Fantasy fiction; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
"Oh, yes," replied Tom, "we have seen lots of our school plays, and
last Christmas Twink and I had important parts in the Christmas
pageant."
"Well, then, you will certainly enjoy yourselves tonight," said the
Queen, smiling happily at the children. "We will work only about an
hour more. Then everything will be in readiness. That will give us
plenty of time to tidy up, dress in our finest, and enjoy the dinner
and the play to the utmost."
The hour passed swiftly. The children apparently were engrossed in the
work going on, on the stage, but actually their thoughts were busy
puzzling over the mystery of what had happened to the Shaggy Man.
"Lady Cue will show you to your rooms, children," announced Queen
Curtain, rising from her throne. The Lords and Ladies were putting away
their tools and sewing. A tall, thin, worried-looking woman, sewing
basket on her arm, stepped down a short flight of stairs from the stage
and smiled rather absent-mindedly at Twink and Tom.
"You will come with me, I think?" she said hesitantly.
Twink and Tom looked at Twiffle, who nodded, and all three followed
the tall lady who was proceeding uncertainly up the aisle.
Outside the theater, Lady Cue led Twiffle and the children up a broad
staircase leading to the second floor of the castle. Here there was a
long corridor, with smaller corridors leading off of it, each with many
doors opening into various suites and rooms. Lady Cue had advanced only
a short distance down the main corridor when she stopped uncertainly
before a door and turned to her charges.
"This is a door," she said, "but do you think it is the right one?"
"I'm sure we wouldn't know, Madame," replied Twiffle. "After all, you
live in this castle and should know all about it."
Lady Cue sighed. "Of course, of course. I forgot for the moment that
you are the strangers. Well, we shall have to do our best to find the
right door."
"Haven't you been in any of these rooms?" asked Tom curiously.
"_In_ them?" asked Lady Cue vaguely. "Oh, I must have since I live
here, you know. Once inside the rooms I am sure I would be able to find
my way with no trouble. But outside them it is most confusing. How is
one to know what is _inside_ when one is _outside_?"
Lady Cue looked at them beseechingly and wandered down the corridor to
another door exactly like the one she had just left. She stared at this
one for several minutes, then boldly opened it a crack and peered in.
"Oh, Goodness! I beg your pardon," she said to someone in the room,
hastily closing the door. "Well," she said, "that's one that isn't the
one. The First Knight of the Realm is in there pressing his breeches
for tonight's performance."
"The First Knight of the Realm presses his own clothes?" asked Twink.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account