Martha James

“ Poor sick, surfeited children! They followed the giant into the castle and sat at the very table where they had eaten so much.
The table was all piled high with a fresh supply of pastry and the great greedy giant soon devoured everything in sight. The table of goodies made Ray frown, and Dorothy’s head ache. When the greedy monster had eaten everything in sight, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and in a few minutes began to snore. ”

“ No sooner had the little men disappeared than Dorothy heard a great noise, and almost immediately a baby elephant came running up to her. He stared at Dorothy and began crying “boo-ho-o-oo!” in a most heart-rending manner. Dorothy sat on the ground, and tucking her night-dress under her toes, said: “What are you crying for?”
“I’ve lost my mamma,” cried the elephant louder than ever.
“You’re a big baby,” said Dorothy scornfully.
“What do you mean?” roared the elephant in a very angry voice. ”

“ She wore a white cap and blue apron and carried a tiny spoon in her hand.
“You couldn’t eat sweets all the time,” cried the little old woman.
“Just try us,” said Ray. “I think I could.”
“I know I could,” cried Dorothy. “I love tarts, I could live on tarts.”
“And pudding,” said Ray; “I could eat it all day long.”
“So could I,” replied Dorothy; “I wish I had some pudding now.”
“You shall have all the pudding you want,” said the old woman, “if you do as I say. Sit close together; close your eyes and when I say ‘Salt’ open them.” ”

“ She felt so happy that she wanted to sing, but just then the chariot stopped at the entrance to the silver castle and Dorothy jumped out and walked up to the beautiful door.
When she was inside a scene of fairy splendor presented itself to her astonished eyes. Beautiful ladies—each one a Princess—were dancing with brave, handsome men,—each one a Prince,60 and the music was just like sweet bells, all ringing in tune. ”

“ She touched Dorothy lightly on the head with the golden wand and the little girl became her own dear self again. She felt so happy she wanted to jump for very joy. She ran off with some beautiful dolls, her brown curls brushing her smiling face and her eyes sparkling with merriment. Down the beautiful hall she tripped and just as she reached the door that led into a golden room, she looked back. The queen was just in the act of touching the last one of the poor broken dolls. ”

“ Ray pressed the button and lo! every Jack in the long row of boxes bobbed up with a grin and disappeared in the twinkling of an eye. Such a row of grinning faces made the children laugh harder than ever. They walked into another room in the castle and found that it was filled with toys of all sorts and sizes. The smallest thing was a tiny rooster on a monkey’s back, and the largest toy was a great horse with a real saddle. ”

“ Mansur made a low bow and said: “You had better ask them, you will find them in the path.”
“What!” roared the giant, “do you mean to say that my brothers saw you?”
“Indeed they did,” replied Mansur, “as plainly as you do.”
“Then I will kill them first,” said the purple-haired giant. “They have disobeyed me and they must die.”
“In what way have they disobeyed you?” asked the boy.
“No human being,” roared the giant, “must pass through this forest to King Fortune’s country. It was my command; you shall die, but I will first destroy them.” ”

“ Tommy was quiet for a long time, and it was not till bedtime that Ray remembered his existence. When Ray was in bed and his Auntie had said good night, he felt something between the sheets that wiggled around his toes.
“Is that you, Tommy Pebble?” asked Ray, but there was only the sound of laughing and Ray knew that Tommy was up to his old tricks again.
Ray squirmed himself down to the foot of the bed and caught Tommy Pebble.
“I’ve a great mind to throw you out of the window,” said Ray.
“Do,” pleaded Tommy, “I like to be out after dark.” ”

“ In a short time these were all eaten up and another room in the castle explored.
“Suppose we go outside,” cried Dorothy. “I couldn’t eat any more, could you?”
“No,” said Ray; “I don’t feel very well.”
“I don’t either,” said the little girl, and they took each other’s hands and went outside into a garden.
There was a beautiful fountain playing in the sunlight, but the children never noticed it. To tell the truth they had eaten so much that they did not feel happy at all, and could not enjoy the lovely garden.
“I shan’t go another step,” said Ray, with a frown; “I’m going to rest on this bench.” ”

“ I wanted another piece of plum-cake, and when she refused I scuffled my feet and said ‘stingy.’”
“Dear, good, kind Aunt Polly,” said the little man in a wee voice, and then Ray knew who had whispered in his ear in the blue garden.
“Do you like blue roses?” asked the storekeeper.
“No, sir, I do not care for them,” replied Ray.
“Why?” asked the blue man.
“In the first place,” said Ray, “because they have no sweet perfume.”
“Ah!” said the little man, “that is also true of little children, who are rude and sell their good manners. They are like blue roses and have no perfume.” ”

“ Is your queen, your heart’s delight.” Prince Charming smiled and placed the ring carefully in his pocket.
The next morning as he strolled through the castle he caught sight of Princess Vanity in her parlor. The Prince tapped gently and entered, but she was so intently admiring herself in the glass that she never saw the Prince. She was bedecked and beribboned with jewels and laces, and she smirked and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. ”

“ All at once Dorothy came to the end of Doll Avenue and found a pond where toy swans were sailing around. The dearest little doll that Dorothy had ever seen was all alone, throwing pebbles into the pond.
“What is your name, dear?” asked Dorothy, walking up to the doll.
111 “My name is Rosy,” said the doll; and Dorothy exclaimed, “O, you are just lovely, I’d like to take you home with me!”
“I can go with you,” replied Rosy, “if you don’t step on dirt.”
“Good,” cried Dorothy, clapping her hands. “I know what you mean. You must step on stones, if you walk on the earth you’re poisoned. ”

“ While all the world in slumber lies.
“There now,” said Uncle John Philip, “there’s a song about the lady, and some time I’ll tell you the most wonderful fairy story you ever heard.”
“You are the best uncle in the world,” said Dorothy, now smiling and happy.
“Here are your spectacles. I don’t believe they’ll ever make you see dreadful things again.”
277 “Dorothy, child,” said the wise man, “my spectacles were blurred and dim, but they have been washed in the tears of a little child, and henceforth I shall see better.” ”

“ Suddenly a battered, yellow, one-eyed, tailless Tommy got his back up about something and cried like a baby. His granddaughter rebuked him with a gentle scratch. Then there was a rush, and instead of thirty-two cats in a line there were thirty-two cats in a ball. And it wasn’t football either.
There were howls, shrieks, moans, and cat-calls. In the very midst of it all Jock opened his bag.
In the twinkling of an eye the fighting cats dropped into the bag, which shut up tight again, and Jock continued his journey. ”

“ Dorothy May was a dear little girl, whose soft eyes met yours with a twinkle in their brown depths. She was very fond of Cousin Ray, a bright-haired boy all curves and dimples, who lived quite near and often came to play with her. ”

“ The poor crow looked very sad, and Isabelle was quiet for a long time thinking hard. “I am going to try,” she cried all at once. “I shall go to the enchanted castle and see if I can get the crooked staff.”
The crow shook her head saying, “I’m afraid you’ll never find the castle, and even if you did, you could never get the crooked staff.”
“There is nothing like trying, you know,” replied the brave little girl; and the next morning, bright and early, the beautiful Princess Isabelle started out on a long journey to find the old woman’s enchanted castle. ”

“ Then Ray came from behind the plant and stood face to face with the Princess and Yan Lu.
“Won’t you please tell me your name?” asked Ray, and the little Princess replied:
“Why, my friend, I have told it to you twice. My name is Peek-a-Boo.”
“Are you carried in that chair all the time?” asked Ray, and Peek-a-Boo replied:
“Most of the time; you see my feet are so small that I cannot walk very well, they are smaller even than Yan Lu’s.”
“What a pity,” cried Ray; “I hope they will grow bigger.”
“O no, little boy; they are all bandaged up so that they cannot grow!”
37 “It must hurt,” replied Ray. ”

“ There was Toto her toy monkey106 sliding down the banister, while her toy puppy barked with all his might. A toy broom was whacking the stairs at a grinning Jack-in-the-box, who was trying to stand on his head.
“Toto,” cried Dorothy, and she was just going to catch him, when her toy cat flew past chasing the toy mouse.
“Goodness! he must not catch my mouse,” cried Dorothy, and she caught up the toy broom and hurried after the toy cat. The toy puppy and the monkey followed, and the Jack came out of his box and joined in the chase. ”

“ Quick as a flash Jock’s deft fingers attached the chain to the pipes.
261 Queen Discord arose from her throne and began to speak. But horrors! no sooner did she open her mouth than the pipes began to play—and you know what was in that bag. The most awful, horrid, harsh, discordant sounds rent the air and the people fled in terror.
When Queen Discord saw the effect of the pipes, she tried to pull them off. But they were fastened around her neck by a fairy chain and no mortal power could remove them. She hurried from the throne and ran out of the castle, the awful pipes playing all the time. ”

“ Tell thy sad story.”
“Alas!” said the poor doll, who had only one eye, one arm and half a kid leg, “a little girl, who was a most careless mistress, let me fall so often that I was completely undone and my beauty destroyed.”
The doll bowed her head and the queen touched it with her golden wand, saying:—“Arise, my child, and be as perfect as thou should’st,” and immediately the doll, who had looked so badly before, arose whole and beautiful. She bowed low to the queen and left the throne.
Dorothy saw many beautiful dolls, waiting on the other side of the hall. ”

“ One would think that you were all foot-ball players,” she continued. The dolls looked very sorry, all except Jessop. He had a smile on his face. “You needn’t smile, Jessop,” said Dorothy. “As for you, Susan Ida, I’m just going to whip you, because you are such a big doll you ought to know better,” and she shook her finger at her largest dolly. She was just going to take Susan Ida across her knee when she heard the queerest little “squeak, squeak,” right behind her. ”

“ The noise around the castle was almost deafening, and Ray saw two great giants in the castle garden fencing with golden swords. Every time their swords clashed a streak of lightning went through the sky. Ray moved so fast on the enchanted horse, that the thunder castle was soon far behind. Away in the distance Ray could see something that looked like a ball of fire. Suddenly the horse stopped and Ray jumped off, and stood on a cloud hill. Just then he caught sight of a beautiful little girl who was hiding behind a soft white cloud. ”

“ Often he met wild animals and had to fight for his life, and very often wicked people tried to lure him from the right path. Throughout it all Mansur was brave, honest and hopeful; his favorite motto was, “I’ll try,” and in spite of rough places he always succeeded. The purse of gold that his father had given him was empty, and he had to work for his food and sleep on the roadside.
One day as he journeyed on he met an old man, who greeted him pleasantly.
“Will you tell me, good sire, how far it is to King Fortune’s country?” questioned Mansur. ”

“ Once upon a time there was a little brown mouse whose name was Nibble. He built himself a snug house not far from the coal-bin in a nice warm cellar. Every day he attended to his household duties, called at his grocery store (the pantry up-stairs) and then went out for a quiet walk. One day he met Mrs. Ratt, who lived across the street, and he stopped to have a friendly chat with her.
“How do you like your tenants?” asked Mrs. Ratt.
“Very much indeed,” replied Nibble. “They are so exclusive that they won’t even tolerate a cat. ”

“ MY dear little readers, I have told you about dear Aunt Polly, who was so kind to Ray and Dorothy, but I have not said a word about their Uncle John Philip.
Uncle John Philip was a very learned professor. He lived in a great, gloomy house that was filled with queer-looking specimens from all parts of the world. ”

“ They were very much interested in it and Ray had never seen such queer-looking kites before. They were all sorts and sizes, and all at once Peek-a-Boo clapped her hands and cried, “There is my grandfather with his great ship.” Ray looked and saw an old man with a kite shaped like a great ship, and he was running hither and thither with it like a boy. ”

“ Sometimes she hemmed a kerchief, or made a little duster while she was “minding” the chickens, and sometimes she read fairy stories all by herself. Every day she managed to get a few minutes to weed the garden, especially the strawberry patch.
I cannot tell you about all the steps she saved her dear old grandmother. It would take too long. I will merely mention the fact that she could dust as nicely as a tidy housemaid, wipe the dishes so carefully that none got broken and she could gather a basket of chips for her grandma’s fire in the shortest possible time. ”

“ ONE afternoon the face on the Talking Chair smiled at Ray, who was sitting on the floor.
“A story?” whispered the Talking Chair.
“Yes, if you please,” replied Ray, and he sat very still while the Talking Chair began:—
Once upon a time in a distant land there lived two brothers whose names were Mansur and Elrick. When they reached a certain age they wanted to travel and see the world, so they went to their father, who was the king, and asked him if they could go.
“No doubt you would like to reach King Fortune’s country,” said their father. ”

“ He was eating some jam, and imagine his surprise to find that Tommy Pebble had got into the jam and was walking around the roof of his mouth. Ray removed Tommy as quickly and quietly as possible to his pocket and ate the rest of his dinner in silence.
“Now, look here, Tommy,” said Ray after dinner, “don’t you ever get into the jam again, it’s not nice at all.” Tommy began to laugh and shake his fat little body. But he promised to be more careful in the future. After a while Ray thought he would go to the barn, but the minute he started something tickled the sole of his right foot. ”

“ THE bronze woman held a brown jar on her head and stood on a rug in Dorothy’s parlor. One night just before bedtime Dorothy sat on the rug and tried to talk to the bronze woman, but she remained very silent, so after awhile Dorothy said “good night” and went with her nurse to bed. When she was alone, all tucked nicely in her little white bed she felt a draft of cold air blow right in her face and at the same time her window opened. There stood the bronze woman on the window-sill with her brown jar on her head looking at Dorothy. ”