"A footprint!" he gasped at last. "A giant footprint! And that, my dears, is just what it was. You see, the owl's glass was a shrinking glass and in it the great hole showed plainly as a footprint. "Never leave the Princess for one instant," said the owl turning to the Captain of the Wooden Soldiers. Then pulling his hat down over his eyes, he hurried away muttering "Curumberty bumpus!"—which is Cozytown language for "Sakes alive."
The Captain of the wooden soldiers had no sooner recovered from the shock of a giant footprint in Cozytown than he rushed back to the Princess. You remember that the owl had said she must never be left for a moment. She and all the other Cozytown folk had crossed over into her garden and were in the midst of an exciting game of croquet. The Princess had just sent her ball through two wickets, and everybody was shouting and waving, as if they had not been frightened to pieces a moment before. That is the way with Cozytown folks, my dears, they never remember anything unpleasant. So the pink rabbit and the Teddy bears and the Captain of the wooden soldiers decided to say nothing about the giant footprint. Indeed, at the first opportunity, the pink rabbit remarked carelessly that he had every reason to believe that it was a slight earthquake that had disturbed them.
I have not mentioned the China doll from France, but do not imagine on that account that there was no such person in Cozytown. She was a very fashionable person, and all during the first part of our story was busily at work on a new gown; so that is the reason that I did not tell you about her before. Now she came stepping daintily across the lawn, her hair done in a wonderful knot on the top of her head, and her fan held just-so in her tiny right hand. "Ah!" murmured the knitted gentleman admiringly. "Wonderful!" exclaimed all the other Cozytown dolls, crowding around her and touching her dress enviously.
"Greetings, most high and gracious Majesty!" said she
