“What are you going to do, Arnold?” asked Mirabell.
“I’m going over to Dick’s house to have some fun,” he answered. “I will let him play with my Soldiers, and he will let me ride on his White Rocking Horse.”
“Oh, then I’m going over and take my Lamb!” exclaimed Mirabell. “I’ll let Dorothy play with her, and maybe she’ll let me take her Sawdust Doll.”
“Come on. We’ll have lots of fun,” said Arnold.
So the children, with their toys, went next door to the house where Dick and Dorothy lived. Mirabell and Arnold found their friends out on the lawn, and Dick had his Rocking Horse while Dorothy was playing with her Sawdust Doll.
“Oh, now we will have some dandy fun!” cried Dick. “Let me see your new Tin Soldiers, Arnold.”
The grass was nice and smooth, and soon the Bold Tin Captain and his men were set up in rows, just as if they were on parade. Dick took half the Tin Soldiers and Arnold the other half, and then the little boys pretended to have a battle, only, of course, no one was hurt.
“May I ride your Rocking Horse?” asked Arnold, presently.
“Of course,” answered Dick. “You take a nice, long ride, while I play with your Soldiers.”
And while this was going on Mirabell and Dorothy played with the Sawdust Doll and the Lamb on Wheels. And how the toys did wish they were alone, so they could talk to one another! Of course the Sawdust Doll and the Rocking Horse, living in the same house, saw each other very often, and at night they could talk and play together. But it had been some time since either of them had seen the Bold Tin Soldier and his men, and the Doll and Horse were very anxious to hear the news from the store.