The Missing Prince. Farrow George Edward

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СКАЧАТЬ with little wax vestas stuck in the sand, and the toy trees and rustic bridges looked quite pretty in the light. Three or four Gentlemen dolls were playing a kind of game by the pond, and asked Boy to join them. He found that it was called “Stock Brokers,” and he soon learned how to play it.

      Each had a large sheet of blue paper which was called a “Stock,” and which when torn in half became a “Share.” These pieces of paper were thrown into the air, and the game 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 falling longest won the game. Boy quite enjoyed playing it until one of his “Shares” fell to the ground, and then he was “broke,” as they called it, and so he lost the game.

      A crowd of dolls hurrying back to the Castle next attracted his attention, and, following them inside, he heard it announced that Sergeant One-and-Nine was about to recite. Boy was very glad to hear this, and managed to push forward to where One-and-Nine was standing.

      The Master of Ceremonies was bustling about trying to find every one a seat; and at last, when the room was quite quiet, One-and-Nine began the following poem, which had been composed by himself: —

THE MUS RIDICULOUS AND THE FELIS DOMESTICA

      “A Cat amidst the Burdock leaves

      Sat all disconsolate,

      And sadsomely did wop and wole

      And role against her fate.

      “‘Ah! hollow, hollow,’ wole the Cat,

      ‘Is all Societee,

      And falshish shamiosity

      In all around I see.’

      “‘Oh! why,’ I crew in sympathy,

      ‘Lamentuate like that?

      Pray tell me all your sorrowness’;

      And down I flumply sat.

      “The Cat did then all sobbishly

      Her woesome tale repeat.

      ‘This world is full of mockishness,

      And also of deceit.

      “‘For why? This mom at dawnitude

      A mouse I did espy;

      ‘Twas running whirligigishly

      Beneath my very eye.

      ‘And feeling somewhat breakfastish

      I straightway gave a spring,

      And landed right upon the back

      Of that activeous thing.

      “‘To my surprise it did not squeak,

      And neither did it squeal;

      And as ‘twas rather littleish,

      I ate it at one meal.

      “‘I much regret my hastiness,

      For soon, to my dismay,

      ‘Twas acting most unmouseishly,

      In an eccentric way.

      “‘’Twas what they term a clockwork mouse,

      And governed by a spring;

      Its works behaved revolvingly,

      And hurt like anything.

      “‘Oh! tell me, is life livable

      When things go on like that?

      When clockwork mice and feathered shams

      Impose upon a Cat?’

      “I could not answer her, and so

      I softly snoke away;

      I felt that ‘twould be synicish

      To wish that Cat ‘Good-day.’”

      All the company applauded vigorously at the conclusion of the recitation; and whilst the clapping was still going on a black india-rubber doll rushed in with a very scared face and cried out, “The tide is coming in!” and there was immediately a great commotion throughout the room.

      The company rushed helter-skelter to the gate, where they could see that the tide had indeed risen so high as to cut off all communication with the shore. Mr. Waxxe-Doll was stamping about in fury.

      “See what comes of all this tomfoolery! Parties, indeed! and hiring Sand Castles for a lot of scatterbrains to make idiots of themselves in! Wait till I get safely home again on my shelf, and you don’t catch me giving any more parties, I can tell you.”

      The remainder of the dolls were rushing madly about, wringing their hands and crying that they should all be drowned. One-and-Nine seemed to be the only person able to suggest anything.

      “Here is a plank,” he said, pointing to one which had been left on the sand; “we had better all get on to it, and the tide will carry us back to the shore.”

      The proposal was hailed with delight by the rest, and they all scrambled on to the plank and waited events. The elaborately dressed dolls in silk and satin held up their dainty skirts so that they should not get wet; whilst the Dutch dolls sat in a row on the edge of the plank with their legs dangling over the side.

      Ancient Aunt Sarah threw conventionality to the winds, and lighted up her pipe, at which Mrs. Waxxe-Doll was so shocked that in her agitation she dropped her fan over the side of the plank.

      Boy very politely jumped down to fetch it for her, and as he was stepping back a huge wave came rolling up and carried off the plank with all 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 dolls floated away, One-and-Nine shouted out, “I will meet you again at Zum,” just as they disappeared behind a rock standing out of the sea.

      CHAPTER III. – PROFESSOR CRAB

      GOOD gracious! whatever am I to do now?” thought Boy, for the tide was rising higher and higher every moment, and there seemed to be no possible way of getting back to the shore again. He had just decided to return to Sand Castle and see if he could not find something to make a raft of when he noticed a very large Crab in a white waistcoat and dark blue coat carrying a goldheaded cane in one claw, and walking rapidly towards him.

      As soon as he perceived Boy he exclaimed in a delighted voice, —

      “Why! Bless me, what a charming little human creature! How do you do, my dear sir?”

      Boy, staring at him in great surprise, replied that he was “quite well, thank you,” and was just going to ask the Crab if he could suggest a way back to the shore, when a great wave rolled up unexpectedly and carried Boy and the Crab off their feet, destroying about half of Sand Castle, and washing away most of the toy trees which were in the garden.

      “Very refreshing, sir, isn’t it?” remarked the Crab, smoothing down his coat as the wave receded, leaving them on the wet sand.

      Boy, drenched to the skin, was spluttering and gasping for breath, and could not reply for a moment or two, but at last he managed to say, “I think it is horrid, and I am sure I shall be drowned soon if this sort of thing goes on much longer. Do you know how I can get back to the shore?” he panted.

      “You can’t get back,” said the Crab decidedly.

      “Oh dear me! then I shall certainly be drowned!” cried Boy in alarm.

      “What nonsense!” remarked the Crab. “That’s what all the human creatures СКАЧАТЬ