The Wonderful Bed

g, and their arms a little less brightly polished. They held themselves stiffly and marched very well, in spite of the fact that many of them had s

ttle carriages drawn by mechanical horses. Rudolf was so keenly interested in the working of these mechanical horses, that he hardly noticed the fine la

ook! Did you see them? Marie-Louise and Angelina-Elf

dn't know you,"

think of them; but, oh, Rudolf, here come more carriages and more dolls in them, and how queerly they are dressed, these last, I mean! I never saw an

ure who rode all alone at the very end of the procession. They knew she must be the Queen by the respectful way in which Captain Jinks and the sergeant saluted, but she was very different from what they had imagined a Queen to be. The wooden horse which she rode was not handsome, indeed one of

t the same as when they had taken her out of Aunt Jane's sandal-wood box from which, the children now remembered, certain tin soldiers and a three-legged wooden horse had also come! The

only too clearly all the unkind things he had said about the corn-cob doll, and how very, very near he had come to roasting her over the nursery fire! Whatever would happen, thought he, if any of her subjects who s

d the captain in his ear, "or

ontinued to stare down at his toes. Peter put his thumb in his m

excitement. "These suspicious persons are already under arrest. They would furnish very excellent targets for the artillery practise? If it should plea

k. If it wasn't for those tiresome revolutions in my capital city, I belie

bow, "and I beg to announce that we are at this moment o

it?" asked the Queen with a sigh.

our court, those doll ladies in pa

an, Jinks," corr

absolutely refused to eat their crusts. Did anybod

ldren tried to appear at their ease, but they were not. Ann loo

nks, what else?"

pies, and he says he feels he hadn't orter stand it any longer. He's going to strike. As for the populace, yo

are, Jinks," s

ergeant drew themselves up and saluted at the name-"has taken a whole company to the seaboard for to repel the ca

if the worst should come to the worst before he gets back, why I'll just abdicate, that's all, and the baker can be king and much good may it do him."

tely the carriage in which sat Marie-Louise and Angelina-Elf

ll enjoy a walk,

their carriage, not daring to disobey, and passed

the Queen kindly. "They don't

other moment, much to the surprise and indignation of Captain Jinks, they

's starting, but don't worry"-as she saw that the children were looking rather alarmed-"I dare say it will blow over w

ame from? Was it real water in the little fountain playing in the middle of the square? All this time they were being carried swiftly through the streets of the neatest, prettiest, little, toy town any one could wish to see.

decorated doll theater where a crowd of dolls were pushing their way in to see a Punch and Judy show. There were markets where busy customers thronged to buy all sorts and kinds of doll eatables, turkeys and chick

g any of them! The last shop they passed was that of the royal baker, and they noticed that its windo

were quite wild about it all, and even Rudolf condescended to admire. Now the houses were left behind and they entered a little park, where tiny artificial lakes glittered and stiff little trees were set about on the bright green grass. In the center of this park stood the doll palace. It was pure white, finished in gold, and had r

I want to take you first of all to see my dear old home where I use

said boldly: "Was that when you were Aunt Jan

e happiest, best-loved little doll in all the world, and with the dearest little

e taken it for a couple of large packing-boxes set one upon the other. Once inside, however, they forgot how impatient they had been to see the palace and its g

air of grandfather's old pocket-handkerchiefs, she who had pieced that tiniest of tiny patchwork quilts! In the kitchen that neat set of pots and pans made from acorns and the shells of walnuts was the work of her hands, assisted, perhaps, by the penknife of a certain l

took their places in the carriage again, "and we don't wonder you love it! The things that come straight from the toy shops are not really ha

corn-cob doll, "but a great dea

ommon dolls of all kinds and sizes gathering on the green in front of the gilded gates. At the same moment a troop of soldiers, headed

y, "just as I expected. Now I am afrai

go. We want to stay and fight on your side, and I'm sure we'd be

nks say to that? He is in command, you know. And if he should fail me, why

the Commander-in-Chief, anywa

ks, and always obeys without asking questions. That is more than some little boys do." Rudolf hung his head, and the Queen added hastily: "But now I see that Captai

lease," said Ann quickly.

ream-keeper just over the border, and I think he may be able to

regretfully at the queenly figure on the little wooden horse who waved her hand again and again in kindly farewell. They saw her joined by Captain Jin

say what he was handing her was the declaration of war!

never did taste a declarashun of war, but it looked a

the long brown road that led past the little tent where the children had been arrested by Jinks and the sergeant. Now they were out in the open country hurrying past the wonderful bright-colored plains, past fields of pink and purple, blue and green and yellow

o the coachman. "Don't you s

n in a white and gold livery. He never even

-to!" And for some time the

e coachman's little gold-embroidered coat tails. "Oh, d

atch the words that floated back to them: "Running-down-run-ing-down! As-fast-as-ev-er-I-c

g this to happen for so long that the thing was not such a shock after all, and somehow they landed without being hurt in the slightest. They picked themselves up, and saw the little carr

ly, rubbing the dust from his knees, "till

ays about-'If wishes were horses, beggars could ride'-well,

ch of creamy-yellow grass. Just beyond a thick woods began, but was divided from the creamy field by a broad bright strip of color, like a

k to Aunt Jane. Come on!" As she spoke she bounded off across the field, the two boys after her, and in less time than