"That's rubbish!" cried Dot, now thoroughly provoked. "You can't obey the orders of your Queen yourself." "Why not?" inquired the soldier, in surprise. "You were ordered to shoot, were you not?" "Certainly." "Well, you can't shoot, for your gun is made of wood. So you cannot obey orders." "But if you had not come here," protested the soldier, "I should have had no occasion to shoot. So it is all your fault." "Perhaps so," replied Dot; "but I mean to open the gate in spite of your orders." She raised the latch and the gate began to swing slowly back upon its hinges; but when it had partly opened, she saw standing before her another wooden soldier, dressed like a Captain, who held in his hand a wooden sword. "Stand back!" cried the Captain. "If you advance another step I will stick my sword into you." Dot looked at the sword and saw that the point of it was really sharp. So she stopped short and said, "Does the Queen of Merryland live here?" "She does," replied the Captain. "Then please let her know that I have come to call upon her," continued Dot. She was a wise little girl, and knew that while she might safely argue with the helpless soldiers, it was far better to be polite to the Captain with the sharp sword. At her request the officer bowed courteously and blew upon a pewter whistle that hung around his neck. In answer to the summons another soldier appeared, who saluted his Captain respectfully. "Go to her Majesty the Queen," commanded the officer, "and tell her there are two strangers at the gate who wish to see her." At once the soldier started upon his mission, and the little wooden Captain turned to Dot and Tot, saying, "You may come within the gate and sit down while you await the commands of our Queen; but if she will not receive you, of course you must go out again." So the children passed through the gateway, which the Captain closed behind them, and sat down upon a small wooden bench built against the wall. Then they began to look around, for now before their eyes was the Fourth Valley of Merryland, the home of the Queen. "Why, it's just like a toy village!" cried Dot, after the first look. It really was something like a toy village. There were several pretty streets, with rows of little houses facing them, and each house was much ornamented and brightly painted. Before the houses were rows of trees which seemed to have been whittled out of wood, for the leaves looked like shavings. These trees were colored a bright emerald green, and each one stood upon a little round platform of its own. The grass also looked like wood shavings, and was dyed the same bright green color as the trees. Dot gazed dreamily at the houses and thought they resembled the big doll's playhouse her papa had once given her for Christmas, and which now was standing in the attic of her city home.