un-til my ac-tion ran down; and then I
stood still and thought un-til my thoughts ran down. Af-ter that I
re-mem-ber noth-ing un-til you wound me up a-gain."

"It's a very wonderful story," said Dorothy, "and proves that the Land
of Ev is really a fairy land, as I thought it was."

"Of course it is," answered the copper man. "I do not sup-pose such a
per-fect ma-chine as I am could be made in an-y place but a fair-y
land."

"I've never seen one in Kansas," said Dorothy.

"But where did you get the key to un-lock this door?" asked the
clock-work voice.

"I found it on the shore, where it was prob'ly washed up by the waves,"
she answered. "And now, sir, if you don't mind, I'll wind up your
action."

"That will please me ve-ry much," said the machine.

So she wound up Number Three, and at once the copper man in a somewhat
stiff and jerky fashion walked out of the rocky cavern, took off his
copper hat and bowed politely, and then kneeled before Dorothy. Said
he:

"From this time forth I am your o-be-di-ent ser-vant. What-ev-er you
com-mand, that I will do will-ing-ly--if you keep me wound up."

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Tik-tok," he replied. "My for-mer mas-ter gave me that name be-cause
my clock-work al-ways ticks when it is wound up."

"I can hear it now," said the yellow hen.

"So can I," said Dorothy. And then she added, with some anxiety: "You
don't strike, do you?"

"No," answered Tiktok; "and there is no a-larm con-nec-ted with my
ma-chin-er-y. I can tell the time, though, by speak-ing, and as I
nev-er sleep I can wak-en you at an-y hour you wish to get up in the
morn-ing."

"That's nice," said the little girl; "only I never wish to get up in
the morning."

"You can sleep until I lay my egg," said the yellow hen. "Then, when I
cackle, Tiktok will know it is time to waken you."

"Do you lay your egg very early?" asked Dorothy.

"About eight o'clock," said Billina. "And everybody ought to be up by
that time, I'm sure."

5. Dorothy Opens the Dinner Pail

"Now Tiktok," said Dorothy, "the first thing to be done is to find a
way for us to escape from these rocks. The Wheelers are down below,
you know, and threaten to kill us."

"There is no rea-son to be a-fraid of the Wheel-ers," said Tiktok, the
words coming more slowly than before.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Be-cause they are ag-g-g--gr-gr-r-r-"

He gave a sort of gurgle and stopped short, waving his hands
fran