D. TABLET, ESQ.
IT was surprising enough to find that there was any outside, for Sally
had fully expected to step down between the doll’s house and the wall.
But to find herself on a beautiful country road, flanked on either side
by fields of emerald green that stretched away as far as the eye could
reach, was far more astonishing still.
On either side of this road stood a row of tall, very stiff, very green
trees. They literally _stood_, for they did not grow out of the ground,
but rose out of flat, wooden stands that did not appear more wooden,
however, than their shiny, brown trunks. Green and stiff also were the
leaves that looked more like curled and painted shavings than anything
else. Sally examined them curiously, remembering she had once possessed
a toy farm that had contained just such trees as these. She laid her
hand against the smooth, glistening trunk, wondering if a brisk breeze
would not upset the whole business, and remembering how easily her
own farmyard trees had been overturned. These, however, seemed steady
enough, and Sally started off at a good pace, determined to investigate
the queer country into which she had made so unceremonious an entrance.
As far as she could see, the road stretched ahead of her, glaring white
in the noon sunlight, which seemed almost blinding after the subdued
light of the doll’s house. Only a moment did she pause to hang the
precious golden key upon the string of gold beads that she wore around
her neck. Somehow she felt that that dear talisman, the pledge of love
between her parents, would be to her a safeguard in time of danger. A
sudden fear of losing it assailed her, and she quickly tucked beads and
all inside her dress.
Turning for a farewell look at the Walking House, she beheld Bedelia
sitting demurely on the doorstep. The door she had closed behind her as
she stepped out. Now she jumped up and ran to Sally, who was very much
relieved to find the little bear was quite herself again, and slipped
her hand affectionately inside Bedelia’s arm. And the two proceeded
joyously along the gleaming road.
It was quite warm, for the stiff up-and-down foliage cast little or
no shadow, and there was no breeze stirring. Sally was grateful for
this as she still felt rather doubtful concerning the stability of the
trees. Bedelia, however, expressed it as her opinion that even if one
of them did blow over, she and Sally would be well able to stand it up
again. But then Bedelia had always been very self-confident.
The two companions trotted along together, stopping occasionally to
examine some queer flower or a tree that looked a little different from
the common run. Sally noticed that the flowers were all like those that
ornamented the windows of Dinah’s kitchen—of crimped and fluted paper,
while the little blades of grass appeared to be fashioned from the same
material. The whole thing seemed as if it might prove very monotonous,
at least if it were going to exist for good and all.
[Illustration]
Presently they came to a fine, large field that was fenced in all
around, and Sally could not but notice that the fences were all
wonderfully like those that had belonged to her own farmyard. In the
field were grazing a number of beautiful, placid looking cows and also
a good many sheep and goats. They were all wonderfully familiar in
appearance. Sally could not understand, although she did later on, why
everything she had seen so far suggested either the Noah’s Ark or the
farmyard. Both of them had long since been relegated to the dust-bin,
defaced and broken beyond any kind of usefulness.
And then Sally spied not very far ahead of them a sign post, which,
when they came up to it, exclaimed in a most affable manner, “Five
miles to the Palace!” and gently waved one of its arms toward the cross
road, on the edge of which it stood.
Sally was so much amazed at hearing a sign post speak that for the
moment she failed to notice the absence of any painted directions
upon its arms. However, Bedelia, who was as usual ready for anything,
retorted somewhat pertly, “And where might the road that we are
traveling on lead to?”
To which the Sign Post responded with the same cordial, although
somewhat wooden tone and a most reassuring smile, “Five miles to the
Palace,” whereupon it subsided and stood quite stiff and straight, as
if, perchance, waiting for another question, to which Sally felt quite
certain it would have responded, “Five miles to the Palace!”
As there was nothing to be gained by asking questions that would
obviously receive only the one answer, with a word of thanks the
children proceeded on their journey, wishing it were not quite so far
to the Palace, for they were both beginning to feel tired and as she
had taken no luncheon, Sally was decidedly hungry. Once she looked
back and saw that the Sign Post was gazing after them, still wearing
its affable smile. And the child fancied that she could hear a faint
murmur, “Five miles to the Palace,” while she was quite certain that
the Sign Post waved its arms in a friendly adieu.
[Illustration]
Sally now noticed for the first time that Bedelia was carrying a large
paper bag which bulged out to such an extent that it seemed every
moment as if it would burst. That it was weighty was vouched for by
the fact that Bedelia frequently shifted it from one paw to the other.
Truth to tell, the Teddy Bear, ever mindful of the inner man, had made
a swift raid on the kitchen as she passed out of the house, and had
swept into the paper bag every eatable that she could quickly lay her
paws on. Sally was just on the eve of asking what the bag contained
when suddenly its bottom gave way and there issued forth a perfect rain
of fruit, sandwiches and cakes, besides a bottle of milk and a jar of
pickles. Since the mystery had seen fit to unravel itself, Sally was
only too glad to commend Bedelia’s forethought. Having gathered up the
scattered feast, the two sat gratefully down under the shadiest tree
they could find and proceeded to feed in a most luxurious manner.
Unfortunately for Bedelia, her hunger overcame any remote idea she
might have possessed concerning good manners, and she proceeded to
gobble in so outrageous a fashion that Sally was about to remonstrate
when suddenly the culprit was arrested by the sound of a small,
querulous voice that seemed to come from her innermost being, and which
exclaimed in jerky tones,
“Don’t shovel things down so fast, for goodness’ sake! How do you
expect me to get any work done properly when you work me so fast? Oh,
dear! Oh, dear! I shall never have anything in order!”
Bedelia distinctly felt a queer sensation as if something were hopping
up and down at the very center of her little, round stomach. To say
that she was terrified is putting it very mildly, while Sally was too
astonished to move, even though she had by this time become used to
queer happenings.
“Don’t drink any more milk,” continued the voice in a kind of
exasperated squeak. “Everything down here is in a flood. I can hear
your food splash as it drops in. There isn’t a dry place for the sole
of my foot.”
Although she was scared, Bedelia resolved to preserve a bold front, and
now replied with assumed calmness, “Whoever you are, come out here and
let us see what you are like.” And then she added saucily, “You needn’t
think you can prevent me from eating what I want!”
“What’s that you say? What’s that you say?” squeaked the voice, as if
its owner were in a terrible rage. And the very next moment Bedelia
felt a dreadfully choking sensation, and out of her mouth popped the
queerest little figure that Sally had ever laid eyes upon.
He was not more than half an inch tall and he was pink all over, even
his eyes and his hair and his long, flowing beard—bright pink like
Bedelia’s tongue. And there he stood, glaring at Bedelia as well as he
could, for the bright sunshine made him blink dreadfully, and at the
same time he bowed politely to Sally, whom he evidently regarded with
approval. And Sally bowed gravely in return, although she could hardly
keep from laughing outright at the queer little creature with his
round, flat body, his thin, crooked arms and spindling legs, and above
all his extremely pompous manner.
“In me you behold Tablet—D. Tablet,” he remarked without further
preliminaries.
[Illustration]
He paused a moment, and Sally exclaimed impetuously, “I have heard
of dyspep—” Here she stopped abruptly, afraid she had already given
offense. “Dyspepsia tablet” she had been going to say.
But much to her relief, the little creature nodded affably and
quickly continued, “Children like you, who eat in moderation and show
some breeding while they eat, have no need of my good offices. Only
creatures who stuff like pigs have to be reproved by me.”
There was a slight pause and D. Tablet presently continued, evidently
flattered by the attention of his audience, although he still glared
at Bedelia out of his pink eyes which had now become accustomed to the
sunlight.
“Know, then,” he went on, “that your stomach and everybody’s stomach
is simply a storehouse in which the food is put away on shelves in
pantries and cupboards as fast as it is swallowed. Everybody who comes
into this country has a D. Tablet in his stomach to attend to this
business. He may not know it, but we are there all the same. Therefore
when you pile in fifty different things at once and drown it all with
oceans of liquid, how can we possibly get things in any kind of order?
We don’t, and then you are ill, as _you_ were yesterday.”
Bedelia jumped, so suddenly did D. Tablet wheel around upon her.
“And then when you don’t chew your food, what do you think happens? A
few moments ago you were gobbling exactly like a p-i-g. Do you know
what that spells?”
“Perfectly, independent gentleman! And I don’t care a snap what
happens,” impudently retorted Bedelia.
By this time she had decided that D. Tablet was a great bore, and being
still hungry, was itching to get at her neglected luncheon.
At this D. Tablet turned pinker than ever with rage. His flat little
body seemed to swell up until it was nearly as round as a marble. For
a moment he stood shaking with anger, and then without another word
suddenly vanished, but whither they were not able to see. Whether or no
he had plunged down Bedelia’s throat and once more assumed the endless
task of setting her internal economy to rights, neither Sally nor the
Teddy Bear had time to observe.