com-mand, that I will do will-ing-ly--if you keep me wound up."

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Tik-tok," he replied. "My for-mer mas-ter gave me that name be-cause
my clock-work al-ways ticks when it is wound up."

"I can hear it now," said the yellow hen.

"So can I," said Dorothy. And then she added, with some anxiety: "You
don't strike, do you?"

"No," answered Tiktok; "and there is no a-larm con-nec-ted with
my ma-chin-er-y. I can tell the time, though, by speak-ing,
and as I nev-er sleep I can wak-en you at an-y hour you wish
to get up in the morn-ing."

"That's nice," said the little girl; "only I never wish to get up in
the morning."

"You can sleep until I lay my egg," said the yellow hen. "Then, when
I cackle, Tiktok will know it is time to waken you."

"Do you lay your egg very early?" asked Dorothy.

"About eight o'clock," said Billina. "And everybody ought to be up by
that time, I'm sure."