There were great festivities in the Valley of Mo when the King had a
birthday. The jolly monarch was born so many years ago that so every
one had forgotten the date. One of the Wise Men said the King was born
in February; another declared it was in May, and a third figured the
great event happened in October. So the King issued a royal decree that
he should have three birthdays every year, in order to be on the safe
side; and whenever he happened to think of it he put in an odd birthday
or two for luck. The King's birthdays came to be regarded as very
joyful events, for on these occasions festivities of unusual
magnificence were held, and everybody in the kingdom was invited to
participate.
On one occasion the King, suddenly recollecting he had not celebrated
his birthday for several weeks, announced a royal festival on a most
elaborate scale. The cream-puff crop was an unusually large one, and
the bushes were hanging full of the delicious ripe puffs, which were
highly prized by the people of Mo.
So all the maidens got out their best dresses and brightest ribbons, and the young men carefully brushed their hair and polished their boots, and soon the streets leading to the palace were thronged with gay merry-makers.
When the guests were all assembled a grand feast was served, in which
the newly-picked cream puffs were an important item.
Then the King stood up at the head of the table and ordered his ruby
casket to be brought him, and when the people heard this they at once
became quiet and attentive, for the Ruby Casket was one of the most
curious things in the Valley. It was given the King many years before
by the sorceress, Maetta, and whenever it was opened something was
found in it that no living person had seen before.
So the people, and even the King himself, always watched the opening of
the Ruby Casket with much curiosity, for they never knew what would be
disclosed.
The King placed the casket on a small table before him, and then, after
a solemn look at the expectant faces, he said, slowly:
"Giggle-gaggle-goo!" which was the magic word that opened the box.
At once the lid flew back, and the King peered within and exclaimed: "Ha!"
This made the guests more excited than before, for they did not know
what he was saying "ha!" about; and they held their breaths when the
King put his thumb and finger into the box and drew out a little wooden
man about as big as my finger. He wore a blue jacket and a red cap and
held a little brass horn in his hand.
The King stood the wooden man upon the table and then reached within
the box and brought out another wooden man, dressed just the same as
the other, and also holding a horn in his hand. This the King stood
beside the first wooden man, and then took out another, and another, until ten little wooden men were standing in a row on the table, holding drums, and cymbals, and horns in their small, stiff hands.
"I declare," said the King, when he had stood them all up, "it's a
little German band. But what a shame it is they can not play."
No sooner had the King uttered the word "play" than every little wooden
man put his horn to his mouth, or beat his drum, or clashed his cymbal; and immediately they began to play such delicious music that all the people were delighted, and even the King clapped his hands in applause.
Just then from out the casket leaped a tiny Baby Elephant, about as
large as a mouse, and began capering about on its toes. It was dressed
in short, fluffy skirts, like those worn by a ballet-dancer, and it
danced so funnily that all who saw it roared with laughter.
When the elephant stopped to rest, two pretty Green Frogs sprang from
the casket and began to play leapfrog before the astonished guests, who
had never before seen such a thing as a frog. The little green
strangers jumped over each other quick as a flash, and finally one of
them jumped down the other's throat. Then, as the Baby Elephant opened
his mouth to yawn, the remaining frog jumped down the elephant's
throat.
The audience was so much amused at this feat that the Baby Elephant
thought he would see what he could do to please them; so he stood on
his head and gave a great jump, and disappeared down his own throat, leaving the musicians to play by themselves.