Adventures in Toyland: What the Marionette Told Molly (Illustrated) E-Book

Edith King Hall

• Herausgeber: Bauer Books
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

ADVENTURES IN TOYLAND:
WHAT THE MARIONETTE TOLD MOLLY

BY Edith King Hall

Leseprobe

Edith

UUID: fdda40ba-f45d-11e7-8047-17532927e555

This ebook was created with StreetLib Writehttp://write.streetlib.com

Table of contents

All sorts of toys were to be found in that toy-shop. It was truly a place to please any child! A little girl, who had come to stay there with her aunt—the owner of the shop—and her little cousin, was always to be found amongst the toys; she was forever picking up and admiring this one, stroking that one, nursing another. All her spare moments were spent in the shop.

And they danced so gayly, too. “Just as if they like dancing with each other!“ the little girl once said to her aunt. “You are a fanciful child, Molly,“ answered the woman, laughing. The little girl looked round the shop much bewildered. “Where they be?“ she said. “Well, how funny!“ exclaimed the little girl aloud. “How have got there?“ “Walked, of course,“ answered the little Marionette in a sweet little voice. The little girl‘s astonishment at this reply was very great. So great that it kept her silent. “You seem rather surprised,“ said the little Marionette. “Why?“ “Why, I never knew you could talk!“ she exclaimed, recovering a little from her surprise. “Or any other toy, either,“ she added. “Life is full of surprises,“ remarked the little Marionette; “especially in the toy-shop.“ “I wish you would tell me all about it,“ said the little girl, becoming bolder. “If toys can walk and talk, why don‘t children know it?“ “Because, although they have known many toys, yet they are very ignorant regarding their habits,“ she answered. “ is the reason. The little girl clapped her hands. She paused a moment, then added: “How I should like you to tell me some stories of toys—a new story every day, you know. Couldn‘t you do that?“ The little Marionette looked doubtful. The little girl sighed anxiously. “I hope he‘ll say ‘yes‘,“ she said. “I want so much to hear stories of toys told by a toy.“ She turned to go, then paused and came back. “I should just like to ask you one thing before I go,“ she said. “Don‘t you and your partner enjoy dancing together?“ The pink cheeks of the little lady seemed to grow a little pinker. she found the little Marionette in the same position. “Well!“ she said eagerly. “That will be very nice,“ said the little girl. “Will you begin at once?“ “At once,“ she agreed, and began the story of “T R M “ “ “ After this the Rabbit played the drum with great energy, whilst the Mouse ran up and down in the most nimble manner. “Very good; I will not trouble you,“ answered his companion easily. “I have perfect faith in your judgment, and will leave all to you.“ The Mouse considered for a moment, then he said: “Sentry,“ said he, “are you prepared to run some risk for the sake of money?“ “For the sake of money I‘m prepared to do anything,“ said the wicked fellow. “Never fear. Rest assured you shall have it,“ said the Mouse. “Then if the offers no difficulty, won‘t,“ said the Sentry, with a cold-blooded laugh. “When is it to be carried out?“ This is how such a strange thing happened. Then he recovered his spirit. “I will baulk him yet!“ he exclaimed, his pink eyes flashing, and his white fur bristling with excitement. “How can I help you?“ asked the Owl. “I will endeavor to keep awake as long as I am wanted.“ “Your plans are well and thoughtfully worked out,“ said the Owl, blinking his eyes. “Good-day,“ said the Sentry. “What are you grinning at?“ For the Rabbit was smiling from ear to ear. “Pass it on,“ said the Sentry. “Very good,“ answered the Rabbit, and the Sentry hurried off. “I should not have been able to move about sufficiently,“ the Rabbit answered. “I should have suffered from cramp.“ “Done!“ said the Sentry, and straightway stepped into his box. Then, having called the Owl and stated the terms of the bet, the Rabbit went home. Here he awaited the arrival of the Mouse, who presently returned, full of pretended sympathy for the dulness of the Sentry‘s life. “Agreed,“ said the Rabbit. “Oh, friends,“ exclaimed the Mouse, shaking his head, “do not give way to this habit! It is, indeed, a sad, bad one.“ “Very good,“ agreed the Rabbit. And the two performers began. But in a few moments the Rabbit stopped. “I cannot continue,“ he said. “I am suffering from cramp in the muscles of my drum-legs.“ “You are right,“ answered the Rabbit, and walked on, the Mouse doing the same, though with lagging steps. Presently a look of anger and wonder crept into his eyes, remarking which the Rabbit laughed. “What are you laughing at?“ asked the Mouse uneasily. “At nothing particular,“ answered his companion. “Cheerfulness, you know, is a habit of the mind.“ “He is not well, I suppose,“ answered the Mouse nervously. “What has happened, I wonder?“ “A !“ exclaimed the Rabbit loudly. “I know all!“ the Rabbit said sternly. “You are a little villain! What defence can you offer for so grossly deceiving me?“ Then before the Mouse could offer any protest, the Rabbit bit his head right off and swallowed it. Then, according to his intention, the Rabbit beat the Sentry about the head until he could not see out of his eyes. Now, the next morning the woman who keeps this shop spoke severely to her own little girl. The little girl began to whimper. “That is all,“ she said. “What a good thing that the Mouse had his head bitten off,“ said the little girl thoughtfully. “It was just as well,“ the Marionette answered, “since he could use it to no better purpose.“ “Some of the toys were very wicked in that story, I think; dreadfully wicked.“ “I think the same. They were bad, wicked toys, with bad, wicked ways.“ “Are many of the toys you know as wicked as that?“ asked Molly. “Oh, dear no!“ said the little Marionette, quite shocked. “Most of my friends and acquaintances are really wonderfully well-behaved.“ “Do you know, I should like you next time to tell me about one of them.“ “About some one simple, perhaps?“ “Yes, I think so.“ The little Marionette thought a moment. Then she said: “I know of no one more simple than Belinda.“ “Tell me about her, if you please.“ “Very good. You shall hear of Belinda and her simplicity.“ So the next day she told her friend the story of “B .“ “What simplicity! what delightful simplicity!“ said the other toys. “‘Tis really charming!“ “There! did you notice?“ ... “Wasn‘t it pretty and simple?“ said all the Toys to one another as they looked at Belinda. “I will be poetical,“ he resolved; “I will sing her a song of love. That may induce her to open her eyes.“ “This,“ he said to himself, “will teach her how deep and how true my love is for her. should open her eyes.“ But Belinda, quite unmoved, sat with them tightly closed. After this he sat silent, hoping that Belinda would even now open her eyes. “Then,“ said he, “she will see how sad I look, and she will surely be touched.“ But disappointment was again his lot. She never opened even half an eye. “Shiver my timbers!“ said the luckless Sailor-Lad, “she‘ll be the death of me.“ And he went away mournfully whistling “ .“ She half-opened her eyes, but immediately closed them again. “Those expressions sound a little rough,“ she remarked. He felt sorely tried. “None so blind as those who see, my lass,“ he said one day. “I should have thought,“ she answered with unaffected surprise, “it was those who see.“ “Have you looked up through the sky-light this afternoon?“ he asked. “The sunset is glorious.“ “Describe it to me. I love descriptions,“ she said with simple enthusiasm. “You had better see it for yourself,“ he said crossly and turned away. “The sunset is indeed perfect,“ she said, “I have been watching it till my eyes ache, and I cannot keep them open any longer.“ “Why, no,“ she answered, “I can‘t because my eyes are closed. But if you say so, I suppose you must be correct.“ “Belinda, I love you,“ said he. Poor Jack left in despair, and this time he whistled a funeral march. But like a true-hearted sailor, he resolved to try again. So the next day he said to her: “I would rather not,“ she said, keeping her eyes tightly closed. “I don‘t like seeing clouds; it depresses my spirits.“ It was just about this time that Mademoiselle Cerise was bought by a lady as a present for her little god-daughter. “But the color of the doll‘s dress has become faded,“ said the lady. “She must have a new one before I take her.“ “That can easily be arranged in a day,“ said the owner of the shop. “Oh, Belinda,“ he said, “how I love you!“ “Do you?“ said she with great surprise. “Well, you don‘t love me more than I love you.“ “You make me very happy, my lass,“ said he. “But why are you astonished at my saying I love you? Have I not told you so before?“ “I thought you were quizzing,“ she answered. “The sad expression of my face should have told you I was not quizzing,“ he replied. “How could I tell what your expression was when I never saw it?“ she asked with some reproach. “You did not see it because you always closed your eyes when I spoke to you,“ he replied. “What made you do that?“ Belinda thought a moment “It was merely a habit I had fallen into,“ said she. “Well, perhaps,“ said the Sailor-Lad. He spoke very cheerful now, he felt in such good spirits. “I am very glad that the Sailor-Boy was happy at last,“ said the little girl. “I was afraid Belinda never meant to open her eyes.“ “I wonder why she kept them closed so long.“ “I wonder,“ reflected the little Marionette. And she smiled. “An Officer and an Elephant! How nice!“ exclaimed the little girl eagerly. “I am quite certain it must be very funny.“ “I don‘t think the Officer found it so,“ the little lady replied, giving a sweet, little tinkling laugh. “Didn‘t he?“ asked her listener with much interest. “It is who are late, not I,“ she said. “Is it?“ replied the little Marionette. “Well, I ashamed. However, here I am now, so I will begin at once to tell you my tale.“ And settling herself down, and smoothing out her beautiful brocade dress, she began without further ado, the story of: “T O E .“ “Time,“ he replied, “for little boys to be in bed.“ But the Officer merely laughed loudly and shrugged his shoulders. The Officer saw the general terror he had inspired, and both he and his Soldiers were well pleased. The Elephant looked at the Officer and his men. “I don‘t see it,“ he said bluntly. This time all the Toys nearly expired with fright! The Elephant only remained, as before, unmoved. “The same thing may happen to yourself, I suppose?“ asked the Elephant, in his heavy and clumsy fashion. “I don‘t believe it,“ said the Elephant. The Officer at this laughed a grim laugh, truly awful to hear. The Elephant made no reply, which induced the Officer to think he had frightened him. “A great clumsy beast of no spirit,“ he said to his Soldiers. “Right, sir,“ answered the Soldiers. “Just as much as they ought to, if you went to an honest fishmonger,“ answered the Elephant. But the Elephant made no reply. “That‘s the thickest-skinned animal I ever met,“ said the Officer to his men. But herein he made a mistake. The Elephant never forgot an insult, but paid it back upon the first opportunity. The opportunity, in this case, was not long in arriving; it came, indeed, all too soon for the Officer‘s taste. It occurred in this way. “No, I don‘t like them,“ he said; “they have to move all the same way at once. It is very stupid of them. Have you no others?“ “Then I‘ll take a train,“ said the boy. “But it is very funny that you should have such a poor lot of soldiers as these.“ Now came the time for the Elephant‘s revenge. He paused, but the Elephant made no reply. “This is not very pleasant,“ said the Officer uneasily to himself. “I fear the beast is of a sulky temper. What happen to me?“ And he lay still, trembling and fearful. At last the day closed in, the Mortals shut up the shop and left, and the time of the Toys arrived. The Elephant then addressed the Officer in a slow voice and ponderous manner. “I feel inclined to trample on you,“ he remarked. The Officer closed his eyes with terror; then, half-opening them, he endeavored to look defiantly and speak boldly. “Pre-pre-sump-tu-tu-ous b-b-b-beast!“ he faltered. The Elephant looked at him threateningly. “It was on-on-ly my f-f-un!“ stammered the Officer, trembling with fear, and all the crimson fading from his cheeks. “Do you wish me to spare your life?“ asked the Elephant. “The world can do without it,“ said the great beast threateningly. “Spare me!“ cried the coward and bully. The Elephant paused. “Very good,“ he answered, “but only upon my own conditions.“ “Certainly, certainly,“ the Officer said in a fawning voice. “Many thanks; any conditions that you may think proper.“ After this the Elephant thought for a long while. Then he said: “When you have done,“ interrupted the Elephant, “I will begin.“ The little girl considered a moment. “I think,“ she said at length, “I would rather hear something quite different for a change. If you do not mind,“ she added politely. “Not in the least,“ replied the little lady. “I shall think of a story that shall have nothing to do with soldiers, good, bad, or indifferent.“ “Thank you,“ said her little friend. “Please begin.“ “Yes,“ she said as the little Marionette remained silent. “Yes—yes— begin!“ “‘T L D .‘“ There never was a prettier dancer than the Little Dancer of the frizzy dark hair, and the blue tulle dress with silver spangles. “Dear heart, I love you,“ she said as she danced. And he rode on. The Little Dancer was much distressed. “He is angry,“ she said to her friend the Little China Doll next to her, with the two long flaxen pigtails hanging down her back. “He is angry.“ And she danced more slowly and less gaily. “What of that?“ said her friend, tossing her head. “It is of no consequence.“ “That is really not bad,“ he said; “not at all bad. You dance quite nicely, as dancing goes.“ “Oh sweetheart, I love you!“ she said, encouraged by his praise. “I really cannot stand such remarks,“ said the Bicycle-man. “They make me both angry and confused.“ And he went on, leaving her in tears. “I won‘t,“ replied the Little Dancer tearfully. So the next time he stopped to watch her dancing she did not speak to him. “You are getting rude now,“ he said. “I am not sure whether that is not worse than being forward.“ “What shall I say?“ asked the Little Dancer. “My words do not please you.“ “Good-day,“ she said, as she practised her steps. “Is that all?“ he inquired. “That is all,“ she answered. “Why are you crying?“ asked the Bicycle-man, with pretended surprise. “Dear heart, Oh dear heart, I love you!“ she wept. “Well, well, so do many others,“ he answered. “It isn‘t my fault“ And mounting his bicycle he rode away. “Don‘t you see you are making him terribly conceited?“ said the Little China Doll. “It is absurd of you. Try to be more sensible.“ “I love him so, I love him so!“ sobbed the Little Dancer. “My heart is broken.“ On the morrow the Bicycle-man appeared as usual. The Little Dancer made no reply: she was too heart-broken to utter a sound. “Are you not going to wish me happiness?“ he asked. But the Little Dancer still spoke not. She danced faster and faster as the tears fell from her eyes. The Bicycle-man did not notice how quickly her tears were falling. “Your silence is a sad want of manners,“ he said. “Uncivility is far from attractive.“ Still the little Dancer made no answer; she could not speak, she was crying so bitterly. “Well, good-day,“ he said. “It is very evident that you did not pay the extra twopence for manners.“ Then he left. “Stop dancing,“ said the Little China Doll to the Little Dancer. “You are not in a fit state to dance. You will kill yourself.“ “I dance till I forget, or till I die,“ she answered—sobbing. The next morning the Bicycle-man came again. “The wedding is put off—“ he began. Then he saw the lifeless form of the Little Dancer, and he turned pale. “I am very sorry for the poor Little Dancer,“ she replied sadly; “I wish that the Bicycle-man had not been so unkind.“ “Well, well, it is all over now. Wipe your eyes; you can‘t do any good by crying, and I don‘t like seeing tears,“ said her friend. “Never mind; I rather like feeling sad,“ Molly answered politely, though tearfully. “What are you laughing at?“ asked the little girl with curiosity. “Especially your nose, my pretty fellow,“ remarked the Clown. “He becomes quite unbearable,“ whispered one lady doll to another. “Speak out, ladies,“ he said. But they turned away in silent anger. “A compliment about me,“ he laughed. “Doubtless too great a one to be said aloud.“ “Your face!“ exclaimed the Butcher. “Why, a sheep‘s face is more to be admired than yours.“ “So you actually think yours is good-looking?“ sneered the Baker. “Why, I could make a better-looking one out of a piece of dough.“ “And who,“ he asked, with a bow towards a little group of lady dolls, “who can be better judges of the matter?“ “Do you think they consider you good-looking?“ inquired the Clown. “Get along, you dreamer!“ “I do not think it, I know it,“ he replied. “Very well,“ answered the Hansom-driver. “The result will be favorable to me. Of that I have no doubt.“ “All right! To business,“ said the Butcher. “What about the ladies‘ decision as to this fellow‘s claim of beauty?“ “Ay; when shall it be given?“ inquired the Hansom-driver, anxious to lose no time. “Good!“ said the Hansom-driver. Then he got up upon the seat of his hansom, whipped up his horse, and drove off. “I have not the slightest fear as to the ladies‘ decision,“ he boastfully remarked. “Well,“ he said with a smile to the Clown who headed the crowd; “well, and what is the ladies‘ opinion about my beauty?“ The Hansom-driver climbed down from his seat. “Shake hands,“ he said. “One doesn‘t find a fellow of sense like you every day.“ The Clown shook hands, then turned a somersault and grinned from ear to ear. “He a vain thing,“ said the little girl. “‘Poor Claribelle!‘ Who was she?“ “A young lady doll whose bad temper, unfortunately for her, brought her great sorrow. “I should like to hear about her,“ said the little girl. “P C .“ “What!“ she exclaimed haughtily. “Pay a call on that Farthing creature! not!“ “I, at least, must go, sooner or later,“ the Driver replied. “Why?“ she asked much displeased. And after this she sulked and said she did not love him. But he got no further, for here Claribelle interrupted him. “Does that apply to ?“ she said with flashing eyes. “Well, you dark eyes, you know,“ he said pleasantly, hoping to make her smile. “Beautiful dark eyes, too.“ “Stop the wagon!“ she said furiously. “I will not be so insulted. Dark eyes, yes; but yaller! yaller! yaller!“ “Allow me to explain. I only—“ began the Driver. “ , indeed! Stop the Wagon!“ “I should like to say—“ “A dark-eyed, girl! Stop the Wagon,—and consider our engagement at an end.“ “ you let me—“ “Do I still look yaller?“ Claribelle asked scornfully. “Let bygones be bygones,“ said he. “Besides, I never called you yaller.“ “Our engagement is ended,“ she said. The next day he came again. “Aren‘t you sorry I am going?“ he replied. “I haven‘t time to think of trifles,“ she said haughtily. “Cruel Claribelle,“ he said. “I shall not send you a letter, not even a post-card.“ “Letters are dull,“ she said coldly, “and post-cards are vulgar.“ “You will repent of this some day,“ he replied. And he turned and went away in anger. On the morrow he came once more. “I have come to say good-bye,“ he said. “Oh!“ she replied; but not a word more. “Aren‘t you sorry?“ he asked again. “Yes,“ she replied, “because the Farthing Doll put her foot on my dress this morning in passing me, and tore it. She is a clumsy thing.“ “You are trying my patience too far,“ he said. “Proud Claribelle, beware! Beware, proud Claribelle!“ “I cannot believe that,“ he said. “Do you really mean it?“ “Certainly,“ she answered. So the other Toys would often remark one to the other with surprise and pleasure: “Lo! how poor Claribelle hath been chastened by sorrow!“ “Poor, Claribelle! I sorry for her!“ said the little girl. “She had, indeed, a severe lesson,“ answered the little Marionette. “And did the Wagoner ever come back?“ “Never, never. He loved, but drove away.“ “How sad!“ sighed the little girl. There was a pause. Then the little girl said: “Next time you tell me a story I should like it to be happy all through. Happy, you know, from beginning to end.“ The little Marionette thought a few moments, then shook her head. “I can‘t remember such a story,“ she said. “I think there must be very few.“ “I am sorry for that,“ answered the little girl, disappointed. “I wanted very much to hear one.“ “Then tell me to-morrow a story that ends happily.“ “Good evening. I have thought of a story that will please you.“ “Then I suppose it ends most happily, doesn‘t it?“ asked Molly. “‘T G F D ‘“ It was thus that matters stood, when, walking along the counter one day, the Farthing Doll met the Grocer sauntering by with a sad face. “Well!“ she exclaimed, with a start of surprise. “Fancy seeing you here!“ “My shop is close by,“ he answered. “Don‘t you remember?“ “To be sure,“ she said. “How odd of me to forget.“ “I‘m very pleased to see you,“ said the Grocer. “I am glad of that, for I have every wish to please you,“ said the Farthing Doll. “Is that satisfactory?“ he asked. “It ought to be,“ she replied. “Stay!“ the Grocer cried. “I have an idea. We appear to have some difficulty in finding out the Truth. Let us go and hunt for it.“ “Where is it to be found?“ she asked. “At the bottom of a Well, so I‘ve heard.“ “Then I suppose the first thing is to find the Well.“ “See!“ exclaimed the Farthing Doll at last; “here‘s a square thing that looks something like a Well. Go, open it and look down.“ “What may be inside, though?“ he said cautiously. “Truth, Truth, you silly thing!“ she said impatiently. “Go!“ So he went and opened the lid. The poor fellow got up and rubbed his head. “One gets very hard blows sometimes in the search for Truth,“ he said ruefully. “ didn‘t do much good,“ said the Grocer when he had done as he was asked, and closed the lid of Jack‘s box. “Let us find the Policeman,“ she said, holding out her hand. “An excellent idea,“ he replied as he took it. “There he is, just outside that dolls‘ house. “Constable,“ he said, “can you direct us to the Well with Truth at the bottom?“ “Not that I ever heard tell of any such Well,“ he added, putting his head inside and speaking to the Little China Doll within. “Then you‘re a deceiver,“ she said severely, as she handed him a joint of beef tightly gummed on to a wooden platter. “I don‘t mind if they have,“ she said, tired and impatient. “Have we got them?“ she asked doubtfully. “I think so,“ he replied. “Then where are they kept?“ He pondered. “In our heads, I imagine,“ he said. And tapping his forehead to help out his thought he remarked. “Ladies first. It is your place to reply to me before I reply to you.“ “I prefer the last word; you may have the first.“ “It is all very well to expect me to answer you, but supposing said ‘Yes‘ and said ‘No,‘ fancy how my pride would suffer!“ “But supposing I said ‘Yes‘ and you said ‘No,‘ picture to yourself what my feelings would be. I should not recover from the blow.“ “As I thought best,“ she said. “But tell me how would you write it?“ “As I thought fit,“ he replied. “What would your ‘best‘ be?“ “That would depend on your ‘fit‘,“ she answered. The Grocer sighed and knit his brows. “It seems very difficult to come to an understanding with you,“ he said. The Farthing Doll was the first to break the silence. The Grocer thought for a long while. Then he spoke again. “I have another idea,“ he remarked. “Let us look for Truth not in the Well, nor in our Minds, but in our Hearts. Do you agree?“ “Yes, I do,“ she said. “But how shall we set about it?“ “Let our Hearts speak,“ he replied. “My Heart‘s Dearest, I love you,“ said he. “You are my Best Beloved,“ said she. So the matter ended happily, to their own joy and to the joy of the whole toy-shop. And these two lovers found Truth at last: not in the bottom of a Well, but in the depths of their own Hearts. And they married and were happy ever after. “That was a nice ending,“ remarked the little girl. “I like it.“ “Yes; very satisfactory, wasn‘t it?“ said the little lady. “How will the next story end, happily or sadly?“ “I haven‘t thought of it yet. You shall know to-morrow.“ “I think I must go now,“ said the little girl. “I promised my little cousin to have a game of nine-pins with her before bed-time.“ The little Marionette shook her head. “It will be impossible,“ said she. “And after to-morrow we shall not be able to talk to each other any more,“ exclaimed the little girl. “Oh, how sad!“ “Never mind, even if we cannot talk we can remain good friends. The deepest friendship is often the quietest.“ “Then we can be very great friends indeed,“ said the little girl with much affection. “I am so glad, dear!“ “No, I won‘t,“ answered the Marionette. “Remember!“ “Yes, I‘ll remember.“ “ will you remember?“ “I‘ll tie a knot in my hair, so that when I brush it I shall feel that there is something to recollect.“ But the little Marionette was not to be found. “This is too bad of her!“ said the little girl. “Our last time! And after she has promised not to be late!“ Tears rose to her eyes. “I am very much disappointed,“ said she as she walked up and down the shop looking for her friend. “I shall never find her.... Why, she is!“ she exclaimed suddenly. And she hurried up to the little Marionette, who, half-concealed by a big Drum, lay on the ground beside a Puzzle. “You are not very kind,“ remarked the little girl reproachfully. “I asked you to be early, and you never came at all.“ “I am very sorry,“ answered the little Marionette in a tired voice. “I have hurt myself,“ was the answer. “I tripped up over this Puzzle.“ “I am sorry. Are you very badly hurt?“ asked her little friend with pity. “Never mind me. I promised to tell you one more story, and I shall do so,“ answered the little Marionette. She spoke very sadly, and the little girl picked her up and kissed her. “Would you not like to put off telling me a story to-day?“ she asked. “No. I should like to do so,“ the Marionette answered, “for it is our last meeting. Put me back on the counter and I will tell it to you.“ “Shall I put you back where I found you?“ “No, take me back to our old place. I am tired of this Puzzle.“ So the little girl took her to the Noah‘s Ark, and placed her with her back to it. “Poor little Marionette!“ said Molly. “‘T L P .‘“ The little lady Marionette patted the paniers of her pretty brocade dress and remained silent. “You don‘t mind that, do you?“ her partner said. “I thought you wouldn‘t.“ “I do mind,“ she answered at last. “Yes; very much I am sure,“ he said. “You hurt my feelings,“ she replied. “I wouldn‘t do that for the whole world—not for ten worlds,“ he answered. She smiled. “Oh, you smile!“ he said. “Then you do not mind very much after all.“ “I smile because it makes me happy to hear you speak kindly to me again,“ she answered. But her answer did not please him. “You smile at everything,“ he said “Nothing troubles you much.“ “It troubles me that you should be going away; away from me into the wide world,“ she said. “It will trouble you for half an hour, not longer,“ said he. “Only half an hour, that‘s all. I must leave you now.“ “Don‘t,“ said she. “ “ “I can‘t,“ said he. “Good-bye.“ And he went straight away without another word. “He does not know how dear he is to my heart or he would not leave me so,“ said the little Marionette to herself after he had left. At last a friend of hers came along—a friend who was a Doll of common sense and practical ways. “What is all this about?“ she asked. “Why are you crying?“ “Because half an hour may last for so long,“ wept the little Marionette. “You are talking nonsense,“ she replied contemptuously. “Everybody knows that half an hour can only last thirty minutes.“ “Give me back my dream,“ said the Marionette. Then she covered her face with her hands and gave a great sigh. The common-sense Doll looked even more practical than before. So she went on her way, and the little Marionette was once more alone with her sorrow and regret. By and by, however, the General of the Tin Soldiers trotted up on his handsome black charger, and reined in before her. “All that won‘t do me any good,“ said the little Marionette aloud. “I don‘t want that.“ “What do I want?“ she sighed. “No, it isn‘t; not to me,“ answered the little Marionette very sadly. “It will be, by and by,“ he said cheerfully. “No; not to me,“ she repeated. The Clown looked at her with sympathy. “Shall I tell you a good story?“ he asked. “Quite one of my best?“ “You are very kind,“ said the little Marionette. “I think, though, I would rather hear it another time, if you do not mind.“ The little Marionette made a long pause. “Go on, if you please,“ said the little girl. But the little lady remained silent. “ go on,“ repeated her small friend. Yet she never answered. “What is the matter with you?“ asked the little girl impatiently. She looked closely at the Marionette as she spoke. “You are not crying, dear, are you?“ said the little girl. The little Marionette gave a great sigh. “Perhaps,“ she replied gently. “What is it about?“ asked the little girl with much sympathy. Then all at once she understood. “I believe,“ she exclaimed, “you have been telling me a story about yourself! It all happened to you to-day, while I was away, didn‘t it?“ The little lady rubbed two tiny wax hands across her two glass eyes. “You have guessed rightly,“ she said in a little faltering voice. “Lullaby,“ she said more gently, and kissed her fondly. Then she began afresh, but more softly and soothingly— “Lullaby,“ she whispered, and kissed her again very tenderly. “Let me always stay with you,“ the little Marionette just managed to whisper. “Always, dear,“ said her little friend.