"
"Gracious!" cried Betsy; "it must be Tik-Tok,
and he'll drown."
"Water is a bad thing for his clockworks,
anyway," agreed Shaggy, as with one accord they
all started for the fountain. But before they
could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok
from the marble basin and set him upon his feet
beside it, water dripping from every joint of his
copper body.
"Ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and
then his copper jaws clicked together and he
could say no more. He next made an attempt to
walk but after several awkward trials found he
could not move his joints.
Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen
greeted Tik-Tok's failure, and the new arrivals in
this strange land found it very uncomfortable to
realize that there were many creatures around them
who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.
"Shall I wind him up?" asked Betsy, feeling very
sorry for Tik-Tok.
"I think his machinery is wound; but he needs
oiling," replied Shaggy.
At once an oil-can appeared before him, held
on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand.
Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok's
joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of
warm air was directed against the copper man
which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to
say "Ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his
joints worked fairly well.
"Come!" commanded Tubekins, and turning his back
upon them he walked up the path toward the castle.
"Shall we go?" asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but
just then she received a shove that almost pitched
her forward on her head; so she decided to go.
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