The dolls had remained outside the palace gates until now; but as Dot looked anxiously toward them, the gate flew open and one of the rebellious creatures ran up the path to where the children stood. She was dressed in a rather fussy way, and had big black eyes that stared straight at one. Her hair was tangled and matted, and she had lost one shoe and worn a great hole in her stocking, through which her toes peeped out. "What do you want?" asked Dot, as this doll came near. "We want our dinner, of course," answered the doll, saucily. "But I didn't know dolls could eat," said the girl. "Well we do, and now we want to be fed. Do you think it is right and proper to keep us awake all day and then refuse to give us any dinner?" "What do you eat?" enquired Dot. "What could a doll eat but sawdust? Nearly all of us have danced more or less sawdust out of our bodies, and now we want them filled up again," continued the doll. "But I have no sawdust, nor do I know where to get it," answered the child. "The Queen has a house full of it in the village. Give us the key and we will help ourselves," said the doll. "The Queen must have taken the key with her," returned Dot, helplessly; "I know nothing about it." "Then we shall break down the door," declared the doll, and stamping her feet with anger she rushed back to her companions. When they learned that the Queen had carried away the key to the sawdust house the dolls became much excited and ran off with loud shouts to tear down the door of the house. Dot was both vexed and worried, for Twinkle declared the Queen would be much provoked if her pretty house was battered and broken. "Let's call out the army," exclaimed Tot, suddenly. "That's a good idea, Tot," said the girl, and at once sent Scollops to order the pewter soldiers to march into the village and preserve order. But the rag boy soon returned with the news that the soldiers refused to obey. "They are not used to fighting," explained Scollops, "and they fear the dolls will treat them as they did the pewter band. Besides, they declare the Queen detests fighting, and would blame them for interfering with the people of the village." "The soldiers are toys and the people are dolls," added Twinkle; "so they sympathize with each other." "They didn't seem to sympathize with the band," said Dot. "No, but the band had no right to play classical music in public." "Perhaps you are right," said Dot, thoughtfully. She saw now that she must let the naughty dolls have their own way; but she went down the street with Tot and Scollops and watched the crowd break down the door of the house. They took away quantities of the Queen's sawdust and carried it to their homes, where they made it into pies and cakes and feasted merrily upon this queer food.