"The good Queen smiled at the bright remark.
"'Come,' she said. 'Don't disturb him.'
"They tip-toed away from the slumberer and continued on down the street.
"They had not gone very far before they saw a little old man approaching in the distance. He was stooped and bent from the weight of a bag that hung about his neck. Every now and again he would thrust his hand inside, then withdraw it and swing it around as if scattering something over the ground.
"'There,' exclaimed the Queen, 'is the Sand Man scattering his sand!'
"The children watched the bent form of the Sand Man busily engaged at his toil in the distance; while the entire army of dolls were lying about on the ground, fast asleep at his feet.
"Both Arthur and Maud wanted to walk over and shake hands with him, but the Queen, knowing how dreadfully sleepy it would make them, turned with a sweet smile as she said:
"'Do both my darlings want to fall asleep right here in Drowsy Town when we have so many things to see?'
"Without a word of protest they started back toward the landing, upon a different street, as the Queen informed them, than the one on which the home of the Sand Man was located.
"'Let us walk slowly and talk,' she said, as she slackened her pace to an easy, ambling gait, 'for we want to see the dolls get safely aboard their boat and start for home.'