When it got tired of playing this game, it began heapining clouds.
But the clouds kept falling apart.
Then the wind got very cold. It got that cold from anger.
The doctor had to wrap himself up in his cape.
He put half of it over the doll.
For no good reason he began to feel frightened. "Faster! Faster!" he urged the driver on.
Everything round about was threatening, dark and deserted There were only a few yellow lights in the windows, am others were shuttered.
People were expecting terrible things to happen.
Many things seemed unusual and suspicious that evening.
The doctor even felt the strange doll's eyes might start shining in the dark like two transparent stones.
He tried not to look at his companion.
"What nonsense!" he said to calm himself. "My nerves are all on edge.
This is a very ordinary evening.
It's just that there are very few people out tonight.
And the wind is playing tricks with their shadows, making each one of them look like a hired killer in a black cape.
Then again, the gas lights at the street corners are a deadly blue.
Oh, I wish we were at the Palace already!"
The best medicine for fear is to fall asleep.
It works still better if you pull a blanket over your head.
This was the remedy the doctor chose.
Instead of a blanket, he pulled his hat down over his eyes.
He began counting to a hundred.
It didn't help.
Then he decided upon some very strong medicine.
He began counting a different way.
"One elephant and one elephant make two elephants. Two elephants and one elephant make three elephants. Three elephants and one elephant make four elephants...."
He had already counted up a big herd of elephants.
And the hundred and twenty-third elephant turned into a real one.
Since the doctor could not tell whether it was an elephant or Lapitup the Strong Man in pink tights, he must have finally fallen asleep and been dreaming.
In your dreams time flies much faster than in real life.
The good doctor not only reached the Palace of the Three Fat Men in his dream, but he found himself on trial.
The Three Fat Men stood before him, each holding a doll by the hand.
They didn't even want to hear his explanations.
"You did not obey our order!" they thundered. "You deserve to be punished severely!
You will have to cross over Star Square on a tight-rope carrying the doll.
But first, you'll have to take off your spectacles."
Doctor Caspar said he was very sorry that things had turned out so badly.
He was most concerned about the doll.
This is what he said:
"I'm quite used to falling and know how to do it.
It won't matter if I lose my balance and fall off the wire into the pool.
I've had some experience, for I fell with the tower on the square near the town gates.
Think of the doll, though! The poor doll!
It will be smashed to pieces.
Have pity on it.
I'm quite sure it's not a doll at all, but a live girl with a lovely name. I seem to have forgotten her name, I can't remember it."
"No!" the Three Fat Men cried. "No!
You will not be pardoned!
That's an order of the Three Fat Men!"
They shouted so loudly that the doctor woke up.