LITMIR.BIZ

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      N. B. – This Mechanism is guaranteed to work perfectly for a thousand years.

      “If he’s guaranteed for a thousand years,” said Polychrome, “he ought to work yet.”

      “Of course,” replied Shaggy. “Let’s wind him up.”

      In order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man upon his feet, in an upright position, and this was no easy task. He was inclined to topple over, and had to be propped again and again. The girls assisted Shaggy, and at last Tik-Tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his broad feet.

      “Yes,” said Shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully, “this must be, indeed, my old friend Tik-Tok, whom I left ticking merrily in the Land of Oz. But how he came to this lonely place, and got into that old well, is surely a mystery.”

      “If we wind him, perhaps he will tell us,” suggested Betsy. “Here’s the key, hanging to a hook on his back. What part of him shall I wind up first?”

      “His thoughts, of course,” said Polychrome, “for it requires thought to speak or move intelligently.”

      So Betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes of light began to show in the top of his head, which was proof that he had begun to think.

      “Now, then,” said Shaggy, “wind up his phonograph.”

      “What’s that?” she asked.

      “Why, his talking-machine. His thoughts may be interesting, but they don’t tell us anything.”

      So Betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from the interior of his copper body came in jerky tones the words: “Ma-ny thanks!”

      “Hurrah!” cried Shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped Tik-Tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the ground in a heap. But the clockwork that enabled him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying: “Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up! Pick-me-up!” until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his feet, when he added politely: “Ma-ny thanks!”