A Little Maid in Toyland

by Adah Louise Sutton

Now, the Walking House had been built on generous lines so that the rooms were more airy and the dolls, in consequence, larger than those that inhabit most doll’s houses. Mary, then, was a blond beauty, with the fluffiest of yellow locks, crowned by the most bewitching of shepherdess’ hats, and the most delightful costume of pale pink and white, perfect in every detail from the fluffy paniers of the overdress to the long, slim crook which Bob had carved with his jig-saw and which Mary, unfortunately, could not carry owing to the fact that her china fingers, like those of most dollies, were straight and inflexible. A bit of very fine wire, neatly manipulated, however, produced the desired effect, and indeed Mary felt very little doubt in her own mind as to the fact that all the rest of the dolls were cunningly deceived by it.

So much for Mary. When it came to the lamb, that was quite another thing, for it seemed impossible to find anywhere a lamb of the correct proportions to fit in with those of the charming little Mary. Store after store was ransacked in vain, when suddenly Sally recollected that somewhere in the attic reposed the remains of a Noah’s Ark which she had grown tired of and had put away some time before. To the attic, then, they flew and presently unearthed the Noah’s Ark carefully tied up in brown paper and still in a very fair state of preservation. Out upon the floor pell-mell they emptied the animals, but no bleating or baahing lambkin rewarded their quest. It seemed as if there had been a general demand for mutton and that everything of the sheep variety had been swept from off the face of the earth. Thoroughly disappointed, Auntie Edith sat dropping the animals back into the Ark when suddenly she stopped with a little scream of delight and snapped up a small object that had fallen on the floor and been hidden under her skirt.

Not a lamb, however, as Sally at first supposed, but a goat that might have passed anywhere for a sheep except for its horns. It is very odd what a striking resemblance often exists between the animals of a Noah’s Ark when really there is no relationship between them at all. So it was with this goat. The little curls of wool with which he was covered, his legs and hoofs, his long, meek face, everything except the sharp, curved horns resembled most intimately Mary’s little lamb. And it took about five minutes to transform him into that very animal. Off came his horns, as quick as a wink their little stumps were covered with bits of cotton wool neatly glued in place. A blue ribbon was tied around his neck and finished with a graceful bow, and, lo and behold, the Lamb!

To say that Mary was hugely delighted at this outcome is to put it very mildly indeed. For she had been greatly troubled in mind, fearing that after all she would not be Mary but somebody else that did not require the continued attendance of a lamb. Somebody else, or perhaps nobody in particular! At this mournful conclusion a tear rolled silently down Mary’s china cheek. But now it was all right, and she stood up right bravely on her little, high-heeled shoes, grasping her crook with one hand, while the other rested proudly on the Lamb’s woolly back. A very delightful picture she made, and a very welcome addition to the family of the Walking House she proved to be. But of Mary and her Little Lamb we are destined to hear more hereafter.

Sally was very fond of arranging and re-arranging her doll’s house, and on one particular morning was busily at work, this time at the kitchen that already shone with cleanliness. Sally was squatting on her heels, cleaning out the ice-box, which contained many plates holding delicious looking foods of all descriptions. To be sure, they were only make-believe, but they certainly looked good to Sally, who had not eaten much breakfast and consequently felt hungry. One in particular appealed to her fancy, a delicious looking cake, frosted and ornamented as if for a birthday. Really all it needed was an array of glittering candles to make it perfectly realistic.

Sally mechanically broke off a bit of the frosting and put it between her lips. To her astonishment, it tasted crisp and sweet, with rather a flavor of pineapple, and altogether like the real thing. She broke off another scrap and swallowed it. Another bit and another followed the first and then suddenly Sally began to experience a very queer sensation. She felt as if she were being screwed down and shrinking together like a pair of opera glasses. So quickly did the whole thing happen that before she knew it, she was standing in the kitchen of the Walking House with the black, wooden Dinah gravely regarding her.

“Oh dear! Oh dear! What would have happened if I had eaten the whole cake? And it’s a wonder I didn’t, it was such a little one!” exclaimed Sally.

Just then she happened to look up, and beheld Peter Pan and Bedelia regarding her with terrified glances. A great wave of loneliness swept over the child and she burst into tears. In a moment Peter Pan and Bedelia had each seized a fragment of cake and in less time than it takes me to tell it were rapidly following Sally’s example. In about two minutes they were enjoying the distinction of being the smallest Teddy Bears on record.

Into the kitchen they scrambled after Sally, much to the bewilderment of black Dinah, who had never anywhere seen such creatures as Teddy Bears of that size, and was not at all sure that she liked them, especially when they walked into the house and took possession of her kitchen.