there lay the sick flowers, but they got up directly, and nodded to the others
as a sign that they wished to dance with them. The old rough doll, with the
broken mouth, stood up and bowed to the pretty flowers. They did not look
ill at all now, but jumped about and were very merry, yet none of them
noticed little Ida. Presently it seemed as if something fell from the table. Ida
looked that way, and saw a slight carnival rod jumping down among the
flowers as if it belonged to them; it was, however, very smooth and neat,
and a little wax doll with a broad brimmed hat on her head, like the one
worn by the lawyer, sat upon it. The carnival rod hopped about among the
flowers on its three red stilted feet, and stamped quite loud when it danced
the Mazurka; the flowers could not perform this dance, they were too light
to stamp in that manner. All at once the wax doll which rode on the carnival
rod seemed to grow larger and taller, and it turned round and said to the
paper flowers, “How can you put such things in a child’s head? they are all
foolish fancies;” and then the doll was exactly like the lawyer with the
broad brimmed hat, and looked as yellow and as cross as he did; but the
paper dolls struck him on his thin legs, and he shrunk up again and became
quite a little wax doll. This was very amusing, and Ida could not help
laughing. The carnival rod went on dancing, and the lawyer was obliged to
dance also. It was no use, he might make himself great and tall, or remain a
little wax doll with a large black hat; still he must dance. Then at last the
other flowers interceded for him, especially those who had lain in the doll’s
bed, and the carnival rod gave up his dancing. At the same moment a loud
knocking was heard in the drawer, where Ida’s doll Sophy lay with many
other toys. Then the rough doll ran to the end of the table, laid himself flat
down upon it, and began to pull the drawer out a little way.
Then Sophy raised himself, and looked round quite astonished, “There
must be a ball here to-night,” said Sophy. “Why did not somebody tell me?”
“Will you dance with me?” said the rough doll.
“You are the right sort to dance with, certainly,” said she, turning her
back upon him.
