Page:The Princess of Cozytown.pdf/23

 Cozytown folk sat up cautiously and looked about. Everything as usual. "We-ll," quavered the pink rabbit nervously, "this—is—er—very upsetting!" Then noticing that he was sitting upon a wooden soldier he jumped up hastily and ran to help the Princess, who had rolled under the sofa.

"Something must be done!" said the Princess as soon aas [sic] she had caught her breath. "Oh mercy! Somebody pick up Miss Amanda!" Two wooden soldiers ran to her assistance. She was unhurt save for a dent in one cheek, which the knitted gentleman, who had also been picked up, assured her was most becoming.

Now began a serious discussion, and it all ended in the wooden soldiers forming ranks, marching bravely down the stairs and down in the garden. The others watched from the windows, ready to duck at the slightest warning. At first the wooden soldiers could find nothing amiss, then, stretching from one end of the garden to the other, they came upon a a great sunken place.

Yessirree, stretching from one end of the garden to the other—like—well, a lake without any water in it. The wooden soldiers marched round and round it, trying to think how it had come there, and after a while Princess Poppsy and all the others came tiptoeing downstairs, peering with scared eyes in every direction.

"It was a earthquake," said Jack-in-the-box, bending over as far as his springs would let him and touching the edge of the hole. "Nonsense," said the Pink Rabbit. "An earthquake would have knocked down our houses."

"What does your Majesty think of it?" asked the knitted doll gentleman, addressing the Princess. "I don't know what to think," sighed the Princess. "But when I look at it, I get the strangest feeling in my heart." The Princess looked appealingly around at her subjects and two big tears rolled down her cheeks. "Poor lamb!" murmured Dinah, and everyone began trying to cheer her up. Seizing hands, they danced round and round, until she had to smile in