CHAPTER XII. Prince Tot and Princess Dot
So she led the way and they followed her to a beautiful apartment, large and grand, with high ceilings set with precious stones. In the middle of the room stood the Queen's magnificent throne.
Seating herself among the cushions of the throne, her Majesty touched a bell which brought Scollops running in.
"Send to me all the people of my household, as quickly as possible," commanded the Queen of Merryland. "I am about to perform an important ceremony, and they must all witness my act."
Scollops bowed and retired, and the Wax Doll turned to Dot and Tot and remarked, "I've never adopted anyone before so I don't know exactly the form of ceremony I ought to employ; but I shall do the best I can, and that ought to be satisfactory to you."
"Oh, yes," said Dot. "I suppose so."
"Does it hurt?" asked Tot.
"Does what hurt?"
"To be 'dopted."
"I hope not," said the little Queen; "I shall try to be as gentle as possible."
The members of the household now entered the room and the children found there were a good many of them. All were dolls of some sort; but Dot noticed the Queen was the only wax doll in the Valley, so far as she had seen. Among the household servants the cooks were black dolls, the chambermaids were china dolls, and the others seemed mostly made of wood, although there was one elderly doll that was clearly papier-maché. These knelt down in a circle before the Queen and remained in this humble position during the Ceremony of Adoption.
Her Majesty began by making a speech, in which she told how the strangers had been carried by accident into Merryland.
"It was not their fault," she said, "but when I consulted my thinking machine I found I must do one of two things either turn them into dolls by means of my fairy wand, or else adopt them as my children. They seem so much bigger and prettier than dolls that I have decided to adopt them, so I have called all my people in to witness my act."
The servants of the household loudly applauded this speech, and one of the chambermaids clapped her hands so earnestly that she broke off one of her little fingers.
"Dot Freeland," now said the Queen, in a solemn voice, "kneel down upon my footstool."
Dot was a little frightened, for never before had she heard the Queen speak in any voice but a laughing one; but she knelt down obediently, and the Queen placed upon her head a small golden crown with four points, each point being tipped with a flashing gem. Then the Queen said:
The fairy doll placed upon Tot's head a crown almost exactly like the one Dot wore, saying to him in her gentle voice:
Tot shoved the crown to the back of his head, where he usually wore his hat, and seated himself at the Queen's left hand.
The assembled household now cheered loudly and long, and in the midst of the uproar the wooden Captain entered at the head of the pewter band, and the musicians blew upon their instruments so powerfully that the big throne room was filled with music.
All this was decidedly pleasing to Princess Dot and Prince Tot, who felt very proud of themselves and most grateful to the generous Queen.
Scollops and Twinkle now served lavender-colored ices to those present at the Ceremony of Adoption, and the pewter band finished playing and marched away again. Then the Queen took Dot and Tot to the drawing room of the palace, where the children had leisure to thank her and to admire their pretty crowns. The Wax Doll smiled sweetly upon them, and seemed quite as pleased as her adopted children at the success of the ceremony.
Presently Dot asked, "Does no one live in those pretty houses in the village?"
"Yes, Princess," answered her Majesty; "they are full of people."
"But we have seen no one except the dolls who live in this palace," remarked the child.
"That is true," returned the Queen, "for I have been so busy since your arrival that I have not had a chance to awaken them."
"Are they all asleep?" asked Tot.
"Well, not exactly asleep," answered the Queen; "but they are dolls, like all the rest of us in this Valley, and they only move around and talk when I bring them to life by means of my fairy wand. At one time I kept them alive continually, but it was such a bother to manage them all that I changed my plans, and now I let them lie in their houses until I wish to amuse myself with their pranks. I have only to wave my fairy wand three times and blow my magic whistle to arouse the whole village to activity. But then I always have my hands full trying to make them behave properly."