Dot and Tot of MerrylandBaum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)
Science
Dot and Tot of Merryland
Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)
Fantasy fiction
"Twinkle," said the Queen, "show this young lady to the musical
chamber and wait upon her as she dresses for dinner." Then, turning
to Dot, she added, "I shall retire to my own room and use my thinking
machine while you are gone, so that I may know what to do with you.
Your coming has completely upset my life, for I never thought to see
strangers in Merryland. But you must not worry. Doubtless, my
thinking machine will show me exactly what to do with you, and in any
event I could not harm two such gentle children as you and Tot."
She nodded smilingly and left the room, while the maid Twinkle led
Dot up the stairs and along the hallway to her room.
The girl thought she had never seen a prettier chamber, although she
had always been daintily cared for by her wealthy parents. The
bedstead was of pure ivory, and the pillows were covered with
creamy-white silk, embroidered with white flowers. The bedspread was of
pure white, too, and over it were thickly sewn many brilliant diamonds,
while the fringe along the edges was made of diamond beads. The
chairs and sofas were covered with white brocaded silks, and the
velvet carpet was scattered with lilies-of-the-valley on a delicate
green groundwork.
In one corner stood a beautiful little dressing table with a big
mirror above it, and through a draped doorway Dot saw a luxurious
little bathroom with a tub of white marble.
"It's a lovely room," said Dot to the maid; "but why did the Queen
call it the musical chamber?"
"Sit down, please," was Twinkle's reply. So Dot seated herself in an
easy chair, and no sooner had she touched the cushions than the
sweetest strains of music fell upon her ears. She listened to it
delightedly until the piece was finished, when Twinkle raised her to
her feet.
"The music will play as long as you sit there," she said. "Try the
sofa."
Then Dot sat upon one of the sofas, and heard the strains of a
military band, seemingly far away, but sounding sweetly and
distinctly, nevertheless.
Twinkle now led her to the bath-room that she might bathe her face
and hands, and when the water fell into the basin it played an
inspiring waltz tune. The brushes which the maid passed through Dot's
hair were musical, too, and everything she touched seemed to play to
her the most ravishing strains of melody.
"Now," said Twinkle, "lie down upon the bed a moment."
Dot obeyed, and heard a chorus of sweet, childish voices singing such
dreamy, soothing lullabies that her eyes closed in spite of herself,
and she was almost asleep when Twinkle aroused her and bade her
attend the Queen's banquet.
"The voices will sing you to sleep when bedtime comes," said the
maid; "but now you must have dinner and learn what fate the Queen of
Merryland has in store for you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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