bull-dog had broken her head and shoulders off. But after all the people
were gone away, the stranger, who came with Jean, said that he could soon
set her to rights. And then he brought out his box and rubbed the doll with
some of the salve with which he had cured the old woman when she broke
her leg. As soon as this was done the doll’s back became quite right again;
her head and shoulders were fixed on, and she could even move her limbs
herself: there was now no occasion to pull the wires, for the doll acted just
like a living creature, excepting that she could not speak. The man to whom
the show belonged was quite delighted at having a doll who could dance of
herself without being pulled by the wires; none of the other dolls could do
this.
During the night, when all the people at the inn were gone to bed, some
one was heard to sigh so deeply and painfully, and the sighing continued for
so long a time, that every one got up to see what could be the matter. The
showman went at once to his little theatre and found that it proceeded from
the dolls, who all lay on the floor sighing piteously, and staring with their
glass eyes; they all wanted to be rubbed with the ointment, so that, like the
queen, they might be able to move of themselves. The queen threw herself
on her knees, took off her beautiful crown, and, holding it in her hand,
cried, “Take this from me, but do rub my husband and his courtiers.”
The poor man who owned the theatre could scarcely refrain from
weeping; he was so sorry that he could not help them. Then he immediately
spoke to Jean’s comrade, and promised him all the money he might receive
at the next evening’s performance, if he would only rub the ointment on
four or five of his dolls. But the fellow-traveller said he did not require
anything in return, excepting the sword which the showman wore by his
side. As soon as he received the sword he anointed six of the dolls with the
ointment, and they were able immediately to dance so gracefully that all the
living girls in the room could not help joining in the dance. The coachman
danced with the cook, and the waiters with the chambermaids, and all the
strangers joined; even the tongs and the fire-shovel made an attempt, but
they fell down after the first jump. So after all it was a very merry night.
