"Oh, here come Dorothy and Dick to the party!" cried Madeline, running
to meet her friends.
She carried the Candy Rabbit with her. Dorothy had her Sawdust Doll, but
the White Rocking Horse was too large for Dick to bring over.
One after another more children came to the party, among them Mirabell
and Arnold. Mirabell did not bring her Lamb on Wheels for the same
reason that Dick left his Horse at home--the Lamb was a little too large
for a house party, though she would fit very well on the lawn.
But Arnold, who was Mirabell's brother, brought something to the party.
It was the Bold Tin Soldier--the Captain of the Tin Soldiers, of whom
Arnold had a whole box. And while the little girls who had come to
Madeline's party were smoothing out their dresses and looking at their
dolls and talking to one another, Arnold walked off with Dick to a
corner of the room.
"Look what I have!" whispered Arnold, showing the Bold Tin Soldier.
"Why did you bring him?" Dick wanted to know.
"So if we don't like the games the girls play we can go off in a room by
ourselves and have fun with my Soldier," was the answer. "But maybe
we'll have some fun, anyhow."
"Let me hold your Soldier for a while," begged Dick, and Arnold handed
over the Captain.
After a while the little boys went back to where the other children were
and all began to play games.
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