Part 15 (2/2)

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 rus.h.i.+ng 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 cla.s.sical--for all cla.s.sical 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.

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