Part 11 (1/2)

”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 coa.r.s.e; 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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed into a beautiful flower garden, and walked along the green-bordered paths until they came to the high-arched doorway of the palace.