after walking a little way, she came in
sight again of the bank covered with rocking-chairs, and running up, she
hurried through the little door into the toy-shop.

Everything was just as she had left it, and the stream was running
merrily under the castle bridge; but just as she was going by, the
bridge itself began hitching up in the middle and pawing, as it were, at
the banks of the stream in such an extraordinary manner that she stopped
to see what was going to happen.

"It's sure to be something wonderous," she said to herself, as she stood
watching it, and she was quite right about this, for the bridge
presently turned into a remarkably spirited rocking-horse (dappled, with
black spots scattered about), and after rocking back and forth once or
twice, as if to be sure it really _was_ a horse, settled down perfectly
still as if it never expected to be anything else. In fact, with the
exception of a large fly, about as big as one of Dorothy's feet, that
was buzzing about, everything in the window was now perfectly quiet, and
drawing a long breath of relief, she walked away through the shop.

[Illustration: "AND FOUND THE CARAVAN SITTING IN A ROW ON A LITTLE BENCH
AT THE DOOR."]

As she walked along on the shelf, she presently came to the grocer's
shop and found the Caravan sitting in a row on a little bench at the
door. The Admiral had the Camel in his lap, and they were all gazing at
it with an air of extreme solicitude. It was a frowsy little thing with
lumpy legs that hung down in a dangling way from the Admiral's knees,
and Sir Walter was busily employed trying to make it drink something out
of a bottle.

"What are you giving him?" inquired Dorothy, curiously.

"Glue," said the Admiral, promptly. "He needs stiffening up, you see."

"Goodness gracious, what an awful dose!" said Dorothy, with a shudder.

"_That_ doesn't make any difference so long as he won't take it," said
Sir Walter; and here he flew into a tremendous passion, and began
beating the Camel about the head so furiously with the bottle that
Dorothy cried out, "Here--stop that instantly!"

"_He_ doesn't mind it no more than if he was a bolster," put in the
Highlander. "Set him up again and let's see him fall down," he added,
rubbing his hands together with a relish.

"Indeed, you'll do nothing of the sort," exclaimed Dorothy, with great
indignation; and, snatching the Camel from the Admiral's lap, she
carried him into the grocer's shop and