Dot and Tot of Merryland Page 10

  CHAPTER 10 The Queen of Merryland

  When the boat carried Dot and Tot beyond the rocky arch that led tothe Fourth and most important Valley of Merry-land, the children heldtheir breaths in suspense; for here lived the Queen of all thiswonderful country, and they had no idea what she was like.

  "Perhaps she will be angry with us for disobeying the Watch-Dog'sorders," Dot whispered; "and then she may punish us in some terriblemanner."

  "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 lovelyand 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'ssimple faith; "but will wait and see what happens to us."

  The boat now swept around a bend in the river, and they saw they werein a Valley somewhat larger than any they had yet visited; but theirview was shut off by a high wall that ran along the river bank on oneside, 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, withguns on their shoulders, walking stiffly back and forth, as if theywere keeping guard. Each of these soldiers was seemingly made out ofone piece of wood, and wore a high black hat and a red coat withblack buttons, while his trousers were painted white. The guns didnot look very dangerous, and Dot remembered that once she had owned abox of just such looking soldiers as these.

  But the soldiers on the wall were moving around, and Dot's soldiershad never moved at all--at least, while she was looking at them. Whatthey might have done when she was not looking she, of course, couldnot tell.

  The wooden soldiers paid no attention to the boat, which glidedslowly down the stream, while the children looked for a place toland.

  "Perhaps we'll float right through the Valley," whispered Dot, "andthen 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 woodand nearly covered with gold and silver plates that shone brightly inthe sun. In front of this gate was a little landing place and somesteps leading down to the river. They floated up to the steps andstopped, so Dot and Tot got out and tied the boat to a silver ring inthe wall. Then they walked to the gate, where Dot was just puttingout 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 oneof the wooden soldiers. Their guns were pointed straight at Dot andTot, and although the soldiers were not much taller than Tot's knee,the children were startled at their warlike attitude and stood stillin 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 makegruff, but which sounded rather squeaky, as if it needed oiling.

  "Why not?" inquired Tot.

  "It's against orders," replied the soldier. "The Queen has commandedme to shoot any stranger who tries to open the gate."

  "But your gun is only wood," said Dot, who was annoyed at thesoldier's interference.

  "Wooden guns can't shoot!" shouted Tot, gleefully.

  The soldier seemed somewhat embarrassed at this and Dot thought heblushed 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'tbelong to Merryland, so your Queen has no authority over either Totor 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 questionimplied.

  "We couldn't help coming," she explained, at last; "the boat broughtus."

  "Well, since you are here," said the soldier, "you must obey the lawsof this country and the Queen who rules it."

  "That's rubbish!" cried Dot, now thoroughly provoked. "You can't obeythe 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 cannotobey orders."

  "But if you had not come here," protested the soldier, "I should havehad no occasion to shoot. So it is all your fault."

  "Perhaps so," replied Dot; "but I mean to open the gate in spite ofyour orders."

  She raised the latch and the gate began to swing slowly back upon itshinges; but when it had partly opened, she saw standing before heranother wooden soldier, dressed like a Captain, who held in his handa wooden sword.

  "Stand back!" cried the Captain. "If you advance another step I willstick my sword into you."

  Dot looked at the sword and saw that the point of it was reallysharp. So she stopped short and said, "Does the Queen of Merrylandlive 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 shemight safely argue with the helpless soldiers, it was far better tobe polite to the Captain with the sharp sword.

  At her request the officer bowed courteously and blew upon a pewterwhistle that hung around his neck. In answer to the summons anothersoldier appeared, who saluted his Captain respectfully.

  "Go to her Majesty the Queen," commanded the officer, "and tell herthere are two strangers at the gate who wish to see her."

  At once the soldier started upon his mission, and the little woodenCaptain turned to Dot and Tot, saying, "You may come within the gateand sit down while you await the commands of our Queen; but if shewill not receive you, of course you must go out again."

  So the children passed through the gateway, which the Captain closedbehind them, and sat down upon a small wooden bench built against thewall. Then they began to look around, for now before their eyes wasthe 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 prettystreets, with rows of little houses facing them, and each house wasmuch ornamented and brightly painted. Before the houses were rows oftrees which seemed to have been whittled out of wood, for the leaveslooked like shavings. These trees were colored a bright emeraldgreen, and each one stood upon a little round platform of its own.The grass also looked like wood shavings, and was dyed the samebright green color as the trees.

  Dot gazed dreamily at the houses and thought they resembled the bigdoll's playhouse her papa had once given her for Christmas, and whichnow was standing in the attic of her city home.

  At the far end of the main street, which ran down to the gate wherethey sat, was a house much bigger than the others, having for a roofa round dome which shone in the sun as if made of gold. This housewas built in a remarkably beautiful and artistic manner, and beforeit, 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 youare."

  "Oh!" exclaimed Dot again, and before he had time to say anythingmore she saw a carriage drive around to the front of the palace. Thenthe door quickly opened, and what looked to be a lady came out andentered the carriage.

  It was so far away she could not see the lady clearly at first; butsoon 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 stoppedshort, and now the children's eyes were big with wonder as theylooked upon it and its occupants.

  The carriage itself was of the kind that are sold in toy shops, andit was drawn by two horses standing upon wooden platforms withrollers underneath, so that instead of the horses themselves running,the wheels of the platforms whirled around, taking the carriagewherever the driver might direct. This driver looked for all theworld like a rag doll dressed in a coachman's uniform. His neck wasrather weak, and that caused his head to lean slightly to one side,giving him a somewhat broken-down appearance; but he held the reinsfirmly in his stuffed hands and looked straight ahead, like awell-trained servant.

  Seated in the carriage was the loveliest Wax Doll the children hadever looked upon. She was nearly as big as Tot, and was exquisitelydressed in a gown of soft, fluffy white material, with many pinkribbons upon her shoulders and sleeves, and a broad sash around herwaist. Her silken hair was long and of a golden color, while her eyeswere blue, and had in their depths a sweet and gentle expression. Asfor her complexion, it was a dainty pink-and-white, delicatelyblended. Upon her head she wore a golden crown with seven points uponit, and each point was tipped with a gleaming jewel.

  Almost at first sight Dot longed to hold the Wax Doll in her arms andlove and fondle her, and Tot suddenly became so bashful that he tookoff his hat and bowed his head to the "sweet lady" (as he calledher), with his eyes bent upon the ground.

  Yet scarcely had the children taken a good look at this delightfulcreature, when the Wax Doll leaped lightly from the carriage andstood before them, showing, as she did so, that her feet were clad inwhite 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, TotThompson, and I am Dot Freeland."

  "Dot F'eelun," murmured Tot, shyly lifting his eyes and nodding hishead.

  "But you shouldn't have come here," said the little lady. "This isprivate property, and I have placed guards to prevent anyone enteringmy Valleys."

  "Are you the Queen?" asked the girl.

  "Yes, I am Queen of all Merryland; and I cannot understand why myguards 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 boatcarried us."

  Then she told the Queen all the story of their adventures, and of howthey had been carried by accident into the Valleys of Merryland.

  After she had heard the story, the little lady looked puzzled for amoment and then said, "No one who enters my kingdom should ever beallowed to leave it again, for if they did the world should soon knowall about me and my people. If that happened, all our comfort and funwould 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 havestopped smiling, and that will never do in the world; for should theweather change and cool my wax, I would remain solemn until it warmedup again, and my people would then think me unworthy to be the Queenof 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 Valleysare so queer and delightful."

  Then the Queen again smiled upon them.

  "Don't worry, my dear," she exclaimed, brightly, "I'll find some wayout of our difficulty when I have used my thinking machine. Untilthen 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 treatthem most politely; for although they are in reality my prisoners,they have been guilty of no intentional wrong and seem to be nicechildren."

  The wooden Captain removed his wooden hat and bowed very low, so lowindeed that Tot could see the peg on the top of his head that heldthe 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 crackedhis whip, and the wheels of the horses' platform began spinningaround. Then the Queen rode swiftly up the street to her royalpalace.

  Dot and Tot followed more slowly, for the Captain who escorted themwas exceedingly small and walked stiffly, having no joints in hisknees. 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 onplatforms, the horses never get tired, you see, for the wheels do allthe 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 allthe time. That's what makes them look so plump and healthy. What dothey feed horses on in your country?"

  "Hay," said Tot.

  "We tried stuffing ours with hay once," remarked the Captain; "but itmade their skins look lumpy, it was so coarse; so now we use cottonaltogether."

  "I see," said Tot again, in a rather bewildered voice.

  The street they were walking upon was smooth and level, and thehouses they passed were neat and pretty; but both the childrennoticed 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 Captainknocked three times with the handle of his wooden sword.

  Thereupon the gate opened slowly, and they passed into a beautifulflower garden, and walked along the green-bordered paths until theycame to the high-arched doorway of the palace.

  Dot had only time to notice that there were seven golden stars abovethe doorway, when the Queen herself appeared and led them through ahall into her drawing room, having dismissed the wooden Captain witha nod of her royal head.

  Although the house was by far the biggest one in the Valley, the topsof the doors were only a little way above Dot's head, and when thechildren 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 atonce to your rooms, and when you have bathed your faces and brushedyour clothes you shall have something nice to eat."

  She touched a bell that stood upon a table near by, and at once therecame into the room a little boy doll, dressed in a brown suit withbrass buttons. He was larger in size than any doll Tot had seenoutside of Merryland, yet he was not so big as the Queen herself.When the children looked at him closely, they could see that his faceand hands and feet were knitted from colored worsteds, while his eyeswere two big black beads.

  This curious doll walked straight up to the Queen and bowed beforeher, while she said, "Scollops, show this young man to the laughingchamber, 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 hishand 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 tohis 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 thetop of the stairs, they walked down a long hallway and entered a roomso odd and pretty that Tot stopped short and gazed at it
inastonishment.

  In many ways it was like an ordinary room, for it contained adresser, a bed, chairs and a table. But upon the wall were paintedhundreds of heads of children--boys and girls of all countries, withlight and dark hair, straight and curly hair, blue and black andbrown and gray eyes, and all with laughing faces. The posts of thebed were also carved into laughing baby faces; the chairs and thedresser showed a face upon every spot where there was a place forone, and every face throughout the whole room had a smile upon it. Tomatch the rest of the furniture, the carpet had woven upon it inbright colors all kinds of laughing children's faces, and the effectof the queer room was to make Tot himself laugh until the tears rolldown 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 andto brush his clothes, and when this task was finished, the woollydoll 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 theclean covers."

  Tot lay down upon the bed, and at once heard a sweet, tinkling chorusof laughter coming from every part of the room. It was so delightfuland soothing that he listened to it rapture. Softly his eyes closed,and in another moment he would have been sound asleep had notScollops raised him to his feet and said:

  "It is not time for sleep yet, for you haven't had your dinner. Butthe laughing faces will make you slumber peacefully when the timecomes, and give you pleasant dreams, too."