"Even--, Your Maj--," he cried out, as he drew near. "Hap--see!"
He meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty, I"m happy to see you,"
but there being only half of him he spoke but half of each word.
"Good evening, Mr. Left Split," replied the Queen. "I see you are as busy as ever."
"Ind--am. Anim--al--get--out ord--." By this he meant to say: "Indeed I am. The animals are always getting out of order."
"Please wind me up at once," said the dancing bear, in a complaining tone; "I"ve been run down for three hours."
"Ver--sor--, but can"t help," remarked Mr. Left Split, cheerfully, meaning that he was very sorry. He placed the key in a small hole at the back of the bear"s neck and wound it up tightly.
As soon as he withdrew the key the bear began to move its head by slow jerks from side to side, and to rest first upon one leg and then upon the other, as if it were dancing.
"That"s better," it said, in a more pleasant voice; "I ought to run now until sundown."
Just then the Queen exclaimed: "Here comes Mr. Right Split," and the children looked up and saw the other half of the split man coming out of the forest a short distance away. He also had a key in his hand, but when he saw the Queen and her companions he came hopping toward them, saying in his jerky voice "--Ning,--jesty!--Come our--ley." By which he meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty! Welcome to our Valley." But being the right half of the man he spoke on the right half of each word.
As soon as he came up, however, there was an end of this mode of speech, for the right half of Mr. Split placed his flat side close to the left half"s flat side and then with both hands he hooked the two halves together with little bra.s.s hooks. Then Mr. Split looked more like a complete man, although the left side was dressed in a bright red suit while the right side wore white, so it was easy to see where he was joined together.
When he had fastened himself securely, which he did with great rapidity, the man spoke, saying, "Your Majesty has found us as busy as ever. The fact is, these animals and cars and merry-go-rounds run down very quickly, and they require so much attention that this is the first time we have been hooked together since early this morning.
It is the same every day, but I try to do my duty, and you will find this Valley in good condition and everything properly cared for."
"I am sure of that, Mr. Split," answered the Queen.
Dot and Tot had been so astonished at all this that they had stood perfectly still, and noticing this Mr. Split came toward them with his key raised and said, briskly:
"Where are your key holes my dears? You must have run down."
"Oh, no!" cried Dot, shrinking back; "We"re--we"re alive!"
"Oh, that is different," returned the man, with a laugh. "I"m glad you are not to be wound up, for I am so busy now that there ought to be three or four of me instead of two."
"You"re funny," remarked Tot, who had been staring at Mr. Split.
"Thank you, sir," replied the man, bowing politely.
"What are you made of?" asked the boy, curiously.
"Wood, of course," answered the man. "Wood is the strongest and best material for that purpose. My feet are beech, my arms and legs are limbs of ash, my body is pine and my heart is oak. As for my head, it is mostly chestnut, although my hair is curly maple, my eyes mahogany and my teeth hickory."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"You may notice my voice is very strong," continued the man; "it is made of birch bark."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"And my hands are made of the rubber tree so I can wiggle my fingers easily and turn the keys to wind the machinery."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"If you had not told us this," remarked Dot, shyly, "we should have thought you were made entirely of witch hazel."
The Queen laughed at this, and said: "Now, Mr. Split, if you will kindly gather some fruit and nuts from the forest for our supper we will ride on the merry-go-round until you return."
The man bowed and at once ran into the forest on his errand, while Dot and Tot followed the Queen toward the merry-go-round.
CHAPTER 17 The Animals That Wound Up
When they came to the railway track they were careful not to get run into by the rushing tin train. They waited until the cars had pa.s.sed the spot where they stood and then quickly ran across the track before the engine came around again.
The merry-go-round was turning smoothly, and the saddled animals galloped along in an inviting way, while the barrel-organ played some very loud and frisky circus tunes.
"It"s almost like a side show!" cried Dot enthusiastically, as she seated herself upon a camel. Tot bestrode a dapple-gray horse, and the Queen sat upon a lion and took hold of its mane to steady herself.
They whirled around in a very pleasant and exhilarating manner for some time, and Dot was laughing and enjoying herself immensely when she happened to notice a number of big teardrops rolling down the cheeks of the tiger that was galloping just in front of her.
"I--I think it"s--it"s--real mean of you," whimpered the tiger with sobs in his voice, "for you to ride on that humpbacked animal all the time, and--and neglect a roy--royal Bengal tiger!"
"Oh, I shall be glad to make a change," she cried, and leaping off the camel"s back she sprang upon the tiger, who thereupon dried his tears and smiled in a most delightful manner.
"We seldom have visitors in this Valley," he said, after he had wiped his eyes with a handkerchief that was sticking in his bridle, "so most of the time there is no one to ride us. I don"t see the good of a merry-go-round if it isn"t used."
The Queen now noticed some of the other animals looking discontented, so she and Tot changed seats also, and by the time Mr. Split came to call them to supper they had ridden all the animals in turn, and the keeper noticed that his merry-go-round was bathed in one whirling smile of gladness and content.
"It is good for my animals to have visitors," he said, happily, "it cheers them up."
Mr. Split had spread a white cloth upon the gra.s.s close to one edge of the forest, and Dot and Tot and the Queen sat around this and ate of the delicious fruit the queer man had gathered. There were melons, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, strawberries, and pears and all were ripe and exquisitely flavored.
By the time they finished their meal it had become twilight, and the Queen declared it would soon be dark.
"I wonder where we can sleep," said Tot. But Dot looked around and saw that Mr. Split was fastening three big hammocks between the trees at the edge of the forest. These hammocks were lined with soft, silken cushions and looked very pleasant and cozy to the sleepy children.
The Queen and Dot and Tot each climbed into one of the hammocks and were covered over with silk-quilted comfortables, after which Mr.
Split turned a key at the end of each hammock and set them moving gently to and fro like the rocking of a cradle.
Before she went to sleep Dot looked over the edge of her hammock and saw that the merry-go-round and the tin train were now motionless, while all the animals seemed to have run down and were standing quite still waiting for morning, when Mr. Split would come and wind them up again.
The little girl was awakened next morning by a sharp clicking sound near by, and opening her eyes she saw a tin monkey running up and down a string fastened to a branch of the tree.
"Dear me!" she said, looking at him intently; "are you wound up so early in the morning?"
"Yes, indeed," replied the monkey, still busily climbing his string; "Mr. Split was here some time ago. I suppose nearly everyone in the Valley must be going by this time."