The Missing Prince

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oticed that the Moon had gone back to its usual place

e let himself down from one step to another; for you see he had by th

ehind a piece of rock, however, half buried in the sand, came the sound of laughter. "Ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee, hee! H

fashion, whilst a solemn-looking Wooden Soldier was standing at "attention" and lookin

hee!" he snickered, "here comes a boy! What a jolly

ith "One-and-Nine" written on it, turned stiffly aro

time, but was obligated to move to a more shelter

exclaimed Boy, "wha

erb to wait. Wait, wite, wote,

ig, winking at Boy, and twirling about at such a

ancies that he has invented a new system of Grammar. What a lark! Ha, h

hought Boy, "these two are certainly the most remarkable! I wonder w

thought that would be a polite

nterrupted the Grig "What a

is unbearacious," exclaimed One-an

Sand Castle," said Boy. "Can

replied One-and-Nine. "Step this way, plea

oing in the least, and kept on danci

mime any day, you are! Ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee!" and the sound of his l

ous end unless he reformationises

ry high spirits about

em to considerise the unenjoyability of jollyosity; they seem to think that

at I could understand," thought Boy. "Have we very far to go

pardon, I mean we shall be there with considerable soonness. You must excuse me

u mean?" ex

educed too," he said, "but only in size. I've come down in price, whic

ierrot sang about," said Boy, "and the

ave since found out that she was totally unworthy of my admirosity. Tin Soldier indeed!" he went on contemptuously, evidently referring to his rival, "why, he couldn't stand fire at all; he would melt! I don't deny that he looks

uppose!" cried Boy, as some l

One-and-Nine,

le which he had so much admired in the morning. "And I am just the

rawn up before the gate and salut

ng personage in most fashionable attire, whilst her husband was not a wax doll at all, but a wooden and cardb

hands with Boy, and holding her hand nearly on a level with her head in

" said Boy, holding

wer foolish conundrums like that? I wonder you don't say it's a fine evening and have done with it! All the other folks have been saying that too, one after the other, like a lot of brainless lunat

o the Dancing Hall where the festivities were in full swing. All kinds of toys were re

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d attitudes, and a whole group of Dutch dolls were gathered around a military-looking person in a cocked hat lolling luxuriously on an ottoman at one end of the room. There was a Toy Band at the other end, which looked very imposing, but which Boy found out was only

in evening dress sat next to

test introduction. "I should not have come if I had known wha

met him before

irs in consequence. They've hired this Castle for the season at enormous expense, but bless you, they are nobodies! See that vulgar-looking old lady in the corner-with a pipe in her mouth-they call her Ancient Aunt Sarah; but she's nothing of the sort. Everybody knows her;

y really did look like the

; and Boy, who did not at all care for the spiteful little person who had been letting h

ed off by himself, so B

tic bridges looked quite pretty in the light. Three or four Gentlemen dolls were playing a kind of game by the p

consisted in blowing under these pieces of paper, or "raising the wind," as it was called, in order to keep them floating: the one who kept his "Share" or "Stock" from fa

ig

them inside, he heard it announced that Sergeant One-and-Nine was about to recite. Boy w

one a seat; and at last, when the room was quite quiet, One-and-N

LOUS AND THE F

dst the Bu

discon

ely did wo

against

, hollow,' w

ll So

shish s

around

' I crew i

uate li

e all your

n I flu

id then al

ome tale

is full of

so of

This mom

e I di

ning whir

h my v

g somewhat

tway gave

right upo

activeou

prise it di

her did

as rather

t at on

regret my

n, to m

ng most un

eccent

they term a c

rned by

behaved re

t like

me, is li

gs go on

k mice and fe

upon

ot answer

ly sno

t 'twould

hat Cat '

ping was still going on a black india-rubber doll rushed in with a very scared face and cried

ee that the tide had indeed risen so high as to cut off all commu

a lot of scatterbrains to make idiots of themselves in! Wait till I get safely home

their hands and crying that they should all be drowned. One-

d been left on the sand; "we had better all get on t

ig

s. The elaborately dressed dolls in silk and satin held up their dainty skirts so that they should not ge

ted up her pipe, at which Mrs. Waxxe-Doll was so shocked that i

l the dolls on it, wetting Boy through to the skin and leaving him standing alone on the wet sand. As the plank with its cargo of screaming