"Perhaps she will make us slaves and compel us to work for her," +continued Dot, with a little shudder. + +"No, she won't," protested Tot, stoutly. + +"Why won't she, Tot?" asked the girl. + +"'Cause it's Merryland," returned the boy. + +"Ah! That's true," said Dot, thoughtfully; "the Queen of this lovely +and happy country couldn't be very cross with us." + +"Course not," agreed Tot. + +"Then we won't be afraid," she added, her courage restored by Tot's +simple faith; "but will wait and see what happens to us." + +The boat now swept around a bend in the river, and they saw they were +in a Valley somewhat larger than any they had yet visited; but their +view was shut off by a high wall that ran along the river bank on one +side, and by the rocky edge of the Valley on the other side. + +The wall was higher than their heads when they stood up in the boat, +and upon its top Dot noticed several little wooden soldiers, with +guns on their shoulders, walking stiffly back and forth, as if they +were keeping guard. Each of these soldiers was seemingly made out of +one piece of wood, and wore a high black hat and a red coat with +black buttons, while his trousers were painted white. The guns did +not look very dangerous, and Dot remembered that once she had owned a +box of just such looking soldiers as these. + +But the soldiers on the wall were moving around, and Dot's soldiers +had never moved at all--at least, while she was looking at them. What +they might have done when she was not looking she, of course, could +not tell. + +The wooden soldiers paid no attention to the boat, which glided +slowly down the stream, while the children looked for a place to +land. + +"Perhaps we'll float right through the Valley," whispered Dot, "and +then the Queen will never know we've been in her country at all." + +In a few moments, however, they saw a gate in the wall, made of wood +and nearly covered with gold and silver plates that shone brightly in +the sun. In front of this gate was a little landing place and some +steps leading down to the river. They floated up to the steps and +stopped, so Dot and Tot got out and tied the boat to a silver ring in +the wall. Then they walked to the gate, where Dot was just putting +out her hand to open it, when she heard a voice cry: + +"Halt!" + +She looked up and saw that on each side of the gate was standing one +of the wooden soldiers. Their guns were pointed straight at Dot and +Tot, and although the soldiers were not much taller than Tot's knee, +the children were startled at their warlike attitude and stood still +in surprise. + +"Can't we open the gate?" asked the girl, after a moment. + +"No!" answered one of the soldiers, in a voice he tried to make +gruff, but which sounded rather squeaky, as if it needed oiling. + +"Why not?" inquired Tot. + +"It's against orders," replied the soldier. "The Queen has commanded +me to shoot any stranger who tries to open the gate." + +"But your gun is only wood," said Dot, who was annoyed at the +soldier's interference. + +"Wooden guns can't shoot!" shouted Tot, gleefully. + +The soldier seemed somewhat embarrassed at this and Dot thought he +blushed a little. + +"It does not matter whether my gun will shoot or not," he answered, +stiffly. "I am ordered not to let anyone open the gate." + +"But you have no right to give me orders," said the girl. "I don't +belong to Merryland, so your Queen has no authority over either Tot +or me." + +"Then why are you here, if you don't belong here?" asked the soldier. + +Dot hesitated to reply, for she felt the rebuke this question +implied. + +"We couldn't help coming," she explained, at last; "the boat brought +us." + +"Well, since you are here," said the soldier, "you must obey the laws +of this country and the Queen who rules it." + +"That's rubbish!" cried Dot, now thoroughly provoked. "You can't obey +the orders of your Queen yourself." + +"Why not?" inquired the soldier, in surprise. + +"You were ordered to shoot, were you not?" + +"Certainly." + +"Well, you can't shoot, for your gun is made of wood. So you cannot +obey orders." + +"But if you had not come here," protested the soldier, "I should have +had no occasion to shoot. So it is all your fault." + +"Perhaps so," replied Dot; "but I mean to open the gate in spite of +your orders." + +She raised the latch and the gate began to swing slowly back upon its +hinges; but when it had partly opened, she saw standing before her +another wooden soldier, dressed like a Captain, who held in his hand +a wooden sword. + +"Stand back!" cried the Captain. "If you advance another step I will +stick my sword into you." + +Dot looked at the sword and saw that the point of it was really +sharp. So she stopped short and said, "Does the Queen of Merryland +live here?" + +"She does," replied the Captain. + +"Then please let her know that I have come to call upon her," +continued Dot. She was a wise little girl, and knew that while she +might safely argue with the helpless soldiers, it was far better to +be polite to the Captain with the sharp sword. + +At her request the officer bowed courteously and blew upon a pewter +whistle that hung around his neck. In answer to the summons another +soldier appeared, who saluted his Captain respectfully. + +"Go to her Majesty the Queen," commanded the officer, "and tell her +there are two strangers at the gate who wish to see her." + +At once the soldier started upon his mission, and the little wooden +Captain turned to Dot and Tot, saying, "You may come within the gate +and sit down while you await the commands of our Queen; but if she +will not receive you, of course you must go out again." + +So the children passed through the gateway, which the Captain closed +behind them, and sat down upon a small wooden bench built against the +wall. Then they began to look around, for now before their eyes was +the Fourth Valley of Merryland, the home of the Queen. + +"Why, it's just like a toy village!" cried Dot, after the first look. + +It really was something like a toy village. There were several pretty +streets, with rows of little houses facing them, and each house was +much ornamented and brightly painted. Before the houses were rows of +trees which seemed to have been whittled out of wood, for the leaves +looked like shavings. These trees were colored a bright emerald +green, and each one stood upon a little round platform of its own. +The grass also looked like wood shavings, and was dyed the same +bright green color as the trees. + +Dot gazed dreamily at the houses and thought they resembled the big +doll's playhouse her papa had once given her for Christmas, and which +now was standing in the attic of her city home. + +At the far end of the main street, which ran down to the gate where +they sat, was a house much bigger than the others, having for a roof +a round dome which shone in the sun as if made of gold. This house +was built in a remarkably beautiful and artistic manner, and before +it, upon a bright green lawn, stood many trees and flowering shrubs. + +"Who lives there?" Dot asked the wooden Captain. + +"That is the palace of her Majesty the Queen," was the reply. + +"Oh!" said Dot; "is she very big?" + +"Quite big," answered the Captain, proudly. + +"But," he added, "of course she is not so extremely large as you +are." + +"Oh!" exclaimed Dot again, and before he had time to say anything +more she saw a carriage drive around to the front of the palace. Then +the door quickly opened, and what looked to be a lady came out and +entered the carriage. + +It was so far away she could not see the lady clearly at first; but +soon the carriage came rolling swiftly toward them, and both Dot and +Tot stood up that they might see plainly who was coming. + +In a remarkably short time the carriage reached the gate and stopped +short, and now the children's eyes were big with wonder as they +looked upon it and its occupants. + +The carriage itself was of the kind that are sold in toy shops, and +it was drawn by two horses standing upon wooden platforms with +rollers underneath, so that instead of the horses themselves running, +the wheels of the platforms whirled around, taking the carriage +wherever the driver might direct. This driver looked for all the +world like a rag doll dressed in a coachman's uniform. His neck was +rather weak, and that caused his head to lean slightly to one side, +giving him a somewhat broken-down appearance; but he held the reins +firmly in his stuffed hands and looked straight ahead, like a +well-trained servant. + +Seated in the carriage was the loveliest Wax Doll the children had +ever looked upon. She was nearly as big as Tot, and was exquisitely +dressed in a gown of soft, fluffy white material, with many pink +ribbons upon her shoulders and sleeves, and a broad sash around her +waist. Her silken hair was long and of a golden color, while her eyes +were blue, and had in their depths a sweet and gentle expression. As +for her complexion, it was a dainty pink-and-white, delicately +blended. Upon her head she wore a golden crown with seven points upon +it, and each point was tipped with a gleaming jewel. + +Almost at first sight Dot longed to hold the Wax Doll in her arms and +love and fondle her, and Tot suddenly became so bashful that he took +off his hat and bowed his head to the "sweet lady" (as he called +her), with his eyes bent upon the ground. + +Yet scarcely had the children taken a good look at this delightful +creature, when the Wax Doll leaped lightly from the carriage and +stood before them, showing, as she did so, that her feet were clad in +white satin slippers, embroidered with silver. + +"Who are you?" she asked, in a pleasant voice, but with some anxiety, +Dot thought; "and how did you ever get to Merryland?" + +"We came in a boat," replied the girl; "and this is my friend, Tot +Thompson, and I am Dot Freeland." + +"Dot F'eelun," murmured Tot, shyly lifting his eyes and nodding his +head. + +"But you shouldn't have come here," said the little lady. "This is +private property, and I have placed guards to prevent anyone entering +my Valleys." + +"Are you the Queen?" asked the girl. + +"Yes, I am Queen of all Merryland; and I cannot understand why my +guards have disobeyed my orders." + +"Oh, the guards were all right," said Dot. "It was we who disobeyed. +But we really couldn't help it, for we had to go wherever the boat +carried us." + +Then she told the Queen all the story of their adventures, and of how +they had been carried by accident into the Valleys of Merryland. + +After she had heard the story, the little lady looked puzzled for a +moment and then said, "No one who enters my kingdom should ever be +allowed to leave it again, for if they did the world should soon know +all about me and my people. If that happened, all our comfort and fun +would be spoiled, for strangers would be coming here every day." + +"Have strangers been here before?" asked Dot, timidly. + +"Never," answered the Queen. + +"Then what are you going to do with us?" inquired the girl. + +"Really, I do not know. You see, I am so perplexed that I have +stopped smiling, and that will never do in the world; for should the +weather change and cool my wax, I would remain solemn until it warmed +up again, and my people would then think me unworthy to be the Queen +of Merryland." + +"I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble," said Dot, softly. +"I'd much rather be at home again, if I could, although your Valleys +are so queer and delightful." + +Then the Queen again smiled upon them. + +"Don't worry, my dear," she exclaimed, brightly, "I'll find some way +out of our difficulty when I have used my thinking machine. Until +then you must come to my palace and be treated as my guests." + +"Thank you," said Dot and Tot together. + +The Queen turned to the wooden Captain and commanded: + +"Escort these strangers to my royal palace, and see that you treat +them most politely; for although they are in reality my prisoners, +they have been guilty of no intentional wrong and seem to be nice +children." + +The wooden Captain removed his wooden hat and bowed very low, so low +indeed that Tot could see the peg on the top of his head that held +the hat on when it was in place. + +"Your Majesty's commands shall be obeyed," he said. + +Then the Queen stepped into her carriage, the rag coachman cracked +his whip, and the wheels of the horses' platform began spinning +around. Then the Queen rode swiftly up the street to her royal +palace. + +Dot and Tot followed more slowly, for the Captain who escorted them +was exceedingly small and walked stiffly, having no joints in his +knees. As they trudged along Tot asked the Captain: + +"Why do the horses go on wheels?" + +"Because they're made that way, I suppose," was the reply. + +"Why don't they make 'em to walk on their legs?" continued the boy. + +"It would tire them too much," answered the Captain. "Being on +platforms, the horses never get tired, you see, for the wheels do all +the work." + +"Oh!" said Tot, "I see." Then, after a pause, he asked: + +"What do you feed 'em?" + +"Cotton," answered the Captain. "We keep them quite full of it all +the time. That's what makes them look so plump and healthy. What do +they feed horses on in your country?" + +"Hay," said Tot. + +"We tried stuffing ours with hay once," remarked the Captain; "but it +made their skins look lumpy, it was so coarse; so now we use cotton +altogether." + +"I see," said Tot again, in a rather bewildered voice. + +The street they were walking upon was smooth and level, and the +houses they passed were neat and pretty; but both the children +noticed there were no people to be seen anywhere about the village. +This seemed strange, and Dot was about ask who lived in the houses, +when they arrived at the gate of the palace, upon which the Captain +knocked three times with the handle of his wooden sword. + +Thereupon the gate opened slowly, and they passed into a beautiful +flower garden, and walked along the green-bordered paths until they +came to the high-arched doorway of the palace. + +Dot had only time to notice that there were seven golden stars above +the doorway, when the Queen herself appeared and led them through a +hall into her drawing room, having dismissed the wooden Captain with +a nod of her royal head. + +Although the house was by far the biggest one in the Valley, the tops +of the doors were only a little way above Dot's head, and when the +children sat down in the drawing room they chose the biggest chairs, +and found them just about the right size. + +"Now, my dears," said the pretty Queen, "it is almost dinner time, +and I know you must be nearly starved; so I will have you shown at +once to your rooms, and when you have bathed your faces and brushed +your clothes you shall have something nice to eat." + +She touched a bell that stood upon a table near by, and at once there +came into the room a little boy doll, dressed in a brown suit with +brass buttons. He was larger in size than any doll Tot had seen +outside of Merryland, yet he was not so big as the Queen herself. +When the children looked at him closely, they could see that his face +and hands and feet were knitted from colored worsteds, while his eyes +were two big black beads. + +This curious doll walked straight up to the Queen and bowed before +her, while she said, "Scollops, show this young man to the laughing +chamber, and wait upon him while he arranges his toilet." + +Scollops, as the knitted boy seemed named, bowed again and murmured, +"Your Majesty shall be obeyed." Then, turning to Tot, he took his +hand and led him from the room. The hand felt soft and woolly to Tot, +but he did not object to it, for Scollops had a merry expression to +his face that won the little boy's heart at once. + +"Where are we going?" he asked, as they began to mount the stairs. + +"To the laughing chamber," replied Scollops; and having reached the +top of the stairs, they walked down a long hallway and entered a room +so odd and pretty that Tot stopped short and gazed at it in +astonishment. + +In many ways it was like an ordinary room, for it contained a +dresser, a bed, chairs and a table. But upon the wall were painted +hundreds of heads of children--boys and girls of all countries, with +light and dark hair, straight and curly hair, blue and black and +brown and gray eyes, and all with laughing faces. The posts of the +bed were also carved into laughing baby faces; the chairs and the +dresser showed a face upon every spot where there was a place for +one, and every face throughout the whole room had a smile upon it. To +match the rest of the furniture, the carpet had woven upon it in +bright colors all kinds of laughing children's faces, and the effect +of the queer room was to make Tot himself laugh until the tears roll +down his cheeks. + +When the boy had looked the room over and seen all the faces, +Scollops helped him to wash his hands and face, to comb his hair and +to brush his clothes, and when this task was finished, the woolly +doll said: + +"I will now show you why this room is called the laughing chamber. +Lie down upon the bed a moment--but don't get your shoes against the +clean covers." + +Tot lay down upon the bed, and at once heard a sweet, tinkling chorus +of laughter coming from every part of the room. It was so delightful +and soothing that he listened to it rapture. Softly his eyes closed, +and in another moment he would have been sound asleep had not +Scollops raised him to his feet and said: + +"It is not time for sleep yet, for you haven't had your dinner. But +the laughing faces will make you slumber peacefully when the time +comes, and give you pleasant dreams, too." + + + + CHAPTER 11 + The Palace of Wonders + +No sooner had Scollops taken Tot from the drawing room than the Queen +touched her bell a second time, and in answer to the summons a neatly +dressed doll maid entered the room and made her bow before her pretty +mistress. This maid was a pleasant looking little person; but Dot +noticed her eyebrows were painted upon her face, and her hair seemed +painted on, too, only the little white cap nearly covered it, so it +didn't show much. + +"Twinkle," said the Queen, "show this young lady to the musical +chamber and wait upon her as she dresses for dinner." Then, turning +to Dot, she added, "I shall retire to my own room and use my thinking +machine while you are gone, so that I may know what to do with you. +Your coming has completely upset my life, for I never thought to see +strangers in Merryland. But you must not worry. Doubtless, my +thinking machine will show me exactly what to do with you, and in any +event I could not harm two such gentle children as you and Tot." + +She nodded smilingly and left the room, while the maid Twinkle led +Dot up the stairs and along the hallway to her room. + +The girl thought she had never seen a prettier chamber, although she +had always been daintily cared for by her wealthy parents. The +bedstead was of pure ivory, and the pillows were covered with +creamy-white silk, embroidered with white flowers. The bedspread was of +pure white, too, and over it were thickly sewn many brilliant diamonds, +while the fringe along the edges was made of diamond beads. The +chairs and sofas were covered with white brocaded silks, and the +velvet carpet was scattered with lilies-of-the-valley on a delicate +green groundwork. + +In one corner stood a beautiful little dressing table with a big +mirror above it, and through a draped doorway Dot saw a luxurious +little bathroom with a tub of white marble. + +"It's a lovely room," said Dot to the maid; "but why did the Queen +call it the musical chamber?" + +"Sit down, please," was Twinkle's reply. So Dot seated herself in an +easy chair, and no sooner had she touched the cushions than the +sweetest strains of music fell upon her ears. She listened to it +delightedly until the piece was finished, when Twinkle raised her to +her feet. + +"The music will play as long as you sit there," she said. "Try the +sofa." + +Then Dot sat upon one of the sofas, and heard the strains of a +military band, seemingly far away, but sounding sweetly and +distinctly, nevertheless. + +Twinkle now led her to the bath-room that she might bathe her face +and hands, and when the water fell into the basin it played an +inspiring waltz tune. The brushes which the maid passed through Dot's +hair were musical, too, and everything she touched seemed to play to +her the most ravishing strains of melody. + +"Now," said Twinkle, "lie down upon the bed a moment." + +Dot obeyed, and heard a chorus of sweet, childish voices singing such +dreamy, soothing lullabies that her eyes closed in spite of herself, +and she was almost asleep when Twinkle aroused her and bade her +attend the Queen's banquet. + +"The voices will sing you to sleep when bedtime comes," said the +maid; "but now you must have dinner and learn what fate the Queen of +Merryland has in store for you." + +She walked to a door that was half hidden behind a rich drapery, and, +pushing it open, showed Dot that it led to the laughing chamber. It +was with real pleasure that the girl saw her friend Tot, who had at +that moment just risen from his bed. + +The boy eagerly showed her all the gay, mirthful faces in his room, +and they made Dot laugh out of pure sympathy. Then she brought Tot +into her own dainty chamber, where he sat upon a chair and heard an +orchestra play a merry schottische. But Twinkle and Scollops were now +impatient to hurry them away, so soon they descended the stairway +again and were ushered into the royal banquet room. + +The Queen had arrived there before them, and her was face was smiling +as sweetly as ever. She set Dot upon one side of her at the big table +and Tot upon the other side. + +This table was spread with delicate glassware and rare vases of +fragrant flowers, and the dishes they ate from they perceived were of +solid gold. + +"How did you like your chamber?" the Queen asked Dot. + +"It is delightful," she answered. "I did not think there could be +such a beautiful room in all the world." + +"And were you also pleased?" inquired the Wax Doll, turning toward +the boy. + +"My room's fine," replied Tot; "it made me laugh!" + +The dinner was now served, and certainly no more delicious meal was +ever eaten by children, unless they chanced to dine with the Queen of +Merryland. There were many courses of rich and rare edibles, and each +dish Dot and Tot thought could not be surpassed until they tasted the +next one. + +"Really," said Dot with an admiring glance at her Majesty, "you must +be a fairy." + +"To be sure I am!" laughed the pretty Queen. + +"Still, you are not like any fairy I have read about," continued the +child, gravely. + +"No, I suppose not," returned the Wax Doll. "You must know that +fairies are as different from one another as other people are, and +the reason you have not read about me is because the folk who write +fairy tales have never been to Merryland." + +"That is true," agreed Dot. "Tot and I were the first to discover +you." + +"Yes, and you were very wrong to do so," added the Queen, +reprovingly. "But I have used my thinking machine, as I promised, and +it has shown me an easy way out of my difficulties." + +"What will you do with us?" asked Dot, looking at the Queen so +anxiously that she forgot to drink her nectar. + +"I'm going to adopt you," was the calm reply. + +"Adopt us!" exclaimed the girl, wonderingly. + +"Yes, that is the only thing to do. You are going to be my adopted +daughter, the Princess Dot of Merryland; and your companion must +become my adopted son, Prince Tot of Merryland." + +"But must we always live here?" enquired Dot. + +"Can't we go home again?" demanded Tot. + +"Those are questions I cannot answer now," said the Queen. "For the +time, at least, you must live with me, and I think you will be +delighted with this Valley and all the pretty things I have to show +you. Should you ever grow tired of Merryland we will talk about your +leaving it. At present you will be wise to think of nothing but your +happiness in becoming members of the royal family of this kingdom." + +The boy and girl listened to this silently and thoughtfully, for +although the Queen smiled, she spoke with a dignity and authority +that made them realize she was very much in earnest. But seeing that +her guests looked serious and troubled, the little lady soon rose +from the table, saying more cheerfully as she did so, "It is nearly +time for my army to drill, so, if it please you, we will sit upon the +balcony and eat our ice cream while we watch the soldiers." + +Dot and Tot sprang up at once and followed the Queen to a balcony +that ran across the front of the palace. Here they seated themselves +and were served with delicate ice-cream hollyhocks upon golden +saucers by Twinkle and Scollops. + +"Why do you call the maid Twinkle?" Dot asked the Queen. + +"Because she steps so quickly and so softly, like the twinkling of a +star, and because her eyes are so bright and sparkling," answered the +Wax Doll. + +"Why do you call him Scollops?" enquired Tot, pointing his finger at +the boy doll. + +"Because his hair is all knitted in scollops, and he has scollops +around his wrists and at the bottom of his trousers." + +Tot looked, and sure enough the scollops were there. + +"You see we always have a reason for the names we bear in this +kingdom. It is only in the big outside world that people have names +that mean nothing," said the Queen. + +"What is your name?" asked the girl. + +"Haven't you heard it?" enquired the Queen, with a surprised look. + +"No; I have only heard you called the Queen," said Dot; "but, of +course, you must have a name of your own." + +"Oh, I certainly have," answered the little lady. "My name is----." +Then she stopped suddenly and leaned over the balcony, while she held +up one of her pink hands and whispered: "Listen!" + +The children now heard the sound of martial music approaching, and in +a few minutes there marched around the corner of the palace a band of +pewter musicians. They were dressed in brightly painted uniforms and +marched proudly and in excellent time, while they played as loudly as +possible upon their instruments. + +Following the band came a squadron of pewter soldiers on horseback, +and the horses reared and pranced, while the officers waved their +pewter swords above their heads in an impressive manner. Next came +the foot soldiers, company after company, wearing red painted +uniforms and blue painted uniforms, as well as uniforms of green and +yellow paint. + +Not a man in the entire army was more than six inches high, and all +were made of pewter--just like the boxes of soldiers you buy at the +toy shops; but they marched like real live soldiers, and there were +so many of them that it was actually an impressive sight. + +As each company passed beneath the balcony where the Queen sat, the +men saluted her respectfully and the officers raised their hats, +while the doll Queen bowed graciously in return. + +"Isn't that a fine army?" she asked, proudly. + +"They're rather small for soldiers," replied Dot. + +"I could kick 'em all over with my foot!" said Tot. + +"Oh, but that would be wrong," exclaimed the Queen. "Surely they +haven't done you any harm." + +"No," said Tot; "but I could fight 'em all." + +"It's wrong to fight," remarked the Queen, reprovingly. + +"Then what do you have soldiers for?" questioned Dot. + +"Why, to march and drill and look pretty, of course," answered the +Queen. "I thought everyone loved to see soldiers march." + +"I suppose they do," said the girl. + +"No one should wish to hurt such brightly dressed creatures," +continued her Majesty, "nor should a soldier wish to harm anyone +else." + +"Yet the wooden Captain at the gate threatened to stick his sword +into us," declared the child. + +"That's different," replied the Queen. "The wooden soldiers are +guardians of the Valley, and it is their duty to threaten and scare +folks. But had the Captain really hurt you with his sword, I should +have had the quarrelsome fellow chopped into kindling wood. He's +quite dry and would burn nicely." + +They sat for some time watching the pewter soldiers drill, and +finally the entire army marched away again. When they had gone, the +little village seemed as silent and deserted as it had been before. + + + + CHAPTER 12 + Prince Tot and Princess Dot + +"Now," said the Queen, "you must come to my throne room and be +adopted." + +So she led the way and they followed her to a beautiful apartment, +large and grand, with high ceilings set with precious stones. In the +middle of the room stood the Queen's magnificent throne. + +Seating herself among the cushions of the throne, her Majesty touched +a bell which brought Scollops running in. + +"Send to me all the people of my household, as quickly as possible," +commanded the Queen of Merryland. "I am about to perform an important +ceremony, and they must all witness my act." + +Scollops bowed and retired, and the Wax Doll turned to Dot and Tot +and remarked, "I've never adopted anyone before so I don't know +exactly the form of ceremony I ought to employ; but I shall do the +best I can, and that ought to be satisfactory to you." + +"Oh, yes," said Dot. "I suppose so." + +"Does it hurt?" asked Tot. + +"Does what hurt?" + +"To be 'dopted." + +"I hope not," said the little Queen; "I shall try to be as gentle as +possible." + +The members of the household now entered the room and the children +found there were a good many of them. All were dolls of some sort; +but Dot noticed the Queen was the only wax doll in the Valley, so far +as she had seen. Among the household servants the cooks were black +dolls, the chambermaids were china dolls, and the others seemed +mostly made of wood, although there was one elderly doll that was +clearly papier-mache. These knelt down in a circle before the Queen +and remained in this humble position during the Ceremony of Adoption. + +Her Majesty began by making a speech, in which she told how the +strangers had been carried by accident into Merryland. + +"It was not their fault," she said, "but when I consulted my thinking +machine I found I must do one of two things--either turn them into +dolls by means of my fairy wand, or else adopt them as my children. +They seem so much bigger and prettier than dolls that I have decided +to adopt them, so I have called all my people in to witness my act." + +The servants of the household loudly applauded this speech, and one +of the chambermaids clapped her hands so earnestly that she broke off +one of her little fingers. + +"Dot Freeland," now said the Queen, in a solemn voice, "kneel down +upon my footstool." + +Dot was a little frightened, for never before had she heard the Queen +speak in any voice but a laughing one; but she knelt down obediently, +and the Queen placed upon her head a small golden crown with four +points, each point being tipped with a flashing gem. Then the Queen +said: + + Thou art made a Princess now + By this crown upon thy brow; + All must bow to thy command, + Who reside in Merryland; + And my daughter thou shalt be, + Living long and happily. + Rise, my Princess, fair and sweet, + At my right hand take thy seat. + +Dot rose at once and sat on the Queen's right hand, while all the +household applauded again; but this time the china chambermaids were +more careful of their fingers. The girl longed to take off her pretty +crown and look at it, but she felt it might not be dignified to do +so; therefore she sat quietly, as a princess should, while Tot in +turn knelt upon the Queen's footstool. + +The fairy doll placed upon Tot's head a crown almost exactly like the +one Dot wore, saying to him in her gentle voice: + + By this crown I give to thee, + I, the Queen, hereby decree, + Thou shalt be a princeling grand + In our happy Merryland. + Purest joy shall be thy lot, + All thy troubles be forgot; + Rise, Prince Tot, for thou shalt be + Loving son henceforth to me! + +Tot shoved the crown to the back of his head, where he usually wore +his hat, and seated himself at the Queen's left hand. + +The assembled household now cheered loudly and long, and in the midst +of the uproar the wooden Captain entered at the head of the pewter +band, and the musicians blew upon their instruments so powerfully +that the big throne room was filled with music. + +All this was decidedly pleasing to Princess Dot and Prince Tot, who +felt very proud of themselves and most grateful to the generous +Queen. + +Scollops and Twinkle now served lavender-colored ices to those +present at the Ceremony of Adoption, and the pewter band finished +playing and marched away again. Then the Queen took Dot and Tot to +the drawing room of the palace, where the children had leisure to +thank her and to admire their pretty crowns. The Wax Doll smiled +sweetly upon them, and seemed quite as pleased as her adopted +children at the success of the ceremony. + +Presently Dot asked, "Does no one live in those pretty houses in the +village?" + +"Yes, Princess," answered her Majesty; "they are full of people." + +"But we have seen no one except the dolls who live in this palace," +remarked the child. + +"That is true," returned the Queen, "for I have been so busy since +your arrival that I have not had a chance to awaken them." + +"Are they all asleep?" asked Tot. + +"Well, not exactly asleep," answered the Queen; "but they are dolls, +like all the rest of us in this Valley, and they only move around and +talk when I bring them to life by means of my fairy wand. At one time +I kept them alive continually, but it was such a bother to manage +them all that I changed my plans, and now I let them lie in their +houses until I wish to amuse myself with their pranks. I have only to +wave my fairy wand three times and blow my magic whistle to arouse +the whole village to activity. But then I always have my hands full +trying to make them behave properly." + +"That seems a nice way to rule," said Dot, thoughtfully. "If every +king and queen were able to do the same thing with their people, +there could not be so much quarreling nor so many wars." + +"True enough," laughed the Queen; "but real, live people would not +like to be treated that way. Would you like to see my village wake +up?" + +"Yes, indeed!" exclaimed Dot. + +"Then I will order our carriages so we may drive down to the +village." + +The Queen called Scollops and sent him for three carriages "For," she +said to Dot and Tot, "there is just enough room in the royal carriage +for me, and as there are no bigger ones in the Valley, we must each +ride in a separate carriage." + +It was not long before the three carriages, each drawn by horses +standing upon wheeled platforms, and driven by rag doll coachmen +dressed in the royal livery of pink and blue drew up before the gate +of the palace. Dot had hard work to squeeze into the seat of her +vehicle, and when she succeeded she had some fears that it would tip +over, or the wheels would come off the horses. But Tot, being +smaller, fit his carriage nicely, and being younger and a boy, he had +no fears of any accidents. + +So now the drivers cracked their whips and away they rolled, the +Queen first, Dot next and Tot last of all. When they reached the main +street of the village, the three carriages drew up near the sidewalk, +all in a row, and the Queen said: + +"Now I will awaken the people." + +She waved the fairy wand three times around her head and blew a +shrill blast upon the magic whistle. + +Instantly a commotion arose all about them. Doors and windows began +to open, and from the houses flocked many dolls of all sorts and +sizes. There were china, bisque, wooden, papier-mache, rag and rubber +dolls, with yellow hair, red and brown and white hair, and +complexions ranging from the daintiest pink to the deepest black. +Some were finely dressed, some well dressed and some shabbily +dressed; but all seemed and light-hearted, and they ran about singing +and dancing chatting to each other as happily as if they had not been +asleep for so long a time by their Queen. + +"I don't understand how you can make dolls act like real people," +said Dot, as she watched them with wonder. + +"No, I suppose not," replied her Majesty. "But if you were a fairy, +as I am, you would know all about it." + +The Queen now left her seat in the carriage and entered a pretty +little cottage that stood near by. Dot followed to doorway and, +peeping in, saw that this entire cottage was occupied by an enormous +music box. + +"I'll make it play," said the Queen, "for my dolls love to dance to +the music." + +Thereupon she touched a spring, and at once strains of delightful +melody came from the big music box. + +Dot hastened outside again and found the street filled with dolls, +who were dancing joyously to the bewitching music. After watching +them for a time in silence the Queen said: + +"Now they have had enough fun for one day, so I will send them to +sleep again." + +She waved her wand once and the music stopped playing. The dolls +stopped dancing and began to say good-night to one another. A second +time the Queen waved her wand above her head, and then every doll +hurried to its own home, and the doors and windows began to close +again. But Dot and Tot could hear the dolls laughing and talking in +the houses until the Queen waved her wand for the third and last +time, when silence fell on the village, and her Majesty turned to the +children and said: + +"Now they are fast asleep again, and will remain so until I choose to +awaken them." + +"They are lovely dolls," said Dot, sighing to think the entertainment +was ended, "and I should love to play with them all day long." + +"Sometimes I have kept them awake all day myself," replied the Queen; +"but that is when I am lonely and need amusement. No one can be dull +while those laughing, romping, mischievous dolls are awake. But I +must have a talk with my new Prince and Princess this evening, so I +could devote but little time to my people, and only awakened them to +satisfy your curiosity." + +"Can't I have a doll to keep?" asked Tot, as they drove back to the +palace. + +"Yes, my dear Prince," answered the Queen. "I'll give you Scollops. +You will find him very useful and a jolly playmate." + +Tot nodded his thanks, and soon they reached the palace and +accompanied the Queen to her room. When all were seated the Wax Doll +said, "Tomorrow I must leave you here alone, for I am going upon a +journey." + +"Where to?" enquired Dot, greatly surprised at this announcement. + +"I shall go up the river to the end of Merryland, where you entered +the First Valley. Since you have found a way to enter my kingdom from +the big outside world, I have been greatly worried for fear others +would also come here. To prevent this I must visit the Watch-Dog of +Merryland, and tell him how to keep anyone from passing the archway." + +"Oh, the Watch-Dog cannot keep people out," said Dot. "He's too +polite and good-natured. When we said we would not mind him he was +sorry, but he didn't try to stop us." + +"Well," replied the Queen, "that is why I must make the journey. I +shall command the Watch-Dog to sit hereafter upon a rocky shelf above +the arch, and then if people will not obey him, and try to get +through the arch in spite of my orders, the old man must jump into +the river in front of the opening. As soon as he touches the water he +will be turned into a great rock, which will block up the archway and +prevent anyone from entering my kingdom." + +"Oh, I see," said Dot. "Then the Watch-Dog may be of some use, after +all." + +"I hope so," declared the Queen. + +"But what shall we do while you are away?" asked the girl, anxiously. + +"You may amuse yourselves by running about the palace, and all my +household will wait upon you and obey your orders; for you are now +Prince Tot and Princess Dot of Merryland, and your power is second +only to my own." + +"That's nice," said Tot. + +Twinkle now led Dot to her room and helped her prepare for bed. The +diamond coverlet was rather heavy to sleep under, so Twinkle laid it +aside and covered the girl with a soft, fleecy robe. + +Tot also went to his laughing chamber, accompanied by Scollops, who +helped him undress and threw over his head a pretty pink silk +nightgown. Tot wanted the door between his room and Dot's left open +while they slept, so Scollops opened it and the children called +good-night to each other. + +When Dot lay down upon her bed, the fairy chorus began to sing softly +and sweetly; and when Tot lay down the invisible laughter of childish +voices rang out like chimes, keeping time to the tinkling chorus from +Dot's bed. This was all so soothing and delightful that in less than +a minute the children's eyes had closed, and soon they were fast +asleep and dreaming sweet dreams of the wonders of Merryland. + + + + CHAPTER 13 + The Revolt of the Dolls + +Dot and Tot awoke early, but the sun was already flooding the palace +with its silver rays, and they made haste to dress and join the Queen +at breakfast. + +This meal was as dainty and satisfying as the one they had partaken +of the night before, and the wax Queen laughed and talked so +pleasantly that no one would have suspected she was about to +undertake a long journey. + +"I shall try to return by sundown," she said to them, "so you will +only be alone during the day. I advise you to pass the time by +exploring the Valley, and if you wish to ride, the royal coachmen +will take you wherever you wish to go." + +"May I ask a favor?" said Dot, timidly. + +"Certainly, Princess; ask whatever you will," returned the Queen, as +she threw a scarlet cloak over her shoulders and prepared to start. + +"I would like you to waken the dolls of the village before you go, so +that Tot and I may play with them," said the girl. + +The Queen reflected a moment before she replied, "The dolls are often +mischievous when they have a whole day to themselves, and you might +find them troublesome. However, as you will be sure to enjoy their +merry pranks, I'll do as you wish, and leave you the dolls for +playmates." + +"Oh, thank you ever so much!" cried Dot, gratefully. + +The Queen now called the carriages and they all rolled down to the +main street of the village. Here her Majesty waved the magic wand +three times, and the dolls immediately awoke and began such a +chattering and such romping play that the Queen herself became +bewildered and ordered the coachman to hasten to the river bank. + +Dot and Tot went with her to see her start upon her journey, and when +they had passed out of the big gate, which the wooden soldiers opened +for them with respectful salutes, the Queen said: + +"I am going to borrow your boat, for it will be the easiest way for +me to reach the Valley of the Watch-Dog." + +"But you can never row it up stream," said Dot; "and there is but one +oar." + +"Oh, I shall not need the oars at all," responded the Wax Doll, and +seated herself in the boat. + +"Do you know," said the girl, "that you have not yet told us your +name?" + +"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" returned the Queen, as if surprised. + +"No, indeed," said the girl. + +"Well, that was very careless of me. I am so busy that sometimes I +forget to do things. But I must be going, so goodbye my dears; I hope +the dolls won't bother you too much." + +"We shall enjoy them," replied Dot. + +The Queen now waved her fairy wand and at once the boat glided from +the shore. + +"Good-bye, your Majesty!" cried Dot and Tot together. + +Swiftly the boat floated up the stream--so swiftly, indeed, that the +water rippled like music against the bow. The children waved their +handkerchiefs at the fairy doll until she had reached the arch +leading to the Valley of Babies, when they passed through the gateway +and, dismissing their coachmen, walked up the village street to visit +the dolls. + +These were really becoming rather boisterous and ran about in +circles, playing "I spy," and blind-man's buff, and London Bridge +with much laughter and noise. When they saw Dot and Tot they ran up +to them and cried: + +"Start the music box! We want to dance." + +"I do not know how. The Queen has the key with her," answered Dot, +shouting loudly that she might be heard above the tumult. + +The dolls seemed greatly disappointed at this, and one saucy-looking +wooden-jointed doll said crossly: + +"The Queen has no right to go away and take the key. How are we to +amuse ourselves all day unless we can dance?" + +"Tot and I will play with you," answered Dot. + +"Very well," said a big China doll which wore a rather soiled and +ragged dress. "What new games do you know?" + +Dot mentioned several; but the dolls laughed at her, crying out: +"That's old! We're tired of that! Give us something new!" + +"The old games are very nice games," said the girl, "and I do not see +why you should object to playing them." + +"We'll object if we want to!" declared a worn-looking kid doll, whose +joints were so ripped that they scattered sawdust whenever it moved. +"You're not our Queen." + +"But I'm your Princess," said Dot, with dignity, "and while the Queen +is away I have the right to rule in this Valley." + +"So have I," said Tot. + +"Then rule!" shouted the saucy wooden doll. "Rule as the Queen does, +and give us music to dance by." + +"Yes! yes!" they all cried. "We want to dance!" And they flung their +arms over their heads, and leaped and pranced so energetically that +the ground was quite strewn with sawdust that leaked out of them. + +Dot was much troubled at the noisy demands of the dolls. She had +expected a quiet and happy day playing with these pretty creatures, +and now, even in the first hour of their awakening, they were proving +very troublesome. Tot seemed to enjoy the excitement, however, and +stood behind Dot, with his hands in his pockets, smiling gleefully. + +While she was thinking what was best to be done, the rag doll +Scollops came up to Dot and said: + +"Since the music box is locked up, why do you not order out the +pewter band to play for them?" + +"That is a good idea," she exclaimed, her face brightening. "Go at +once, Scollops and tell the musicians to come and play." + +While Scollops was on this errand the dolls became more noisy than +ever, and one of them tried to knock Tot's crown off. But the boy +gave the naughty doll such a strong push that he pushed over a dozen +or more that stood behind it. + +"Don't hurt them, Tot," said the girl; "remember they are not strong +and will break easily." + +"I'll smash 'em if they touch me!" cried the boy, indignantly; "I'm +Prince Tot." + +Fortunately, the pewter band now made its appearance, and at Dot's +command they stood in a circle at one edge of the road and began to +play a waltz. + +The effect of the music upon the dolls was laughable. They +immediately began waltzing around as merrily as could be, and paid no +further attention to Dot and Tot. While they danced the dolls kept up +a continual chattering and laughter, and they looked so sweet and +happy that the children could hardly realize they had been so cross +and unreasonable a short time before. + +"If they are kept busy they won't get into mischief," said Scollops, +who had come back with the band; "but even her Majesty the Queen +cannot manage them when they have nothing to amuse themselves with. +I'm a doll myself and I know." + +"What does she do when they are naughty?" asked Dot. + +"She puts them to sleep," was the answer. + +Dot had almost regretted asking the Queen to leave the village dolls +awake all day; but she loved to watch them dance, and they seemed +quite contented now. + +"Don't they ever remain quiet, and visit with each other, and rest?" +asked the girl. + +"Never," replied Scollops. "They always are unhappy unless they are +rushing around or playing or dancing." + +"They wouldn't make very comfortable playmates, would they, Tot?" she +said. + +"No," he answered, gravely; "don't like live dolls." + +But it amused them to watch the little creatures capering about, so +the children sat down upon a door-step and enjoyed the dancing until +Twinkle came to tell them their luncheon was ready. Then they quietly +stole away, unnoticed by the dolls, and walked to the palace, where +they had a delightful luncheon and were waited upon by Scollops and +Twinkle. + +While they were yet at the table they suddenly heard a great noise +and clamor at the palace gate, so they at once ran out to see what +was the matter. Crowding before the gates was an excited throng of +dolls, screaming and stamping and waving their hands in the air as if +they had really become crazy. + +At first Dot could make nothing of their cries, for all were talking +at the same time; but she asked Twinkle what the trouble was about +and the maid answered, "The musicians must have stopped playing." + +"I wonder why they did that," said the girl. + +Here Scollops, who had been down to the gate and spoken to the dolls, +came up to Dot, bringing with him the leader of the pewter band. + +"What caused this trouble?" she asked. + +"They are so unreasonable," replied the musician, in a complaining +voice, "that no one can manage them except the Queen. We had played +dance music for several hours and were all tired out, for our lungs +are only pewter, and no true musician likes to play such common music +continually. So we thought we would rest ourselves by playing +something slow and really classical--for all classical music is slow, +you know. But no sooner had we started the introduction than those +soulless dolls became violent. They rushed at my poor musicians, +threw them down, and trampled upon them! Every member of my band is +either bent or broken. Even I have a bent back and a twisted leg, and +my horn is badly damaged." + +Dot looked at him and saw that he spoke truly. + +"I'm very sorry," she said, nervously. "I'm sure I don't know what to +do with them, for the Queen will not return before sundown." + +The dolls had remained outside the palace gates until now; but as Dot +looked anxiously toward them, the gate flew open and one of the +rebellious creatures ran up the path to where the children stood. She +was dressed in a rather fussy way, and had big black eyes that stared +straight at one. Her hair was tangled and matted, and she had lost +one shoe and worn a great hole in her stocking, through which her +toes peeped out. + +"What do you want?" asked Dot, as this doll came near. + +"We want our dinner, of course," answered the doll, saucily. + +"But I didn't know dolls could eat," said the girl. + +"Well we do, and now we want to be fed. Do you think it is right and +proper to keep us awake all day and then refuse to give us any +dinner?" + +"What do you eat?" enquired Dot. + +"What could a doll eat but sawdust? Nearly all of us have danced more +or less sawdust out of our bodies, and now we want them filled up +again," continued the doll. + +"But I have no sawdust, nor do I know where to get it," answered the +child. + +"The Queen has a house full of it in the village. Give us the key and +we will help ourselves," said the doll. + +"The Queen must have taken the key with her," returned Dot, +helplessly; "I know nothing about it." + +"Then we shall break down the door," declared the doll, and stamping +her feet with anger she rushed back to her companions. + +When they learned that the Queen had carried away the key to the +sawdust house the dolls became much excited and ran off with loud +shouts to tear down the door of the house. + +Dot was both vexed and worried, for Twinkle declared the Queen would +be much provoked if her pretty house was battered and broken. + +"Let's call out the army," exclaimed Tot, suddenly. + +"That's a good idea, Tot," said the girl, and at once sent Scollops +to order the pewter soldiers to march into the village and preserve +order. But the rag boy soon returned with the news that the soldiers +refused to obey. + +"They are not used to fighting," explained Scollops, "and they fear +the dolls will treat them as they did the pewter band. Besides, they +declare the Queen detests fighting, and would blame them for +interfering with the people of the village." + +"The soldiers are toys and the people are dolls," added Twinkle; "so +they sympathize with each other." + +"They didn't seem to sympathize with the band," said Dot. + +"No, but the band had no right to play classical music in public." + +"Perhaps you are right," said Dot, thoughtfully. + +She saw now that she must let the naughty dolls have their own way; +but she went down the street with Tot and Scollops and watched the +crowd break down the door of the house. They took away quantities of +the Queen's sawdust and carried it to their homes, where they made it +into pies and cakes and feasted merrily upon this queer food. + +This gave them something to do and made them happy for a while, and +Dot was profoundly grateful for a period of rest and quiet; but she +feared the dolls would break forth into more mischief before the day +passed, and so it proved. + +For toward evening they again became restless, and as there was no +music to be had they decided to make some of their own. So they +gathered up a lot of tin pans for drums and pot covers for cymbals, +and several of the dolls got combs and put paper over them. When they +blew upon these combs and hummed a tune it sounded almost like music; +so they formed a procession, with the doll musicians at the head of +it, and marched all over the village, singing loudly: + + Tum, tum--tum! + Tum, tum--tum! + Here comes the band with a tin-pan drum; + Here come the cymbals, clangety-clang! + Here come the combs with their twang, twang, twang! + Here come the marchers, happy and gay, + Strangers must keep out of our way! + Tum, tum--tum! + Tum, tum--tum! + Clatter the cymbals and bang the drum! + +They marched up to the palace gate and back again, and when they came +to the house in which was the big music box, one of the cried, "Let +us break the door down and start the music!" + +"Good, we will!" screamed some of the most mischievous dolls. + +"What do we care for the Queen?" yelled others. + +They made a rush for the house, and Dot, now angry and determined +that the Queen's music box should not be spoiled, ran to the door and +placed her back against it, while she cried out, "If any of you dare +to come nearer I will whip you soundly!" + +The dolls hung back at this, but they threw a shower of tin pans and +combs and pot covers at her, which rattled against the house, but did +not hurt her a bit. Suddenly, amidst all this riot and turmoil, the +girl was amazed to see every doll become silent and motionless. They +ran in all directions to their homes, and as the street became clear +Dot saw, standing there alone, the Queen of Merryland, who was waving +for the third and last time the fairy wand which would put every doll +in the village fast asleep. + +"Oh, your Majesty!" cried the girl, running to her, "I'm so glad +you've come home again!" + + + + CHAPTER 14 + The Queen's Fairy Wand + +"You see, Princess," said the Queen, when they were safely within the +palace, "it is rather dangerous to leave the dolls awake while I am +away. I feared, after I had started, you might have trouble with +them, and so hurried back as soon as I could. Did they frighten you?" + +"A little," said Dot, "for they would not be quiet an instant." + +"No; that is the way with dolls. If one wishes to take any comfort +with them they must be kept asleep. Then we can love them and play +with them as much as we desire, but while they are awake they are +sure to cause no end of trouble." + +"I'll keep my dolls asleep," said Tot, with decision. + +"Yes," agreed the girl, "they are nicer that way. But did you see the +Watch-Dog of Merryland?" she asked the Queen. + +"Yes, indeed; and I told him just how to block up the archway if any +more strangers appeared," was the answer. + +"Was he countin' his whiskers?" asked Tot. + +"Not when I arrived. I think he was playing with a piece of jelly +cake." + +"Oh, yes," said the girl. "Tot gave it to him." + +The Queen was silent for a time, and appeared to be thinking without +her machine, which made the girl anxious. But finally her Majesty +said, "Now that I have looked after the safety of my first three +Valleys, I feel I should visit the last three, for it has been years +since I have entered them." + +"Can't we go with you?" asked Dot, eagerly. + +"I cannot answer that question now, for I have not consulted my +thinking machine, without which I never make an important move, but I +will let you know in the morning." + +Dot and Tot were all excitement after that to know what the thinking +machine would advise, for they were curious to see the remaining +Valleys of this wonderful country. But the Queen said no more about +the journey that evening, and devoted herself to entertaining them in +such a pretty and modest way that they grew to love the big Wax Doll +very dearly. + +Before breakfast the next morning, however, they asked what her +thinking machine had said, and she at once replied: + +"You may, if you wish, go with me to visit the other Valleys. Since +you are my adopted children and a Prince and Princess of Merryland, +it is right you should know all about your own country; therefore we +will make the journey together." + +"That's lovely!" cried Dot, with delight. "When shall we start?" + +"Whenever you please," answered the Queen. "As you seem so anxious, +we may as well start after breakfast." + +"Good!" exclaimed Tot, who was already busily eating; "I'm ready." + +So, breakfast being finished, they all walked down to the river, +wearing their golden crowns and feeling happy at the prospect of new +adventures. + +They found the boat lying beside the steps outside the wall, and the +wooden soldiers who were on guard saluted them respectfully as they +seated themselves and made ready to start. The Queen sat in the +middle of the boat, with Dot at one end and Tot at the other. But now +they were not obliged to wait for the slow current to carry them +along. + +For when the pretty Queen waved her fairy wand around her golden +head, the boat shot out from the shore and glided swiftly toward the +rocky arch that led to the Fifth Valley of Merryland. This they +reached in a few minutes and passed quickly through, while Dot and +Tot looked eagerly ahead to see what the Fifth Valley was like. + +It seemed very quiet as it lay under the rays of the morning sun, and +at first the children thought the Valley resembled one of the quiet +country scenes at home. For nothing remarkable met their eyes, and +they felt rather relieved at the contrast between this and the +wonderful Toy Valley they had just left. + +Yet Dot soon decided the place was inhabited, for they came to a +queer looking group of buildings standing near the shore. These could +not be seen clearly at first, but the boat drew nearer every moment, +and finally the Queen waved her fairy wand and some magic power +carried them quickly to the shore at a spot near to the buildings. + +The children sprang out upon the grass, and then they could see +better what these strange houses looked like. + +All the buildings were exactly alike, and stood about as high as a +tall man. In shape they were square, with a flat roof, but around +each roof was a stout railing. There were no windows at all, and each +house had but one door, which was placed in the center, halfway +between the floor and the roof. Even this was more a doorway than a +door, being nothing but a square hole, with a broad shelf projecting +outside and inside the bottom of the opening. + +The entire group of buildings was painted a pure white, but +underneath each hole, or doorway, was a big, black number. The house +nearest the river on the left side was number 1, and the one on the +right side was number 47; yet the houses were not laid out into +streets, but stood here and there upon the smooth lawn, without any +attempt at order or regularity. + +"Well, how do you like this Valley?" asked the Queen, with a laugh as +she saw Dot and Tot looking at the queer place with sober faces. + +"The houses seem very odd--if they are houses," replied Dot. Then she +enquired: "Who lives in them?" + +"King Felis lives in number 1," said the Queen. "At least, he did +several years ago when I last visited him. I will now call him, that +I may introduce you to his Majesty." + +Thereupon she gave a shrill whistle, and a moment later a great +Maltese pussycat sprang upon the shelf of the doorway at number 1 and +sat there for an instant crouched, with its ears pointing into the +air and its big yellow eyes gazing steadily at the visitors. Then the +pussy leaped lightly to the ground, and standing upon its rear legs +before the Queen, he bobbed his head solemnly up and down and said, +"Welcome, Queen of Merryland, to the Valley of Pussycats!" + +"I thank you, King Felis," responded the Wax Doll sweetly. "But +permit me to introduce to you my adopted children, Princess Dot and +Prince Tot of Merryland." + +The big pussy looked at the children with surprise, but nodded his +head politely. + +"The Prince and Princess seem like people from the big, outside +world," he said, with a wise look; and then he turned to Dot and +asked: + +"Do you pull the tails of pussycats?" + +"Oh, no!" exclaimed the girl, who was just then admiring the beauty +of the cat King as well as his ability to speak. + +"Or pinch their ears?" he continued. + +"Never!" declared Dot. + +"I did--once," remarked Tot, composedly. "An' it yelled." + +The big kitty looked at the boy gravely and said: + +"Should you do such a thing in this Valley I would ask the Queen to +send you away at once. It is really a wicked amusement, for it hurts +a pussy as much as if someone should pinch your own ears." + +"All right," remarked Tot. "I'll be good." + +"You will find my adopted children both kind and gentle," said the +Queen; "so pray do not fear them, King Felis." + +"Your Majesty rules all Merryland," he replied; "and your children +shall be as welcome in our Valley as yourself. But I must call my +people, that they may pay their respects to your Majesty." + +"Where are they?" asked Tot, who had been looking around and could +see no other living thing than the big Maltese. + +"At this time of day they are asleep, as all good pussycats should +be," was the King's answer. "The sun is warm and pleasant just now, +and my people are enjoying their mid-day naps." + +He then lifted his voice and uttered a loud, wailing cry. + +Scarcely had it died away when the pussys began to appear. They +leaped from the roofs of the houses, from the doorways, and even from +among the shady clumps of long grass. Every house added six or seven +to the number, and soon hundreds of pussycats were standing before +the Queen, bowing gracefully and crying, "Welcome, your Majesty!" in +all sorts of voices. + +They were plump and comfortable looking, and Dot had no idea there +were so many kinds and colors of pussys in the world. Some had long, +silky hair, and some short, velvety hair; some had long, bushy tails, +some short tails and some no tails at all. They were white and black, +blue and gray, yellow and red, speckled and tortoise-shell in color. +Some had pretty ribbons around their necks and some of the older ones +wore spectacles; but all were as neat as wax, and seemed well cared +for. + +The big King was the largest of them all; yet there were many various +sizes, down to the tiniest kittens with their eyes just open. + +When all this array of pussys had saluted the Queen they sat down +upon the grass and began to purr, while some indulged in a yawn +behind their paws and others commenced to wash their faces; for they +had just been aroused from a long nap. + +"Your people seem happy and contented, King Felis," remarked the +Queen, when she had looked them over carefully. + +"Oh, yes; they are thriving finely," replied the Maltese King. "But +why should they not? They have no troubles nor cares, and pass their +lives in eating and sleeping. With comfortable homes and plenty of +food they cannot help being the happiest pussycats in the big round +world." + +"I should think not, indeed," said the Queen. + +"But now you must permit me to offer you the hospitality of my +house," said the King. "It is nearly dinner time, and you will wish +to rest and eat. Our houses are not very large, so I must divide your +party and place you in separate families. The boy will be cared for +by my cousin Tabby, who lives at number 16. The girl I will place +with Uncle Palladius, who lives at number 9. And your Majesty will, I +trust, partake of the hospitality of my humble home." And he bowed +again, very politely. + +"We accept your kindness with much pleasure and many thanks," +answered the Queen; and then she whispered to Dot and Tot not to be +afraid, for the pussys would treat them with great courtesy. + + + + CHAPTER 15 + The Valley of Pussycats + +Tot wasn't a bit frightened when a gentle looking pussy of uncertain +age came up to him and said: + +"I am Cousin Tabby, and as you are to be my guest please follow me to +number 16." + +The boy laughed at the idea of entering a cat's house, but he walked +after the softly-moving pussy, who, when she reached number 16, +sprang upon the shelf and said: + +"Climb in, please." + +This was hard work, for the shelf was nearly as high as his chin. But +Tot had already learned to climb the trees at home, so he managed in +some way to pull himself up, with the result that he lost his balance +and fell head foremost inside the house. + +To his surprise he alighted on a soft cushion, and then he scrambled +quickly to his feet and looked around him. + +The room was dimly lighted by the square doorway, but after his eyes +got accustomed to the twilight he saw that upon the floor was a soft +carpet, while big cushions lay around in every direction. At the side +of the room was a long, low table, not higher than Tot's knee, and +standing in a row upon this table were four white bowls. There was a +cupboard in one corner, a big fireplace at the end of the room, and +in a second corner two little gray kittens lay asleep upon a cushion. + +While the boy looked at these things there sprang through the doorway +another gray kitten, older and larger than the others, and Mrs. Tabby +said, politely: + +"This is my niece, Miss Flitter, who lives with me; and these two +little ones, who were too young to go and welcome the Queen, belong +to Mrs. Mewling. She has such a large family that I have adopted +these children, for my house is much too large for myself and +Flitter." + +"Oh," returned Tot, who was rather bewildered. Then, as Cousin Tabby +seemed to expect some further reply, he added: "all right." + +"Now, if you will please make yourself comfortable," continued the +pussy, in a soft, purring voice, "I will get our dinner ready." + +She took a white apron from the peg near the fireplace and tied it +around her waist. Then she placed another bowl on the table for Tot, +and busied herself about the work while the boy lay on the soft +carpet and stroked the silk-like fur of the two gray kittens. + +While Tot was being thus entertained, Dot was led by Uncle Palladius +to number 9, where he lived. Uncle Palladius was a great black pussy, +and was one of those who wore spectacles, giving him a comical +appearance. + +Dot had harder work than Tot to climb through the square doorway of +the house, but she succeeded after a struggle and was pleased with +the cozy appearance of the room. + +Uncle Palladius was the head of a large family, and as strangers were +rare in their Valley they all gathered around the girl and looked at +her curiously, while one pure white kitten came softly up and rubbed +its back against Dot's leg. She stooped down, and picking up the +pretty kitten snuggled it close in her arms and gently caressed it. +Then she sat down upon a cushion, while the other kittens gathered +around her or stretched themselves lazily upon the carpet near by. + +All this delighted the girl, for she was especially fond of +pussycats, although her invalid mother did not like them and had +always declared she "would not have a cat in the house." + +So the child had often longed in vain for a pet of this kind, and was +now very happy to be able to play with so many. + +She leaned down and pressed her cheek against the white kitten, while +she whispered: "You sweet little darling!" + +"I've got a new ribbon," said the kitten, proudly. + +"So I see," replied Dot, who had noticed this. Then she asked: + +"How old are you, dear?" + +"It's pink," said the white kitty. + +"What is pink?" enquired the child. + +"My ribbon." + +"Oh, yes. But tell me," she added "is Uncle Palladius your father, or +your grandfather?" + +"It's got a bow-knot on it," purred the kitten softly, with half +closed eyes. + +"What has a bow-knot on it?" asked Dot. + +"My ribbon." + +"Yes, dear; but we'll talk of something else," said the girl. "Are +all these other kitties your sisters and brothers?" + +"Mamma gave it to me," sang the white kitten, contentedly. + +"Gave you what, dear?" + +"My ribbon." + +"Don't mind her," said another of the pussys, in a rather +contemptuous voice; "it's her first ribbon, and she's so vain she can +think of nothing else. Put her down and take one of us; we can talk +to you in a sensible way." + +"Well, let us talk, then," said the child, but she still held the +vain kitten cuddled in her arms--it was so soft and pretty, she +thought. "Tell me about Uncle Palladius." + +"He is our grandfather," said one that had white fur with big black +spots scattered over it, and which, moreover, presented a curious +appearance, because one eye was surrounded by a black spot and the +other by pure white fur. + +"Uncle Palladius is very old and wise, and is uncle to half the +pussys in our Valley. Our mother, who is named Snowball, lives with +him, as he has at present no family of his own." + +"Here is mother, now!" cried another kitten, and Dot looked up and +saw a pussy entering the room that was by far the most beautiful she +had ever seen. Snowball was large and very graceful, and her fur was +the purest white, without a black mark anywhere. She sat down near +Dot and asked: "Have my children been bothering you?" + +"Oh, no!" declared Dot; "they are the loveliest pussys in the world." + +Snowball smiled in a gratified way. + +"I think, myself," she said, "that no house has a prettier or lazier +lot of kittens than number 9. We can outsleep any other family I know +of, and when it comes to our midnight concerts Uncle Palladius' voice +is so strong it can be heard above all the rest." + +"What are these midnight concerts like?" asked the girl. + +"Oh, they are wonderfully entertaining," answered Snowball, "and I +wish you could hear one of them. Perhaps you have noticed the +railings around the roofs of our houses. Well, in the middle of the +night we all sit upon these railings and have a grand concert. There +are no people to throw stones or bootjacks at us, so we enjoy +ourselves immensely. The house that can produce the loudest chorus, +with the most varied sound, is considered the most aristocratic in +the Valley, and I am proud to say that Uncle Palladius and I have the +reputation of fully holding our own." + +"Yes, yes!" spoke up Uncle Palladius, in a deep, bass voice; "I +flatter myself I can be heard throughout the whole Valley." + +"But the kittens cannot jump to the roofs of the houses, can they?" +asked Dot. + +"No, indeed," replied Snowball; "only those who are old enough and +strong enough to jump to the roofs are considered worthy to take part +in the concerts. But the little ones have the pleasure of lying +inside before the fire and listening to us." + +"Do you have fires?" enquired the child. + +"Yes; we consider nothing more cozy and comfortable than lying before +a glowing grate fire. When the evenings are chilly there is a fire in +every house, and we pussys lie before it upon our cushions and enjoy +its warmth. Usually we sleep all day long, and most of the night, +except during the concert, which lasts from midnight until dawn." + +"You must enjoy yourselves very much," said Dot, earnestly. + +"Oh, we do, indeed!" replied the white pussycat; "but I see that +dinner is now ready, so please come to the table." + +The girl walked toward the low table with some curiosity to know how +these pussys ate, and what they had for food. She found a row of +white bowls sitting upon a white cloth, and each bowl was filled with +fresh milk. At the ends of the table were plates of light bread with +deep brown crusts. + +The kittens all brought cushions to the sides of the table and sat +upon them, their heads being then just high enough to reach the +bowls. Dot was placed at one end of the table, with Snowball at her +right hand, and Uncle Palladius sat at the other end. + +"Where do you get such nice milk?" asked the girl. + +"We have several springs in the Valley," answered Snowball, "where it +bubbles up constantly." + +"And where do you get the bread?" Dot next enquired. + +"That grows upon the tall trees you see scattered about. We climb the +bread-trees every day and gather fresh loaves." + +"Don't you catch mice?" asked Dot. + +"Mercy, no!" replied Snowball, in a horrified voice. "Do you suppose +mice would be foolish enough to come into a Valley of Pussycats?" + +"No, I suppose not," replied the girl; "but I always thought pussys +liked mice." + +"I have never seen the horrid animals," returned the white cat; "but +there is a tradition in the Valley that some of our forefathers found +mice here at one time and quickly destroyed them. They may have eaten +them, for all I know; no one can be certain what his forefathers did. +But none of us now living here has ever eaten anything but bread and +milk, of that I am positive." + +"It's such nice bread and milk," said Dot, "that I should think you +would prefer it to anything else." + +"We do, for there's nothing else to prefer," was the answer. + +After dinner the kittens washed their faces carefully and then all of +them, accompanied by Dot, left the room and walked to King Felis' +house where they found Tot and the Queen surrounded by a crowd of +pussys. + +"Oh, Dot!" cried Tot, when he saw the girl. "I held the gray kittens +after dinner, an' never dropped 'em once!" + +"Was he good?" Dot asked Cousin Tabby. "Yes, he behaved very nicely," +answered Cousin Tabby. "We must now bid our friends farewell," said +the Queen, "for it is time to proceed upon our journey." + +So they returned to the boat, and all the pussys, headed by King +Felis and Uncle Palladius, went with them and politely bade them +good-bye. + +When they were floating in the river again the Queen asked Dot, "How +did you like the pussycats?" + +"They're lovely!" exclaimed the girl. "I should have liked to stay +all night with them." + +"Well, I wouldn't," rejoined the Queen. "The last time I passed the +night in this Valley the pussys screamed so loudly at their midnight +concert that the noise cracked my wax. They are much nicer to visit +in the daytime." + +"Why is the King named Felis?" enquired Dot, after a moment's +thought. + +"Because that is the name of his race. All our names have some +meaning in Merryland," answered the Queen. + +"I suppose your own name has a meaning, if only we knew what it was," +said Dot, slyly. + +"Good gracious!" cried the Queen; "haven't I told you my name yet?" + +"No," said Dot. + +"Then I must have forgotten that you asked it. It was very stupid of +me, and I assure you I didn't mean to be rude." Then her Majesty +turned to Tot and asked: + +"How did you like the Valley of Pussys?" + +"Fine!" said the boy. "The kitties were soft an' fuzzy, an' the bread +and milk was good. But the doors," he added, solemnly, "are built too +high up to be 'zactly comf'table." + + + + CHAPTER 16 + The Busy Mr. Split + +When the boat entered the Sixth Valley of Merryland our voyagers saw +before them a forest of green trees growing close down to the river +bank. These were so thick that they formed almost a solid wall, and +they had passed halfway through the Valley before they came to a +small opening, or path, running from the water's edge through the +forest. To this spot the Queen directed the boat, and soon it +grounded gently against a pebbly beach, and they all stepped out and +stood upon the narrow path. + +"Isn't there anything but trees here?" asked Tot. + +"Yes, indeed, there is a very pleasant country behind the trees," +answered the Wax Doll. "Follow me and I will guide your steps." + +So they followed the Queen slowly along the shady path, while over +their heads the branches met and sheltered them from the rays of the +afternoon sun. This was gratefully appreciated by Dot and Tot, for +they had left their hats in the boat and wore only their golden +crowns. + +After walking a short distance the Queen stopped suddenly--so +suddenly that Dot nearly ran against her and Tot bumped his nose upon +Dot's shoulder. Looking ahead to see what was the matter, the +children found lying across the path a bright green Alligator nearly +three feet long. Its back was scaly and made in short lengths, which +were jointed together in a peculiar way. + +While Dot and Tot were trying to make up their minds whether to be +afraid or not, the Alligator turned his head toward the Queen and +said, gently: + +"Step on my middle, please!" + +"With pleasure," returned the Queen; and she placed one of her kid +slippers upon the middle of the Alligator's back and stepped to the +other side of him. As she did so the pressure of her foot made a +faint squeak, and the Alligator sighed with delight. Then he turned +his head to Dot and repeated: + +"Step on my middle, please!" + +"Why?" asked the girl, hesitating. + +"So I can hear my squeak, of course," answered the Alligator. "If no +one steps on me I might as well have no squeak at all. It is now some +years since I have listened to the music of my squeak, but each day I +have crawled into this path as soon as I was wound up, for I knew +that sooner or later someone was sure to walk down the path and tread +on me. You look heavier than the Queen, so perhaps I'll squeak +louder." + +"Let Tot try it first," said Dot; "I'm afraid I'll break you." + +"Oh, don't worry, I've been used so little that I ought to be in good +condition," said the Alligator. But Tot went first, and gave his foot +a great push as he stepped on the creature's body. + +The squeak was so loud and shrill that the Alligator laughed from +pure joy, and cried, "Wasn't that splendid? I believe I have the +finest squeak in the world! The person who made me knew his business +all right." + +"Who made you?" asked Dot, with quick interest. + +But instead of replying, the Alligator winked his left eye at her +three times and murmured softly, "Step on my middle, please!" + +So Dot stepped upon his back, and being heavier than Tot, the +Alligator squeaked louder than before. + +"Thank you! Thank you very much!" he called, in a happy voice. "I +have never enjoyed myself so much since I was made." + +They walked on and left him smiling contentedly as he lay across the +path, and before many minutes they reached a circular space of flat +country where no trees grew at all, although the forest surrounded it +on every side. + +Around the edge of the clearing were wooden barns and stables with +their fronts wide open, showing stalls and mangers and stabling for +all kinds of toy animals. One had a sign over the door reading "Fire +Engine," and another "Police Patrol." The stables were all about as +high as Dot's waist, and in some of them were toy animals and +stablemen, while others were entirely empty. + +In the center of the space was a big merry-go-round, having +thirty-four animals in rows upon its edge, all of which wore pretty +saddles and bridles of bright red and blue leather. There were lions, +elephants, tigers, deer, camels, horses, donkeys and several other +animals, all whirling around in pairs, while a barrel-organ played +sweet music. But no one was riding on any of the animals. + +Between the merry-go-round and the stables was a narrow, iron railway +track, built in a circle, around which was rushing a big tin engine, +drawing a gaily painted train of tin cars, filled with tin passengers +that never moved a bit. + +The rest of the opening in the forest was filled with groups of +animals of all sorts, some standing perfectly still, some walking +stiffly about, and others pretending to eat grass, or slowly wagging +their tails from side to side and nodding their heads up and down. +Some were covered with real fur, while others were made of tin or +wood and painted in natural colors. + +Near the spot where Dot and Tot were standing they noticed a group of +wooden rocking horses talking with their heads together, while they +rocked gently to and fro upon their rockers. Back of them was one +that had broken its rocker and was lying upon its side in quite a +helpless condition. + +Almost in front of their path stood a black, woolly dancing bear upon +one of its rear legs. It remained perfectly motionless, and the Queen +walked up to it and asked: + +"Where is Mr. Split?" + +"He is in the forest winding up the panthers and in the police patrol +house oiling up the wagon, your Majesty," answered the dancing bear +in a weak voice. "I've been run down now for over three hours, and +expected at least half of Mr. Split to come long ago and start me +going again; but he seems especially busy this morning." + +"Yes, there is a great deal of work for him in the Valley," said the +Queen, thoughtfully; "there really should be four of him." + +"But he has only two arms when he is hooked together," returned the +bear; "so there could not be more than two parts of Mr. Split that +could hold a key." + +"That is true," said the Queen. Then she looked up and exclaimed. +"Here comes Mr. Left Split now." + +Hopping toward them with wonderful speed was the queerest man the +children had seen in all this queer kingdom. He was not, in fact, a +complete man, but just half of a man, as if he had been cut in two +from the middle of his head straight downward. This left him one ear, +one eye, half of a nose and of a mouth, one arm and one leg. He was +dressed in a bright red suit and carried in his hand a brass key. + +"Even--, Your Maj--," he cried out, as he drew near. "Hap--see!" + +He meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty, I'm happy to see you," +but there being only half of him he spoke but half of each word. + +"Good evening, Mr. Left Split," replied the Queen. "I see you are as +busy as ever." + +"Ind--am. Anim--al--get--out ord--." By this he meant to say: "Indeed +I am. The animals are always getting out of order." + +"Please wind me up at once," said the dancing bear, in a complaining +tone; "I've been run down for three hours." + +"Ver--sor--, but can't help," remarked Mr. Left Split, cheerfully, +meaning that he was very sorry. He placed the key in a small hole at +the back of the bear's neck and wound it up tightly. + +As soon as he withdrew the key the bear began to move its head by +slow jerks from side to side, and to rest first upon one leg and then +upon the other, as if it were dancing. + +"That's better," it said, in a more pleasant voice; "I ought to run +now until sundown." + +Just then the Queen exclaimed: "Here comes Mr. Right Split," and the +children looked up and saw the other half of the split man coming out +of the forest a short distance away. He also had a key in his hand, +but when he saw the Queen and her companions he came hopping toward +them, saying in his jerky voice "--Ning,--jesty!--Come our--ley." By +which he meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty! Welcome to our +Valley." But being the right half of the man he spoke on the right +half of each word. + +As soon as he came up, however, there was an end of this mode of +speech, for the right half of Mr. Split placed his flat side close to +the left half's flat side and then with both hands he hooked the two +halves together with little brass hooks. Then Mr. Split looked more +like a complete man, although the left side was dressed in a bright +red suit while the right side wore white, so it was easy to see where +he was joined together. + +When he had fastened himself securely, which he did with great +rapidity, the man spoke, saying, "Your Majesty has found us as busy +as ever. The fact is, these animals and cars and merry-go-rounds run +down very quickly, and they require so much attention that this is +the first time we have been hooked together since early this morning. +It is the same every day, but I try to do my duty, and you will find +this Valley in good condition and everything properly cared for." + +"I am sure of that, Mr. Split," answered the Queen. + +Dot and Tot had been so astonished at all this that they had stood +perfectly still, and noticing this Mr. Split came toward them with +his key raised and said, briskly: + +"Where are your key holes my dears? You must have run down." + +"Oh, no!" cried Dot, shrinking back; "We're--we're alive!" + +"Oh, that is different," returned the man, with a laugh. "I'm glad +you are not to be wound up, for I am so busy now that there ought to +be three or four of me instead of two." + +"You're funny," remarked Tot, who had been staring at Mr. Split. + +"Thank you, sir," replied the man, bowing politely. + +"What are you made of?" asked the boy, curiously. + +"Wood, of course," answered the man. "Wood is the strongest and best +material for that purpose. My feet are beech, my arms and legs are +limbs of ash, my body is pine and my heart is oak. As for my head, it +is mostly chestnut, although my hair is curly maple, my eyes mahogany +and my teeth hickory." + +"Oh!" said Tot. + +"You may notice my voice is very strong," continued the man; "it is +made of birch bark." + +"Oh!" said Tot. + +"And my hands are made of the rubber tree so I can wiggle my fingers +easily and turn the keys to wind the machinery." + +"Oh!" said Tot. + +"If you had not told us this," remarked Dot, shyly, "we should have +thought you were made entirely of witch hazel." + +The Queen laughed at this, and said: "Now, Mr. Split, if you will +kindly gather some fruit and nuts from the forest for our supper we +will ride on the merry-go-round until you return." + +The man bowed and at once ran into the forest on his errand, while +Dot and Tot followed the Queen toward the merry-go-round. + + + + CHAPTER 17 + The Animals That Wound Up + +When they came to the railway track they were careful not to get run +into by the rushing tin train. They waited until the cars had passed +the spot where they stood and then quickly ran across the track +before the engine came around again. + +The merry-go-round was turning smoothly, and the saddled animals +galloped along in an inviting way, while the barrel-organ played some +very loud and frisky circus tunes. + +"It's almost like a side show!" cried Dot enthusiastically, as she +seated herself upon a camel. Tot bestrode a dapple-gray horse, and +the Queen sat upon a lion and took hold of its mane to steady +herself. + +They whirled around in a very pleasant and exhilarating manner for +some time, and Dot was laughing and enjoying herself immensely when +she happened to notice a number of big teardrops rolling down the +cheeks of the tiger that was galloping just in front of her. + +"I--I think it's--it's--real mean of you," whimpered the tiger with +sobs in his voice, "for you to ride on that humpbacked animal all the +time, and--and neglect a roy--royal Bengal tiger!" + +"Oh, I shall be glad to make a change," she cried, and leaping off +the camel's back she sprang upon the tiger, who thereupon dried his +tears and smiled in a most delightful manner. + +"We seldom have visitors in this Valley," he said, after he had wiped +his eyes with a handkerchief that was sticking in his bridle, "so +most of the time there is no one to ride us. I don't see the good of +a merry-go-round if it isn't used." + +The Queen now noticed some of the other animals looking discontented, +so she and Tot changed seats also, and by the time Mr. Split came to +call them to supper they had ridden all the animals in turn, and the +keeper noticed that his merry-go-round was bathed in one whirling +smile of gladness and content. + +"It is good for my animals to have visitors," he said, happily, "it +cheers them up." + +Mr. Split had spread a white cloth upon the grass close to one edge +of the forest, and Dot and Tot and the Queen sat around this and ate +of the delicious fruit the queer man had gathered. There were melons, +grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, strawberries, and pears and all were +ripe and exquisitely flavored. + +By the time they finished their meal it had become twilight, and the +Queen declared it would soon be dark. + +"I wonder where we can sleep," said Tot. But Dot looked around and +saw that Mr. Split was fastening three big hammocks between the trees +at the edge of the forest. These hammocks were lined with soft, +silken cushions and looked very pleasant and cozy to the sleepy +children. + +The Queen and Dot and Tot each climbed into one of the hammocks and +were covered over with silk-quilted comfortables, after which Mr. +Split turned a key at the end of each hammock and set them moving +gently to and fro like the rocking of a cradle. + +Before she went to sleep Dot looked over the edge of her hammock and +saw that the merry-go-round and the tin train were now motionless, +while all the animals seemed to have run down and were standing quite +still waiting for morning, when Mr. Split would come and wind them up +again. + + * * * + +The little girl was awakened next morning by a sharp clicking sound +near by, and opening her eyes she saw a tin monkey running up and +down a string fastened to a branch of the tree. + +"Dear me!" she said, looking at him intently; "are you wound up so +early in the morning?" + +"Yes, indeed," replied the monkey, still busily climbing his string; +"Mr. Split was here some time ago. I suppose nearly everyone in the +Valley must be going by this time." + +"I didn't know it was so late," said Dot, slipping from her hammock +to the ground and feeling rather ashamed of her laziness. + +Tot was already up and sitting near the railway track watching the +tin train go round. The Queen now joined Dot and they called Tot to +breakfast, for Mr. Split had loaded the cloth with a variety of cool, +fresh fruit and berries. + +"He gathered those before he unhooked himself," said the Queen, "for +then he had two arms to carry them. But when it came to winding up +the animals he had to separate in order that he might use each hand +in a different place, and so get around quicker." + +"Mr. Split's name suits him very well," said Dot, who was enjoying +the fruit. + +"Yes, it would be hard to call him anything else," replied the Queen. + +"I suppose your own name fits you in the same way," ventured the +girl. + +"Certainly it does," answered the Queen. + +Dot's heart now began to beat rapidly, for she thought she would at +last discover what the Queen's name was. Tot also looked interested, +and forgot his slice of melon as he listened. + +"You haven't told us yet what it is," said the girl. + +The little Queen laughed merrily. "Isn't it funny," she exclaimed, +"that I always forget to tell you? There is no reason in the world +why you should not know my name." + +"Then," said Tot, sharply, "tell it!" + +"Well," she said, "it's--" + +Just then they heard a great crash, a whirling of wheels and the +scream of a whistle. Springing to their feet they saw the tin train +lying upside down near the track, with its wheels whirling around +like the wind, and near by was a wooden goat and cart, completely +wrecked and splintered into many pieces. + +They all ran down to the place, and the brave little Queen picked up +the tin train and set it upon its track. It started to run again in +its usual rushing way, but Dot noticed that the cow-catcher was badly +bent and that some of the paint had been knocked off. + +"There has been a collision," said her Majesty, calmly. "I was afraid +that goat-cart would get into trouble if it ran so near to the +engine. But it is wrecked now, beyond repair, so there is nothing +more to worry about." + +As she spoke the Police Patrol and the Fire Engine both dashed up to +the spot, and one of the officers asked: "What's the trouble?" + +"You are too late," said the Queen; "the trouble is all over." + +"Then we may as well go back," said the officer, grumpily. "The +trouble usually is over when we get anywhere; that's why we take our +time about coming." + +"Well," said the Queen, when the Patrol and the Fire Engine had gone +back to their stables, "it is time for us to go." + +They looked around for Mr. Split, but not seeing him they walked +across the opening to the path that led through the forest to the +river. They each squeaked the Alligator when they came to him, and +left him feeling joyful and contented. + +The boat was lying where they had left it, and they at once stepped +in and seated themselves. + +"I'm sorry not to say good-bye to Mr. Split," said Dot, as the boat +glided out into the river. + +"He is so busy he won't mind it," answered the Queen. "I suppose he +was in the forest winding up the animals there when we came away. I +do not think there is another man in the whole world that does so +much work as Mr. Split, and he seems to enjoy it, too." + +The boat was rushing swiftly through the water, now, and soon the +forest of trees was passed and our voyagers entered a deep archway +that led to the Seventh and last Valley of Merryland. + + + + CHAPTER 18 + The Valley of Lost Things + +It was morning, and the sun shone as brightly as it had every day +since they came to Merryland; yet the stillness of the Seventh Valley +was so intense that the children became sober the moment they entered +it, and even the smile upon the little Queen's wax face looked +strained and out of place. + +"The people here are either asleep, like the dolls, or run down, like +the animals," said Dot, sinking her voice to a whisper. + +"There are no people," replied the Queen. + +"Then what is the Valley for?" asked the girl. + +"Wait a moment and you will see," was the answer. + +The boat now drew near the shore, but the banks of the river were so +high and steep that they could see nothing above them, and Dot +thought at first they would be unable to land. + +Presently, however, they reached a small place where the bank sloped +gently down to the water, and here the Queen stopped the boat and +asked the children to step out. + +"Now follow me," said Her Majesty, when they had all landed. So they +walked up the sloping bank and found themselves upon a big, circular +plain as flat as a platter, which was thickly covered with thousands +and thousands of pins. There were no trees at all, but lying +scattered upon the ground were heaps and stacks of the most curious +things. + +Nearest to Dot was a great pyramid of thimbles, of all sizes and made +of many different materials. Further on were piles of buttons, of all +shapes and colors imaginable, and there were also vast collections of +hairpins, rings, and many sorts of jewelry. + +Tot noticed at his side a mammoth heap of lead pencils, some short +and stubby and worn, and others long and almost new. + +"What does it all mean?" asked Dot, wonderingly, after she had gazed +about her. + +"It is the Valley of Lost Things," answered the Queen. + +"Oh!" said Dot. + +"Oh!" echoed Tot. + +And again they began looking with wide-open eyes. + +"It is rather dangerous to walk on the pins," said the Queen; "so we +must choose some overshoes from this pile and put them on our feet. +There are so many pins lost that they cover the entire Valley, and +sometimes the points turn up and are liable to stick into your feet." + +The pile of overshoes was quite near them, so they hunted through it +until they found the right sizes. Of course they could not get mates, +but that did not matter so much, if the soles were but thick enough +to keep the pins from sticking through. + +When at last their feet were clad in lost overshoes they started to +walk through the Valley, and Tot was surprised to see so many heaps +of caps and coats that had been worn by boys. + +"Where do they all come from?" he asked. + +"Well," replied the Queen, "it seems boys in the big outside world +seldom hang up their caps and coats; so they are easily lost. Perhaps +if they knew they would get to this Valley, and could never be found +again, boys would be more careful." + +"Would they?" asked Tot. + +"I suppose so. Here is a big pile of pennies. I expect most of those +were lost by children, too." + +"Let's take some!" cried Tot. + +"No, indeed," said Dot, "if we took them they wouldn't be lost any +more." + +"Won't they ever be found?" asked the boy. + +"I think not," replied the Queen. "No one has ever been here but you, +and probably no stranger will ever come to this Valley again." + +"It's all right for us to come," declared Tot. + +"Why?" enquired the girl. + +'"Cause we're lost, too!" + +"So we are, Tot," said Dot, rather sadly; "but lost people are +usually found again, for I don't see any others here." + +They walked a little farther on and saw a mass of broken toys lying +scattered about. There were dollies, too, for suddenly Tot made a +pounce and grabbed up a sorry looking doll with one arm broken, one +eye out and a scratched and battered face. + +"I've found her!" he cried, joyfully; "I've found Jane! An' I'm going +to keep her, too." + +"Is it really your doll?" asked the Queen, with some curiosity. + +"Course it is," replied Tot; "I lost her." + +"Then I do not see why you should not keep her with you; for, being +found, she doesn't belong here any more." + +"Course not," said the boy, hugging the broken doll in his arms. + +"There are a good many gloves and handkerchiefs lost," remarked Dot, +looking at the heaps lying around. + +"Yes," replied the Queen; "and over at the further side of the Valley +are many piles of pocket-books, each pile as big as a haystack. +People are so careless with pocketbooks." + +"Have they money in them?" asked the girl. + +"Some have a great deal of money inside them, and some only a few +pennies. Others are stuffed with cards and samples and papers," said +the Queen. "I would take you to look at them, but we should have to +climb over a hill of lost needles, and I fear our overshoes would not +protect us from their sharp points." + +"It's always hard to get at money," said Tot, with a sigh. + +Among other things lying near her Dot now noticed a hurdy-gurdy, such +as she had seen musicians carrying around the streets. There was no +monkey with it, and it looked quite old and battered. + +"I wonder how long it has been here, she remarked, thoughtfully. + +"Play it, and see," suggested the Queen. + +So Dot set the hurdy-gurdy up straight and turned the crank, when it +began playing in a jerky and wheezy manner a tune called "Silver +Threads Among the Gold." + +"My! But that's an old tune," said Dot. + +"It's rather pretty," declared the Queen, who had never heard the air +before. "Play another." + +This time the tune was "Little Annie Rooney," and then followed +"Captain Jinks" and "Two Little Girls in Blue." + +"I guess this hurdy-gurdy was lost before I was born," sighed Dot. +"It's certainly very old." + + + + CHAPTER 19 + The Lost Crowns + +"Well, shall we return to the boat?" asked the Queen, when they had +looked at the lost things a while longer. + +"Yes," they answered willingly, for the Valley was a rather sad +sight. + +So they walked back to the bank, where they took off their overshoes +and threw them upon the pile. Then they went down the sloping bank to +the river and sat down upon the sand to rest. + +"I'm hungry," said Tot. + +"I forgot to bring anything to eat," answered the Queen. "But that +will not matter. Fetch me your basket from the boat." + +Dot brought it to the little lady, who simply waved her fairy wand +over it and said: + +"Now we shall have a good dinner." + +The girl removed the cover and found that the big basket was filled +to the brim with dainties of all kinds. + +"That's nice," said Tot. "Were all those things in the end of your +stick?" + +"No one has ever yet discovered," answered the Queen, "how fairies +are able to do such wonderful things. In fact, fairies could not +explain them clearly if they wished to. So it is best not to ask +questions, but to eat freely of these good things and be thankful my +magic wand was able to fill the basket." + +"All right," said Tot. + +Although they enjoyed their dinner, the little party seemed to be +unusually silent and thoughtful, and finally Dot asked: + +"What shall we do next? We have seen all of the Seven Valleys now." + +"When we have finished our dinner we will return to my palace in the +Fourth Valley," replied the Queen, gaily. + +A long pause followed this remark, and it was broken by Tot saying in +a loud and decided voice: + +"I want to go home!" + +The Queen looked up quickly, with an anxious expression upon her +face, and asked, "Do you really?" + +"Yes. I want to see my mamma!" declared the boy. + +"And leave this beautiful country, where you are a Prince?" + +"Yes," said Tot decidedly. + +"You surprise me, indeed," said the Queen, "and I am rather +disappointed that you are not content to remain in my kingdom." Then +she turned to Dot, and enquired: "Do you also wish to return to your +home?" + +"Well," replied the girl, "I love these beautiful Valleys dearly, and +never expect to be as happy again as I have been here. But if Tot +goes home of course I must go with him, for his mother left him in my +care, you know." + +"I am very sorry," said the Queen, after another long pause; "I had +hoped to keep you with me always. But in my Kingdom of Merryland no +one must be unhappy--it is the law. And if you really wish to return +home it would make you unhappy to stay. So," she added, quietly, "you +may go whenever you wish." + +"How?" asked Tot, excited at the prospect. + +"In your boat, of course. You have only to float down the river and +through another tunnel to reach the big outside world again. But when +you have passed through I shall close up the tunnel forever, so you +will never be able to return." + +"That's all right," returned Tot, gleefully. + +"I shall be sorry never to see you again," said Dot, gently, as she +clasped one of the fairy doll's pretty hands in her own. "You have +been so kind to us, and I'm sure Tot is as grateful as I am. But he's +a boy, you know." + +"I know," said the Queen, with a smile. + +"Let's go now," urged Tot, as if he couldn't wait a minute, now the +matter was decided. + +"How can you get to the Fourth Valley if we take the boat?" Dot asked +the Queen. + +"That will be easy," she answered, pleasantly; "my fairy wand will +carry me home." + +"Come on, then!" cried Tot, leaping into the boat. + +Dot turned to kiss the pretty Queen, who exclaimed: "Be careful of my +wax!" + +But she stood on her tiptoes and gave the little girl a dainty, airy +kiss that just brushed her lips. + +"Good-bye my Princess," she said, and turning to the boy, added: + +"Good-bye, Prince Tot of Merryland." + +"Good-bye," called Tot from the boat. "You're nice, an' I love you. +But I love my mamma, too." + +"To be sure," answered the Queen, sweetly. + +Dot now stepped in beside Tot, and the fairy doll placed the basket +in the boat and pushed it away from the shore. + +As they floated slowly down the stream the Queen followed along the +top of the high bank, as if to keep them in sight as long as +possible; and Dot was looking at her almost regretfully when suddenly +a thought flashed into her mind. She stood up in the boat and called +out: + +"You've never told us your name!" + +"Haven't I, really?" asked the Queen, as if greatly surprised. + +"No," said Dot. "I want to know what it is." + +"So do I," yelled Tot, standing up beside the girl and steadying +himself by her arm. + +"Certainly. I'll tell you now," cried the Queen, still running along +the bank. But scarcely had she spoken when she threw up both her +hands and screamed: + +"Look out for the arch!" + +Dot and Tot both turned around to look, but they were too late. A +low, gloomy archway was just before them, and as the boat glided into +it, the jagged rocks of the roof caught the children and threw them +flat upon the bottom of the boat. + +In falling, both the pretty gold crowns were knocked from their heads +and fell splashing into the dark waters of the river, where they were +lost forever. + +Dot and Tot lay quite still for a time, while the light in the tunnel +turned to twilight, and the twilight turned to utter darkness. + +Suddenly they heard a great crash, with the sound of falling rocks +and the splashing of water. The boat rocked with a little shiver, but +neither of the children spoke, for they knew the Queen had kept her +promise and closed up the archway behind them. + +Finally Tot whispered, "I've got her yet." + +"Who?" asked Dot. + +"Jane." + +The girl did not reply. She was rubbing her head where the roof had +struck it and thinking earnestly of the wonderful country she had +just left. Tot might, in time, forget his visit to Merryland, but Dot +never would. + +"It's goin' to be as long as the first tun'l, Dot," said the boy; and +then he curled himself up and fell asleep, while the boat glided +swiftly through the dark tunnel, and no sound broke the stillness +save the soft rippling of the unseen waters. + + + + CHAPTER 20 + The Voyage Ends + +Suddenly Dot, who had also fallen asleep, awoke with a start. + +The sun was just sinking in the west, and the boat had left the +tunnel while they slept and was slowly floating down the middle of a +big river. + +The girl at once awakened Tot and they looked carefully along both +sides of the river to see if they could find the place where they had +come out of the tunnel. But nothing could be seen except a line of +low trees growing close down to the water. + +"It doesn't make any difference, anyway," said the girl; "for the +Queen has closed up the end of the tunnel." + +"Where are we?" asked Tot. + +"I don't exactly know. But this looks very much like the river that +flows past Roselawn." + +"Yes!" cried the boy, nodding his head, "I 'member those trees." + +"Then," rejoined Dot, slowly, "I think I know how it happened. The +Valleys of Merryland are not in a straight line, but lie in the form +of a half circle; so in passing through them we have come upon the +same river again, only higher up the stream. We'll soon be opposite +Roselawn, Tot." + +The boy was staring at the bank and did not answer at once. But as +the boat swept around a bend in the river he cried: + +"Look!" and pointed with his finger to the shore. + +Before them were the green banks of Roselawn, and someone had already +seen the children, for a boat pushed out from the shore and came +rapidly toward them. + +A few minutes afterward Dot was closely clasped in her father's arms, +while Tot was rapturously kissing the bearded face of Thompson the +gardener. + +"How do you happen to be at Roselawn, Papa?" Dot asked. + +"Miss Bombien telegraphed me you were lost, so I came by the first +train and have been searching everywhere for you. Thompson and I had +both nearly despaired, for we feared our little ones had been +drowned." + +"Oh, no," said Dot, "we've only been on a trip to Merryland. But I'll +tell you the whole story when we get home." + +Mr. Freeland noticed his daughter's round, plump cheeks, slightly +sunburned, but with a fresh, rosy tint showing through the skin, and +saw how her eyes sparkled and danced with health. Very gratefully he +pressed her again to his heart and whispered: + +"Wherever you may have been, my darling, the change has restored your +health, and that repays me for all my anxiety." + + * * * + +As they walked up the white-graveled paths of Roselawn, Dot skipped +happily along by her father's side, while Tot held fast to the +gardener's big finger with one hand and carried Jane in the other. + +Soon they came to the place where the path branched off to the gap in +the hedge beyond which Tot lived, and he called out, "Good-bye, Dot." + +"Good-bye," answered the girl; "I'll see you tomorrow." + +But before she had gone far Tot came running up, calling for her to +stop. + +"Oh, Dot!" he said, "I know what the Queen's name is!" + +"Do you?" she asked eagerly. "Tell me, quick!" + +"Why it's Dolly, of course," said Tot. + +"Of course!" answered Dot, with a smile. "Funny we never thought of +that, isn't it?" + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Dot and Tot of Merryland, by L. 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