The little Japanese girl returned, pulling her father down the road.
The little old man was waving his arms about fiercely and shouting,
"Zaca sakasaka," and before the kite had risen from the ground he had
reached it, and the next moment Kernel Cob, Sweetclover, the Villain
and Jackie Tar were being carried into the toy-shop.
"Did you ever see such luck in all your life?" grumbled Kernel Cob.
"I might have known it was Friday," said Jackie Tar, for sailors are
very superstitious.
"Never mind," said the Villain, "we'll get away another day."
"Oh, let us hope so," said Sweetclover, "for I don't want to be ripped
apart by that bad Japanese."
"Well, that's what the toy-maker will do if you don't escape him,"
said Jackie Tar, and his eyes would have bulged if they had been real
ones instead of just painted.
"Why doesn't he rip you apart?" asked Kernel Cob.
"Because I'm made of wood. I haven't got any stuffings," said Jackie
Tar.
By this time the four had been laid upon the floor, and the Japanese
dolls had started a great clatter of talk. The little girl picked up
Sweetclover and was smoothing out her ruffled dress when the Toy-maker
took up a pair of scissors and grabbed up Kernel Cob, before he could
draw his sword.
But at that moment the Fairies must have heard Sweetclover's prayer,
for I am sure she must have uttered one when her beloved Kernel Cob
was so near to being cut apart.
The door opened, and in walked a man, a woman, and a little girl. And
they were Americans, too, for the first thing Sweetclover heard was
the little girl saying:
"Mother dear, I do so want a dollie."
"Dorothy wants a doll, John," said the little girl's mother.
"Very well," said John, and turning to the Toy-maker said:
"You sell doll?"
"Me sell him very plenty doll," answered the Toy-maker.
"How much for this one?" asked the man, picking up a little Japanese
doll.
But the little girl had seen Kernel Cob in the Toy-maker's hand, and
clapping her hands joyfully said:
"Oh, Dad, may I have this one? I think he's so cunning."
"How much?" asked Dorothy's father.
"Him cost two yen."
"Let's see, that's one dollar."
"All right," and he took Kernel Cob, and gave the money to the
Toy-maker.
Now you may be sure that Sweetclover's heart fell, when she heard
this, and thought of being separated from Kernel Cob, and I am quite
sure that she prayed very hard to the Fairies; for at that moment the
little Japanese girl dropped her, and this caused Dorothy to see what
had fallen, and, when she saw Sweetclover, she ran and picked her up.
"Oh!" she cried with pleasure. "Isn't she lovely. May I have her too?"
"Why, I suppose so," said her father. "If she doesn't cost too much."
[Illustration]
"Him allee same cost like soldier doll," explained the Toy-maker.
"Very well," said Dorothy's father, "we'll take him too," and he gave
the Toy-maker the money.
Sweetclover's heart was beating high with happiness; but suddenly
there came into her mind the thought of leaving the Villain; her good,
thoughtful friend, who had so often consoled her in her troubles, and
her heart fell again. Oh, if she could only talk to little Dorothy and
beg her to take the Villain and Jackie Tar; but this she could not do
so she prayed to the Fairies instead and at once her prayer was heard;
for the Toy-maker, who had a very good business head on his shoulders,
ran to the door as Dorothy and her parents were going out and called
to them:
"Little girl want nice Pirate and Sailor feller? Allee same price like
other doll."
And Dorothy's father, being a very kind father indeed, and just the
right kind of father for every little girl to have, bought them and
Dorothy went down the road with the four dolls under her arms.
And you may be sure that Sweetclover was happy, for they had not only
escaped being ripped apart, but were all together, safe and sound.
And Dorothy and her parents went to their hotel in the city, and
Dorothy played with her new dolls till her mother came to her and
said:
"Dorothy, dear, we must pack our things for we are going to China this
afternoon."
But a great misfortune happened, for when Dorothy's parents arrived in
China they were in a great hurry to leave the dock, where the boat
landed, and Dorothy, who had fallen asleep, forgot her dolls, and left
them on a bench in the waiting room, and before Kernel Cob or Jackie
Tar or the Villain or Sweetclover could catch up to her, she had been
lifted into her mother's arms and had disappeared in the crowd.
[Illustration]