But how he came to this lonely
place, and got into that old well, is surely a
mystery."
"If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us,"
suggested Betsy. "Here's the key, hanging to a
hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind up
first?"
"His thoughts, of course," said Polychrome,
"for it requires thought to speak or move
intelligently."
So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and
at once little flashes of light began to show in
the top of his head, which was proof that he had
begun to think.
"Now, then," said Shaggy, "wind up his
phonograph."
"What's that?" she asked.
"Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may
be interesting, but they don't tell us anything."
So Betsy wound the copper man under his right
arm, and then from the interior of his copper body
came in jerky tones the words: "Ma-ny thanks!"
"Hurrah!" cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped
Tik-Tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that
the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the
ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled
him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying:
"Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!" until they
had again raised him and balanced him upon his
feet, when he added politely: "Ma-ny thanks!"
"He won't be self-supporting until we wind
up his action," remarked Shaggy; so Betsy
wound it, as tight as she could--for the key
turned rather hard--and then Tik-Tok lifted his
feet, marched around in a circle and ended by
stopping before the group and making them all
a low bow.
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