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“But what can be done in ten minutes?” asked the Rag Doll.

“I can do a funny trick for you,” said the Clown. “I have not yet done my share towards the night’s fun, so I will do my trick now.”

“Are you going to tell a joke or ask a riddle?” inquired the Candy Rabbit. “If you are, I wish you’d tell that one about what makes more noise than a pig under a gate.”

“No, I am going to do a funny trick. Do you see that string there!” he asked the other toys, pointing upward.

“Do you mean the one hanging near the gas jet?” asked the Box Jack.

“Yes,” answered the Clown. “Well, I am going to climb that string and hang by my toes.”

He quickly walked over to a long string that hung down from the ceiling. At Christmas time it had held some wreaths of holly, but now nothing was fast to it.

“Up I go!” cried the Clown.

It was hard work for him to climb the string with the cymbals fast on the ends of his arms, but he managed to get up nearly as high as the flaming gas jet which lighted the store at night, so the watchman could see his way around.

“That’s high enough–don’t go up any farther!” cried the Bold Tin Soldier.

“Yes, I am high enough now,” said the Clown. “Watch me hang by my toes!”

He began turning over as he clung to the string, and, as he did so, he began to sway to and fro, like the pendulum of a clock.

“Look out! Look out for the blazing gas light! You’ll be burned!” suddenly called the Rag Doll.

And as she spoke, the Clown on the dangling string came too near the gas flame. His baggy trousers, one leg red and the other yellow, began to smoke.

“Oh, the Calico Clown is burning! He will catch fire!” cried the Candy Babbit. “Will no one save him?”

“Yes, I’ll save the Calico Clown!” cried the Bold Tin Soldier, and he drew his shining sword. “I will save him!”

CHAPTER III

BOUGHT BY A BOY

The toys were very much excited when they saw the Calico Clown beginning to burn, because he had swung too near the gas jet.

“Oh, I can’t bear to look at him!” cried the Rag Doll, covering her eyes with her hands.

“He’ll be all right! The Bold Tin Soldier is going to save him,” said the Monkey on a Stick.

“But how can he?” asked the Jumping Jack.” How can the Captain get up there and save our Clown? The string will not hold two!”

And, indeed, the Bold Tin Soldier himself was beginning to wonder how he could save his toy friend. He could not scramble up the string, as the Clown had done, and, if he did, the Bold Captain might catch fire himself.

Of course a tin soldier will not burn as quickly as a Clown with a suit of cloth, but the gas flame was very hot and dangerous.

“Come down! Come down!” cried the Rag Doll. “Come down, Mr. Calico Clown!”

And that, you would have thought, would have been the easiest way for the comical chap to save himself–just to slide down the string to the counter. But something had happened.

“I can’t get down!” the Clown exclaimed. “The string is twisted around my leg and caught on one of my cymbals! I can’t get loose to come down!” And that is what had happened.

“But still I will save him!” cried the Bold Tin Soldier. He looked around the toy counter and saw a sofa cushion that belonged to a large doll’s parlor set. “Quick!” shouted the Captain. “Put that cushion right under the Clown who is dangling by the string. Then when he falls he will not hurt himself. Over with the cushion!”

“But he can’t fall!” said the Jack in the Box. “He’s all tangled up in the string. He can’t get loose!”

“I’ll get him loose!” declared the Captain. “Some of you shove that soft cushion over under our Clown!”