but all to no purpose. Then she heard voices within, laughing and talking.
Going as near to these as possible, she put her mouth to a hole in the
canvas, and called out--

'Please will you let me in? I've brought a message from the little lady
that lives here.'

There was a great shuffling in the tent after this, and a clinking and
chinking of money; then a piece of the canvas was pulled aside, and a
little squeaky voice called out--

'Come in, whoever you are, and let us hear what you've got to say.'

So Rosalie crept in through the canvas, and stepped into the middle of the
tent.

It was a curious scene which she saw when she looked round. Three little
dwarfs stood before her, dressed in the most extraordinary costumes, and
far above over their heads there towered a tall and very thin giant. Not
one of the tiny dwarfs came up to his elbow. On the floor were scattered
tiny tables, diminutive chairs, and dolls' umbrellas, which the little
people had been using in their performance.

'What is it, my dear?' said the giant loftily, as Rosalie entered.

'Please,' said Rosalie, 'I've brought a message from the little lady that
belongs to this show.'

'Mother Manikin,' said one of the dwarfs, in an explanatory tone.