They looked about them
curiously.
The Captain and his men saw that they were in a pleasant, sunny
room. The box, which might have been called their "barracks," was on
a table, and, bending over it, was the boy, Arnold.
"Forward--March!" called Arnold, and one by one he took the Tin
Soldiers out of the box and set them in rows on the table, with the
Captain at the head of his men. That is the proper place for a
Captain, you know.
Of course if Arnold had not been there, and if no other human eyes
had been looking at the Tin Soldiers, they could have marched out of
the box by themselves. But, as it was, Arnold had to lift them out.
He did not know, of course, that his toys, and all other toys, have
the power of pretending they are alive at certain times.
As Arnold was standing his Soldiers in rows on the table, the door
of the room opened and a little girl came in.
"Oh, Arnold! what did you get?" she asked. "Oh, aren't they nice!"
"These are my new Soldiers, Mirabell," said the boy. "Daddy took me
to the store and I bought them with some of my pocket money. But
Daddy gave me a dollar, too. Want to see my Soldiers fight?" asked
Arnold, as he stood the Corporal and the Sergeant where they could
help the Captain take charge of the men.
"Oh, no, Arnold! I don't want to see any soldiers fight! They might
shoot me!" cried the little girl, pretending to shiver.
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