CHAPTER 16 The Busy Mr. Split
When the boat entered the Sixth Valley of Merryland our voyagers sawbefore them a forest of green trees growing close down to the riverbank. These were so thick that they formed almost a solid wall, andthey had passed halfway through the Valley before they came to asmall opening, or path, running from the water's edge through theforest. To this spot the Queen directed the boat, and soon itgrounded gently against a pebbly beach, and they all stepped out andstood upon the narrow path.
"Isn't there anything but trees here?" asked Tot.
"Yes, indeed, there is a very pleasant country behind the trees,"answered the Wax Doll. "Follow me and I will guide your steps."
So they followed the Queen slowly along the shady path, while overtheir heads the branches met and sheltered them from the rays of theafternoon sun. This was gratefully appreciated by Dot and Tot, forthey had left their hats in the boat and wore only their goldencrowns.
After walking a short distance the Queen stopped suddenly--sosuddenly that Dot nearly ran against her and Tot bumped his nose uponDot's shoulder. Looking ahead to see what was the matter, thechildren found lying across the path a bright green Alligator nearlythree feet long. Its back was scaly and made in short lengths, whichwere jointed together in a peculiar way.
While Dot and Tot were trying to make up their minds whether to beafraid or not, the Alligator turned his head toward the Queen andsaid, gently:
"Step on my middle, please!"
"With pleasure," returned the Queen; and she placed one of her kidslippers upon the middle of the Alligator's back and stepped to theother side of him. As she did so the pressure of her foot made afaint squeak, and the Alligator sighed with delight. Then he turnedhis head to Dot and repeated:
"Step on my middle, please!"
"Why?" asked the girl, hesitating.
"So I can hear my squeak, of course," answered the Alligator. "If noone steps on me I might as well have no squeak at all. It is now someyears since I have listened to the music of my squeak, but each day Ihave crawled into this path as soon as I was wound up, for I knewthat sooner or later someone was sure to walk down the path and treadon me. You look heavier than the Queen, so perhaps I'll squeaklouder."
"Let Tot try it first," said Dot; "I'm afraid I'll break you."
"Oh, don't worry, I've been used so little that I ought to be in goodcondition," said the Alligator. But Tot went first, and gave his foota great push as he stepped on the creature's body.
The squeak was so loud and shrill that the Alligator laughed frompure joy, and cried, "Wasn't that splendid? I believe I have thefinest squeak in the world! The person who made me knew his businessall right."
"Who made you?" asked Dot, with quick interest.
But instead of replying, the Alligator winked his left eye at herthree times and murmured softly, "Step on my middle, please!"
So Dot stepped upon his back, and being heavier than Tot, theAlligator squeaked louder than before.
"Thank you! Thank you very much!" he called, in a happy voice. "Ihave never enjoyed myself so much since I was made."
They walked on and left him smiling contentedly as he lay across thepath, and before many minutes they reached a circular space of flatcountry where no trees grew at all, although the forest surrounded iton every side.
Around the edge of the clearing were wooden barns and stables withtheir fronts wide open, showing stalls and mangers and stabling forall kinds of toy animals. One had a sign over the door reading "FireEngine," and another "Police Patrol." The stables were all about ashigh as Dot's waist, and in some of them were toy animals andstablemen, while others were entirely empty.
In the center of the space was a big merry-go-round, havingthirty-four animals in rows upon its edge, all of which wore prettysaddles and bridles of bright red and blue leather. There were lions,elephants, tigers, deer, camels, horses, donkeys and several otheranimals, all whirling around in pairs, while a barrel-organ playedsweet music. But no one was riding on any of the animals.
Between the merry-go-round and the stables was a narrow, iron railwaytrack, built in a circle, around which was rushing a big tin engine,drawing a gaily painted train of tin cars, filled with tin passengersthat never moved a bit.
The rest of the opening in the forest was filled with groups ofanimals of all sorts, some standing perfectly still, some walkingstiffly about, and others pretending to eat grass, or slowly waggingtheir tails from side to side and nodding their heads up and down.Some were covered with real fur, while others were made of tin orwood and painted in natural colors.
Near the spot where Dot and Tot were standing they noticed a group ofwooden rocking horses talking with their heads together, while theyrocked gently to and fro upon their rockers. Back of them was onethat had broken its rocker and was lying upon its side in quite ahelpless condition.
Almost in front of their path stood a black, woolly dancing bear uponone of its rear legs. It remained perfectly motionless, and the Queenwalked up to it and asked:
"Where is Mr. Split?"
"He is in the forest winding up the panthers and in the police patrolhouse oiling up the wagon, your Majesty," answered the dancing bearin a weak voice. "I've been run down now for over three hours, andexpected at least half of Mr. Split to come long ago and start megoing again; but he seems especially busy this morning."
"Yes, there is a great deal of work for him in the Valley," said theQueen, thoughtfully; "there really should be four of him."
"But he has only two arms when he is hooked together," returned thebear; "so there could not be more than two parts of Mr. Split thatcould hold a key."
"That is true," said the Queen. Then she looked up and exclaimed."Here comes Mr. Left Split now."
Hopping toward them with wonderful speed was the queerest man thechildren had seen in all this queer kingdom. He was not, in fact, acomplete man, but just half of a man, as if he had been cut in twofrom the middle of his head straight downward. This left him one ear,one eye, half of a nose and of a mouth, one arm and one leg. He wasdressed in a bright red suit and carried in his hand a brass key.
"Even--, Your Maj--," he cried out, as he drew near. "Hap--see!"
He meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty, I'm happy to see you,"but there being only half of him he spoke but half of each word.
"Good evening, Mr. Left Split," replied the Queen. "I see you are asbusy as ever."
"Ind--am. Anim--al--get--out ord--." By this he meant to say: "IndeedI am. The animals are always getting out of order."
"Please wind me up at once," said the dancing bear, in a complainingtone; "I've been run down for three hours."
"Ver--sor--, but can't help," remarked Mr. Left Split, cheerfully,meaning that he was very sorry. He placed the key in a small hole atthe back of the bear's neck and wound it up tightly.
As soon as he withdrew the key the bear began to move its head byslow jerks from side to side, and to rest first upon one leg and thenupon the other, as if it were dancing.
"That's better," it said, in a more pleasant voice; "I ought to runnow until sundown."
Just then the Queen exclaimed: "Here comes Mr. Right Split," and thechildren looked up and saw the other half of the split man coming outof the forest a short distance away. He also had a key in his hand,but when he saw the Queen and her companions he came hopping towardthem, saying in his jerky voice "--Ning,--jesty!--Come our--ley." Bywhich he meant to say: "Good evening, your Majesty! Welcome to ourValley." But being the right half of the man he spoke on the righthalf of each word.
As soon as he came up, however, there was an end of this mode ofspeech, for the right half of Mr. Split placed his flat side close tothe left half's flat side and then with both hands he hooked the twohalves together with little brass hooks. Then Mr. Split looked morelike a complete man, although the left side was dressed in a brightred suit while the right side wore white, so it was easy to see wherehe was joined together.
When he had fastened h
imself securely, which he did with greatrapidity, the man spoke, saying, "Your Majesty has found us as busyas ever. The fact is, these animals and cars and merry-go-rounds rundown very quickly, and they require so much attention that this isthe first time we have been hooked together since early this morning.It is the same every day, but I try to do my duty, and you will findthis Valley in good condition and everything properly cared for."
"I am sure of that, Mr. Split," answered the Queen.
Dot and Tot had been so astonished at all this that they had stoodperfectly still, and noticing this Mr. Split came toward them withhis key raised and said, briskly:
"Where are your key holes my dears? You must have run down."
"Oh, no!" cried Dot, shrinking back; "We're--we're alive!"
"Oh, that is different," returned the man, with a laugh. "I'm gladyou are not to be wound up, for I am so busy now that there ought tobe three or four of me instead of two."
"You're funny," remarked Tot, who had been staring at Mr. Split.
"Thank you, sir," replied the man, bowing politely.
"What are you made of?" asked the boy, curiously.
"Wood, of course," answered the man. "Wood is the strongest and bestmaterial for that purpose. My feet are beech, my arms and legs arelimbs of ash, my body is pine and my heart is oak. As for my head, itis mostly chestnut, although my hair is curly maple, my eyes mahoganyand my teeth hickory."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"You may notice my voice is very strong," continued the man; "it ismade of birch bark."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"And my hands are made of the rubber tree so I can wiggle my fingerseasily and turn the keys to wind the machinery."
"Oh!" said Tot.
"If you had not told us this," remarked Dot, shyly, "we should havethought you were made entirely of witch hazel."
The Queen laughed at this, and said: "Now, Mr. Split, if you willkindly gather some fruit and nuts from the forest for our supper wewill ride on the merry-go-round until you return."
The man bowed and at once ran into the forest on his errand, whileDot and Tot followed the Queen toward the merry-go-round.