Part 21 (1/2)
”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 rus.h.i.+ng 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 rus.h.i.+ng swiftly through the water, now, and soon the forest of trees was pa.s.sed 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.