Toy Land
by
Now, when Mary Louise and the little white sailor duck woke up in the land of Nod, they both rubbed their eyes to make sure who stood there dressed in pink pajamas and little starry crown.
It was the little Dream God. In his hand he carried a silver wand, in the handle of which was a little whistle which made a soft sound when he blew upon it.
“Did you have a good sleep?” he asked, and with a laugh, he took off his crown and sat down on the grass. And oh, what a sweet laugh it was. Just like the tinkle of a far-away bell or the ripple of a little brook.
Well, after a little talk, the big Dream Bird came out of his wicker cage and said: “I’m going to take Mary Louise for a ride,” and away he flew, while the little white sailor duck went back to his boat and sailed away, too, over the ocean big and blue.
“Where would you like to go?” asked the Dream Bird. “I’m the bird who brings dreams to people. Dreams of doing great big wonderful things, you know. Not sleepy dreams.”
“Take me to some place that is different from anything I’ve ever seen,” answered Mary Louise.
So the big Dream Bird scratched his head with his foot, but for a long time he couldn’t tell where to go.
Well, anyway, by and by, not so very long, for the big Dream Bird kept flying on as he scratched his head with his foot, they came to Toy Land where all the toys of the world are made by little dwarfs and fairies.
“Now I’ll leave you,” said the big Dream Bird, and he flew away, leaving little Mary Louise in front of a pretty shop full of Little Jack Rabbits, and, would you believe it, there was a toy Puss in Boots, Junior, with red top boots and a hat with a gold feather and a sword. And the workman who made these toys was a funny little dwarf with a green suit and a red cap and a long white beard.
“This is the land of wonderful toys
That are made for good little girls and boys,
Talking dolls and horses that run,
Everything here is made for fun,
But only good little girls and boys
Can have our wonderful, beautiful toys.”
“Heigh ho,” said Mary Louise, “what next, I wonder,” and she looked at a toy regiment of wooden soldiers marching down the street.
Just then an old hand organ began to play,
“Oh, where are the songs of yesterday,
And the songs we used to sing,
When you and I in the days gone by
Danced in the Fairy’s Ring?”
And up ran a little monkey dressed in a red coat and cap. Mary Louise gave him a penny, to hand to the old man who had stopped to set another tune to the organ.
“Over the hills and far away,
I’ve tramped all my life till I am gray,
And now with my organ and monkey clown
I find myself in little Toy Town,”
sang the old organ grinder as he sat down to rest with the little monkey on his lap.
“Are you very tired?” asked Mary Louise.
“Pretty tired,” answered the old man. “All these years I’ve tramped and played, and now I find myself in a town where they make toys for children. But I see no children. Only playthings which I have no use for,” and the old man sighed and patted the monkey and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. And I guess he was very, very tired.
Then Mary Louise slipped away, out of Toy Town where the dwarfs and the fairies made all the toys in little workshops, only they had the shades pulled down so that nobody could see them, for they are queer little people and don’t like to be watched.