CHAPTER V

THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK

As the Vagabond ceased speaking, a murmur passed completely around the party, and it was easily seen that the children were delighted with the story so far as it had gone.

Three of the boys arose, and bidding their near-by companions hold their places in the charmed circle, dashed away to the well for water. The rest of the children closed in about the now smiling wanderer and sat silently gazing upon him, thinking, no doubt, how fortunate they were in having given him a drink of water when he first paused in the roadway.

By this time they were almost willing to give him the well itself if he desired it.

The three boys hastened back with the water, and the Vagabond, having passed it around to the children, dampened his brow with the remainder, and wiping it dry on his coat sleeve, waited for the boys to be seated.

A robin came from far across the field and lighted in the top of the tree under which they were seated, as if it, too, wanted to hear a part of the story. Turning his eye for a second upon the red-breasted songster, the Vagabond continued his tale.

"A little time soon passes away like the song of that robin above us; and it was not long before the Red Bird returned with a noisy flutter of its crimson wings, while the clang of deep-toned bells sounded within the cavern. As the great stone door moved slowly into place, 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children stepped from the mouth of the cave with a merry bound into the sunlight.

"Before them lay a broad, beautiful, green valley, that, at a first glance, seemed to be shut in by tall mountains on all sides; while in the centre of a blue-grass lawn rose a village of tiny play-houses, each as perfectly and as carefully built as the home of some boasted citizen of wealth and fame.

"Each house was ornamented with a vine-covered porch and green window shutters, while through the open windows and doorways floated a balmy, midsummer atmosphere, laden with mingled perfume of wild honeysuckle, orange blossoms and roses,—so charming that I, a poor vagabond, am at a loss for suitable words to describe it.

"The village itself was laid out in wide, well-paved streets with a great public square in the centre, where arose a most beautiful building of white marble, ornamented here and there with figures of doll babies carved from the solid stone.

"The streets stretched away from the public square in every direction for considerably more than a mile and so charmed and bewildered were the children by this unexpected sight that, for a long time, they stood looking at it, fairly trembling with delight.

"From the side of a cliff that formed part of a mountain near where they were standing, a great rock projected far over their heads like a rugged shelf, to which a winding staircase of pure onyx gave easy access. A golden throne stood far out on this rocky shelf from which all parts of the village, as well as of the valley, could be seen with a sweeping glance.

"Before the children had time to make any inquiry, 'Aunt Twaddles' took them by their hands and led them up this glistening stairway to the golden throne, where they stood looking about over the wonderful surroundings.

"'Make yourselves at home,' said 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she sank back with a sigh of relief into a golden chair; but when little Maud turned to thank her politely, she found her little heart so full of gratitude and joy she was unable to speak a single word.

"Down in the village of tiny play-houses, bright, happy-faced dolls were playing upon the clean streets and out on the lawn of the public square; while hundreds of dolls were streaming in and out of the beautiful building around which lay the miniature village.

"They were laughing and talking, chatting and romping, until the air fairly echoed with the sound of their merry voices. Many, separated from the rest in groups, were playing all sorts of games; and so firmly were the bright eyes of the children riveted upon the gamboling, playful beauties that nothing seemed able to draw their attention away.

"Over the village hung an unclouded arch of bright, blue sky, while scattered everywhere on the green lay toys and playthings of every known kind that might either amuse or instruct the doll babies.

"Some dolls were busily engaged in running toy steam engines. Others were spinning their tops on the streets of the village. Still others were sending up crimson and yellow and blue balloons and watching them pass out of sight or burst in mid-air.

"Off in a vacant place a number of boy dolls were flying their kites, and others were playing baseball and tennis; while marbles in millions lay scattered all over the ground. Little Arthur, eyeing them enviously, turned to his sister and said:

"'Mercy! Wouldn't I like to have some of those beautiful toys down in Harpers Ferry.'

"Maud's only reply to her delighted brother was a long-drawn sigh, on the very breath of which she exclaimed:

"'Oh, Arthur! Look at the beautiful dolls!'

"For a long time the children watched the dolls as they romped upon the clean streets and green playgrounds. Finally, little Maud looked up at 'Aunt Twaddles' and inquired with a serious air and softened voice:

"'Aunt Twaddles, is this Heaven?'

"A sudden smile spread over 'Aunt Twaddles'' big fat face. Leaning forward toward the edge of the golden throne, she placed her head between the two children, and pointing to the village with a clumsy, awkward hand, she said:

"'This beautiful spot, my dear children, is the Village of Hide and Seek. You might truthfully call it a heaven for the dolls, for they never have any trouble or sorrow here.'

"Little Maud breathed a deep sigh as she turned again to her friend and exclaimed in breathless surprise:

"'The Village of Hide and Seek! What a beautiful place! And I never heard of it before!'

"She sank into silence when she saw a little doll bowing very politely, as it introduced one little doll to another whom they happened to meet on a side street of the village.

"The question asked by his little sister and so beautifully answered by 'Aunt Twaddles,' paved the way for Arthur to ask some questions himself. Turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he said:

"'Aunt Twaddles, what is that beautiful white building with the tower of gold standing in the very centre of the public square? See! The dolls are hurrying to it from every direction!'

"When the boy had finished speaking, 'Aunt Twaddles' took one sweeping glance over the village and replied:

"'That fine building, my darlings, is the Temple of Music. When the clock in its tower strikes twelve all the dolls will come out of the Temple, and, gathering on the green about the band stand, they will all begin to sing.'

"Arthur and Maud glanced away toward the clock that stood just beneath the golden dome in the tower of the Temple of Music. It was five minutes to the hour; yet the dolls were forsaking their playthings all over the village and rapidly hastening to the Temple. In a moment more the streets of the village were deserted.

"There lay their thousands of fine toys with no one to molest them. There stood their play-houses with wide-open windows and doors and no one to touch the fine furniture within; while beyond lay the broad, green, but now idle playground.

"The hands of the clock in the tower closed slowly, one upon the other, as if in loving embrace.

"One, two, three, came the sound of the chime in the belfry, and thus it continued until the last stroke of twelve, when, from the wide-open doors of the Temple of Music, the dolls filed out into the public square and formed themselves in circling rows around the band stand.

"In glittering raiment of silver and gold lace, the Doll-Baby Brass-Band of fully five hundred pieces appeared on the scene and took its place in the band stand.

"A marshall, or music master, climbed to his place on a pedestal.

"There was a loud tap of his gold baton and the instruments went up to the lips of the happy-faced players. Then came a firm wave of command; and one grand, wild burst of sweet melody fell upon the ears of the delighted children, so overcome by the sight and sound they had to lean upon the side of the golden throne, as all the dolls in the village thus began to sing:

"'Oh come to the Village of Hide and Seek, For Little Boy Blue, and Little Bo-Peep, With Hi-Diddle-Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle, Are coming to visit us soon. Old Mother Goose will be sweeping the sky, And poor Simple Simon will bring us a pie; While Little Jack Horner will milk on the corner The Cow that Jumped over the Moon.

_Chorus._

"'We are glad that you came, so please tell us your name And join us a while in our favorite game. You should dwell in the Village of Hide and Seek, For it's Saturday here every Day in the week,— It is Saturday, Saturday all of the week.

"'Now Jack from his Bean Stalk will jump to the ground. The Black Birds will leave the King's pie with a bound. While Old Mother Hubbard will open her cupboard And search it again for a bone. The Dish will come back with the Spoon that it stole, And Dickery Dock bring the mouse from its hole, While we will go hunting for Bye Baby Bunting, And bring her poor Daddy back home.

_Chorus._

"'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.'

"She touched a small pearl button inlaid in the arm of her golden chair, and all at once a gentle breeze swept down the valley, rustling the leaves and tilting the tops of the trees that stood in its way. Slowly the great sign turned upon its centre with a loud, squeaking sound.

"Again 'Aunt Twaddles' touched the pearl button. The breeze ceased blowing; the leaves became silent. Both Arthur and Maud nearly fainted; for now before their very eyes they read in large letters of pure, burnished gold.

"'WORK SHOPS AND FACTORIES OF SANTA CLAUS. Established A. D. 1.'

"No wonder that piles of seasoned lumber towered sky high! No wonder great sheds filled with silk lined the bank of the stream!

"There, surely enough, were his reindeer feeding far off in the snow-fields; and as the ever good-natured Santa Claus himself appeared on the roof of his factory and waved them a hearty welcome, the children, awed by the sight of this great man, sank into the stout arms of 'Aunt Twaddles' in a spasm of silent joy.

"'Well!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' after a time. 'I am so glad you saw Santa, for he seldom allows even the dolls to see him except about Christmas time; and now if you will be patient for a moment, we shall see what this button will bring forth.'

"She touched a blue button inlaid among many in the arm of her golden chair.

"Instantly, far off in the mountain, the children heard singing. Not the sweet singing of childish voices that had come from the multitude of dolls in the village, but a wild, musical chant that seemed to set the very air in motion and to waken a thrill in their hearts such as they had never known before.

"Closer and closer it came until the merry voices could be heard quite plainly. Nearer and nearer, until the words fell upon their delighted ears, as if spoken by someone upon the very throne at their side.

"All the dolls came pouring out of the Temple of Music through every door of the building, and forming themselves into line behind a soldierly looking little leader, they separated into companies and regiments and commenced a marching drill, as thus the voices sang:

"'The Ice Cream is so delicious, And the Cake so soft and fine. Come on, Brownies, bring the dishes, And Doll Babies fall in line; Tell the boy dolls and the ladies To give every tot a spoon, And put bibs upon the babies, For we're coming with it soon.

'Down the hill, down the hill, Not at all like Jack and Jill, For the cream we never spill, While our voices loud and shrill Echo back from hill to hill.'

"Louder and louder came the chant from the mountain; when lo! as they gazed in the direction of the music, they were surprised to behold dwarf after dwarf marching down the mountain-side, each singing with all his might.

"At some distance behind them, scurrying helter skelter and pell mell, were a group of acrobatic brownies, turning somersaults and handsprings, flip flaps and cart wheels. Some were sliding down the steep on one ear, while others paused for a moment to stand straight up in the air on the tips of their noses. Some were walking along on their hands; but all moved with merry, joyous shout onward toward the village, juggling their dishes in the air as they came.

"The voices of the singers were in perfect unison, from the little pot-bellied brownie in the rear, who sang bass, to the flat-faced pygmy in the centre, whose high tenor notes echoed and re-echoed among the surrounding mountains. Thus gaily they came onward, while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children stood watching them from the throne.

"Down in the Village of Hide and Seek all now was silent. The Doll-General had scattered his forces and marched them away in a quiet, orderly manner to long tables methodically grouped on the lawn. All the dolls seemed to be listening to the sweet music.

"Louder and louder came the song from the band of musical midgets. As they drew nearer, Arthur and Maud noticed that each dwarf carried a large tray before him and that the trays were loaded with good things to eat, piled so high that a strong wide strap encircled the neck of each dwarf and helped support the tray at its sides.

"Down the line the army of tumbling pygmies came whirling along, each bearing a tower of snow-white china dishes; and, strange as it may seem, not a dish was broken in the rocky journey.

"The dwarfs were not long in spreading their fine feast before the dolls. They had scarcely begun to pass around the cake when two sturdy-looking dwarfs staggered up the onyx steps of the throne, bearing two heavily laden trays.

"They were followed by four funny-faced little brownies who spread a table before the children, and, winking and blinking and smiling, went merrily about their work.

"When the table was all prepared, the dwarfs placed before each of the children a big turkey-dish piled two feet high with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream. The four brownies then stepped between them and sat down a wash tub filled with rich chocolate layer cake. Then, with a wild shout of hilarious joy, they slid head first down the golden balustrade and landed upon the grass, turning somersault after somersault as they rolled along on the velvety lawn.

"And such ice cream it was! You could fairly see the rich, yellow cream oozing out of it. Little Maud declared, as she looked at her brother with a delighted smile, that it surely must have been sweetened with honey.

"'My!' she exclaimed, as she tasted it again and again, 'What glorious cream! I could die eating it, but we must save some to take home.' And she tasted it again, with a loud smack of her pretty lips.

"'Aunt Twaddles' leaned far back in her golden chair and, seeming to have overheard little Maud, she straightened up as she exclaimed:

"'Eat plenty of it, my darling! Eat plenty of it! For I have a whole valley full lying over between the mountains.'

"Instantly the children, startled at the very thought, looked up from their delightful repast.

"'A whole valley full!' exclaimed Arthur, but he could say no more, for he had to stop eating to think about it.

"He picked up a piece of cake and tasted it.

"'Oh, Maud,' he cried, 'try some quick! Just try some! This is the grandest cake you ever ate.' And as the children were feasting upon the cake, Arthur added in a half-whisper, glancing down at the wash tub piled full:

"'But we must not eat it all, Maud, we must save some to take home.'

"'Eat plenty, my darlings, eat plenty!' came from the lips of 'Aunt Twaddles.' 'I have a tall mountain of it standing just across the valley before you.'

"The excited children again looked up from their feast and there, sure enough, just across the green valley and standing directly in front of them, towered a tall golden-colored mountain, that reached almost to the sky.

"And to think that it was all cake!

"The children were so surprised they could make no reply. Between every mouthful they raised their sparkling eyes to look at Cake Mountain; and, as there seemed to be no need of saving any of the cake or ice cream, they started in to do full justice to their repast, for they were truly hungry after the long journey from Harpers Ferry to the village of Hide and Seek.

"And now while little Arthur and Maud are enjoying themselves, and swallowing great spoonfuls of delicious ice cream, we will pause in the story for a moment while some of you swallow another drink of that nice cool water, if the boys will kindly bring it to us from the well."