"'Mary Contrary will pay us a call, And fat Humpty Dumpty will tumble and fall, While poor Jack and Jill, who fell down the hill, Will gambol about on the green. The Old Woman and children that lived in a Shoe, With the Piper and Tom and the Pig, will come too— And bring Mrs. Jack Sprat with a mouth full of fat, And Jack with a mouth full of lean.' _Chorus._ "The singing was over; and, as the last notes died on the air, the children seemed to waken as if from a trance, for their eyes had been riveted upon the singing dolls in one long, unbroken stare. "'Such singing!' cried little Maud, as she turned toward her still dazed brother. "'Such a band!' he exclaimed, merrily clapping his hands as he glanced from his sister to 'Aunt Twaddles;' while down in the Village of Hide and Seek the dolls were filing back into the Temple of Music. "'Look!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she pointed away toward the village. 'The dolls are going back into the Temple to practise and the streets of the village will now be deserted for at least an hour.' "The happy children turned about just in time to see the last of the great army of dolls as they entered the doors of the Temple. All now throughout the village lay quiet and still. "Off in the far end of the valley flowed a golden stream. It was quite wide indeed and its current, as yellow as any gold that was ever made into a finger ring, rippled at a surprisingly rapid rate. "The banks on this side were clear of bushes and nothing grew to hide any of the swift-flowing river from view. On the opposite side, and close to the edge of the tide, arose tall buildings surrounded by huge piles of well-seasoned lumber, from which came a buzzing sound as if this might be a factory of some kind. "Farther down on the edge of the stream stood several long sheds filled with bolts of silk and ribbon, satins and laces in great piles without number; while standing well up in the sky and high over all, as if suspended from the arched heavens above, hung a tall, golden sign with shining letters that glistened in the dazzling sun light. "For a long time the strange sign greatly puzzled the children, for the letters seemed to be put up backward and failed to spell anything in particular; while through the open spaces between them they could just see the outlines of a herd of reindeer feeding afar in a field of spotless snow. "Arthur's inquisitive nature could permit no such puzzle to remain long unsolved, and turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he excitedly asked: "'Aunt Twaddles, what are those tall buildings with the strange sign over them?' "'Aunt Twaddles' looked up with a smile and almost shouted with a merry laugh, 'Strange sign?' But as she glanced in the direction of the golden stream, she burst forth in an astonished, serious tone and said: "'Mercy upon us! The wind has turned the sign completely around.'