United States or Luxembourg ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Howdy, pardner," replied he. "I'd like four tickets. Here is the money. One whole ticket and three half tickets too." The man counted the money and gave him the tickets. Then the Toyman asked: "Did you see a little boy 'bout this high, with a little yeller dog?" The man with the big black moustache and the tall silk hat shook his head. "Sorry I can't oblige you, pardner.
The three happy children noticed that one of the little yellow fellows was larger than the others. He "Ting ting ting ting ting ting ting!" "End that tale to mor row night." So says the Little Clock. He must be obeyed. So good-bye for a little while. In the door of the workshop stood the three happy children, watching the Toyman. It was one of the very nicest places on the whole farm.
Then Father spoke up: "That's so, I most forgot." He looked at the Toyman: "Frank," he said, "I've got to go over to the Miller farm to buy some yearling steers. You'll have to take the youngsters to that circus." The Toyman didn't seem worried about that. He looked just "tickled," "like a boy himself," Mother said.
The Toyman was fast asleep too. Rover and Brownie and Wienerwurst lay curled up in their kennels, with their eyes tight shut. On their poles in their house all the White Wyandottes perched like feathery balls, their heads sunk low on their breasts. On the roof cuddled the pretty pigeons, all pink and grey and white.
He looked way up at the circle of light at the top of the hole and shouted: "Say, Toyman, can I go to China just for a little while?" The Toyman's face appeared in the circle of light at the top. "Sure, sonny, have a good time," he shouted back, and his voice coming way down that hole sounded hollow, as if he were hollering down a well. Marmaduke waved to him.
The Toyman looked around to make sure that the children were well out of harm's way, then he swung once more, one great hefty stroke, and with a great crash the spruce fell and measured its length in the snow. And the Toyman put the axe and the tree too, over his shoulder he certainly was strong, that Toyman and through the woods they tramped back again, and loaded the tree on the sleigh.
It was funny how Mother found time to do all the things she did that day yes, and all the week and month before it. Her hands, Marmaduke said, were like the magic hands in the "Arabian Nights," and he was right. At least the Toyman said, "You can bet your bottom dollar on that, my son."
"Wait an' see." Well, the Toyman had to go to town "tomorrow," which was much sooner than he had expected earlier in the week. And when he came back his pockets chinked right merrily. They were as full of marbles as on his first trip back from town. They were very beautiful, too, but somehow Marmaduke loved the first blue croaker and the bright agate and the little gray mig best of all.
For there, in the Summer, an army had camped, the great army of the corn, with tassels and tall yellow spears, and bright green banners waving and tossing in the wind. But when Fall had come, Father and the Toyman had come, too, with their sickles like swords, to attack and cut down that brave army.
For a long while they watched those clouds, the man and the boy, then Marmaduke said, "I wonder if you see what I see." "What do you see, Sonny?" the Toyman replied. "A great big city look, there it is!" And the little boy pointed straight at the clouds. "Why, to be sure!" exclaimed the Toyman, "there it is, an' it looks mighty pretty. But just what do you make out?"
Word Of The Day