the magical mimics in oz by jack snow, founded on and continuing the famous oz stories by l. frank baum illustrated by frank kramer the reilly & lee co. chicago * * * * * the magical mimics in oz copyright 1946 by the reilly & lee co. printed in the u. s. a. [transcriber's note: extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the u.s. copyright on this publication was renewed.] * * * * * to the children as long as i can remember, i have been reading oz books, and now i am very proud and happy to have been permitted to write a book about the latest happenings in the land of oz. mr. kramer has made many delightful illustrations for this book, and i know you will enjoy the fun and life that he has so skillfully put into his pictures. as for the magical mimics, i think you will agree with me that these surprising creatures made things pretty exciting for our oz friends while they were in the emerald city. nevertheless, now that the mimics are powerless, i am inclined to forgive them; since, had it not been for them, dorothy and the wizard would not have discovered winsome little ozana and her story blossom garden. i hope this story pleases you and that you will write me many letters--all of which i promise to answer as soon as possible. i am sure that your suggestions and ideas will be of great help to me in writing future oz books, and i am looking forward with much pleasure to receiving them. jack snow. january 10, 1946. * * * * * _this book is dedicated to_ _my mother_ _roselyn hyde snow_ "_... to please a child is a sweet and lovely thing that warms one's heart and brings its own reward._" --l. frank baum. * * * * * list of chapters 1. toto carries a message 2. ozma and glinda go away 3. mount illuso 4. the mimics mean mischief 5. prisoners of the mimics 6. dorothy and the wizard speak strangely 7. in the cavern of the doomed 8. toto makes a discovery 9. mr. and mrs. hi-lo 10. the village of pineville 11. princess ozana 12. story blossom garden 13. the three swans 14. the mimic monarchs lock themselves in 15. in the chamber of magic 16. a web is woven 17. the mimics in the emerald city 18. the return of ozma and glinda 19. ozana's fairy arts 20. in the mirrored ballroom 21. the shattering of the mirrors 22. what the magic picture revealed 23. the grand banquet chapter 1 toto carries a message "toto," called princess ozma of oz, as a small black dog trotted down the corridor past the open door of her study in the royal palace of the emerald city, "toto, will you do me a favor?" "certainly," answered the little dog, his bright eyes regarding the princess questioningly. "what can i do for your majesty?" ozma smiled. "i wonder if you would go to dorothy's rooms and ask her to join me here as soon as possible." "that'll be easy, ozma," said toto, "i was just on my way to see dorothy. it's time for our morning romp in the garden." "well," laughed ozma, "i shall keep dorothy for only a few minutes, then she can join you in the garden for your play." "thank you, ozma," replied toto as he turned and trotted down the corridor leading to dorothy's suite of rooms. as the little dog disappeared, the smile slowly faded from ozma's face, and the lovely little ruler of the world's most beautiful fairyland looked unusually serious. the truth was that ozma was thinking of events that had happened many years before in the history of the land of oz. not always had oz been a fairy realm. in those olden times oz had been nothing more than a remarkably beautiful country of rolling plains, wooded hills and rich farm lands. indeed, oz had not been so much different from our own united states, except that it was surrounded on all sides by a deadly desert. it was this desert which prevented curious men from the great outside world from finding their way to oz. for the fumes and gasses that rose from the shifting sands of the desert were deadly poison to all living things, and for a human to have set foot on the desert would have meant instant and terrible death. consequently, all living things avoided the deadly desert, and it is no wonder that oz was so entirely secluded and went unnoticed by the rest of the world for so many long years. meanwhile, the oz people were happy and contented, living their simple carefree lives without worries or troubles. the soil of oz was fertile and the people naturally industrious, so there was always an abundance of everything for everyone. hence destructive and terrible wars were unknown in oz even in the olden days. one fine day queen lurline, ruler of all the fairies in the world, chanced to be flying over the land of oz with her fairy band. she was greatly impressed with the beauty of the hidden country. the fairy queen paused, flying in wide circles over the peaceful land. here was a country so entirely beautiful and charming that it deserved to be a fairy realm. queen lurline sought out the king of this favored land and found him to be an old man with no son or daughter to whom he could pass on his crown. with great joy the old king accepted the tiny, baby fairy whom queen lurline placed in his care. when the baby fairy attained her full age of girlhood (no fairy ever appears to be older than a young girl of fourteen or fifteen) she was to be crowned princess ozma of oz. from the time of lurline's visit, oz became a fairyland, abounding in enchantments and strange happenings. indeed, several of the inhabitants of oz fell to studying the magic arts and became witches and magicians, very nearly preventing ozma from becoming the rightful ruler of the fairyland. ozma was fully aware that she was a member of queen lurline's fairy band, and she was justly proud of her immortal heritage. she knew, too, that she owed allegiance to the powerful fairy queen, and that was the reason she appeared so thoughtful this morning as she awaited princess dorothy. ozma's reverie was broken by a gentle rap on the open door. looking up, she saw dorothy standing in the doorway. "come in, my dear," said ozma, "there is something i must discuss with you." chapter 2 ozma and glinda go away "what is it, ozma?" dorothy asked, as she sat down beside her friend. "dorothy," ozma began, thoughtfully, "you have heard me tell the story of how the good queen lurline left me here as a baby to become the ruler of the land of oz." "of course, ozma, and how you were stolen by old mombi, the witch, and--" "yes," interrupted ozma, smiling, "all that is true, but the important fact is that now the day has arrived when i must answer the summons of the great fairy queen. you see," continued the girlish ruler seriously, "every 200 years all the members of queen lurline's fairy band gather for a grand council in the beautiful forest of burzee which lies just across the deadly desert to the south of oz." "isn't that the forest where santa claus was found as an infant and adopted by the forest nymph?" asked dorothy eagerly. "yes," replied ozma, "burzee is indeed a famous forest. for untold centuries its cool groves have been the meeting place of queen lurline and her subjects. they gather to discuss and plan the work they will do during the next two centuries. "in the old days," ozma's voice was musing and thoughtful as she continued, "when mankind was simpler and gentler of nature, it was easier for the fairies to do their good works and to aid the helpless humans. but today few humans believe in fairies." "the children do," dorothy suggested. "yes," said ozma, "but unfortunately as the children grow older and become men and women, they forget all they ever knew about fairies. i wish," she added wistfully, "that the men and women of the world would keep a bit of their childhood with them. they would find it a valuable thing." "when will you be going, ozma?" dorothy asked softly. "tomorrow morning," ozma replied. "and so important is this meeting that i have asked glinda the good to accompany me, although she is not a member of queen lurline's fairy band." "ozma," said dorothy seriously, her chin cupped in her hand, "there is one thing i have often wondered about. what did queen lurline do _after_ she left you here to become the ruler of oz?" "there is a story," ozma began with a far-away look in her eyes, "that after she made oz a fairyland, queen lurline flew away to the land of the phanfasms, that strange realm lying southeast of oz, across the deadly desert and bordering the kingdom of the nomes." "i remember the phanfasms," dorothy nodded. "they are the wicked creatures who came with the nome king through his tunnel under the deadly desert to conquer oz." "yes, and thanks to the wisdom of our famous scarecrow, we were able to render them harmless," ozma recalled with a smile. "did queen lurline go to see the phanfasms after she left oz?" asked dorothy. "no," replied ozma. "it seems that instead of going to mount phantastico, where the phanfasms dwell, queen lurline flew to the second of the twin peaks--to mount illuso, home of the dread mimics." "i don't remember hearing about the mimics before. just who are they, ozma," asked dorothy with interest. "not a great deal is known about them," replied ozma seriously, "and what we do know is so unpleasant that the mimics are avoided as a subject of conversation. they are not humans, nor are they immortals. like the phanfasms, to whom they are closely related, they belong to the ancient race of erbs--creatures who inhabited the earth long before the coming of mankind. both the mimics and the phanfasms hate all humans and immortals, for they feel that mankind, aided by the immortals, has stolen the world from them." "they don't sound very nice to me," said dorothy with a shudder. "why did queen lurline go to see such dreadful creatures?" ozma's voice was grave as she answered. "queen lurline knew that the mimics bitterly hated all that was good and happy and just in the world. the wise queen fully realized that now that oz was so beautiful and favored and its people so happy and contented a fairy folk, the mimics would lose no time in seeking to bring unhappiness to oz. it was to prevent this, that queen lurline paid her visit to mount illuso." "and did she succeed?" asked dorothy. "yes, my dear," replied ozma. "queen lurline placed a fairy spell on the mimics to make it impossible for them to attack the inhabitants of oz. but let's not discuss the unpleasant mimics any further," ozma concluded. "thanks to good queen lurline we don't even have to think about the creatures. let us return to our conversation about you." "about me?" asked dorothy. "yes," replied ozma. "can't you guess why i asked you to see me this particular morning?" "why, to tell me about the trip you and glinda are planning," said dorothy. "and something more, too," continued ozma. "who do you think will rule the emerald city and the land of oz, while both glinda and i are absent?" "i suppose either the little wizard or the scarecrow," ventured dorothy, remembering that in the past both the wizard and the scarecrow had ruled the land of oz. "no," replied ozma calmly. "you, dorothy, will be the ruler of the emerald city and the land of oz in my absence." "i?" cried dorothy. "oh, ozma, i'm only a little girl! i don't know the first thing about ruling!" "you are a princess of oz," stated ozma with dignity. "i shall appoint the wizard as your counselor and advisor. with his wisdom and your honesty of heart and sweetness of nature, i am confident the land of oz will be well ruled." dorothy was silent, considering. "come, my dear," said ozma with a smile. "i shall be gone only three short days. i am sure once you have become accustomed to the idea, you will enjoy the novel experience of being a real ruler, so do not worry." rising from the divan, ozma concluded: "i must go now to inform the courtiers and lords and ladies of my journey. i will instruct them in the regular affairs of state to be carried on in my absence, so that you will not be annoyed with these routine matters." ozma kissed dorothy on the cheek and the two girls left the room arm in arm, parting a few minutes later as ozma went about making preparations for her journey. dorothy joined toto who was waiting patiently for her in the lovely gardens of the royal palace. the little dog quickly noticed that his mistress was not nearly so carefree in her play as usual, but seemed more serious and thoughtful. he wondered if this had anything to do with her conversation with ozma, but since dorothy didn't mention the subject to him and seemed to be so busy with her own thoughts, toto, being a wise little dog, refrained from troubling her with questions. dorothy had a long talk with the wizard later in the day. the little man pointed out that dorothy's duties as a ruler would be very slight, so well-governed was oz and so well-behaved were the oz people. nevertheless, dorothy was greatly cheered and relieved when the wizard promised to help her, should any problem arise that she found troubling. ozma's time was so entirely taken up with affairs of state and the many preparations for her absence from her beloved country, that dorothy saw nothing of the girlish ruler during the remainder of the day. * * * * * the morning of ozma and glinda's departure dawned bright and clear, with the sunlight shining brilliantly on the beautiful city of emeralds. breakfast had been over for several hours when glinda the good sorceress arrived from her castle far to the south in the quadling country of the land of oz. glinda and ozma went immediately to the royal throne room where the famous oz personages waited to witness their departure. at exactly 10 o'clock princess ozma seated herself in her emerald throne, while the stately glinda stood at her right. before them was as strange and impressive an assemblage of nobles, courtiers and old friends as ever gathered together in any fairy realm. among those present were: the famous scarecrow of oz with his highly polished companion, nick chopper, the nickel-plated tin woodman; comical jack pumpkinhead astride the wooden sawhorse who was ozma's personal steed and earliest companion; scraps, the jolly patchwork girl; sweet little trot and her faithful sailor friend, grizzled old cap'n bill; betsy bobbin and her mule, hank; the cheerful shaggy man looking shaggier than ever; the highly magnified and thoroughly educated woggle bug wearing his wisest expression for this important occasion; the stately cowardly lion who was one of dorothy's oldest friends and his companion the hungry tiger who longed to devour fat babies but never did because his conscience wouldn't permit him to; that strange creature the woozy whose eyes flashed real fire when he became angry; button bright, the boy from philadelphia who had been dorothy's companion on several wonderful adventures; ojo the lucky and his unc nunkie; dorothy's beloved aunt em and uncle henry, and of course the little wizard, and many, many others. ozma stood before her throne and raised her hand. immediately silence settled over the assemblage in the vast throne room. "as you all know," the princess said, "glinda and i are about to attend an important fairy conference in the distant forest of burzee. we shall be gone from oz for a period of three days. during that time, princess dorothy will be your sovereign and ruler." ozma removed her dainty fairy wand from the folds of her gown and lifted it into the air. for a moment she smiled on all, then, with a graceful wave of the wand and before the onlookers realized what was happening, both she and glinda had vanished. but dorothy knew that even at that moment queen lurline was greeting the lovely ozma and the stately glinda in the depths of the enchanted forest of burzee. chapter 3 mount illuso on that far away day those many years ago, when queen lurline had left the baby ozma to become the ruler of oz, queen lurline did not pause, for she knew the most important part of her work was still to be done. if the land of oz was to be the happy fairyland she hoped it would be, she must protect it from the evil of the mimics. with this thought in mind, the good queen left oz and flew straight to the bleak land of the phanfasms. signalling to one of her fairy maidens to accompany her, queen lurline flew down to grim mount illuso, home of the dread mimics. pausing at the entrance to the great hollow mountain queen lurline bade her fairy companion await her return. then, taking the precaution to make herself invisible to the eyes of the mimics, the fairy queen stepped into the enchanted mountain. the sight that met her eyes caused even the good queen lurline to chill and falter momentarily on the rocky ledge on which she stood. above her rose the vast, cavernous walls of the hollow mountain. spread out below were the corridors burrowed into the rock by the mimics. in dark caverns deep below these corridors the monsters made their homes. all of this scene was lighted by flaming torches set at intervals in the walls of the cavern. the torches flared deep red, casting lurid, flickering shadows and adding to the weird unreality of the scene. as queen lurline gazed, the mimics were moving through the rough-hewn corridors or flying through the air. the most unusual thing about the creatures was their strange habit of constantly changing their shapes. they shifted restlessly from one form to another. since they were creatures of evil, the shapes they assumed were all forms of the blackest evil and dread. even as queen lurline watched, fascinated by the strange spectacle, the mimics shifted and changed and flitted from one loathsome shape to another. a monster bird with leathery wings and a horned head dropped to the ground, and in another second assumed the squat body of a huge toad with the head of a hyena, snarling with laughter. a crawling red lizard, all of ten feet in length, turned into a giant butterfly with black wings and the body of a serpent. a great, green bat with wicked talons alighted on a ledge not far from queen lurline and in an instant changed to a mammoth, hairy creature with the body of a huge ape and the head of an alligator. the good queen shuddered in spite of herself. what she had seen had only served to strengthen her resolution to protect the oz people for all time against the mimics. immediately she began weaving a powerful incantation. in a few minutes the enchantment was completed. queen lurline breathed a sigh of relief, for she knew that the mimics were now powerless to harm any of the fairy inhabitants of the land of oz. queen lurline was well aware that the mimics' strange habit of changing their shapes was the least of their evil characteristics. much more dreadful was the power possessed by these creatures to _steal_ the shapes of both mortals and immortals. a mimic accomplished this simply by casting himself on the shadow of his victim. instantly the mimic arose, a perfect double in outward appearance of the person whose shadow he had stolen. as for the unfortunate victim, he fell into a spell of enchantment, unable to move or speak, but conscious of all that was taking place about him. no wonder queen lurline sighed with relief when she thought that her powerful magic had made the oz people secure against the dread evil of the mimics! queen lurline slipped from the cavern through the stone portal of mount illuso. for a moment she paused, breathing deeply and gratefully of the fresh air. but she must not tarry now. she still had other important work to do here. when she returned to her fairy companion, queen lurline gave her brief instructions concerning the important part she was to play at mount illuso in the coming years. then they both spread their fairy wings and flew straight to the very summit of the hollow mount. chapter 4 the mimics mean mischief on the same morning that ozma and glinda left the land of oz for the forest of burzee, events of equal importance were happening in mount illuso, home of the mimics. the mimics were ruled over by two sovereigns--king umb and queen ra. it is a question which was the more wicked and dangerous of this pair. king umb was bold and brutal, while his wife, queen ra, was clever and cunning. together they made a fitting combination to rule so wicked a horde as the mimics. on this particular morning king umb and queen ra secluded themselves in a hidden cavern, deep in the underground caves that honeycombed the depths of hollow mount illuso. roughly hewn from the grey rock, this cavern was circular in shape and was filled with ancient books and strange and weird implements of sorcery and enchantment. king umb possessed little skill in magic arts, but queen ra was powerful in the practice of conjuring and evil incantation. after the visit of queen lurline to mount illuso and the casting of the powerful enchantment that prevented king umb and queen ra from leading their mimic subjects in the destruction of oz, queen ra had at first raged and fumed and wildly vowed vengeance on queen lurline and princess ozma. then, as the years passed by, the evil queen spent more and more time lurking in the secret cavern, studying the ancient sorcery of the erbs, employing her black arts to follow events in the history of oz and plotting the destruction of the fairyland. of course the mimic king and queen were free to lead their hordes in attacks on people of other lands, and you may wonder why they didn't forget all about oz and content themselves with bringing misery to other countries. the reason was that the wicked king and queen of the mimics despised all that was good, and they could not endure the thought of the oz people living in peace and contentment, safe from their evil-doing. so long as the oz inhabitants remained the happiest people in all the world, king umb and queen ra could derive no satisfaction in bringing misery to other less happy lands. queen ra was well aware that princess ozma was one of the most powerful fairy rulers in existence, and that her loyal friend, glinda the good, was the mightiest and wisest of all sorceresses. nevertheless, through her own dark magic, queen ra had recently made two important discoveries that raised her hopes so high that she believed she might be able soon to defy both ozma and glinda. first, she had discovered that ozma and glinda were about to depart on a journey that would take them away from the land of oz. second, she had learned that in one of ozma's books of magic records in the royal palace of the emerald city was written the charm that would break the spell queen lurline had cast on the mimics to protect oz! this morning queen ra had assumed the shape of a huge woman--almost a giantess--with the head of a grey wolf. king umb wore the form of a black bear with an owl head. the queen held in her hands a circlet of dully gleaming metal. the red eyes of her wolf head gazed at it steadily, while she muttered an incantation. as the wolf-headed woman spoke, a wisp of grey mist appeared in the center of the metal ring. the mist expanded into a ball, growing denser in appearance. next it became milky in hue, then opalescent, finally glowing as with an inner light. slowly a scene appeared in the metal-bound ball of shimmering opal mist. while king umb and queen ra watched, the throne room of the royal palace in the emerald city grew distinct in the milky depths of the captive ball. princess ozma stood by her throne with glinda the good at her side. the lips of the little ruler were moving, forming words, although the mimic monarchs could distinguish no sound. ozma was addressing her subjects. then the girl ruler smiled and raised her wand. in an instant both ozma and glinda had vanished. the ball of glowing mist disappeared. with a clatter queen ra threw the metal circlet to the stone floor of the cave and triumphantly faced the owl-headed bear. "they have gone!" she cried. "you are positive that now is the time for us to act?" asked king umb. "absolutely," said the wolf-headed woman. "we know that one of ozma's magic record books holds the secret of the enchantment cast on us. we know that ozma and glinda will be absent from oz for three days, leaving the country and the emerald city unprotected by their magic arts. we know that those people who have in recent years come from the great outside world to live in oz, were not inhabitants of oz when lurline made it a fairyland. thus they are not protected by the enchantment she cast on us. it will be simple for us to assume the shapes of these people--of course they are mere mortals--" the queen added with a sneer, "but even so they will serve our purpose." "you have a plan then?" asked the owl-headed king. "a plan that will result in the utter destruction of oz and the enslavement of the oz people," asserted the queen with grim relish. "listen!" the wolf-headed woman commanded. "tonight you and i, with styg and ebo, will fly swiftly across the deadly desert to the land of oz. we will go directly to the emerald city. there we will seek out the two mortals from the great outside world whose shapes will admit us to every part of the royal palace. my magic arts have told me that at a certain hour tomorrow morning these two mortals will be together with no one else about to witness or interfere with our deed. after we have stolen their shapes, the helpless mortals will be seized by styg and ebo and returned here, where they will be our prisoners. then we will be free to search through ozma's magic record books. as soon as we locate the magical antidote to lurline's enchantment, we will break the spell binding our subjects. by the time ozma and glinda return, oz will be overrun by mimics, and we shall be ready to give their royal highnesses a proper reception!" queen ra smiled wickedly as she finished this recital. the owl eyes of king umb had been regarding queen ra intently as she revealed her plan. when she had finished, an evil leer spread over the king's furry features. "ra," said king umb, "you are the most wicked queen who ever ruled the mimics!" and that, by mimic standards, was the highest compliment king umb could pay his queen. * * * * * several hours after midnight, king umb and queen ra, followed by the two mimics, styg and ebo, slipped outside the entrance of the hollow mountain. immediately all four assumed the shapes of giant birds, black of plumage and with powerful wings. during the creatures' long flight over the deadly desert to oz, they changed shapes a number of times, but always to another form of powerful bird. as they mounted into the air and soared through the dark night over the peak of mount illuso, king umb cast a backward glance toward the summit of the mountain. "what about the guardian?" he asked queen ra uneasily. "bah!" the giant bird that was queen ra croaked derisively. "who cares about her? let her go on dreaming over her foolish flowers and sticks of wood--that's all she has done all these years!" chapter 5 prisoners of the mimics high in the top of the tallest tower of the royal palace was the wizard's apartment. in this secluded spot, the little man kept his magical tools and apparatus and could work undisturbed for long hours over difficult feats of magic. the morning after ozma and glinda had left, dorothy had climbed the stair to the wizard's quarters, and she and the wizard were deep in a discussion of matters of state. two sides of the room they occupied were composed of tall french windows, rising from the floor to the ceiling and opening onto a spacious veranda. the windows were flung wide open to admit the refreshing breeze and the welcome sunlight. suddenly the air was filled with the flutter of powerful wings, and four large, black-plumed birds, settled on the veranda and stepped into the room. glancing up in surprise at this sudden interruption, the wizard exclaimed with annoyance, "here, what's the meaning of this intrusion?" (since all birds and animals in the land of oz possess the power of human speech, the wizard naturally addressed the birds as he would have spoken to human beings.) but the birds made no reply. instead, two of them stepped swiftly toward dorothy and the wizard, who had risen in surprise and were standing beside their chairs. the two birds flung themselves on the shadows cast by the girl and the man. instantly the birds vanished, and dorothy and the wizard found themselves staring in amazement at exact duplicates of themselves! sensing that he was confronted by some sort of evil magic, the wizard made an effort to reach his black bag of magic tools which rested on a nearby table, but it was too late. caught in the mimic spell, the little man was powerless to move. dorothy's plight was the same; she could not so much as lift her little finger. all this had happened in much less time than i have taken to tell it, and it was so sudden and unexpected that our friends had not even had time to cry out. now the mimic form of dorothy, speaking in dorothy's own voice, said to the two remaining birds, "seize them, ebo and styg, and see that my commands are fulfilled!" one black bird grasped the form of the helpless wizard, the other that of dorothy. then, flapping their powerful wings, the two birds passed through the windows and soared aloft, bearing their captives high into the heavens. swiftly they left the emerald city. in a few minutes it was no more than a lovely jewel set in the farmlands around it. the birds headed southeast in the direction of the deadly desert. at times in their flight, when the captives were able to exchange glances, dorothy read in the wizard's kindly eyes a mute expression of concern for his little comrade. the girl tried to reassure him, but it was difficult to look brave when she was unable to move even an eyelash--and besides, dorothy had to admit to herself, she didn't feel at all brave just now. in another minute when dorothy was gazing at the bird that was carrying her so swiftly through the air, she was startled to see the form of the creature shift and change. from a huge, eagle-like bird it changed to an enormous condor. strange birds these were, dorothy thought, which went about changing their shapes and stealing little girls and wizards. as they flew over the yellow land of the winkies, the motion of the bird's body occasionally permitted dorothy to look downward. once she glimpsed, sparkling in the sunlight, the highly polished towers and minarets of a handsome tin castle. this, she knew, was the home of her old friend nick chopper the tin woodman, emperor of the winkies. dorothy found herself wondering what the kind-hearted nick chopper would say if he could know that at this moment his dear friends were being carried high in the air over his castle, prisoners of two giant black birds! but there was no use speculating in this fashion. the tin woodman was powerless to aid them, even if he had known their plight. with a start dorothy realized that the birds had crossed the border of oz and were now flying over the deadly desert. the fact that they had left the land of oz behind them disturbed dorothy greatly. yet the little girl did not give way to fright. she had experienced so many strange and sometimes dangerous adventures in her lifetime, that she had wisely learned never to despair. the journey over the desert seemed endless. despite the great height at which the birds flew, dorothy was beginning to feel faint and ill from the evil fumes of the sands by the time they reached the border of the land of the phanfasms. however, once past the desert, she was revived by the fresh air. where were these great birds taking them? and why? as dorothy pondered, she noted a sharp mountain peak jutting suddenly out of the grey, grim land of desolate waste and stone that lay below. straight for the mountain flew the birds. in a few more minutes they descended with their victims to the entrance of the mountain. passing through the stone portal, the mimics retained their bird shapes, circling through the vast cavern of the hollow mountain. the cavern and corridors were deserted now that the sun was in the heavens, and the mimics had returned to their underground caverns to rest after the night of revelry. styg and ebo flew to a ledge of rock that jutted out from the mountain wall. ebo muttered a magic word, and a rude stone door swung open, revealing a lightless cavern. dorothy was thrust into the cave, and a moment later the wizard was deposited beside her in the darkness. until now dorothy had entertained a vague hope that in some way the wizard's magic powers would come to their rescue. but since the little man had none of his magic tools with him, and could not speak to utter an incantation, nor move to make the motions of a charm, dorothy realized that he was quite as powerless as she. chapter 6 dorothy and the wizard speak strangely "ooomph!" puffed the scarecrow. "whooosh!" gasped the patchwork girl. colliding suddenly as they met headlong at a sharp turn in the garden path, both the scarecrow and the patchwork girl tumbled in a heap on the garden walk. a moment later they had risen to sitting positions and were regarding each other comically. the patchwork girl was a sorry sight. the high-grade cotton in her patchwork or "crazy quilt" body was bunched together in all the wrong places. after running and dancing a great deal that morning--as she always did--the patchwork girl's body had sagged and she had grown dumpy in appearance. when this happened she always lay down and rolled about until she had resumed her original plump shape. now after her abrupt meeting with the scarecrow her figure was in bad need of attention. the pointed toes of the red leather shoes sewn on her feet stood straight up. her fingers, carefully formed and fitted with gold plates for finger nails, dug into the path on which she sat. her shock of brown yarn hair hung down over her suspender button eyes and over her ears, which were made of thin plates of gold. between the two rows of pearls sewn in her mouth for teeth, her scarlet plush tongue stuck out impudently at the scarecrow. the patchwork girl's brains were slightly mixed, containing among other qualities a dash of poesy, which accounted for her habit of breaking into rhymes and jingles when it was least expected. now she was too surprised to speak. she had been brought to life in the first place by a magic powder, and since she was always jolly and good-natured, the patchwork girl was a prime favorite among the oz folks. nicknamed scraps, the queer girl laughed at dignity and liked nothing better than to dance and sing. it was impossible to be downcast for long in the company of this merry, carefree creature. "why don't you look where you're going, scraps?" said the scarecrow ruefully, as he brushed his blue munchkin farmer trousers. "now that you mention it," replied the patchwork girl reprovingly, "i don't have x-ray eyes, so i couldn't see through to the other side of the hedge where i was going." "all right," said the scarecrow, as he rose to his feet. "please accept my humble apologies." the straw man gallantly assisted the patchwork girl to stand. "there's no harm done. the spill was as much my fault as it was yours. i was thinking so deeply that i didn't see you." "what were you thinking about?" asked scraps. "dorothy," replied the scarecrow with a sigh. "tell me, scraps, have you seen her today?" "not once," answered the patchwork girl, combing her yarn hair with her fingers. "until a few minutes ago, i've spent the entire day with aunt em who sewed tight some of my stitches that were coming loose, sewed on my eyes with new thread, so i wouldn't lose 'em, and sewed on a new pair of red shoes, as i'd worn holes in my old ones. now i'm as good as new!" "well," replied the scarecrow, with his broad smile, "that may be true, but i'd say no matter in how good condition you are, you're always just sew-sew." the smile quickly faded from the straw man's painted face as he continued seriously, "scraps, i'm worried about dorothy." "don't worry about dorothy; she's able to take care of herself," said practical scraps. "you don't understand," explained the scarecrow. "you see, yesterday after ozma and glinda left for the forest of burzee, dorothy asked me to help her plan a banquet to celebrate their return. dorothy wanted me to think up some ideas for the entertainment to accompany the dinner. i agreed to set my famous brains to work on the problem and spent all last night in deep thought. this morning, bright and early, i rushed to dorothy and started to tell her the ideas i had. you can imagine my surprise when dorothy stared at me as though she hadn't the faintest idea what i was talking about, and then turned and walked away from me." the scarecrow paused, his brow wrinkled with perplexity. "i don't understand it," he continued. "it isn't like our sweet little dorothy to be rude or absent-minded. she and the wizard have been in ozma's chamber of magic all day and i tried twice to see her, but each time she said she couldn't be disturbed." "come to think of it," replied scraps quickly, "aunt em remarked that she couldn't understand why dorothy hadn't been in to see her. dorothy always visits her aunt em and uncle henry at least once a day. but maybe she's busy ruling while ozma's away." this explanation failed to satisfy the scarecrow. he was gazing in the distance down the garden path. "isn't that trot and cap'n bill sitting on that bench over there?" "whoop ti doodle who? cap'n bill and trot it is as like as not!" sang the patchwork girl, turning a handspring and dancing toward the bench. the scarecrow followed, and he and scraps were warmly greeted by little trot and old cap'n bill. the scarecrow repeated his story of the strange manner in which dorothy had been acting, but neither trot nor cap'n bill had seen dorothy that day. the old sailor was silent for a moment, considering. then he said: "you know, it's funny; but i was tellin' trot only a minute ago that the wizard had me puzzled by the curious way he was behavin'." "what do you mean?" asked the scarecrow. "well," went on cap'n bill, "fer some time past i've been workin' on a boat fer ozma an' her friends, so they could go sailin' on that lake jest outside the emerald city. i had everythin' i needed 'cept fer some tools, so the wizard lent me some o' his thet get the work done extra fast, 'cause they're magic tools. the boat's nearly finished--a handsome craft if i do say so myself. all she needs to make 'er trim is a coat o' paint. i thought it would be nice to have 'er finished as a sort of surprise fer ozma when she returns from this here fairy conclave, so i asked the wizard to lend me his magic paint bucket and brush--the bucket always stays full, no matter how much paint you use from it, an' the brush paints any color you want from the same bucket o' paint. well, the wizard jest gave me a funny sort o' look and walked away, mumblin' somethin' about bein' busy and havin' somethin' important to do. 'tain't like the wizard at all. somethin' ailin' him," concluded cap'n bill, wagging his grizzled head. "then it's the same thing that's ailing dorothy," remarked the scarecrow sagely. the four old friends were silent, each turning over the problem in his own mind. the bench on which trot and cap'n bill were sitting was in front of a high hedge--so high that none of them could see over it. on the other side of the thick hedge ran another garden path. suddenly they heard footsteps, as if several people were hurrying down the garden path which was hidden from their view. while they listened, wondering who it could be, the footsteps halted just opposite them on the other side of the hedge. before they could call out a greeting, they recognized the voice of the wizard saying: "we can talk here. there's no one about. now tell me; why are we wasting time in the garden?" "because," it was the voice of dorothy replying, "it would look suspicious if we did not leave the chamber of magic occasionally." "have you found the spell yet?" asked the wizard's voice. "not yet," replied dorothy's voice. "i've been through only half of ozma's magic record books. give me time--it's there. and i'll find it!" "time!" replied the wizard's voice, raised in excitement. "we have no time to lose! do you realize that ozma and glinda will be back in a day and a half? we must find the spell before then if we don't want ozma to wreck our plans and rob us of the chance we have waited for!" "never fear," asserted dorothy's voice. "i'll find the spell long before ozma and glinda return. we'll be ready for those two when they do come back!" gradually the voices subsided, as the two walked slowly down the garden path toward the royal palace. on the other side of the hedge, trot, cap'n bill, scraps and the scarecrow stared at one another in bewilderment. what could this mean? it was incredible that dorothy and the wizard could be plotting against their dearest friends, ozma and glinda. chapter 7 in the cavern of the doomed neither dorothy nor the wizard could tell how long they lay in their cavern prison deep in hollow mount illuso, but it is certain that minutes seemed like hours to them. while the wizard had recognized the country to which he and dorothy had been carried as the land of the phanfasms, he was not aware of the existence of mount illuso and its mimic dwellers. he was sure, however, that the creatures who had captured dorothy and him were not phanfasms. he had seen the phanfasms when those evil creatures had once attempted to invade oz, and they bore no resemblance to the beings who had made dorothy and him captives. dorothy found some comfort in telling herself that as soon as ozma and glinda returned to the emerald city the imposters would be detected and she and the wizard speedily rescued. but what if ozma and glinda were deceived? how long would she and the wizard be kept in the cave? what wicked plot was behind all this? and just how powerful and clever were the creatures who had captured her and the wizard? suddenly something happened that banished all these puzzling questions. there was a light in the cavern! the two prisoners could see each other! true, the light was feeble, but it was increasing steadily in strength. as the light grew more brilliant, dorothy felt pleasantly warm and glowing, as though she were lying in the bright sunlight. and then to her intense joy the little girl realized that the spell cast on her was broken. the light had released her. she was free to move about as she pleased. dorothy jumped happily to her feet. the wizard, too, was freed from the spell, and a moment later was standing, smiling broadly with satisfaction. "was the light your magic, wizard?" asked dorothy eagerly. "no, my dear, i had nothing to do with the light," replied the wizard. "but i wonder who or what turned it on?" said dorothy. "could it be a trick, do you think?" she asked after a moment's hesitation. "no, i believe not," replied the wizard. "there would be no point in our captors' troubling themselves to enchant us and make us prisoners, and then releasing us from the enchantment. i believe we will find this light is a part of a greater mystery than we know anything about." "well, seems to me there's plenty of mystery about everything that's happened today," said dorothy. "what are we going to do now, wizard?" "explore our prison," answered the little man promptly. dorothy looked about her. they were entirely surrounded by the solid stone walls of the cavern, which was about one-hundred feet square. she could detect no sign of the door by which they had entered. "look, wizard," dorothy exclaimed. "see how the light shines from one small point in the far end of the cavern?" "yes," agreed the wizard, "it's almost as if someone had built a powerful flashlight into the stone wall. come, let's examine the light more closely." the two walked to the opposite side of the cavern and found that, as dorothy had observed, the flood of light originated from one small point. this point was a circular bit of stone, round and polished, and no larger than a small button. "why," exclaimed dorothy, "it looks 'zactly like the button of an electric light switch! wonder what would happen if i pressed it?" impulsively dorothy reached out and pressed the button of rock with her finger. in the deep silence that filled the cave, the two adventurers detected a far-away humming sound, like the whirring of wheels in motion. as dorothy and the wizard listened, the sound grew louder. "what do you suppose it is?" whispered dorothy. "i haven't the faintest idea," said the wizard, "but i don't think we'll have to wait long to find out." at last the whirring noise seemed to be just opposite them on the other side of the stone wall. it stopped completely and there was silence. a second later a section of the stone wall swung outward, and dorothy and the wizard found themselves staring into a small room--much like the car of an elevator. the car was painted bright blue, trimmed with red and gold, and sitting on a small stool was a curious little man. chapter 8 toto makes a discovery "where's dorothy?" toto asked pretty little jellia jamb, ozma's maid, as he paused outside the door of dorothy's apartment early in the morning of the day after ozma and glinda departed. "she's gone up to the wizard's rooms in the tower," replied jellia jamb. "thanks," said toto. "i imagine dorothy will have her hands full while ozma is gone." with this, the little dog trotted down the corridor, philosophically seeking some other amusement. he hadn't gone very far before he was hailed by betsy bobbin, who appeared with a small wicker basket on her arm. "hello, toto!" betsy called. "want to go with hank and me? i'm going to pick wild flowers in the green fields outside the emerald city and hank's coming along. i have a nice picnic lunch packed," the girl added, indicating the basket she carried. now there were few things toto liked better than to get out in the country and frolic in the fields, so the little dog accepted the invitation gratefully. a short time later betsy, her devoted companion, hank the mule, and toto arrived at the gates of the emerald city and were greeted by omby amby, the soldier with the green whiskers. he was very tall and wore a handsome green and gold uniform with a tall plumed hat. his long, green beard fell below his waist making him look even taller. in addition to being the keeper of the gates, omby amby was also the royal army of oz, princess ozma's body-guard and the police force of the emerald city. you might suppose that, holding all these offices, omby amby was a very busy man. to the contrary, so seldom was there ever any breaking of the oz laws--which were all just and reasonable--that it had been many years since the soldier with the green whiskers had acted in any of his official capacities other than that of keeper of the gates. as omby amby unlocked the gates for them, betsy promised to bring him a bouquet of flowers for his wife, tollydiggle. outside the emerald city lay pleasant, gently rolling fields in which buttercups and daisies grew in profusion. sniffing the fresh country air, toto ran happily across the field. hank hee-hawed loudly and fell to munching the tall field grass. betsy was delighted with the hundreds of pretty flowers and gathered several large bouquets. shortly after noon the happy trio sought the shade of a large tree. nearby, a spring of cool, crystal-clear water bubbled from a mossy bank and flowed across the field as a tiny brook. betsy opened her basket and took out sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, potato salad and other picnic delicacies, which she and toto shared. betsy offered hank a peanut butter sandwich, but the mule refused disdainfully, saying, "no, thank you, betsy, i much prefer this fresh green grass." "well, don't eat too much of it," advised the girl, "or you'll get the colic." the mule winked one eye at toto and replied, "i'd be much more likely to get the colic if i ate your strange human foods." after they had eaten and refreshed themselves with the water of the spring, they rested for a time in the cool shade of the tree, and then leisurely made their way back to the emerald city. at the city's gates, omby amby welcomed them back and gratefully accepted the bouquet betsy gave him for tollydiggle. arriving at the palace, the three friends said good-bye, betsy going to her apartment, while hank made his way to the royal stables to talk with his cronies, the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger. jellia jamb tripped down the palace steps on an errand, and toto called to her, "is dorothy still busy?" "yes," answered jellia jamb, "she and the wizard have been in ozma's chamber of magic all afternoon." this did not strike the little dog as strange. he knew ozma might have left instructions for dorothy and the wizard to carry out in the chamber of magic. as it was now nearly mid-afternoon, toto decided to have a nap in the garden. curling up in the cool earth under a large rose bush, he fell asleep, telling himself that he would awaken in time for dinner, when he would surely see dorothy. toto knew that however busy dorothy and the wizard might be, they would leave the chamber of magic and appear for dinner--always a festive occasion in the grand dining room of the royal palace. promptly at seven o'clock, the inhabitants of the royal palace began to gather in the grand dining room. cap'n bill and trot took their accustomed places at the table, as did betsy bobbin, button bright, the shaggy man, aunt em and uncle henry. while the scarecrow, the patchwork girl and tik-tok the machine man were non-flesh and could not partake of the food, nevertheless they had their places at the table. for these dinners were as much occasions for the enjoyment of merry conversation, as they were for satisfying hunger and thirst. at the far end of the room was a separate table, shared by the animal companions of the oz people. at this table were set places with the proper foods for hank the mule, the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger, billina the yellow hen, eureka the pink kitten, the woozy, toto and the sawhorse. although the sawhorse was made of wood and required no food and seldom took part in the conversation, nevertheless the odd steed enjoyed listening to the table talk of the others. everyone was at his place except dorothy, the wizard and toto--and of course ozma's chair at the head of the table was vacant. dorothy's place was at ozma's right, while the wizard sat at her left. a few minutes later, king umb and queen ra, having decided that it would arouse too much comment if they were absent from the dinner, entered the sumptuous dining room and took their places on either side of ozma's vacant chair. now only toto remained absent. the truth was that the little dog had overslept and had awakened from his nap to find the shadows lengthening across the garden. realizing he was late for dinner, toto hurried to the nearest palace entrance and ran as quickly as he could to the grand dining room. as he entered, the first course of the meal was being served, and a ripple of conversation rose from the two tables. the scarecrow and scraps were chatting together. betsy was telling trot about the lovely wild flowers she had found, and the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger were discussing a visit they planned to their old jungle home in the forest far to the south in the quadling country. in spite of the apparent atmosphere of gayety, this gathering was not at all like the merry company that usually assembled in the dining room for the evening meal. first of all, the absence of the radiant ozma was keenly felt by the entire gathering, and this automatically subdued the spirit of the occasion. next, no one at the table had failed to note and wonder at the fact that dorothy and the wizard--usually so cheerful and cordial--had merely nodded unsmilingly to their assembled friends as they had taken their places at the head of the table. finally, scraps, the scarecrow, trot and cap'n bill, unable to forget the strange conversation they had overheard in the garden earlier in the day, stole curious glances at dorothy and the wizard, seeking some clue to their unusual behavior. as toto trotted into the dining room, his bright little eyes immediately sought out his mistress. toto stopped short; his body became tense with excitement. he barked loudly and then growled, "where's dorothy?" in the silence that fell over the dining room at the dog's unusual actions, toto repeated his question. "where's dorothy?" he demanded. the scarecrow was staring earnestly at toto. "why, here's dorothy," the straw man answered. "right here, where she always sits." "you're wrong--all of you are wrong," growled toto ominously. the little dog was quivering with excitement. "whoever that is sitting there might fool the rest of you, but she can't deceive me. she's not dorothy at all. something's happened to dorothy!" chapter 9 mr. and mrs. hi-lo "step right in, folks! watch your step, miss. we're on our way up--next stop the top! only two stops--bottom and top. next stop's the top!" the little man spoke with an air of importance, as he smiled at dorothy and the wizard from the stool on which he was perched in the car which the opening in the stone wall had revealed. they peered at him curiously. "shall we go in?" asked dorothy, drawing a deep breath. "to be sure," said the wizard. "anything is better than this stone prison." "ah, a philosopher, and a wise one, too," remarked the little man. as soon as dorothy and the wizard were in the elevator--for such it proved to be--the stone door swung shut. at once the little man pressed one of several buttons on the side of the car and again they heard the whirring sound which had puzzled them in the cavern. dorothy concluded it was caused by the machinery that operated the elevator. the little car was shooting upward with a speed that caused her ears to ring. "just swallow several times," advised the wizard, sensing dorothy's discomfort. "that will make equal the air pressure inside and outside your body. it's a trick i learned when i went up in my balloon to draw crowds to the circus back in omaha." dorothy did as the wizard suggested and found the ringing sensation disappeared. "who are you?" asked the wizard gazing curiously at the little man. "and where are you taking us?" "you don't know who i am?" exclaimed the little man with surprise. "after all, you know you did ring for the elevator, and since i am the elevator operator, naturally i answered. allow me to introduce myself. my name is hi-lo and i am taking you to the only other place the elevator goes except for the bottom--and that's to the top of mount illuso. i assure you it's a far better place than the bottom!" while he spoke, dorothy had been regarding the little man who called himself hi-lo. he was very short, his head coming only to dorothy's waist. he was dressed in a bright blue uniform with big, gold buttons. a red cap was perched at a jaunty angle on his head. his face was round and his cheeks as rosy as two apples. his blue eyes were very bright and friendly. but the oddest thing about him was that his clothes appeared to be a part of his body--as though they were painted on. and dorothy concluded he was most certainly made of some substance other than flesh and blood. "ah, i see i've aroused your interest," remarked the little man with satisfaction. "well, i'm proud to tell you that i am made of the finest white pine and painted with quick-drying four-hour enamel that flows easily from the brush and is guaranteed not to chip, crack, craze or peel. i'm easily washable, too; spots and stains wipe off in a jiffy with a damp cloth or sponge--no rubbing or scrubbing for me! and i suppose," hi-lo concluded vainly, "you've already admired my rich, glossy finish and beautiful rainbow colors." dorothy smiled at this speech, and the wizard asked, "tell me, hi-lo, do people live on the top of mount illuso?" "of course," hi-lo replied in his cheerful voice. "we have a thriving community of folks--pineville it's called. but we're all very happy and contented," he went on hastily. "there's not a lonesome pine among us, although there are several trails on the mountain top." "but are there no flesh and blood folks, like us?" queried the wizard. before hi-lo could answer, the elevator came to an abrupt stop. "well, here we are!" announced hi-lo cheerily. he pressed another button. the door of the elevator swung open and hi-lo called, "all out! all out! top floor--all kinds of wooden goods, the best pine to be had--pine tables, pine chairs, pine houses and pine people!" dorothy and the wizard stepped from the elevator and surveyed the scene before them. yes, this was certainly the top of mount illuso. the elevator exit was in a large stone wall, at least ten feet in height, that appeared to circle the edge of the mountain top. before them spread a dense pine forest, while a small path led from the elevator to a tiny cottage that stood nearby. the cottage was painted bright blue with trim white shutters, and smoke was rising cheerily from its red brick chimney. "right this way! just follow me, folks," said hi-lo, trotting along the path to the cottage, his little wooden legs moving with surprising speed. "mrs. hi-lo will certainly be surprised to see you. you are a real event--the very first visitors we have ever had from down below." as they approached the tiny cottage, the front door swung open, and a little woman stood in the doorway. she was even smaller than hi-lo, and like him was made of wood and painted with the same bright enamels. she wore a blue and white apron over a red polka-dot dress. on her head was a trim little lace cap. "my goodness!" she beamed. "visitors at last! do come in and make yourselves comfortable." the wizard found it necessary to bend over to get in the doorway, so small was the cottage. once inside, his head nearly touched the ceiling. the cottage was neatly and attractively furnished with comfortable pine chairs, tables and a large davenport drawn before a fireplace on which a log fire crackled cheerfully. the air was sharp on the mountain top, so the bright fire was a welcome sight to the two wanderers. all the furniture glowed with the cheerful, gaudy hues of glossy enamel. dorothy thought that the wholesome aroma of pine scent that filled the cottage was especially delightful. "great pine cones!" exclaimed mrs. hi-lo. "you must be half starved. i'll get you something to eat in no time at all. tell me, would you like a delicious cross cut of pine steak with pine-dust pudding, fresh, crisp pine-needle salad with turpentine dressing and a strawberry pine cone for dessert?" dorothy almost laughed aloud at this strange food, but the little wizard answered courteously, "you are most kind, madame, but i fear our systems would not be able to digest the delicacies you suggest. perhaps you have something that meat folks like us could eat?" "of course!" cried mrs. hi-lo. "how stupid of me! you are meat folks--too bad," she added critically. "it must be a terrible bother to take off and put on all those clothes and to keep your hair trimmed and your nails pared." "now, mother, let's not draw unkind comparisons," cautioned hi-lo diplomatically, as he settled himself into a comfortable chair. "none of us is perfect, you know. remember that spring when you sprouted a green twig on your right shoulder?" "you are right," said mrs. hi-lo with a laugh. "we all have our weak points." and with that the little lady bustled off into the kitchen. dorothy and the wizard sat down gingerly on two of the largest chairs the room contained. but small as the chairs were, they proved quite sturdy and readily supported their weight. "is there any way," asked the wizard, "that we can leave this mountain top?" hi-lo sat bolt upright in his chair and stared at the wizard in amazement. "leave the mountain top?" he repeated as if he couldn't believe his own ears. "do i understand you to say that you want to leave this delightful place--this most favored spot in the universe?" "we do," said the wizard emphatically. "our home is in the land of oz, and we desire to return there as quickly as possible." "but why?" asked hi-lo. "no place could be as delightful as this mountain top. just wait until you have become acquainted with it--our healthful, refreshing climate, our beautiful pine forest, our handsome village of pineville and its delightful people!" "have you ever been anywhere else?" asked the wizard quietly. "no, never--but--" "then permit me to say," replied the wizard, "that you are not qualified to judge. little dorothy and i have traveled in many strange lands all over the world, and we prefer the land of oz for our home." "well, everyone to his own taste, of course," muttered hi-lo, unconvinced and a trifle crestfallen. just then mrs. hi-lo re-entered the room bearing a tray laden with steaming hot foods. at her invitation dorothy and the wizard pulled their chairs up to a table, and mrs. hi-lo served the food on gleaming white enameled pine platters and dishes. there was savory vegetable soup, scrambled eggs, cheese, lettuce and tomato salad, chocolate layer cake and lemonade. the food was delicious and as dorothy and the wizard had not eaten since breakfast, and it was now nearly evening, they did full justice to the meal. mr. and mrs. hi-lo looked on with polite curiosity, marveling that the strangers could enjoy such odd food. when they had finished the wizard sighed with satisfaction and sat back in his chair. "where did you get this excellent food, if there are no human beings on the mountain top?" he asked. "oh, but there is one meat person like yourselves on mount illuso," said mrs. hi-lo. "she is our ruler, and many years ago she gave me the magic recipe for the preparation of human food. as you are the first human visitors we have ever had, this is the first time i have had occasion to use the recipe." "who is this ruler of yours?" inquired dorothy. "she is a beautiful fairy princess, named ozana," hi-lo replied. "ozana!" exclaimed dorothy. "wizard, did you hear that? ozana--doesn't that sound an awful lot like an oz name?" "it certainly does," agreed the little man. "may we see this princess ozana of yours?" he asked hi-lo. "i was about to mention," replied hi-lo, "that it was ozana's orders when she appointed me keeper of the elevator that i was to instruct any passengers i might have to seek her out at her home in pineville." "oh, let's go see her right away!" exclaimed dorothy excitedly. "not tonight," objected hi-lo. "you would never find your way through the pine forest in the dark. you may stay with us tonight and be on your way to see princess ozana early in the morning." dorothy and the wizard could offer no objection to this sensible and kindly offer of hospitality. since it was now quite dark outside, and the little cottage was cheerful and cozy with the log fire casting dancing reflections in the brightly enameled furniture, they were quite content to spend the night there. after several more questions about the ruler who called herself ozana, dorothy and the wizard decided that hi-lo and his wife knew nothing more beyond the facts that princess ozana had created the pine folks and built the village for them to live in. "have you and hi-lo always lived here alone?" dorothy asked mrs. hi-lo. the little woman's expression was sad as she answered, "no. once we had a son. he was not a very good boy and was continually getting into mischief. he was the only one of our wooden folks who ever was discontented with life here on mount illuso. he wanted to travel and see the world. we could do nothing at all with him." mrs. hi-lo sighed and continued, "one day a friendly stork paused in a long flight to rest on mount illuso, and the naughty boy persuaded the stork to carry him into the great outside world. from that time on we have never heard anything more of him. i often wonder what happened to our poor son," the little woman concluded in a sorrowful tone. "how big was your boy?" asked the wizard. "was he just a little shaver?" "oh, no," replied mrs. hi-lo. "he was almost fully grown--a young stripling, i should call him." "and was his name charlie?" inquired the wizard thoughtfully. "yes! yes, it was! oh, tell me, sir," implored mrs. hi-lo, "do you, perchance, know my son?" "not personally," replied the wizard. "but i can assure you, madame, that you have nothing to worry about where your son charlie is concerned. that friendly stork knew his business and left charlie on the right doorstep." the wizard had a small radio in his apartment in the royal palace in the emerald city, which he sometimes turned on and listened to with much curiosity. but he never listened for long, as he was subject to headaches when listening to anything but good music. "oh, thank you!" exclaimed mrs. hi-lo. "it is such a relief to know that our charlie turned out all right after all. there were times," the woman confessed, "when i had a horrible suspicion that he was made from a bad grade of pine--knotty pine, you know." "there are those who share that opinion," murmured the wizard. but mrs. hi-lo was so overjoyed to hear of her son that she paid no attention to the wizard's words. hi-lo, who seemed totally uninterested in this conversation concerning his wayward son, merely muttered, "a bad one, that youngster," and then yawned somewhat pointedly and remarked that since their beds were far too small for their guests to occupy, he and his wife would retire to their bedrooms and dorothy and the wizard could pass the night in the living room. mrs. hi-lo supplied them with warm blankets and soft pillows, and then she and hi-lo bid them a happy good night. dorothy made a snug bed on the davenport, while the wizard curled up cozily before the fire. just before dorothy dropped off to sleep she asked, "do you suppose this princess ozana has any connection with oz, wizard?" "it is possible, and then again, the name may be merely a coincidence, my dear," the little man answered sleepily, "so don't build your hopes too high." a moment later dorothy's eyes closed and she was sound asleep, dreaming that toto, in a bright blue uniform with big gold buttons and a little red cap, was operating the elevator and saying, "right this way, dorothy! step lively, please. going up--next stop, princess ozana!" chapter 10 the village of pineville dorothy and the wizard awakened bright and early the next morning, eager to pursue their adventures. mrs. hi-lo prepared a hearty breakfast for them from her magic recipe and, as they made ready to leave the pretty little cottage, hi-lo advised them: "just follow the trail that leads through the pine forest and you will come to the village of pineville where princess ozana lives. you can't miss it, and if you walk steadily you should be there by noon." stepping from the cottage, dorothy and the wizard found the morning sun bright and warm and the air filled with the pungent aroma of pine from the forest. "good-bye!" called mrs. hi-lo from the door of the cottage. "good-bye!" called mr. hi-lo. "don't forget to remember us to the princess!" "we won't," promised dorothy. "we'll tell her how kind you've been to us." in a short time the cottage was lost to their view, and the two travelers were deep in the cool shade of the pine forest. the trail over which they walked was carpeted with pine needles, making a soft and pleasant path for their feet. once when they paused to rest for a few moments a red squirrel frisked down a nearby tree and, sitting on a stump before dorothy, asked saucily, "where to, strangers?" "we're on our way to see princess ozana," said dorothy. "oh, are you indeed!" exclaimed the squirrel with a flirt of his whiskers. "well, you are just halfway there. if you walk briskly you'll find yourselves out of the forest in another two hours." "how do you know we are just halfway there?" asked dorothy. "because i've measured the distance many times," replied the squirrel. "i should think you would prefer to live nearer the village of pineville," remarked dorothy. "it must be very lonesome here in this deep pine forest." "oho! that shows how unobserving you mortals are!" exclaimed the red squirrel. "my family and i wouldn't think of living anywhere but here, no matter how lonely it is. know why?" "no, i must say i don't," confessed the girl. "look at my tree--look at my tree!" chattered the squirrel, flirting his big bushy tail in the direction of the tree from which he had appeared. "of course!" chuckled the wizard. "it's a hickory tree!" "but i don't see--" began dorothy in perplexity. "what do squirrels like best of all, my dear?" asked the wizard, smiling with amusement. "oh, wizard, why didn't i think of that? they like nuts, of course!" "exactly!" snapped the little red squirrel. "and since pine trees do not bear nuts and hickory trees do--well, city life and fine company may be all right for some folks, but i prefer to remain here in comfort where i know my family will be well provided for." and with that the wise little creature gave a leap and a bound and darted up the trunk of the one and only nut tree in all the pine forest. dorothy and the wizard followed the pine-needle trail on through the pine forest until finally the trees thinned and they stepped out into an open meadow, bright with yellow buttercups. the sun was almost directly overhead by this time. below the two travelers, in a pretty green valley that formed the center of the mountain top, lay a small village of several hundred cottages, all similar to hi-lo's. the buildings were painted with glossy blue enamel and shone brilliantly in the sun. they were grouped in a circle about one large central cottage that differed from the others in that it was considerably larger, and, from where dorothy and the wizard stood, appeared to be surrounded by rather extensive gardens and grounds. dorothy and the wizard followed the trail over the meadow to a point where it broadened into a street that led among the houses. the two travelers set out on this street, which was wide and pleasant and paved with blocks of white pine. as dorothy and the wizard walked through the village, they saw that the cottages were occupied by wooden folks, much like hi-lo and his wife. a wooden woman was washing the windows of her cottage. a wooden man with wooden shears was trimming the hedge around his house. another was repairing the white picket fence around his cottage. tiny wooden children, almost doll-like they were so small, played in the yards. from one cottage a spotted wooden dog ran into the road and barked at the strangers. "i suppose he's made of dog-wood," observed dorothy with a smile. dorothy and the wizard aroused much curiosity among the little wooden folk, most of whom paused in their work to stare at the strangers as they passed. but none of them seemed to fear the meat people. a wooden lady approached them, walking down the street with quick, lively steps. on her arm was a market basket full of green pine cones. pausing, the wizard removed his hat and in his most polite manner addressed her. "pardon me, madame. can you tell me if this street leads to the palace of princess ozana?" "palace? what's that?" asked the woman with a puzzled expression on her face. "i don't know what a palace is, sir, but if you follow this street you will come to the cottage where our princess ozana dwells." "thank you, madame," said the wizard, and the little woman trotted busily down the street. in a few minutes more dorothy and the wizard had reached the central part of pineville. here a trim, white picket fence encircled a large area that seemed to be one huge flower garden with every sort of flower imaginable growing in it. in the exact center of this enclosure stood an attractive blue cottage, large enough to accommodate comfortably full-sized human beings. just in front of the cottage was a pond of placid blue water. in the pond grew water lilies and all sorts of flowering plants that one finds in lakes and ponds. the path that led from the entrance of the cottage divided at the pond's edge and encircled the water, meeting on the opposite side of the pond and running again as a single path to a gate in the fence before which dorothy and the wizard stood. forming a bower over the gate was a white wooden trellis covered with roses. from the center of the pretty trellis hung a blue sign with these words in white enameled letters: welcome cottage of princess ozana walk in "well, i guess that means us," said the wizard with a smile, as he read the sign and pushed open the gate. chapter 11 princess ozana dorothy exclaimed with delight as they stepped through the garden gate. she had no idea any garden could be so beautiful. flowers of every known variety grew in profusion. save for the mossy paths that wound through the garden, there was not a spot of ground that was without blossoming plants. as for the pond, it was like a small sea of lovely blossoming water plants. at the far edge of the pond dorothy noted three graceful white swans, sleeping in the shade of a large flowering bush that grew at the edge of the pond and trailed its blossoms into the water. the air was sweet with the perfume of thousands and thousands of flowers. "oh, wizard," gasped dorothy, "did you ever see anything so lovely?" "it is indeed a beautiful sight," replied the little man admiringly. here and there, throughout the garden, a score or more of little wooden men were busily at work. some were watering plants from blue wooden pails, others were trimming blossoming bushes and hedges, some were digging out weeds, and others were building trellises for climbing vines. none of them took the slightest notice of dorothy and the wizard, so absorbed were they in their work. not far from where dorothy and the wizard stood, was a little maid, on her knees, digging with a trowel in the soft earth about a beautiful rambling rose bush that climbed above her on a blue trellis. "let's ask her where we can find princess ozana," suggested dorothy. a few steps brought them to the side of the maiden who wore a pretty blue apron with a pink petal design. on her hands were gardening gloves and her golden hair fell loosely down her back. "i wonder," began the wizard, "if you can tell us if the princess ozana is in?" the little maid looked up, regarding the strangers with friendly curiosity. dorothy saw that she was very lovely. her eyes were as soft as shy woodland violets, and of the same purple hue; her skin as delicately colored as fragile petals, and her lips were like rosebuds. "no," the maid replied with a suspicion of a smile in her voice, "princess ozana is not in her cottage at the moment." "perhaps you know where we can find her," suggested the wizard. at this the little maid gave a silvery laugh and exclaimed, "you _have_ found her--i am princess ozana!" "of course, wizard," said dorothy, "princess ozana is the only flesh and blood person on mount illuso 'cept for us, so this just must be she. besides," she added, "no one else could be so beautiful." "thank you, my dear," said ozana graciously, as she rose to her feet. "and you, sir," she continued, turning to the wizard and sweetly easing the little man's embarrassment, "could scarcely be blamed for failing to recognize a princess garbed so simply and digging in a garden." "i most humbly ask your pardon," murmured the wizard. "come," said ozana, "let us go into my cottage, where we can talk at ease. i must know all about you." as they started for the cottage, a small voice called after them, "wait! wait for me! don't leave me here! it's time for my milk!" dorothy glanced behind her and saw, scrambling from under a bush, a tiny kitten with pure white fur and china blue eyes. "oh, what a darling!" she cried. "this is felina, my pet kitten," announced ozana as she knelt and gathered the small bundle of fur into her arms. ozana led her guests to the living room of the cottage, an attractive room, fragrant with pine scent and comfortably furnished with pine chairs, divans and tables. pressing a button set in the pine-paneled wall, ozana bid her guests make themselves comfortable while she ordered lunch. a moment later a little wooden maid in a blue dress and spotless white pinafore, followed closely by a small wooden boy in a page's livery, appeared smiling in the doorway. the maid curtsied gracefully and the boy bobbed his head as ozana said, "this is dolly and poppet, my maid and page. dolly, will you and poppet please prepare sandwiches and refreshments for us--my guests have traveled far and must be quite hungry." "we are happy to serve your highness," answered the wooden girl and boy in unison. with another curtsy and bow the maid and page disappeared from the room. ozana seated herself beside dorothy and taking the little girl's hand in her own, while she smiled warmly at the wizard, the fairy princess said, "now, let us become acquainted." "well," began dorothy, "this is the famous wizard of oz, and i am--" "princess dorothy of oz," ozana finished for her. "you know us?" asked dorothy eagerly. "to be sure, i know you," replied ozana. "by my fairy arts i keep myself informed of all that goes on in the emerald city. i recall when our wizard first visited the land of oz in his balloon, and when the cyclone lifted your house into the air and carried you, dorothy, all the way from kansas to oz." "why do you say 'our' wizard?" asked the wizard. "because i consider myself very close to the land of oz. i have a great fondness for all its inhabitants and especially for the wizard who built the emerald city and united the four countries of oz," replied ozana earnestly. the wizard blushed modestly. "as for building the emerald city," he remarked, "i have said many times before that i only bossed the job--the oz people themselves did all the work." dorothy nodded. "when i first heard your name, ozana, i suspected it was connected in some way with oz." "i am called ozana," stated the violet-eyed maid simply, "because i am a member of queen lurline's fairy band and first cousin of princess ozma of oz." "wizard, did you hear that? princess ozana is ozma's cousin!" at this moment dolly and poppet reappeared bearing trays heaped with sandwiches and glasses of cool, fresh milk. dorothy was so excited over the revelation ozana had just made that she could scarcely eat. while they enjoyed their food, ozana and her guests exchanged stories. first dorothy and the wizard related their adventures. "i have no doubt at all," said ozana, "that the two strange birds who took your forms were none other than king umb and queen ra, the mimic monarchs." "did you say mimics?" exclaimed dorothy. "yes, my dear, mount illuso is the home of the dread mimics." "oh," said dorothy thoughtfully, "that explains a lot of things. why, only the day before she left the land of oz, ozma and i were discussing the mimics." the wizard, who knew nothing of the mimics, listened with interest as ozana described the creatures. "i don't understand," said the wizard when ozana had finished, "why you should be living alone on the top of this mountain in which such evil creatures as the mimics dwell." "that question is easily answered," replied ozana. "immediately after queen lurline enchanted the mimics so that they could not attack the oz inhabitants, she flew with me, her fairy companion, to the top of mount illuso. here she left me, giving me certain fairy powers over the mimics and instructing me that i was to remain here at all times as the guardian of oz to prevent the mimics from doing any harm to the oz people should the evil creatures ever succeed in lifting queen lurline's spell. i was not even permitted to leave the mountain to attend queen lurline's fairy councils in the forest of burzee." "then it must have been your fairy light that freed us from the mimic enchantment in the cavern prison," surmised dorothy. "yes, it was," ozana admitted. "you see, after queen lurline departed from mount illuso and i was left alone, the first thing i did was to place the button of light in that cavern which the mimics call their cavern of the doomed. i enchanted the light so that it would appear soon after prisoners were placed in the cave. i gave the light power to overcome the spell cast by the mimics on their victims." "then you are responsible for the elevator and hi-lo, too," said the wizard. "yes," replied ozana. "i placed the elevator in the mountain and stationed hi-lo there to operate it. i did all this by my fairy arts. of course the mimics have no knowledge of my arrangements to bring about the release of their victims. i knew the escaped prisoners would find their way to me and i could aid them if i judged them worthy. but i never expected to find inhabitants of the land of oz in the mimic cavern of the doomed!" "how is it," asked the wizard, "that the mimics were able to capture dorothy and me, despite the fact that we are inhabitants of the land of oz?" "you must remember," said ozana, "that both you and dorothy came to oz from the great outside world and neither of you was an inhabitant of oz when queen lurline cast her spell over the mimics. hence you were not protected by that spell. it was for just such an unlooked-for development as this that the wise queen lurline left me on this mountain top." "may i ask then," said the wizard, "why you knew nothing of the flight of the mimic king and queen to the emerald city?" ozana's face flushed slightly at this question, and she replied hesitatingly. "i must admit that i am fully responsible for all your troubles. but i plead with you to consider my side of the story. i have dwelt on this forsaken mountain top with no human companions for more than two hundred years. at first i amused myself by creating the little wooden people and building their pine village for them. but it was too much like playing with dolls, and i soon tired. then i busied myself with my garden, growing in it every variety of flower that exists. this occupied me for many long years. "please remember i had taken many precautions against the mimics. i believed i could rely on my fairy light to free any prisoners in the cavern of the doomed, but apparently the mimics took no captives they thought important enough to occupy the cavern of the doomed until they made you prisoners. and then my fairy light served me well. can you find it in your hearts to forgive me that i did not spend all my time keeping guard over the mimics through all those long years?" "of course. we understand, ozana," said dorothy, pressing the fairy maid's hand affectionately. "and i must confess," continued ozana with a grateful smile at dorothy, "that had i not been so completely absorbed in my garden during the last few days, i would surely have known of ozma and glinda's departure from the emerald city and your own plight." the wizard had been very thoughtful while ozana was speaking. now he asked, "just what do you believe to be the plans of the two mimics who are now masquerading as dorothy and me in the emerald city?" ozana was grave at this question. "it is evident," she replied, "that king umb and queen ra hope to take advantage of the absence of ozma and glinda to search for the counter-charm that would release the mimics from queen lurline's enchantment and permit them to overrun oz. "queen ra must have discovered by her black arts that queen lurline had given the secret of the magical antidote into ozma's keeping, knowing it would be safest with ozma. "it may be," added ozana thoughtfully, "that if king umb and queen ra have not discovered the spell by the time ozma and glinda return, they would even be so bold as to remain in the emerald city, hoping they could deceive ozma and glinda as they have the rest of the oz folks." "what do you think they will do if they find the magic spell?" asked dorothy fearfully. the violet depths of ozana's eyes darkened as she considered. "i don't like to think about that, my dear," she answered slowly. after a moment's silence princess ozana brightened. "come, now, let's not borrow trouble. the mimic monarchs have had so little time that i am sure they could not have succeeded in their search! we have nothing to fear now. however, i will spend the entire afternoon and evening in study, and by use of my fairy arts i will be able to discover just what king umb and queen ra's plot is. with that knowledge we can act wisely and quickly to defeat the mimic monarchs." "do you think we should wait that long?" asked the wizard. "it is necessary," replied ozana firmly. "i must have time to study ra and umb's actions during the past few days and to prepare myself to fight them. remember, they are powerful enemies. unless i am mistaken we shall be on our way to the emerald city in the morning, and i shall be fully armed with whatever knowledge is necessary to defeat the mimic monarchs completely. do not worry, my friends. i am confident i can bring about the downfall of king umb and queen ra before ozma and glinda return to the emerald city tomorrow." "of course you are right," assented the wizard slowly. "now," said ozana rising, "let me show you my garden of which i am quite proud. i am sure you will find it so interesting that you will regret you have only one short afternoon to spend in it. i have passed countless days in it and found it ever more fascinating." the white kitten, felina, had finished lapping up the milk from the bowl placed on the floor for her by the little wooden maid. dorothy knelt, cuddling the tiny creature in her arms. "may i take felina in the garden with us?" dorothy asked. "to be sure," replied ozana. "i shall be far too occupied this afternoon to give her my attention." as they stepped from ozana's cottage into the garden, the fairy princess said, "i believe you will find my garden different from any you have ever seen. i call it my story blossom garden." chapter 12 story blossom garden "now i will show you why i call my garden story blossom garden," began ozana as she advanced toward a rose tree laden with lovely blooms. "you see, these are not ordinary flowers. they are fairy flowers that i created with my fairy arts. and the soil in which they grow is magic soil. take this rose, for instance." here ozana cupped a large red rose in her hands. "look into its petals, dorothy, and tell me what you see." "why, the petals form a lovely girl's face!" dorothy exclaimed in delight. "and so it is with all the blossoms in my garden," said ozana. "if you look closely into them, you will see a human face. now, dorothy, put your ear close to the rose and listen." dorothy did as she was bid and quite clearly she heard a small but melodious voice say pleadingly, "pick me, pick me, little girl, and i will tell you the sweetest story ever told--a love story." dorothy looked at the rose in awe. "what does it mean?" she asked ozana. "simply that all the flowers in my garden are story blossom flowers. pick a blossom and hold it to your ear, and it will tell you its story. when the story is done, the blossom will fade and wither." "oh, but i shouldn't like any of the beautiful flowers to die," protested dorothy, "even to hear their lovely stories." "they do not die," replied ozana. "as i said, these are no ordinary flowers. they do not grow from seeds or bulbs. instead, as soon as a blossom has told its story it fades and withers. then one of my gardeners plants it, and in a few days it blooms afresh with a new story to tell. the flowers are all eager to be picked so that they may tell their stories. just as ordinary flowers give off their perfumes freely and graciously, so my flowers love to breathe forth the fragrance of their stories. a poet once said that perfumes are the souls of flowers. i have succeeded in distilling those perfumes into words." "can't the flowers tell their stories while they are still growing?" asked dorothy. "no," replied ozana. "only when they are separated from their plants can they tell their stories." "do all the roses tell the same love story?" dorothy asked. "no indeed," said ozana. "while it is true that all the roses tell love stories--for the rose is the flower of love--all roses do not tell the _same_ love story. since no two rose blossoms are identical, no two blossoms tell the same story. it was my purpose in creating the garden to supply myself with a never-ending source of amusement as an escape from the boredom of living alone on this desolate mountain top. i was reminded of the princess in the arabian nights tales. you will recall that she told her stories for a thousand-and-one nights. my story blossoms," ozana concluded with a smile, "can tell many, many more than a thousand-and-one stories. there are many thousands of blossoms in my garden, and each blossom has a different story." "you are certainly to be congratulated on your marvelous garden," said the wizard. "it is a miraculous feat of magic," he added admiringly. "thank you," replied ozana graciously. "and now i will leave you, as i must form our plans for tomorrow. i must ask you to excuse me from the evening meal. dolly and poppet will serve you, and when you are ready they will show you to your sleeping rooms. good-bye, for the present, my friends." dorothy and the wizard bid their lovely hostess good-bye and then turned to the wonderful garden of story blossoms. putting felina on the ground to romp beside her, dorothy dropped to her knees before a cluster of pansies. as she bent her ear over one of the little flower faces, it murmured, "pick me, little girl, pick me! i'll tell you an old-fashioned story of once-upon-a-time about a wicked witch and a beautiful princess." the wizard found himself admiring the flaming beauty of a stately tiger-lily. placing his ear close to the blossom, he listened and heard the flower say in a throaty voice, "pick me, o man, and hear a thrilling story of splendid silken beasts in their sultry jungle lairs." now dorothy was listening to a purple thistle that spoke with a rich scotch burr, "pick me, little girrrl, an' ye'll make naw mistake, for i'll tell ye a tale of a highland lassie for auld lang syne." noticing a tawny blossom with gay purple spots, dorothy placed her ear close to it. this was a harlequin flower and it said, "pick me, child, and i'll tell you a wonder tale about merryland and its valley of clowns, where dwell the happy, fun-loving clowns who delight in making children laugh." dorothy remembered reading in a story book about merryland and the valley of clowns. next was a black-eyed-susan that murmured to dorothy, "pick me, and i will tell you the story of three things that men love best--black eyes and brown and blue. men love them all, but oh, black eyes--men love and die for you!" dorothy smiled and moved on to a daisy which whispered to her in halting, doubtful tones, "does he really love her? i shouldn't tell, but i know, i know--and i will tell if only you'll pick me, little girl." "and i thought daisies didn't tell," dorothy said to herself. she stopped before a rambling rose that spoke in a rapid, excited voice and wanted to relate a story of vagabond adventure in far-away places. then a bright red tulip whispered about a tale of wind-mills and holland canals and pretty dutch girls. at last the little girl came to a sunflower so tall that she had to stand on tip-toe to hear its words. "pick me," the sunflower urged, "and hear my story of sun-baked prairies and western farm homes and great winds that sweep across the plains." "i wonder," thought dorothy, "if the sunflower would tell me a story about my old home in kansas. there used to be a great many sunflowers on uncle henry's farm back there." a tiny violet growing in a mossy bed caught the girl's eye, and as she knelt to hear its words, a shrill, unpleasant voice exclaimed, "pick me! pick me! pick me immediately! i'll tell you a story that will burn your ears off! all about dick superguy--greatest detective in the world! he can't be killed--he's all-powerful!" dorothy was sure the shy little violet hadn't uttered these words. while she looked about to see where the rude voice was coming from, one of the little wooden gardeners stepped up and said apologetically, "beg your pardon, miss, it's just a weed. they're always loud and noisy, and while we don't care much for their stories, we feel they have as much right to grow as any other plants. even a magic fairy garden has its weeds." the wizard had strolled over to the pond of placid blue water, and placing his ear close to a green pad on which nestled an exquisite water lily, he heard these words, "pick me, o man, and i'll tell you a tale of a magic white ship that sails the jeweled seas and of the strange creatures that dwell in the blue depths." turning to a lotus blossom, the wizard heard a sleepy voice murmur, "pick me, pick me. i'll carry you afar to the secret islands of the never-ending nights, where the winds are music in the palm trees and the hours are woven of delights." now that they had listened to the pleading voices of so many of the blossoms, dorothy and the wizard decided to pick some of them and hear their stories. dorothy's first selection was a jack-in-the-pulpit, which proved to be an unfortunate choice as the story the blossom told was preachy and sermon-like. she decided the blossom was a trifle green. next she tried a daffodil. the story this blossom whispered to her in silver tones was about a lovely spring maiden who went dancing around the earth, and at her approach all ugliness and coldness and bitterness vanished. in the spring maiden's wake appeared a trail of anemones and violets and daffodils and tulips, and gentle winds that caused new hopes to arise in the hearts of the winter-weary people. the wizard selected a pink carnation. this spicily-scented blossom told him an exciting story of intrigue and adventure in high places. it was a romantic, dashing story, full of cleverness and surprises. then the wizard plucked a cluster of purple lilacs. each of the tiny blossoms growing on the stem joined in a chorus to sing him a story of home and love, of patience and virtue and all the common things of life in which the poorest may find riches and happiness. almost before dorothy and the wizard realized it, the shadows of evening were lengthening over the garden, and dolly and poppet appeared to inform them the evening meal was awaiting them. dorothy picked up the white kitten which had fallen asleep in the shadow of a nearby hedge, and she and the wizard followed the maid and the page back to the cheery comfort of ozana's cottage. they chatted happily over the good food served them by dolly and poppet. felina had her bowl of milk on the floor, near dorothy's chair. then, since they realized the next day was likely to be a busy and exciting one, they followed dolly and poppet to the rooms ozana had prepared for them and said good-night at their doors. the rooms were delightfully furnished with deep, soft beds and everything to make them comfortable for the night. as dorothy pulled the covers over her, and felina snuggled into a small, furry ball at the girl's feet, dolly reappeared with a poppy blossom in her hand. "here, princess dorothy," the thoughtful little maid said, "listen to the story of the poppy blossom and you'll be sure to sleep well." so dorothy listened to the soft, slumbrous voice of the poppy and was asleep almost before the tale was finished. what kind of a story did the sweet poppy tell? why, a bedtime story, of course. chapter 13 the three swans dorothy was awakened by the sunlight streaming through the windows of her bedroom. refreshed and eager for the adventures that lay ahead, she bathed and dressed and, with felina in her arms, knocked on the door of the wizard's room. the man was already awake and in excellent spirits as he greeted dorothy. a moment later dolly and poppet came to lead them to the living room where ozana was awaiting them for breakfast. the fairy princess, radiant with loveliness, was dressed in a simple, blue dress with a circlet of roses set in her golden hair. dorothy thought this an excellent crown for the princess of story blossom garden. when the meal was finished, ozana said, "it will please you to learn that my studies which i completed late last night revealed that the mimic king and queen have accomplished no real harm in the emerald city. however, queen ra has succeeded in doing something that has surprised me. she has thrown up a magic screen about her activities which has made it impossible for me to discover whether she has found the spell that would release the mimics from queen lurline's enchantment. it is logical to believe ra has failed, since, if she had discovered the spell, she would surely have used it to permit the mimic hordes to overrun oz." "but you cannot be sure. is that it, ma'am?" asked the wizard. "yes, i am afraid so," ozana admitted, frowning slightly. "this magic screen that queen ra has devised baffles me and resists all my efforts to penetrate it. for this reason i think it would be wise for us to go as quickly as possible to the emerald city. as you know, ozma and glinda will return from the forest of burzee this morning at ten o'clock. i would like to be present to greet them and to explain what has happened. there is no use causing them undue alarm. after all, i am responsible for the mimics in regard to the land of oz," ozana concluded thoughtfully. "well," said dorothy, "i'm ready to go. how about you, wizard?" the little man's expression was grave as he answered. "the quicker we get back to oz the better. i have an uneasy feeling that we are not finished with the mimics by any means." "then it is settled," announced ozana. "come, my friends, let us make all possible haste. we have no time to lose." "may i take felina to oz with us?" asked dorothy. ozana smiled. "certainly, my dear. only let us hurry." dorothy and the wizard followed ozana to the cottage door and down the path that led to the edge of the pond. the garden was fresh and lovely in the early morning. the side of the cottage that faced the morning sun was covered with blue morning glories. dorothy regretted that there was no time for her to pick one of the delicate blossoms and listen to its story. standing at the edge of the pond, ozana uttered a soft, musical whistle. from under the low-hanging branches of a large bush that trailed into the water on the far shore of the pond, emerged the three graceful swans which dorothy and the wizard had admired the day before. the snow white birds moved swiftly across the water in answer to ozana's summons. "these are my swans which will carry us over the deadly desert to the emerald city," said ozana. "they don't look big enough to carry even you or me, let alone the wizard," said dorothy doubtfully. ozana laughed. "of course they are not large enough now, dorothy, but soon they will be." the three swans were now at the pond's edge, just at ozana's feet. the fairy princess bent, touching the head of each of the birds gently with a slender wand which she drew from the folds of her blue dress. while dorothy and the wizard watched, the birds grew steadily before their wondering eyes. in a few seconds they were nearly five times the size of ordinary swans. the fairy princess placed a dainty foot on the back of one of the swans, and then settled herself on the bird's downy back, motioning to dorothy and the wizard to do likewise. dorothy stepped gingerly to the back of the swan nearest her. she found the great bird supported her easily. holding felina in her lap, the little girl nestled comfortably among the feathers. the wizard had already mounted the third swan. seeing that the passengers were all aboard, ozana signaled the swans, and with mighty strokes of their great wings the birds soared into the air. dorothy looked behind her and saw ozana's cottage growing smaller as the birds climbed higher and higher into the heavens. in a short time, they had left mount illuso so far in the distance that it was no longer visible. the soft feathers of the bird that carried her, and the gentle motion with which it sped through the air made dorothy think of riding through the sky on a downy feather bed. "isn't it grand, wizard!" dorothy called. "it certainly beats any traveling i ever did," admitted the wizard. "it's even better than my balloon back in omaha." ozana's bird flew in advance, with the swans bearing dorothy and the wizard slightly to her rear on either side of her. they crossed the border of the land of the phanfasms and soared high over the deadly desert. the swans flew even higher over the desert than had the mimic birds. for this reason none of the travelers suffered from the poisonous fumes that rose from the shifting sands of the desert. as they approached the yellow land of the winkies, dorothy noticed that ozana cast several anxious glances at the sun which was rising higher and higher in the heavens. it seemed to the little girl that the fairy princess was disturbed and anxious. "is anything wrong, ozana?" called dorothy. "i cannot say for sure," replied ozana. "something has taken place in oz of which i was not aware. i can feel the change now that we are actually over the land of oz. i am trying to discover what has happened by means of my fairy powers. i am afraid, too, that the journey is taking longer than i expected, and we shall not be able to arrive before ozma and glinda." at a signal from their mistress the three swans quickened their already swift flight. again and again ozana consulted the sun, and her appearance became more grave and worried as they approached the emerald city. suddenly the fairy princess's expression changed. a look of anger and dismay clouded her face, and the next instant she cried out beseechingly: "forgive me, my friends! i now understand all that has happened. the mimics have cunningly outwitted me!" chapter 14 the mimic monarchs lock themselves in back in the emerald city a great deal had been happening while dorothy and the wizard were adventuring on mount illuso. you will recall that toto had startled the oz people by trotting into the grand dining room and declaring that it was not dorothy who sat at the head of the table. you see, in some ways animals are wiser than human beings. king umb and queen ra were able to fool the oz people just by _looking_ like dorothy and the wizard, but they couldn't deceive the keen senses of the little dog so easily. toto's animal instinct warned him that this was not his beloved mistress dorothy nor his old friend the wizard. when toto made his astonishing assertion every eye in the dining room turned questioningly upon the mimic king and queen. suddenly queen ra leaped to her feet. grasping king umb by the arm and hissing, "hurry, you fool!" she pulled the mimic king after her and the two dashed from the dining room. for a moment everyone was too startled to move--except toto. he sped like an arrow after the fleeing monarchs. the quick-witted scarecrow broke the spell by leaping to his feet and following with awkward haste after the dog. instantly there rose a clamor of startled exclamations and bewildered questions from the oz people who were thrown into confusion by these strange happenings. by the time the scarecrow had reached the corridor, king umb, queen ra and toto were nowhere in sight. but the straw man could hear toto's excited barking. following in the direction of the sound, down one corridor and up another, the scarecrow arrived in the wing of the palace usually occupied by ozma, and found toto barking before a closed door. the little dog's eyes flashed angrily. when toto saw the scarecrow, he stopped barking and said, "i was just too late. they slammed the door in my face and now i suppose it is locked." the scarecrow attempted to turn the knob with his stuffed hand and found that, as toto suspected, the door was locked. "do you know what room this is?" toto asked. "of course," replied the scarecrow, "it's ozma's chamber of magic." "yes," went on the little dog, "the same room where the imitation dorothy and wizard have shut themselves in all day. why? i want to know! i tell you, scarecrow, there's something awfully funny going on here." the straw man was thoughtful. "i agree with you, toto. something is happening that we don't understand. we must find out what it is. i believe the wisest thing we can do is to return to the dining room and hold a council to talk this thing over. maybe we will be able to find an explanation." silently the little dog agreed, and a short time later a group of the best-loved companions of dorothy and the wizard was gathered in a living room adjoining the grand dining room. the scarecrow presided over the meeting. "all we really know," he began, "is that dorothy and the wizard have been acting very strangely today--the second day of the absence of ozma and glinda. toto insists that they are not dorothy and the wizard at all." "lan' sakes!" exclaimed dorothy's aunt em, "i'll admit the child ain't been herself today, but it's down-right silly to say that our dorothy's someone else. i ought to know my own niece!" "em, you're a-gittin' all mixed up," cautioned uncle henry. "you jest now said dorothy ain't been herself today--that means she must be somebody else." "but who could look so much like dorothy and the wizard?" queried betsy bobbin with a frown. "and why should anyone wish to deceive us?" asked tiny trot. now cap'n bill spoke up. "s'posin'," began the old sailor gruffly, "that we admit fer the moment that this _ain't_ the real dorothy and the wizard. then the most important thing is--where _are_ the real dorothy and the wizard?" "that's the smartest thing that's been said yet," declared toto earnestly, with an admiring glance at cap'n bill. "here we are, wasting time in talk, when something dreadful may be happening to dorothy and the wizard. let's get busy and find them quickly." "maybe they're lost," suggested button bright. "if that's the case there's nothing to worry about, 'cause i've been lost lots of times and i always got found again." but no one paid any attention to the boy. with her yarn hair dangling before her eyes, the patchwork girl danced to the front of the gathering. "the trouble with you people," she asserted, "is that you don't know how to add two and two and get four." "what do you mean by that, scraps?" asked the scarecrow. "just this," retorted the stuffed girl, saucily making a face at the scarecrow. "what did we overhear dorothy and the wizard discussing today in the garden? magic! they were talking about a magic spell which they hoped to find before ozma and glinda returned. all right. now where did dorothy and the wizard spend most of the day and where have they fled just now to lock themselves in? to ozma's chamber of _magic_!" the patchwork girl concluded triumphantly, "mark my words there's magic behind all this, and the secret is hidden in ozma's chamber of magic." with his chin in his hand, the scarecrow was regarding scraps in silent admiration. "sometimes," he said, "i almost believe your head is stuffed with the same quality of brains the wizard put in mine." "nope!" denied scraps emphatically. "it's not brains--just a little common sense." and with that the irrepressible creature leaped to the chandelier suspended from the ceiling and began chinning herself. "yes," agreed the scarecrow with a sigh as he regarded her antics, "i guess i was wrong about your brains." "but what are we going to _do_? that's what i want to know," demanded toto impatiently. "i believe," declared the scarecrow finally, "there is only one thing we _can_ do. we must go to ozma's chamber of magic and try to persuade this strange dorothy and the wizard to admit us. if they refuse, then we shall be obliged to break open the door and demand an explanation of their mysterious behavior." "good!" exclaimed toto. "let us go at once." they all filed out of the room and made their way to ozma's chamber of magic. the door was still locked. several times the scarecrow called to dorothy and the wizard to open the door and admit them, but there was no response. then cap'n bill stepped forward. he knew what was expected of him as the biggest and strongest of the group. he placed a shoulder against the door and pushed. the door creaked and yielded. again cap'n bill pushed. this time the door yielded more noticeably. upon the third trial the door suddenly gave way before the old sailor man's weight, and the scarecrow followed by scraps, trot, betsy bobbin, button bright and the rest crowded into ozma's chamber of magic. chapter 15 in the chamber of magic when queen ra seized king umb by the arm and fled with him from the dining room, the mimic queen was alarmed. she realized it was useless to attempt to deceive toto, and she greatly feared the little dog would succeed in convincing the scarecrow and the others that something had happened to dorothy and the wizard. fear lent speed to the queen's feet as she ran down the corridor, dragging king umb after her, with toto in close pursuit. she slammed the door of the chamber of magic and locked it just in time to prevent toto's entry. then she flung herself in a chair, gasping for breath. when king umb, who was even more frightened than his queen, had got his breath and could speak, he said raspingly, "so this is the way your plan works--a miserable dog robs us of success!" "silence!" commanded queen ra angrily. "we are far from defeated. we still have time to find the magic spell. and we will! we were fools to give up the search and go to that silly dinner," she concluded bitterly. she turned to ozma's magic books and began feverishly leafing through them. for perhaps ten minutes she continued her search fruitlessly. flung carelessly on the floor at her side was a great pile of books through which she had previously looked in vain for the magic spell. only four books remained to be searched through. while king umb watched nervously, the queen continued her frantic quest. now only two books remained. the magic spell must be in one of these two volumes. suddenly queen ra leaped to her feet with a cry of triumph. "i have found it!" she announced with exultation. she tore a page from the book and cast the volume to the floor. "come," she urged, "let us return to mount illuso as speedily as possible. soon we will come again to oz. but we will not be alone!" both ra and umb laughed with wicked satisfaction. just then the scarecrow called to dorothy and the wizard to open the door and admit them. "fools!" muttered queen ra. "in a short time you will all be my slaves." pausing to pick up dorothy's magic belt, queen ra walked to a large french window that looked down on the palace court-yard. turning to king umb, she said, "these hateful shapes can serve us no longer, so let us discard them and be on our way." instantly the figures of dorothy and the wizard vanished and in their places appeared two great, black birds with huge, powerful wings. just as cap'n bill burst open the door, and the scarecrow and the rest crowded into the room, the birds flew from the window. the little group hurried to the window and looked out. high above the palace and swiftly disappearing in the night, flew two enormous bat-like birds. the night was too dark and the birds too far away for any of the oz people to see that one of the creatures clutched dorothy's magic belt. while queen ra had not yet learned how to command the many wonderful powers of the magic belt (or she would most certainly have used the belt to transport herself and umb to the mimic land in the twinkling of an eye), nevertheless she had no intention of leaving the valuable talisman behind to be used by the oz people. more bewildered than ever, the scarecrow and his companions turned from the window. "i told you so!" declared toto excitedly. "you see--those creatures were not dorothy and the wizard at all." "you are right," said the scarecrow, "those great birds must be the same beings that we thought were dorothy and the wizard." "certainly," replied toto. "you can see for yourself that dorothy and the wizard are not here." it was true enough. there was no trace of dorothy or the wizard in the chamber of magic. "but who were those creatures? and why did they want us to believe they were dorothy and the wizard? and what has happened to the real dorothy and the wizard?" the scarecrow asked helplessly. "why not look in the magic picture and find out?" asked the patchwork girl, as she danced about the room. "of course, the very thing!" exclaimed the scarecrow. "why didn't i think of that myself?" "because your brains are of an extraordinary quality," retorted scraps, "and you can't be expected to think common-sense thoughts." the magic picture which hung on a wall in ozma's boudoir was one of the rarest treasures in all oz. ordinarily the picture presented merely an attractive view of a pleasant countryside with rolling fields and a forest in the background. but when anyone stood in front of the picture and asked to see a certain person--anywhere in the world--the painted picture faded and was replaced by the moving image of the person named and his or her surroundings at that exact time. the scarecrow and his companions gathered about the magic picture and the straw man said solemnly, "i want to see dorothy and the wizard." instantly the painted scene faded and in its place appeared the interior of hi-lo's little cottage. dorothy and the wizard were just about to sit down to the food mrs. hi-lo had prepared for them. "i wonder who those two funny little people are?" murmured trot, fascinated by the quaint appearance of mr. and mrs. hi-lo. "they are not familiar to me," observed the scarecrow reflectively, "nor have i ever seen a cottage quite like that one in the land of oz." for a time the group watched in silence while dorothy and the wizard ate their food and conversed with mr. and mrs. hi-lo. but at length, as nothing of importance occurred, the scarecrow said: "even though we don't know where dorothy and the wizard are, at least the magic picture has shown us they are safe for the moment and we don't need to worry about them." "why not use dorothy's magic belt to wish dorothy and the wizard back here in the palace?" trot asked suddenly as she stared at the images in the magic picture. "an excellent suggestion!" agreed the scarecrow, his face beaming. "trot, i believe you have solved our problem," he said admiringly. the scarecrow knew that when dorothy was not wearing her magic belt on a journey, it was always kept in ozma's chamber of magic. so the straw man went there himself to get the belt. a few minutes later he returned and announced gloomily, "it's gone. the magic belt is nowhere in the chamber of magic. either ozma took it with her, or it has been stolen. the magic picture has shown us that dorothy is not wearing the belt." disappointment was reflected on everyone's face, and for a moment no one spoke. then the scarecrow declared, "my friends, there remains only one more thing for us to do." "what is that?" asked cap'n bill. "one of us must leave immediately for glinda's castle in the quadling country to consult glinda's great book of records. the book will provide us with a complete account of all that has happened to dorothy and the wizard." "a wise suggestion," agreed cap'n bill. "who will go?" "i will," volunteered dorothy's uncle henry quickly. "i want to do everything possible to bring dorothy back to us and it 'pears to me we can't do much of anything until we know what has happened to her." "good!" exclaimed the scarecrow. "you can leave at once. i will order ozma's wooden sawhorse to carry you to glinda's castle and back. but even though the sawhorse is swift and tireless, you will not be able to make the journey, consult the great book of records and return to the emerald city before ozma and glinda come back day after tomorrow. that is too bad. the disappearance of dorothy and the wizard and all this mystery will not provide a very cheerful homecoming for ozma and glinda. but at least we shall have the information contained in the great book of records, and then ozma and glinda will know best what to do." uncle henry kissed aunt em good-bye and hurried to the royal stable where the sawhorse was waiting for him. "i understand," said the queer steed, whose body and head were made from a tree trunk, "that we're going to glinda's castle in the quadling country." "that's right," nodded uncle henry. "and this is no pleasure trip, so go as fast as you can." glancing at uncle henry for a moment from one of his eyes which were knots in the wood, the sawhorse turned, as soon as uncle henry was mounted, and dashed down the stable driveway into the street leading to the gates of the emerald city. once outside the city, the sawhorse ran so swiftly that its legs, which were merely sticks of wood which ozma had caused to be shod with gold, fairly twinkled. it sped with a rolling, cradle-like motion over fields and hills, and uncle henry had to hold on for dear life. perhaps i should explain that glinda's great book of records is a marvelous book in which everything that happens, from the slightest detail to the most important event taking place anywhere in the world, is recorded the same instant that it happens. no occurrence is too trivial to appear in the book. if a naughty child stamps its foot in anger, or if a powerful ruler plunges his country into war, both events are noted in the book, as of equal importance. the huge book lies open on a great table, occupying the center of glinda's study and is bound to the table by large chains of gold. next to ozma's magic picture, glinda's great book of records is the most valuable treasure in oz. the scarecrow knew that by consulting this wonderful book, uncle henry would be able to discover exactly what had happened to dorothy and the wizard. the scarecrow and scraps, having no need for sleep, sat before the magic picture all night long conversing quietly and occasionally glancing at the images of dorothy and the wizard as the picture showed them sleeping in hi-lo's cottage. the rest of the oz people retired to their bedrooms, but none of them slept well that night. they were far too worried over the plight of dorothy and the wizard to rest easily. chapter 16 a web is woven arriving at mount illuso early the following morning, king umb and queen ra passed the day secluded in the secret cavern where the queen was accustomed to study the dark sorcery of the erbs and practice her evil magic. this cavern was so well hidden, far in the depths of mount illuso, and its location was so closely guarded, that only a few of the most faithful subjects of the mimic king and queen were aware of its existence. while queen ra's shape was that of a woman, her body was covered with a heavy fur of a reddish-brown color, and her head was that of a fox with a long snout and sharply pointed ears. two green eyes blazed with a fierce light from her furry face. in her hand the fox-woman held a brass whistle on which she blew a shrill blast. in answer to this summons came the mimic known as ebo. ebo wore the body of a jackal with the head of a serpent. "go to the cave of the doomed and bring the two prisoners to me at once," the queen commanded. "yes, your highness," hissed ebo as he swayed his serpent head in obeisance and left the cavern. "we might as well have a little fun while we wait for midnight," grinned the fox head of the woman evilly. king umb appeared as a great, grey ape with cloven hoofs and the head of a man. from the center of his forehead projected a single horn. the man-face was covered with a shaggy, black beard which fell to the hairy chest of the ape-body. "what do you intend doing with the girl and the man?" asked the grey ape. "i shall practice transformations on the man, giving him a number of unusual shapes and then perhaps combine them all into one interesting creature. it is amazingly easy to change the shapes of humans, so it will not be much of a feat of magic. then, just before we leave for the emerald city, i shall change him into a salamander--a green salamander instead of the ordinary red kind, of course, since he is from the emerald city--and then when we are over the deadly desert i shall drop him into the sands. salamanders are the only creatures that can exist in the desert, so it will really be a merciful fate, since it will not stop him from living." "and the girl?" prompted king umb. "i think i shall keep the girl chained in my cavern to amuse me when the excitement of conquering and devastating oz is over and i am in need of diversion," said queen ra. while the queen was relating her wicked plans, ebo made his way to the cave of the doomed and was amazed and terrified to find it empty. how could there be an escape from the cave from which there was no exit save the single stone door which was always closely guarded? the jackal body of ebo trembled with fear of the punishment he knew queen ra would be quick to inflict on him. but there was nothing else for him to do but to report the mysterious disappearance of the prisoners to the mimic king and queen. queen ra received the news with a scream of rage. blowing on her brass whistle, she summoned two other mimics. pointing to ebo who cringed with fear, she cried, "carry him away and cast him into the pit of forked flames." king umb was uneasy. "i don't like this," he said. "how do we know that the two mortals will not interfere with our plans to conquer oz?" "bah! what can two weak mortals do in the face of our might?" demanded the queen derisively. knowing his wife's temper, king umb refrained from reminding ra that the mortals had somehow miraculously succeeded in escaping from the cave of the doomed. instead, he merely shrugged his ape shoulders and said, "just the same, i wish we were on our way to oz now, instead of waiting until midnight." queen ra glared at her husband. "i have told you that lurline's enchantment can be broken only at midnight. tonight at twelve, i will cast the spell which lurline foolishly left in ozma's possession. since it is the antidote to the enchantment which protects oz from the mimics, lurline knew ozma would guard it most carefully. but we succeeded in stealing it. once the spell is cast, the mimics will be free in all their power to attack oz and enslave its people. i tell you, umb, the famous land of oz is doomed. in a few short hours it will be a shambles. nothing can save it!" * * * * * a few minutes before the hour of midnight, the mimic hordes assembled in the vast domed cavern which forms that portion of hollow mount illuso that towers above the earth. in the center of the cavern on a stone dais stood king umb and queen ra. the mimic queen lifted her arms and immediately silence fell over the shifting mass of evil beings. the queen held in her hand a small box of black enameled wood. placing the box on the stone dais before her, she raised the lid and muttered an incantation. immediately there crawled from the box a scarlet spider as large as the queen's hand. at the first word of the incantation the spider began to grow. in a few seconds its body was four feet in thickness, and its hairy legs sprawled to a distance of fifteen feet from its body which was covered with a crimson fur. "now go," queen ra commanded the spider, "and weave the web that will enmesh the fairy enchantment that hangs over us!" the mimic hordes parted to make a path through their midst for the spider. the loathsome creature scuttled first to the wall of the cavern, and then climbed up the side of the wall. in a few seconds it had reached the top of the cavern. then, moving with incredible speed, it wove a monster spider web of crimson strands as thick and tough as heavy rope cables. queen ra watched silently until the fashioning of the scarlet web was completed. at that moment she cried aloud for all to hear: "so long as this web remains unbroken, the mimics are freed from the enchantment cast on them by lurline! the web is a snare and a net for lurline's fairy enchantment and holds every remnant of it caught fast in its coils." the queen spoke triumphantly, and well she might, for the magic spell she had stolen from ozma had worked perfectly. "come!" shouted queen ra. "let us tarry no longer. we have waited too many years for this hour!" with this the mimic king and queen assumed the shapes of giant birds and soared through the cavern to the stone portal. the throngs of their mimic subjects followed, beating the air with great, leathery wings as they passed from the cavern into the night. soon the sky above mount illuso was darkened with the great numbers of the mimic horde, and the light of the moon was blotted from the earth by the flapping wings. following the lead of king umb and queen ra, they headed straight for the deadly desert and the land of oz. chapter 17 the mimics in the emerald city on the morning when the mimic hordes swept over the border of the deadly desert and the winkie country and on to the emerald city, button bright and the patchwork girl were playing leap-frog in the garden of the royal palace. cap'n bill was sitting nearby on a bench in the sun, carving on a block of wood with his big jack-knife. the old sailor man worked slowly and painstakingly, but when he finished he knew he would have a good likeness of princess ozma's lovely features carved in the wood. this he planned to mount as a figurehead on the prow of the boat he was building as a surprise for ozma. suddenly button bright, who had tumbled flat on his back, cried out: "look! look at those birds!" scraps swept her yarn hair out of her button eyes and tilted her head back. the sky was darkening with a great cloud of birds. and what beautiful creatures those birds were! "birds of a feather flock together. red, blue, green and gold match my patches, bold. "not a grey topknot in the whole lot! see the popinjay flirt its colors gay..." cried the patchwork girl, dancing about in wild excitement. "stop it, scraps!" commanded button bright who was nearly as excited as the stuffed girl. "trot, betsy, ojo, scarecrow!" the boy called. "come out and see the pretty birds!" of course this taking the forms of gorgeous plumed birds was a clever part of queen ra's cunning scheme. she knew the beauty of the birds, instead of alarming the oz people, would fascinate them. the queen hoped by this wily stratagem to take the oz inhabitants completely by surprise with no thought of danger in their minds. the scheme worked even better than queen ra dared dream. ojo the lucky, aunt em, the scarecrow, betsy bobbin, trot, jellia jamb, and all the others came hurrying from the royal palace, while from the royal stable came the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger, hank the mule, the woozy and others of the animal friends of the palace residents. gathering in the gardens and court-yard, they all stared up in wonder at the beautiful birds. outside the grounds of the royal palace, much the same thing was happening throughout the emerald city. those people who were out of doors witnessing the spectacle called to those who were indoors, urging them to hurry out and see the lovely visitors. it was no time at all until every building in the city was emptied of its curious inhabitants. this was just what the mimics wanted. with the people of the emerald city standing in the daylight, plainly casting their shadows, queen ra gave a signal and the mimic birds ceased their slow circling in the sky for the enjoyment of the oz people and dropped down to the city. king umb and queen ra led those birds which settled in the palace court-yard and gardens. a bird with brilliant scarlet and royal purple feathers and a topknot of gleaming gold alighted close to trot. the little girl stepped forward with delight to stroke the bird's lovely plumage. instantly the creature vanished and in its place stood a perfect duplicate of trot, while the real trot was frozen in her tracks, unable to move. mystified at suddenly seeing _two_ trots before him, cap'n bill rose from his bench and started toward them. but he was confronted by one of the giant birds and an instant later the old sailor man was unable to move. he could only stare with amazement at an exact double of himself--wooden leg and all. button bright was about to leap playfully on the back of another bird when he fell to the ground powerless to move. at the same moment the bird vanished and the boy's double appeared in its place. and so it went throughout the emerald city. the friendly oz people were delighted that the lovely birds should approach so near that they might be treated to a closer view of their gorgeous plumage, which, it must be admitted, was exceedingly beautiful. only the eyes of the birds betrayed their true natures. they flamed a fierce red. one or two of the oz people, upon meeting the glare of those piercing eyes, were alarmed and would have turned and fled. but it was too late. in a few minutes, all the human inhabitants of the emerald city were made captives. however, the mimics were able to steal the shapes only of human beings. the scarecrow, the patchwork girl, tik-tok, the glass cat, billina the yellow hen, the woozy, toto, hank the mule, the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger remained unchanged. fearing the mule, the lion and the tiger might prove dangerous because of their size, queen ra quickly placed a magic spell on the three beasts that caused them to fall on the court-yard lawn in a deep sleep. the scarecrow, scraps, tik-tok and the others who had escaped the magic of the mimics were completely confused by these sudden and baffling events. the stuffed girl rubbed her suspender button eyes and gazed with disbelief at _two_ button brights--which one was it she had been playing with only a few minutes before? and there were _two_ aunt ems and _two_ jellia jambs! wondering if the world had somehow suddenly become double, the bewildered patchwork girl looked about for her own twin. of all the horde of beautiful birds that had settled on the emerald city, only two remained in the royal gardens. these were king umb and queen ra. at this point the mimic king and queen cast off their bird forms. a strange man and woman suddenly appeared in the midst of the oz people and the mimic-oz-people. the woman was big, raw-boned and red-skinned. her hair was twisted on her head in a hard black knot, on which was set a small golden crown. the scarecrow started with surprise when he saw that the strange woman was wearing dorothy's magic belt. (until now the belt had been concealed by the plumage of ra's bird form.) queen ra had brought the magic belt with her because of its wonderful powers which she had been studying and which she felt would be useful in carrying out the conquest of oz. beside the woman stood a giant man with a flowing black beard and tangled black hair. his eyes were fierce and hawklike. quickly queen ra uttered a command, at which a number of the mimic-oz-people leaped forward and proceeded to bind the non-human ozites with strong ropes, which the magic of queen ra placed in their hands. to his amazement, the scarecrow found himself being made captive by cap'n bill and ojo the lucky. the straw man was wise enough to know that these twin likenesses were not really his old friends, cap'n bill and ojo, so he resisted with all his might. but the poor scarecrow's body was so light that the mimics had no difficulty in fastening the ropes about him and pinning his arms to his sides. scraps was more of a problem. it required the combined efforts of the mimic jellia jamb, aunt em, betsy bobbin and button bright to bind her. but even with these odds none of the mimics escaped without scratches on his face from scraps' gold plated finger nails. tik-tok, the woozy, the glass cat and the rest were all securely bound in a few more seconds. while our friends were being made prisoners, king umb and queen ra hastened away to the throne room of the royal palace. there the prisoners of the mimics were carried into the presence of the mimic king and queen. the scarecrow and the others were shocked and outraged at the spectacle of the harsh-looking woman brazenly occupying ozma's throne, while at her side stood the fierce-visaged man. the mimic ojo and button bright lined up the captives before the throne, while queen ra regarded them scornfully. "a pair of stuffed dummies, an animated washing machine, and a menagerie," she commented derisively. "i demand," shouted the scarecrow boldly, "that you release us immediately!" "ah! the famous scarecrow of oz!" gloatingly exclaimed queen ra. "and as brave as ever! i believe i will have your body destroyed by fire, first removing your head so that you will be able to entertain me with your wise thoughts. it would be a shame," she added with sarcasm, "if such great brains were lost to the world." now the one thing in the world the scarecrow feared was a lighted match, so it is no wonder that, brave as he was, he shrank before so terrible a fate as that proposed by the wicked queen. "you will not get a-way with this," warned tik-tok in his mechanical voice. "you will sure-ly be pun-ish-ed for your wick-ed-ness and e-vil do-ing." "and you are tik-tok the machine man," said queen ra. "as useless a pile of rubbish as was ever assembled. i shall have you carefully taken apart, piece by piece, and amuse myself in my spare time by trying to put you back together again like a jig-saw puzzle." "my ma-chin-er-y does not per-mit me to fear," replied tik-tok calmly, "e-ven when i am thor-ough-ly wound up, so you are wast-ing your threats on me." the evil queen went down the line of captives, plotting terrible fates for each of them. billina, she predicted, would soon be roasted for dinner. the patchwork girl would become a combination pin-cushion and personal slave. the glass cat would be melted down into marbles. finally she came to the last of the prisoners--the square shaped woozy--whom ra promised to have chopped into cubes for building blocks. it was at this moment that the scarecrow became aware that with the exceptions of hank the mule and the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, who lay sleeping in the court-yard, all the animals of the royal palace were present--save the sawhorse, who was at that moment swiftly bearing uncle henry back to the emerald city from glinda's castle in the quadling country--and one other. that other was--toto! chapter 18 the return of ozma and glinda after his first sense of joy at finding that toto had somehow escaped capture, the scarecrow reflected more soberly that even though the little dog was free there was nothing he could do to rescue his friends from their desperate plight. but the scarecrow had been in dangerous situations before, so he did not give up hope by any means. while queen ra was gloating over her prisoners, the scarecrow's famous brains were hard at work. suddenly it occurred to the straw man that ozma and glinda were to return to the emerald city at ten o'clock this morning. it was almost that time now. if only he could engage the wicked queen in conversation until ozma and glinda appeared, then the royal ruler and the good sorceress might take their enemies by surprise. the scarecrow was confident that ozma would be able to deal with these usurpers to her throne. with this plan in mind, the scarecrow cried out in a bold voice: "i demand to know what you have done with dorothy and the wizard!" when he had witnessed the peculiar manner in which the gaudily plumed birds had assumed the shapes of his human friends in the garden, the scarecrow had first suspected that these creatures were responsible for the disappearance of dorothy and the wizard. then the sight of dorothy's magic belt about the waist of the big woman had convinced him of the truth of his suspicions. queen ra answered the scarecrow with a scornful laugh. "you are quite brave, my blustering, straw-stuffed dummy, but your braveness will do you no good. as for your princess dorothy and the man who calls himself a wizard, you will never see them again. furthermore," the queen went on, "as soon as i have suitably disposed of you and the rest of these animated creatures and beasts, i will use the magic belt to transport the helpless bodies of all the oz people in the emerald city to mount illuso, where they will share the same fate as your dorothy and her wizard friend." in spite of the assurance with which she spoke, the evil queen was uneasy when she recalled the disappearance of dorothy and the wizard from the cave of the doomed. had she underestimated the wizard's powers of magic? queen ra shrugged this thought from her mind. what had she to fear from two mere mortals? what had she to fear from anyone now? the emerald city was hers and oz was as good as conquered! "do not heed the threats of this wicked woman!" the scarecrow called to his captive companions. "she is boasting too soon!" at these words queen ra turned angrily upon the scarecrow. "enough of your insolence, miserable wretch!" she cried. "i will show you who is boasting. since you dare challenge me, i will destroy you immediately!" her eyes flashing with rage, queen ra leaped from the throne and moved toward the scarecrow. when she was about six feet from him, ra paused and muttered an incantation. instantly dancing flames of fire leaped from the marble floor of the throne room, making a circle around the scarecrow. with a smile of satisfaction, queen ra resumed her place on ozma's throne to enjoy the spectacle in comfort. the dancing circle of fire moved swiftly inward. as the blazing circle grew smaller in circumference, the flames leaped ever higher and closer to the helpless scarecrow, who stood in the circle's exact center. the leaping fire had moved so close to the scarecrow that it almost scorched his stuffed clothing. the friends of the scarecrow watched in horror. prisoners themselves, there was nothing they could do to save their old comrade from this terrible fate. "whish!" there was a sudden rush of air, and in the center of the throne room stood princess ozma and glinda the good on the exact spot from which they had vanished three days before. ozma swept the throne room with a glance that instantly comprehended the scarecrow's great danger. in another moment her old friend would be reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes. quick as a flash, the little princess pointed her fairy wand at the flames that were licking the straw man's boots. while the onlookers blinked, the flames vanished. a long sigh of relief went up from the scarecrow's friends. queen ra was glaring with terrible rage at the royal ozma, who advanced calmly toward the wicked queen with an expression of stern dignity on her girlish features. "who are you, and what are you doing on my throne?" ozma asked. "_your_ throne no longer!" replied ra harshly. "for you are no longer ruler of the land of oz. instead you are my prisoner, and soon i will make it impossible for you to interfere with my plans as you have just done." the stately glinda spoke now, her voice grave and thoughtful. "i believe i know who you are," she said. "you must be the queen of the evil mimics. i have read about you in my great book of records." "if this is true," said ozma sorrowfully, "then your mimic hordes are these creatures who so closely resemble my own beloved subjects, while the true oz people are robbed of the power of motion by your evil spell." "good!" sneered ra. "i am glad you understand everything so well. you have not a friend in the emerald city to aid you. everyone of your subjects in the city is a victim of the mimic magic. soon this will be true of all the land of oz. i am sure you will agree with me," queen ra went on mockingly, "that it is only fair and just that you should share your subjects' fate. indeed i know you are so foolishly loyal that you would not escape and leave your people to suffer even if you could. so king umb and i, ourselves, will oblige you by making it possible for you to join your beloved subjects. owing to your high rank as the two most powerful persons in the land of oz, we will do you the honor of taking your shapes." concluding this triumphant speech, queen ra grinned with malicious satisfaction and said gloatingly, "at last the royal ozma and the great glinda bow to a power greater than their own! come," she called to king umb, "you take the form of glinda, i will take that of ozma." with this the mimic monarchs advanced on ozma and glinda. the little ruler and glinda the good were silent. both realized that queen ra had spoken the truth when she had declared their powers to be useless against the mimics. therefore the girl ruler and the sorceress made no effort to combat their enemies, but stood bravely and proudly awaiting their fate. at that very moment when king umb and queen ra were about to seize the shadows of ozma and glinda, a small, black form streaked with the speed of light from underneath ozma's throne straight to the menacing figures of the mimic king and queen. it was toto! with fierce growls and barks he began worrying and snapping at the ankles of the mimic monarchs. the sudden appearance of the little dog and his desperate attack took ra and umb completely by surprise. for a moment they entirely forgot ozma and glinda and devoted all their efforts to freeing themselves from the snapping jaws of the furiously snarling little dog. this respite which toto had so bravely won saved ozma and glinda from sharing the fate of their subjects. a few seconds after toto's attack, there suddenly appeared in the entrance of the throne room three figures, two of whom the scarecrow joyfully recognized as dorothy and the little wizard. they were accompanied by a maiden who was unknown to the scarecrow but whose beauty was quite evident. for an instant the trio stood in the doorway, surveying the strange scene that met their eyes in ozma's royal throne room. chapter 19 ozana's fairy arts swiftly princess ozana--for the maiden was she--advanced to the center of the throne room. she was followed closely by the wizard and dorothy, who bore in her arms the sleeping form of a tiny, white kitten. at the appearance of dorothy, toto stopped worrying the ankles of king umb and queen ra and ran to meet the little girl. so happy was the excited little dog to see his beloved mistress that he even ignored the presence of the sleeping kitten. dorothy knelt and caressed him. meanwhile, queen ra, recognizing ozana, paled and gasped: "the guardian of oz!" "yes," admitted ozana calmly, "it is i, princess ozana." king umb was so terrified at the appearance of the little maiden that the big fellow's knees knocked together and his face turned a sickly, green hue. but it cannot be said that queen ra lacked courage. after the first shock of ozana's appearance, the queen summoned her spirits and faced the fairy maid defiantly. ra had determined not to give up her triumph without a struggle. clasping her palms to dorothy's magic belt, the mimic queen whispered a command to it. but nothing happened. ozana divined what the queen was about, but she only smiled. in a rage, queen ra tore the useless belt from her waist and flung it to the throne room floor. "you should know better," ozana gently chided the infuriated queen, "than to attempt to work such simple magic on me. even if you had succeeded in transforming me into a wooden doll, i would still have retained my fairy powers and been able to defeat you." fright and realization that she was defeated mingled in queen ra's eyes as she stared at ozana. the unhappy queen said not a word. she sat spellbound, gazing with fearful fascination at the serene features of her girlish opponent. ozana was speaking with an air of calm justice. "because i appeared absorbed in my own occupations," she addressed queen ra, "you counted me harmless. you believed i would be unaware of your evil-doing. you thought you could attack oz without my knowing it. but you were wrong. and now the time has come for me to fulfill the trust placed in me by queen lurline when she made me guardian of oz. at that time she imparted to me the same powers over the race of mimics that only she, of all fairies, possesses. i shall use those powers as queen lurline would wish me to. i shall place her enchantment once more on the mimics so that they will be powerless to steal the shapes of all who dwell in the land of oz. at the same time, the re-weaving of this fairy enchantment will release all those oz people whose shapes are now held by the mimics." as ozana completed this speech, she described a large circle in the air before her with her fairy wand. immediately that space was filled with a silvery, cloud-like radiance that glowed and shimmered. then, while ozma and the rest watched, a scene appeared in the cloud of silver mist. dorothy and the wizard recognized it as the interior of the mimic cavern inside hollow mount illuso. far in the top of the cavern they saw a scarlet spider web, in the center of which squatted a huge crimson spider. while those in the throne room watched with fascinated interest, the spider, seeming to sense that it was being observed, scuttled with a sudden, crab-like motion to the outer edge of the web. there it squatted, its eyes glowing like dull, red coals. with the tip of her wand, ozana touched the head of the image of the spider. instantly, the creature leaped into the air and trembled convulsively, as though it had received an electric shock. then it began slowly to dissolve before their eyes. first its legs wilted, grew shapeless and melted away. next its body collapsed inwardly, like an over-ripe melon, finally shriveling and disappearing altogether. now the spellbound spectators in the throne room saw a spot of silver light appear on the outermost strand of the crimson web. the light raced over every coil of the immense web, progressing swiftly to the web's center. as fast as the silver light flashed along the scarlet coils, they vanished. in a few seconds more not a trace remained of the vast web or its loathsome occupant. the point of cleansing silver light winked out; the image of the mimic cavern faded; and the silver mist vanished from the throne room. at this same instant, shouts of joy and exchanges of affectionate greetings rang through the royal palace and were echoed throughout the emerald city. the sound of these happy voices told princess ozma that her beloved subjects were no longer under the spell of the mimics. in the throne room itself, the mimic-oz people, who had bound the scarecrow and his companions and brought them before king umb and queen ra, vanished. in their places stood mimics in their variety of repulsive animal and bird shapes. while the startled oz people watched, the mimics flitted and shifted about the royal throne room, changing their forms in the manner peculiar to these creatures. but for the moment the mimics were forgotten, as all eyes were fastened with admiration and gratitude on princess ozana. ozana smiled happily. "queen ra," she said, "you are now quite powerless to harm the people of oz." queen ra, who had watched ozana's fairy magic with fascinated interest, knew she was utterly defeated. all her old arrogance and overbearing manner vanished. with bowed head, she refrained from meeting the eyes of ozana or those of any of her former victims. chapter 20 in the mirrored ballroom now ozma stepped forward. with happy tears of gratitude sparkling in her eyes, she grasped the hands of princess ozana. "how can i ever thank you for what you have done?" ozana seemed embarrassed. "the truth is," she admitted, "had i done my duty, as queen lurline instructed, and watched the mimics more closely, the creatures would never have dared to invade oz. i owe all of you my humblest apology for this neglect of duty. the least i could do," she added soberly, "was to right the wrongs already committed." "well," said dorothy happily, "all's well that ends well, an' we think you're fine, ozana." "thank you, my dear," smiled ozana, affectionately stroking the little girl's hair. "i think we owe toto a great debt of thanks," observed the wise glinda. "had it not been for the little dog's bravery, you and i, ozma, would have undergone the unpleasant experience of becoming mimic victims." "you are right," agreed ozma, turning to the dog. "i had not forgotten your brave action, toto. nothing glinda and i can say or do will properly reward you. nevertheless i shall have made for you a handsome new collar studded with emeralds and bearing your name in gold letters as a slight token of our gratitude." "thank you, your highness," said toto shyly. "it was nothing, really. when i saw the big birds stealing the shapes of trot and betsy and button bright and all the others out in the garden, i was frightened so i ran and hid under your throne. i could peep out and see everything that was going on, and when the mimic king and queen threatened you and glinda i became so angry that i just forgot about everything else." "good dog!" said the wizard, patting toto's head. dorothy beamed proudly at her little pet. "dear me!" exclaimed ozma, gazing at the mimics in the throne room. "how are we ever to transport all these creatures to their cavern home? we can't have them here to overrun oz, even though they are now harmless," she added, shuddering with revulsion at the shifting shapes of evil assumed by the mimics. "that is simple," said ozana. "is there a room in the palace with a great many mirrors?" "yes," replied ozma, "the grand ballroom which adjoins the throne room--its walls and ceiling are composed entirely of mirrors." "then let us go to the ballroom," said ozana. ozma and glinda led ozana to the entrance of the grand ballroom. dorothy and the wizard and toto followed. ozana paused before the great door which was flung wide open. in her bell-like voice she murmured the words of a powerful fairy spell. immediately king umb and queen ra, followed by the other mimics in the throne room, advanced as though they were in a trance to the portal of the mirrored ballroom. then they passed into the room itself. ozana continued to chant her fairy spell. now came a whole procession of the mimic creatures, first from all over the royal palace and finally from every part of the emerald city. they came trooping in by the hundreds, wearing a myriad of fantastic shapes and forms. at length the very last mimic had entered the ballroom, and, huge though the room was, it seemed to the onlookers that it must surely be filled to overflowing with the mimic horde. by this time, the scarecrow, scraps, tik-tok and the rest who had been bound with ropes by the mimics were freed and they with trot, cap'n bill, betsy bobbin, button bright and the others all crowded about the entrance to look curiously into the ballroom. even the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger and hank the mule crowded into the throne room. the three beasts had awakened from the sleep cast on them by queen ra when ozana had re-woven the spell that protected the oz inhabitants. "why," rumbled the cowardly lion, "the room's empty!" in a sense the lion was right. there was no one in the grand ballroom, it was true. but dorothy and the others could plainly see the flitting, shifting shadow shapes of the mimics in the mirrors that paneled the walls and ceiling of the great room--shadow creatures caught and confined in the depths of the mirrors! "i wonder," dorothy whispered, "what will become of them." chapter 21 the shattering of the mirrors "now we can send the mimics back to mount illuso at will," said ozana in answer to dorothy's question. "all we need to do is shatter the mirrors and the mimics will return to their gloomy realm, banished forever from oz." it was ozma who followed ozana's suggestion and brought about the breaking of the mirrors. the dainty ruler lifted her wand and murmured a fairy charm. instantly every mirror in the grand ballroom shivered and shattered with a vast, tinkling sound. not one of the scores of mirrors in the great chamber was left whole. "it would be too bad," ozana remarked, "to mar permanently the beauty of your lovely ballroom." she lifted her wand, and while the onlookers blinked the mirrors were whole again. in their gleaming depths was no trace of the mimic horde. the grand ballroom was as splendid as ever. as it was now nearing noon, ozma graciously invited ozana to join her and glinda with dorothy and the wizard, aunt em, trot, cap'n bill, betsy bobbin, button bright, the scarecrow, scraps and others of her friends for luncheon in the dining room of her own royal suite. dorothy and the wizard related their adventures on mount illuso, and then the scarecrow tried to make clear to ozma, glinda and dorothy and the wizard everything that had happened in the emerald city during their absence. scraps helped him out, and betsy bobbin reminded him of things he had forgotten, while trot chimed in, and button bright wanted to tell the story his way. there was such a chatter it was a wonder ozma and the rest understood anything. just as the meal was about to end, there was a knock on the door and uncle henry breathlessly entered the room. after aunt em and dorothy had hugged and kissed uncle henry, dorothy told him how she had got back to the emerald city. (he had read an account of the rest of her adventures in glinda's great book of records the night before.) scraps, helped out by aunt em, filled in the details of what had happened in the palace since he and the sawhorse had left. when they had finished, uncle henry exhibited several sheets of paper closely filled with writing. "here's the whole story of the mimics. i copied everything the great book of records had to say about 'em, and then i left glinda's castle last night, travelin' all night long so as to get here as early today as possible. but i guess," he concluded, gazing ruefully at the papers he carried, "these ain't much use anymore." "not one of us could have done better than you did, uncle henry," ozma consoled him. "instead of regretting your trip," she added wisely, "let us instead be grateful that there is no longer any need for us to concern ourselves with what the great book of records has to say about the mimics." glinda announced that she must return to her castle in the quadling country, from which she had been absent too long. bidding good-bye to all her friends, the great sorceress was transported in the twinkling of an eye by her magic art to her far-away castle. with glinda's departure the rest of ozma's guests began to take their leave, until finally the girl ruler was alone with only dorothy and ozana. ozma had noticed that throughout the merry luncheon, ozana had appeared quiet and subdued, as though she were deeply occupied with thoughts of her own. "tell me," ozma said gently, taking princess ozana's hand in her own, "is there something troubling you, my dear?" with a smile, ozana replied, "yes, ozma, there is. truthfully, i dread returning to lonely mount illuso. in the short time i have been privileged to enjoy the companionship of dorothy and the wizard, and the society of the oz people here in the emerald city, i have come to realize more than ever what a terribly lonely life i lead on mount illuso. and," she added, gazing affectionately at dorothy, "i have become very fond of little dorothy. i shall be very sorry indeed to leave her and all the rest of you for that forsaken mountain top." ozma laughed softly. "everyone loves our princess dorothy. but," and the little ruler's expression grew serious as she continued, "i sympathize with you, ozana. perhaps there is a way out of your predicament. is there any real reason why you should return to mount illuso? the mimics are harmless enough now. we can follow their actions in the magic picture and the great book of records. and you can use your fairy powers to control the mimics from the land of oz as easily as you could from the top of mount illuso." "you mean--?" exclaimed ozana eagerly. "that we would like nothing better than to have you make your home here in the land of oz," said ozma warmly. "furthermore it is my belief that through your long years of lonely vigil on mount illuso, and your courageous rescue of the people of oz from the mimics, you have more than earned a home in oz." "oh, ozma, thank you!" exclaimed ozana. and then she added doubtfully, "do you think queen lurline will give her consent?" "i see no reason why she should not," answered ozma. "it so happens that i am to speak with queen lurline within the hour. we made arrangements to confer this afternoon on some important happenings in the great outside world. during our conversation i will ask her about your remaining in oz." "thank you, ozma," murmured ozana. "i can't begin to tell you how grateful i am." "now if you will excuse me," said ozma, "i must prepare to establish communication with queen lurline." arm in arm, dorothy and ozana made their way to dorothy's rooms, where they spent the next hour in conversation. dorothy was well pleased with the prospect of ozana's making her home in oz, for she believed the princess would be a delightful companion. at last there came a gentle rap on the door, and princess ozma entered dorothy's room. ozana and dorothy rose to their feet and looked questioningly at ozma. "it is all settled," the girl ruler announced with her brightest smile. "queen lurline readily gave her consent. from this moment on, dear cousin, you are no longer ozana of mount illuso, but ozana, princess of oz." chapter 22 what the magic picture revealed after the first happy excitement over ozma's news had subsided ozana grew serious and dorothy thought she detected a note of sadness in the fairy maid's voice as she said: "there is one duty i must perform, ozma, before i can begin my new existence as an inhabitant of your lovely fairyland." "what is that?" asked ozma. "i must restore the pine folk and their village to their original forms, as part of the pine forest that covers the top of mount illuso. likewise, story blossom garden must be returned to its original state, that is, ordinary wild flowers blossoming in the forest." "why must you do that?" asked dorothy. "since i am not to return to mount illuso, the pine folk and the garden are left entirely to the mercy of the mimics and other wicked creatures who dwell in the land of the phanfasms. quick transformation of the mountain top to its original state is far better than destruction of the village and the garden by creatures of evil." ozana's voice was tinged with real regret. "ozma, may i look into your magic picture to see the garden and the village just once more, before i cause them to vanish forever?" ozma made no reply other than to nod and lead the way to her boudoir where hung the magic picture. dorothy was mystified by the expression on the little ruler's face. she was sure ozma was repressing a smile and was secretly amused at something. on the way to ozma's boudoir, dorothy, who had grown fond of felina the white kitten, asked, "what about felina, ozana? did you find her on mount illuso?" "no, indeed," ozana explained. "felina accompanied me when i first went to mount illuso. she is my own pet. she is a fairy kitten and is as old as i am--and that is many hundreds of years." standing before the magic picture, ozana said quietly, "i wish to see the story blossom garden on mount illuso." instantly the magic picture's familiar country scene faded. in its place appeared, not the lovely story blossom garden, but a barren, desert waste. even the blue pond had disappeared. there was no sign of any living thing in the dreary, desert scene. "what can it mean?" dorothy cried. "ozma, do you think something's gone wrong with the magic picture?" ozana paled slightly and her eyes were troubled as she spoke again, "i wish to see the village of pineville on mount illuso." this time the magic picture shifted only slightly to show a second expanse of grey wasteland as gloomy and forbidding as the first. "they are gone," cried ozana in dismay. "the garden and the village are gone!" to the amazement of ozana and dorothy, ozma met their consternation by laughing merrily. "of course they are gone," the little ruler said, "because they are here!" "what do you mean?" asked ozana. "first of all," began ozma, "you didn't think, did you, ozana, that no matter how much we wanted you to make your home with us, we would ask you to sacrifice your lovely story blossom garden and the quaint people of your village of pineville? queen lurline and i discussed this matter seriously and agreed we could not permit the garden and the village to be destroyed. so, after i finished my conversation with queen lurline, i consulted a map of the land of oz prepared by professor woggle bug and found just what i was looking for--a small mountain in the quadling country, only a short distance to the south from the emerald city and not far from miss cuttenclip's interesting village. the top of this mountain was about the same in area as the top of mount illuso, and it was an uninhabited sandy waste. while you and dorothy talked, i worked a powerful fairy spell that transported the pine forest, the village of pineville and the story blossom garden to the oz mountain top. hereafter that mountain will be known as story blossom mountain. that is why my magic picture showed only a desert waste when you asked to see the pine village and the story blossom garden on mount illuso. the magic picture couldn't show them to you _on mount illuso_ for they are no longer there! "instead," ozma concluded, "they are here in the land of oz." turning to the magic picture, she said, "i wish to see story blossom garden on story blossom mountain." the image of the desert waste faded and in the frame of the magic picture appeared the beautiful fairy garden. the vision was so real that dorothy could almost hear the blossoms whispering among themselves. bright tears of joy and gratitude sparkled in ozana's violet eyes. "what happened to hi-lo and his elevator?" dorothy asked. "they were transported, too," replied ozma quickly. "i imagine," the girl ruler went on, "that hi-lo will be a very busy little man, carrying visitors up and down in his elevator. and you, ozana, will be able to live in your pretty cottage and work in your wonderful garden without fear of ever becoming lonely. every day will bring you visitors from the emerald city and all parts of the land of oz who will be eager to see the pine folk and their village and to enjoy story blossom garden. really, ozana, it is we who are indebted to you," ozma concluded. dorothy beamed lovingly at ozma. then, turning to ozana, the little girl said, "now i guess you understand ozana, why you're just about the luckiest person in the whole world to be invited to live in the land of oz." chapter 23 the grand banquet the next day was given over entirely to welcoming ozana to oz. early in the morning, the sawhorse was hitched to the red wagon, and a merry company of travelers rode out of the emerald city to be the first visitors to story blossom mountain. in the front seat of the red wagon rode ozma, ozana, dorothy and trot. in the rear seat were betsy bobbin, cap'n bill, the wizard and the scarecrow. the sawhorse needed no reins to guide him, as this intelligent horse responded to spoken commands. being tireless and having no need for oats or water, he was in many ways superior to ordinary horses. as the red wagon pulled up near the entrance to hi-lo's elevator, the party was met by flaxen-haired miss cuttenclip. not far distant was a pretty little paper village of paper people, ruled over by miss cuttenclip, who had skillfully cut out the entire village and all its inhabitants from "live" paper furnished her by glinda the good. ozma had communicated with miss cuttenclip before the journey, inviting her to meet them and visit story blossom mountain and afterwards to accompany them to the emerald city for the grand banquet to be given that evening in ozana's honor. ozana and miss cuttenclip became friends at once. hi-lo greeted ozana and the rest joyfully, but it was necessary for him to make two trips to carry this large party to the mountain top. ozana showed the visitors around the village of pineville and story blossom garden. on the surface of the blue pond floated the three swans. knowing that ozana would no longer need them to carry her back to mount illuso, ozma had thoughtfully transported the swans from the court-yard of her palace to their pond when she had worked the fairy spell that had brought the story blossom garden to oz. after passing several happy hours in the story blossom garden, ozana and her guests returned to the bottom of the mountain, where the sawhorse and the red wagon waited to carry them back to the emerald city. the rest of the day was devoted to preparing for the grand banquet to be given in ozana's honor that evening in the grand dining room of the royal palace. all of ozma's old friends and companions were invited. late in the afternoon the guests began arriving. the tin woodman journeyed from his glittering tin castle in the winkie country. jack pumpkinhead left his house, a huge, hollowed-out pumpkin in the middle of a pumpkin field. the highly magnified and thoroughly educated woggle bug traveled from the royal athletic college of oz, of which he was principal. among other guests who came from great distances were glinda the good, the giant frogman, cayke the cookie cook, dr. pipt--the crooked magician who was no longer crooked nor a magician, his wife margolotte, the good witch of the north and lady aurex queen of the skeezers. dorothy transported all of these visitors to the emerald city by means of her magic belt, except glinda, who arrived by her own magic. the grand banquet proved to be one of the most brilliant and delightful occasions ever to be enjoyed in the emerald city, and was long remembered by all who were present. in addition to the delicious food, there was music and special entertainment for the guests. the scarecrow made a gallant speech of welcome to which ozana charmingly replied. the woggle bug could not be restrained from reading an "ode to ozana," which he claimed he had composed on the spur of the moment, writing it on the cuff of his shirt sleeve. a number of the guests thought the composition sounded suspiciously like an "ode to ozma," which the woggle bug had written some years before, but they were all too kind-hearted to mention this. the tin woodman sang a love song, which he had written especially for the occasion, and which he had titled "you're my tin type." while the song was only moderately good, the tin woodman sang in a metallic tenor with great feeling and the company applauded politely. then the little wizard made them all gasp with a truly wonderful display of magic. the wizard opened his show by causing a fountain of many colored flames of fire to appear in the center of the banquet table. at his command, streamers of fire of different colors--red, green, blue, rose, orange, violet--leaped out from the burning fountain to touch the unlighted candles that stood at the place of each guest. after this the fountain of fire vanished while the now-lighted candles continued to burn throughout the banquet, each shedding the light imparted to it by the colored fire. the wizard concluded his entertainment by tossing a napkin into the air above the banquet table. instantly the napkin disappeared and a storm of confetti showered down on the guests, while band after band of what appeared to be brightly colored paper ribbon fell over the party. but it didn't take button bright long to discover and announce with shouts of glee to the rest of the guests, that the confetti and the many colored paper ribbons were really the most delicious of spearmint, peppermint, clove, licorice, lime, lemon, orange and chocolate candies and mints. this, of course, provided the perfect ending for the dinner. at the table occupied by the animals, there was a great deal of talking and merry-making. toto received many compliments on his handsome new red leather collar, embellished with clusters of emeralds and his own name in solid gold letters. princess ozma, herself, had fitted the collar about the proud little dog's neck that very afternoon as a tribute to toto's loyalty and bravery. just as the happy banquet was about to end, toto, who had been so absorbed in all the excitement and the wizard's marvelous tricks, that he had scarcely tasted his food, turned to his bowl of milk. he found the tiny white kitten felina daintily lapping the last of the milk from the bowl with her little, pink tongue. toto sniffed. "i never could understand," he growled, "what it is that witches and fairies and little girls see in cats!" the end the wonderful wizard of oz by l. frank baum w. w. denslow. [illustration] geo. m. hill co. new york. introduction. folk lore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal. the winged fairies of grimm and andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations. yet the old-time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incident devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. [illustration] having this thought in mind, the story of "the wonderful wizard of oz" was written solely to pleasure children of today. it aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out. l. frank baum. chicago, april, 1900. [illustration] copyright 1899 by l. frank baum and w. w. denslow. all rights reserved [illustration] list of chapters. chapter i.--the cyclone. chapter ii.--the council with the munchkins. chapter iii.--how dorothy saved the scarecrow. chapter iv.--the road through the forest. chapter v.--the rescue of the tin woodman. chapter vi.--the cowardly lion. chapter vii.--the journey to the great oz. chapter viii.--the deadly poppy field. chapter ix.--the queen of the field mice. chapter x.--the guardian of the gates. chapter xi.--the wonderful emerald city of oz. chapter xii.--the search for the wicked witch. chapter xiii.--how the four were reunited. chapter xiv.--the winged monkeys. chapter xv.--the discovery of oz the terrible. chapter xvi.--the magic art of the great humbug. chapter xvii.--how the balloon was launched. chapter xviii.--away to the south. chapter xix.--attacked by the fighting trees. chapter xx.--the dainty china country. chapter xxi.--the lion becomes the king of beasts. chapter xxii.--the country of the quadlings. chapter xxiii.--the good witch grants dorothy's wish. chapter xxiv.--home again. _this book is dedicated to my good friend & comrade. my wife l.f.b._ chapter i. the cyclone. [illustration] [illustration] [illustration] dorothy lived in the midst of the great kansas prairies, with uncle henry, who was a farmer, and aunt em, who was the farmer's wife. their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. there were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cooking stove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. uncle henry and aunt em had a big bed in one corner, and dorothy a little bed in another corner. there was no garret at all, and no cellar--except a small hole, dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. it was reached by a trap-door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole. when dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached the edge of the sky in all directions. the sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else. [illustration: "_she caught toto by the ear._"] when aunt em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. the sun and wind had changed her, too. they had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. she was thin and gaunt, and never smiled, now. when dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, aunt em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at. uncle henry never laughed. he worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. he was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke. it was toto that made dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long, silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. toto played all day long, and dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly. [illustration] to-day, however, they were not playing. uncle henry sat upon the door-step and looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. dorothy stood in the door with toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too. aunt em was washing the dishes. from the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and uncle henry and dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. there now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also. suddenly uncle henry stood up. "there's a cyclone coming, em," he called to his wife; "i'll go look after the stock." then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept. aunt em dropped her work and came to the door. one glance told her of the danger close at hand. "quick, dorothy!" she screamed; "run for the cellar!" toto jumped out of dorothy's arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. aunt em, badly frightened, threw open the trap-door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. dorothy caught toto at last, and started to follow her aunt. when she was half way across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. a strange thing then happened. the house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. the north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone. in the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather. it was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her, but dorothy found she was riding quite easily. after the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle. toto did not like it. he ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen. once toto got too near the open trap-door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. but soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. she crept to the hole, caught toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again; afterward closing the trap-door so that no more accidents could happen. hour after hour passed away, and slowly dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, and the wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. at first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. at last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and toto followed and lay down beside her. in spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep. [illustration] chapter ii. the council with the munchkins. [illustration] [illustration] she was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. as it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined dismally. dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. she sprang from her bed and with toto at her heels ran and opened the door. the little girl gave a cry of amazement and looked about her, her eyes growing bigger and bigger at the wonderful sights she saw. the cyclone had set the house down, very gently--for a cyclone--in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. there were lovely patches of green sward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. a little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies. while she stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. they were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. in fact, they seemed about as tall as dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older. [illustration: "_i am the witch of the north._"] three were men and one a woman, and all were oddly dressed. they wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkled sweetly as they moved. the hats of the men were blue; the little woman's hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung in plaits from her shoulders; over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. the men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore well polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. the men, dorothy thought, were about as old as uncle henry, for two of them had beards. but the little woman was doubtless much older: her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly. when these people drew near the house where dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to come farther. but the little old woman walked up to dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice, "you are welcome, most noble sorceress, to the land of the munchkins. we are so grateful to you for having killed the wicked witch of the east, and for setting our people free from bondage." [illustration] dorothy listened to this speech with wonder. what could the little woman possibly mean by calling her a sorceress, and saying she had killed the wicked witch of the east? dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home; and she had never killed anything in all her life. but the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so dorothy said, with hesitation, "you are very kind; but there must be some mistake. i have not killed anything." "your house did, anyway," replied the little old woman, with a laugh; "and that is the same thing. see!" she continued, pointing to the corner of the house; "there are her two toes, still sticking out from under a block of wood." dorothy looked, and gave a little cry of fright. there, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes. "oh, dear! oh, dear!" cried dorothy, clasping her hands together in dismay; "the house must have fallen on her. what ever shall we do?" "there is nothing to be done," said the little woman, calmly. [illustration] "but who was she?" asked dorothy. "she was the wicked witch of the east, as i said," answered the little woman. "she has held all the munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favour." "who are the munchkins?" enquired dorothy. "they are the people who live in this land of the east, where the wicked witch ruled." "are you a munchkin?" asked dorothy. "no; but i am their friend, although i live in the land of the north. when they saw the witch of the east was dead the munchkins sent a swift messenger to me, and i came at once. i am the witch of the north." "oh, gracious!" cried dorothy; "are you a real witch?" "yes, indeed;" answered the little woman. "but i am a good witch, and the people love me. i am not as powerful as the wicked witch was who ruled here, or i should have set the people free myself." "but i thought all witches were wicked," said the girl, who was half frightened at facing a real witch. "oh, no; that is a great mistake. there were only four witches in all the land of oz, and two of them, those who live in the north and the south, are good witches. i know this is true, for i am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. those who dwelt in the east and the west were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one wicked witch in all the land of oz--the one who lives in the west." "but," said dorothy, after a moment's thought, "aunt em has told me that the witches were all dead--years and years ago." "who is aunt em?" inquired the little old woman. "she is my aunt who lives in kansas, where i came from." the witch of the north seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. then she looked up and said, "i do not know where kansas is, for i have never heard that country mentioned before. but tell me, is it a civilized country?" "oh, yes;" replied dorothy. "then that accounts for it. in the civilized countries i believe there are no witches left; nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. but, you see, the land of oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us." "who are the wizards?" asked dorothy. "oz himself is the great wizard," answered the witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. "he is more powerful than all the rest of us together. he lives in the city of emeralds." dorothy was going to ask another question, but just then the munchkins, who had been standing silently by, gave a loud shout and pointed to the corner of the house where the wicked witch had been lying. [illustration] "what is it?" asked the little old woman; and looked, and began to laugh. the feet of the dead witch had disappeared entirely and nothing was left but the silver shoes. "she was so old," explained the witch of the north, "that she dried up quickly in the sun. that is the end of her. but the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear." she reached down and picked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust out of them handed them to dorothy. "the witch of the east was proud of those silver shoes," said one of the munchkins; "and there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew." dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them on the table. then she came out again to the munchkins and said, "i am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for i am sure they will worry about me. can you help me find my way?" the munchkins and the witch first looked at one another, and then at dorothy, and then shook their heads. "at the east, not far from here," said one, "there is a great desert, and none could live to cross it." "it is the same at the south," said another, "for i have been there and seen it. the south is the country of the quadlings." "i am told," said the third man, "that it is the same at the west. and that country, where the winkies live, is ruled by the wicked witch of the west, who would make you her slave if you passed her way." "the north is my home," said the old lady, "and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this land of oz. i'm afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us." dorothy began to sob, at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted munchkins, for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep also. as for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balanced the point on the end of her nose, while she counted "one, two, three" in a solemn voice. at once the cap changed to a slate, on which was written in big, white chalk marks: "let dorothy go to the city of emeralds." [illustration] the little old woman took the slate from her nose, and, having read the words on it, asked, "is your name dorothy, my dear?" "yes," answered the child, looking up and drying her tears. "then you must go to the city of emeralds. perhaps oz will help you." "where is this city?" asked dorothy. "it is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by oz, the great wizard i told you of." "is he a good man?" enquired the girl, anxiously. "he is a good wizard. whether he is a man or not i cannot tell, for i have never seen him." "how can i get there?" asked dorothy. "you must walk. it is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. however, i will use all the magic arts i know of to keep you from harm." "won't you go with me?" pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upon the little old woman as her only friend. "no, i cannot do that," she replied; "but i will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the witch of the north." she came close to dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. where her lips touched the girl they left a round, shining mark, as dorothy found out soon after. "the road to the city of emeralds is paved with yellow brick," said the witch; "so you cannot miss it. when you get to oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. good-bye, my dear." [illustration] the three munchkins bowed low to her and wished her a pleasant journey, after which they walked away through the trees. the witch gave dorothy a friendly little nod, whirled around on her left heel three times, and straightway disappeared, much to the surprise of little toto, who barked after her loudly enough when she had gone, because he had been afraid even to growl while she stood by. but dorothy, knowing her to be a witch, had expected her to disappear in just that way, and was not surprised in the least. chapter iii how dorothy saved the scarecrow. [illustration] when dorothy was left alone she began to feel hungry. so she went to the cupboard and cut herself some bread, which she spread with butter. she gave some to toto, and taking a pail from the shelf she carried it down to the little brook and filled it with clear, sparkling water. toto ran over to the trees and began to bark at the birds sitting there. dorothy went to get him, and saw such delicious fruit hanging from the branches that she gathered some of it, finding it just what she wanted to help out her breakfast. then she went back to the house, and having helped herself and toto to a good drink of the cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the journey to the city of emeralds. dorothy had only one other dress, but that happened to be clean and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. it was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. the girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. she took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. "they surely will never do for a long journey, toto," she said. and toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant. at that moment dorothy saw lying on the table the silver shoes that had belonged to the witch of the east. "i wonder if they will fit me," she said to toto. "they would be just the thing to take a long walk in, for they could not wear out." she took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones, which fitted her as well as if they had been made for her. finally she picked up her basket. "come along, toto," she said, "we will go to the emerald city and ask the great oz how to get back to kansas again." she closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. and so, with toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey. there were several roads near by, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow brick. within a short time she was walking briskly toward the emerald city, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard, yellow roadbed. the sun shone bright and the birds sang sweet and dorothy did not feel nearly as bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land. [illustration] she was surprised, as she walked along, to see how pretty the country was about her. there were neat fences at the sides of the road, painted a dainty blue color, and beyond them were fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. evidently the munchkins were good farmers and able to raise large crops. once in a while she would pass a house, and the people came out to look at her and bow low as she went by; for everyone knew she had been the means of destroying the wicked witch and setting them free from bondage. the houses of the munchkins were odd looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. all were painted blue, for in this country of the east blue was the favorite color. towards evening, when dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. on the green lawn before it many men and women were dancing. five little fiddlers played as loudly as possible and the people were laughing and singing, while a big table near by was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes, and many other good things to eat. the people greeted dorothy kindly, and invited her to supper and to pass the night with them; for this was the home of one of the richest munchkins in the land, and his friends were gathered with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the wicked witch. dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich munchkin himself, whose name was boq. then she sat down upon a settee and watched the people dance. when boq saw her silver shoes he said, "you must be a great sorceress." "why?" asked the girl. "because you wear silver shoes and have killed the wicked witch. besides, you have white in your frock, and only witches and sorceresses wear white." [illustration: "_you must be a great sorceress._"] "my dress is blue and white checked," said dorothy, smoothing out the wrinkles in it. "it is kind of you to wear that," said boq. "blue is the color of the munchkins, and white is the witch color; so we know you are a friendly witch." dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into a strange land. when she had tired watching the dancing, boq led her into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in it. the sheets were made of blue cloth, and dorothy slept soundly in them till morning, with toto curled up on the blue rug beside her. she ate a hearty breakfast, and watched a wee munchkin baby, who played with toto and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused dorothy. toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never seen a dog before. "how far is it to the emerald city?" the girl asked. [illustration] "i do not know," answered boq, gravely, "for i have never been there. it is better for people to keep away from oz, unless they have business with him. but it is a long way to the emerald city, and it will take you many days. the country here is rich and pleasant, but you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of your journey." this worried dorothy a little, but she knew that only the great oz could help her get to kansas again, so she bravely resolved not to turn back. she bade her friends good-bye, and again started along the road of yellow brick. when she had gone several miles she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down. there was a great cornfield beyond the fence, and not far away she saw a scarecrow, placed high on a pole to keep the birds from the ripe corn. dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the scarecrow. its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose and mouth painted on it to represent a face. an old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some munchkin, was perched on this head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw. on the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of the pole stuck up its back. [illustration: "_dorothy gazed thoughtfully at the scarecrow._"] while dorothy was looking earnestly into the queer, painted face of the scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. she thought she must have been mistaken, at first, for none of the scarecrows in kansas ever wink; but presently the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. then she climbed down from the fence and walked up to it, while toto ran around the pole and barked. "good day," said the scarecrow, in a rather husky voice. "did you speak?" asked the girl, in wonder. "certainly," answered the scarecrow; "how do you do?" "i'm pretty well, thank you," replied dorothy, politely; "how do you do?" "i'm not feeling well," said the scarecrow, with a smile, "for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows." "can't you get down?" asked dorothy. "no, for this pole is stuck up my back. if you will please take away the pole i shall be greatly obliged to you." dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole; for, being stuffed with straw, it was quite light. "thank you very much," said the scarecrow, when he had been set down on the ground. "i feel like a new man." dorothy was puzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, and to see him bow and walk along beside her. "who are you?" asked the scarecrow, when he had stretched himself and yawned, "and where are you going?" "my name is dorothy," said the girl, "and i am going to the emerald city, to ask the great oz to send me back to kansas." "where is the emerald city?" he enquired; "and who is oz?" "why, don't you know?" she returned, in surprise. "no, indeed; i don't know anything. you see, i am stuffed, so i have no brains at all," he answered, sadly. [illustration] "oh," said dorothy; "i'm awfully sorry for you." "do you think," he asked, "if i go to the emerald city with you, that the great oz would give me some brains?" "i cannot tell," she returned; "but you may come with me, if you like. if oz will not give you any brains you will be no worse off than you are now." "that is true," said the scarecrow. "you see," he continued, confidentially, "i don't mind my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because i cannot get hurt. if anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn't matter, for i cant feel it. but i do not want people to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am i ever to know anything?" "i understand how you feel," said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him. "if you will come with me i'll ask oz to do all he can for you." "thank you," he answered, gratefully. they walked back to the road, dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of yellow brick for the emerald city. toto did not like this addition to the party, at first. he smelled around the stuffed man as if he suspected there might be a nest of rats in the straw, and he often growled in an unfriendly way at the scarecrow. "don't mind toto," said dorothy, to her new friend; "he never bites." "oh, i'm not afraid," replied the scarecrow, "he can't hurt the straw. do let me carry that basket for you. i shall not mind it, for i can't get tired. i'll tell you a secret," he continued, as he walked along; "there is only one thing in the world i am afraid of." "what is that?" asked dorothy; "the munchkin farmer who made you?" "no," answered the scarecrow; "it's a lighted match." chapter iv. the road through the forest. [illustration] after a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew so difficult that the scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks, which were here very uneven. sometimes, indeed, they were broken or missing altogether, leaving holes that toto jumped across and dorothy walked around. as for the scarecrow, having no brains he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard bricks. it never hurt him, however, and dorothy would pick him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap. [illustration] the farms were not nearly so well cared for here as they were farther back. there were fewer houses and fewer fruit trees, and the farther they went the more dismal and lonesome the country became. at noon they sat down by the roadside, near a little brook, and dorothy opened her basket and got out some bread. she offered a piece to the scarecrow, but he refused. "i am never hungry," he said; "and it is a lucky thing i am not. for my mouth is only painted, and if i should cut a hole in it so i could eat, the straw i am stuffed with would come out, and that would spoil the shape of my head." dorothy saw at once that this was true, so she only nodded and went on eating her bread. "tell me something about yourself, and the country you came from," said the scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. so she told him all about kansas, and how gray everything was there, and how the cyclone had carried her to this queer land of oz. the scarecrow listened carefully, and said, "i cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call kansas." [illustration: "_'i was only made yesterday,' said the scarecrow._"] "that is because you have no brains," answered the girl. "no matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. there is no place like home." the scarecrow sighed. "of course i cannot understand it," he said. "if your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then kansas would have no people at all. it is fortunate for kansas that you have brains." "won't you tell me a story, while we are resting?" asked the child. the scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered, "my life has been so short that i really know nothing whatever. i was only made day before yesterday. what happened in the world before that time is all unknown to me. luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that i heard what was going on. there was another munchkin with him, and the first thing i heard was the farmer saying, "'how do you like those ears?' "'they aren't straight,' answered the other. "'never mind,' said the farmer; 'they are ears just the same,' which was true enough. "'now i'll make the eyes,' said the farmer. so he painted my right eye, and as soon as it was finished i found myself looking at him and at everything around me with a great deal of curiosity, for this was my first glimpse of the world. "'that's a rather pretty eye,' remarked the munchkin who was watching the farmer; 'blue paint is just the color for eyes.' "'i think i'll make the other a little bigger,' said the farmer; and when the second eye was done i could see much better than before. then he made my nose and my mouth; but i did not speak, because at that time i didn't know what a mouth was for. i had the fun of watching them make my body and my arms and legs; and when they fastened on my head, at last, i felt very proud, for i thought i was just as good a man as anyone. "'this fellow will scare the crows fast enough,' said the farmer; 'he looks just like a man.' "'why, he is a man,' said the other, and i quite agreed with him. the farmer carried me under his arm to the cornfield, and set me up on a tall stick, where you found me. he and his friend soon after walked away and left me alone. "i did not like to be deserted this way; so i tried to walk after them, but my feet would not touch the ground, and i was forced to stay on that pole. it was a lonely life to lead, for i had nothing to think of, having been made such a little while before. many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield, but as soon as they saw me they flew away again, thinking i was a munchkin; and this pleased me and made me feel that i was quite an important person. by and by an old crow flew near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulder and said, [illustration] "'i wonder if that farmer thought to fool me in this clumsy manner. any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw.' then he hopped down at my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. the other birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the corn too, so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me." "i felt sad at this, for it showed i was not such a good scarecrow after all; but the old crow comforted me, saying: 'if you only had brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and a better man than some of them. brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.' "after the crows had gone i thought this over, and decided i would try hard to get some brains. by good luck, you came along and pulled me off the stake, and from what you say i am sure the great oz will give me brains as soon as we get to the emerald city." "i hope so," said dorothy, earnestly, "since you seem anxious to have them." "oh yes; i am anxious," returned the scarecrow. "it is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool." [illustration] "well," said the girl, "let us go." and she handed the basket to the scarecrow. there were no fences at all by the road side now, and the land was rough and untilled. towards evening they came to a great forest, where the trees grew so big and close together that their branches met over the road of yellow brick. it was almost dark under the trees, for the branches shut out the daylight; but the travellers did not stop, and went on into the forest. "if this road goes in, it must come out," said the scarecrow, "and as the emerald city is at the other end of the road, we must go wherever it leads us." "anyone would know that," said dorothy. "certainly; that is why i know it," returned the scarecrow. "if it required brains to figure it out, i never should have said it." after an hour or so the light faded away, and they found themselves stumbling along in the darkness. dorothy could not see at all, but toto could, for some dogs see very well in the dark; and the scarecrow declared he could see as well as by day. so she took hold of his arm, and managed to get along fairly well. "if you see any house, or any place where we can pass the night," she said, "you must tell me; for it is very uncomfortable walking in the dark." soon after the scarecrow stopped. "i see a little cottage at the right of us," he said, "built of logs and branches. shall we go there?" "yes, indeed;" answered the child. "i am all tired out." so the scarecrow led her through the trees until they reached the cottage, and dorothy entered and found a bed of dried leaves in one corner. she lay down at once, and with toto beside her soon fell into a sound sleep. the scarecrow, who was never tired, stood up in another corner and waited patiently until morning came. [illustration] chapter v. the rescue of the tin woodman [illustration] [illustration] when dorothy awoke the sun was shining through the trees and toto had long been out chasing birds and squirrels. she sat up and looked around her. there was the scarecrow, still standing patiently in his corner, waiting for her. "we must go and search for water," she said to him. "why do you want water?" he asked. "to wash my face clean after the dust of the road, and to drink, so the dry bread will not stick in my throat." "it must be inconvenient to be made of flesh," said the scarecrow, thoughtfully; "for you must sleep, and eat and drink. however, you have brains, and it is worth a lot of bother to be able to think properly." they left the cottage and walked through the trees until they found a little spring of clear water, where dorothy drank and bathed and ate her breakfast. she saw there was not much bread left in the basket, and the girl was thankful the scarecrow did not have to eat anything, for there was scarcely enough for herself and toto for the day. when she had finished her meal, and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick, she was startled to hear a deep groan near by. "what was that?" she asked, timidly. "i cannot imagine," replied the scarecrow; "but we can go and see." just then another groan reached their ears, and the sound seemed to come from behind them. they turned and walked through the forest a few steps, when dorothy discovered something shining in a ray of sunshine that fell between the trees. she ran to the place, and then stopped short, with a cry of surprise. one of the big trees had been partly chopped through, and standing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was a man made entirely of tin. his head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all. dorothy looked at him in amazement, and so did the scarecrow, while toto barked sharply and made a snap at the tin legs, which hurt his teeth. "did you groan?" asked dorothy. "yes," answered the tin man; "i did. i've been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or come to help me." "what can i do for you?" she enquired, softly, for she was moved by the sad voice in which the man spoke. [illustration] "get an oil-can and oil my joints," he answered. "they are rusted so badly that i cannot move them at all; if i am well oiled i shall soon be all right again. you will find an oil-can on a shelf in my cottage." dorothy at once ran back to the cottage and found the oil-can, and then she returned and asked, anxiously, "where are your joints?" "oil my neck, first," replied the tin woodman. so she oiled it, and as it was quite badly rusted the scarecrow took hold of the tin head and moved it gently from side to side until it worked freely, and then the man could turn it himself. "now oil the joints in my arms," he said. and dorothy oiled them and the scarecrow bent them carefully until they were quite free from rust and as good as new. the tin woodman gave a sigh of satisfaction and lowered his axe, which he leaned against the tree. "this is a great comfort," he said. "i have been holding that axe in the air ever since i rusted, and i'm glad to be able to put it down at last. now, if you will oil the joints of my legs, i shall be all right once more." so they oiled his legs until he could move them freely; and he thanked them again and again for his release, for he seemed a very polite creature, and very grateful. "i might have stood there always if you had not come along," he said; "so you have certainly saved my life. how did you happen to be here?" "we are on our way to the emerald city, to see the great oz," she answered, "and we stopped at your cottage to pass the night." "why do you wish to see oz?" he asked. "i want him to send me back to kansas; and the scarecrow wants him to put a few brains into his head," she replied. the tin woodman appeared to think deeply for a moment. then he said: "do you suppose oz could give me a heart?" "why, i guess so," dorothy answered; "it would be as easy as to give the scarecrow brains." [illustration: "_'this is a great comfort,' said the tin woodman._"] "true," the tin woodman returned. "so, if you will allow me to join your party, i will also go to the emerald city and ask oz to help me." "come along," said the scarecrow, heartily; and dorothy added that she would be pleased to have his company. so the tin woodman shouldered his axe and they all passed through the forest until they came to the road that was paved with yellow brick. the tin woodman had asked dorothy to put the oil-can in her basket. "for," he said, "if i should get caught in the rain, and rust again, i would need the oil-can badly." it was a bit of good luck to have their new comrade join the party, for soon after they had begun their journey again they came to a place where the trees and branches grew so thick over the road that the travellers could not pass. but the tin woodman set to work with his axe and chopped so well that soon he cleared a passage for the entire party. dorothy was thinking so earnestly as they walked along that she did not notice when the scarecrow stumbled into a hole and rolled over to the side of the road. indeed, he was obliged to call to her to help him up again. "why didn't you walk around the hole?" asked the tin woodman. "i don't know enough," replied the scarecrow, cheerfully. "my head is stuffed with straw, you know, and that is why i am going to oz to ask him for some brains." "oh, i see;" said the tin woodman. "but, after all, brains are not the best things in the world." "have you any?" enquired the scarecrow. "no, my head is quite empty," answered the woodman; "but once i had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, i should much rather have a heart." "and why is that?" asked the scarecrow. "i will tell you my story, and then you will know." so, while they were walking through the forest, the tin woodman told the following story: "i was born the son of a woodman who chopped down trees in the forest and sold the wood for a living. when i grew up i too became a wood-chopper, and after my father died i took care of my old mother as long as she lived. then i made up my mind that instead of living alone i would marry, so that i might not become lonely. [illustration] "there was one of the munchkin girls who was so beautiful that i soon grew to love her with all my heart. she, on her part, promised to marry me as soon as i could earn enough money to build a better house for her; so i set to work harder than ever. but the girl lived with an old woman who did not want her to marry anyone, for she was so lazy she wished the girl to remain with her and do the cooking and the housework. so the old woman went to the wicked witch of the east, and promised her two sheep and a cow if she would prevent the marriage. thereupon the wicked witch enchanted my axe, and when i was chopping away at my best one day, for i was anxious to get the new house and my wife as soon as possible, the axe slipped all at once and cut off my left leg. "this at first seemed a great misfortune, for i knew a one-legged man could not do very well as a wood-chopper. so i went to a tin-smith and had him make me a new leg out of tin. the leg worked very well, once i was used to it; but my action angered the wicked witch of the east, for she had promised the old woman i should not marry the pretty munchkin girl. when i began chopping again my axe slipped and cut off my right leg. again i went to the tinner, and again he made me a leg out of tin. after this the enchanted axe cut off my arms, one after the other; but, nothing daunted, i had them replaced with tin ones. the wicked witch then made the axe slip and cut off my head, and at first i thought that was the end of me. but the tinner happened to come along, and he made me a new head out of tin. "i thought i had beaten the wicked witch then, and i worked harder than ever; but i little knew how cruel my enemy could be. she thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful munchkin maiden, and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body, splitting me into two halves. once more the tinner came to my help and made me a body of tin, fastening my tin arms and legs and head to it, by means of joints, so that i could move around as well as ever. but, alas! i had now no heart, so that i lost all my love for the munchkin girl, and did not care whether i married her or not. i suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to come after her. [illustration] "my body shone so brightly in the sun that i felt very proud of it and it did not matter now if my axe slipped, for it could not cut me. there was only one danger--that my joints would rust; but i kept an oil-can in my cottage and took care to oil myself whenever i needed it. however, there came a day when i forgot to do this, and, being caught in a rainstorm, before i thought of the danger my joints had rusted, and i was left to stand in the woods until you came to help me. it was a terrible thing to undergo, but during the year i stood there i had time to think that the greatest loss i had known was the loss of my heart. while i was in love i was the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has not a heart, and so i am resolved to ask oz to give me one. if he does, i will go back to the munchkin maiden and marry her." both dorothy and the scarecrow had been greatly interested in the story of the tin woodman, and now they knew why he was so anxious to get a new heart. "all the same," said the scarecrow, "i shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one." "i shall take the heart," returned the tin woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world." dorothy did not say anything, for she was puzzled to know which of her two friends was right, and she decided if she could only get back to kansas and aunt em it did not matter so much whether the woodman had no brains and the scarecrow no heart, or each got what he wanted. [illustration] what worried her most was that the bread was nearly gone, and another meal for herself and toto would empty the basket. to be sure neither the woodman nor the scarecrow ever ate anything, but she was not made of tin nor straw, and could not live unless she was fed. chapter vi. the cowardly lion. [illustration] [illustration: "_you ought to be ashamed of yourself!_"] [illustration] all this time dorothy and her companions had been walking through the thick woods. the road was still paved with yellow brick, but these were much covered by dried branches and dead leaves from the trees, and the walking was not at all good. there were few birds in this part of the forest, for birds love the open country where there is plenty of sunshine; but now and then there came a deep growl from some wild animal hidden among the trees. these sounds made the little girl's heart beat fast, for she did not know what made them; but toto knew, and he walked close to dorothy's side, and did not even bark in return. "how long will it be," the child asked of the tin woodman, "before we are out of the forest?" "i cannot tell," was the answer, "for i have never been to the emerald city. but my father went there once, when i was a boy, and he said it was a long journey through a dangerous country, although nearer to the city where oz dwells the country is beautiful. but i am not afraid so long as i have my oil-can, and nothing can hurt the scarecrow, while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the good witch's kiss, and that will protect you from harm." "but toto!" said the girl, anxiously; "what will protect him?" "we must protect him ourselves, if he is in danger," replied the tin woodman. just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the next moment a great lion bounded into the road. with one blow of his paw he sent the scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road, and then he struck at the tin woodman with his sharp claws. but, to the lion's surprise, he could make no impression on the tin, although the woodman fell over in the road and lay still. little toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking toward the lion, and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when dorothy, fearing toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped the lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while she cried out: "don't you dare to bite toto! you ought to be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!" "i didn't bite him," said the lion, as he rubbed his nose with his paw where dorothy had hit it. "no, but you tried to," she retorted. "you are nothing but a big coward." "i know it," said the lion, hanging his head in shame; "i've always known it. but how can i help it?" "i don't know, i'm sure. to think of your striking a stuffed man, like the poor scarecrow!" "is he stuffed?" asked the lion, in surprise, as he watched her pick up the scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she patted him into shape again. "of course he's stuffed," replied dorothy, who was still angry. "that's why he went over so easily," remarked the lion. "it astonished me to see him whirl around so. is the other one stuffed, also?" "no," said dorothy, "he's made of tin." and she helped the woodman up again. "that's why he nearly blunted my claws," said the lion. "when they scratched against the tin it made a cold shiver run down my back. what is that little animal you are so tender of?" "he is my dog, toto," answered dorothy. "is he made of tin, or stuffed?" asked the lion. "neither. he's a--a--a meat dog," said the girl. "oh. he's a curious animal, and seems remarkably small, now that i look at him. no one would think of biting such a little thing except a coward like me," continued the lion, sadly. "what makes you a coward?" asked dorothy, looking at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse. [illustration] "it's a mystery," replied the lion. "i suppose i was born that way. all the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the lion is everywhere thought to be the king of beasts. i learned that if i roared very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. whenever i've met a man i've been awfully scared; but i just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go. if the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, i should have run myself--i'm such a coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar they all try to get away from me, and of course i let them go." "but that isn't right. the king of beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the scarecrow. "i know it," returned the lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail; "it is my great sorrow, and makes my life very unhappy. but whenever there is danger my heart begins to beat fast." "perhaps you have heart disease," said the tin woodman. "it may be," said the lion. "if you have," continued the tin woodman, "you ought to be glad, for it proves you have a heart. for my part, i have no heart; so i cannot have heart disease." "perhaps," said the lion, thoughtfully, "if i had no heart i should not be a coward." "have you brains?" asked the scarecrow. "i suppose so. i've never looked to see," replied the lion. "i am going to the great oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw." "and i am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the woodman. "and i am going to ask him to send toto and me back to kansas," added dorothy. "do you think oz could give me courage?" asked the cowardly lion. "just as easily as he could give me brains," said the scarecrow. "or give me a heart," said the tin woodman. "or send me back to kansas," said dorothy. "then, if you don't mind, i'll go with you," said the lion, "for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage." "you will be very welcome," answered dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. it seems to me they must be more cowardly than you are if they allow you to scare them so easily." "they really are," said the lion; "but that doesn't make me any braver, and as long as i know myself to be a coward i shall be unhappy." so once more the little company set off upon the journey, the lion walking with stately strides at dorothy's side. toto did not approve this new comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the lion's great jaws; but after a time he became more at ease, and presently toto and the cowardly lion had grown to be good friends. during the rest of that day there was no other adventure to mar the peace of their journey. once, indeed, the tin woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. this made the tin woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret. these tears ran slowly down his face and over the hinges of his jaw, and there they rusted. when dorothy presently asked him a question the tin woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. he became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. the lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. but the scarecrow seized the oil-can from dorothy's basket and oiled the woodman's jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before. [illustration] "this will serve me a lesson," said he, "to look where i step. for if i should kill another bug or beetle i should surely cry again, and crying rusts my jaw so that i cannot speak." thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when he saw a tiny ant toiling by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. the tin woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything. "you people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but i have no heart, and so i must be very careful. when oz gives me a heart of course i needn't mind so much." chapter vii. the journey to the great oz. [illustration] [illustration] they were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. the tree made a good, thick covering to protect them from the dew, and the tin woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. she and toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast. "if you wish," said the lion, "i will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. you can roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast." "don't! please don't," begged the tin woodman. "i should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again." [illustration] but the lion went away into the forest and found his own supper, and no one ever knew what it was, for he didn't mention it. and the scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled dorothy's basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. she thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. his padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. but the scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. so he kept a good distance away from the flames, and only came near to cover dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. these kept her very snug and warm and she slept soundly until morning. when it was daylight the girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook and soon after they all started toward the emerald city. this was to be an eventful day for the travellers. they had hardly been walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on either side. it was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to the edge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, and there were many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. the sides were so steep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemed that their journey must end. "what shall we do?" asked dorothy, despairingly. "i haven't the faintest idea," said the tin woodman; and the lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful. but the scarecrow said: "we cannot fly, that is certain; neither can we climb down into this great ditch. therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are." "i think i could jump over it," said the cowardly lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind. "then we are all right," answered the scarecrow, "for you can carry us all over on your back, one at a time." "well, i'll try it," said the lion. "who will go first?" "i will," declared the scarecrow; "for, if you found that you could not jump over the gulf, dorothy would be killed, or the tin woodman badly dented on the rocks below. but if i am on your back it will not matter so much, for the fall would not hurt me at all." [illustration] "i am terribly afraid of falling, myself," said the cowardly lion, "but i suppose there is nothing to do but try it. so get on my back and we will make the attempt." the scarecrow sat upon the lion's back, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down. "why don't you run and jump?" asked the scarecrow. "because that isn't the way we lions do these things," he replied. then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the other side. they were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it, and after the scarecrow had got down from his back the lion sprang across the ditch again. dorothy thought she would go next; so she took toto in her arms and climbed on the lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand. the next moment it seemed as if she was flying through the air; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. the lion went back a third time and got the tin woodman, and then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big dog that has been running too long. [illustration] they found the forest very thick on this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. after the lion had rested they started along the road of yellow brick, silently wondering, each in his own mind, if ever they would come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again. to add to their discomfort, they soon heard strange noises in the depths of the forest, and the lion whispered to them that it was in this part of the country that the kalidahs lived. "what are the kalidahs?" asked the girl. "they are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers," replied the lion; "and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as i could kill toto. i'm terribly afraid of the kalidahs." "i'm not surprised that you are," returned dorothy "they must be dreadful beasts." the lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another gulf across the road; but this one was so broad and deep that the lion knew at once he could not leap across it. so they sat down to consider what they should do, and after serious thought the scarecrow said, "here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. if the tin woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily." "that is a first rate idea," said the lion. "one would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw." the woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. then the lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top branches on the other side. they had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers. "they are the kalidahs!" said the cowardly lion, beginning to tremble. "quick!" cried the scarecrow, "let us cross over." [illustration: "_the tree fell with a crash into the gulf._"] so dorothy went first, holding toto in her arms; the tin woodman followed, and the scarecrow came next. the lion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that dorothy screamed and the scarecrow fell over backwards, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him in surprise. but, seeing they were bigger than the lion, and remembering that there were two of them and only one of him, the kalidahs again rushed forward, and the lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they would do next. without stopping an instant the fierce beasts also began to cross the tree, and the lion said to dorothy, "we are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. but stand close behind me, and i will fight them as long as i am alive." "wait a minute!" called the scarecrow. he had been thinking what was best to be done, and now he asked the woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. the tin woodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom. "well," said the cowardly lion, drawing a long breath of relief, "i see we are going to live a little while longer, and i am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet." "ah." said the tin woodman, sadly, "i wish i had a heart to beat." [illustration] this adventure made the travellers more anxious than ever to get out of the forest, and they walked so fast that dorothy became tired, and had to ride on the lion's back. to their great joy the trees became thinner the further they advanced, and in the afternoon they suddenly came upon a broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. on the other side of the water they could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers and all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. they were greatly pleased to see this delightful country before them. "how shall we cross the river?" asked dorothy. "that is easily done," replied the scarecrow. "the tin woodman must build us a raft, so we can float to the other side." so the woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft, and while he was busy at this the scarecrow found on the river bank a tree full of fine fruit. this pleased dorothy, who had eaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit. but it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as industrious and untiring as the tin woodman, and when night came the work was not done. so they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well until the morning; and dorothy dreamed of the emerald city, and of the good wizard oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again. [illustration] chapter viii. the deadly poppy field. [illustration] [illustration] our little party of travellers awakened next morning refreshed and full of hope, and dorothy breakfasted like a princess off peaches and plums from the trees beside the river. behind them was the dark forest they had passed safely through, although they had suffered many discouragements; but before them was a lovely, sunny country that seemed to beckon them on to the emerald city. to be sure, the broad river now cut them off from this beautiful land; but the raft was nearly done, and after the tin woodman had cut a few more logs and fastened them together with wooden pins, they were ready to start. dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft and held toto in her arms. when the cowardly lion stepped upon the raft it tipped badly, for he was big and heavy; but the scarecrow and the tin woodman stood upon the other end to steady it, and they had long poles in their hands to push the raft through the water. they got along quite well at first, but when they reached the middle of the river the swift current swept the raft down stream, farther and farther away from the road of yellow brick; and the water grew so deep that the long poles would not touch the bottom. "this is bad," said the tin woodman, "for if we cannot get to the land we shall be carried into the country of the wicked witch of the west, and she will enchant us and make us her slaves." "and then i should get no brains," said the scarecrow. "and i should get no courage," said the cowardly lion. [illustration] "and i should get no heart," said the tin woodman. "and i should never get back to kansas," said dorothy. "we must certainly get to the emerald city if we can," the scarecrow continued, and he pushed so hard on his long pole that it stuck fast in the mud at the bottom of the river, and before he could pull it out again, or let go, the raft was swept away and the poor scarecrow left clinging to the pole in the middle of the river. "good bye!" he called after them, and they were very sorry to leave him; indeed, the tin woodman began to cry, but fortunately remembered that he might rust, and so dried his tears on dorothy's apron. of course this was a bad thing for the scarecrow. "i am now worse off than when i first met dorothy," he thought. "then, i was stuck on a pole in a cornfield, where i could make believe scare the crows, at any rate; but surely there is no use for a scarecrow stuck on a pole in the middle of a river. i am afraid i shall never have any brains, after all!" [illustration] down the stream the raft floated, and the poor scarecrow was left far behind. then the lion said: "something must be done to save us. i think i can swim to the shore and pull the raft after me, if you will only hold fast to the tip of my tail." [illustration] so he sprang into the water and the tin woodman caught fast hold of his tail, when the lion began to swim with all his might toward the shore. it was hard work, although he was so big; but by and by they were drawn out of the current, and then dorothy took the tin woodman's long pole and helped push the raft to the land. they were all tired out when they reached the shore at last and stepped off upon the pretty green grass, and they also knew that the stream had carried them a long way past the road of yellow brick that led to the emerald city. "what shall we do now?" asked the tin woodman, as the lion lay down on the grass to let the sun dry him. "we must get back to the road, in some way," said dorothy. "the best plan will be to walk along the river bank until we come to the road again," remarked the lion. so, when they were rested, dorothy picked up her basket and they started along the grassy bank, back to the road from which the river had carried them. it was a lovely country, with plenty of flowers and fruit trees and sunshine to cheer them, and had they not felt so sorry for the poor scarecrow they could have been very happy. they walked along as fast as they could, dorothy only stopping once to pick a beautiful flower; and after a time the tin woodman cried out, "look!" then they all looked at the river and saw the scarecrow perched upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking very lonely and sad. "what can we do to save him?" asked dorothy. the lion and the woodman both shook their heads, for they did not know. so they sat down upon the bank and gazed wistfully at the scarecrow until a stork flew by, which, seeing them, stopped to rest at the water's edge. "who are you, and where are you going?" asked the stork. "i am dorothy," answered the girl; "and these are my friends, the tin woodman and the cowardly lion; and we are going to the emerald city." "this isn't the road," said the stork, as she twisted her long neck and looked sharply at the queer party. "i know it," returned dorothy, "but we have lost the scarecrow, and are wondering how we shall get him again." "where is he?" asked the stork. "over there in the river," answered the girl. "if he wasn't so big and heavy i would get him for you," remarked the stork. "he isn't heavy a bit," said dorothy, eagerly, "for he is stuffed with straw; and if you will bring him back to us we shall thank you ever and ever so much." "well, i'll try," said the stork; "but if i find he is too heavy to carry i shall have to drop him in the river again." so the big bird flew into the air and over the water till she came to where the scarecrow was perched upon his pole. then the stork with her great claws grabbed the scarecrow by the arm and carried him up into the air and back to the bank, where dorothy and the lion and the tin woodman and toto were sitting. when the scarecrow found himself among his friends again he was so happy that he hugged them all, even the lion and toto; and as they walked along he sang "tol-de-ri-de-oh!" at every step, he felt so gay. "i was afraid i should have to stay in the river forever," he said, "but the kind stork saved me, and if i ever get any brains i shall find the stork again and do it some kindness in return." "that's all right," said the stork, who was flying along beside them. "i always like to help anyone in trouble. but i must go now, for my babies are waiting in the nest for me. i hope you will find the emerald city and that oz will help you." "thank you," replied dorothy, and then the kind stork flew into the air and was soon out of sight. [illustration: "_the stork carried him up into the air._"] they walked along listening to the singing of the bright-colored birds and looking at the lovely flowers which now became so thick that the ground was carpeted with them. there were big yellow and white and blue and purple blossoms, besides great clusters of scarlet poppies, which were so brilliant in color they almost dazzled dorothy's eyes. "aren't they beautiful?" the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy scent of the flowers. "i suppose so," answered the scarecrow. "when i have brains i shall probably like them better." "if i only had a heart i should love them," added the tin woodman. "i always did like flowers," said the lion; "they seem so helpless and frail. but there are none in the forest so bright as these." they now came upon more and more of the big scarlet poppies, and fewer and fewer of the other flowers; and soon they found themselves in the midst of a great meadow of poppies. now it is well known that when there are many of these flowers together their odor is so powerful that anyone who breathes it falls asleep, and if the sleeper is not carried away from the scent of the flowers he sleeps on and on forever. but dorothy did not know this, nor could she get away from the bright red flowers that were everywhere about; so presently her eyes grew heavy and she felt she must sit down to rest and to sleep. but the tin woodman would not let her do this. "we must hurry and get back to the road of yellow brick before dark," he said; and the scarecrow agreed with him. so they kept walking until dorothy could stand no longer. her eyes closed in spite of herself and she forgot where she was and fell among the poppies, fast asleep. "what shall we do?" asked the tin woodman. "if we leave her here she will die," said the lion. "the smell of the flowers is killing us all. i myself can scarcely keep my eyes open and the dog is asleep already." it was true; toto had fallen down beside his little mistress. but the scarecrow and the tin woodman, not being made of flesh, were not troubled by the scent of the flowers. [illustration] "run fast," said the scarecrow to the lion, "and get out of this deadly flower-bed as soon as you can. we will bring the little girl with us, but if you should fall asleep you are too big to be carried." so the lion aroused himself and bounded forward as fast as he could go. in a moment he was out of sight. "let us make a chair with our hands, and carry her," said the scarecrow. so they picked up toto and put the dog in dorothy's lap, and then they made a chair with their hands for the seat and their arms for the arms and carried the sleeping girl between them through the flowers. on and on they walked, and it seemed that the great carpet of deadly flowers that surrounded them would never end. they followed the bend of the river, and at last came upon their friend the lion, lying fast asleep among the poppies. the flowers had been too strong for the huge beast and he had given up, at last, and fallen only a short distance from the end of the poppy-bed, where the sweet grass spread in beautiful green fields before them. "we can do nothing for him," said the tin woodman, sadly; "for he is much too heavy to lift. we must leave him here to sleep on forever, and perhaps he will dream that he has found courage at last." "i'm sorry," said the scarecrow; "the lion was a very good comrade for one so cowardly. but let us go on." they carried the sleeping girl to a pretty spot beside the river, far enough from the poppy field to prevent her breathing any more of the poison of the flowers, and here they laid her gently on the soft grass and waited for the fresh breeze to waken her. [illustration] chapter ix. the queen of the field mice. [illustration] [illustration] "we cannot be far from the road of yellow brick, now," remarked the scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, "for we have come nearly as far as the river carried us away." the tin woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a strange beast come bounding over the grass towards them. it was, indeed, a great, yellow wildcat, and the woodman thought it must be chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ugly teeth, while its red eyes glowed like balls of fire. as it came nearer the tin woodman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field-mouse, and although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature. so the woodman raised his axe, and as the wildcat ran by he gave it a quick blow that cut the beast's head clean off from its body, and it rolled over at his feet in two pieces. the field-mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short; and coming slowly up to the woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice, "oh, thank you! thank you ever so much for saving my life." "don't speak of it, i beg of you," replied the woodman. "i have no heart, you know, so i am careful to help all those who may need a friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse." "only a mouse!" cried the little animal, indignantly; "why, i am a queen--the queen of all the field-mice!" "oh, indeed," said the woodman, making a bow. "therefore you have done a great deed, as well as a brave one, in saving my life," added the queen. at that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their little legs could carry them, and when they saw their queen they exclaimed, [illustration: "_permit me to introduce to you her majesty, the queen._"] "oh, your majesty, we thought you would be killed! how did you manage to escape the great wildcat?" and they all bowed so low to the little queen that they almost stood upon their heads. "this funny tin man," she answered, "killed the wildcat and saved my life. so hereafter you must all serve him, and obey his slightest wish." "we will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. and then they scampered in all directions, for toto had awakened from his sleep, and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped right into the middle of the group. toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in kansas, and he saw no harm in it. but the tin woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight, while he called to the mice: "come back! come back! toto shall not hurt you." at this the queen of the mice stuck her head out from a clump of grass and asked, in a timid voice, "are you sure he will not bite us?" "i will not let him," said the woodman; "so do not be afraid." [illustration] one by one the mice came creeping back, and toto did not bark again, although he tried to get out of the woodman's arms, and would have bitten him had he not known very well he was made of tin. finally one of the biggest mice spoke. "is there anything we can do," it asked, "to repay you for saving the life of our queen?" "nothing that i know of," answered the woodman; but the scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, "oh, yes; you can save our friend, the cowardly lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed." "a lion!" cried the little queen; "why, he would eat us all up." "oh, no;" declared the scarecrow; "this lion is a coward." "really?" asked the mouse. "he says so himself," answered the scarecrow, "and he would never hurt anyone who is our friend. if you will help us to save him i promise that he shall treat you all with kindness." "very well," said the queen, "we will trust you. but what shall we do?" "are there many of these mice which call you queen and are willing to obey you?" "oh, yes; there are thousands," she replied. "then send for them all to come here as soon as possible, and let each one bring a long piece of string." the queen turned to the mice that attended her and told them to go at once and get all her people. as soon as they heard her orders they ran away in every direction as fast as possible. "now," said the scarecrow to the tin woodman, "you must go to those trees by the river-side and make a truck that will carry the lion." so the woodman went at once to the trees and began to work; and he soon made a truck out of the limbs of trees, from which he chopped away all the leaves and branches. he fastened it together with wooden pegs and made the four wheels out of short pieces of a big tree-trunk. so fast and so well did he work that by the time the mice began to arrive the truck was all ready for them. they came from all directions, and there were thousands of them: big mice and little mice and middle-sized mice; and each one brought a piece of string in his mouth. it was about this time that dorothy woke from her long sleep and opened her eyes. she was greatly astonished to find herself lying upon the grass, with thousands of mice standing around and looking at her timidly. but the scarecrow told her about everything, and turning to the dignified little mouse, he said, "permit me to introduce to you her majesty, the queen." dorothy nodded gravely and the queen made a courtesy, after which she became quite friendly with the little girl. the scarecrow and the woodman now began to fasten the mice to the truck, using the strings they had brought. one end of a string was tied around the neck of each mouse and the other end to the truck. of course the truck was a thousand times bigger than any of the mice who were to draw it; but when all the mice had been harnessed they were able to pull it quite easily. even the scarecrow and the tin woodman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little horses to the place where the lion lay asleep. [illustration] after a great deal of hard work, for the lion was heavy, they managed to get him up on the truck. then the queen hurriedly gave her people the order to start, for she feared if the mice stayed among the poppies too long they also would fall asleep. [illustration] at first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir the heavily loaded truck; but the woodman and the scarecrow both pushed from behind, and they got along better. soon they rolled the lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers. dorothy came to meet them and thanked the little mice warmly for saving her companion from death. she had grown so fond of the big lion she was glad he had been rescued. then the mice were unharnessed from the truck and scampered away through the grass to their homes. the queen of the mice was the last to leave. "if ever you need us again," she said, "come out into the field and call, and we shall hear you and come to your assistance. good bye!" "good bye!" they all answered, and away the queen ran, while dorothy held toto tightly lest he should run after her and frighten her. after this they sat down beside the lion until he should awaken; and the scarecrow brought dorothy some fruit from a tree near by, which she ate for her dinner. [illustration] chapter x. the guardian of the gate. [illustration] [illustration] it was some time before the cowardly lion awakened, for he had lain among the poppies a long while, breathing in their deadly fragrance; but when he did open his eyes and roll off the truck he was very glad to find himself still alive. "i ran as fast as i could," he said, sitting down and yawning; "but the flowers were too strong for me. how did you get me out?" then they told him of the field-mice, and how they had generously saved him from death; and the cowardly lion laughed, and said, "i have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such small things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. how strange it all is! but, comrades, what shall we do now?" "we must journey on until we find the road of yellow brick again," said dorothy; "and then we can keep on to the emerald city." so, the lion being fully refreshed, and feeling quite himself again, they all started upon the journey, greatly enjoying the walk through the soft, fresh grass; and it was not long before they reached the road of yellow brick and turned again toward the emerald city where the great oz dwelt. [illustration] the road was smooth and well paved, now, and the country about was beautiful; so that the travelers rejoiced in leaving the forest far behind, and with it the many dangers they had met in its gloomy shades. once more they could see fences built beside the road; but these were painted green, and when they came to a small house, in which a farmer evidently lived, that also was painted green. they passed by several of these houses during the afternoon, and sometimes people came to the doors and looked at them as if they would like to ask questions; but no one came near them nor spoke to them because of the great lion, of which they were much afraid. the people were all dressed in clothing of a lovely emerald green color and wore peaked hats like those of the munchkins. [illustration] "this must be the land of oz," said dorothy, "and we are surely getting near the emerald city." "yes," answered the scarecrow; "everything is green here, while in the country of the munchkins blue was the favorite color. but the people do not seem to be as friendly as the munchkins and i'm afraid we shall be unable to find a place to pass the night." "i should like something to eat besides fruit," said the girl, "and i'm sure toto is nearly starved. let us stop at the next house and talk to the people." so, when they came to a good sized farm house, dorothy walked boldly up to the door and knocked. a woman opened it just far enough to look out, and said, "what do you want, child, and why is that great lion with you?" "we wish to pass the night with you, if you will allow us," answered dorothy; "and the lion is my friend and comrade, and would not hurt you for the world." "is he tame?" asked the woman, opening the door a little wider. "oh, yes;" said the girl, "and he is a great coward, too; so that he will be more afraid of you than you are of him." "well," said the woman, after thinking it over and taking another peep at the lion, "if that is the case you may come in, and i will give you some supper and a place to sleep." so they all entered the house, where there were, besides the woman, two children and a man. the man had hurt his leg, and was lying on the couch in a corner. they seemed greatly surprised to see so strange a company, and while the woman was busy laying the table the man asked, "where are you all going?" "to the emerald city," said dorothy, "to see the great oz." "oh, indeed!" exclaimed the man. "are you sure that oz will see you?" "why not?" she replied. "why, it is said that he never lets any one come into his presence. i have been to the emerald city many times, and it is a beautiful and wonderful place; but i have never been permitted to see the great oz, nor do i know of any living person who has seen him." "does he never go out?" asked the scarecrow. "never. he sits day after day in the great throne room of his palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face." "what is he like?" asked the girl. "that is hard to tell," said the man, thoughtfully. "you see, oz is a great wizard, and can take on any form he wishes. so that some say he looks like a bird; and some say he looks like an elephant; and some say he looks like a cat. to others he appears as a beautiful fairy, or a brownie, or in any other form that pleases him. but who the real oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell." "that is very strange," said dorothy; "but we must try, in some way, to see him, or we shall have made our journey for nothing." [illustration] "why do you wish to see the terrible oz?" asked the man. "i want him to give me some brains," said the scarecrow, eagerly. "oh, oz could do that easily enough," declared the man. "he has more brains than he needs." "and i want him to give me a heart," said the tin woodman. "that will not trouble him," continued the man, "for oz has a large collection of hearts, of all sizes and shapes." "and i want him to give me courage," said the cowardly lion. "oz keeps a great pot of courage in his throne room," said the man, "which he has covered with a golden plate, to keep it from running over. he will be glad to give you some." "and i want him to send me back to kansas," said dorothy. "where is kansas?" asked the man, in surprise. "i don't know," replied dorothy, sorrowfully; "but it is my home, and i'm sure it's somewhere." "very likely. well, oz can do anything; so i suppose he will find kansas for you. but first you must get to see him, and that will be a hard task; for the great wizard does not like to see anyone, and he usually has his own way. but what do you want?" he continued, speaking to toto. toto only wagged his tail; for, strange to say, he could not speak. [illustration: "_the lion ate some of the porridge._"] the woman now called to them that supper was ready, so they gathered around the table and dorothy ate some delicious porridge and a dish of scrambled eggs and a plate of nice white bread, and enjoyed her meal. the lion ate some of the porridge, but did not care for it, saying it was made from oats and oats were food for horses, not for lions. the scarecrow and the tin woodman ate nothing at all. toto ate a little of everything, and was glad to get a good supper again. the woman now gave dorothy a bed to sleep in, and toto lay down beside her, while the lion guarded the door of her room so she might not be disturbed. the scarecrow and the tin woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep. the next morning, as soon as the sun was up, they started on their way, and soon saw a beautiful green glow in the sky just before them. "that must be the emerald city," said dorothy. as they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter, and it seemed that at last they were nearing the end of their travels. yet it was afternoon before they came to the great wall that surrounded the city. it was high, and thick, and of a bright green color. in front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so in the sun that even the painted eyes of the scarecrow were dazzled by their brilliancy. there was a bell beside the gate, and dorothy pushed the button and heard a silvery tinkle sound within. then the big gate swung slowly open, and they all passed through and found themselves in a high arched room, the walls of which glistened with countless emeralds. before them stood a little man about the same size as the munchkins. he was clothed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his skin was of a greenish tint. at his side was a large green box. when he saw dorothy and her companions the man asked, "what do you wish in the emerald city?" "we came here to see the great oz," said dorothy. the man was so surprised at this answer that he sat down to think it over. "it has been many years since anyone asked me to see oz," he said, shaking his head in perplexity. "he is powerful and terrible, and if you come on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise reflections of the great wizard, he might be angry and destroy you all in an instant." [illustration] "but it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one," replied the scarecrow; "it is important. and we have been told that oz is a good wizard." "so he is," said the green man; "and he rules the emerald city wisely and well. but to those who are not honest, or who approach him from curiosity, he is most terrible, and few have ever dared ask to see his face. i am the guardian of the gates, and since you demand to see the great oz i must take you to his palace. but first you must put on the spectacles." "why?" asked dorothy. "because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the emerald city would blind you. even those who live in the city must wear spectacles night and day. they are all locked on, for oz so ordered it when the city was first built, and i have the only key that will unlock them." [illustration] he opened the big box, and dorothy saw that it was filled with spectacles of every size and shape. all of them had green glasses in them. the guardian of the gates found a pair that would just fit dorothy and put them over her eyes. there were two golden bands fastened to them that passed around the back of her head, where they were locked together by a little key that was at the end of a chain the guardian of the gates wore around his neck. when they were on, dorothy could not take them off had she wished, but of course she did not want to be blinded by the glare of the emerald city, so she said nothing. then the green man fitted spectacles for the scarecrow and the tin woodman and the lion, and even on little toto; and all were locked fast with the key. then the guardian of the gates put on his own glasses and told them he was ready to show them to the palace. taking a big golden key from a peg on the wall he opened another gate, and they all followed him through the portal into the streets of the emerald city. chapter xi. the wonderful emerald city of oz. [illustration] even with eyes protected by the green spectacles dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful city. the streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. they walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun. the window panes were of green glass; even the sky above the city had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green. there were many people, men, women and children, walking about, and these were all dressed in green clothes and had greenish skins. they looked at dorothy and her strangely assorted company with wondering eyes, and the children all ran away and hid behind their mothers when they saw the lion; but no one spoke to them. many shops stood in the street, and dorothy saw that everything in them was green. green candy and green pop-corn were offered for sale, as well as green shoes, green hats and green clothes of all sorts. at one place a man was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it dorothy could see that they paid for it with green pennies. there seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind; the men carried things around in little green carts, which they pushed before them. everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous. the guardian of the gates led them through the streets until they came to a big building, exactly in the middle of the city, which was the palace of oz, the great wizard. there was a soldier before the door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard. "here are strangers," said the guardian of the gates to him, "and they demand to see the great oz." "step inside," answered the soldier, "and i will carry your message to him." so they passed through the palace gates and were led into a big room with a green carpet and lovely green furniture set with emeralds. the soldier made them all wipe their feet upon a green mat before entering this room, and when they were seated he said, politely, "please make yourselves comfortable while i go to the door of the throne room and tell oz you are here." they had to wait a long time before the soldier returned. when, at last, he came back, dorothy asked, "have you seen oz?" [illustration] "oh, no;" returned the soldier; "i have never seen him. but i spoke to him as he sat behind his screen, and gave him your message. he says he will grant you an audience, if you so desire; but each one of you must enter his presence alone, and he will admit but one each day. therefore, as you must remain in the palace for several days, i will have you shown to rooms where you may rest in comfort after your journey." "thank you," replied the girl; "that is very kind of oz." the soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. she had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before dorothy as she said, "follow me and i will show you your room." so dorothy said good-bye to all her friends except toto, and taking the dog in her arms followed the green girl through seven passages and up three flights of stairs until they came to a room at the front of the palace. it was the sweetest little room in the world, with a soft, comfortable bed that had sheets of green silk and a green velvet counterpane. there was a tiny fountain in the middle of the room, that shot a spray of green perfume into the air, to fall back into a beautifully carved green marble basin. beautiful green flowers stood in the windows, and there was a shelf with a row of little green books. when dorothy had time to open these books she found them full of queer green pictures that made her laugh, they were so funny. in a wardrobe were many green dresses, made of silk and satin and velvet; and all of them fitted dorothy exactly. "make yourself perfectly at home," said the green girl, "and if you wish for anything ring the bell. oz will send for you to-morrow morning." she left dorothy alone and went back to the others. these she also led to rooms, and each one of them found himself lodged in a very pleasant part of the palace. of course this politeness was wasted on the scarecrow; for when he found himself alone in his room he stood stupidly in one spot, just within the doorway, to wait till morning. it would not rest him to lie down, and he could not close his eyes; so he remained all night staring at a little spider which was weaving its web in a corner of the room, just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world. the tin woodman lay down on his bed from force of habit, for he remembered when he was made of flesh; but not being able to sleep he passed the night moving his joints up and down to make sure they kept in good working order. the lion would have preferred a bed of dried leaves in the forest, and did not like being shut up in a room; but he had too much sense to let this worry him, so he sprang upon the bed and rolled himself up like a cat and purred himself asleep in a minute. the next morning, after breakfast, the green maiden came to fetch dorothy, and she dressed her in one of the prettiest gowns--made of green brocaded satin. dorothy put on a green silk apron and tied a green ribbon around toto's neck, and they started for the throne room of the great oz. [illustration] first they came to a great hall in which were many ladies and gentlemen of the court, all dressed in rich costumes. these people had nothing to do but talk to each other, but they always came to wait outside the throne room every morning, although they were never permitted to see oz. as dorothy entered they looked at her curiously, and one of them whispered, "are you really going to look upon the face of oz the terrible?" "of course," answered the girl, "if he will see me." "oh, he will see you," said the soldier who had taken her message to the wizard, "although he does not like to have people ask to see him. indeed, at first he was angry, and said i should send you back where you came from. then he asked me what you looked like, and when i mentioned your silver shoes he was very much interested. at last i told him about the mark upon your forehead, and he decided he would admit you to his presence." just then a bell rang, and the green girl said to dorothy, "that is the signal. you must go into the throne room alone." she opened a little door and dorothy walked boldly through and found herself in a wonderful place. it was a big, round room with a high arched roof, and the walls and ceiling and floor were covered with large emeralds set closely together. in the center of the roof was a great light, as bright as the sun, which made the emeralds sparkle in a wonderful manner. but what interested dorothy most was the big throne of green marble that stood in the middle of the room. it was shaped like a chair and sparkled with gems, as did everything else. in the center of the chair was an enormous head, without body to support it or any arms or legs whatever. there was no hair upon this head, but it had eyes and nose and mouth, and was bigger than the head of the biggest giant. as dorothy gazed upon this in wonder and fear the eyes turned slowly and looked at her sharply and steadily. then the mouth moved, and dorothy heard a voice say: "i am oz, the great and terrible. who are you, and why do you seek me?" it was not such an awful voice as she had expected to come from the big head; so she took courage and answered, "i am dorothy, the small and meek. i have come to you for help." the eyes looked at her thoughtfully for a full minute. then said the voice: "where did you get the silver shoes?" "i got them from the wicked witch of the east, when my house fell on her and killed her," she replied. "where did you get the mark upon your forehead?" continued the voice. "that is where the good witch of the north kissed me when she bade me good-bye and sent me to you," said the girl. again the eyes looked at her sharply, and they saw she was telling the truth. then oz asked, "what do you wish me to do?" "send me back to kansas, where my aunt em and uncle henry are," she answered, earnestly. "i don't like your country, although it is so beautiful. and i am sure aunt em will be dreadfully worried over my being away so long." the eyes winked three times, and then they turned up to the ceiling and down to the floor and rolled around so queerly that they seemed to see every part of the room. and at last they looked at dorothy again. "why should i do this for you?" asked oz. "because you are strong and i am weak; because you are a great wizard and i am only a helpless little girl," she answered. "but you were strong enough to kill the wicked witch of the east," said oz. "that just happened," returned dorothy, simply; "i could not help it." "well," said the head, "i will give you my answer. you have no right to expect me to send you back to kansas unless you do something for me in return. in this country everyone must pay for everything he gets. if you wish me to use my magic power to send you home again you must do something for me first. help me and i will help you." "what must i do?" asked the girl. "kill the wicked witch of the west," answered oz. "but i cannot!" exclaimed dorothy, greatly surprised. "you killed the witch of the east and you wear the silver shoes, which bear a powerful charm. there is now but one wicked witch left in all this land, and when you can tell me she is dead i will send you back to kansas--but not before." the little girl began to weep, she was so much disappointed; and the eyes winked again and looked upon her anxiously, as if the great oz felt that she could help him if she would. "i never killed anything, willingly," she sobbed; "and even if i wanted to, how could i kill the wicked witch? if you, who are great and terrible, cannot kill her yourself, how do you expect me to do it?" [illustration] "i do not know," said the head; "but that is my answer, and until the wicked witch dies you will not see your uncle and aunt again. remember that the witch is wicked--tremendously wicked--and ought to be killed. now go, and do not ask to see me again until you have done your task." sorrowfully dorothy left the throne room and went back where the lion and the scarecrow and the tin woodman were waiting to hear what oz had said to her. "there is no hope for me," she said, sadly, "for oz will not send me home until i have killed the wicked witch of the west; and that i can never do." her friends were sorry, but could do nothing to help her; so she went to her own room and lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep. the next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the scarecrow and said, "come with me, for oz has sent for you." so the scarecrow followed him and was admitted into the great throne room, where he saw, sitting in the emerald throne, a most lovely lady. she was dressed in green silk gauze and wore upon her flowing green locks a crown of jewels. growing from her shoulders were wings, gorgeous in color and so light that they fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them. when the scarecrow had bowed, as prettily as his straw stuffing would let him, before this beautiful creature, she looked upon him sweetly, and said, "i am oz, the great and terrible. who are you, and why do you seek me?" now the scarecrow, who had expected to see the great head dorothy had told him of, was much astonished; but he answered her bravely. "i am only a scarecrow, stuffed with straw. therefore i have no brains, and i come to you praying that you will put brains in my head instead of straw, so that i may become as much a man as any other in your dominions." "why should i do this for you?" asked the lady. "because you are wise and powerful, and no one else can help me," answered the scarecrow. "i never grant favors without some return," said oz; "but this much i will promise. if you will kill for me the wicked witch of the west i will bestow upon you a great many brains, and such good brains that you will be the wisest man in all the land of oz." "i thought you asked dorothy to kill the witch," said, the scarecrow, in surprise. [illustration] "so i did. i don't care who kills her. but until she is dead i will not grant your wish. now go, and do not seek me again until you have earned the brains you so greatly desire." the scarecrow went sorrowfully back to his friends and told them what oz had said; and dorothy was surprised to find that the great wizard was not a head, as she had seen him, but a lovely lady. "all the same," said the scarecrow, "she needs a heart as much as the tin woodman." on the next morning the soldier with the green whiskers came to the tin woodman and said, "oz has sent for you. follow me," so the tin woodman followed him and came to the great throne room. he did not know whether he would find oz a lovely lady or a head, but he hoped it would be the lovely lady. "for," he said to himself, "if it is the head, i am sure i shall not be given a heart, since a head has no heart of its own and therefore cannot feel for me. but if it is the lovely lady i shall beg hard for a heart, for all ladies are themselves said to be kindly hearted." but when the woodman entered the great throne room he saw neither the head nor the lady, for oz had taken the shape of a most terrible beast. it was nearly as big as an elephant, and the green throne seemed hardly strong enough to hold its weight. the beast had a head like that of a rhinoceros, only there were five eyes in its face. there were five long arms growing out of its body and it also had five long, slim legs. thick, woolly hair covered every part of it, and a more dreadful looking monster could not be imagined. it was fortunate the tin woodman had no heart at that moment, for it would have beat loud and fast from terror. but being only tin, the woodman was not at all afraid, although he was much disappointed. "i am oz, the great and terrible," spake the beast, in a voice that was one great roar. "who are you, and why do you seek me?" [illustration: "_the eyes looked at her thoughtfully._"] "i am a woodman, and made of tin. therefore i have no heart, and cannot love. i pray you to give me a heart that i may be as other men are." "why should i do this?" demanded the beast. "because i ask it, and you alone can grant my request," answered the woodman. oz gave a low growl at this, but said, gruffly, "if you indeed desire a heart, you must earn it." "how?" asked the woodman. "help dorothy to kill the wicked witch of the west," replied the beast. "when the witch is dead, come to me, and i will then give you the biggest and kindest and most loving heart in all the land of oz." so the tin woodman was forced to return sorrowfully to his friends and tell them of the terrible beast he had seen. they all wondered greatly at the many forms the great wizard could take upon himself, and the lion said, [illustration] "if he is a beast when i go to see him, i shall roar my loudest, and so frighten him that he will grant all i ask. and if he is the lovely lady, i shall pretend to spring upon her, and so compel her to do my bidding. and if he is the great head, he will be at my mercy; for i will roll this head all about the room until he promises to give us what we desire. so be of good cheer my friends for all will yet be well." the next morning the soldier with the green whiskers led the lion to the great throne room and bade him enter the presence of oz. the lion at once passed through the door, and glancing around saw, to his surprise, that before the throne was a ball of fire, so fierce and glowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it. his first thought was that oz had by accident caught on fire and was burning up; but, when he tried to go nearer, the heat was so intense that it singed his whiskers, and he crept back tremblingly to a spot nearer the door. then a low, quiet voice came from the ball of fire, and these were the words it spoke: [illustration] "i am oz, the great and terrible. who are you, and why do you seek me?" and the lion answered, "i am a cowardly lion, afraid of everything. i come to you to beg that you give me courage, so that in reality i may become the king of beasts, as men call me." "why should i give you courage?" demanded oz. "because of all wizards you are the greatest, and alone have power to grant my request," answered the lion. the ball of fire burned fiercely for a time, and the voice said, "bring me proof that the wicked witch is dead, and that moment i will give you courage. but so long as the witch lives you must remain a coward." the lion was angry at this speech, but could say nothing in reply, and while he stood silently gazing at the ball of fire it became so furiously hot that he turned tail and rushed from the room. he was glad to find his friends waiting for him, and told them of his terrible interview with the wizard. "what shall we do now?" asked dorothy, sadly. "there is only one thing we can do," returned the lion, "and that is to go to the land of the winkies, seek out the wicked witch, and destroy her." "but suppose we cannot?" said the girl. "then i shall never have courage," declared the lion. "and i shall never have brains," added the scarecrow. "and i shall never have a heart," spoke the tin woodman. "and i shall never see aunt em and uncle henry," said dorothy, beginning to cry. "be careful!" cried the green girl, "the tears will fall on your green silk gown, and spot it." so dorothy dried her eyes and said, "i suppose we must try it; but i am sure i do not want to kill anybody, even to see aunt em again." "i will go with you; but i'm too much of a coward to kill the witch," said the lion. "i will go too," declared the scarecrow; "but i shall not be of much help to you, i am such a fool." "i haven't the heart to harm even a witch," remarked the tin woodman; "but if you go i certainly shall go with you." therefore it was decided to start upon their journey the next morning, and the woodman sharpened his axe on a green grindstone and had all his joints properly oiled. the scarecrow stuffed himself with fresh straw and dorothy put new paint on his eyes that he might see better. the green girl, who was very kind to them, filled dorothy's basket with good things to eat, and fastened a little bell around toto's neck with a green ribbon. they went to bed quite early and slept soundly until daylight, when they were awakened by the crowing of a green cock that lived in the back yard of the palace, and the cackling of a hen that had laid a green egg. [illustration: "_the soldier with the green whiskers led them through the streets._"] chapter xii. the search for the wicked witch. [illustration] [illustration] the soldier with the green whiskers led them through the streets of the emerald city until they reached the room where the guardian of the gates lived. this officer unlocked their spectacles to put them back in his great box, and then he politely opened the gate for our friends. "which road leads to the wicked witch of the west?" asked dorothy. "there is no road," answered the guardian of the gates; "no one ever wishes to go that way." "how, then, are we to find her?" enquired the girl. [illustration] "that will be easy," replied the man; "for when she knows you are in the country of the winkies she will find you, and make you all her slaves." "perhaps not," said the scarecrow, "for we mean to destroy her." [illustration] "oh, that is different," said the guardian of the gates. "no one has ever destroyed her before, so i naturally thought she would make slaves of you, as she has of all the rest. but take care; for she is wicked and fierce, and may not allow you to destroy her. keep to the west, where the sun sets, and you cannot fail to find her." they thanked him and bade him good-bye, and turned toward the west, walking over fields of soft grass dotted here and there with daisies and buttercups. dorothy still wore the pretty silk dress she had put on in the palace, but now, to her surprise, she found it was no longer green, but pure white. the ribbon around toto's neck had also lost its green color and was as white as dorothy's dress. the emerald city was soon left far behind. as they advanced the ground became rougher and hillier, for there were no farms nor houses in this country of the west, and the ground was untilled. in the afternoon the sun shone hot in their faces, for there were no trees to offer them shade; so that before night dorothy and toto and the lion were tired, and lay down upon the grass and fell asleep, with the woodman and the scarecrow keeping watch. now the wicked witch of the west had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere. so, as she sat in the door of her castle, she happened to look around and saw dorothy lying asleep, with her friends all about her. they were a long distance off, but the wicked witch was angry to find them in her country; so she blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck. at once there came running to her from all directions a pack of great wolves. they had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth. "go to those people," said the witch, "and tear them to pieces." "are you not going to make them your slaves?" asked the leader of the wolves. "no," she answered, "one is of tin, and one of straw; one is a girl and another a lion. none of them is fit to work, so you may tear them into small pieces." "very well," said the wolf, and he dashed away at full speed, followed by the others. it was lucky the scarecrow and the woodman were wide awake and heard the wolves coming. "this is my fight," said the woodman; "so get behind me and i will meet them as they come." he seized his axe, which he had made very sharp, and as the leader of the wolves came on the tin woodman swung his arm and chopped the wolf's head from its body, so that it immediately died. as soon as he could raise his axe another wolf came up, and he also fell under the sharp edge of the tin woodman's weapon. there were forty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed; so that at last they all lay dead in a heap before the woodman. then he put down his axe and sat beside the scarecrow, who said, "it was a good fight, friend." they waited until dorothy awoke the next morning. the little girl was quite frightened when she saw the great pile of shaggy wolves, but the tin woodman told her all. she thanked him for saving them and sat down to breakfast, after which they started again upon their journey. [illustration] now this same morning the wicked witch came to the door of her castle and looked out with her one eye that could see afar off. she saw all her wolves lying dead, and the strangers still travelling through her country. this made her angrier than before, and she blew her silver whistle twice. straightway a great flock of wild crows came flying toward her, enough to darken the sky. and the wicked witch said to the king crow, "fly at once to the strangers; peck out their eyes and tear them to pieces." the wild crows flew in one great flock toward dorothy and her companions. when the little girl saw them coming she was afraid. but the scarecrow said, "this is my battle; so lie down beside me and you will not be harmed." so they all lay upon the ground except the scarecrow, and he stood up and stretched out his arms. and when the crows saw him they were frightened, as these birds always are by scarecrows, and did not dare to come any nearer. but the king crow said, "it is only a stuffed man. i will peck his eyes out." the king crow flew at the scarecrow, who caught it by the head and twisted its neck until it died. and then another crow flew at him, and the scarecrow twisted its neck also. there were forty crows, and forty times the scarecrow twisted a neck, until at last all were lying dead beside him. then he called to his companions to rise, and again they went upon their journey. when the wicked witch looked out again and saw all her crows lying in a heap, she got into a terrible rage, and blew three times upon her silver whistle. [illustration] forthwith there was heard a great buzzing in the air, and a swarm of black bees came flying towards her. "go to the strangers and sting them to death!" commanded the witch, and the bees turned and flew rapidly until they came to where dorothy and her friends were walking. but the woodman had seen them coming and the scarecrow had decided what to do. "take out my straw and scatter it over the little girl and the dog and the lion," he said to the woodman, "and the bees cannot sting them." this the woodman did, and as dorothy lay close beside the lion and held toto in her arms, the straw covered them entirely. the bees came and found no one but the woodman to sting, so they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin, without hurting the woodman at all. and as bees cannot live when their stings are broken that was the end of the black bees, and they lay scattered thick about the woodman, like little heaps of fine coal. then dorothy and the lion got up, and the girl helped the tin woodman put the straw back into the scarecrow again, until he was as good as ever. so they started upon their journey once more. the wicked witch was so angry when she saw her black bees in little heaps like fine coal that she stamped her foot and tore her hair and gnashed her teeth. and then she called a dozen of her slaves, who were the winkies, and gave them sharp spears, telling them to go to the strangers and destroy them. the winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told; so they marched away until they came near to dorothy. then the lion gave a great roar and sprang toward them, and the poor winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could. when they returned to the castle the wicked witch beat them well with a strap, and sent them back to their work, after which she sat down to think what she should do next. she could not understand how all her plans to destroy these strangers had failed; but she was a powerful witch, as well as a wicked one, and she soon made up her mind how to act. [illustration] there was, in her cupboard, a golden cap, with a circle of diamonds and rubies running round it. this golden cap had a charm. whoever owned it could call three times upon the winged monkeys, who would obey any order they were given. but no person could command these strange creatures more than three times. twice already the wicked witch had used the charm of the cap. once was when she had made the winkies her slaves, and set herself to rule over their country. the winged monkeys had helped her do this. the second time was when she had fought against the great oz himself, and driven him out of the land of the west. the winged monkeys had also helped her in doing this. only once more could she use this golden cap, for which reason she did not like to do so until all her other powers were exhausted. but now that her fierce wolves and her wild crows and her stinging bees were gone, and her slaves had been scared away by the cowardly lion, she saw there was only one way left to destroy dorothy and her friends. [illustration] so the wicked witch took the golden cap from her cupboard and placed it upon her head. then she stood upon her left foot and said, slowly, "ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!" next she stood upon her right foot and said, "hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!" after this she stood upon both feet and cried in a loud voice, "ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" now the charm began to work. the sky was darkened, and a low rumbling sound was heard in the air. there was a rushing of many wings; a great chattering and laughing; and the sun came out of the dark sky to show the wicked witch surrounded by a crowd of monkeys, each with a pair of immense and powerful wings on his shoulders. one, much bigger than the others, seemed to be their leader. he flew close to the witch and said, "you have called us for the third and last time. what do you command?" "go to the strangers who are within my land and destroy them all except the lion," said the wicked witch. "bring that beast to me, for i have a mind to harness him like a horse, and make him work." "your commands shall be obeyed," said the leader; and then, with a great deal of chattering and noise, the winged monkeys flew away to the place where dorothy and her friends were walking. [illustration] some of the monkeys seized the tin woodman and carried him through the air until they were over a country thickly covered with sharp rocks. here they dropped the poor woodman, who fell a great distance to the rocks, where he lay so battered and dented that he could neither move nor groan. others of the monkeys caught the scarecrow, and with their long fingers pulled all of the straw out of his clothes and head. they made his hat and boots and clothes into a small bundle and threw it into the top branches of a tall tree. the remaining monkeys threw pieces of stout rope around the lion and wound many coils about his body and head and legs, until he was unable to bite or scratch or struggle in any way. then they lifted him up and flew away with him to the witch's castle, where he was placed in a small yard with a high iron fence around it, so that he could not escape. but dorothy they did not harm at all. she stood, with toto in her arms, watching the sad fate of her comrades and thinking it would soon be her turn. the leader of the winged monkeys flew up to her, his long, hairy arms stretched out and his ugly face grinning terribly; but he saw the mark of the good witch's kiss upon her forehead and stopped short, motioning the others not to touch her. [illustration: "_the monkeys wound many coils about his body._"] "we dare not harm this little girl," he said to them, "for she is protected by the power of good, and that is greater than the power of evil. all we can do is to carry her to the castle of the wicked witch and leave her there." so, carefully and gently, they lifted dorothy in their arms and carried her swiftly through the air until they came to the castle, where they set her down upon the front door step. then the leader said to the witch, "we have obeyed you as far as we were able. the tin woodman and the scarecrow are destroyed, and the lion is tied up in your yard. the little girl we dare not harm, nor the dog she carries in her arms. your power over our band is now ended, and you will never see us again." then all the winged monkeys, with much laughing and chattering and noise, flew into the air and were soon out of sight. [illustration] the wicked witch was both surprised and worried when she saw the mark on dorothy's forehead, for she knew well that neither the winged monkeys nor she, herself, dare hurt the girl in any way. she looked down at dorothy's feet, and seeing the silver shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm belonged to them. at first the witch was tempted to run away from dorothy; but she happened to look into the child's eyes and saw how simple the soul behind them was, and that the little girl did not know of the wonderful power the silver shoes gave her. so the wicked witch laughed to herself, and thought, "i can still make her my slave, for she does not know how to use her power." then she said to dorothy, harshly and severely, "come with me; and see that you mind everything i tell you, for if you do not i will make an end of you, as i did of the tin woodman and the scarecrow." dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle until they came to the kitchen, where the witch bade her clean the pots and kettles and sweep the floor and keep the fire fed with wood. dorothy went to work meekly, with her mind made up to work as hard as she could; for she was glad the wicked witch had decided not to kill her. with dorothy hard at work the witch thought she would go into the court-yard and harness the cowardly lion like a horse; it would amuse her, she was sure, to make him draw her chariot whenever she wished to go to drive. but as she opened the gate the lion gave a loud roar and bounded at her so fiercely that the witch was afraid, and ran out and shut the gate again. "if i cannot harness you," said the witch to the lion, speaking through the bars of the gate, "i can starve you. you shall have nothing to eat until you do as i wish." so after that she took no food to the imprisoned lion; but every day she came to the gate at noon and asked, "are you ready to be harnessed like a horse?" and the lion would answer, "no. if you come in this yard i will bite you." the reason the lion did not have to do as the witch wished was that every night, while the woman was asleep dorothy carried him food from the cupboard. after he had eaten he would lie down on his bed of straw, and dorothy would lie beside him and put her head on his soft, shaggy mane, while they talked of their troubles and tried to plan some way to escape. but they could find no way to get out of the castle, for it was constantly guarded by the yellow winkies, who were the slaves of the wicked witch and too afraid of her not to do as she told them. the girl had to work hard during the day, and often the witch threatened to beat her with the same old umbrella she always carried in her hand. but, in truth, she did not dare to strike dorothy, because of the mark upon her forehead. the child did not know this, and was full of fear for herself and toto. once the witch struck toto a blow with her umbrella and the brave little dog flew at her and bit her leg, in return. the witch did not bleed where she was bitten, for she was so wicked that the blood in her had dried up many years before. dorothy's life became very sad as she grew to understand that it would be harder than ever to get back to kansas and aunt em again. sometimes she would cry bitterly for hours, with toto sitting at her feet and looking into her face, whining dismally to show how sorry he was for his little mistress. toto did not really care whether he was in kansas or the land of oz so long as dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too. now the wicked witch had a great longing to have for her own the silver shoes which the girl always wore. her bees and her crows and her wolves were lying in heaps and drying up, and she had used up all the power of the golden cap; but if she could only get hold of the silver shoes they would give her more power than all the other things she had lost. she watched dorothy carefully, to see if she ever took off her shoes, thinking she might steal them. but the child was so proud of her pretty shoes that she never took them off except at night and when she took her bath. the witch was too much afraid of the dark to dare go in dorothy's room at night to take the shoes, and her dread of water was greater than her fear of the dark, so she never came near when dorothy was bathing. indeed, the old witch never touched water, nor ever let water touch her in any way. but the wicked creature was very cunning, and she finally thought of a trick that would give her what she wanted. she placed a bar of iron in the middle of the kitchen floor, and then by her magic arts made the iron invisible to human eyes. so that when dorothy walked across the floor she stumbled over the bar, not being able to see it, and fell at full length. she was not much hurt, but in her fall one of the silver shoes came off, and before she could reach it the witch had snatched it away and put it on her own skinny foot. the wicked woman was greatly pleased with the success of her trick, for as long as she had one of the shoes she owned half the power of their charm, and dorothy could not use it against her, even had she known how to do so. [illustration] the little girl, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes, grew angry, and said to the witch, "give me back my shoe!" "i will not," retorted the witch, "for it is now my shoe, and not yours." "you are a wicked creature!" cried dorothy. "you have no right to take my shoe from me." "i shall keep it, just the same," said the witch, laughing at her, "and some day i shall get the other one from you, too." this made dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the witch, wetting her from head to foot. instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear; and then, as dorothy looked at her in wonder, the witch began to shrink and fall away. "see what you have done!" she screamed. "in a minute i shall melt away." "i'm very sorry, indeed," said dorothy, who was truly frightened to see the witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her very eyes. "didn't you know water would be the end of me?" asked the witch, in a wailing, despairing voice. "of course not," answered dorothy; "how should i?" "well, in a few minutes i shall be all melted, and you will have the castle to yourself. i have been wicked in my day, but i never thought a little girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds. look out--here i go!" with these words the witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor. seeing that she had really melted away to nothing, dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. she then swept it all out the door. after picking out the silver shoe, which was all that was left of the old woman, she cleaned and dried it with a cloth, and put it on her foot again. then, being at last free to do as she chose, she ran out to the court-yard to tell the lion that the wicked witch of the west had come to an end, and that they were no longer prisoners in a strange land. [illustration] chapter xiii. the rescue [illustration] [illustration] the cowardly lion was much pleased to hear that the wicked witch had been melted by a bucket of water, and dorothy at once unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free. they went in together to the castle, where dorothy's first act was to call all the winkies together and tell them that they were no longer slaves. there was great rejoicing among the yellow winkies, for they had been made to work hard during many years for the wicked witch, who had always treated them with great cruelty. they kept this day as a holiday, then and ever after, and spent the time in feasting and dancing. "if our friends, the scarecrow and the tin woodman, were only with us," said the lion, "i should be quite happy." "don't you suppose we could rescue them?" asked the girl, anxiously. "we can try," answered the lion. so they called the yellow winkies and asked them if they would help to rescue their friends, and the winkies said that they would be delighted to do all in their power for dorothy, who had set them free from bondage. so she chose a number of the winkies who looked as if they knew the most, and they all started away. they travelled that day and part of the next until they came to the rocky plain where the tin woodman lay, all battered and bent. his axe was near him, but the blade was rusted and the handle broken off short. the winkies lifted him tenderly in their arms, and carried him back to the yellow castle again, dorothy shedding a few tears by the way at the sad plight of her old friend, and the lion looking sober and sorry. when they reached the castle dorothy said to the winkies, "are any of your people tinsmiths?" "oh, yes; some of us are very good tinsmiths," they told her. "then bring them to me," she said. and when the tinsmiths came, bringing with them all their tools in baskets, she enquired, [illustration: "_the tinsmiths worked for three days and four nights._"] "can you straighten out those dents in the tin woodman, and bend him back into shape again, and solder him together where he is broken?" the tinsmiths looked the woodman over carefully and then answered that they thought they could mend him so he would be as good as ever. so they set to work in one of the big yellow rooms of the castle and worked for three days and four nights, hammering and twisting and bending and soldering and polishing and pounding at the legs and body and head of the tin woodman, until at last he was straightened out into his old form, and his joints worked as well as ever. to be sure, there were several patches on him, but the tinsmiths did a good job, and as the woodman was not a vain man he did not mind the patches at all. when, at last, he walked into dorothy's room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted. at the same time her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old friend again, and these tears did not need to be wiped away. as for the lion, he wiped his eyes so often with the tip of his tail that it became quite wet, and he was obliged to go out into the court-yard and hold it in the sun till it dried. "if we only had the scarecrow with us again," said the tin woodman, when dorothy had finished telling him everything that had happened, "i should be quite happy." "we must try to find him," said the girl. so she called the winkies to help her, and they walked all that day and part of the next until they came to the tall tree in the branches of which the winged monkeys had tossed the scarecrow's clothes. it was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no one could climb it; but the woodman said at once, "i'll chop it down, and then we can get the scarecrow's clothes." now while the tinsmiths had been at work mending the woodman himself, another of the winkies, who was a goldsmith, had made an axe-handle of solid gold and fitted it to the woodman's axe, instead of the old broken handle. others polished the blade until all the rust was removed and it glistened like burnished silver. as soon as he had spoken, the tin woodman began to chop, and in a short time the tree fell over with a crash, when the scarecrow's clothes fell out of the branches and rolled off on the ground. dorothy picked them up and had the winkies carry them back to the castle, where they were stuffed with nice, clean straw; and, behold! here was the scarecrow, as good as ever, thanking them over and over again for saving him. now they were reunited, dorothy and her friends spent a few happy days at the yellow castle, where they found everything they needed to make them comfortable. but one day the girl thought of aunt em, and said, "we must go back to oz, and claim his promise." "yes," said the woodman, "at last i shall get my heart." "and i shall get my brains," added the scarecrow, joyfully. "and i shall get my courage," said the lion, thoughtfully. "and i shall get back to kansas," cried dorothy, clapping her hands. "oh, let us start for the emerald city to-morrow!" [illustration] this they decided to do. the next day they called the winkies together and bade them good-bye. the winkies were sorry to have them go, and they had grown so fond of the tin woodman that they begged him to stay and rule over them and the yellow land of the west. finding they were determined to go, the winkies gave toto and the lion each a golden collar; and to dorothy they presented a beautiful bracelet, studded with diamonds; and to the scarecrow they gave a gold-headed walking stick, to keep him from stumbling; and to the tin woodman they offered a silver oil-can, inlaid with gold and set with precious jewels. every one of the travellers made the winkies a pretty speech in return, and all shook hands with them until their arms ached. dorothy went to the witch's cupboard to fill her basket with food for the journey, and there she saw the golden cap. she tried it on her own head and found that it fitted her exactly. she did not know anything about the charm of the golden cap, but she saw that it was pretty, so she made up her mind to wear it and carry her sunbonnet in the basket. then, being prepared for the journey, they all started for the emerald city; and the winkies gave them three cheers and many good wishes to carry with them. chapter xiv. the winged monkeys [illustration] [illustration] you will remember there was no road--not even a pathway--between the castle of the wicked witch and the emerald city. when the four travellers went in search of the witch she had seen them coming, and so sent the winged monkeys to bring them to her. it was much harder to find their way back through the big fields of buttercups and yellow daisies than it was being carried. they knew, of course, they must go straight east, toward the rising sun; and they started off in the right way. but at noon, when the sun was over their heads, they did not know which was east and which was west, and that was the reason they were lost in the great fields. they kept on walking, however, and at night the moon came out and shone brightly. so they lay down among the sweet smelling yellow flowers and slept soundly until morning--all but the scarecrow and the tin woodman. the next morning the sun was behind a cloud, but they started on, as if they were quite sure which way they were going. "if we walk far enough," said dorothy, "we shall sometime come to some place, i am sure." but day by day passed away, and they still saw nothing before them but the yellow fields. the scarecrow began to grumble a bit. "we have surely lost our way," he said, "and unless we find it again in time to reach the emerald city i shall never get my brains." "nor i my heart," declared the tin woodman. "it seems to me i can scarcely wait till i get to oz, and you must admit this is a very long journey." "you see," said the cowardly lion, with a whimper, "i haven't the courage to keep tramping forever, without getting anywhere at all." [illustration] then dorothy lost heart. she sat down on the grass and looked at her companions, and they sat down and looked at her, and toto found that for the first time in his life he was too tired to chase a butterfly that flew past his head; so he put out his tongue and panted and looked at dorothy as if to ask what they should do next. "suppose we call the field mice," she suggested. "they could probably tell us the way to the emerald city." "to be sure they could," cried the scarecrow; "why didn't we think of that before?" dorothy blew the little whistle she had always carried about her neck since the queen of the mice had given it to her. in a few minutes they heard the pattering of tiny feet, and many of the small grey mice came running up to her. among them was the queen herself, who asked, in her squeaky little voice, "what can i do for my friends?" "we have lost our way," said dorothy. "can you tell us where the emerald city is?" [illustration] "certainly," answered the queen; "but it is a great way off, for you have had it at your backs all this time." then she noticed dorothy's golden cap, and said, "why don't you use the charm of the cap, and call the winged monkeys to you? they will carry you to the city of oz in less than an hour." "i didn't know there was a charm," answered dorothy, in surprise. "what is it?" "it is written inside the golden cap," replied the queen of the mice; "but if you are going to call the winged monkeys we must run away, for they are full of mischief and think it great fun to plague us." "won't they hurt me?" asked the girl, anxiously. "oh, no; they must obey the wearer of the cap. good-bye!" and she scampered out of sight, with all the mice hurrying after her. dorothy looked inside the golden cap and saw some words written upon the lining. these, she thought, must be the charm, so she read the directions carefully and put the cap upon her head. "ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!" she said, standing on her left foot. "what did you say?" asked the scarecrow, who did not know what she was doing. "hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!" dorothy went on, standing this time on her right foot. "hello!" replied the tin woodman, calmly. [illustration: "_the monkeys caught dorothy in their arms and flew away with her._"] "ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" said dorothy, who was now standing on both feet. this ended the saying of the charm, and they heard a great chattering and flapping of wings, as the band of winged monkeys flew up to them. the king bowed low before dorothy, and asked, "what is your command?" "we wish to go to the emerald city," said the child, "and we have lost our way." "we will carry you," replied the king, and no sooner had he spoken than two of the monkeys caught dorothy in their arms and flew away with her. others took the scarecrow and the woodman and the lion, and one little monkey seized toto and flew after them, although the dog tried hard to bite him. the scarecrow and the tin woodman were rather frightened at first, for they remembered how badly the winged monkeys had treated them before; but they saw that no harm was intended, so they rode through the air quite cheerfully, and had a fine time looking at the pretty gardens and woods far below them. dorothy found herself riding easily between two of the biggest monkeys, one of them the king himself. they had made a chair of their hands and were careful not to hurt her. "why do you have to obey the charm of the golden cap?" she asked. "that is a long story," answered the king, with a laugh; "but as we have a long journey before us i will pass the time by telling you about it, if you wish." "i shall be glad to hear it," she replied. "once," began the leader, "we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit, and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master. perhaps some of us were rather too full of mischief at times, flying down to pull the tails of the animals that had no wings, chasing birds, and throwing nuts at the people who walked in the forest. but we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day. this was many years ago, long before oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land. "there lived here then, away at the north, a beautiful princess, who was also a powerful sorceress. all her magic was used to help the people, and she was never known to hurt anyone who was good. her name was gayelette, and she lived in a handsome palace built from great blocks of ruby. everyone loved her, but her greatest sorrow was that she could find no one to love in return, since all the men were much too stupid and ugly to mate with one so beautiful and wise. at last, however, she found a boy who was handsome and manly and wise beyond his years. gayelette made up her mind that when he grew to be a man she would make him her husband, so she took him to her ruby palace and used all her magic powers to make him as strong and good and lovely as any woman could wish. when he grew to manhood, quelala, as he was called, was said to be the best and wisest man in all the land, while his manly beauty was so great that gayelette loved him dearly, and hastened to make everything ready for the wedding. "my grandfather was at that time the king of the winged monkeys which lived in the forest near gayalette's palace, and the old fellow loved a joke better than a good dinner. one day, just before the wedding, my grandfather was flying out with his band when he saw quelala walking beside the river. he was dressed in a rich costume of pink silk and purple velvet, and my grandfather thought he would see what he could do. at his word the band flew down and seized quelala, carried him in their arms until they were over the middle of the river, and then dropped him into the water. "'swim out, my fine fellow,'" cried my grandfather, "'and see if the water has spotted your clothes.'" quelala was much too wise not to swim, and he was not in the least spoiled by all his good fortune. he laughed, when he came to the top of the water, and swam in to shore. but when gayelette came running out to him she found his silks and velvet all ruined by the river. [illustration] "the princess was very angry, and she knew, of course, who did it. she had all the winged monkeys brought before her, and she said at first that their wings should be tied and they should be treated as they had treated quelala, and dropped in the river. but my grandfather pleaded hard, for he knew the monkeys would drown in the river with their wings tied, and quelala said a kind word for them also; so that gayelette finally spared them, on condition that the winged monkeys should ever after do three times the bidding of the owner of the golden cap. this cap had been made for a wedding present to quelala, and it is said to have cost the princess half her kingdom. of course my grandfather and all the other monkeys at once agreed to the condition, and that is how it happens that we are three times the slaves of the owner of the golden cap, whomsoever he may be." "and what became of them?" asked dorothy, who had been greatly interested in the story. "quelala being the first owner of the golden cap," replied the monkey, "he was the first to lay his wishes upon us. as his bride could not bear the sight of us, he called us all to him in the forest after he had married her and ordered us to always keep where she could never again set eyes on a winged monkey, which we were glad to do, for we were all afraid of her. "this was all we ever had to do until the golden cap fell into the hands of the wicked witch of the west, who made us enslave the winkies, and afterward drive oz himself out of the land of the west. now the golden cap is yours, and three times you have the right to lay your wishes upon us." as the monkey king finished his story dorothy looked down and saw the green, shining walls of the emerald city before them. she wondered at the rapid flight of the monkeys, but was glad the journey was over. the strange creatures set the travellers down carefully before the gate of the city, the king bowed low to dorothy, and then flew swiftly away, followed by all his band. "that was a good ride," said the little girl. "yes, and a quick way out of our troubles." replied the lion. "how lucky it was you brought away that wonderful cap!" [illustration] chapter xv. the discovery of oz, the terrible. [illustration] [illustration] the four travellers walked up to the great gate of the emerald city and rang the bell. after ringing several times it was opened by the same guardian of the gate they had met before. "what! are you back again?" he asked, in surprise. "do you not see us?" answered the scarecrow. "but i thought you had gone to visit the wicked witch of the west." "we did visit her," said the scarecrow. "and she let you go again?" asked the man, in wonder. "she could not help it, for she is melted," explained the scarecrow. "melted! well, that is good news, indeed," said the man. "who melted her?" "it was dorothy," said the lion, gravely. "good gracious!" exclaimed the man, and he bowed very low indeed before her. then he led them into his little room and locked the spectacles from the great box on all their eyes, just as he had done before. afterward they passed on through the gate into the emerald city, and when the people heard from the guardian of the gate that they had melted the wicked witch of the west they all gathered around the travellers and followed them in a great crowd to the palace of oz. the soldier with the green whiskers was still on guard before the door, but he let them in at once and they were again met by the beautiful green girl, who showed each of them to their old rooms at once, so they might rest until the great oz was ready to receive them. the soldier had the news carried straight to oz that dorothy and the other travellers had come back again, after destroying the wicked witch; but oz made no reply. they thought the great wizard would send for them at once, but he did not. they had no word from him the next day, nor the next, nor the next. the waiting was tiresome and wearing, and at last they grew vexed that oz should treat them in so poor a fashion, after sending them to undergo hardships and slavery. so the scarecrow at last asked the green girl to take another message to oz, saying if he did not let them in to see him at once they would call the winged monkeys to help them, and find out whether he kept his promises or not. when the wizard was given this message he was so frightened that he sent word for them to come to the throne room at four minutes after nine o'clock the next morning. he had once met the winged monkeys in the land of the west, and he did not wish to meet them again. the four travellers passed a sleepless night, each thinking of the gift oz had promised to bestow upon him. dorothy fell asleep only once, and then she dreamed she was in kansas, where aunt em was telling her how glad she was to have her little girl at home again. promptly at nine o'clock the next morning the green whiskered soldier came to them, and four minutes later they all went into the throne room of the great oz. of course each one of them expected to see the wizard in the shape he had taken before, and all were greatly surprised when they looked about and saw no one at all in the room. they kept close to the door and closer to one another, for the stillness of the empty room was more dreadful than any of the forms they had seen oz take. [illustration] presently they heard a voice, seeming to come from somewhere near the top of the great dome, and it said, solemnly. "i am oz, the great and terrible. why do you seek me?" they looked again in every part of the room, and then, seeing no one, dorothy asked, "where are you?" "i am everywhere," answered the voice, "but to the eyes of common mortals i am invisible. i will now seat myself upon my throne, that you may converse with me." indeed, the voice seemed just then to come straight from the throne itself; so they walked toward it and stood in a row while dorothy said: "we have come to claim our promise, o oz." "what promise?" asked oz. "you promised to send me back to kansas when the wicked witch was destroyed," said the girl. "and you promised to give me brains," said the scarecrow. "and you promised to give me a heart," said the tin woodman. "and you promised to give me courage," said the cowardly lion. "is the wicked witch really destroyed?" asked the voice, and dorothy thought it trembled a little. "yes," she answered, "i melted her with a bucket of water." "dear me," said the voice; "how sudden! well, come to me to-morrow, for i must have time to think it over." "you've had plenty of time already," said the tin woodman, angrily. "we shan't wait a day longer," said the scarecrow. "you must keep your promises to us!" exclaimed dorothy. the lion thought it might be as well to frighten the wizard, so he gave a large, loud roar, which was so fierce and dreadful that toto jumped away from him in alarm and tipped over the screen that stood in a corner. as it fell with a crash they looked that way, and the next moment all of them were filled with wonder. for they saw, standing in just the spot the screen had hidden, a little, old man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face, who seemed to be as much surprised as they were. the tin woodman, raising his axe, rushed toward the little man and cried out, [illustration] "who are you?" "i am oz, the great and terrible," said the little man, in a trembling voice, "but don't strike me--please don't!--and i'll do anything you want me to." our friends looked at him in surprise and dismay. "i thought oz was a great head," said dorothy. "and i thought oz was a lovely lady," said the scarecrow. "and i thought oz was a terrible beast," said the tin woodman. "and i thought oz was a ball of fire," exclaimed the lion. "no; you are all wrong," said the little man, meekly. "i have been making believe." "making believe!" cried dorothy. "are you not a great wizard?" "hush, my dear," he said; "don't speak so loud, or you will be overheard--and i should be ruined. i'm supposed to be a great wizard." "and aren't you?" she asked. "not a bit of it, my dear; i'm just a common man." "you're more than that," said the scarecrow, in a grieved tone; "you're a humbug." "exactly so!" declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as if it pleased him; "i am a humbug." "but this is terrible," said the tin woodman; "how shall i ever get my heart?" "or i my courage?" asked the lion. "or i my brains?" wailed the scarecrow, wiping the the tears from his eyes with his coat-sleeve. [illustration: "_exactly so! i am a humbug._"] "my dear friends," said oz, "i pray you not to speak of these little things. think of me, and the terrible trouble i'm in at being found out." "doesn't anyone else know you're a humbug?" asked dorothy. "no one knows it but you four--and myself," replied oz. "i have fooled everyone so long that i thought i should never be found out. it was a great mistake my ever letting you into the throne room. usually i will not see even my subjects, and so they believe i am something terrible." "but, i don't understand," said dorothy, in bewilderment. "how was it that you appeared to me as a great head?" "that was one of my tricks," answered oz. "step this way, please, and i will tell you all about it." he led the way to a small chamber in the rear of the throne room, and they all followed him. he pointed to one corner, in which lay the great head, made out of many thicknesses of paper, and with a carefully painted face. "this i hung from the ceiling by a wire," said oz; "i stood behind the screen and pulled a thread, to make the eyes move and the mouth open." "but how about the voice?" she enquired. "oh, i am a ventriloquist," said the little man, "and i can throw the sound of my voice wherever i wish; so that you thought it was coming out of the head. here are the other things i used to deceive you." he showed the scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemed to be the lovely lady; and the tin woodman saw that his terrible beast was nothing but a lot of skins, sewn together, with slats to keep their sides out. as for the ball of fire, the false wizard had hung that also from the ceiling. it was really a ball of cotton, but when oil was poured upon it the ball burned fiercely. "really," said the scarecrow, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself for being such a humbug." "i am--i certainly am," answered the little man, sorrowfully; "but it was the only thing i could do. sit down, please, there are plenty of chairs; and i will tell you my story." so they sat down and listened while he told the following tale: "i was born in omaha--" "why, that isn't very far from kansas!" cried dorothy. "no; but it's farther from here," he said, shaking his head at her, sadly. "when i grew up i became a ventriloquist, and at that i was very well trained by a great master. i can imitate any kind of a bird or beast." here he mewed so like a kitten that toto pricked up his ears and looked everywhere to see where she was. "after a time," continued oz, "i tired of that, and became a balloonist." "what is that?" asked dorothy. "a man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together and get them to pay to see the circus," he explained. [illustration] "oh," she said; "i know." "well, one day i went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that i couldn't come down again. it went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many miles away. for a day and a night i travelled through the air, and on the morning of the second day i awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country. "it came down gradually, and i was not hurt a bit. but i found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought i was a great wizard. of course i let them think so, because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything i wished them to. "just to amuse myself, and keep the good people busy, i ordered them to build this city, and my palace; and they did it all willingly and well. then i thought, as the country was so green and beautiful, i would call it the emerald city, and to make the name fit better i put green spectacles on all the people, so that everything they saw was green." "but isn't everything here green?" asked dorothy. "no more than in any other city," replied oz; "but when you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you. the emerald city was built a great many years ago, for i was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and i am a very old man now. but my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an emerald city, and it certainly is a beautiful place, abounding in jewels and precious metals, and every good thing that is needed to make one happy. i have been good to the people, and they like me; but ever since this palace was built i have shut myself up and would not see any of them. "one of my greatest fears was the witches, for while i had no magical powers at all i soon found out that the witches were really able to do wonderful things. there were four of them in this country, and they ruled the people who live in the north and south and east and west. fortunately, the witches of the north and south were good, and i knew they would do me no harm; but the witches of the east and west were terribly wicked, and had they not thought i was more powerful than they themselves, they would surely have destroyed me. as it was, i lived in deadly fear of them for many years; so you can imagine how pleased i was when i heard your house had fallen on the wicked witch of the east. when you came to me i was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other witch; but, now that you have melted her, i am ashamed to say that i cannot keep my promises." "i think you are a very bad man," said dorothy. "oh, no, my dear; i'm really a very good man; but i'm a very bad wizard, i must admit." "can't you give me brains?" asked the scarecrow. "you don't need them. you are learning something every day. a baby has brains, but it doesn't know much. experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get." "that may all be true," said the scarecrow, "but i shall be very unhappy unless you give me brains." the false wizard looked at him carefully. "well," he said, with a sigh, "i'm not much of a magician, as i said; but if you will come to me to-morrow morning, i will stuff your head with brains. i cannot tell you how to use them, however; you must find that out for yourself." [illustration] "oh, thank you--thank you!" cried the scarecrow. "i'll find a way to use them, never fear!" "but how about my courage?" asked the lion, anxiously. "you have plenty of courage, i am sure," answered oz. "all you need is confidence in yourself. there is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty." "perhaps i have, but i'm scared just the same," said the lion. "i shall really be very unhappy unless you give me the sort of courage that makes one forget he is afraid." "very well; i will give you that sort of courage to-morrow," replied oz. "how about my heart?" asked the tin woodman. "why, as for that," answered oz, "i think you are wrong to want a heart. it makes most people unhappy. if you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart." "that must be a matter of opinion," said the tin woodman. "for my part, i will bear all the unhappiness without a murmur, if you will give me the heart." [illustration] "very well," answered oz, meekly. "come to me to-morrow and you shall have a heart. i have played wizard for so many years that i may as well continue the part a little longer." "and now," said dorothy, "how am i to get back to kansas?" "we shall have to think about that," replied the little man, "give me two or three days to consider the matter and i'll try to find a way to carry you over the desert. in the meantime you shall all be treated as my guests, and while you live in the palace my people will wait upon you and obey your slightest wish. there is only one thing i ask in return for my help--such as it is. you must keep my secret and tell no one i am a humbug." they agreed to say nothing of what they had learned, and went back to their rooms in high spirits. even dorothy had hope that "the great and terrible humbug," as she called him, would find a way to send her back to kansas, and if he did that she was willing to forgive him everything. [illustration] chapter xvi. the magic art of the great humbug. [illustration] [illustration] next morning the scarecrow said to his friends: "congratulate me. i am going to oz to get my brains at last. when i return i shall be as other men are." "i have always liked you as you were," said dorothy, simply. "it is kind of you to like a scarecrow," he replied. "but surely you will think more of me when you hear the splendid thoughts my new brain is going to turn out." then he said good-bye to them all in a cheerful voice and went to the throne room, where he rapped upon the door. "come in," said oz. the scarecrow went in and found the little man sitting down by the window, engaged in deep thought. "i have come for my brains," remarked the scarecrow, a little uneasily. "oh, yes; sit down in that chair, please," replied oz. "you must excuse me for taking your head off, but i shall have to do it in order to put your brains in their proper place." "that's all right," said the scarecrow. "you are quite welcome to take my head off, as long as it will be a better one when you put it on again." so the wizard unfastened his head and emptied out the straw. then he entered the back room and took up a measure of bran, which he mixed with a great many pins and needles. having shaken them together thoroughly, he filled the top of the scarecrow's head with the mixture and stuffed the rest of the space with straw, to hold it in place. when he had fastened the scarecrow's head on his body again he said to him, "hereafter you will be a great man, for i have given you a lot of bran-new brains." the scarecrow was both pleased and proud at the fulfillment of his greatest wish, and having thanked oz warmly he went back to his friends. dorothy looked at him curiously. his head was quite bulging out at the top with brains. "how do you feel?" she asked. [illustration: "_'i feel wise, indeed,' said the scarecrow._"] "i feel wise, indeed," he answered, earnestly. "when i get used to my brains i shall know everything." "why are those needles and pins sticking out of your head?" asked the tin woodman. "that is proof that he is sharp," remarked the lion. "well, i must go to oz and get my heart," said the woodman. so he walked to the throne room and knocked at the door. "come in," called oz, and the woodman entered and said, "i have come for my heart." "very well," answered the little man. "but i shall have to cut a hole in your breast, so i can put your heart in the right place. i hope it won't hurt you." "oh, no;" answered the woodman. "i shall not feel it at all." [illustration] so oz brought a pair of tinners' shears and cut a small, square hole in the left side of the tin woodman's breast. then, going to a chest of drawers, he took out a pretty heart, made entirely of silk and stuffed with sawdust. "isn't it a beauty?" he asked. "it is, indeed!" replied the woodman, who was greatly pleased. "but is it a kind heart?" "oh, very!" answered oz. he put the heart in the woodman's breast and then replaced the square of tin, soldering it neatly together where it had been cut. "there," said he; "now you have a heart that any man might be proud of. i'm sorry i had to put a patch on your breast, but it really couldn't be helped." "never mind the patch," exclaimed the happy woodman. "i am very grateful to you, and shall never forget your kindness." [illustration] "don't speak of it," replied oz. then the tin woodman went back to his friends, who wished him every joy on account of his good fortune. the lion now walked to the throne room and knocked at the door. "come in," said oz. "i have come for my courage," announced the lion, entering the room. "very well," answered the little man; "i will get it for you." he went to a cupboard and reaching up to a high shelf took down a square green bottle, the contents of which he poured into a green-gold dish, beautifully carved. placing this before the cowardly lion, who sniffed at it as if he did not like it, the wizard said, "drink." "what is it?" asked the lion. "well," answered oz, "if it were inside of you, it would be courage. you know, of course, that courage is always inside one; so that this really cannot be called courage until you have swallowed it. therefore i advise you to drink it as soon as possible." the lion hesitated no longer, but drank till the dish was empty. "how do you feel now?" asked oz. "full of courage," replied the lion, who went joyfully back to his friends to tell them of his good fortune. oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the scarecrow and the tin woodman and the lion exactly what they thought they wanted. "how can i help being a humbug," he said, "when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can't be done? it was easy to make the scarecrow and the lion and the woodman happy, because they imagined i could do anything. but it will take more than imagination to carry dorothy back to kansas, and i'm sure i don't know how it can be done." chapter xvii. how the balloon was launched. [illustration] for three days dorothy heard nothing from oz. these were sad days for the little girl, although her friends were all quite happy and contented. the scarecrow told them there were wonderful thoughts in his head; but he would not say what they were because he knew no one could understand them but himself. when the tin woodman walked about he felt his heart rattling around in his breast; and he told dorothy he had discovered it to be a kinder and more tender heart than the one he had owned when he was made of flesh. the lion declared he was afraid of nothing on earth, and would gladly face an army of men or a dozen of the fierce kalidahs. thus each of the little party was satisfied except dorothy, who longed more than ever to get back to kansas. on the fourth day, to her great joy, oz sent for her, and when she entered the throne room he said, pleasantly: "sit down, my dear; i think i have found the way to get you out of this country." "and back to kansas?" she asked, eagerly. "well, i'm not sure about kansas," said oz; "for i haven't the faintest notion which way it lies. but the first thing to do is to cross the desert, and then it should be easy to find your way home." "how can i cross the desert?" she enquired. "well, i'll tell you what i think," said the little man. "you see, when i came to this country it was in a balloon. you also came through the air, being carried by a cyclone. so i believe the best way to get across the desert will be through the air. now, it is quite beyond my powers to make a cyclone; but i've been thinking the matter over, and i believe i can make a balloon." "how?" asked dorothy. "a balloon," said oz, "is made of silk, which is coated with glue to keep the gas in it. i have plenty of silk in the palace, so it will be no trouble for us to make the balloon. but in all this country there is no gas to fill the balloon with, to make it float." "if it won't float," remarked dorothy, "it will be of no use to us." "true," answered oz. "but there is another way to make it float, which is to fill it with hot air. hot air isn't as good as gas, for if the air should get cold the balloon would come down in the desert, and we should be lost." "we!" exclaimed the girl; "are you going with me?" "yes, of course," replied oz. "i am tired of being such a humbug. if i should go out of this palace my people would soon discover i am not a wizard, and then they would be vexed with me for having deceived them. so i have to stay shut up in these rooms all day, and it gets tiresome. i'd much rather go back to kansas with you and be in a circus again." [illustration] "i shall be glad to have your company," said dorothy. "thank you," he answered. "now, if you will help me sew the silk together, we will begin to work on our balloon." so dorothy took a needle and thread, and as fast as oz cut the strips of silk into proper shape the girl sewed them neatly together. first there was a strip of light green silk, then a strip of dark green and then a strip of emerald green; for oz had a fancy to make the balloon in different shades of the color about them. it took three days to sew all the strips together, but when it was finished they had a big bag of green silk more than twenty feet long. then oz painted it on the inside with a coat of thin glue, to make it air-tight, after which he announced that the balloon was ready. "but we must have a basket to ride in," he said. so he sent the soldier with the green whiskers for a big clothes basket, which he fastened with many ropes to the bottom of the balloon. when it was all ready, oz sent word to his people that he was going to make a visit to a great brother wizard who lived in the clouds. the news spread rapidly throughout the city and everyone came to see the wonderful sight. oz ordered the balloon carried out in front of the palace, and the people gazed upon it with much curiosity. the tin woodman had chopped a big pile of wood, and now he made a fire of it, and oz held the bottom of the balloon over the fire so that the hot air that arose from it would be caught in the silken bag. gradually the balloon swelled out and rose into the air, until finally the basket just touched the ground. then oz got into the basket and said to all the people in a loud voice: "i am now going away to make a visit. while i am gone the scarecrow will rule over you. i command you to obey him as you would me." the balloon was by this time tugging hard at the rope that held it to the ground, for the air within it was hot, and this made it so much lighter in weight than the air without that it pulled hard to rise into the sky. "come, dorothy!" cried the wizard; "hurry up, or the balloon will fly away." "i can't find toto anywhere," replied dorothy, who did not wish to leave her little dog behind. toto had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten, and dorothy at last found him. she picked him up and ran toward the balloon. [illustration] she was within a few steps of it, and oz was holding out his hands to help her into the basket, when, crack! went the ropes, and the balloon rose into the air without her. [illustration] "come back!" she screamed; "i want to go, too!" "i can't come back, my dear," called oz from the basket. "good-bye!" "good-bye!" shouted everyone, and all eyes were turned upward to where the wizard was riding in the basket, rising every moment farther and farther into the sky. and that was the last any of them ever saw of oz, the wonderful wizard, though he may have reached omaha safely, and be there now, for all we know. but the people remembered him lovingly, and said to one another, "oz was always our friend. when he was here he built for us this beautiful emerald city, and now he is gone he has left the wise scarecrow to rule over us." still, for many days they grieved over the loss of the wonderful wizard, and would not be comforted. chapter xviii. away to the south. [illustration] [illustration] dorothy wept bitterly at the passing of her hope to get home to kansas again; but when she thought it all over she was glad she had not gone up in a balloon. and she also felt sorry at losing oz, and so did her companions. the tin woodman came to her and said, "truly i should be ungrateful if i failed to mourn for the man who gave me my lovely heart. i should like to cry a little because oz is gone, if you will kindly wipe away my tears, so that i shall not rust." [illustration] "with pleasure," she answered, and brought a towel at once. then the tin woodman wept for several minutes, and she watched the tears carefully and wiped them away with the towel. when he had finished he thanked her kindly and oiled himself thoroughly with his jewelled oil-can, to guard against mishap. the scarecrow was now the ruler of the emerald city, and although he was not a wizard the people were proud of him. "for," they said, "there is not another city in all the world that is ruled by a stuffed man." and, so far as they knew, they were quite right. the morning after the balloon had gone up with oz the four travellers met in the throne room and talked matters over. the scarecrow sat in the big throne and the others stood respectfully before him. "we are not so unlucky," said the new ruler; "for this palace and the emerald city belong to us, and we can do just as we please. when i remember that a short time ago i was up on a pole in a farmer's cornfield, and that i am now the ruler of this beautiful city, i am quite satisfied with my lot." "i also," said the tin woodman, "am well pleased with my new heart; and, really, that was the only thing i wished in all the world." "for my part, i am content in knowing i am as brave as any beast that ever lived, if not braver," said the lion, modestly, [illustration: "_the scarecrow sat on the big throne._"] "if dorothy would only be contented to live in the emerald city," continued the scarecrow, "we might all be happy together." "but i don't want to live here," cried dorothy. "i want to go to kansas, and live with aunt em and uncle henry." "well, then, what can be done?" enquired the woodman. the scarecrow decided to think, and he thought so hard that the pins and needles began to stick out of his brains. finally he said: "why not call the winged monkeys, and asked them to carry you over the desert?" "i never thought of that!" said dorothy, joyfully. "it's just the thing. i'll go at once for the golden cap." when she brought it into the throne room she spoke the magic words, and soon the band of winged monkeys flew in through an open window and stood beside her. "this is the second time you have called us," said the monkey king, bowing before the little girl. "what do you wish?" "i want you to fly with me to kansas," said dorothy. but the monkey king shook his head. "that cannot be done," he said. "we belong to this country alone, and cannot leave it. there has never been a winged monkey in kansas yet, and i suppose there never will be, for they don't belong there. we shall be glad to serve you in any way in our power, but we cannot cross the desert. good-bye." and with another bow the monkey king spread his wings and flew away through the window, followed by all his band. dorothy was almost ready to cry with disappointment. "i have wasted the charm of the golden cap to no purpose," she said, "for the winged monkeys cannot help me." "it is certainly too bad!" said the tender hearted woodman. the scarecrow was thinking again, and his head bulged out so horribly that dorothy feared it would burst. "let us call in the soldier with the green whiskers," he said, "and ask his advice." [illustration] so the soldier was summoned and entered the throne room timidly, for while oz was alive he never was allowed to come further than the door. "this little girl," said the scarecrow to the soldier, "wishes to cross the desert. how can she do so?" "i cannot tell," answered the soldier; "for nobody has ever crossed the desert, unless it is oz himself." "is there no one who can help me?" asked dorothy, earnestly. "glinda might," he suggested. "who is glinda?" enquired the scarecrow. "the witch of the south. she is the most powerful of all the witches, and rules over the quadlings. besides, her castle stands on the edge of the desert, so she may know a way to cross it." "glinda is a good witch, isn't she?" asked the child. "the quadlings think she is good," said the soldier, "and she is kind to everyone. i have heard that glinda is a beautiful woman, who knows how to keep young in spite of the many years she has lived." "how can i get to her castle?" asked dorothy. "the road is straight to the south," he answered, "but it is said to be full of dangers to travellers. there are wild beasts in the woods, and a race of queer men who do not like strangers to cross their country. for this reason none of the quadlings ever come to the emerald city." the soldier then left them and the scarecrow said, "it seems, in spite of dangers, that the best thing dorothy can do is to travel to the land of the south and ask glinda to help her. for, of course, if dorothy stays here she will never get back to kansas." "you must have been thinking again," remarked the tin woodman. "i have," said the scarecrow. "i shall go with dorothy," declared the lion, "for i am tired of your city and long for the woods and the country again. i am really a wild beast, you know. besides, dorothy will need someone to protect her." "that is true," agreed the woodman. "my axe may be of service to her; so i, also, will go with her to the land of the south." "when shall we start?" asked the scarecrow. "are you going?" they asked, in surprise. "certainly. if it wasn't for dorothy i should never have had brains. she lifted me from the pole in the cornfield and brought me to the emerald city. so my good luck is all due to her, and i shall never leave her until she starts back to kansas for good and all." "thank you," said dorothy, gratefully. "you are all very kind to me. but i should like to start as soon as possible." "we shall go to-morrow morning," returned the scarecrow. "so now let us all get ready, for it will be a long journey." [illustration] chapter xix. attacked by the fighting trees. [illustration] [illustration] the next morning dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good-bye, and they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers, who had walked with them as far as the gate. when the guardian of the gate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave the beautiful city to get into new trouble. but he at once unlocked their spectacles, which he put back into the green box, and gave them many good wishes to carry with them. "you are now our ruler," he said to the scarecrow; "so you must come back to us as soon as possible." "i certainly shall if i am able," the scarecrow replied; "but i must help dorothy to get home, first." as dorothy bade the good-natured guardian a last farewell she said, "i have been very kindly treated in your lovely city, and everyone has been good to me. i cannot tell you how grateful i am." "don't try, my dear," he answered. "we should like to keep you with us, but if it is your wish to return to kansas i hope you will find a way." he then opened the gate of the outer wall and they walked forth and started upon their journey. the sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces toward the land of the south. they were all in the best of spirits, and laughed and chatted together. dorothy was once more filled with the hope of getting home, and the scarecrow and the tin woodman were glad to be of use to her. as for the lion, he sniffed the fresh air with delight and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at being in the country again, while toto ran around them and chased the moths and butterflies, barking merrily all the time. "city life does not agree with me at all," remarked the lion, as they walked along at a brisk pace. "i have lost much flesh since i lived there, and now i am anxious for a chance to show the other beasts how courageous i have grown." [illustration: "_the branches bent down and twined around him._"] they now turned and took a last look at the emerald city. all they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the green walls, and high up above everything the spires and dome of the palace of oz. "oz was not such a bad wizard, after all," said the tin woodman, as he felt his heart rattling around in his breast. "he knew how to give me brains, and very good brains, too," said the scarecrow. "if oz had taken a dose of the same courage he gave me," added the lion, "he would have been a brave man." dorothy said nothing. oz had not kept the promise he made her, but he had done his best, so she forgave him. as he said, he was a good man, even if he was a bad wizard. the first day's journey was through the green fields and bright flowers that stretched about the emerald city on every side. they slept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them; and they rested very well indeed. in the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood. there was no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend to the right and left as far as they could see; and, besides, they did not dare change the direction of their journey for fear of getting lost. so they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into the forest. the scarecrow, who was in the lead, finally discovered a big tree with such wide spreading-branches that there was room for the party to pass underneath. so he walked forward to the tree, but just as he came under the first branches they bent down and twined around him, and the next minute he was raised from the ground and flung headlong among his fellow travellers. this did not hurt the scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he looked rather dizzy when dorothy picked him up. "here is another space between the trees," called the lion. [illustration] "let me try it first," said the scarecrow, "for it doesn't hurt me to get thrown about." he walked up to another tree, as he spoke, but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again. "this is strange," exclaimed dorothy; "what shall we do?" "the trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us, and stop our journey," remarked the lion. "i believe i will try it myself," said the woodman, and shouldering his axe he marched up to the first tree that had handled the scarecrow so roughly. when a big branch bent down to seize him the woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two. at once the tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain, and the tin woodman passed safely under it. "come on!" he shouted to the others; "be quick!" they all ran forward and passed under the tree without injury, except toto, who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled. but the woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the little dog free. the other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back, so they made up their minds that only the first row of trees could bend down their branches, and that probably these were the policemen of the forest, and given this wonderful power in order to keep strangers out of it. the four travellers walked with ease through the trees until they came to the further edge of the wood. then, to their surprise, they found before them a high wall, which seemed to be made of white china. it was smooth, like the surface of a dish, and higher than their heads. "what shall we do now?" asked dorothy. "i will make a ladder," said the tin woodman, "for we certainly must climb over the wall." chapter xx. the dainty china country. [illustration] [illustration] while the woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found in the forest dorothy lay down and slept, for she was tired by the long walk. the lion also curled himself up to sleep and toto lay beside him. the scarecrow watched the woodman while he worked, and said to him: "i cannot think why this wall is here, nor what it is made of." "rest your brains and do not worry about the wall," replied the woodman; "when we have climbed over it we shall know what is on the other side." after a time the ladder was finished. it looked clumsy, but the tin woodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose. the scarecrow waked dorothy and the lion and toto, and told them that the ladder was ready. the scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but he was so awkward that dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him from falling off. when he got his head over the top of the wall the scarecrow said, "oh, my!" "go on," exclaimed dorothy. so the scarecrow climbed further up and sat down on the top of the wall, and dorothy put her head over and cried, "oh, my!" just as the scarecrow had done. then toto came up, and immediately began to bark, but dorothy made him be still. the lion climbed the ladder next, and the tin woodman came last; but both of them cried, "oh, my!" as soon as they looked over the wall. when they were all sitting in a row on the top of the wall they looked down and saw a strange sight. [illustration: "_these people were all made of china._"] before them was a great stretch of country having a floor as smooth and shining and white as the bottom of a big platter. scattered around were many houses made entirely of china and painted in the brightest colours. these houses were quite small, the biggest of them reaching only as high as dorothy's waist. there were also pretty little barns, with china fences around them, and many cows and sheep and horses and pigs and chickens, all made of china, were standing about in groups. but the strangest of all were the people who lived in this queer country. there were milk-maids and shepherdesses, with bright-colored bodices and golden spots all over their gowns; and princesses with most gorgeous frocks of silver and gold and purple; and shepherds dressed in knee-breeches with pink and yellow and blue stripes down them, and golden buckles on their shoes; and princes with jewelled crowns upon their heads, wearing ermine robes and satin doublets; and funny clowns in ruffled gowns, with round red spots upon their cheeks and tall, pointed caps. and, strangest of all, these people were all made of china, even to their clothes, and were so small that the tallest of them was no higher than dorothy's knee. no one did so much as look at the travellers at first, except one little purple china dog with an extra-large head, which came to the wall and barked at them in a tiny voice, afterwards running away again. "how shall we get down?" asked dorothy. they found the ladder so heavy they could not pull it up, so the scarecrow fell off the wall and the others jumped down upon him so that the hard floor would not hurt their feet. of course they took pains not to light on his head and get the pins in their feet. when all were safely down they picked up the scarecrow, whose body was quite flattened out, and patted his straw into shape again. "we must cross this strange place in order to get to the other side," said dorothy; "for it would be unwise for us to go any other way except due south." they began walking through the country of the china people, and the first thing they came to was a china milk-maid milking a china cow. as they drew near the cow suddenly gave a kick and kicked over the stool, the pail, and even the milk-maid herself, all falling on the china ground with a great clatter. dorothy was shocked to see that the cow had broken her leg short off, and that the pail was lying in several small pieces, while the poor milk-maid had a nick in her left elbow. "there!" cried the milk-maid, angrily; "see what you have done! my cow has broken her leg, and i must take her to the mender's shop and have it glued on again. what do you mean by coming here and frightening my cow?" "i'm very sorry," returned dorothy; "please forgive us." but the pretty milk-maid was much too vexed to make any answer. she picked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away, the poor animal limping on three legs. as she left them the milk-maid cast many reproachful glances over her shoulder at the clumsy strangers, holding her nicked elbow close to her side. [illustration] dorothy was quite grieved at this mishap. "we must be very careful here," said the kind-hearted woodman, "or we may hurt these pretty little people so they will never get over it." a little farther on dorothy met a most beautiful dressed young princess, who stopped short as she saw the strangers and started to run away. dorothy wanted to see more of the princess, so she ran after her; but the china girl cried out, "don't chase me! don't chase me!" she had such a frightened little voice that dorothy stopped and said, "why not?" "because," answered the princess, also stopping, a safe distance away, "if i run i may fall down and break myself." "but couldn't you be mended?" asked the girl. "oh, yes; but one is never so pretty after being mended, you know," replied the princess. "i suppose not," said dorothy. "now there is mr. joker, one of our clowns," continued the china lady, "who is always trying to stand upon his head. he has broken himself so often that he is mended in a hundred places, and doesn't look at all pretty. here he comes now, so you can see for yourself." indeed, a jolly little clown now came walking toward them, and dorothy could see that in spite of his pretty clothes of red and yellow and green he was completely covered with cracks, running every which way and showing plainly that he had been mended in many places. the clown put his hands in his pockets, and after puffing out his cheeks and nodding his head at them saucily he said, "my lady fair, why do you stare at poor old mr. joker? you're quite as stiff and prim as if you'd eaten up a poker!" "be quiet, sir!" said the princess; "can't you see these are strangers, and should be treated with respect?" "well, that's respect, i expect," declared the clown, and immediately stood upon his head. "don't mind mr. joker," said the princess to dorothy; "he is considerably cracked in his head, and that makes him foolish." [illustration] "oh, i don't mind him a bit," said dorothy. "but you are so beautiful," she continued, "that i am sure i could love you dearly. won't you let me carry you back to kansas and stand you on aunt em's mantle-shelf? i could carry you in my basket." "that would make me very unhappy," answered the china princess. "you see, here in our own country we live contentedly, and can talk and move around as we please. but whenever any of us are taken away our joints at once stiffen, and we can only stand straight and look pretty. of course that is all that is expected of us when we are on mantle-shelves and cabinets and drawing-room tables, but our lives are much pleasanter here in our own country." "i would not make you unhappy for all the world!" exclaimed dorothy; "so i'll just say good-bye." "good-bye," replied the princess. they walked carefully through the china country. the little animals and all the people scampered out of their way, fearing the strangers would break them, and after an hour or so the travellers reached the other side of the country and came to another china wall. it was not as high as the first, however, and by standing upon the lion's back they all managed to scramble to the top. then the lion gathered his legs under him and jumped on the wall; but just as he jumped he upset a china church with his tail and smashed it all to pieces. "that was too bad," said dorothy, "but really i think we were lucky in not doing these little people more harm than breaking a cow's leg and a church. they are all so brittle!" "they are, indeed," said the scarecrow, "and i am thankful i am made of straw and cannot be easily damaged. there are worse things in the world than being a scarecrow." chapter xxi. the lion becomes the king of beasts. [illustration] [illustration] after climbing down from the china wall the travellers found themselves in a disagreeable country, full of bogs and marshes and covered with tall, rank grass. it was difficult to walk far without falling into muddy holes, for the grass was so thick that it hid them from sight. however, by carefully picking their way, they got safely along until they reached solid ground. but here the country seemed wilder than ever, and after a long and tiresome walk through the underbrush they entered another forest, where the trees were bigger and older than any they had ever seen. "this forest is perfectly delightful," declared the lion, looking around him with joy; "never have i seen a more beautiful place." "it seems gloomy," said the scarecrow. "not a bit of it," answered the lion; "i should like to live here all my life. see how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home." "perhaps there are wild beasts in the forest now," said dorothy. "i suppose there are," returned the lion; "but i do not see any of them about." they walked through the forest until it became too dark to go any farther. dorothy and toto and the lion lay down to sleep, while the woodman and the scarecrow kept watch over them as usual. when morning came they started again. before they had gone far they heard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals. toto whimpered a little but none of the others was frightened and they kept along the well-trodden path until they came to an opening in the wood, in which were gathered hundreds of beasts of every variety. there were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and all the others in the natural history, and for a moment dorothy was afraid. but the lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and he judged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble. as he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at once the great assemblage hushed as if by magic. the biggest of the tigers came up to the lion and bowed, saying, [illustration] "welcome, o king of beasts! you have come in good time to fight our enemy and bring peace to all the animals of the forest once more." "what is your trouble?" asked the lion, quietly. "we are all threatened," answered the tiger, "by a fierce enemy which has lately come into this forest. it is a most tremendous monster, like a great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as long as a tree trunk. it has eight of these long legs, and as the monster crawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags it to his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly. not one of us is safe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called a meeting to decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us." the lion thought for a moment. "are there any other lions in this forest?" he asked. "no; there were some, but the monster has eaten them all. and, besides, they were none of them nearly so large and brave as you." "if i put an end to your enemy will you bow down to me and obey me as king of the forest?" enquired the lion. "we will do that gladly," returned the tiger; and all the other beasts roared with a mighty roar: "we will!" "where is this great spider of yours now?" asked the lion. "yonder, among the oak trees," said the tiger, pointing with his fore-foot. "take good care of these friends of mine," said the lion, "and i will go at once to fight the monster." he bade his comrades good-bye and marched proudly away to do battle with the enemy. the great spider was lying asleep when the lion found him, and it looked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust. its legs were quite as long as the tiger had said, and it's body covered with coarse black hair. it had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth a foot long; but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a neck as slender as a wasp's waist. this gave the lion a hint of the best way to attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to fight it asleep than awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly upon the monster's back. then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armed with sharp claws, he knocked the spider's head from its body. jumping down, he watched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when he knew it was quite dead. the lion went back to the opening where the beasts of the forest were waiting for him and said, proudly, "you need fear your enemy no longer." then the beasts bowed down to the lion as their king, and he promised to come back and rule over them as soon as dorothy was safely on her way to kansas. chapter xxii. the country of the quadlings [illustration] [illustration: "_the head shot forward and struck the scarecrow._"] [illustration] the four travellers passed through the rest of the forest in safety, and when they came out from its gloom saw before them a steep hill, covered from top to bottom with great pieces of rock. "that will be a hard climb," said the scarecrow, "but we must get over the hill, nevertheless." so he led the way and the others followed. they had nearly reached the first rock when they heard a rough voice cry out, "keep back!" "who are you?" asked the scarecrow. then a head showed itself over the rock and the same voice said, "this hill belongs to us, and we don't allow anyone to cross it." "but we must cross it," said the scarecrow. "we're going to the country of the quadlings." "but you shall not!" replied the voice, and there stepped from behind the rock the strangest man the travellers had ever seen. he was quite short and stout and had a big head, which was flat at the top and supported by a thick neck full of wrinkles. but he had no arms at all, and, seeing this, the scarecrow did not fear that so helpless a creature could prevent them from climbing the hill. so he said, "i'm sorry not to do as you wish, but we must pass over your hill whether you like it or not," and he walked boldly forward. as quick as lightning the man's head shot forward and his neck stretched out until the top of the head, where it was flat, struck the scarecrow in the middle and sent him tumbling, over and over, down the hill. almost as quickly as it came the head went back to the body, and the man laughed harshly as he said, "it isn't as easy as you think!" a chorus of boisterous laughter came from the other rocks, and dorothy saw hundreds of the armless hammer-heads upon the hillside, one behind every rock. the lion became quite angry at the laughter caused by the scarecrow's mishap, and giving a loud roar that echoed like thunder he dashed up the hill. again a head shot swiftly out, and the great lion went rolling down the hill as if he had been struck by a cannon ball. dorothy ran down and helped the scarecrow to his feet, and the lion came up to her, feeling rather bruised and sore, and said, "it is useless to fight people with shooting heads; no one can withstand them." "what can we do, then?" she asked. "call the winged monkeys," suggested the tin woodman; "you have still the right to command them once more." "very well," she answered, and putting on the golden cap she uttered the magic words. the monkeys were as prompt as ever, and in a few moments the entire band stood before her. "what are your commands?" enquired the king of the monkeys, bowing low. "carry us over the hill to the country of the quadlings," answered the girl. "it shall be done," said the king, and at once the winged monkeys caught the four travellers and toto up in their arms and flew away with them. as they passed over the hill the hammer-heads yelled with vexation, and shot their heads high in the air; but they could not reach the winged monkeys, which carried dorothy and her comrades safely over the hill and set them down in the beautiful country of the quadlings. "this is the last time you can summon us," said the leader to dorothy; "so good-bye and good luck to you." "good-bye, and thank you very much," returned the girl; and the monkeys rose into the air and were out of sight in a twinkling. the country of the quadlings seemed rich and happy. there was field upon field of ripening grain, with well-paved roads running between, and pretty rippling brooks with strong bridges across them. the fences and houses and bridges were all painted bright red, just as they had been painted yellow in the country of the winkies and blue in the country of the munchkins. the quadlings themselves, who were short and fat and looked chubby and good natured, were dressed all in red, which showed bright against the green grass and the yellowing grain. the monkeys had set them down near a farm house, and the four travellers walked up to it and knocked at the door. it was opened by the farmer's wife, and when dorothy asked for something to eat the woman gave them all a good dinner, with three kinds of cake and four kinds of cookies, and a bowl of milk for toto. "how far is it to the castle of glinda?" asked the child. "it is not a great way," answered the farmer's wife. "take the road to the south and you will soon reach it." thanking the good woman, they started afresh and walked by the fields and across the pretty bridges until they saw before them a very beautiful castle. before the gates were three young girls, dressed in handsome red uniforms trimmed with gold braid; and as dorothy approached one of them said to her, "why have you come to the south country?" "to see the good witch who rules here," she answered. "will you take me to her?" "let me have your name and i will ask glinda if she will receive you." they told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the castle. after a few moments she came back to say that dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once. [illustration] chapter xxiii. the good witch grants dorothy's wish. [illustration] [illustration: "_you must give me the golden cap._"] [illustration] before they went to see glinda, however, they were taken to a room of the castle, where dorothy washed her face and combed her hair, and the lion shook the dust out of his mane, and the scarecrow patted himself into his best shape, and the woodman polished his tin and oiled his joints. when they were all quite presentable they followed the soldier girl into a big room where the witch glinda sat upon a throne of rubies. she was both beautiful and young to their eyes. her hair was a rich red in color and fell in flowing ringlets over her shoulders. her dress was pure white; but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon the little girl. "what can i do for you, my child?" she asked. dorothy told the witch all her story; how the cyclone had brought her to the land of oz, how she had found her companions, and of the wonderful adventures they had met with. "my greatest wish now," she added, "is to get back to kansas, for aunt em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last i am sure uncle henry cannot afford it." glinda leaned forward and kissed the sweet, upturned face of the loving little girl. "bless your dear heart," she said, "i am sure i can tell you of a way to get back to kansas." then she added: "but, if i do, you must give me the golden cap." "willingly!" exclaimed dorothy; "indeed, it is of no use to me now, and when you have it you can command the winged monkeys three times." "and i think i shall need their service just those three times," answered glinda, smiling. dorothy then gave her the golden cap, and the witch said to the scarecrow, "what will you do when dorothy has left us?" "i will return to the emerald city," he replied, "for oz has made me its ruler and the people like me. the only thing that worries me is how to cross the hill of the hammer-heads." "by means of the golden cap i shall command the winged monkeys to carry you to the gates of the emerald city," said glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler." "am i really wonderful?" asked the scarecrow. "you are unusual," replied glinda. turning to the tin woodman, she asked: "what will become of you when dorothy leaves this country?" he leaned on his axe and thought a moment. then he said, "the winkies were very kind to me, and wanted me to rule over them after the wicked witch died. i am fond of the winkies, and if i could get back again to the country of the west i should like nothing better than to rule over them forever." "my second command to the winged monkeys," said glinda, "will be that they carry you safely to the land of the winkies. your brains may not be so large to look at as those of the scarecrow, but you are really brighter than he is--when you are well polished--and i am sure you will rule the winkies wisely and well." then the witch looked at the big, shaggy lion and asked, "when dorothy has returned to her own home, what will become of you?" "over the hill of the hammer-heads," he answered, "lies a grand old forest, and all the beasts that live there have made me their king. if i could only get back to this forest i would pass my life very happily there." "my third command to the winged monkeys," said glinda, "shall be to carry you to your forest. then, having used up the powers of the golden cap, i shall give it to the king of the monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for evermore." the scarecrow and the tin woodman and the lion now thanked the good witch earnestly for her kindness, and dorothy exclaimed, [illustration] "you are certainly as good as you are beautiful! but you have not yet told me how to get back to kansas." "your silver shoes will carry you over the desert," replied glinda. "if you had known their power you could have gone back to your aunt em the very first day you came to this country." "but then i should not have had my wonderful brains!" cried the scarecrow. "i might have passed my whole life in the farmer's cornfield." "and i should not have had my lovely heart," said the tin woodman. "i might have stood and rusted in the forest till the end of the world." "and i should have lived a coward forever," declared the lion, "and no beast in all the forest would have had a good word to say to me." "this is all true," said dorothy, "and i am glad i was of use to these good friends. but now that each of them has had what he most desired, and each is happy in having a kingdom to rule beside, i think i should like to go back to kansas." "the silver shoes," said the good witch, "have wonderful powers. and one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. all you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go." "if that is so," said the child, joyfully, "i will ask them to carry me back to kansas at once." she threw her arms around the lion's neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. then she kissed the tin woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. but she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades. glinda the good stepped down from her ruby throne to give the little girl a good-bye kiss, and dorothy thanked her for all the kindness she had shown to her friends and herself. dorothy now took toto up solemnly in her arms, and having said one last good-bye she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times, saying, "take me home to aunt em!" * * * * * [illustration] instantly she was whirling through the air, so swiftly that all she could see or feel was the wind whistling past her ears. the silver shoes took but three steps, and then she stopped so suddenly that she rolled over upon the grass several times before she knew where she was. at length, however, she sat up and looked about her. "good gracious!" she cried. for she was sitting on the broad kansas prairie, and just before her was the new farm-house uncle henry built after the cyclone had carried away the old one. uncle henry was milking the cows in the barnyard, and toto had jumped out of her arms and was running toward the barn, barking joyously. dorothy stood up and found she was in her stocking-feet. for the silver shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert. [illustration] chapter xxiv. home again. aunt em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw dorothy running toward her. "my darling child!" she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses; "where in the world did you come from?" "from the land of oz," said dorothy, gravely. "and here is toto, too. and oh, aunt em! i'm so glad to be at home again!" [illustration] transcriber's notes: obvious punctuation and spelling errors have been fixed throughout. glinda of oz in which are related the exciting experiences of princess ozma of oz, and dorothy, in their hazardous journey to the home of the flatheads, and to the magic isle of the skeezers, and how they were rescued from dire peril by the sorcery of glinda the good. by l. frank baum "royal historian of oz" illustrated by john r. neill this book is dedicated to my son robert stanton baum to our readers glinda the good, lovely sorceress of the land of oz and friend of princess ozma and dorothy, has lots of personal acquaintances who want to know more about her. so, in the new oz story, mr. l. frank baum, royal historian of oz, has written a whole book about how glinda and the wizard worked with all their might to save the princess and dorothy from the dire dangers which threatened them when they went among the warring tribes of the flatheads and skeezers. the wicked queen coo-ee-oh, a vain and evil witch, was really to blame for all the trouble. she surely succeeded in getting every one on the magic, glass-domed island of the skeezers into amazing difficulties. when mr. baum tells you how worried everybody in the land of oz felt about the princess ozma and dorothy and what wonderful sorcery glinda had to perform to save them, you'll be thrilled with excitement and admiration. he reveals the most hidden mysteries of magic. mr. baum did his best to answer all the letters from his small earth-friends before he had to leave them, but he couldn't answer quite all, for there were very many. in may, nineteen hundred nineteen, he went away to take his stories to the little child-souls who had lived here too long ago to read the oz stories for themselves. we are sorry he could not stay here and we are sad to tell you this is his last complete story. but he left some unfinished notes about the princess ozma and dorothy and the oz people and we promise that some day we will put them all together like a picture puzzle and give you more stories of the wonderful land of oz. cordially, your friends, the publishers. list of chapters 1 the call of duty 2 ozma and dorothy 3 the mist maidens 4 the magic tent 5 the magic stairway 6 flathead mountain 7 the magic isle 8 queen coo-ee-oh 9 lady aurex 10 under water 11 the conquest of the skeezers 12 the diamond swan 13 the alarm bell 14 ozma's counsellors 15 the great sorceress 16 the enchanted fishes 17 under the great dome 18 the cleverness of ervic 19 red reera, the yookoohoo 20 a puzzling problem 21 the three adepts 22 the sunken island 23 the magic words 24 glinda's triumph [illustration: glinda of oz] chapter 1 the call to duty glinda, the good sorceress of oz, sat in the grand court of her palace, surrounded by her maids of honor--a hundred of the most beautiful girls of the fairyland of oz. the palace court was built of rare marbles, exquisitely polished. fountains tinkled musically here and there; the vast colonnade, open to the south, allowed the maidens, as they raised their heads from their embroideries, to gaze upon a vista of rose-hued fields and groves of trees bearing fruits or laden with sweet-scented flowers. at times one of the girls would start a song, the others joining in the chorus, or one would rise and dance, gracefully swaying to the music of a harp played by a companion. and then glinda smiled, glad to see her maids mixing play with work. presently among the fields an object was seen moving, threading the broad path that led to the castle gate. some of the girls looked upon this object enviously; the sorceress merely gave it a glance and nodded her stately head as if pleased, for it meant the coming of her friend and mistress--the only one in all the land that glinda bowed to. then up the path trotted a wooden animal attached to a red wagon, and as the quaint steed halted at the gate there descended from the wagon two young girls, ozma, ruler of oz, and her companion, princess dorothy. both were dressed in simple white muslin gowns, and as they ran up the marble steps of the palace they laughed and chatted as gaily as if they were not the most important persons in the world's loveliest fairyland. the maids of honor had risen and stood with bowed heads to greet the royal ozma, while glinda came forward with outstretched arms to greet her guests. "we've just come on a visit, you know," said ozma. "both dorothy and i were wondering how we should pass the day when we happened to think we'd not been to your quadling country for weeks, so we took the sawhorse and rode straight here." "and we came so fast," added dorothy, "that our hair is blown all fuzzy, for the sawhorse makes a wind of his own. usually it's a day's journey from the em'rald city, but i don't s'pose we were two hours on the way." "you are most welcome," said glinda the sorceress, and led them through the court to her magnificent reception hall. ozma took the arm of her hostess, but dorothy lagged behind, kissing some of the maids she knew best, talking with others, and making them all feel that she was their friend. when at last she joined glinda and ozma in the reception hall, she found them talking earnestly about the condition of the people, and how to make them more happy and contented--although they were already the happiest and most contented folks in all the world. this interested ozma, of course, but it didn't interest dorothy very much, so the little girl ran over to a big table on which was lying open glinda's great book of records. this book is one of the greatest treasures in oz, and the sorceress prizes it more highly than any of her magical possessions. that is the reason it is firmly attached to the big marble table by means of golden chains, and whenever glinda leaves home she locks the great book together with five jeweled padlocks, and carries the keys safely hidden in her bosom. i do not suppose there is any magical thing in any fairyland to compare with the record book, on the pages of which are constantly being printed a record of every event that happens in any part of the world, at exactly the moment it happens. and the records are always truthful, although sometimes they do not give as many details as one could wish. but then, lots of things happen, and so the records have to be brief or even glinda's great book could not hold them all. glinda looked at the records several times each day, and dorothy, whenever she visited the sorceress, loved to look in the book and see what was happening everywhere. not much was recorded about the land of oz, which is usually peaceful and uneventful, but today dorothy found something which interested her. indeed, the printed letters were appearing on the page even while she looked. "this is funny!" she exclaimed. "did you know, ozma, that there were people in your land of oz called skeezers?" "yes," replied ozma, coming to her side, "i know that on professor wogglebug's map of the land of oz there is a place marked 'skeezer,' but what the skeezers are like i do not know. no one i know has ever seen them or heard of them. the skeezer country is 'way at the upper edge of the gillikin country, with the sandy, impassable desert on one side and the mountains of oogaboo on another side. that is a part of the land of oz of which i know very little." "i guess no one else knows much about it either, unless it's the skeezers themselves," remarked dorothy. "but the book says: 'the skeezers of oz have declared war on the flatheads of oz, and there is likely to be fighting and much trouble as the result.'" "is that all the book says?" asked ozma. "every word," said dorothy, and ozma and glinda both looked at the record and seemed surprised and perplexed. "tell me, glinda," said ozma, "who are the flatheads?" "i cannot, your majesty," confessed the sorceress. "until now i never have heard of them, nor have i ever heard the skeezers mentioned. in the faraway corners of oz are hidden many curious tribes of people, and those who never leave their own countries and never are visited by those from our favored part of oz, naturally are unknown to me. however, if you so desire, i can learn through my arts of sorcery something of the skeezers and the flatheads." "i wish you would," answered ozma seriously. "you see, glinda, if these are oz people they are my subjects and i cannot allow any wars or troubles in the land i rule, if i can possibly help it." "very well, your majesty," said the sorceress, "i will try to get some information to guide you. please excuse me for a time, while i retire to my room of magic and sorcery." "may i go with you?" asked dorothy, eagerly. "no, princess," was the reply. "it would spoil the charm to have anyone present." so glinda locked herself in her own room of magic and dorothy and ozma waited patiently for her to come out again. in about an hour glinda appeared, looking grave and thoughtful. "your majesty," she said to ozma, "the skeezers live on a magic isle in a great lake. for that reason--because the skeezers deal in magic--i can learn little about them." "why, i didn't know there was a lake in that part of oz," exclaimed ozma. "the map shows a river running through the skeezer country, but no lake." "that is because the person who made the map never had visited that part of the country," explained the sorceress. "the lake surely is there, and in the lake is an island--a magic isle--and on that island live the people called the skeezers." "what are they like?" inquired the ruler of oz. "my magic cannot tell me that," confessed glinda, "for the magic of the skeezers prevents anyone outside of their domain knowing anything about them." "the flatheads must know, if they're going to fight the skeezers," suggested dorothy. "perhaps so," glinda replied, "but i can get little information concerning the flatheads, either. they are people who inhabit a mountain just south of the lake of the skeezers. the mountain has steep sides and a broad, hollow top, like a basin, and in this basin the flatheads have their dwellings. they also are magic-workers and usually keep to themselves and allow no one from outside to visit them. i have learned that the flatheads number about one hundred people--men, women and children--while the skeezers number just one hundred and one." "what did they quarrel about, and why do they wish to fight one another?" was ozma's next question. "i cannot tell your majesty that," said glinda. "but see here!" cried dorothy, "it's against the law for anyone but glinda and the wizard to work magic in the land of oz, so if these two strange people are magic-makers they are breaking the law and ought to be punished!" ozma smiled upon her little friend. "those who do not know me or my laws," she said, "cannot be expected to obey my laws. if we know nothing of the skeezers or the flatheads, it is likely that they know nothing of us." "but they _ought_ to know, ozma, and _we_ ought to know. who's going to tell them, and how are we going to make them behave?" "that," returned ozma, "is what i am now considering. what would you advise, glinda?" the sorceress took a little time to consider this question, before she made reply. then she said: "had you not learned of the existence of the flatheads and the skeezers, through my book of records, you would never have worried about them or their quarrels. so, if you pay no attention to these peoples, you may never hear of them again." "but that wouldn't be right," declared ozma. "i am ruler of all the land of oz, which includes the gillikin country, the quadling country, the winkie country and the munchkin country, as well as the emerald city, and being the princess of this fairyland it is my duty to make all my people--wherever they may be--happy and content and to settle their disputes and keep them from quarreling. so, while the skeezers and flatheads may not know me or that i am their lawful ruler, i now know that they inhabit my kingdom and are my subjects, so i would not be doing my duty if i kept away from them and allowed them to fight." "that's a fact, ozma," commented dorothy. "you've got to go up to the gillikin country and make these people behave themselves and make up their quarrels. but how are you going to do it?" "that is what is puzzling me also, your majesty," said the sorceress. "it may be dangerous for you to go into those strange countries, where the people are possibly fierce and warlike." "i am not afraid," said ozma, with a smile. "'tisn't a question of being 'fraid," argued dorothy. "of course we know you're a fairy, and can't be killed or hurt, and we know you've a lot of magic of your own to help you. but, ozma dear, in spite of all this you've been in trouble before, on account of wicked enemies, and it isn't right for the ruler of all oz to put herself in danger." "perhaps i shall be in no danger at all," returned ozma, with a little laugh. "you mustn't _imagine_ danger, dorothy, for one should only imagine nice things, and we do not know that the skeezers and flatheads are wicked people or my enemies. perhaps they would be good and listen to reason." "dorothy is right, your majesty," asserted the sorceress. "it is true we know nothing of these faraway subjects, except that they intend to fight one another, and have a certain amount of magic power at their command. such folks do not like to submit to interference and they are more likely to resent your coming among them than to receive you kindly and graciously, as is your due." "if you had an army to take with you," added dorothy, "it wouldn't be so bad; but there isn't such a thing as an army in all oz." "i have one soldier," said ozma. "yes, the soldier with the green whiskers; but he's dreadful 'fraid of his gun and never loads it. i'm sure he'd run rather than fight. and one soldier, even if he were brave, couldn't do much against two hundred and one flatheads and skeezers." "what then, my friends, would you suggest?" inquired ozma. "i advise you to send the wizard of oz to them, and let him inform them that it is against the laws of oz to fight, and that you command them to settle their differences and become friends," proposed glinda. "let the wizard tell them they will be punished if they refuse to obey the commands of the princess of all the land of oz." ozma shook her head, to indicate that the advice was not to her satisfaction. "if they refuse, what then?" she asked. "i should be obliged to carry out my threat and punish them, and that would be an unpleasant and difficult thing to do. i am sure it would be better for me to go peacefully, without an army and armed only with my authority as ruler, and plead with them to obey me. then, if they prove obstinate i could resort to other means to win their obedience." "it's a ticklish thing, anyhow you look at it," sighed dorothy. "i'm sorry now that i noticed the record in the great book." "but can't you realize, my dear, that i must do my duty, now that i am aware of this trouble?" asked ozma. "i am fully determined to go at once to the magic isle of the skeezers and to the enchanted mountain of the flatheads, and prevent war and strife between their inhabitants. the only question to decide is whether it is better for me to go alone, or to assemble a party of my friends and loyal supporters to accompany me." "if you go i want to go, too," declared dorothy. "whatever happens it's going to be fun--'cause all excitement is fun--and i wouldn't miss it for the world!" neither ozma nor glinda paid any attention to this statement, for they were gravely considering the serious aspect of this proposed adventure. "there are plenty of friends who would like to go with you," said the sorceress, "but none of them would afford your majesty any protection in case you were in danger. you are yourself the most powerful fairy in oz, although both i and the wizard have more varied arts of magic at our command. however, you have one art that no other in all the world can equal--the art of winning hearts and making people love to bow to your gracious presence. for that reason i believe you can accomplish more good alone than with a large number of subjects in your train." "i believe that also," agreed the princess. "i shall be quite able to take care of myself, you know, but might not be able to protect others so well. i do not look for opposition, however. i shall speak to these people in kindly words and settle their dispute--whatever it may be--in a just manner." "aren't you going to take _me_?" pleaded dorothy. "you'll need _some_ companion, ozma." the princess smiled upon her little friend. "i see no reason why you should not accompany me," was her reply. "two girls are not very warlike and they will not suspect us of being on any errand but a kindly and peaceful one. but, in order to prevent war and strife between these angry peoples, we must go to them at once. let us return immediately to the emerald city and prepare to start on our journey early tomorrow morning." glinda was not quite satisfied with this plan, but could not think of any better way to meet the problem. she knew that ozma, with all her gentleness and sweet disposition, was accustomed to abide by any decision she had made and could not easily be turned from her purpose. moreover she could see no great danger to the fairy ruler of oz in the undertaking, even though the unknown people she was to visit proved obstinate. but dorothy was not a fairy; she was a little girl who had come from kansas to live in the land of oz. dorothy might encounter dangers that to ozma would be as nothing but to an "earth child" would be very serious. the very fact that dorothy lived in oz, and had been made a princess by her friend ozma, prevented her from being killed or suffering any great bodily pain as long as she lived in that fairyland. she could not grow big, either, and would always remain the same little girl who had come to oz, unless in some way she left that fairyland or was spirited away from it. but dorothy was a mortal, nevertheless, and might possibly be destroyed, or hidden where none of her friends could ever find her. she could, for instance, be cut into pieces, and the pieces, while still alive and free from pain, could be widely scattered; or she might be buried deep underground, or "destroyed" in other ways by evil magicians, were she not properly protected. these facts glinda was considering while she paced with stately tread her marble hall. finally the good sorceress paused and drew a ring from her finger, handing it to dorothy. "wear this ring constantly until your return," she said to the girl. "if serious danger threatens you, turn the ring around on your finger once to the right and another turn to the left. that will ring the alarm bell in my palace and i will at once come to your rescue. but do not use the ring unless you are actually in danger of destruction. while you remain with princess ozma i believe she will be able to protect you from all lesser ills." "thank you, glinda," responded dorothy gratefully, as she placed the ring on her finger. "i'm going to wear my magic belt which i took from the nome king, too, so i guess i'll be safe from anything the skeezers and flatheads try to do to me." ozma had many arrangements to make before she could leave her throne and her palace in the emerald city, even for a trip of a few days, so she bade good-bye to glinda and with dorothy climbed into the red wagon. a word to the wooden sawhorse started that astonishing creature on the return journey, and so swiftly did he run that dorothy was unable to talk or do anything but hold tight to her seat all the way back to the emerald city. chapter 2 ozma and dorothy residing in ozma's palace at this time was a live scarecrow, a most remarkable and intelligent creature who had once ruled the land of oz for a brief period and was much loved and respected by all the people. once a munchkin farmer had stuffed an old suit of clothes with straw and put stuffed boots on the feet and used a pair of stuffed cotton gloves for hands. the head of the scarecrow was a stuffed sack fastened to the body, with eyes, nose, mouth and ears painted on the sack. when a hat had been put on the head, the thing was a good imitation of a man. the farmer placed the scarecrow on a pole in his cornfield and it came to life in a curious manner. dorothy, who was passing by the field, was hailed by the live scarecrow and lifted him off his pole. he then went with her to the emerald city, where the wizard of oz gave him some excellent brains, and the scarecrow soon became an important personage. ozma considered the scarecrow one of her best friends and most loyal subjects, so the morning after her visit to glinda she asked him to take her place as ruler of the land of oz while she was absent on a journey, and the scarecrow at once consented without asking any questions. ozma had warned dorothy to keep their journey a secret and say nothing to anyone about the skeezers and flatheads until their return, and dorothy promised to obey. she longed to tell her girl friends, tiny trot and betsy bobbin, of the adventure they were undertaking, but refrained from saying a word on the subject although both these girls lived with her in ozma's palace. indeed, only glinda the sorceress knew they were going, until after they had gone, and even the sorceress didn't know what their errand might be. princess ozma took the sawhorse and the red wagon, although she was not sure there was a wagon road all the way to the lake of the skeezers. the land of oz is a pretty big place, surrounded on all sides by a deadly desert which it is impossible to cross, and the skeezer country, according to the map, was in the farthest northwestern part of oz, bordering on the north desert. as the emerald city was exactly in the center of oz, it was no small journey from there to the skeezers. around the emerald city the country is thickly settled in every direction, but the farther away you get from the city the fewer people there are, until those parts that border on the desert have small populations. also those faraway sections are little known to the oz people, except in the south, where glinda lives and where dorothy has often wandered on trips of exploration. the least known of all is the gillikin country, which harbors many strange bands of people among its mountains and valleys and forests and streams, and ozma was now bound for the most distant part of the gillikin country. "i am really sorry," said ozma to dorothy, as they rode away in the red wagon, "not to know more about the wonderful land i rule. it is my duty to be acquainted with every tribe of people and every strange and hidden country in all oz, but i am kept so busy at my palace making laws and planning for the comforts of those who live near the emerald city, that i do not often find time to make long journeys." "well," replied dorothy, "we'll prob'bly find out a lot on this trip, and we'll learn all about the skeezers and flatheads, anyhow. time doesn't make much diff'rence in the land of oz, 'cause we don't grow up, or get old, or become sick and die, as they do other places; so, if we explore one place at a time, we'll by-an'-by know all about every nook and corner in oz." dorothy wore around her waist the nome king's magic belt, which protected her from harm, and the magic ring which glinda had given her was on her finger. ozma had merely slipped a small silver wand into the bosom of her gown, for fairies do not use chemicals and herbs and the tools of wizards and sorcerers to perform their magic. the silver wand was ozma's one weapon of offense and defense and by its use she could accomplish many things. they had left the emerald city just at sunrise and the sawhorse traveled very swiftly over the roads towards the north, but in a few hours the wooden animal had to slacken his pace because the farm houses had become few and far between and often there were no paths at all in the direction they wished to follow. at such times they crossed the fields, avoiding groups of trees and fording the streams and rivulets whenever they came to them. but finally they reached a broad hillside closely covered with scrubby brush, through which the wagon could not pass. "it will be difficult even for you and me to get through without tearing our dresses," said ozma, "so we must leave the sawhorse and the wagon here until our return." "that's all right," dorothy replied, "i'm tired riding, anyhow. do you s'pose, ozma, we're anywhere near the skeezer country?" "i cannot tell, dorothy dear, but i know we've been going in the right direction, so we are sure to find it in time." the scrubby brush was almost like a grove of small trees, for it reached as high as the heads of the two girls, neither of whom was very tall. they were obliged to thread their way in and out, until dorothy was afraid they would get lost, and finally they were halted by a curious thing that barred their further progress. it was a huge web--as if woven by gigantic spiders--and the delicate, lacy film was fastened stoutly to the branches of the bushes and continued to the right and left in the form of a half circle. the threads of this web were of a brilliant purple color and woven into numerous artistic patterns, but it reached from the ground to branches above the heads of the girls and formed a sort of fence that hedged them in. "it doesn't look very strong, though," said dorothy. "i wonder if we couldn't break through." she tried but found the web stronger than it seemed. all her efforts could not break a single thread. "we must go back, i think, and try to get around this peculiar web," ozma decided. so they turned to the right and, following the web, found that it seemed to spread in a regular circle. on and on they went until finally ozma said they had returned to the exact spot from which they had started. "here is a handkerchief you dropped when we were here before," she said to dorothy. "in that case, they must have built the web behind us, after we walked into the trap," exclaimed the little girl. "true," agreed ozma, "an enemy has tried to imprison us." "and they did it, too," said dorothy. "i wonder who it was." "it's a spider-web, i'm quite sure," returned ozma, "but it must be the work of enormous spiders." "quite right!" cried a voice behind them. turning quickly around they beheld a huge purple spider sitting not two yards away and regarding them with its small bright eyes. then there crawled from the bushes a dozen more great purple spiders, which saluted the first one and said: "the web is finished, o king, and the strangers are our prisoners." dorothy did not like the looks of these spiders at all. they had big heads, sharp claws, small eyes and fuzzy hair all over their purple bodies. "they look wicked," she whispered to ozma. "what shall we do?" ozma gazed upon the spiders with a serious face. "what is your object in making us prisoners?" she inquired. "we need someone to keep house for us," answered the spider king. "there is sweeping and dusting to be done, and polishing and washing of dishes, and that is work my people dislike to do. so we decided that if any strangers came our way we would capture them and make them our servants." "i am princess ozma, ruler of all oz," said the girl with dignity. "well, i am king of all spiders," was the reply, "and that makes me your master. come with me to my palace and i will instruct you in your work." "i won't," said dorothy indignantly. "we won't have anything to do with you." "we'll see about that," returned the spider in a severe tone, and the next instant he made a dive straight at dorothy, opening the claws in his legs as if to grab and pinch her with the sharp points. but the girl was wearing her magic belt and was not harmed. the spider king could not even touch her. he turned swiftly and made a dash at ozma, but she held her magic wand over his head and the monster recoiled as if it had been struck. "you'd better let us go," dorothy advised him, "for you see you can't hurt us." "so i see," returned the spider king angrily. "your magic is greater than mine. but i'll not help you to escape. if you can break the magic web my people have woven you may go; if not you must stay here and starve." with that the spider king uttered a peculiar whistle and all the spiders disappeared. "there is more magic in my fairyland than i dreamed of," remarked the beautiful ozma, with a sigh of regret. "it seems that my laws have not been obeyed, for even these monstrous spiders defy me by means of magic." "never mind that now," said dorothy; "let's see what we can do to get out of this trap." they now examined the web with great care and were amazed at its strength. although finer than the finest silken hairs, it resisted all their efforts to work through, even though both girls threw all their weight against it. "we must find some instrument which will cut the threads of the web," said ozma, finally. "let us look about for such a tool." so they wandered among the bushes and finally came to a shallow pool of water, formed by a small bubbling spring. dorothy stooped to get a drink and discovered in the water a green crab, about as big as her hand. the crab had two big, sharp claws, and as soon as dorothy saw them she had an idea that those claws could save them. "come out of the water," she called to the crab; "i want to talk to you." rather lazily the crab rose to the surface and caught hold of a bit of rock. with his head above the water he said in a cross voice: "what do you want?" "we want you to cut the web of the purple spiders with your claws, so we can get through it," answered dorothy. "you can do that, can't you?" "i suppose so," replied the crab. "but if i do what will you give me?" "what do you wish?" ozma inquired. "i wish to be white, instead of green," said the crab. "green crabs are very common, and white ones are rare; besides the purple spiders, which infest this hillside, are afraid of white crabs. could you make me white if i should agree to cut the web for you?" "yes," said ozma, "i can do that easily. and, so you may know i am speaking the truth, i will change your color now." she waved her silver wand over the pool and the crab instantly became snow-white--all except his eyes, which remained black. the creature saw his reflection in the water and was so delighted that he at once climbed out of the pool and began moving slowly toward the web, by backing away from the pool. he moved so very slowly that dorothy cried out impatiently: "dear me, this will never do!" catching the crab in her hands she ran with him to the web. she had to hold him up even then, so he could reach with his claws strand after strand of the filmy purple web, which he was able to sever with one nip. when enough of the web had been cut to allow them to pass, dorothy ran back to the pool and placed the white crab in the water, after which she rejoined ozma. they were just in time to escape through the web, for several of the purple spiders now appeared, having discovered that their web had been cut, and had the girls not rushed through the opening the spiders would have quickly repaired the cuts and again imprisoned them. ozma and dorothy ran as fast as they could and although the angry spiders threw a number of strands of web after them, hoping to lasso them or entangle them in the coils, they managed to escape and clamber to the top of the hill. chapter 3 the mist maidens from the top of the hill ozma and dorothy looked down into the valley beyond and were surprised to find it filled with a floating mist that was as dense as smoke. nothing in the valley was visible except these rolling waves of mist, but beyond, on the other side, rose a grassy hill that appeared quite beautiful. "well," said dorothy, "what are we to do, ozma? walk down into that thick fog, an' prob'bly get lost in it, or wait till it clears away?" "i'm not sure it will clear away, however long we wait," replied ozma, doubtfully. "if we wish to get on, i think we must venture into the mist." "but we can't see where we're going, or what we're stepping on," protested dorothy. "there may be dreadful things mixed up in that fog, an' i'm scared just to think of wading into it." even ozma seemed to hesitate. she was silent and thoughtful for a little while, looking at the rolling drifts that were so gray and forbidding. finally she said: "i believe this is a mist valley, where these moist clouds always remain, for even the sunshine above does not drive them away. therefore the mist maids must live here, and they are fairies and should answer my call." she placed her two hands before her mouth, forming a hollow with them, and uttered a clear, thrilling, bird-like cry. it floated far out over the mist waves and presently was answered by a similar sound, as of a far-off echo. dorothy was much impressed. she had seen many strange things since coming to this fairy country, but here was a new experience. at ordinary times ozma was just like any little girl one might chance to meet--simple, merry, lovable as could be--yet with a certain reserve that lent her dignity in her most joyous moods. there were times, however, when seated on her throne and commanding her subjects, or when her fairy powers were called into use, when dorothy and all others about her stood in awe of their lovely girl ruler and realized her superiority. ozma waited. presently out from the billows rose beautiful forms, clothed in fleecy, trailing garments of gray that could scarcely be distinguished from the mist. their hair was mist-color, too; only their gleaming arms and sweet, pallid faces proved they were living, intelligent creatures answering the call of a sister fairy. like sea nymphs they rested on the bosom of the clouds, their eyes turned questioningly upon the two girls who stood upon the bank. one came quite near and to her ozma said: "will you please take us to the opposite hillside? we are afraid to venture into the mist. i am princess ozma of oz, and this is my friend dorothy, a princess of oz." the mist maids came nearer, holding out their arms. without hesitation ozma advanced and allowed them to embrace her and dorothy plucked up courage to follow. very gently the mist maids held them. dorothy thought the arms were cold and misty--they didn't seem real at all--yet they supported the two girls above the surface of the billows and floated with them so swiftly to the green hillside opposite that the girls were astonished to find themselves set upon the grass before they realized they had fairly started. "thank you!" said ozma gratefully, and dorothy also added her thanks for the service. the mist maids made no answer, but they smiled and waved their hands in good-bye as again they floated out into the mist and disappeared from view. chapter 4 the magic tent "well," said dorothy with a laugh, "that was easier than i expected. it's worth while, sometimes, to be a real fairy. but i wouldn't like to be that kind, and live in a dreadful fog all the time." they now climbed the bank and found before them a delightful plain that spread for miles in all directions. fragrant wild flowers were scattered throughout the grass; there were bushes bearing lovely blossoms and luscious fruits; now and then a group of stately trees added to the beauty of the landscape. but there were no dwellings or signs of life. the farther side of the plain was bordered by a row of palms, and just in front of the palms rose a queerly shaped hill that towered above the plain like a mountain. the sides of this hill were straight up and down; it was oblong in shape and the top seemed flat and level. "oh, ho!" cried dorothy; "i'll bet that's the mountain glinda told us of, where the flatheads live." "if it is," replied ozma, "the lake of the skeezers must be just beyond the line of palm trees. can you walk that far, dorothy?" "of course, in time," was the prompt answer. "i'm sorry we had to leave the sawhorse and the red wagon behind us, for they'd come in handy just now; but with the end of our journey in sight a tramp across these pretty green fields won't tire us a bit." it was a longer tramp than they suspected, however, and night overtook them before they could reach the flat mountain. so ozma proposed they camp for the night and dorothy was quite ready to approve. she didn't like to admit to her friend she was tired, but she told herself that her legs "had prickers in 'em," meaning they had begun to ache. usually when dorothy started on a journey of exploration or adventure, she carried with her a basket of food, and other things that a traveler in a strange country might require, but to go away with ozma was quite a different thing, as experience had taught her. the fairy ruler of oz only needed her silver wand--tipped at one end with a great sparkling emerald--to provide through its magic all that they might need. therefore ozma, having halted with her companion and selected a smooth, grassy spot on the plain, waved her wand in graceful curves and chanted some mystic words in her sweet voice, and in an instant a handsome tent appeared before them. the canvas was striped purple and white, and from the center pole fluttered the royal banner of oz. "come, dear," said ozma, taking dorothy's hand, "i am hungry and i'm sure you must be also; so let us go in and have our feast." on entering the tent they found a table set for two, with snowy linen, bright silver and sparkling glassware, a vase of roses in the center and many dishes of delicious food, some smoking hot, waiting to satisfy their hunger. also, on either side of the tent were beds, with satin sheets, warm blankets and pillows filled with swansdown. there were chairs, too, and tall lamps that lighted the interior of the tent with a soft, rosy glow. dorothy, resting herself at her fairy friend's command, and eating her dinner with unusual enjoyment, thought of the wonders of magic. if one were a fairy and knew the secret laws of nature and the mystic words and ceremonies that commanded those laws, then a simple wave of a silver wand would produce instantly all that men work hard and anxiously for through weary years. and dorothy wished in her kindly, innocent heart, that all men and women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy in. but ozma, looking into her friend's face and reading those thoughts, gave a laugh and said: "no, no, dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. if every one could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. there would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost. there would be nothing to do, you see, and no interest in life and in our fellow creatures. that is all that makes life worth our while--to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than ourselves." "well, you're a fairy, ozma. aren't you happy?" asked dorothy. "yes, dear, because i can use my fairy powers to make others happy. had i no kingdom to rule, and no subjects to look after, i would be miserable. also, you must realize that while i am a more powerful fairy than any other inhabitant of oz, i am not as powerful as glinda the sorceress, who has studied many arts of magic that i know nothing of. even the little wizard of oz can do some things i am unable to accomplish, while i can accomplish things unknown to the wizard. this is to explain that i am not all-powerful, by any means. my magic is simply fairy magic, and not sorcery or wizardry." "all the same," said dorothy, "i'm mighty glad you could make this tent appear, with our dinners and beds all ready for us." ozma smiled. "yes, it is indeed wonderful," she agreed. "not all fairies know that sort of magic, but some fairies can do magic that fills me with astonishment. i think that is what makes us modest and unassuming--the fact that our magic arts are divided, some being given each of us. i'm glad i don't know everything, dorothy, and that there still are things in both nature and in wit for me to marvel at." dorothy couldn't quite understand this, so she said nothing more on the subject and presently had a new reason to marvel. for when they had quite finished their meal table and contents disappeared in a flash. "no dishes to wash, ozma!" she said with a laugh. "i guess you'd make a lot of folks happy if you could teach 'em just that one trick." for an hour ozma told stories, and talked with dorothy about various people in whom they were interested. and then it was bedtime, and they undressed and crept into their soft beds and fell asleep almost as soon as their heads touched their pillows. chapter 5 the magic stairway the flat mountain looked much nearer in the clear light of the morning sun, but dorothy and ozma knew there was a long tramp before them, even yet. they finished dressing only to find a warm, delicious breakfast awaiting them, and having eaten they left the tent and started toward the mountain which was their first goal. after going a little way dorothy looked back and found that the fairy tent had entirely disappeared. she was not surprised, for she knew this would happen. "can't your magic give us a horse an' wagon, or an automobile?" inquired dorothy. "no, dear; i'm sorry that such magic is beyond my power," confessed her fairy friend. "perhaps glinda could," said dorothy thoughtfully. "glinda has a stork chariot that carries her through the air," said ozma, "but even our great sorceress cannot conjure up other modes of travel. don't forget what i told you last night, that no one is powerful enough to do everything." "well, i s'pose i ought to know that, having lived so long in the land of oz," replied dorothy; "but _i_ can't do any magic at all, an' so i can't figure out e'zactly how you an' glinda an' the wizard do it." "don't try," laughed ozma. "but you have at least one magical art, dorothy: you know the trick of winning all hearts." "no, i don't," said dorothy earnestly. "if i really can do it, ozma, i am sure i don't know _how_ i do it." it took them a good two hours to reach the foot of the round, flat mountain, and then they found the sides so steep that they were like the wall of a house. "even my purple kitten couldn't climb 'em," remarked dorothy, gazing upward. "but there is some way for the flatheads to get down and up again," declared ozma; "otherwise they couldn't make war with the skeezers, or even meet them and quarrel with them." "that's so, ozma. let's walk around a ways; perhaps we'll find a ladder or something." they walked quite a distance, for it was a big mountain, and as they circled around it and came to the side that faced the palm trees, they suddenly discovered an entrance way cut out of the rock wall. this entrance was arched overhead and not very deep because it merely led to a short flight of stone stairs. "oh, we've found a way to the top at last," announced ozma, and the two girls turned and walked straight toward the entrance. suddenly they bumped against something and stood still, unable to proceed farther. "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy, rubbing her nose, which had struck something hard, although she could not see what it was; "this isn't as easy as it looks. what has stopped us, ozma? is it magic of some sort?" ozma was feeling around, her hands outstretched before her. "yes, dear, it is magic," she replied. "the flatheads had to have a way from their mountain top from the plain below, but to prevent enemies from rushing up the stairs to conquer them, they have built, at a small distance before the entrance a wall of solid stone, the stones being held in place by cement, and then they made the wall invisible." "i wonder why they did that?" mused dorothy. "a wall would keep folks out anyhow, whether it could be seen or not, so there wasn't any use making it invisible. seems to me it would have been better to have left it solid, for then no one would have seen the entrance behind it. now anybody can see the entrance, as we did. and prob'bly anybody that tries to go up the stairs gets bumped, as we did." ozma made no reply at once. her face was grave and thoughtful. "i think i know the reason for making the wall invisible," she said after a while. "the flatheads use the stairs for coming down and going up. if there was a solid stone wall to keep them from reaching the plain they would themselves be imprisoned by the wall. so they had to leave some place to get around the wall, and, if the wall was visible, all strangers or enemies would find the place to go around it and then the wall would be useless. so the flatheads cunningly made their wall invisible, believing that everyone who saw the entrance to the mountain would walk straight toward it, as we did, and find it impossible to go any farther. i suppose the wall is really high and thick, and can't be broken through, so those who find it in their way are obliged to go away again." "well," said dorothy, "if there's a way around the wall, where is it?" "we must find it," returned ozma, and began feeling her way along the wall. dorothy followed and began to get discouraged when ozma had walked nearly a quarter of a mile away from the entrance. but now the invisible wall curved in toward the side of the mountain and suddenly ended, leaving just space enough between the wall and the mountain for an ordinary person to pass through. the girls went in, single file, and ozma explained that they were now behind the barrier and could go back to the entrance. they met no further obstructions. "most people, ozma, wouldn't have figured this thing out the way you did," remarked dorothy. "if i'd been alone the invisible wall surely would have stumped me." reaching the entrance they began to mount the stone stairs. they went up ten stairs and then down five stairs, following a passage cut from the rock. the stairs were just wide enough for the two girls to walk abreast, arm in arm. at the bottom of the five stairs the passage turned to the right, and they ascended ten more stairs, only to find at the top of the flight five stairs leading straight down again. again the passage turned abruptly, this time to the left, and ten more stairs led upward. the passage was now quite dark, for they were in the heart of the mountain and all daylight had been shut out by the turns of the passage. however, ozma drew her silver wand from her bosom and the great jewel at its end gave out a lustrous, green-tinted light which lighted the place well enough for them to see their way plainly. ten steps up, five steps down, and a turn, this way or that. that was the program, and dorothy figured that they were only gaining five stairs upward each trip that they made. "those flatheads must be funny people," she said to ozma. "they don't seem to do anything in a bold, straightforward manner. in making this passage they forced everyone to walk three times as far as is necessary. and of course this trip is just as tiresome to the flatheads as it is to other folks." "that is true," answered ozma; "yet it is a clever arrangement to prevent their being surprised by intruders. every time we reach the tenth step of a flight, the pressure of our feet on the stone makes a bell ring on top of the mountain, to warn the flatheads of our coming." "how do you know that?" demanded dorothy, astonished. "i've heard the bell ever since we started," ozma told her. "you could not hear it, i know, but when i am holding my wand in my hand i can hear sounds a great distance off." "do you hear anything on top of the mountain 'cept the bell?" inquired dorothy. "yes. the people are calling to one another in alarm and many footsteps are approaching the place where we will reach the flat top of the mountain." this made dorothy feel somewhat anxious. "i'd thought we were going to visit just common, ordinary people," she remarked, "but they're pretty clever, it seems, and they know some kinds of magic, too. they may be dangerous, ozma. p'raps we'd better stayed at home." finally the upstairs-and-downstairs passage seemed coming to an end, for daylight again appeared ahead of the two girls and ozma replaced her wand in the bosom of her gown. the last ten steps brought them to the surface, where they found themselves surrounded by such a throng of queer people that for a time they halted, speechless, and stared into the faces that confronted them. dorothy knew at once why these mountain people were called flatheads. their heads were really flat on top, as if they had been cut off just above the eyes and ears. also the heads were bald, with no hair on top at all, and the ears were big and stuck straight out, and the noses were small and stubby, while the mouths of the flatheads were well shaped and not unusual. their eyes were perhaps their best feature, being large and bright and a deep violet in color. the costumes of the flatheads were all made of metals dug from their mountain. small gold, silver, tin and iron discs, about the size of pennies, and very thin, were cleverly wired together and made to form knee trousers and jackets for the men and skirts and waists for the women. the colored metals were skillfully mixed to form stripes and checks of various sorts, so that the costumes were quite gorgeous and reminded dorothy of pictures she had seen of knights of old clothed in armor. aside from their flat heads, these people were not really bad looking. the men were armed with bows and arrows and had small axes of steel stuck in their metal belts. they wore no hats nor ornaments. chapter 6 flathead mountain when they saw that the intruders on their mountain were only two little girls, the flatheads grunted with satisfaction and drew back, permitting them to see what the mountain top looked like. it was shaped like a saucer, so that the houses and other buildings--all made of rocks--could not be seen over the edge by anyone standing in the plain below. but now a big fat flathead stood before the girls and in a gruff voice demanded: "what are you doing here? have the skeezers sent you to spy upon us?" "i am princess ozma, ruler of all the land of oz." "well, i've never heard of the land of oz, so you may be what you claim," returned the flathead. "this is the land of oz--part of it, anyway," exclaimed dorothy. "so princess ozma rules you flathead people, as well as all the other people in oz." the man laughed, and all the others who stood around laughed, too. some one in the crowd called: "she'd better not tell the supreme dictator about ruling the flatheads. eh, friends?" "no, indeed!" they all answered in positive tones. "who is your supreme dictator?" answered ozma. "i think i'll let him tell you that himself," answered the man who had first spoken. "you have broken our laws by coming here; and whoever you are the supreme dictator must fix your punishment. come along with me." he started down a path and ozma and dorothy followed him without protest, as they wanted to see the most important person in this queer country. the houses they passed seemed pleasant enough and each had a little yard in which were flowers and vegetables. walls of rock separated the dwellings, and all the paths were paved with smooth slabs of rock. this seemed their only building material and they utilized it cleverly for every purpose. directly in the center of the great saucer stood a larger building which the flathead informed the girls was the palace of the supreme dictator. he led them through an entrance hall into a big reception room, where they sat upon stone benches and awaited the coming of the dictator. pretty soon he entered from another room--a rather lean and rather old flathead, dressed much like the others of this strange race, and only distinguished from them by the sly and cunning expression of his face. he kept his eyes half closed and looked through the slits of them at ozma and dorothy, who rose to receive him. "are you the supreme dictator of the flatheads?" inquired ozma. "yes, that's me," he said, rubbing his hands slowly together. "my word is law. i'm the head of the flatheads on this flat headland." "i am princess ozma of oz, and i have come from the emerald city to----" "stop a minute," interrupted the dictator, and turned to the man who had brought the girls there. "go away, dictator felo flathead!" he commanded. "return to your duty and guard the stairway. i will look after these strangers." the man bowed and departed, and dorothy asked wonderingly: "is _he_ a dictator, too?" "of course," was the answer. "everybody here is a dictator of something or other. they're all office holders. that's what keeps them contented. but i'm the supreme dictator of all, and i'm elected once a year. this is a democracy, you know, where the people are allowed to vote for their rulers. a good many others would like to be supreme dictator, but as i made a law that i am always to count the votes myself, i am always elected." "what is your name?" asked ozma. "i am called the su-dic, which is short for supreme dictator. i sent that man away because the moment you mentioned ozma of oz, and the emerald city, i knew who you are. i suppose i'm the only flathead that ever heard of you, but that's because i have more brains than the rest." dorothy was staring hard at the su-dic. "i don't see how you can have any brains at all," she remarked, "because the part of your head is gone where brains are kept." "i don't blame you for thinking that," he said. "once the flatheads had no brains because, as you say, there is no upper part to their heads, to hold brains. but long, long ago a band of fairies flew over this country and made it all a fairyland, and when they came to the flatheads the fairies were sorry to find them all very stupid and quite unable to think. so, as there was no good place in their bodies in which to put brains the fairy queen gave each one of us a nice can of brains to carry in his pocket and that made us just as intelligent as other people. see," he continued, "here is one of the cans of brains the fairies gave us." he took from a pocket a bright tin can having a pretty red label on it which said: "flathead concentrated brains, extra quality." "and does every flathead have the same kind of brains?" asked dorothy. "yes, they're all alike. here's another can." from another pocket he produced a second can of brains. "did the fairies give you a double supply?" inquired dorothy. "no, but one of the flatheads thought he wanted to be the su-dic and tried to get my people to rebel against me, so i punished him by taking away his brains. one day my wife scolded me severely, so i took away her can of brains. she didn't like that and went out and robbed several women of _their_ brains. then i made a law that if anyone stole another's brains, or even tried to borrow them, he would forfeit his own brains to the su-dic. so each one is content with his own canned brains and my wife and i are the only ones on the mountain with more than one can. i have three cans and that makes me very clever--so clever that i'm a good sorcerer, if i do say it myself. my poor wife had four cans of brains and became a remarkable witch, but alas! that was before those terrible enemies, the skeezers, transformed her into a golden pig." "good gracious!" cried dorothy; "is your wife really a golden pig?" "she is. the skeezers did it and so i have declared war on them. in revenge for making my wife a pig i intend to ruin their magic island and make the skeezers the slaves of the flatheads!" the su-dic was very angry now; his eyes flashed and his face took on a wicked and fierce expression. but ozma said to him, very sweetly and in a friendly voice: "i am sorry to hear this. will you please tell me more about your troubles with the skeezers? then perhaps i can help you." she was only a girl, but there was dignity in her pose and speech which impressed the su-dic. "if you are really princess ozma of oz," the flathead said, "you are one of that band of fairies who, under queen lurline, made all oz a fairyland. i have heard that lurline left one of her own fairies to rule oz, and gave the fairy the name of ozma." "if you knew this why did you not come to me at the emerald city and tender me your loyalty and obedience?" asked the ruler of oz. "well, i only learned the fact lately, and i've been too busy to leave home," he explained, looking at the floor instead of into ozma's eyes. she knew he had spoken a falsehood, but only said: "why did you quarrel with the skeezers?" "it was this way," began the su-dic, glad to change the subject. "we flatheads love fish, and as we have no fish on this mountain we would sometimes go to the lake of the skeezers to catch fish. this made the skeezers angry, for they declared the fish in their lake belonged to them and were under their protection and they forbade us to catch them. that was very mean and unfriendly in the skeezers, you must admit, and when we paid no attention to their orders they set a guard on the shore of the lake to prevent our fishing. "now, my wife, rora flathead, having four cans of brains, had become a wonderful witch, and fish being brain food, she loved to eat fish better than any one of us. so she vowed she would destroy every fish in the lake, unless the skeezers let us catch what we wanted. they defied us, so rora prepared a kettleful of magic poison and went down to the lake one night to dump it all in the water and poison the fish. it was a clever idea, quite worthy of my dear wife, but the skeezer queen--a young lady named coo-ee-oh--hid on the bank of the lake and taking rora unawares, transformed her into a golden pig. the poison was spilled on the ground and wicked queen coo-ee-oh, not content with her cruel transformation, even took away my wife's four cans of brains, so she is now a common grunting pig without even brains enough to know her own name." "then," said ozma thoughtfully, "the queen of the skeezers must be a sorceress." "yes," said the su-dic, "but she doesn't know much magic, after all. she is not as powerful as rora flathead was, nor half as powerful as i am now, as queen coo-ee-oh will discover when we fight our great battle and destroy her." "the golden pig can't be a witch any more, of course," observed dorothy. "no; even had queen coo-ee-oh left her the four cans of brains, poor rora, in a pig's shape, couldn't do any witchcraft. a witch has to use her fingers, and a pig has only cloven hoofs." "it seems a sad story," was ozma's comment, "and all the trouble arose because the flatheads wanted fish that did not belong to them." "as for that," said the su-dic, again angry, "i made a law that any of my people could catch fish in the lake of the skeezers, whenever they wanted to. so the trouble was through the skeezers defying my law." "you can only make laws to govern your own people," asserted ozma sternly. "i, alone, am empowered to make laws that must be obeyed by all the peoples of oz." "pooh!" cried the su-dic scornfully. "you can't make _me_ obey your laws, i assure you. i know the extent of your powers, princess ozma of oz, and i know that i am more powerful than you are. to prove it i shall keep you and your companion prisoners in this mountain until after we have fought and conquered the skeezers. then, if you promise to be good, i may let you go home again." dorothy was amazed by this effrontery and defiance of the beautiful girl ruler of oz, whom all until now had obeyed without question. but ozma, still unruffled and dignified, looked at the su-dic and said: "you did not mean that. you are angry and speak unwisely, without reflection. i came here from my palace in the emerald city to prevent war and to make peace between you and the skeezers. i do not approve of queen coo-ee-oh's action in transforming your wife rora into a pig, nor do i approve of rora's cruel attempt to poison the fishes in the lake. no one has the right to work magic in my dominions without my consent, so the flatheads and the skeezers have both broken my laws--which must be obeyed." "if you want to make peace," said the su-dic, "make the skeezers restore my wife to her proper form and give back her four cans of brains. also make them agree to allow us to catch fish in their lake." "no," returned ozma, "i will not do that, for it would be unjust. i will have the golden pig again transformed into your wife rora, and give her one can of brains, but the other three cans must be restored to those she robbed. neither may you catch fish in the lake of the skeezers, for it is their lake and the fish belong to them. this arrangement is just and honorable, and you must agree to it." "never!" cried the su-dic. just then a pig came running into the room, uttering dismal grunts. it was made of solid gold, with joints at the bends of the legs and in the neck and jaws. the golden pig's eyes were rubies, and its teeth were polished ivory. "there!" said the su-dic, "gaze on the evil work of queen coo-ee-oh, and then say if you can prevent my making war on the skeezers. that grunting beast was once my wife--the most beautiful flathead on our mountain and a skillful witch. now look at her!" "fight the skeezers, fight the skeezers, fight the skeezers!" grunted the golden pig. "i _will_ fight the skeezers," exclaimed the flathead chief, "and if a dozen ozmas of oz forbade me i would fight just the same." "not if i can prevent it!" asserted ozma. "you can't prevent it. but since you threaten me, i'll have you confined in the bronze prison until the war is over," said the su-dic. he whistled and four stout flatheads, armed with axes and spears, entered the room and saluted him. turning to the men he said: "take these two girls, bind them with wire ropes and cast them into the bronze prison.". the four men bowed low and one of them asked: "where are the two girls, most noble su-dic?" the su-dic turned to where ozma and dorothy had stood but they had vanished! chapter 7 the magic isle ozma, seeing it was useless to argue with the supreme dictator of the flatheads, had been considering how best to escape from his power. she realized that his sorcery might be difficult to overcome, and when he threatened to cast dorothy and her into a bronze prison she slipped her hand into her bosom and grasped her silver wand. with the other hand she grasped the hand of dorothy, but these motions were so natural that the su-dic did not notice them. then when he turned to meet his four soldiers, ozma instantly rendered both herself and dorothy invisible and swiftly led her companion around the group of flatheads and out of the room. as they reached the entry and descended the stone steps, ozma whispered: "let us run, dear! we are invisible, so no one will see us." dorothy understood and she was a good runner. ozma had marked the place where the grand stairway that led to the plain was located, so they made directly for it. some people were in the paths but these they dodged around. one or two flatheads heard the pattering of footsteps of the girls on the stone pavement and stopped with bewildered looks to gaze around them, but no one interfered with the invisible fugitives. the su-dic had lost no time in starting the chase. he and his men ran so fast that they might have overtaken the girls before they reached the stairway had not the golden pig suddenly run across their path. the su-dic tripped over the pig and fell flat, and his four men tripped over him and tumbled in a heap. before they could scramble up and reach the mouth of the passage it was too late to stop the two girls. there was a guard on each side of the stairway, but of course they did not see ozma and dorothy as they sped past and descended the steps. then they had to go up five steps and down another ten, and so on, in the same manner in which they had climbed to the top of the mountain. ozma lighted their way with her wand and they kept on without relaxing their speed until they reached the bottom. then they ran to the right and turned the corner of the invisible wall just as the su-dic and his followers rushed out of the arched entrance and looked around in an attempt to discover the fugitives. ozma now knew they were safe, so she told dorothy to stop and both of them sat down on the grass until they could breathe freely and become rested from their mad flight. as for the su-dic, he realized he was foiled and soon turned and climbed his stairs again. he was very angry--angry with ozma and angry with himself--because, now that he took time to think, he remembered that he knew very well the art of making people invisible, and visible again, and if he had only thought of it in time he could have used his magic knowledge to make the girls visible and so have captured them easily. however, it was now too late for regrets and he determined to make preparations at once to march all his forces against the skeezers. "what shall we do next?" asked dorothy, when they were rested. "let us find the lake of the skeezers," replied ozma. "from what that dreadful su-dic said i imagine the skeezers are good people and worthy of our friendship, and if we go to them we may help them to defeat the flatheads." "i s'pose we can't stop the war now," remarked dorothy reflectively, as they walked toward the row of palm trees. "no; the su-dic is determined to fight the skeezers, so all we can do is to warn them of their danger and help them as much as possible." "of course you'll punish the flatheads," said dorothy. "well, i do not think the flathead people are as much to blame as their supreme dictator," was the answer. "if he is removed from power and his unlawful magic taken from him, the people will probably be good and respect the laws of the land of oz, and live at peace with all their neighbors in the future." "i hope so," said dorothy with a sigh of doubt. the palms were not far from the mountain and the girls reached them after a brisk walk. the huge trees were set close together, in three rows, and had been planted so as to keep people from passing them, but the flatheads had cut a passage through this barrier and ozma found the path and led dorothy to the other side. beyond the palms they discovered a very beautiful scene. bordered by a green lawn was a great lake fully a mile from shore to shore, the waters of which were exquisitely blue and sparkling, with little wavelets breaking its smooth surface where the breezes touched it. in the center of this lake appeared a lovely island, not of great extent but almost entirely covered by a huge round building with glass walls and a high glass dome which glittered brilliantly in the sunshine. between the glass building and the edge of the island was no grass, flowers or shrubbery, but only an expanse of highly polished white marble. there were no boats on either shore and no signs of life could be seen anywhere on the island. "well," said dorothy, gazing wistfully at the island, "we've found the lake of the skeezers and their magic isle. i guess the skeezers are in that big glass palace, but we can't get at 'em." chapter 8 queen coo-ee-oh princess ozma considered the situation gravely. then she tied her handkerchief to her wand and, standing at the water's edge, waved the handkerchief like a flag, as a signal. for a time they could observe no response. "i don't see what good that will do," said dorothy. "even if the skeezers are on that island and see us, and know we're friends, they haven't any boats to come and get us." but the skeezers didn't need boats, as the girls soon discovered. for on a sudden an opening appeared at the base of the palace and from the opening came a slender shaft of steel, reaching out slowly but steadily across the water in the direction of the place where they stood. to the girls this steel arrangement looked like a triangle, with the base nearest the water. it came toward them in the form of an arch, stretching out from the palace wall until its end reached the bank and rested there, while the other end still remained on the island. then they saw that it was a bridge, consisting of a steel footway just broad enough to walk on, and two slender guide rails, one on either side, which were connected with the footway by steel bars. the bridge looked rather frail and dorothy feared it would not bear their weight, but ozma at once called, "come on!" and started to walk across, holding fast to the rail on either side. so dorothy summoned her courage and followed after. before ozma had taken three steps she halted and so forced dorothy to halt, for the bridge was again moving and returning to the island. "we need not walk after all," said ozma. so they stood still in their places and let the steel bridge draw them onward. indeed, the bridge drew them well into the glass-domed building which covered the island, and soon they found themselves standing in a marble room where two handsomely dressed young men stood on a platform to receive them. ozma at once stepped from the end of the bridge to the marble platform, followed by dorothy, and then the bridge disappeared with a slight clang of steel and a marble slab covered the opening from which it had emerged. the two young men bowed profoundly to ozma, and one of them said: "queen coo-ee-oh bids you welcome, o strangers. her majesty is waiting to receive you in her palace." "lead on," replied ozma with dignity. but instead of "leading on," the platform of marble began to rise, carrying them upward through a square hole above which just fitted it. a moment later they found themselves within the great glass dome that covered almost all of the island. within this dome was a little village, with houses, streets, gardens and parks. the houses were of colored marbles, prettily designed, with many stained-glass windows, and the streets and gardens seemed well cared for. exactly under the center of the lofty dome was a small park filled with brilliant flowers, with an elaborate fountain, and facing this park stood a building larger and more imposing than the others. toward this building the young men escorted ozma and dorothy. on the streets and in the doorways or open windows of the houses were men, women and children, all richly dressed. these were much like other people in different parts of the land of oz, except that instead of seeming merry and contented they all wore expressions of much solemnity or of nervous irritation. they had beautiful homes, splendid clothes, and ample food, but dorothy at once decided something was wrong with their lives and that they were not happy. she said nothing, however, but looked curiously at the skeezers. at the entrance of the palace ozma and dorothy were met by two other young men, in uniform and armed with queer weapons that seemed about halfway between pistols and guns, but were like neither. their conductors bowed and left them, and the two in uniforms led the girls into the palace. in a beautiful throne room, surrounded by a dozen or more young men and women, sat the queen of the skeezers, coo-ee-oh. she was a girl who looked older than ozma or dorothy--fifteen or sixteen, at least--and although she was elaborately dressed as if she were going to a ball she was too thin and plain of feature to be pretty. but evidently queen coo-ee-oh did not realize this fact, for her air and manner betrayed her as proud and haughty and with a high regard for her own importance. dorothy at once decided she was "snippy" and that she would not like queen coo-ee-oh as a companion. the queen's hair was as black as her skin was white and her eyes were black, too. the eyes, as she calmly examined ozma and dorothy, had a suspicious and unfriendly look in them, but she said quietly: "i know who you are, for i have consulted my magic oracle, which told me that one calls herself princess ozma, the ruler of all the land of oz, and the other is princess dorothy of oz, who came from a country called kansas. i know nothing of the land of oz, and i know nothing of kansas." "why, _this_ is the land of oz!" cried dorothy. "it's a _part_ of the land of oz, anyhow, whether you know it or not." "oh, in-deed!" answered queen coo-ee-oh, scornfully. "i suppose you will claim next that this princess ozma, ruling the land of oz, rules me!" "of course," returned dorothy. "there's no doubt of it." the queen turned to ozma. "do you dare make such a claim?" she asked. by this time ozma had made up her mind as to the character of this haughty and disdainful creature, whose self-pride evidently led her to believe herself superior to all others. "i did not come here to quarrel with your majesty," said the girl ruler of oz, quietly. "what and who i am is well established, and my authority comes from the fairy queen lurline, of whose band i was a member when lurline made all oz a fairyland. there are several countries and several different peoples in this broad land, each of which has its separate rulers, kings, emperors and queens. but all these render obedience to my laws and acknowledge me as the supreme ruler." "if other kings and queens are fools that does not interest me in the least," replied coo-ee-oh, disdainfully. "in the land of the skeezers i alone am supreme. you are impudent to think i would defer to you--or to anyone else." "let us not speak of this now, please," answered ozma. "your island is in danger, for a powerful foe is preparing to destroy it." "pah! the flatheads. i do not fear them." "their supreme dictator is a sorcerer." "my magic is greater than his. let the flatheads come! they will never return to their barren mountain-top. i will see to that." ozma did not like this attitude, for it meant that the skeezers were eager to fight the flatheads, and ozma's object in coming here was to prevent fighting and induce the two quarrelsome neighbors to make peace. she was also greatly disappointed in coo-ee-oh, for the reports of su-dic had led her to imagine the queen more just and honorable than were the flatheads. indeed ozma reflected that the girl might be better at heart than her self-pride and overbearing manner indicated, and in any event it would be wise not to antagonize her but to try to win her friendship. "i do not like wars, your majesty," said ozma. "in the emerald city, where i rule thousands of people, and in the countries near to the emerald city, where thousands more acknowledge my rule, there is no army at all, because there is no quarreling and no need to fight. if differences arise between my people, they come to me and i judge the cases and award justice to all. so, when i learned there might be war between two faraway people of oz, i came here to settle the dispute and adjust the quarrel." "no one asked you to come," declared queen coo-ee-oh. "it is _my_ business to settle this dispute, not yours. you say my island is a part of the land of oz, which you rule, but that is all nonsense, for i've never heard of the land of oz, nor of you. you say you are a fairy, and that fairies gave you command over me. i don't believe it! what i _do_ believe is that you are an impostor and have come here to stir up trouble among my people, who are already becoming difficult to manage. you two girls may even be spies of the vile flatheads, for all i know, and may be trying to trick me. but understand this," she added, proudly rising from her jeweled throne to confront them, "i have magic powers greater than any fairy possesses, and greater than any flathead possesses. i am a krumbic witch--the only krumbic witch in the world--and i fear the magic of no other creature that exists! you say you rule thousands. i rule one hundred and one skeezers. but every one of them trembles at my word. now that ozma of oz and princess dorothy are here, i shall rule one hundred and three subjects, for you also shall bow before my power. more than that, in ruling you i also rule the thousands you say you rule." dorothy was very indignant at this speech. "i've got a pink kitten that sometimes talks like that," she said, "but after i give her a good whipping she doesn't think she's so high and mighty after all. if you only knew who ozma is you'd be scared to death to talk to her like that!" queen coo-ee-oh gave the girl a supercilious look. then she turned again to ozma. "i happen to know," said she, "that the flatheads intend to attack us tomorrow, but we are ready for them. until the battle is over, i shall keep you two strangers prisoners on my island, from which there is no chance for you to escape." she turned and looked around the band of courtiers who stood silently around her throne. "lady aurex," she continued, singling out one of the young women, "take these children to your house and care for them, giving them food and lodging. you may allow them to wander anywhere under the great dome, for they are harmless. after i have attended to the flatheads i will consider what next to do with these foolish girls." she resumed her seat and the lady aurex bowed low and said in a humble manner: "i obey your majesty's commands." then to ozma and dorothy she added, "follow me," and turned to leave the throne room. dorothy looked to see what ozma would do. to her surprise and a little to her disappointment ozma turned and followed lady aurex. so dorothy trailed after them, but not without giving a parting, haughty look toward queen coo-ee-oh, who had her face turned the other way and did not see the disapproving look. chapter 9 lady aurex lady aurex led ozma and dorothy along a street to a pretty marble house near to one edge of the great glass dome that covered the village. she did not speak to the girls until she had ushered them into a pleasant room, comfortably furnished, nor did any of the solemn people they met on the street venture to speak. when they were seated lady aurex asked if they were hungry, and finding they were summoned a maid and ordered food to be brought. this lady aurex looked to be about twenty years old, although in the land of oz where people have never changed in appearance since the fairies made it a fairyland--where no one grows old or dies--it is always difficult to say how many years anyone has lived. she had a pleasant, attractive face, even though it was solemn and sad as the faces of all skeezers seemed to be, and her costume was rich and elaborate, as became a lady in waiting upon the queen. ozma had observed lady aurex closely and now asked her in a gentle tone: "do you, also, believe me to be an impostor?" "i dare not say," replied lady aurex in a low tone. "why are you afraid to speak freely?" inquired ozma. "the queen punishes us if we make remarks that she does not like." "are we not alone then, in this house?" "the queen can hear everything that is spoken on this island--even the slightest whisper," declared lady aurex. "she is a wonderful witch, as she has told you, and it is folly to criticise her or disobey her commands." ozma looked into her eyes and saw that she would like to say more if she dared. so she drew from her bosom her silver wand, and having muttered a magic phrase in a strange tongue, she left the room and walked slowly around the outside of the house, making a complete circle and waving her wand in mystic curves as she walked. lady aurex watched her curiously and, when ozma had again entered the room and seated herself, she asked: "what have you done?" "i've enchanted this house in such a manner that queen coo-ee-oh, with all her witchcraft, cannot hear one word we speak within the magic circle i have made," replied ozma. "we may now speak freely and as loudly as we wish, without fear of the queen's anger." lady aurex brightened at this. "can i trust you?" she asked. "ev'rybody trusts ozma," exclaimed dorothy. "she is true and honest, and your wicked queen will be sorry she insulted the powerful ruler of all the land of oz." "the queen does not know me yet," said ozma, "but i want you to know me, lady aurex, and i want you to tell me why you, and all the skeezers, are unhappy. do not fear coo-ee-oh's anger, for she cannot hear a word we say, i assure you." lady aurex was thoughtful a moment; then she said: "i shall trust you, princess ozma, for i believe you are what you say you are--our supreme ruler. if you knew the dreadful punishments our queen inflicts upon us, you would not wonder we are so unhappy. the skeezers are not bad people; they do not care to quarrel and fight, even with their enemies the flatheads; but they are so cowed and fearful of coo-ee-oh that they obey her slightest word, rather than suffer her anger." "hasn't she any heart, then?" asked dorothy. "she never displays mercy. she loves no one but herself," asserted lady aurex, but she trembled as she said it, as if afraid even yet of her terrible queen. "that's pretty bad," said dorothy, shaking her head gravely. "i see you've a lot to do here, ozma, in this forsaken corner of the land of oz. first place, you've got to take the magic away from queen coo-ee-oh, and from that awful su-dic, too. _my_ idea is that neither of them is fit to rule anybody, 'cause they're cruel and hateful. so you'll have to give the skeezers and flatheads new rulers and teach all their people that they're part of the land of oz and must obey, above all, the lawful ruler, ozma of oz. then, when you've done that, we can go back home again." ozma smiled at her little friend's earnest counsel, but lady aurex said in an anxious tone: "i am surprised that you suggest these reforms while you are yet prisoners on this island and in coo-ee-oh's power. that these things should be done, there is no doubt, but just now a dreadful war is likely to break out, and frightful things may happen to us all. our queen has such conceit that she thinks she can overcome the su-dic and his people, but it is said su-dic's magic is very powerful, although not as great as that possessed by his wife rora, before coo-ee-oh transformed her into a golden pig." "i don't blame her very much for doing that," remarked dorothy, "for the flatheads were wicked to try to catch your beautiful fish and the witch rora wanted to poison all the fishes in the lake." "do you know the reason?" asked the lady aurex. "i don't s'pose there _was_ any reason, 'cept just wickedness," replied dorothy. "tell us the reason," said ozma earnestly. "well, your majesty, once--a long time ago--the flatheads and the skeezers were friendly. they visited our island and we visited their mountain, and everything was pleasant between the two peoples. at that time the flatheads were ruled by three adepts in sorcery, beautiful girls who were not flatheads, but had wandered to the flat mountain and made their home there. these three adepts used their magic only for good, and the mountain people gladly made them their rulers. they taught the flatheads how to use their canned brains and how to work metals into clothing that would never wear out, and many other things that added to their happiness and content. "coo-ee-oh was our queen then, as now, but she knew no magic and so had nothing to be proud of. but the three adepts were very kind to coo-ee-oh. they built for us this wonderful dome of glass and our houses of marble and taught us to make beautiful clothing and many other things. coo-ee-oh pretended to be very grateful for these favors, but it seems that all the time she was jealous of the three adepts and secretly tried to discover their arts of magic. in this she was more clever than anyone suspected. she invited the three adepts to a banquet one day, and while they were feasting coo-ee-oh stole their charms and magical instruments and transformed them into three fishes--a gold fish, a silver fish and a bronze fish. while the poor fishes were gasping and flopping helplessly on the floor of the banquet room one of them said reproachfully: 'you will be punished for this, coo-ee-oh, for if one of us dies or is destroyed, you will become shrivelled and helpless, and all your stolen magic will depart from you.' frightened by this threat, coo-ee-oh at once caught up the three fish and ran with them to the shore of the lake, where she cast them into the water. this revived the three adepts and they swam away and disappeared. "i, myself, witnessed this shocking scene," continued lady aurex, "and so did many other skeezers. the news was carried to the flatheads, who then turned from friends to enemies. the su-dic and his wife rora were the only ones on the mountain who were glad the three adepts had been lost to them, and they at once became rulers of the flatheads and stole their canned brains from others to make themselves the more powerful. some of the adepts' magic tools had been left on the mountain, and these rora seized and by the use of them she became a witch. "the result of coo-ee-oh's treachery was to make both the skeezers and the flatheads miserable instead of happy. not only were the su-dic and his wife cruel to their people, but our queen at once became proud and arrogant and treated us very unkindly. all the skeezers knew she had stolen her magic powers and so she hated us and made us humble ourselves before her and obey her slightest word. if we disobeyed, or did not please her, or if we talked about her when we were in our own homes she would have us dragged to the whipping post in her palace and lashed with knotted cords. that is why we fear her so greatly." this story filled ozma's heart with sorrow and dorothy's heart with indignation. "i now understand," said ozma, "why the fishes in the lake have brought about war between the skeezers and the flatheads." "yes," lady aurex answered, "now that you know the story it is easy to understand. the su-dic and his wife came to our lake hoping to catch the silver fish, or gold fish, or bronze fish--any one of them _would_ do--and by destroying it deprive coo-ee-oh of her magic. then they could easily conquer her. also they had another reason for wanting to catch the fish--they feared that in some way the three adepts might regain their proper forms and then they would be sure to return to the mountain and punish rora and the su-dic. that was why rora finally tried to poison all the fishes in the lake, at the time coo-ee-oh transformed her into a golden pig. of course this attempt to destroy the fishes frightened the queen, for her safety lies in keeping the three fishes alive." "i s'pose coo-ee-oh will fight the flatheads with all her might," observed dorothy. "and with all her magic," added ozma, thoughtfully. "i do not see how the flatheads can get to this island to hurt us," said lady aurex. "they have bows and arrows, and i guess they mean to shoot the arrows at your big dome, and break all the glass in it," suggested dorothy. but lady aurex shook her head with a smile. "they cannot do that," she replied. "why not?" "i dare not tell you why, but if the flatheads come to-morrow morning you will yourselves see the reason." "i do not think they will attempt to harm the island," ozma declared. "i believe they will first attempt to destroy the fishes, by poison or some other means. if they succeed in that, the conquest of the island will not be difficult." "they have no boats," said lady aurex, "and coo-ee-oh, who has long expected this war, has been preparing for it in many astonishing ways. i almost wish the flatheads would conquer us, for then we would be free from our dreadful queen; but i do not wish to see the three transformed fishes destroyed, for in them lies our only hope of future happiness." "ozma will take care of you, whatever happens," dorothy assured her. but the lady aurex, not knowing the extent of ozma's power--which was, in fact, not so great as dorothy imagined--could not take much comfort in this promise. it was evident there would be exciting times on the morrow, if the flatheads really attacked the skeezers of the magic isle. chapter 10 under water when night fell all the interior of the great dome, streets and houses, became lighted with brilliant incandescent lamps, which rendered it bright as day. dorothy thought the island must look beautiful by night from the outer shore of the lake. there was revelry and feasting in the queen's palace, and the music of the royal band could be plainly heard in lady aurex's house, where ozma and dorothy remained with their hostess and keeper. they were prisoners, but treated with much consideration. lady aurex gave them a nice supper and when they wished to retire showed them to a pretty room with comfortable beds and wished them a good night and pleasant dreams. "what do you think of all this, ozma?" dorothy anxiously inquired when they were alone. "i am glad we came," was the reply, "for although there may be mischief done to-morrow, it was necessary i should know about these people, whose leaders are wild and lawless and oppress their subjects with injustice and cruelties. my task, therefore, is to liberate the skeezers and the flatheads and secure for them freedom and happiness. i have no doubt i can accomplish this in time." "just now, though, we're in a bad fix," asserted dorothy. "if queen coo-ee-oh conquers to-morrow, she won't be nice to us, and if the su-dic conquers, he'll be worse." "do not worry, dear," said ozma, "i do not think we are in danger, whatever happens, and the result of our adventure is sure to be good." dorothy was not worrying, especially. she had confidence in her friend, the fairy princess of oz, and she enjoyed the excitement of the events in which she was taking part. so she crept into bed and fell asleep as easily as if she had been in her own cosy room in ozma's palace. a sort of grating, grinding sound awakened her. the whole island seemed to tremble and sway, as it might do in an earthquake. dorothy sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them, and then found it was daybreak. ozma was hurriedly dressing herself. "what is it?" asked dorothy, jumping out of bed. "i'm not sure," answered ozma "but it feels as if the island is sinking." as soon as possible they finished dressing, while the creaking and swaying continued. then they rushed into the living room of the house and found lady aurex, fully dressed, awaiting them. "do not be alarmed," said their hostess. "coo-ee-oh has decided to submerge the island, that is all. but it proves the flatheads are coming to attack us." "what do you mean by sub-sub-merging the island?" asked dorothy. "come here and see," was the reply. lady aurex led them to a window which faced the side of the great dome which covered all the village, and they could see that the island was indeed sinking, for the water of the lake was already half way up the side of the dome. through the glass could be seen swimming fishes, and tall stalks of swaying seaweeds, for the water was clear as crystal and through it they could distinguish even the farther shore of the lake. "the flatheads are not here yet," said lady aurex. "they will come soon, but not until all of this dome is under the surface of the water." "won't the dome leak?" dorothy inquired anxiously. "no, indeed." "was the island ever sub-sub-sunk before?" "oh, yes; on several occasions. but coo-ee-oh doesn't care to do that often, for it requires a lot of hard work to operate the machinery. the dome was built so that the island could disappear. i think," she continued, "that our queen fears the flatheads will attack the island and try to break the glass of the dome." "well, if we're under water, they can't fight us, and we can't fight them," asserted dorothy. "they could kill the fishes, however," said ozma gravely. "we have ways to fight, also, even though our island is under water," claimed lady aurex. "i cannot tell you all our secrets, but this island is full of surprises. also our queen's magic is astonishing." "did she steal it all from the three adepts in sorcery that are now fishes?" "she stole the knowledge and the magic tools, but she has used them as the three adepts never would have done." by this time the top of the dome was quite under water and suddenly the island stopped sinking and became stationary. "see!" cried lady aurex, pointing to the shore. "the flatheads have come." on the bank, which was now far above their heads, a crowd of dark figures could be seen. "now let us see what coo-ee-oh will do to oppose them," continued lady aurex, in a voice that betrayed her excitement. * * * * * the flatheads, pushing their way through the line of palm trees, had reached the shore of the lake just as the top of the island's dome disappeared beneath the surface. the water now flowed from shore to shore, but through the clear water the dome was still visible and the houses of the skeezers could be dimly seen through the panes of glass. "good!" exclaimed the su-dic, who had armed all his followers and had brought with him two copper vessels, which he carefully set down upon the ground beside him. "if coo-ee-oh wants to hide instead of fighting our job will be easy, for in one of these copper vessels i have enough poison to kill every fish in the lake." "kill them, then, while we have time, and then we can go home again," advised one of the chief officers. "not yet," objected the su-dic. "the queen of the skeezers has defied me, and i want to get her into my power, as well as to destroy her magic. she transformed my poor wife into a golden pig, and i must have revenge for that, whatever else we do." "look out!" suddenly exclaimed the officers, pointing into the lake; "something's going to happen." from the submerged dome a door opened and something black shot swiftly out into the water. the door instantly closed behind it and the dark object cleaved its way through the water, without rising to the surface, directly toward the place where the flatheads were standing. * * * * * "what is that?" dorothy asked the lady aurex. "that is one of the queen's submarines," was the reply. "it is all enclosed, and can move under water. coo-ee-oh has several of these boats which are kept in little rooms in the basement under our village. when the island is submerged, the queen uses these boats to reach the shore, and i believe she now intends to fight the flatheads with them." the su-dic and his people knew nothing of coo-ee-oh's submarines, so they watched with surprise as the under-water boat approached them. when it was quite near the shore it rose to the surface and the top parted and fell back, disclosing a boat full of armed skeezers. at the head was the queen, standing up in the bow and holding in one hand a coil of magic rope that gleamed like silver. the boat halted and coo-ee-oh drew back her arm to throw the silver rope toward the su-dic, who was now but a few feet from her. but the wily flathead leader quickly realized his danger and before the queen could throw the rope he caught up one of the copper vessels and dashed its contents full in her face! chapter 11 the conquest of the skeezers queen coo-ee-oh dropped the rope, tottered and fell headlong into the water, sinking beneath the surface, while the skeezers in the submarine were too bewildered to assist her and only stared at the ripples in the water where she had disappeared. a moment later there arose to the surface a beautiful white swan. this swan was of large size, very gracefully formed, and scattered all over its white feathers were tiny diamonds, so thickly placed that as the rays of the morning sun fell upon them the entire body of the swan glistened like one brilliant diamond. the head of the diamond swan had a bill of polished gold and its eyes were two sparkling amethysts. "hooray!" cried the su-dic, dancing up and down with wicked glee. "my poor wife, rora, is avenged at last. you made her a golden pig, coo-ee-oh, and now i have made you a diamond swan. float on your lake forever, if you like, for your web feet can do no more magic and you are as powerless as the pig you made of my wife!" "villain! scoundrel!" croaked the diamond swan. "you will be punished for this. oh, what a fool i was to let you enchant me!" "a fool you were, and a fool you are!" laughed the su-dic, dancing madly in his delight. and then he carelessly tipped over the other copper vessel with his heel and its contents spilled on the sands and were lost to the last drop. the su-dic stopped short and looked at the overturned vessel with a rueful countenance. "that's too bad--too bad!" he exclaimed sorrowfully. "i've lost all the poison i had to kill the fishes with, and i can't make any more because only my wife knew the secret of it, and she is now a foolish pig and has forgotten all her magic." "very well," said the diamond swan scornfully, as she floated upon the water and swam gracefully here and there. "i'm glad to see you are foiled. your punishment is just beginning, for although you have enchanted me and taken away my powers of sorcery you have still the three magic fishes to deal with, and they'll destroy you in time, mark my words." the su-dic stared at the swan a moment. then he yelled to his men: "shoot her! shoot the saucy bird!" they let fly some arrows at the diamond swan, but she dove under the water and the missiles fell harmless. when coo-ee-oh rose to the surface she was far from the shore and she swiftly swam across the lake to where no arrows or spears could reach her. the su-dic rubbed his chin and thought what to do next. near by floated the submarine in which the queen had come, but the skeezers who were in it were puzzled what to do with themselves. perhaps they were not sorry their cruel mistress had been transformed into a diamond swan, but the transformation had left them quite helpless. the under-water boat was not operated by machinery, but by certain mystic words uttered by coo-ee-oh. they didn't know how to submerge it, or how to make the water-tight shield cover them again, or how to make the boat go back to the castle, or make it enter the little basement room where it was usually kept. as a matter of fact, they were now shut out of their village under the great dome and could not get back again. so one of the men called to the supreme dictator of the flatheads, saying: "please make us prisoners and take us to your mountain, and feed and keep us, for we have nowhere to go." then the su-dic laughed and answered: "not so. i can't be bothered by caring for a lot of stupid skeezers. stay where you are, or go wherever you please, so long as you keep away from our mountain." he turned to his men and added: "we have conquered queen coo-ee-oh and made her a helpless swan. the skeezers are under water and may stay there. so, having won the war, let us go home again and make merry and feast, having after many years proved the flatheads to be greater and more powerful than the skeezers." so the flatheads marched away and passed through the row of palms and went back to their mountain, where the su-dic and a few of his officers feasted and all the others were forced to wait on them. "i'm sorry we couldn't have roast pig," said the su-dic, "but as the only pig we have is made of gold, we can't eat her. also the golden pig happens to be my wife, and even were she not gold i am sure she would be too tough to eat." chapter 12 the diamond swan when the flatheads had gone away the diamond swan swam back to the boat and one of the young skeezers named ervic said to her eagerly: "how can we get back to the island, your majesty?" "am i not beautiful?" asked coo-ee-oh, arching her neck gracefully and spreading her diamond-sprinkled wings. "i can see my reflection in the water, and i'm sure there is no bird nor beast, nor human as magnificent as i am!" "how shall we get back to the island, your majesty?" pleaded ervic. "when my fame spreads throughout the land, people will travel from all parts of this lake to look upon my loveliness," said coo-ee-oh, shaking her feathers to make the diamonds glitter more brilliantly. "but, your majesty, we must go home and we do not know how to get there," ervic persisted. "my eyes," remarked the diamond swan, "are wonderfully blue and bright and will charm all beholders." "tell us how to make the boat go--how to get back into the island," begged ervic and the others cried just as earnestly: "tell us, coo-ee-oh; tell us!" "i don't know," replied the queen in a careless tone. "you are a magic-worker, a sorceress, a witch!" "i was, of course, when i was a girl," she said, bending her head over the clear water to catch her reflection in it; "but now i've forgotten all such foolish things as magic. swans are lovelier than girls, especially when they're sprinkled with diamonds. don't you think so?" and she gracefully swam away, without seeming to care whether they answered or not. ervic and his companions were in despair. they saw plainly that coo-ee-oh could not or would not help them. the former queen had no further thought for her island, her people, or her wonderful magic; she was only intent on admiring her own beauty. "truly," said ervic, in a gloomy voice, "the flatheads have conquered us!" * * * * * some of these events had been witnessed by ozma and dorothy and lady aurex, who had left the house and gone close to the glass of the dome, in order to see what was going on. many of the skeezers had also crowded against the dome, wondering what would happen next. although their vision was to an extent blurred by the water and the necessity of looking upward at an angle, they had observed the main points of the drama enacted above. they saw queen coo-ee-oh's submarine come to the surface and open; they saw the queen standing erect to throw her magic rope; they saw her sudden transformation into a diamond swan, and a cry of amazement went up from the skeezers inside the dome. "good!" exclaimed dorothy. "i hate that old su-dic, but i'm glad coo-ee-oh is punished." "this is a dreadful misfortune!" cried lady aurex, pressing her hands upon her heart. "yes," agreed ozma, nodding her head thoughtfully; "coo-ee-oh's misfortune will prove a terrible blow to her people." "what do you mean by that?" asked dorothy in surprise. "seems to _me_ the skeezers are in luck to lose their cruel queen." "if that were all you would be right," responded lady aurex; "and if the island were above water it would not be so serious. but here we all are, at the bottom of the lake, and fast prisoners in this dome." "can't you raise the island?" inquired dorothy. "no. only coo-ee-oh knew how to do that," was the answer. "we can try," insisted dorothy. "if it can be made to go down, it can be made to come up. the machinery is still here, i suppose. "yes; but the machinery works by magic, and coo-ee-oh would never share her secret power with any one of us." dorothy's face grew grave; but she was thinking. "ozma knows a lot of magic," she said. "but not that kind of magic," ozma replied. "can't you learn how, by looking at the machinery?" "i'm afraid not, my dear. it isn't fairy magic at all; it is witchcraft." "well," said dorothy, turning to lady aurex, "you say there are other sub-sub-sinking boats. we can get in one of those, and shoot out to the top of the water, like coo-ee-oh did, and so escape. and then we can help to rescue all the skeezers down here." "no one knows how to work the under-water boats but the queen," declared lady aurex. "isn't there any door or window in this dome that we could open?" "no; and, if there were, the water would rush in to flood the dome, and we could not get out." "the skeezers," said ozma, "could not drown; they only get wet and soggy and in that condition they would be very uncomfortable and unhappy. but _you_ are a mortal girl, dorothy, and if your magic belt protected you from death you would have to lie forever at the bottom of the lake." "no, i'd rather die quickly," asserted the little girl. "but there are doors in the basement that open--to let out the bridges and the boats--and that would not flood the dome, you know." "those doors open by a magic word, and only coo-ee-oh knows the word that must be uttered," said lady aurex. "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy, "that dreadful queen's witchcraft upsets all my plans to escape. i guess i'll give it up, ozma, and let _you_ save us." ozma smiled, but her smile was not so cheerful as usual. the princess of oz found herself confronted with a serious problem, and although she had no thought of despairing she realized that the skeezers and their island, as well as dorothy and herself, were in grave trouble and that unless she could find a means to save them they would be lost to the land of oz for all future time. "in such a dilemma," said she, musingly, "nothing is gained by haste. careful thought may aid us, and so may the course of events. the unexpected is always likely to happen, and cheerful patience is better than reckless action." "all right," returned dorothy; "take your time, ozma; there's no hurry. how about some breakfast, lady aurex?" their hostess led them back to the house, where she ordered her trembling servants to prepare and serve breakfast. all the skeezers were frightened and anxious over the transformation of their queen into a swan. coo-ee-oh was feared and hated, but they had depended on her magic to conquer the flatheads and she was the only one who could raise their island to the surface of the lake again. before breakfast was over several of the leading skeezers came to aurex to ask her advice and to question princess ozma, of whom they knew nothing except that she claimed to be a fairy and the ruler of all the land, including the lake of the skeezers. "if what you told queen coo-ee-oh was the truth," they said to her, "you are our lawful mistress, and we may depend on you to get us out of our difficulties." "i will try to do that," ozma graciously assured them, "but you must remember that the powers of fairies are granted them to bring comfort and happiness to all who appeal to them. on the contrary, such magic as coo-ee-oh knew and practiced is unlawful witchcraft and her arts are such as no fairy would condescend to use. however, it is sometimes necessary to consider evil in order to accomplish good, and perhaps by studying coo-ee-oh's tools and charms of witchcraft i may be able to save us. do you promise to accept me as your ruler and to obey my commands?" they promised willingly. "then," continued ozma, "i will go to coo-ee-oh's palace and take possession of it. perhaps what i find there will be of use to me. in the meantime tell all the skeezers to fear nothing, but have patience. let them return to their homes and perform their daily tasks as usual. coo-ee-oh's loss may not prove a misfortune, but rather a blessing." this speech cheered the skeezers amazingly. really, they had no one now to depend upon but ozma, and in spite of their dangerous position their hearts were lightened by the transformation and absence of their cruel queen. they got out their brass band and a grand procession escorted ozma and dorothy to the palace, where all of coo-ee-oh's former servants were eager to wait upon them. ozma invited lady aurex to stay at the palace also, for she knew all about the skeezers and their island and had also been a favorite of the former queen, so her advice and information were sure to prove valuable. ozma was somewhat disappointed in what she found in the palace. one room of coo-ee-oh's private suite was entirely devoted to the practice of witchcraft, and here were countless queer instruments and jars of ointments and bottles of potions labeled with queer names, and strange machines that ozma could not guess the use of, and pickled toads and snails and lizards, and a shelf of books that were written in blood, but in a language which the ruler of oz did not know. "i do not see," said ozma to dorothy, who accompanied her in her search, "how coo-ee-oh knew the use of the magic tools she stole from the three adept witches. moreover, from all reports these adepts practiced only good witchcraft, such as would be helpful to their people, while coo-ee-oh performed only evil." "perhaps she turned the good things to evil uses?" suggested dorothy. "yes, and with the knowledge she gained coo-ee-oh doubtless invented many evil things quite unknown to the good adepts, who are now fishes," added ozma. "it is unfortunate for us that the queen kept her secrets so closely guarded, for no one but herself could use any of these strange things gathered in this room." "couldn't we capture the diamond swan and make her tell the secrets?" asked dorothy. "no; even were we able to capture her, coo-ee-oh now has forgotten all the magic she ever knew. but until we ourselves escape from this dome we could not capture the swan, and were we to escape we would have no use for coo-ee-oh's magic." "that's a fact," admitted dorothy. "but--say, ozma, here's a good idea! couldn't we capture the three fishes--the gold and silver and bronze ones, and couldn't you transform 'em back to their own shapes, and then couldn't the three adepts get us out of here?" "you are not very practical, dorothy dear. it would be as hard for us to capture the three fishes, from among all the other fishes in the lake, as to capture the swan." "but if we could, it would be more help to us," persisted the little girl. "that is true," answered ozma, smiling at her friend's eagerness. "you find a way to catch the fish, and i'll promise when they are caught to restore them to their proper forms." "i know you think i can't do it," replied dorothy, "but i'm going to try." she left the palace and went to a place where she could look through a clear pane of the glass dome into the surrounding water. immediately she became interested in the queer sights that met her view. the lake of the skeezers was inhabited by fishes of many kinds and many sizes. the water was so transparent that the girl could see for a long distance and the fishes came so close to the glass of the dome that sometimes they actually touched it. on the white sands at the bottom of the lake were star-fish, lobsters, crabs and many shell fish of strange shapes and with shells of gorgeous hues. the water foliage was of brilliant colors and to dorothy it resembled a splendid garden. but the fishes were the most interesting of all. some were big and lazy, floating slowly along or lying at rest with just their fins waving. many with big round eyes looked full at the girl as she watched them and dorothy wondered if they could hear her through the glass if she spoke to them. in oz, where all the animals and birds can talk, many fishes are able to talk also, but usually they are more stupid than birds and animals because they think slowly and haven't much to talk about. in the lake of the skeezers the fish of smaller size were more active than the big ones and darted quickly in and out among the swaying weeds, as if they had important business and were in a hurry. it was among the smaller varieties that dorothy hoped to spy the gold and silver and bronze fishes. she had an idea the three would keep together, being companions now as they were in their natural forms, but such a multitude of fishes constantly passed, the scene shifting every moment, that she was not sure she would notice them even if they appeared in view. her eyes couldn't look in all directions and the fishes she sought might be on the other side of the dome, or far away in the lake. "p'raps, because they were afraid of coo-ee-oh, they've hid themselves somewhere, and don't know their enemy has been transformed," she reflected. she watched the fishes for a long time, until she became hungry and went back to the palace for lunch. but she was not discouraged. "anything new, ozma?" she asked. "no, dear. did you discover the three fishes?" "not yet. but there isn't anything better for me to do, ozma, so i guess i'll go back and watch again." chapter 13 the alarm bell glinda, the good, in her palace in the quadling country, had many things to occupy her mind, for not only did she look after the weaving and embroidery of her bevy of maids, and assist all those who came to her to implore her help--beasts and birds as well as people--but she was a close student of the arts of sorcery and spent much time in her magical laboratory, where she strove to find a remedy for every evil and to perfect her skill in magic. nevertheless, she did not forget to look in the great book of records each day to see if any mention was made of the visit of ozma and dorothy to the enchanted mountain of the flatheads and the magic isle of the skeezers. the records told her that ozma had arrived at the mountain, that she had escaped, with her companion, and gone to the island of the skeezers, and that queen coo-ee-oh had submerged the island so that it was entirely under water. then came the statement that the flatheads had come to the lake to poison the fishes and that their supreme dictator had transformed queen coo-ee-oh into a swan. no other details were given in the great book and so glinda did not know that since coo-ee-oh had forgotten her magic none of the skeezers knew how to raise the island to the surface again. so glinda was not worried about ozma and dorothy until one morning, while she sat with her maids, there came a sudden clang of the great alarm bell. this was so unusual that every maid gave a start and even the sorceress for a moment could not think what the alarm meant. then she remembered the ring she had given dorothy when she left the palace to start on her venture. in giving the ring glinda had warned the little girl not to use its magic powers unless she and ozma were in real danger, but then she was to turn it on her finger once to the right and once to the left and glinda's alarm bell would ring. so the sorceress now knew that danger threatened her beloved ruler and princess dorothy, and she hurried to her magic room to seek information as to what sort of danger it was. the answer to her question was not very satisfactory, for it was only: "ozma and dorothy are prisoners in the great dome of the isle of the skeezers, and the dome is under the water of the lake." "hasn't ozma the power to raise the island to the surface?" inquired glinda. "no," was the reply, and the record refused to say more except that queen coo-ee-oh, who alone could command the island to rise, had been transformed by the flathead su-dic into a diamond swan. then glinda consulted the past records of the skeezers in the great book. after diligent search she discovered that coo-ee-oh was a powerful sorceress, who had gained most of her power by treacherously transforming the adepts of magic, who were visiting her, into three fishes--gold, silver and bronze--after which she had them cast into the lake. glinda reflected earnestly on this information and decided that someone must go to ozma's assistance. while there was no great need of haste, because ozma and dorothy could live in a submerged dome a long time, it was evident they could not get out until someone was able to raise the island. the sorceress looked through all her recipes and books of sorcery, but could find no magic that would raise a sunken island. such a thing had never before been required in sorcery. then glinda made a little island, covered by a glass dome, and sunk it in a pond near her castle, and experimented in magical ways to bring it to the surface. she made several such experiments, but all were failures. it seemed a simple thing to do, yet she could not do it. nevertheless, the wise sorceress did not despair of finding a way to liberate her friends. finally she concluded that the best thing to do was to go to the skeezer country and examine the lake. while there she was more likely to discover a solution to the problem that bothered her, and to work out a plan for the rescue of ozma and dorothy. so glinda summoned her storks and her aerial chariot, and telling her maids she was going on a journey and might not soon return, she entered the chariot and was carried swiftly to the emerald city. in princess ozma's palace the scarecrow was now acting as ruler of the land of oz. there wasn't much for him to do, because all the affairs of state moved so smoothly, but he was there in case anything unforeseen should happen. glinda found the scarecrow playing croquet with trot and betsy bobbin, two little girls who lived at the palace under ozma's protection and were great friends of dorothy and much loved by all the oz people. "something's happened!" cried trot, as the chariot of the sorceress descended near them. "glinda never comes here 'cept something's gone wrong." "i hope no harm has come to ozma, or dorothy," said betsy anxiously, as the lovely sorceress stepped down from her chariot. glinda approached the scarecrow and told him of the dilemma of ozma and dorothy and she added: "we must save them, somehow, scarecrow." "of course," replied the scarecrow, stumbling over a wicket and falling flat on his painted face. the girls picked him up and patted his straw stuffing into shape, and he continued, as if nothing had occurred: "but you'll have to tell me what to do, for i never have raised a sunken island in all my life." "we must have a council of state as soon as possible," proposed the sorceress. "please send messengers to summon all of ozma's counsellors to this palace. then we can decide what is best to be done." the scarecrow lost no time in doing this. fortunately most of the royal counsellors were in the emerald city or near to it, so they all met in the throne room of the palace that same evening. chapter 14 ozma's counsellors no ruler ever had such a queer assortment of advisers as the princess ozma had gathered about her throne. indeed, in no other country could such amazing people exist. but ozma loved them for their peculiarities and could trust every one of them. first there was the tin woodman. every bit of him was tin, brightly polished. all his joints were kept well oiled and moved smoothly. he carried a gleaming axe to prove he was a woodman, but seldom had cause to use it because he lived in a magnificent tin castle in the winkie country of oz and was the emperor of all the winkies. the tin woodman's name was nick chopper. he had a very good mind, but his heart was not of much account, so he was very careful to do nothing unkind or to hurt anyone's feelings. another counsellor was scraps, the patchwork girl of oz, who was made of a gaudy patchwork quilt, cut into shape and stuffed with cotton. this patchwork girl was very intelligent, but so full of fun and mad pranks that a lot of more stupid folks thought she must be crazy. scraps was jolly under all conditions, however grave they might be, but her laughter and good spirits were of value in cheering others and in her seemingly careless remarks much wisdom could often be found. then there was the shaggy man--shaggy from head to foot, hair and whiskers, clothes and shoes--but very kind and gentle and one of ozma's most loyal supporters. tik-tok was there, a copper man with machinery inside him, so cleverly constructed that he moved, spoke and thought by three separate clock-works. tik-tok was very reliable because he always did exactly what he was wound up to do, but his machinery was liable to run down at times and then he was quite helpless until wound up again. a different sort of person was jack pumpkinhead, one of ozma's oldest friends and her companion on many adventures. jack's body was very crude and awkward, being formed of limbs of trees of different sizes, jointed with wooden pegs. but it was a substantial body and not likely to break or wear out, and when it was dressed the clothes covered much of its roughness. the head of jack pumpkinhead was, as you have guessed, a ripe pumpkin, with the eyes, nose and mouth carved upon one side. the pumpkin was stuck on jack's wooden neck and was liable to get turned sidewise or backward and then he would have to straighten it with his wooden hands. the worst thing about this sort of a head was that it did not keep well and was sure to spoil sooner or later. so jack's main business was to grow a field of fine pumpkins each year, and always before his old head spoiled he would select a fresh pumpkin from the field and carve the features on it very neatly, and have it ready to replace the old head whenever it became necessary. he didn't always carve it the same way, so his friends never knew exactly what sort of an expression they would find on his face. but there was no mistaking him, because he was the only pumpkin-headed man alive in the land of oz. a one-legged sailor-man was a member of ozma's council. his name was cap'n bill and he had come to the land of oz with trot, and had been made welcome on account of his cleverness, honesty and good-nature. he wore a wooden leg to replace the one he had lost and was a great friend of all the children in oz because he could whittle all sorts of toys out of wood with his big jack-knife. professor h. m. wogglebug, t. e., was another member of the council. the "h. m." meant highly magnified, for the professor was once a little bug, who became magnified to the size of a man and always remained so. the "t. e." meant that he was thoroughly educated. he was at the head of princess ozma's royal athletic college, and so that the students would not have to study and so lose much time that could be devoted to athletic sports, such as football, baseball and the like, professor wogglebug had invented the famous educational pills. if one of the college students took a geography pill after breakfast, he knew his geography lesson in an instant; if he took a spelling pill he at once knew his spelling lesson, and an arithmetic pill enabled the student to do any kind of sum without having to think about it. these useful pills made the college very popular and taught the boys and girls of oz their lessons in the easiest possible way. in spite of this, professor wogglebug was not a favorite outside his college, for he was very conceited and admired himself so much and displayed his cleverness and learning so constantly, that no one cared to associate with him. ozma found him of value in her councils, nevertheless. perhaps the most splendidly dressed of all those present was a great frog as large as a man, called the frogman, who was noted for his wise sayings. he had come to the emerald city from the yip country of oz and was a guest of honor. his long-tailed coat was of velvet, his vest of satin and his trousers of finest silk. there were diamond buckles on his shoes and he carried a gold-headed cane and a high silk hat. all of the bright colors were represented in his rich attire, so it tired one's eyes to look at him for long, until one became used to his splendor. the best farmer in all oz was uncle henry, who was dorothy's own uncle, and who now lived near the emerald city with his wife aunt em. uncle henry taught the oz people how to grow the finest vegetables and fruits and grains and was of much use to ozma in keeping the royal storehouses well filled. he, too, was a counsellor. the reason i mention the little wizard of oz last is because he was the most important man in the land of oz. he wasn't a big man in size, but he was a big man in power and intelligence and second only to glinda the good in all the mystic arts of magic. glinda had taught him, and the wizard and the sorceress were the only ones in oz permitted by law to practice wizardry and sorcery, which they applied only to good uses and for the benefit of the people. the wizard wasn't exactly handsome but he was pleasant to look at. his bald head was as shiny as if it had been varnished; there was always a merry twinkle in his eyes and he was as spry as a schoolboy. dorothy says the reason the wizard is not as powerful as glinda is because glinda didn't teach him all she knows, but what the wizard knows he knows very well and so he performs some very remarkable magic. the ten i have mentioned assembled, with the scarecrow and glinda, in ozma's throne room, right after dinner that evening, and the sorceress told them all she knew of the plight of ozma and dorothy. "of course we must rescue them," she continued, "and the sooner they are rescued the better pleased they will be; but what we must now determine is how they can be saved. that is why i have called you together in council." "the easiest way," remarked the shaggy man, "is to raise the sunken island of the skeezers to the top of the water again." "tell me how?" said glinda. "i don't know how, your highness, for i have never raised a sunken island." "we might all get under it and lift," suggested professor wogglebug. "how can we get under it when it rests on the bottom of the lake?" asked the sorceress. "couldn't we throw a rope around it and pull it ashore?" inquired jack pumpkinhead. "why not pump the water out of the lake?" suggested the patchwork girl with a laugh. "do be sensible!" pleaded glinda. "this is a serious matter, and we must give it serious thought." "how big is the lake and how big is the island?" was the frogman's question. "none of us can tell, for we have not been there." "in that case," said the scarecrow, "it appears to me we ought to go to the skeezer country and examine it carefully." "quite right," agreed the tin woodman. "we-will-have-to-go-there-any-how," remarked tik-tok in his jerky machine voice. "the question is which of us shall go, and how many of us?" said the wizard. "i shall go of course," declared the scarecrow. "and i," said scraps. "it is my duty to ozma to go," asserted the tin woodman. "i could not stay away, knowing our loved princess is in danger," said the wizard. "we all feel like that," uncle henry said. finally one and all present decided to go to the skeezer country, with glinda and the little wizard to lead them. magic must meet magic in order to conquer it, so these two skillful magic-workers were necessary to insure the success of the expedition. they were all ready to start at a moment's notice, for none had any affairs of importance to attend to. jack was wearing a newly made pumpkin-head and the scarecrow had recently been stuffed with fresh straw. tik-tok's machinery was in good running order and the tin woodman always was well oiled. "it is quite a long journey," said glinda, "and while i might travel quickly to the skeezer country by means of my stork chariot the rest of you will be obliged to walk. so, as we must keep together, i will send my chariot back to my castle and we will plan to leave the emerald city at sunrise to-morrow." chapter 15 the great sorceress betsy and trot, when they heard of the rescue expedition, begged the wizard to permit them to join it and he consented. the glass cat, overhearing the conversation, wanted to go also and to this the wizard made no objection. this glass cat was one of the real curiosities of oz. it had been made and brought to life by a clever magician named dr. pipt, who was not now permitted to work magic and was an ordinary citizen of the emerald city. the cat was of transparent glass, through which one could plainly see its ruby heart beating and its pink brains whirling around in the top of the head. the glass cat's eyes were emeralds; its fluffy tail was of spun glass and very beautiful. the ruby heart, while pretty to look at, was hard and cold and the glass cat's disposition was not pleasant at all times. it scorned to catch mice, did not eat, and was extremely lazy. if you complimented the remarkable cat on her beauty, she would be very friendly, for she loved admiration above everything. the pink brains were always working and their owner was indeed more intelligent than most common cats. three other additions to the rescue party were made the next morning, just as they were setting out upon their journey. the first was a little boy called button bright, because he had no other name that anyone could remember. he was a fine, manly little fellow, well mannered and good humored, who had only one bad fault. he was continually getting lost. to be sure, button bright got found as often as he got lost, but when he was missing his friends could not help being anxious about him. "some day," predicted the patchwork girl, "he won't be found, and that will be the last of him." but that didn't worry button bright, who was so careless that he did not seem to be able to break the habit of getting lost. the second addition to the party was a munchkin boy of about button bright's age, named ojo. he was often called "ojo the lucky," because good fortune followed him wherever he went. he and button bright were close friends, although of such different natures, and trot and betsy were fond of both. the third and last to join the expedition was an enormous lion, one of ozma's regular guardians and the most important and intelligent beast in all oz. he called himself the cowardly lion, saying that every little danger scared him so badly that his heart thumped against his ribs, but all who knew him knew that the cowardly lion's fears were coupled with bravery and that however much he might be frightened he summoned courage to meet every danger he encountered. often he had saved dorothy and ozma in times of peril, but afterward he moaned and trembled and wept because he had been so scared. "if ozma needs help, i'm going to help her," said the great beast. "also, i suspect the rest of you may need me on the journey--especially trot and betsy--for you may pass through a dangerous part of the country. i know that wild gillikin country pretty well. its forests harbor many ferocious beasts." they were glad the cowardly lion was to join them, and in good spirits the entire party formed a procession and marched out of the emerald city amid the shouts of the people, who wished them success and a safe return with their beloved ruler. they followed a different route from that taken by ozma and dorothy, for they went through the winkie country and up north toward oogaboo. but before they got there they swerved to the left and entered the great gillikin forest, the nearest thing to a wilderness in all oz. even the cowardly lion had to admit that certain parts of this forest were unknown to him, although he had often wandered among the trees, and the scarecrow and tin woodman, who were great travelers, never had been there at all. the forest was only reached after a tedious tramp, for some of the rescue expedition were quite awkward on their feet. the patchwork girl was as light as a feather and very spry; the tin woodman covered the ground as easily as uncle henry and the wizard; but tik-tok moved slowly and the slightest obstruction in the road would halt him until the others cleared it away. then, too, tik-tok's machinery kept running down, so betsy and trot took turns in winding it up. the scarecrow was more clumsy but less bother, for although he often stumbled and fell he could scramble up again and a little patting of his straw-stuffed body would put him in good shape again. another awkward one was jack pumpkinhead, for walking would jar his head around on his neck and then he would be likely to go in the wrong direction. but the frogman took jack's arm and then he followed the path more easily. cap'n bill's wooden leg didn't prevent him from keeping up with the others and the old sailor could walk as far as any of them. when they entered the forest the cowardly lion took the lead. there was no path here for men, but many beasts had made paths of their own which only the eyes of the lion, practiced in woodcraft, could discern. so he stalked ahead and wound his way in and out, the others following in single file, glinda being next to the lion. there are dangers in the forest, of course, but as the huge lion headed the party he kept the wild denizens of the wilderness from bothering the travelers. once, to be sure, an enormous leopard sprang upon the glass cat and caught her in his powerful jaws, but he broke several of his teeth and with howls of pain and dismay dropped his prey and vanished among the trees. "are you hurt?" trot anxiously inquired of the glass cat. "how silly!" exclaimed the creature in an irritated tone of voice; "nothing can hurt glass, and i'm too solid to break easily. but i'm annoyed at that leopard's impudence. he has no respect for beauty or intelligence. if he had noticed my pink brains work, i'm sure he would have realized i'm too important to be grabbed in a wild beast's jaws." "never mind," said trot consolingly; "i'm sure he won't do it again." they were almost in the center of the forest when ojo, the munchkin boy, suddenly said: "why, where's button bright?" they halted and looked around them. button bright was not with the party. "dear me," remarked betsy, "i expect he's lost again!" "when did you see him last, ojo?" inquired glinda. "it was some time ago," replied ojo. "he was trailing along at the end and throwing twigs at the squirrels in the trees. then i went to talk to betsy and trot, and just now i noticed he was gone." "this is too bad," declared the wizard, "for it is sure to delay our journey. we must find button bright before we go any farther, for this forest is full of ferocious beasts that would not hesitate to tear the boy to pieces." "but what shall we do?" asked the scarecrow. "if any of us leaves the party to search for button bright he or she might fall a victim to the beasts, and if the lion leaves us we will have no protector. "the glass cat could go," suggested the frogman. "the beasts can do her no harm, as we have discovered." the wizard turned to glinda. "cannot your sorcery discover where button bright is?" he asked. "i think so," replied the sorceress. she called to uncle henry, who had been carrying her wicker box, to bring it to her, and when he obeyed she opened it and drew out a small round mirror. on the surface of the glass she dusted a white powder and then wiped it away with her handkerchief and looked in the mirror. it reflected a part of the forest, and there, beneath a wide-spreading tree, button bright was lying asleep. on one side of him crouched a tiger, ready to spring; on the other side was a big gray wolf, its bared fangs glistening in a wicked way. "goodness me!" cried trot, looking over glinda's shoulder. "they'll catch and kill him sure." everyone crowded around for a glimpse at the magic mirror. "pretty bad--pretty bad!" said the scarecrow sorrowfully. "comes of getting lost!" said cap'n bill, sighing. "guess he's a goner!" said the frogman, wiping his eyes on his purple silk handkerchief. "but where is he? can't we save him?" asked ojo the lucky. "if we knew where he is we could probably save him," replied the little wizard, "but that tree looks so much like all the other trees, that we can't tell whether it's far away or near by." "look at glinda!" exclaimed betsy. glinda, having handed the mirror to the wizard, had stepped aside and was making strange passes with her outstretched arms and reciting in low, sweet tones a mystical incantation. most of them watched the sorceress with anxious eyes, despair giving way to the hope that she might be able to save their friend. the wizard, however, watched the scene in the mirror, while over his shoulders peered trot, the scarecrow and the shaggy man. what they saw was more strange than glinda's actions. the tiger started to spring on the sleeping boy, but suddenly lost its power to move and lay flat upon the ground. the gray wolf seemed unable to lift its feet from the ground. it pulled first at one leg and then at another, and finding itself strangely confined to the spot began to bark and snarl angrily. they couldn't hear the barkings and snarls, but they could see the creature's mouth open and its thick lips move. button bright, however, being but a few feet away from the wolf, heard its cries of rage, which wakened him from his untroubled sleep. the boy sat up and looked first at the tiger and then at the wolf. his face showed that for a moment he was quite frightened, but he soon saw that the beasts were unable to approach him and so he got upon his feet and examined them curiously, with a mischievous smile upon his face. then he deliberately kicked the tiger's head with his foot and catching up a fallen branch of a tree he went to the wolf and gave it a good whacking. both the beasts were furious at such treatment but could not resent it. button bright now threw down the stick and with his hands in his pockets wandered carelessly away. "now," said glinda, "let the glass cat run and find him. he is in that direction," pointing the way, "but how far off i do not know. make haste and lead him back to us as quickly as you can." the glass cat did not obey everyone's orders, but she really feared the great sorceress, so as soon as the words were spoken the crystal animal darted away and was quickly lost to sight. the wizard handed the mirror back to glinda, for the woodland scene had now faded from the glass. then those who cared to rest sat down to await button bright's coming. it was not long before he appeared through the trees and as he rejoined his friends he said in a peevish tone: "don't ever send that glass cat to find me again. she was very impolite and, if we didn't all know that she had no manners, i'd say she insulted me." glinda turned upon the boy sternly. "you have caused all of us much anxiety and annoyance," said she. "only my magic saved you from destruction. i forbid you to get lost again." "of course," he answered. "it won't be _my_ fault if i get lost again; but it wasn't my fault _this_ time." chapter 16 the enchanted fishes i must now tell you what happened to ervic and the three other skeezers who were left floating in the iron boat after queen coo-ee-oh had been transformed into a diamond swan by the magic of the flathead su-dic. the four skeezers were all young men and their leader was ervic. coo-ee-oh had taken them with her in the boat to assist her if she captured the flathead chief, as she hoped to do by means of her silver rope. they knew nothing about the witchcraft that moved the submarine and so, when left floating upon the lake, were at a loss what to do. the submarine could not be submerged by them or made to return to the sunken island. there were neither oars nor sails in the boat, which was not anchored but drifted quietly upon the surface of the lake. the diamond swan had no further thought or care for her people. she had sailed over to the other side of the lake and all the calls and pleadings of ervic and his companions were unheeded by the vain bird. as there was nothing else for them to do, they sat quietly in their boat and waited as patiently as they could for someone to come to their aid. the flatheads had refused to help them and had gone back to their mountain. all the skeezers were imprisoned in the great dome and could not help even themselves. when evening came, they saw the diamond swan, still keeping to the opposite shore of the lake, walk out of the water to the sands, shake her diamond-sprinkled feathers, and then disappear among the bushes to seek a resting place for the night. "i'm hungry," said ervic. "i'm cold," said another skeezer. "i'm tired," said a third. "i'm afraid," said the last one of them. but it did them no good to complain. night fell and the moon rose and cast a silvery sheen over the surface of the water. "go to sleep," said ervic to his companions. "i'll stay awake and watch, for we may be rescued in some unexpected way." so the other three laid themselves down in the bottom of the boat and were soon fast asleep. ervic watched. he rested himself by leaning over the bow of the boat, his face near to the moonlit water, and thought dreamily of the day's surprising events and wondered what would happen to the prisoners in the great dome. suddenly a tiny goldfish popped its head above the surface of the lake, not more than a foot from his eyes. a silverfish then raised its head beside that of the goldfish, and a moment later a bronzefish lifted its head beside the others. the three fish, all in a row, looked earnestly with their round, bright eyes into the astonished eyes of ervic the skeezer. "we are the three adepts whom queen coo-ee-oh betrayed and wickedly transformed," said the goldfish, its voice low and soft but distinctly heard in the stillness of the night. "i know of our queen's treacherous deed," replied ervic, "and i am sorry for your misfortune. have you been in the lake ever since?" "yes," was the reply. "i--i hope you are well--and comfortable," stammered ervic, not knowing what else to say. "we knew that some day coo-ee-oh would meet with the fate she so richly deserves," declared the bronzefish. "we have waited and watched for this time. now if you will promise to help us and will be faithful and true, you can aid us in regaining our natural forms, and save yourself and all your people from the dangers that now threaten you." "well," said ervic, "you can depend on my doing the best i can. but i'm no witch, nor magician, you must know." "all we ask is that you obey our instructions," returned the silverfish. "we know that you are honest and that you served coo-ee-oh only because you were obliged to in order to escape her anger. do as we command and all will be well." "i promise!" exclaimed the young man. "tell me what i am to do first." "you will find in the bottom of your boat the silver cord which dropped from coo-ee-oh's hand when she was transformed," said the goldfish. "tie one end of that cord to the bow of your boat and drop the other end to us in the water. together we will pull your boat to the shore." ervic much doubted that the three small fishes could move so heavy a boat, but he did as he was told and the fishes all seized their end of the silver cord in their mouths and headed toward the nearest shore, which was the very place where the flatheads had stood when they conquered queen coo-ee-oh. at first the boat did not move at all, although the fishes pulled with all their strength. but presently the strain began to tell. very slowly the boat crept toward the shore, gaining more speed at every moment. a couple of yards away from the sandy beach the fishes dropped the cord from their mouths and swam to one side, while the iron boat, being now under way, continued to move until its prow grated upon the sands. ervic leaned over the side and said to the fishes: "what next?" "you will find upon the sand," said the silverfish, "a copper kettle, which the su-dic forgot when he went away. cleanse it thoroughly in the water of the lake, for it has had poison in it. when it is cleaned, fill it with fresh water and hold it over the side of the boat, so that we three may swim into the kettle. we will then instruct you further." "do you wish me to catch you, then?" asked ervic in surprise. "yes," was the reply. so ervic jumped out of the boat and found the copper kettle. carrying it a little way down the beach, he washed it well, scrubbing away every drop of the poison it had contained with sand from the shore. then he went back to the boat. ervic's comrades were still sound asleep and knew nothing of the three fishes or what strange happenings were taking place about them. ervic dipped the kettle in the lake, holding fast to the handle until it was under water. the gold and silver and bronze fishes promptly swam into the kettle. the young skeezer then lifted it, poured out a little of the water so it would not spill over the edge, and said to the fishes: "what next?" "carry the kettle to the shore. take one hundred steps to the east, along the edge of the lake, and then you will see a path leading through the meadows, up hill and down dale. follow the path until you come to a cottage which is painted a purple color with white trimmings. when you stop at the gate of this cottage we will tell you what to do next. be careful, above all, not to stumble and spill the water from the kettle, or you would destroy us and all you have done would be in vain." the goldfish issued these commands and ervic promised to be careful and started to obey. he left his sleeping comrades in the boat, stepping cautiously over their bodies, and on reaching the shore took exactly one hundred steps to the east. then he looked for the path and the moonlight was so bright that he easily discovered it, although it was hidden from view by tall weeds until one came full upon it. this path was very narrow and did not seem to be much used, but it was quite distinct and ervic had no difficulty in following it. he walked through a broad meadow, covered with tall grass and weeds, up a hill and down into a valley and then up another hill and down again. it seemed to ervic that he had walked miles and miles. indeed the moon sank low and day was beginning to dawn when finally he discovered by the roadside a pretty little cottage, painted purple with white trimmings. it was a lonely place--no other buildings were anywhere about and the ground was not tilled at all. no farmer lived here, that was certain. who would care to dwell in such an isolated place? but ervic did not bother his head long with such questions. he went up to the gate that led to the cottage, set the copper kettle carefully down and bending over it asked: "what next?" chapter 17 under the great dome when glinda the good and her followers of the rescue expedition came in sight of the enchanted mountain of the flatheads, it was away to the left of them, for the route they had taken through the great forest was some distance from that followed by ozma and dorothy. they halted awhile to decide whether they should call upon the supreme dictator first, or go on to the lake of the skeezers. "if we go to the mountain," said the wizard, "we may get into trouble with that wicked su-dic, and then we would be delayed in rescuing ozma and dorothy. so i think our best plan will be to go to the skeezer country, raise the sunken island and save our friends and the imprisoned skeezers. afterward we can visit the mountain and punish the cruel magician of the flatheads." "that is sensible," approved the shaggy man. "i quite agree with you." the others, too, seemed to think the wizard's plan the best, and glinda herself commended it, so on they marched toward the line of palm trees that hid the skeezers' lake from view. pretty soon they came to the palms. these were set closely together, the branches, which came quite to the ground, being so tightly interlaced that even the glass cat could scarcely find a place to squeeze through. the path which the flatheads used was some distance away. "here's a job for the tin woodman," said the scarecrow. so the tin woodman, who was always glad to be of use, set to work with his sharp, gleaming axe, which he always carried, and in a surprisingly short time had chopped away enough branches to permit them all to pass easily through the trees. now the clear waters of the beautiful lake were before them and by looking closely they could see the outlines of the great dome of the sunken island, far from shore and directly in the center of the lake. of course every eye was at first fixed upon this dome, where ozma and dorothy and the skeezers were still fast prisoners. but soon their attention was caught by a more brilliant sight, for here was the diamond swan swimming just before them, its long neck arched proudly, the amethyst eyes gleaming and all the diamond-sprinkled feathers glistening splendidly under the rays of the sun. "that," said glinda, "is the transformation of queen coo-ee-oh, the haughty and wicked witch who betrayed the three adepts at magic and treated her people like slaves." "she's wonderfully beautiful now," remarked the frogman. "it doesn't seem like much of a punishment," said trot. "the flathead su-dic ought to have made her a toad." "i am sure coo-ee-oh is punished," said glinda, "for she has lost all her magic power and her grand palace and can no longer misrule the poor skeezers." "let us call to her, and hear what she has to say," proposed the wizard. so glinda beckoned the diamond swan, which swam gracefully to a position near them. before anyone could speak coo-ee-oh called to them in a rasping voice--for the voice of a swan is always harsh and unpleasant--and said with much pride: "admire me, strangers! admire the lovely coo-ee-oh, the handsomest creature in all oz. admire me!" "handsome is as handsome does," replied the scarecrow. "are your deeds lovely, coo-ee-oh?" "deeds? what deeds can a swan do but swim around and give pleasure to all beholders?" said the sparkling bird. "have you forgotten your former life? have you forgotten your magic and witchcraft?" inquired the wizard. "magic--witchcraft? pshaw, who cares for such silly things?" retorted coo-ee-oh. "as for my past life, it seems like an unpleasant dream. i wouldn't go back to it if i could. don't you admire my beauty, strangers?" "tell us, coo-ee-oh," said glinda earnestly, "if you can recall enough of your witchcraft to enable us to raise the sunken island to the surface of the lake. tell us that and i'll give you a string of pearls to wear around your neck and add to your beauty." "nothing can add to my beauty, for i'm the most beautiful creature anywhere in the whole world." "but how can we raise the island?" "i don't know and i don't care. if ever i knew i've forgotten, and i'm glad of it," was the response. "just watch me circle around and see me glitter!" "it's no use," said button bright; "the old swan is too much in love with herself to think of anything else." "that's a fact," agreed betsy with a sigh; "but we've got to get ozma and dorothy out of that lake, somehow or other." "and we must do it in our own way," added the scarecrow. "but how?" asked uncle henry in a grave voice, for he could not bear to think of his dear niece dorothy being out there under water; "how shall we do it?" "leave that to glinda," advised the wizard, realizing he was helpless to do it himself. "if it were just an ordinary sunken island," said the powerful sorceress, "there would be several ways by which i might bring it to the surface again. but this is a magic isle, and by some curious art of witchcraft, unknown to any but queen coo-ee-oh, it obeys certain commands of magic and will not respond to any other. i do not despair in the least, but it will require some deep study to solve this difficult problem. if the swan could only remember the witchcraft that she invented and knew as a woman, i could force her to tell me the secret, but all her former knowledge is now forgotten." "it seems to me," said the wizard after a brief silence had followed glinda's speech, "that there are three fishes in this lake that used to be adepts at magic and from whom coo-ee-oh stole much of her knowledge. if we could find those fishes and return them to their former shapes, they could doubtless tell us what to do to bring the sunken island to the surface." "i have thought of those fishes," replied glinda, "but among so many fishes as this lake contains how are we to single them out?" you will understand, of course, that had glinda been at home in her castle, where the great book of records was, she would have known that ervic the skeezer already had taken the gold and silver and bronze fishes from the lake. but that act had been recorded in the book after glinda had set out on this journey, so it was all unknown to her. "i think i see a boat yonder on the shore," said ojo the munchkin boy, pointing to a place around the edge of the lake. "if we could get that boat and row all over the lake, calling to the magic fishes, we might be able to find them." "let us go to the boat," said the wizard. they walked around the lake to where the boat was stranded upon the beach, but found it empty. it was a mere shell of blackened steel, with a collapsible roof that, when in position, made the submarine water-tight, but at present the roof rested in slots on either side of the magic craft. there were no oars or sails, no machinery to make the boat go, and although glinda promptly realized it was meant to be operated by witchcraft, she was not acquainted with that sort of magic. "however," said she, "the boat is merely a boat, and i believe i can make it obey a command of sorcery, as well as it did the command of witchcraft. after i have given a little thought to the matter, the boat will take us wherever we desire to go." "not all of us," returned the wizard, "for it won't hold so many. but, most noble sorceress, provided you can make the boat go, of what use will it be to us?" "can't we use it to catch the three fishes?" asked button bright. "it will not be necessary to use the boat for that purpose," replied glinda. "wherever in the lake the enchanted fishes may be, they will answer to my call. what i am trying to discover is how the boat came to be on this shore, while the island on which it belongs is under water yonder. did coo-ee-oh come here in the boat to meet the flatheads before the island was sunk, or afterward?" no one could answer that question, of course; but while they pondered the matter three young men advanced from the line of trees, and rather timidly bowed to the strangers. "who are you, and where did you come from!" inquired the wizard. "we are skeezers," answered one of them, "and our home is on the magic isle of the lake. we ran away when we saw you coming, and hid behind the trees, but as you are strangers and seem to be friendly we decided to meet you, for we are in great trouble and need assistance." "if you belong on the island, why are you here?" demanded glinda. so they told her all the story: how the queen had defied the flatheads and submerged the whole island so that her enemies could not get to it or destroy it; how, when the flatheads came to the shore, coo-ee-oh had commanded them, together with their friend ervic, to go with her in the submarine to conquer the su-dic, and how the boat had shot out from the basement of the sunken isle, obeying a magic word, and risen to the surface, where it opened and floated upon the water. then followed the account of how the su-dic had transformed coo-ee-oh into a swan, after which she had forgotten all the witchcraft she ever knew. the young men told how in the night when they were asleep, their comrade ervic had mysteriously disappeared, while the boat in some strange manner had floated to the shore and stranded upon the beach. that was all they knew. they had searched in vain for three days for ervic. as their island was under water and they could not get back to it, the three skeezers had no place to go, and so had waited patiently beside their boat for something to happen. being questioned by glinda and the wizard, they told all they knew about ozma and dorothy and declared the two girls were still in the village under the great dome. they were quite safe and would be well cared for by lady aurex, now that the queen who opposed them was out of the way. when they had gleaned all the information they could from these skeezers, the wizard said to glinda: "if you find you can make this boat obey your sorcery, you could have it return to the island, submerge itself, and enter the door in the basement from which it came. but i cannot see that our going to the sunken island would enable our friends to escape. we would only join them as prisoners." "not so, friend wizard," replied glinda. "if the boat would obey my commands to enter the basement door, it would also obey my commands to come out again, and i could bring ozma and dorothy back with me." "and leave all of our people still imprisoned?" asked one of the skeezers reproachfully. "by making several trips in the boat, glinda could fetch all your people to the shore," replied the wizard. "but what could they do then?" inquired another skeezer. "they would have no homes and no place to go, and would be at the mercy of their enemies, the flatheads." "that is true," said glinda the good. "and as these people are ozma's subjects, i think she would refuse to escape with dorothy and leave the others behind, or to abandon the island which is the lawful home of the skeezers. i believe the best plan will be to summon the three fishes and learn from them how to raise the island." the little wizard seemed to think that this was rather a forlorn hope. "how will you summon them," he asked the lovely sorceress, "and how can they hear you?" "that is something we must consider carefully," responded stately glinda, with a serene smile. "i think i can find a way." all of ozma's counsellors applauded this sentiment, for they knew well the powers of the sorceress. "very well," agreed the wizard. "summon them, most noble glinda." chapter 18 the cleverness of ervic we must now return to ervic the skeezer, who, when he had set down the copper kettle containing the three fishes at the gate of the lonely cottage, had asked, "what next?" the goldfish stuck its head above the water in the kettle and said in its small but distinct voice: "you are to lift the latch, open the door, and walk boldly into the cottage. do not be afraid of anything you see, for however you seem to be threatened with dangers, nothing can harm you. the cottage is the home of a powerful yookoohoo, named reera the red, who assumes all sorts of forms, sometimes changing her form several times in a day, according to her fancy. what her real form may be we do not know. this strange creature cannot be bribed with treasure, or coaxed through friendship, or won by pity. she has never assisted anyone, or done wrong to anyone, that we know of. all her wonderful powers are used for her own selfish amusement. she will order you out of the house but you must refuse to go. remain and watch reera closely and try to see what she uses to accomplish her transformations. if you can discover the secret whisper it to us and we will then tell you what to do next." "that sounds easy," returned ervic, who had listened carefully. "but are you sure she will not hurt me, or try to transform me?" "she may change your form," replied the goldfish, "but do not worry if that happens, for we can break that enchantment easily. you may be sure that nothing will harm you, so you must not be frightened at anything you see or hear." now ervic was as brave as any ordinary young man, and he knew the fishes who spoke to him were truthful and to be relied upon, nevertheless he experienced a strange sinking of the heart as he picked up the kettle and approached the door of the cottage. his hand trembled as he raised the latch, but he was resolved to obey his instructions. he pushed the door open, took three strides into the middle of the one room the cottage contained, and then stood still and looked around him. the sights that met his gaze were enough to frighten anyone who had not been properly warned. on the floor just before ervic lay a great crocodile, its red eyes gleaming wickedly and its wide open mouth displaying rows of sharp teeth. horned toads hopped about; each of the four upper corners of the room was festooned with a thick cobweb, in the center of which sat a spider as big around as a washbasin, and armed with pincher-like claws; a red-and-green lizard was stretched at full length on the window-sill and black rats darted in and out of the holes they had gnawed in the floor of the cottage. but the most startling thing was a huge gray ape which sat upon a bench and knitted. it wore a lace cap, such as old ladies wear, and a little apron of lace, but no other clothing. its eyes were bright and looked as if coals were burning in them. the ape moved as naturally as an ordinary person might, and on ervic's entrance stopped knitting and raised its head to look at him. "get out!" cried a sharp voice, seeming to come from the ape's mouth. ervic saw another bench, empty, just beyond him, so he stepped over the crocodile, sat down upon the bench and carefully placed the kettle beside him. "get out!" again cried the voice. ervic shook his head. "no," said he, "i'm going to stay." the spiders left their four corners, dropped to the floor and made a rush toward the young skeezer, circling around his legs with their pinchers extended. ervic paid no attention to them. an enormous black rat ran up ervic's body, passed around his shoulders and uttered piercing squeals in his ears, but he did not wince. the green-and-red lizard, coming from the window-sill, approached ervic and began spitting a flaming fluid at him, but ervic merely stared at the creature and its flame did not touch him. the crocodile raised its tail and, swinging around, swept ervic off the bench with a powerful blow. but the skeezer managed to save the kettle from upsetting and he got up, shook off the horned toads that were crawling over him and resumed his seat on the bench. all the creatures, after this first attack, remained motionless, as if awaiting orders. the old gray ape knitted on, not looking toward ervic now, and the young skeezer stolidly kept his seat. he expected something else to happen, but nothing did. a full hour passed and ervic was growing nervous. "what do you want?" the ape asked at last. "nothing," said ervic. "you may have that!" retorted the ape, and at this all the strange creatures in the room broke into a chorus of cackling laughter. another long wait. "do you know who i am?" questioned the ape. "you must be reera the red--the yookoohoo," ervic answered. "knowing so much, you must also know that i do not like strangers. your presence here in my home annoys me. do you not fear my anger?" "no," said the young man. "do you intend to obey me, and leave this house?" "no," replied ervic, just as quietly as the yookoohoo had spoken. the ape knitted for a long time before resuming the conversation. "curiosity," it said, "has led to many a man's undoing. i suppose in some way you have learned that i do tricks of magic, and so through curiosity you have come here. you may have been told that i do not injure anyone, so you are bold enough to disobey my commands to go away. you imagine that you may witness some of the rites of witchcraft, and that they may amuse you. have i spoken truly?" "well," remarked ervic, who had been pondering on the strange circumstances of his coming here, "you are right in some ways, but not in others. i am told that you work magic only for your own amusement. that seems to me very selfish. few people understand magic. i'm told that you are the only real yookoohoo in all oz. why don't you amuse others as well as yourself?" "what right have you to question my actions?" "none at all." "and you say you are not here to demand any favors of me?" "for myself i want nothing from you." "you are wise in that. i never grant favors." "that doesn't worry me," declared ervic. "but you are curious? you hope to witness some of my magic transformations?" "if you wish to perform any magic, go ahead," said ervic. "it may interest me and it may not. if you'd rather go on with your knitting, it's all the same to me. i am in no hurry at all." this may have puzzled red reera, but the face beneath the lace cap could show no expression, being covered with hair. perhaps in all her career the yookoohoo had never been visited by anyone who, like this young man, asked for nothing, expected nothing, and had no reason for coming except curiosity. this attitude practically disarmed the witch and she began to regard the skeezer in a more friendly way. she knitted for some time, seemingly in deep thought, and then she arose and walked to a big cupboard that stood against the wall of the room. when the cupboard door was opened ervic could see a lot of drawers inside, and into one of these drawers--the second from the bottom--reera thrust a hairy hand. until now ervic could see over the bent form of the ape, but suddenly the form, with its back to him, seemed to straighten up and blot out the cupboard of drawers. the ape had changed to the form of a woman, dressed in the pretty gillikin costume, and when she turned around he saw that it was a young woman, whose face was quite attractive. "do you like me better this way?" reera inquired with a smile. "you _look_ better," he said calmly, "but i'm not sure i _like_ you any better." she laughed, saying: "during the heat of the day i like to be an ape, for an ape doesn't wear any clothes to speak of. but if one has gentlemen callers it is proper to dress up." ervic noticed her right hand was closed, as if she held something in it. she shut the cupboard door, bent over the crocodile and in a moment the creature had changed to a red wolf. it was not pretty even now, and the wolf crouched beside its mistress as a dog might have done. its teeth looked as dangerous as had those of the crocodile. next the yookoohoo went about touching all the lizards and toads, and at her touch they became kittens. the rats she changed into chipmunks. now the only horrid creatures remaining were the four great spiders, which hid themselves behind their thick webs. "there!" reera cried, "now my cottage presents a more comfortable appearance. i love the toads and lizards and rats, because most people hate them, but i would tire of them if they always remained the same. sometimes i change their forms a dozen times a day." "you are clever," said ervic. "i did not hear you utter any incantations or magic words. all you did was to touch the creatures." "oh, do you think so?" she replied. "well, touch them yourself, if you like, and see if you can change their forms." "no," said the skeezer, "i don't understand magic and if i did i would not try to imitate your skill. you are a wonderful yookoohoo, while i am only a common skeezer." this confession seemed to please reera, who liked to have her witchcraft appreciated. "will you go away now?" she asked. "i prefer to be alone." "i prefer to stay here," said ervic. "in another person's home, where you are not wanted?" "yes." "is not your curiosity yet satisfied?" demanded reera, with a smile. "i don't know. is there anything else you can do?" "many things. but why should i exhibit my powers to a stranger?" "i can think of no reason at all," he replied. she looked at him curiously. "you want no power for yourself, you say, and you're too stupid to be able to steal my secrets. this isn't a pretty cottage, while outside are sunshine, broad prairies and beautiful wildflowers. yet you insist on sitting on that bench and annoying me with your unwelcome presence. what have you in that kettle?" "three fishes," he answered readily. "where did you get them?" "i caught them in the lake of the skeezers." "what do you intend to do with the fishes?" "i shall carry them to the home of a friend of mine who has three children. the children will love to have the fishes for pets." she came over to the bench and looked into the kettle, where the three fishes were swimming quietly in the water. "they're pretty," said reera. "let me transform them into something else." "no," objected the skeezer. "i love to transform things; it's so interesting. and i've never transformed any fishes in all my life." "let them alone," said ervic. "what shapes would you prefer them to have? i can make them turtles, or cute little sea-horses; or i could make them piglets, or rabbits, or guinea-pigs; or, if you like i can make chickens of them, or eagles, or bluejays." "let them alone!" repeated ervic. "you're not a very pleasant visitor," laughed red reera. "people accuse _me_ of being cross and crabbed and unsociable, and they are quite right. if you had come here pleading and begging for favors, and half afraid of my yookoohoo magic, i'd have abused you until you ran away; but you're quite different from that. _you're_ the unsociable and crabbed and disagreeable one, and so i like you, and bear with your grumpiness. it's time for my midday meal; are you hungry?" "no," said ervic, although he really desired food. "well, i am," reera declared and clapped her hands together. instantly a table appeared, spread with linen and bearing dishes of various foods, some smoking hot. there were two plates laid, one at each end of the table, and as soon as reera seated herself all her creatures gathered around her, as if they were accustomed to be fed when she ate. the wolf squatted at her right hand and the kittens and chipmunks gathered at her left. "come, stranger, sit down and eat," she called cheerfully, "and while we're eating let us decide into what forms we shall change your fishes." "they're all right as they are," asserted ervic, drawing up his bench to the table. "the fishes are beauties--one gold, one silver and one bronze. nothing that has life is more lovely than a beautiful fish." "what! am _i_ not more lovely?" reera asked, smiling at his serious face. "i don't object to you--for a yookoohoo, you know," he said, helping himself to the food and eating with good appetite. "and don't you consider a beautiful girl more lovely than a fish, however pretty the fish may be?" "well," replied ervic, after a period of thought, "that might be. if you transformed my three fish into three girls--girls who would be adepts at magic, you know they might please me as well as the fish do. you won't do that of course, because you can't, with all your skill. and, should you be able to do so, i fear my troubles would be more than i could bear. they would not consent to be my slaves--especially if they were adepts at magic--and so they would command _me_ to obey _them_. no, mistress reera, let us not transform the fishes at all." the skeezer had put his case with remarkable cleverness. he realized that if he appeared anxious for such a transformation the yookoohoo would not perform it, yet he had skillfully suggested that they be made adepts at magic. chapter 19 red reera the yookoohoo after the meal was over and reera had fed her pets, including the four monster spiders which had come down from their webs to secure their share, she made the table disappear from the floor of the cottage. "i wish you'd consent to my transforming your fishes," she said, as she took up her knitting again. the skeezer made no reply. he thought it unwise to hurry matters. all during the afternoon they sat silent. once reera went to her cupboard and after thrusting her hand into the same drawer as before, touched the wolf and transformed it into a bird with gorgeous colored feathers. this bird was larger than a parrot and of a somewhat different form, but ervic had never seen one like it before. "sing!" said reera to the bird, which had perched itself on a big wooden peg--as if it had been in the cottage before and knew just what to do. and the bird sang jolly, rollicking songs with words to them--just as a person who had been carefully trained might do. the songs were entertaining and ervic enjoyed listening to them. in an hour or so the bird stopped singing, tucked its head under its wing and went to sleep. reera continued knitting but seemed thoughtful. now ervic had marked this cupboard drawer well and had concluded that reera took something from it which enabled her to perform her transformations. he thought that if he managed to remain in the cottage, and reera fell asleep, he could slyly open the cupboard, take a portion of whatever was in the drawer, and by dropping it into the copper kettle transform the three fishes into their natural shapes. indeed, he had firmly resolved to carry out this plan when the yookoohoo put down her knitting and walked toward the door. "i'm going out for a few minutes," said she; "do you wish to go with me, or will you remain here?" ervic did not answer but sat quietly on his bench. so reera went out and closed the cottage door. as soon as she was gone, ervic rose and tiptoed to the cupboard. "take care! take care!" cried several voices, coming from the kittens and chipmunks. "if you touch anything we'll tell the yookoohoo!" ervic hesitated a moment but, remembering that he need not consider reera's anger if he succeeded in transforming the fishes, he was about to open the cupboard when he was arrested by the voices of the fishes, which stuck their heads above the water in the kettle and called out: "come here, ervic!" so he went back to the kettle and bent over it. "let the cupboard alone," said the goldfish to him earnestly. "you could not succeed by getting that magic powder, for only the yookoohoo knows how to use it. the best way is to allow her to transform us into three girls, for then we will have our natural shapes and be able to perform all the arts of magic we have learned and well understand. you are acting wisely and in the most effective manner. we did not know you were so intelligent, or that reera could be so easily deceived by you. continue as you have begun and try to persuade her to transform us. but insist that we be given the forms of girls." the goldfish ducked its head down just as reera re-entered the cottage. she saw ervic bent over the kettle, so she came and joined him. "can your fishes talk?" she asked. "sometimes," he replied, "for all fishes in the land of oz know how to speak. just now they were asking me for some bread. they are hungry." "well, they can have some bread," said reera. "but it is nearly supper-time, and if you would allow me to transform your fishes into girls they could join us at the table and have plenty of food much nicer than crumbs. why not let me transform them?" "well," said ervic, as if hesitating, "ask the fishes. if they consent, why--why, then, i'll think it over." reera bent over the kettle and asked: "can you hear me, little fishes?" all three popped their heads above water. "we can hear you," said the bronzefish. "i want to give you other forms, such as rabbits, or turtles or girls, or something; but your master, the surly skeezer, does not wish me to. however, he has agreed to the plan if you will consent." "we'd like to be girls," said the silverfish. "no, no!" exclaimed ervic. "if you promise to make us three beautiful girls, we will consent," said the goldfish. "no, no!" exclaimed ervic again. "also make us adepts at magic," added the bronzefish. "i don't know exactly what that means," replied reera musingly, "but as no adept at magic is as powerful as yookoohoo, i'll add that to the transformation." "we won't try to harm you, or to interfere with your magic in any way," promised the goldfish. "on the contrary, we will be your friends." "will you agree to go away and leave me alone in my cottage, whenever i command you to do so?" asked reera. "we promise that," cried the three fishes. "don't do it! don't consent to the transformation," urged ervic. "they have already consented," said the yookoohoo, laughing in his face, "and you have promised me to abide by their decision. so, friend skeezer, i shall perform the transformation whether you like it or not." ervic seated himself on the bench again, a deep scowl on his face but joy in his heart. reera moved over to the cupboard, took something from the drawer and returned to the copper kettle. she was clutching something tightly in her right hand, but with her left she reached within the kettle, took out the three fishes and laid them carefully on the floor, where they gasped in distress at being out of water. reera did not keep them in misery more than a few seconds, for she touched each one with her right hand and instantly the fishes were transformed into three tall and slender young women, with fine, intelligent faces and clothed in handsome, clinging gowns. the one who had been a goldfish had beautiful golden hair and blue eyes and was exceedingly fair of skin; the one who had been a bronzefish had dark brown hair and clear gray eyes and her complexion matched these lovely features. the one who had been a silverfish had snow-white hair of the finest texture and deep brown eyes. the hair contrasted exquisitely with her pink cheeks and ruby-red lips, nor did it make her look a day older than her two companions. as soon as they secured these girlish shapes, all three bowed low to the yookoohoo and said: "we thank you, reera." then they bowed to the skeezer and said: "we thank you, ervic." "very good!" cried the yookoohoo, examining her work with critical approval. "you are much better and more interesting than fishes, and this ungracious skeezer would scarcely allow me to do the transformations. you surely have nothing to thank _him_ for. but now let us dine in honor of the occasion." she clapped her hands together and again a table loaded with food appeared in the cottage. it was a longer table, this time, and places were set for the three adepts as well as for reera and ervic. "sit down, friends, and eat your fill," said the yookoohoo, but instead of seating herself at the head of the table she went to the cupboard, saying to the adepts: "your beauty and grace, my fair friends, quite outshine my own. so that i may appear properly at the banquet table i intend, in honor of this occasion, to take upon myself my natural shape." scarcely had she finished this speech when reera transformed herself into a young woman fully as lovely as the three adepts. she was not quite so tall as they, but her form was more rounded and more handsomely clothed, with a wonderful jeweled girdle and a necklace of shining pearls. her hair was a bright auburn red, and her eyes large and dark. "do you claim this is your natural form?" asked ervic of the yookoohoo. "yes," she replied. "this is the only form i am really entitled to wear. but i seldom assume it because there is no one here to admire or appreciate it and i get tired admiring it myself." "i see now why you are named reera the red," remarked ervic. "it is on account of my red hair," she explained smiling. "i do not care for red hair myself, which is one reason i usually wear other forms." "it is beautiful," asserted the young man; and then remembering the other women present he added: "but, of course, all women should not have red hair, because that would make it too common. gold and silver and brown hair are equally handsome." the smiles that he saw interchanged between the four filled the poor skeezer with embarrassment, so he fell silent and attended to eating his supper, leaving the others to do the talking. the three adepts frankly told reera who they were, how they became fishes and how they had planned secretly to induce the yookoohoo to transform them. they admitted that they had feared, had they asked her to help, that she would have refused them. "you were quite right," returned the yookoohoo. "i make it my rule never to perform magic to assist others, for if i did there would always be crowds at my cottage demanding help and i hate crowds and want to be left alone. "however, now that you are restored to your proper shapes, i do not regret my action and i hope you will be of use in saving the skeezer people by raising their island to the surface of the lake, where it really belongs. but you must promise me that after you go away you will never come here again, nor tell anyone what i have done for you." the three adepts and ervic thanked the yookoohoo warmly. they promised to remember her wish that they should not come to her cottage again and so, with a good-bye, took their departure. chapter 20 a puzzling problem glinda the good, having decided to try her sorcery upon the abandoned submarine, so that it would obey her commands, asked all of her party, including the skeezers, to withdraw from the shore of the lake to the line of palm trees. she kept with her only the little wizard of oz, who was her pupil and knew how to assist her in her magic rites. when they two were alone beside the stranded boat, glinda said to the wizard: "i shall first try my magic recipe no. 1163, which is intended to make inanimate objects move at my command. have you a skeropythrope with you?" "yes, i always carry one in my bag," replied the wizard. he opened his black bag of magic tools and took out a brightly polished skeropythrope, which he handed to the sorceress. glinda had also brought a small wicker bag, containing various requirements of sorcery, and from this she took a parcel of powder and a vial of liquid. she poured the liquid into the skeropythrope and added the powder. at once the skeropythrope began to sputter and emit sparks of a violet color, which spread in all directions. the sorceress instantly stepped into the middle of the boat and held the instrument so that the sparks fell all around her and covered every bit of the blackened steel boat. at the same time glinda crooned a weird incantation in the language of sorcery, her voice sounding low and musical. after a little the violet sparks ceased, and those that had fallen upon the boat had disappeared and left no mark upon its surface. the ceremony was ended and glinda returned the skeropythrope to the wizard, who put it away in his black bag. "that ought to do the business all right," he said confidently. "let us make a trial and see," she replied. so they both entered the boat and seated themselves. speaking in a tone of command the sorceress said to the boat: "carry us across the lake, to the farther shore." at once the boat backed off the sandy beach, turned its prow and moved swiftly over the water. "very good--very good indeed!" cried the wizard, when the boat slowed up at the shore opposite from that whence they had departed. "even coo-ee-oh, with all her witchcraft, could do no better." the sorceress now said to the boat: "close up, submerge and carry us to the basement door of the sunken island--the door from which you emerged at the command of queen coo-ee-oh." the boat obeyed. as it sank into the water the top sections rose from the sides and joined together over the heads of glinda and the wizard, who were thus enclosed in a water-proof chamber. there were four glass windows in this covering, one on each side and one on either end, so that the passengers could see exactly where they were going. moving under water more slowly than on the surface, the submarine gradually approached the island and halted with its bow pressed against the huge marble door in the basement under the dome. this door was tightly closed and it was evident to both glinda and the wizard that it would not open to admit the under-water boat unless a magic word was spoken by them or someone from within the basement of the island. but what was this magic word? neither of them knew. "i'm afraid," said the wizard regretfully, "that we can't get in, after all. unless your sorcery can discover the word to open the marble door." "that is probably some word only known to coo-ee-oh," replied the sorceress. "i may be able to discover what it is, but that will require time. let us go back again to our companions." "it seems a shame, after we have made the boat obey us, to be balked by just a marble door," grumbled the wizard. at glinda's command the boat rose until it was on a level with the glass dome that covered the skeezer village, when the sorceress made it slowly circle all around the great dome. many faces were pressed against the glass from the inside, eagerly watching the submarine, and in one place were dorothy and ozma, who quickly recognized glinda and the wizard through the glass windows of the boat. glinda saw them, too, and held the boat close to the dome while the friends exchanged greetings in pantomime. their voices, unfortunately, could not be heard through the dome and the water and the side of the boat. the wizard tried to make the girls understand, through signs, that he and glinda had come to their rescue, and ozma and dorothy understood this from the very fact that the sorceress and the wizard had appeared. the two girl prisoners were smiling and in safety, and knowing this glinda felt she could take all the time necessary in order to effect their final rescue. as nothing more could be done just then, glinda ordered the boat to return to shore, and it obeyed readily. first it ascended to the surface of the water, then the roof parted and fell into the slots at the side of the boat, and then the magic craft quickly made the shore and beached itself on the sands at the very spot from which it had departed at glinda's command. all the oz people and the skeezers at once ran to the boat to ask if they had reached the island, and whether they had seen ozma and dorothy. the wizard told them of the obstacle they had met in the way of a marble door, and how glinda would now undertake to find a magic way to conquer the door. realizing that it would require several days to succeed in reaching the island, raising it and liberating their friends and the skeezer people, glinda now prepared a camp half way between the lake shore and the palm trees. the wizard's wizardry made a number of tents appear and the sorcery of the sorceress furnished these tents all complete, with beds, chairs, tables, rugs, lamps and even books with which to pass idle hours. all the tents had the royal banner of oz flying from the centerpoles and one big tent, not now occupied, had ozma's own banner moving in the breeze. betsy and trot had a tent to themselves, and button bright and ojo had another. the scarecrow and the tin woodman paired together in one tent and so did jack pumpkinhead and the shaggy man, cap'n bill and uncle henry, tik-tok and professor wogglebug. glinda had the most splendid tent of all, except that reserved for ozma, while the wizard had a little one of his own. whenever it was meal time, tables loaded with food magically appeared in the tents of those who were in the habit of eating, and these complete arrangements made the rescue party just as comfortable as they would have been in their own homes. far into the night glinda sat in her tent studying a roll of mystic scrolls in search of a word that would open the basement door of the island and admit her to the great dome. she also made many magical experiments, hoping to discover something that would aid her. yet the morning found the powerful sorceress still unsuccessful. glinda's art could have opened any ordinary door, you may be sure, but you must realize that this marble door of the island had been commanded not to open save in obedience to one magic word, and therefore all other magic words could have no effect upon it. the magic word that guarded the door had probably been invented by coo-ee-oh, who had now forgotten it. the only way, then, to gain entrance to the sunken island was to break the charm that held the door fast shut. if this could be done no magic would be required to open it. the next day the sorceress and the wizard again entered the boat and made it submerge and go to the marble door, which they tried in various ways to open, but without success. "we shall have to abandon this attempt, i think," said glinda. "the easiest way to raise the island would be for us to gain admittance to the dome and then descend to the basement and see in what manner coo-ee-oh made the entire island sink or rise at her command. it naturally occurred to me that the easiest way to gain admittance would be by having the boat take us into the basement through the marble door from which coo-ee-oh launched it. but there must be other ways to get inside the dome and join ozma and dorothy, and such ways we must find by study and the proper use of our powers of magic." "it won't be easy," declared the wizard, "for we must not forget that ozma herself understands considerable magic, and has doubtless tried to raise the island or find other means of escape from it and failed." "that is true," returned glinda, "but ozma's magic is fairy magic, while you are a wizard and i am a sorceress. in this way the three of us have a great variety of magic to work with, and if we should all fail it will be because the island is raised and lowered by a magic power none of us is acquainted with. my idea therefore is to seek--by such magic as we possess--to accomplish our object in another way." they made the circle of the dome again in their boat, and once more saw ozma and dorothy through their windows and exchanged signals with the two imprisoned girls. ozma realized that her friends were doing all in their power to rescue her and smiled an encouragement to their efforts. dorothy seemed a little anxious but was trying to be as brave as her companion. after the boat had returned to the camp and glinda was seated in her tent, working out various ways by which ozma and dorothy could be rescued, the wizard stood on the shore dreamily eying the outlines of the great dome which showed beneath the clear water, when he raised his eyes and saw a group of strange people approaching from around the lake. three were young women of stately presence, very beautifully dressed, who moved with remarkable grace. they were followed at a little distance by a good-looking young skeezer. the wizard saw at a glance that these people might be very important, so he advanced to meet them. the three maidens received him graciously and the one with the golden hair said: "i believe you are the famous wizard of oz, of whom i have often heard. we are seeking glinda, the sorceress, and perhaps you can lead us to her." "i can, and will, right gladly," answered the wizard. "follow me, please." the little wizard was puzzled as to the identity of the three lovely visitors but he gave no sign that might embarrass them. he understood they did not wish to be questioned, and so he made no remarks as he led the way to glinda's tent. with a courtly bow the wizard ushered the three visitors into the gracious presence of glinda, the good. chapter 21 the three adepts the sorceress looked up from her work as the three maidens entered, and something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bow to them in her most dignified manner. the three knelt an instant before the great sorceress and then stood upright and waited for her to speak. "whoever you may be," said glinda, "i bid you welcome." "my name is audah," said one. "my name is aurah," said another. "my name is aujah," said the third. glinda had never heard these names before, but looking closely at the three she asked: "are you witches or workers in magic?" "some of the secret arts we have gleaned from nature," replied the brownhaired maiden modestly, "but we do not place our skill beside that of the great sorceress, glinda the good." "i suppose you are aware it is unlawful to practice magic in the land of oz, without the permission of our ruler, princess ozma?" "no, we were not aware of that," was the reply. "we have heard of ozma, who is the appointed ruler of all this great fairyland, but her laws have not reached us, as yet." glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfully; then she said to them: "princess ozma is even now imprisoned in the skeezer village, for the whole island with its great dome, was sunk to the bottom of the lake by the witchcraft of coo-ee-oh, whom the flathead su-dic transformed into a silly swan. i am seeking some way to overcome coo-ee-oh's magic and raise the isle to the surface again. can you help me do this?" the maidens exchanged glances, and the white-haired one replied "we do not know; but we will try to assist you." "it seems," continued glinda musingly, "that coo-ee-oh derived most of her witchcraft from three adepts at magic, who at one time ruled the flatheads. while the adepts were being entertained by coo-ee-oh at a banquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them and after transforming them into fishes cast them into the lake. "if i could find these three fishes and return them to their natural shapes--they might know what magic coo-ee-oh used to sink the island. i was about to go to the shore and call these fishes to me when you arrived. so, if you will join me, we will try to find them." the maidens exchanged smiles now, and the golden-haired one, audah, said to glinda: "it will not be necessary to go to the lake. we are the three fishes." "indeed!" cried glinda. "then you are the three adepts at magic, restored to your proper forms?" "we are the three adepts," admitted aujah. "then," said glinda, "my task is half accomplished. but who destroyed the transformation that made you fishes?" "we have promised not to tell," answered aurah; "but this young skeezer was largely responsible for our release; he is brave and clever, and we owe him our gratitude." glinda looked at ervic, who stood modestly behind the adepts, hat in hand. "he shall be properly rewarded," she declared, "for in helping you he has helped us all, and perhaps saved his people from being imprisoned forever in the sunken isle." the sorceress now asked her guests to seat themselves and a long talk followed, in which the wizard of oz shared. "we are quite certain," said aurah, "that if we could get inside the dome we could discover coo-ee-oh's secrets, for in all her work, after we became fishes, she used the formulas and incantations and arts that she stole from us. she may have added to these things, but they were the foundation of all her work." "what means do you suggest for our getting into the dome?" inquired glinda. the three adepts hesitated to reply, for they had not yet considered what could be done to reach the inside of the great dome. while they were in deep thought, and glinda and the wizard were quietly awaiting their suggestions, into the tent rushed trot and betsy, dragging between them the patchwork girl. "oh, glinda," cried trot, "scraps has thought of a way to rescue ozma and dorothy and all of the skeezers." the three adepts could not avoid laughing merrily, for not only were they amused by the queer form of the patchwork girl, but trot's enthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. if the great sorceress and the famous wizard and the three talented adepts at magic were unable as yet to solve the important problem of the sunken isle, there was little chance for a patched girl stuffed with cotton to succeed. but glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest faces turned toward her, patted the children's heads and said: "scraps is very clever. tell us what she has thought of, my dear." "well," said trot, "scraps says that if you could dry up all the water in the lake the island would be on dry land, an' everyone could come and go whenever they liked." glinda smiled again, but the wizard said to the girls: "if we should dry up the lake, what would become of all the beautiful fishes that now live in the water?" "dear me! that's so," admitted betsy, crestfallen; "we never thought of that, did we trot?" "couldn't you transform 'em into polliwogs?" asked scraps, turning a somersault and then standing on one leg. "you could give them a little, teeny pond to swim in, and they'd be just as happy as they are as fishes." "no indeed!" replied the wizard, severely. "it is wicked to transform any living creatures without their consent, and the lake is the home of the fishes and belongs to them." "all right," said scraps, making a face at him; "i don't care." "it's too bad," sighed trot, "for i thought we'd struck a splendid idea." "so you did," declared glinda, her face now grave and thoughtful. "there is something in the patchwork girl's idea that may be of real value to us." "i think so, too," agreed the golden-haired adept. "the top of the great dome is only a few feet below the surface of the water. if we could reduce the level of the lake until the dome sticks a little above the water, we could remove some of the glass and let ourselves down into the village by means of ropes." "and there would be plenty of water left for the fishes to swim in," added the white-haired maiden. "if we succeed in raising the island we could fill up the lake again," suggested the brown-haired adept. "i believe," said the wizard, rubbing his hands together in delight, "that the patchwork girl, has shown us the way to success." the girls were looking curiously at the three beautiful adepts, wondering who they were, so glinda introduced them to trot and betsy and scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered how to carry the new idea into effect. not much could be done that night, so the wizard prepared another tent for the adepts, and in the evening glinda held a reception and invited all her followers to meet the new arrivals. the adepts were greatly astonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, and marveled that jack pumpkinhead and the scarecrow and the tin woodman and tik-tok could really live and think and talk just like other people. they were especially pleased with the lively patchwork girl and loved to watch her antics. it was quite a pleasant party, for glinda served some dainty refreshments to those who could eat, and the scarecrow recited some poems, and the cowardly lion sang a song in his deep bass voice. the only thing that marred their joy was the thought that their beloved ozma and dear little dorothy were yet confined in the great dome of the sunken island. chapter 22 the sunken island as soon as they had breakfasted the next morning, glinda and the wizard and the three adepts went down to the shore of the lake and formed a line with their faces toward the submerged island. all the others came to watch them, but stood at a respectful distance in the background. at the right of the sorceress stood audah and aurah, while at the left stood the wizard and aujah. together they stretched their arms over the water's edge and in unison the five chanted a rhythmic incantation. this chant they repeated again and again, swaying their arms gently from side to side, and in a few minutes the watchers behind them noticed that the lake had begun to recede from the shore. before long the highest point of the dome appeared above the water. gradually the water fell, making the dome appear to rise. when it was three or four feet above the surface glinda gave the signal to stop, for their work had been accomplished. the blackened submarine was now entirely out of water, but uncle henry and cap'n bill managed to push it into the lake. glinda, the wizard, ervic and the adepts got into the boat, taking with them a coil of strong rope, and at the command of the sorceress the craft cleaved its way through the water toward the part of the dome which was now visible. "there's still plenty of water for the fish to swim in," observed the wizard as they rode along. "they might like more but i'm sure they can get along until we have raised the island and can fill up the lake again." the boat touched gently on the sloping glass of the dome, and the wizard took some tools from his black bag and quickly removed one large pane of glass, thus making a hole large enough for their bodies to pass through. stout frames of steel supported the glass of the dome, and around one of these frames the wizard tied the end of a rope. "i'll go down first," said he, "for while i'm not as spry as cap'n bill i'm sure i can manage it easily. are you sure the rope is long enough to reach the bottom?" "quite sure," replied the sorceress. so the wizard let down the rope and climbing through the opening lowered himself down, hand over hand, clinging to the rope with his legs and feet. below in the streets of the village were gathered all the skeezers, men, women and children, and you may be sure that ozma and dorothy, with lady aurex, were filled with joy that their friends were at last coming to their rescue. the queen's palace, now occupied by ozma, was directly in the center of the dome, so that when the rope was let down the end of it came just in front of the palace entrance. several skeezers held fast to the rope's end to steady it and the wizard reached the ground in safety. he hugged first ozma and then dorothy, while all the skeezers cheered as loud as they could. the wizard now discovered that the rope was long enough to reach from the top of the dome to the ground when doubled, so he tied a chair to one end of the rope and called to glinda to sit in the chair while he and some of the skeezers lowered her to the pavement. in this way the sorceress reached the ground quite comfortably and the three adepts and ervic soon followed her. the skeezers quickly recognized the three adepts at magic, whom they had learned to respect before their wicked queen betrayed them, and welcomed them as friends. all the inhabitants of the village had been greatly frightened by their imprisonment under water, but now realized that an attempt was to be made to rescue them. glinda, the wizard and the adepts followed ozma and dorothy into the palace, and they asked lady aurex and ervic to join them. after ozma had told of her adventures in trying to prevent war between the flatheads and the skeezers, and glinda had told all about the rescue expedition and the restoration of the three adepts by the help of ervic, a serious consultation was held as to how the island could be made to rise. "i've tried every way in my power," said ozma, "but coo-ee-oh used a very unusual sort of magic which i do not understand. she seems to have prepared her witchcraft in such a way that a spoken word is necessary to accomplish her designs, and these spoken words are known only to herself." "that is a method we taught her," declared aurah the adept. "i can do no more, glinda," continued ozma, "so i wish you would try what your sorcery can accomplish." "first, then," said glinda, "let us visit the basement of the island, which i am told is underneath the village." a flight of marble stairs led from one of coo-ee-oh's private rooms down to the basement, but when the party arrived all were puzzled by what they saw. in the center of a broad, low room, stood a mass of great cog-wheels, chains and pulleys, all interlocked and seeming to form a huge machine; but there was no engine or other motive power to make the wheels turn. "this, i suppose, is the means by which the island is lowered or raised," said ozma, "but the magic word which is needed to move the machinery is unknown to us." the three adepts were carefully examining the mass of wheels, and soon the golden-haired one said: "these wheels do not control the island at all. on the contrary, one set of them is used to open the doors of the little rooms where the submarines are kept, as may be seen from the chains and pulleys used. each boat is kept in a little room with two doors, one to the basement room where we are now and the other letting into the lake. "when coo-ee-oh used the boat in which she attacked the flatheads, she first commanded the basement door to open and with her followers she got into the boat and made the top close over them. then the basement door being closed, the outer door was slowly opened, letting the water fill the room to float the boat, which then left the island, keeping under water." "but how could she expect to get back again?" asked the wizard. "why the boat would enter the room filled with water and after the outer door was closed a word of command started a pump which pumped all the water from the room. then the boat would open and coo-ee-oh could enter the basement." "i see," said the wizard. "it is a clever contrivance, but won't work unless one knows the magic words." "another part of this machinery," explained the white-haired adept, "is used to extend the bridge from the island to the mainland. the steel bridge is in a room much like that in which the boats are kept, and at coo-ee-oh's command it would reach out, joint by joint, until its far end touched the shore of the lake. the same magic command would make the bridge return to its former position. of course the bridge could not be used unless the island was on the surface of the water." "but how do you suppose coo-ee-oh managed to sink the island, and make it rise again?" inquired glinda. this the adepts could not yet explain. as nothing more could be learned from the basement they mounted the steps to the queen's private suite again, and ozma showed them to a special room where coo-ee-oh kept her magical instruments and performed all her arts of witchcraft. chapter 23 the magic words many interesting things were to be seen in the room of magic, including much that had been stolen from the adepts when they were transformed to fishes, but they had to admit that coo-ee-oh had a rare genius for mechanics, and had used her knowledge in inventing a lot of mechanical apparatus that ordinary witches, wizards and sorcerers could not understand. they all carefully inspected this room, taking care to examine every article they came across. "the island," said glinda thoughtfully, "rests on a base of solid marble. when it is submerged, as it is now, the base of the island is upon the bottom of the lake. what puzzles me is how such a great weight can be lifted and suspended in the water, even by magic." "i now remember," returned aujah, "that one of the arts we taught coo-ee-oh was the way to expand steel, and i think that explains how the island is raised and lowered. i noticed in the basement a big steel pillar that passed through the floor and extended upward to this palace. perhaps the end of it is concealed in this very room. if the lower end of the steel pillar is firmly embedded in the bottom of the lake, coo-ee-oh could utter a magic word that would make the pillar expand, and so lift the entire island to the level of the water." "i've found the end of the steel pillar. it's just here," announced the wizard, pointing to one side of the room where a great basin of polished steel seemed to have been set upon the floor. they all gathered around, and ozma said: "yes, i am quite sure that is the upper end of the pillar that supports the island. i noticed it when i first came here. it has been hollowed out, you see, and something has been burned in the basin, for the fire has left its marks. i wondered what was under the great basin and got several of the skeezers to come up here and try to lift it for me. they were strong men, but could not move it at all." "it seems to me," said audah the adept, "that we have discovered the manner in which coo-ee-oh raised the island. she would burn some sort of magic powder in the basin, utter the magic word, and the pillar would lengthen out and lift the island with it." "what's this?" asked dorothy, who had been searching around with the others, and now noticed a slight hollow in the wall, near to where the steel basin stood. as she spoke dorothy pushed her thumb into the hollow and instantly a small drawer popped out from the wall. the three adepts, glinda and the wizard sprang forward and peered into the drawer. it was half filled with a grayish powder, the tiny grains of which constantly moved as if impelled by some living force. "it may be some kind of radium," said the wizard. "no," replied glinda, "it is more wonderful than even radium, for i recognize it as a rare mineral powder called gaulau by the sorcerers. i wonder how coo-ee-oh discovered it and where she obtained it." "there is no doubt," said aujah the adept, "that this is the magic powder coo-ee-oh burned in the basin. if only we knew the magic word, i am quite sure we could raise the island." "how can we discover the magic word?" asked ozma, turning to glinda as she spoke. "that we must now seriously consider," answered the sorceress. so all of them sat down in the room of magic and began to think. it was so still that after a while dorothy grew nervous. the little girl never could keep silent for long, and at the risk of displeasing her magic-working friends she suddenly said: "well, coo-ee-oh used just three magic words, one to make the bridge work, and one to make the submarines go out of their holes, and one to raise and lower the island. three words. and coo-ee-oh's name is made up of just three words. one is 'coo,' and one is 'ee,' and one is 'oh.'" the wizard frowned but glinda looked wonderingly at the young girl and ozma cried out: "a good thought, dorothy dear! you may have solved our problem." "i believe it is worth a trial," agreed glinda. "it would be quite natural for coo-ee-oh to divide her name into three magic syllables, and dorothy's suggestion seems like an inspiration." the three adepts also approved the trial but the brown-haired one said: "we must be careful not to use the wrong word, and send the bridge out under water. the main thing, if dorothy's idea is correct, is to hit upon the one word that moves the island." "let us experiment," suggested the wizard. in the drawer with the moving gray powder was a tiny golden cup, which they thought was used for measuring. glinda filled this cup with the powder and carefully poured it into the shallow basin, which was the top of the great steel pillar supporting the island. then aurah the adept lighted a taper and touched it to the powder, which instantly glowed fiery red and tumbled about the basin with astonishing energy. while the grains of powder still glowed red the sorceress bent over it and said in a voice of command: "coo!" they waited motionless to see what would happen. there was a grating noise and a whirl of machinery, but the island did not move a particle. dorothy rushed to the window, which overlooked the glass side of the dome. "the boats!" she exclaimed. "the boats are all loose an' sailing under water." "we've made a mistake," said the wizard gloomily. "but it's one which shows we are on the right track," declared aujah the adept. "we know now that coo-ee-oh used the syllables of her name for the magic words." "if 'coo' sends out the boats, it is probable that 'ee' works the bridge," suggested ozma. "so the last part of the name may raise the island." "let us try that next then," proposed the wizard. he scraped the embers of the burned powder out of the basin and glinda again filled the golden cup from the drawer and placed it on top the steel pillar. aurah lighted it with her taper and ozma bent over the basin and murmured the long drawn syllable: "oh-h-h!" instantly the island trembled and with a weird groaning noise it moved upward--slowly, very slowly, but with a steady motion, while all the company stood by in awed silence. it was a wonderful thing, even to those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry and sorcery, to realize that a single word could raise that great, heavy island, with its immense glass dome. "why, we're way _above_ the lake now!" exclaimed dorothy from the window, when at last the island ceased to move. "that is because we lowered the level of the water," explained glinda. they could hear the skeezers cheering lustily in the streets of the village as they realized that they were saved. "come," said ozma eagerly, "let us go down and join the people." "not just yet," returned glinda, a happy smile upon her lovely face, for she was overjoyed at their success. "first let us extend the bridge to the mainland, where our friends from the emerald city are waiting." it didn't take long to put more powder in the basin, light it and utter the syllable "ee!" the result was that a door in the basement opened and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself joint by joint, and finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake just in front of the encampment. "now," said glinda, "we can go up and receive the congratulations of the skeezers and of our friends of the rescue expedition." across the water, on the shore of the lake, the patchwork girl was waving them a welcome. chapter 24 glinda's triumph of course all those who had joined glinda's expedition at once crossed the bridge to the island, where they were warmly welcomed by the skeezers. before all the concourse of people princess ozma made a speech from a porch of the palace and demanded that they recognize her as their lawful ruler and promise to obey the laws of the land of oz. in return she agreed to protect them from all future harm and declared they would no longer be subjected to cruelty and abuse. this pleased the skeezers greatly, and when ozma told them they might elect a queen to rule over them, who in turn would be subject to ozma of oz, they voted for lady aurex, and that same day the ceremony of crowning the new queen was held and aurex was installed as mistress of the palace. for her prime minister the queen selected ervic, for the three adepts had told of his good judgment, faithfulness and cleverness, and all the skeezers approved the appointment. glinda, the wizard and the adepts stood on the bridge and recited an incantation that quite filled the lake with water again, and the scarecrow and the patchwork girl climbed to the top of the great dome and replaced the pane of glass that had been removed to allow glinda and her followers to enter. when evening came ozma ordered a great feast prepared, to which every skeezer was invited. the village was beautifully decorated and brilliantly lighted and there was music and dancing until a late hour to celebrate the liberation of the people. for the skeezers had been freed, not only from the water of the lake but from the cruelty of their former queen. as the people from the emerald city prepared the next morning to depart queen aurex said to ozma: "there is only one thing i now fear for my people, and that is the enmity of the terrible su-dic of the flatheads. he is liable to come here at any time and try to annoy us, and my skeezers are peaceful folks and unable to fight the wild and wilful flatheads." "do not worry," returned ozma, reassuringly. "we intend to stop on our way at the flatheads' enchanted mountain and punish the su-dic for his misdeeds." that satisfied aurex and when ozma and her followers trooped over the bridge to the shore, having taken leave of their friends, all the skeezers cheered them and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, and the band played and the departure was indeed a ceremony long to be remembered. the three adepts at magic, who had formerly ruled the flatheads wisely and considerately, went with princess ozma and her people, for they had promised ozma to stay on the mountain and again see that the laws were enforced. glinda had been told all about the curious flatheads and she had consulted with the wizard and formed a plan to render them more intelligent and agreeable. when the party reached the mountain ozma and dorothy showed them how to pass around the invisible wall--which had been built by the flatheads after the adepts were transformed--and how to gain the up-and-down stairway that led to the mountain top. the su-dic had watched the approach of the party from the edge of the mountain and was frightened when he saw that the three adepts had recovered their natural forms and were coming back to their former home. he realized that his power would soon be gone and yet he determined to fight to the last. he called all the flatheads together and armed them, and told them to arrest all who came up the stairway and hurl them over the edge of the mountain to the plain below. but although they feared the supreme dictator, who had threatened to punish them if they did not obey his commands, as soon as they saw the three adepts they threw down their arms and begged their former rulers to protect them. the three adepts assured the excited flatheads that they had nothing to fear. seeing that his people had rebelled the su-dic ran away and tried to hide, but the adepts found him and had him cast into a prison, all his cans of brains being taken away from him. after this easy conquest of the su-dic, glinda told the adepts of her plan, which had already been approved by ozma of oz, and they joyfully agreed to it. so, during the next few days, the great sorceress transformed, in a way, every flathead on the mountain. taking them one at a time, she had the can of brains that belonged to each one opened and the contents spread on the flat head, after which, by means of her arts of sorcery, she caused the head to grow over the brains--in the manner most people wear them--and they were thus rendered as intelligent and good looking as any of the other inhabitants of the land of oz. when all had been treated in this manner there were no more flatheads at all, and the adepts decided to name their people mountaineers. one good result of glinda's sorcery was that no one could now be deprived of the brains that belonged to him and each person had exactly the share he was entitled to. even the su-dic was given his portion of brains and his flat head made round, like the others, but he was deprived of all power to work further mischief, and with the adepts constantly watching him he would be forced to become obedient and humble. the golden pig, which ran grunting about the streets, with no brains at all, was disenchanted by glinda, and in her woman's form was given brains and a round head. this wife of the su-dic had once been even more wicked than her evil husband, but she had now forgotten all her wickedness and was likely to be a good woman thereafter. these things being accomplished in a satisfactory manner, princess ozma and her people bade farewell to the three adepts and departed for the emerald city, well pleased with their interesting adventures. they returned by the road over which ozma and dorothy had come, stopping to get the sawhorse and the red wagon where they had left them. "i'm very glad i went to see these peoples," said princess ozma, "for i not only prevented any further warfare between them, but they have been freed from the rule of the su-dic and coo-ee-oh and are now happy and loyal subjects of the land of oz. which proves that it is always wise to do one's duty, however unpleasant that duty may seem to be." transcriber's note archaic and inconsistent spelling, punctuation, and syntax retained. the road to oz in which is related how dorothy gale of kansas, the shaggy man, button bright, and polychrome the rainbow's daughter met on an enchanted road and followed it all the way to the marvelous land of oz. by l. frank baum "royal historian of oz" contents --to my readers- 1. the way to butterfield 2. dorothy meets button-bright 3. a queer village 4. king dox 5. the rainbow's daughter 6. the city of beasts 7. the shaggy man's transformation 8. the musicker 9. facing the scoodlers 10. escaping the soup-kettle 11. johnny dooit does it 12. the deadly desert crossed 13. the truth pond 14. tik-tok and billina 15. the emperor's tin castle 16. visiting the pumpkin-field 17. the royal chariot arrives 18. the emerald city 19. the shaggy man's welcome 20. princess ozma of oz 21. dorothy receives the guests 22. important arrivals 23. the grand banquet 24. the birthday celebration to my readers well, my dears, here is what you have asked for: another "oz book" about dorothy's strange adventures. toto is in this story, because you wanted him to be there, and many other characters which you will recognize are in the story, too. indeed, the wishes of my little correspondents have been considered as carefully as possible, and if the story is not exactly as you would have written it yourselves, you must remember that a story has to be a story before it can be written down, and the writer cannot change it much without spoiling it. in the preface to "dorothy and the wizard of oz" i said i would like to write some stories that were not "oz" stories, because i thought i had written about oz long enough; but since that volume was published i have been fairly deluged with letters from children imploring me to "write more about dorothy," and "more about oz," and since i write only to please the children i shall try to respect their wishes. there are some new characters in this book that ought to win your love. i'm very fond of the shaggy man myself, and i think you will like him, too. as for polychrome--the rainbow's daughter--and stupid little button-bright, they seem to have brought a new element of fun into these oz stories, and i am glad i discovered them. yet i am anxious to have you write and tell me how you like them. since this book was written i have received some very remarkable news from the land of oz, which has greatly astonished me. i believe it will astonish you, too, my dears, when you hear it. but it is such a long and exciting story that it must be saved for another book--and perhaps that book will be the last story that will ever be told about the land of oz. l. frank baum coronado, 1909. 1. the way to butterfield "please, miss," said the shaggy man, "can you tell me the road to butterfield?" dorothy looked him over. yes, he was shaggy, all right, but there was a twinkle in his eye that seemed pleasant. "oh yes," she replied; "i can tell you. but it isn't this road at all." "no?" "you cross the ten-acre lot, follow the lane to the highway, go north to the five branches, and take--let me see--" "to be sure, miss; see as far as butterfield, if you like," said the shaggy man. "you take the branch next the willow stump, i b'lieve; or else the branch by the gopher holes; or else--" "won't any of 'em do, miss?" "'course not, shaggy man. you must take the right road to get to butterfield." "and is that the one by the gopher stump, or--" "dear me!" cried dorothy. "i shall have to show you the way, you're so stupid. wait a minute till i run in the house and get my sunbonnet." the shaggy man waited. he had an oat-straw in his mouth, which he chewed slowly as if it tasted good; but it didn't. there was an apple-tree beside the house, and some apples had fallen to the ground. the shaggy man thought they would taste better than the oat-straw, so he walked over to get some. a little black dog with bright brown eyes dashed out of the farm-house and ran madly toward the shaggy man, who had already picked up three apples and put them in one of the big wide pockets of his shaggy coat. the little dog barked and made a dive for the shaggy man's leg; but he grabbed the dog by the neck and put it in his big pocket along with the apples. he took more apples, afterward, for many were on the ground; and each one that he tossed into his pocket hit the little dog somewhere upon the head or back, and made him growl. the little dog's name was toto, and he was sorry he had been put in the shaggy man's pocket. pretty soon dorothy came out of the house with her sunbonnet, and she called out: "come on, shaggy man, if you want me to show you the road to butterfield." she climbed the fence into the ten-acre lot and he followed her, walking slowly and stumbling over the little hillocks in the pasture as if he was thinking of something else and did not notice them. "my, but you're clumsy!" said the little girl. "are your feet tired?" "no, miss; it's my whiskers; they tire very easily in this warm weather," said he. "i wish it would snow, don't you?" "'course not, shaggy man," replied dorothy, giving him a severe look. "if it snowed in august it would spoil the corn and the oats and the wheat; and then uncle henry wouldn't have any crops; and that would make him poor; and--" "never mind," said the shaggy man. "it won't snow, i guess. is this the lane?" "yes," replied dorothy, climbing another fence; "i'll go as far as the highway with you." "thankee, miss; you're very kind for your size, i'm sure," said he gratefully. "it isn't everyone who knows the road to butterfield," dorothy remarked as she tripped along the lane; "but i've driven there many a time with uncle henry, and so i b'lieve i could find it blindfolded." "don't do that, miss," said the shaggy man earnestly; "you might make a mistake." "i won't," she answered, laughing. "here's the highway. now it's the second--no, the third turn to the left--or else it's the fourth. let's see. the first one is by the elm tree, and the second is by the gopher holes; and then--" "then what?" he inquired, putting his hands in his coat pockets. toto grabbed a finger and bit it; the shaggy man took his hand out of that pocket quickly, and said "oh!" dorothy did not notice. she was shading her eyes from the sun with her arm, looking anxiously down the road. "come on," she commanded. "it's only a little way farther, so i may as well show you." after a while, they came to the place where five roads branched in different directions; dorothy pointed to one, and said: "that's it, shaggy man." "i'm much obliged, miss," he said, and started along another road. "not that one!" she cried; "you're going wrong." he stopped. "i thought you said that other was the road to butterfield," said he, running his fingers through his shaggy whiskers in a puzzled way. "so it is." "but i don't want to go to butterfield, miss." "you don't?" "of course not. i wanted you to show me the road, so i shouldn't go there by mistake." "oh! where do you want to go, then?" "i'm not particular, miss." this answer astonished the little girl; and it made her provoked, too, to think she had taken all this trouble for nothing. "there are a good many roads here," observed the shaggy man, turning slowly around, like a human windmill. "seems to me a person could go 'most anywhere, from this place." dorothy turned around too, and gazed in surprise. there were a good many roads; more than she had ever seen before. she tried to count them, knowing there ought to be five, but when she had counted seventeen she grew bewildered and stopped, for the roads were as many as the spokes of a wheel and ran in every direction from the place where they stood; so if she kept on counting she was likely to count some of the roads twice. "dear me!" she exclaimed. "there used to be only five roads, highway and all. and now--why, where's the highway, shaggy man?" "can't say, miss," he responded, sitting down upon the ground as if tired with standing. "wasn't it here a minute ago?" "i thought so," she answered, greatly perplexed. "and i saw the gopher holes, too, and the dead stump; but they're not here now. these roads are all strange--and what a lot of them there are! where do you suppose they all go to?" "roads," observed the shaggy man, "don't go anywhere. they stay in one place, so folks can walk on them." he put his hand in his side-pocket and drew out an apple--quick, before toto could bite him again. the little dog got his head out this time and said "bow-wow!" so loudly that it made dorothy jump. "o, toto!" she cried; "where did you come from?" "i brought him along," said the shaggy man. "what for?" she asked. "to guard these apples in my pocket, miss, so no one would steal them." with one hand the shaggy man held the apple, which he began eating, while with the other hand he pulled toto out of his pocket and dropped him to the ground. of course toto made for dorothy at once, barking joyfully at his release from the dark pocket. when the child had patted his head lovingly, he sat down before her, his red tongue hanging out one side of his mouth, and looked up into her face with his bright brown eyes, as if asking her what they should do next. dorothy didn't know. she looked around her anxiously for some familiar landmark; but everything was strange. between the branches of the many roads were green meadows and a few shrubs and trees, but she couldn't see anywhere the farm-house from which she had just come, or anything she had ever seen before--except the shaggy man and toto. besides this, she had turned around and around so many times trying to find out where she was, that now she couldn't even tell which direction the farm-house ought to be in; and this began to worry her and make her feel anxious. "i'm 'fraid, shaggy man," she said, with a sigh, "that we're lost!" "that's nothing to be afraid of," he replied, throwing away the core of his apple and beginning to eat another one. "each of these roads must lead somewhere, or it wouldn't be here. so what does it matter?" "i want to go home again," she said. "well, why don't you?" said he. "i don't know which road to take." "that is too bad," he said, shaking his shaggy head gravely. "i wish i could help you; but i can't. i'm a stranger in these parts." "seems as if i were, too," she said, sitting down beside him. "it's funny. a few minutes ago i was home, and i just came to show you the way to butterfield--" "so i shouldn't make a mistake and go there--" "and now i'm lost myself and don't know how to get home!" "have an apple," suggested the shaggy man, handing her one with pretty red cheeks. "i'm not hungry," said dorothy, pushing it away. "but you may be, to-morrow; then you'll be sorry you didn't eat the apple," said he. "if i am, i'll eat the apple then," promised dorothy. "perhaps there won't be any apple then," he returned, beginning to eat the red-cheeked one himself. "dogs sometimes can find their way home better than people," he went on; "perhaps your dog can lead you back to the farm." "will you, toto?" asked dorothy. toto wagged his tail vigorously. "all right," said the girl; "let's go home." toto looked around a minute and dashed up one of the roads. "good-bye, shaggy man," called dorothy, and ran after toto. the little dog pranced briskly along for some distance; when he turned around and looked at his mistress questioningly. "oh, don't 'spect me to tell you anything; i don't know the way," she said. "you'll have to find it yourself." but toto couldn't. he wagged his tail, and sneezed, and shook his ears, and trotted back where they had left the shaggy man. from here he started along another road; then came back and tried another; but each time he found the way strange and decided it would not take them to the farm-house. finally, when dorothy had begun to tire with chasing after him, toto sat down panting beside the shaggy man and gave up. dorothy sat down, too, very thoughtful. the little girl had encountered some queer adventures since she came to live at the farm; but this was the queerest of them all. to get lost in fifteen minutes, so near to her home and in the unromantic state of kansas, was an experience that fairly bewildered her. "will your folks worry?" asked the shaggy man, his eyes twinkling in a pleasant way. "i s'pose so," answered dorothy with a sigh. "uncle henry says there's always something happening to me; but i've always come home safe at the last. so perhaps he'll take comfort and think i'll come home safe this time." "i'm sure you will," said the shaggy man, smilingly nodding at her. "good little girls never come to any harm, you know. for my part, i'm good, too; so nothing ever hurts me." dorothy looked at him curiously. his clothes were shaggy, his boots were shaggy and full of holes, and his hair and whiskers were shaggy. but his smile was sweet and his eyes were kind. "why didn't you want to go to butterfield?" she asked. "because a man lives there who owes me fifteen cents, and if i went to butterfield and he saw me he'd want to pay me the money. i don't want money, my dear." "why not?" she inquired. "money," declared the shaggy man, "makes people proud and haughty. i don't want to be proud and haughty. all i want is to have people love me; and as long as i own the love magnet, everyone i meet is sure to love me dearly." "the love magnet! why, what's that?" "i'll show you, if you won't tell any one," he answered, in a low, mysterious voice. "there isn't any one to tell, 'cept toto," said the girl. the shaggy man searched in one pocket, carefully; and in another pocket; and in a third. at last he drew out a small parcel wrapped in crumpled paper and tied with a cotton string. he unwound the string, opened the parcel, and took out a bit of metal shaped like a horseshoe. it was dull and brown, and not very pretty. "this, my dear," said he, impressively, "is the wonderful love magnet. it was given me by an eskimo in the sandwich islands--where there are no sandwiches at all--and as long as i carry it every living thing i meet will love me dearly." "why didn't the eskimo keep it?" she asked, looking at the magnet with interest. "he got tired of being loved and longed for some one to hate him. so he gave me the magnet and the very next day a grizzly bear ate him." "wasn't he sorry then?" she inquired. "he didn't say," replied the shaggy man, wrapping and tying the love magnet with great care and putting it away in another pocket. "but the bear didn't seem sorry a bit," he added. "did you know the bear?" asked dorothy. "yes; we used to play ball together in the caviar islands. the bear loved me because i had the love magnet. i couldn't blame him for eating the eskimo, because it was his nature to do so." "once," said dorothy, "i knew a hungry tiger who longed to eat fat babies, because it was his nature to; but he never ate any because he had a conscience." "this bear," replied the shaggy man, with a sigh, "had no conscience, you see." the shaggy man sat silent for several minutes, apparently considering the cases of the bear and the tiger, while toto watched him with an air of great interest. the little dog was doubtless thinking of his ride in the shaggy man's pocket and planning to keep out of reach in the future. at last the shaggy man turned and inquired, "what's your name, little girl?" "my name's dorothy," said she, jumping up again, "but what are we going to do? we can't stay here forever, you know." "let's take the seventh road," he suggested. "seven is a lucky number for little girls named dorothy." "the seventh from where?" "from where you begin to count." so she counted seven roads, and the seventh looked just like all the others; but the shaggy man got up from the ground where he had been sitting and started down this road as if sure it was the best way to go; and dorothy and toto followed him. 2. dorothy meets button-bright the seventh road was a good road, and curved this way and that--winding through green meadows and fields covered with daisies and buttercups and past groups of shady trees. there were no houses of any sort to be seen, and for some distance they met with no living creature at all. dorothy began to fear they were getting a good way from the farm-house, since here everything was strange to her; but it would do no good at all to go back where the other roads all met, because the next one they chose might lead her just as far from home. she kept on beside the shaggy man, who whistled cheerful tunes to beguile the journey, until by and by they followed a turn in the road and saw before them a big chestnut tree making a shady spot over the highway. in the shade sat a little boy dressed in sailor clothes, who was digging a hole in the earth with a bit of wood. he must have been digging some time, because the hole was already big enough to drop a football into. dorothy and toto and the shaggy man came to a halt before the little boy, who kept on digging in a sober and persistent fashion. "who are you?" asked the girl. he looked up at her calmly. his face was round and chubby and his eyes were big, blue and earnest. "i'm button-bright," said he. "but what's your real name?" she inquired. "button-bright." "that isn't a really-truly name!" she exclaimed. "isn't it?" he asked, still digging. "'course not. it's just a--a thing to call you by. you must have a name." "must i?" "to be sure. what does your mama call you?" he paused in his digging and tried to think. "papa always said i was bright as a button; so mama always called me button-bright," he said. "what is your papa's name?" "just papa." "what else?" "don't know." "never mind," said the shaggy man, smiling. "we'll call the boy button-bright, as his mama does. that name is as good as any, and better than some." dorothy watched the boy dig. "where do you live?" she asked. "don't know," was the reply. "how did you come here?" "don't know," he said again. "don't you know where you came from?" "no," said he. "why, he must be lost," she said to the shaggy man. she turned to the boy once more. "what are you going to do?" she inquired. "dig," said he. "but you can't dig forever; and what are you going to do then?" she persisted. "don't know," said the boy. "but you must know something," declared dorothy, getting provoked. "must i?" he asked, looking up in surprise. "of course you must." "what must i know?" "what's going to become of you, for one thing," she answered. "do you know what's going to become of me?" he asked. "not--not 'zactly," she admitted. "do you know what's going to become of you?" he continued, earnestly. "i can't say i do," replied dorothy, remembering her present difficulties. the shaggy man laughed. "no one knows everything, dorothy," he said. "but button-bright doesn't seem to know anything," she declared. "do you, button-bright?" he shook his head, which had pretty curls all over it, and replied with perfect calmness: "don't know." never before had dorothy met with anyone who could give her so little information. the boy was evidently lost, and his people would be sure to worry about him. he seemed two or three years younger than dorothy, and was prettily dressed, as if someone loved him dearly and took much pains to make him look well. how, then, did he come to be in this lonely road? she wondered. near button-bright, on the ground, lay a sailor hat with a gilt anchor on the band. his sailor trousers were long and wide at the bottom, and the broad collar of his blouse had gold anchors sewed on its corners. the boy was still digging at his hole. "have you ever been to sea?" asked dorothy. "to see what?" answered button-bright. "i mean, have you ever been where there's water?" "yes," said button-bright; "there's a well in our back yard." "you don't understand," cried dorothy. "i mean, have you ever been on a big ship floating on a big ocean?" "don't know," said he. "then why do you wear sailor clothes?" "don't know," he answered, again. dorothy was in despair. "you're just awful stupid, button-bright," she said. "am i?" he asked. "yes, you are." "why?" looking up at her with big eyes. she was going to say: "don't know," but stopped herself in time. "that's for you to answer," she replied. "it's no use asking button-bright questions," said the shaggy man, who had been eating another apple; "but someone ought to take care of the poor little chap, don't you think? so he'd better come along with us." toto had been looking with great curiosity in the hole which the boy was digging, and growing more and more excited every minute, perhaps thinking that button-bright was after some wild animal. the little dog began barking loudly and jumped into the hole himself, where he began to dig with his tiny paws, making the earth fly in all directions. it spattered over the boy. dorothy seized him and raised him to his feet, brushing his clothes with her hand. "stop that, toto!" she called. "there aren't any mice or woodchucks in that hole, so don't be foolish." toto stopped, sniffed at the hole suspiciously, and jumped out of it, wagging his tail as if he had done something important. "well," said the shaggy man, "let's start on, or we won't get anywhere before night comes." "where do you expect to get to?" asked dorothy. "i'm like button-bright. i don't know," answered the shaggy man, with a laugh. "but i've learned from long experience that every road leads somewhere, or there wouldn't be any road; so it's likely that if we travel long enough, my dear, we will come to some place or another in the end. what place it will be we can't even guess at this moment, but we're sure to find out when we get there." "why, yes," said dorothy; "that seems reas'n'ble, shaggy man." 3. a queer village button-bright took the shaggy man's hand willingly; for the shaggy man had the love magnet, you know, which was the reason button-bright had loved him at once. they started on, with dorothy on one side, and toto on the other, the little party trudging along more cheerfully than you might have supposed. the girl was getting used to queer adventures, which interested her very much. wherever dorothy went toto was sure to go, like mary's little lamb. button-bright didn't seem a bit afraid or worried because he was lost, and the shaggy man had no home, perhaps, and was as happy in one place as in another. before long they saw ahead of them a fine big arch spanning the road, and when they came nearer they found that the arch was beautifully carved and decorated with rich colors. a row of peacocks with spread tails ran along the top of it, and all the feathers were gorgeously painted. in the center was a large fox's head, and the fox wore a shrewd and knowing expression and had large spectacles over its eyes and a small golden crown with shiny points on top of its head. while the travelers were looking with curiosity at this beautiful arch there suddenly marched out of it a company of soldiers--only the soldiers were all foxes dressed in uniforms. they wore green jackets and yellow pantaloons, and their little round caps and their high boots were a bright red color. also, there was a big red bow tied about the middle of each long, bushy tail. each soldier was armed with a wooden sword having an edge of sharp teeth set in a row, and the sight of these teeth at first caused dorothy to shudder. a captain marched in front of the company of fox-soldiers, his uniform embroidered with gold braid to make it handsomer than the others. almost before our friends realized it the soldiers had surrounded them on all sides, and the captain was calling out in a harsh voice: "surrender! you are our prisoners." "what's a pris'ner?" asked button-bright. "a prisoner is a captive," replied the fox-captain, strutting up and down with much dignity. "what's a captive?" asked button-bright. "you're one," said the captain. that made the shaggy man laugh "good afternoon, captain," he said, bowing politely to all the foxes and very low to their commander. "i trust you are in good health, and that your families are all well?" the fox-captain looked at the shaggy man, and his sharp features grew pleasant and smiling. "we're pretty well, thank you, shaggy man," said he; and dorothy knew that the love magnet was working and that all the foxes now loved the shaggy man because of it. but toto didn't know this, for he began barking angrily and tried to bite the captain's hairy leg where it showed between his red boots and his yellow pantaloons. "stop, toto!" cried the little girl, seizing the dog in her arms. "these are our friends." "why, so we are!" remarked the captain in tones of astonishment. "i thought at first we were enemies, but it seems you are friends instead. you must come with me to see king dox." "who's he?" asked button-bright, with earnest eyes. "king dox of foxville; the great and wise sovereign who rules over our community." "what's sov'rin, and what's c'u'nity?" inquired button-bright. "don't ask so many questions, little boy." "why?" "ah, why indeed?" exclaimed the captain, looking at button-bright admiringly. "if you don't ask questions you will learn nothing. true enough. i was wrong. you're a very clever little boy, come to think of it--very clever indeed. but now, friends, please come with me, for it is my duty to escort you at once to the royal palace." the soldiers marched back through the arch again, and with them marched the shaggy man, dorothy, toto, and button-bright. once through the opening they found a fine, big city spread out before them, all the houses of carved marble in beautiful colors. the decorations were mostly birds and other fowl, such as peacocks, pheasants, turkeys, prairie-chickens, ducks, and geese. over each doorway was carved a head representing the fox who lived in that house, this effect being quite pretty and unusual. as our friends marched along, some of the foxes came out on the porches and balconies to get a view of the strangers. these foxes were all handsomely dressed, the girl-foxes and women-foxes wearing gowns of feathers woven together effectively and colored in bright hues which dorothy thought were quite artistic and decidedly attractive. button-bright stared until his eyes were big and round, and he would have stumbled and fallen more than once had not the shaggy man grasped his hand tightly. they were all interested, and toto was so excited he wanted to bark every minute and to chase and fight every fox he caught sight of; but dorothy held his little wiggling body fast in her arms and commanded him to be good and behave himself. so he finally quieted down, like a wise doggy, deciding there were too many foxes in foxville to fight at one time. by-and-by they came to a big square, and in the center of the square stood the royal palace. dorothy knew it at once because it had over its great door the carved head of a fox just like the one she had seen on the arch, and this fox was the only one who wore a golden crown. there were many fox-soldiers guarding the door, but they bowed to the captain and admitted him without question. the captain led them through many rooms, where richly dressed foxes were sitting on beautiful chairs or sipping tea, which was being passed around by fox-servants in white aprons. they came to a big doorway covered with heavy curtains of cloth of gold. beside this doorway stood a huge drum. the fox-captain went to this drum and knocked his knees against it--first one knee and then the other--so that the drum said: "boom-boom." "you must all do exactly what i do," ordered the captain; so the shaggy man pounded the drum with his knees, and so did dorothy and so did button-bright. the boy wanted to keep on pounding it with his little fat knees, because he liked the sound of it; but the captain stopped him. toto couldn't pound the drum with his knees and he didn't know enough to wag his tail against it, so dorothy pounded the drum for him and that made him bark, and when the little dog barked the fox-captain scowled. the golden curtains drew back far enough to make an opening, through which marched the captain with the others. the broad, long room they entered was decorated in gold with stained-glass windows of splendid colors. in the corner of the room upon a richly carved golden throne, sat the fox-king, surrounded by a group of other foxes, all of whom wore great spectacles over their eyes, making them look solemn and important. dorothy knew the king at once, because she had seen his head carved on the arch and over the doorway of the palace. having met with several other kings in her travels, she knew what to do, and at once made a low bow before the throne. the shaggy man bowed, too, and button-bright bobbed his head and said "hello." "most wise and noble potentate of foxville," said the captain, addressing the king in a pompous voice, "i humbly beg to report that i found these strangers on the road leading to your foxy majesty's dominions, and have therefore brought them before you, as is my duty." "so--so," said the king, looking at them keenly. "what brought you here, strangers?" "our legs, may it please your royal hairiness," replied the shaggy man. "what is your business here?" was the next question. "to get away as soon as possible," said the shaggy man. the king didn't know about the magnet, of course; but it made him love the shaggy man at once. "do just as you please about going away," he said; "but i'd like to show you the sights of my city and to entertain your party while you are here. we feel highly honored to have little dorothy with us, i assure you, and we appreciate her kindness in making us a visit. for whatever country dorothy visits is sure to become famous." this speech greatly surprised the little girl, who asked: "how did your majesty know my name?" "why, everybody knows you, my dear," said the fox-king. "don't you realize that? you are quite an important personage since princess ozma of oz made you her friend." "do you know ozma?" she asked, wondering. "i regret to say that i do not," he answered, sadly; "but i hope to meet her soon. you know the princess ozma is to celebrate her birthday on the twenty-first of this month." "is she?" said dorothy. "i didn't know that." "yes; it is to be the most brilliant royal ceremony ever held in any city in fairyland, and i hope you will try to get me an invitation." dorothy thought a moment. "i'm sure ozma would invite you if i asked her," she said; "but how could you get to the land of oz and the emerald city? it's a good way from kansas." "kansas!" he exclaimed, surprised. "why, yes; we are in kansas now, aren't we?" she returned. "what a queer notion!" cried the fox-king, beginning to laugh. "whatever made you think this is kansas?" "i left uncle henry's farm only about two hours ago; that's the reason," she said, rather perplexed. "but, tell me, my dear, did you ever see so wonderful a city as foxville in kansas?" he questioned. "no, your majesty." "and haven't you traveled from oz to kansas in less than half a jiffy, by means of the silver shoes and the magic belt?" "yes, your majesty," she acknowledged. "then why do you wonder that an hour or two could bring you to foxville, which is nearer to oz than it is to kansas?" "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy; "is this another fairy adventure?" "it seems to be," said the fox-king, smiling. dorothy turned to the shaggy man, and her face was grave and reproachful. "are you a magician? or a fairy in disguise?" she asked. "did you enchant me when you asked the way to butterfield?" the shaggy man shook his head. "who ever heard of a shaggy fairy?" he replied. "no, dorothy, my dear; i'm not to blame for this journey in any way, i assure you. there's been something strange about me ever since i owned the love magnet; but i don't know what it is any more than you do. i didn't try to get you away from home, at all. if you want to find your way back to the farm i'll go with you willingly, and do my best to help you." "never mind," said the little girl, thoughtfully. "there isn't so much to see in kansas as there is here, and i guess aunt em won't be very much worried; that is, if i don't stay away too long." "that's right," declared the fox-king, nodding approval. "be contented with your lot, whatever it happens to be, if you are wise. which reminds me that you have a new companion on this adventure--he looks very clever and bright." "he is," said dorothy; and the shaggy man added: "that's his name, your royal foxiness--button-bright." 4. king dox it was amusing to note the expression on the face of king dox as he looked the boy over, from his sailor hat to his stubby shoes, and it was equally diverting to watch button-bright stare at the king in return. no fox ever beheld a fresher, fairer child's face, and no child had ever before heard a fox talk, or met with one who dressed so handsomely and ruled so big a city. i am sorry to say that no one had ever told the little boy much about fairies of any kind; this being the case, it is easy to understand how much this strange experience startled and astonished him. "how do you like us?" asked the king. "don't know," said button-bright. "of course you don't. it's too short an acquaintance," returned his majesty. "what do you suppose my name is?" "don't know," said button-bright. "how should you? well, i'll tell you. my private name is dox, but a king can't be called by his private name; he has to take one that is official. therefore my official name is king renard the fourth. ren-ard with the accent on the 'ren'." "what's 'ren'?" asked button-bright. "how clever!" exclaimed the king, turning a pleased face toward his counselors. "this boy is indeed remarkably bright. 'what's 'ren'?' he asks; and of course 'ren' is nothing at all, all by itself. yes, he's very bright indeed." "that question is what your majesty might call foxy," said one of the counselors, an old grey fox. "so it is," declared the king. turning again to button-bright, he asked: "having told you my name, what would you call me?" "king dox," said the boy. "why?" "'cause 'ren''s nothing at all," was the reply. "good! very good indeed! you certainly have a brilliant mind. do you know why two and two make four?" "no," said button-bright. "clever! clever indeed! of course you don't know. nobody knows why; we only know it's so, and can't tell why it's so. button-bright, those curls and blue eyes do not go well with so much wisdom. they make you look too youthful, and hide your real cleverness. therefore, i will do you a great favor. i will confer upon you the head of a fox, so that you may hereafter look as bright as you really are." as he spoke the king waved his paw toward the boy, and at once the pretty curls and fresh round face and big blue eyes were gone, while in their place a fox's head appeared upon button-bright's shoulders--a hairy head with a sharp nose, pointed ears, and keen little eyes. "oh, don't do that!" cried dorothy, shrinking back from her transformed companion with a shocked and dismayed face. "too late, my dear; it's done. but you also shall have a fox's head if you can prove you're as clever as button-bright." "i don't want it; it's dreadful!" she exclaimed; and, hearing this verdict, button-bright began to boo-hoo just as if he were still a little boy. "how can you call that lovely head dreadful?" asked the king. "it's a much prettier face than he had before, to my notion, and my wife says i'm a good judge of beauty. don't cry, little fox-boy. laugh and be proud, because you are so highly favored. how do you like the new head, button-bright?" "d-d-don't n-n-n-know!" sobbed the child. "please, please change him back again, your majesty!" begged dorothy. king renard iv shook his head. "i can't do that," he said; "i haven't the power, even if i wanted to. no, button-bright must wear his fox head, and he'll be sure to love it dearly as soon as he gets used to it." both the shaggy man and dorothy looked grave and anxious, for they were sorrowful that such a misfortune had overtaken their little companion. toto barked at the fox-boy once or twice, not realizing it was his former friend who now wore the animal head; but dorothy cuffed the dog and made him stop. as for the foxes, they all seemed to think button-bright's new head very becoming and that their king had conferred a great honor on this little stranger. it was funny to see the boy reach up to feel of his sharp nose and wide mouth, and wail afresh with grief. he wagged his ears in a comical manner and tears were in his little black eyes. but dorothy couldn't laugh at her friend just yet, because she felt so sorry. just then three little fox-princesses, daughters of the king, entered the room, and when they saw button-bright one exclaimed: "how lovely he is!" and the next one cried in delight: "how sweet he is!" and the third princess clapped her hands with pleasure and said, "how beautiful he is!" button-bright stopped crying and asked timidly: "am i?" "in all the world there is not another face so pretty," declared the biggest fox-princess. "you must live with us always, and be our brother," said the next. "we shall all love you dearly," the third said. this praise did much to comfort the boy, and he looked around and tried to smile. it was a pitiful attempt, because the fox face was new and stiff, and dorothy thought his expression more stupid than before the transformation. "i think we ought to be going now," said the shaggy man, uneasily, for he didn't know what the king might take into his head to do next. "don't leave us yet, i beg of you," pleaded king renard. "i intend to have several days of feasting and merry-making in honor of your visit." "have it after we're gone, for we can't wait," said dorothy, decidedly. but seeing this displeased the king, she added: "if i'm going to get ozma to invite you to her party i'll have to find her as soon as poss'ble, you know." in spite of all the beauty of foxville and the gorgeous dresses of its inhabitants, both the girl and the shaggy man felt they were not quite safe there, and would be glad to see the last of it. "but it is now evening," the king reminded them, "and you must stay with us until morning, anyhow. therefore, i invite you to be my guests at dinner, and to attend the theater afterward and sit in the royal box. to-morrow morning, if you really insist upon it, you may resume your journey." they consented to this, and some of the fox-servants led them to a suite of lovely rooms in the big palace. button-bright was afraid to be left alone, so dorothy took him into her own room. while a maid-fox dressed the little girl's hair--which was a bit tangled--and put some bright, fresh ribbons in it, another maid-fox combed the hair on poor button-bright's face and head and brushed it carefully, tying a pink bow to each of his pointed ears. the maids wanted to dress the children in fine costumes of woven feathers, such as all the foxes wore; but neither of them consented to that. "a sailor suit and a fox head do not go well together," said one of the maids, "for no fox was ever a sailor that i can remember." "i'm not a fox!" cried button-bright. "alas, no," agreed the maid. "but you've got a lovely fox head on your skinny shoulders, and that's almost as good as being a fox." the boy, reminded of his misfortune, began to cry again. dorothy petted and comforted him and promised to find some way to restore him his own head. "if we can manage to get to ozma," she said, "the princess will change you back to yourself in half a second; so you just wear that fox head as comf't'bly as you can, dear, and don't worry about it at all. it isn't nearly as pretty as your own head, no matter what the foxes say; but you can get along with it for a little while longer, can't you?" "don't know," said button-bright, doubtfully; but he didn't cry any more after that. dorothy let the maids pin ribbons to her shoulders, after which they were ready for the king's dinner. when they met the shaggy man in the splendid drawing room of the palace they found him just the same as before. he had refused to give up his shaggy clothes for new ones, because if he did that he would no longer be the shaggy man, he said, and he might have to get acquainted with himself all over again. he told dorothy he had brushed his shaggy hair and whiskers; but she thought he must have brushed them the wrong way, for they were quite as shaggy as before. as for the company of foxes assembled to dine with the strangers, they were most beautifully costumed, and their rich dresses made dorothy's simple gown and button-bright's sailor suit and the shaggy man's shaggy clothes look commonplace. but they treated their guests with great respect and the king's dinner was a very good dinner indeed. foxes, as you know, are fond of chicken and other fowl; so they served chicken soup and roasted turkey and stewed duck and fried grouse and broiled quail and goose pie, and as the cooking was excellent the king's guests enjoyed the meal and ate heartily of the various dishes. the party went to the theater, where they saw a play acted by foxes dressed in costumes of brilliantly colored feathers. the play was about a fox-girl who was stolen by some wicked wolves and carried to their cave; and just as they were about to kill her and eat her a company of fox-soldiers marched up, saved the girl, and put all the wicked wolves to death. "how do you like it?" the king asked dorothy. "pretty well," she answered. "it reminds me of one of mr. aesop's fables." "don't mention aesop to me, i beg of you!" exclaimed king dox. "i hate that man's name. he wrote a good deal about foxes, but always made them out cruel and wicked, whereas we are gentle and kind, as you may see." "but his fables showed you to be wise and clever, and more shrewd than other animals," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully. "so we are. there is no question about our knowing more than men do," replied the king, proudly. "but we employ our wisdom to do good, instead of harm; so that horrid aesop did not know what he was talking about." they did not like to contradict him, because they felt he ought to know the nature of foxes better than men did; so they sat still and watched the play, and button-bright became so interested that for the time he forgot he wore a fox head. afterward they went back to the palace and slept in soft beds stuffed with feathers; for the foxes raised many fowl for food, and used their feathers for clothing and to sleep upon. dorothy wondered why the animals living in foxville did not wear just their own hairy skins as wild foxes do; when she mentioned it to king dox he said they clothed themselves because they were civilized. "but you were born without clothes," she observed, "and you don't seem to me to need them." "so were human beings born without clothes," he replied; "and until they became civilized they wore only their natural skins. but to become civilized means to dress as elaborately and prettily as possible, and to make a show of your clothes so your neighbors will envy you, and for that reason both civilized foxes and civilized humans spend most of their time dressing themselves." "i don't," declared the shaggy man. "that is true," said the king, looking at him carefully; "but perhaps you are not civilized." after a sound sleep and a good night's rest they had their breakfast with the king and then bade his majesty good-bye. "you've been kind to us--'cept poor button-bright," said dorothy, "and we've had a nice time in foxville." "then," said king dox, "perhaps you'll be good enough to get me an invitation to princess ozma's birthday celebration." "i'll try," she promised; "if i see her in time." "it's on the twenty-first, remember," he continued; "and if you'll just see that i'm invited i'll find a way to cross the dreadful desert into the marvelous land of oz. i've always wanted to visit the emerald city, so i'm sure it was fortunate you arrived here just when you did, you being princess ozma's friend and able to assist me in getting the invitation." "if i see ozma i'll ask her to invite you," she replied. the fox-king had a delightful luncheon put up for them, which the shaggy man shoved in his pocket, and the fox-captain escorted them to an arch at the side of the village opposite the one by which they had entered. here they found more soldiers guarding the road. "are you afraid of enemies?" asked dorothy. "no; because we are watchful and able to protect ourselves," answered the captain. "but this road leads to another village peopled by big, stupid beasts who might cause us trouble if they thought we were afraid of them." "what beasts are they?" asked the shaggy man. the captain hesitated to answer. finally, he said: "you will learn all about them when you arrive at their city. but do not be afraid of them. button-bright is so wonderfully clever and has now such an intelligent face that i'm sure he will manage to find a way to protect you." this made dorothy and the shaggy man rather uneasy, for they had not so much confidence in the fox-boy's wisdom as the captain seemed to have. but as their escort would say no more about the beasts, they bade him good-bye and proceeded on their journey. 5. the rainbow's daughter toto, now allowed to run about as he pleased, was glad to be free again and able to bark at the birds and chase the butterflies. the country around them was charming, yet in the pretty fields of wild-flowers and groves of leafy trees were no houses whatever, or sign of any inhabitants. birds flew through the air and cunning white rabbits darted amongst the tall grasses and green bushes; dorothy noticed even the ants toiling busily along the roadway, bearing gigantic loads of clover seed; but of people there were none at all. they walked briskly on for an hour or two, for even little button-bright was a good walker and did not tire easily. at length as they turned a curve in the road they beheld just before them a curious sight. a little girl, radiant and beautiful, shapely as a fairy and exquisitely dressed, was dancing gracefully in the middle of the lonely road, whirling slowly this way and that, her dainty feet twinkling in sprightly fashion. she was clad in flowing, fluffy robes of soft material that reminded dorothy of woven cobwebs, only it was colored in soft tintings of violet, rose, topaz, olive, azure, and white, mingled together most harmoniously in stripes which melted one into the other with soft blendings. her hair was like spun gold and flowed around her in a cloud, no strand being fastened or confined by either pin or ornament or ribbon. filled with wonder and admiration our friends approached and stood watching this fascinating dance. the girl was no taller than dorothy, although more slender; nor did she seem any older than our little heroine. suddenly she paused and abandoned the dance, as if for the first time observing the presence of strangers. as she faced them, shy as a frightened fawn, poised upon one foot as if to fly the next instant, dorothy was astonished to see tears flowing from her violet eyes and trickling down her lovely rose-hued cheeks. that the dainty maiden should dance and weep at the same time was indeed surprising; so dorothy asked in a soft, sympathetic voice: "are you unhappy, little girl?" "very!" was the reply; "i am lost." "why, so are we," said dorothy, smiling; "but we don't cry about it." "don't you? why not?" "'cause i've been lost before, and always got found again," answered dorothy simply. "but i've never been lost before," murmured the dainty maiden, "and i'm worried and afraid." "you were dancing," remarked dorothy, in a puzzled tone of voice. "oh, that was just to keep warm," explained the maiden, quickly. "it was not because i felt happy or gay, i assure you." dorothy looked at her closely. her gauzy flowing robes might not be very warm, yet the weather wasn't at all chilly, but rather mild and balmy, like a spring day. "who are you, dear?" she asked, gently. "i'm polychrome," was the reply. "polly whom?" "polychrome. i'm the daughter of the rainbow." "oh!" said dorothy with a gasp; "i didn't know the rainbow had children. but i might have known it, before you spoke. you couldn't really be anything else." "why not?" inquired polychrome, as if surprised. "because you're so lovely and sweet." the little maiden smiled through her tears, came up to dorothy, and placed her slender fingers in the kansas girl's chubby hand. "you'll be my friend--won't you?" she said, pleadingly. "of course." "and what is your name?" "i'm dorothy; and this is my friend shaggy man, who owns the love magnet; and this is button-bright--only you don't see him as he really is because the fox-king carelessly changed his head into a fox head. but the real button-bright is good to look at, and i hope to get him changed back to himself, some time." the rainbow's daughter nodded cheerfully, no longer afraid of her new companions. "but who is this?" she asked, pointing to toto, who was sitting before her wagging his tail in the most friendly manner and admiring the pretty maid with his bright eyes. "is this, also, some enchanted person?" "oh no, polly--i may call you polly, mayn't i? your whole name's awful hard to say." "call me polly if you wish, dorothy." "well, polly, toto's just a dog; but he has more sense than button-bright, to tell the truth; and i'm very fond of him." "so am i," said polychrome, bending gracefully to pat toto's head. "but how did the rainbow's daughter ever get on this lonely road, and become lost?" asked the shaggy man, who had listened wonderingly to all this. "why, my father stretched his rainbow over here this morning, so that one end of it touched this road," was the reply; "and i was dancing upon the pretty rays, as i love to do, and never noticed i was getting too far over the bend in the circle. suddenly i began to slide, and i went faster and faster until at last i bumped on the ground, at the very end. just then father lifted the rainbow again, without noticing me at all, and though i tried to seize the end of it and hold fast, it melted away entirely and i was left alone and helpless on the cold, hard earth!" "it doesn't seem cold to me, polly," said dorothy; "but perhaps you're not warmly dressed." "i'm so used to living nearer the sun," replied the rainbow's daughter, "that at first i feared i would freeze down here. but my dance has warmed me some, and now i wonder how i am ever to get home again." "won't your father miss you, and look for you, and let down another rainbow for you?" "perhaps so, but he's busy just now because it rains in so many parts of the world at this season, and he has to set his rainbow in a lot of different places. what would you advise me to do, dorothy?" "come with us," was the answer. "i'm going to try to find my way to the emerald city, which is in the fairy land of oz. the emerald city is ruled by a friend of mine, the princess ozma, and if we can manage to get there i'm sure she will know a way to send you home to your father again." "do you really think so?" asked polychrome, anxiously. "i'm pretty sure." "then i'll go with you," said the little maid; "for travel will help keep me warm, and father can find me in one part of the world as well as another--if he gets time to look for me." "come along, then," said the shaggy man, cheerfully; and they started on once more. polly walked beside dorothy a while, holding her new friend's hand as if she feared to let it go; but her nature seemed as light and buoyant as her fleecy robes, for suddenly she darted ahead and whirled round in a giddy dance. then she tripped back to them with sparkling eyes and smiling cheeks, having regained her usual happy mood and forgotten all her worry about being lost. they found her a charming companion, and her dancing and laughter--for she laughed at times like the tinkling of a silver bell--did much to enliven their journey and keep them contented. 6. the city of beasts when noon came they opened the fox-king's basket of luncheon, and found a nice roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and some slices of bread and butter. as they sat on the grass by the roadside the shaggy man cut up the turkey with his pocket-knife and passed slices of it around. "haven't you any dewdrops, or mist-cakes, or cloudbuns?" asked polychrome, longingly. "'course not," replied dorothy. "we eat solid things, down here on the earth. but there's a bottle of cold tea. try some, won't you?" the rainbow's daughter watched button-bright devour one leg of the turkey. "is it good?" she asked. he nodded. "do you think i could eat it?" "not this," said button-bright. "but i mean another piece?" "don't know," he replied. "well, i'm going to try, for i'm very hungry," she decided, and took a thin slice of the white breast of turkey which the shaggy man cut for her, as well as a bit of bread and butter. when she tasted it polychrome thought the turkey was good--better even than mist-cakes; but a little satisfied her hunger and she finished with a tiny sip of cold tea. "that's about as much as a fly would eat," said dorothy, who was making a good meal herself. "but i know some people in oz who eat nothing at all." "who are they?" inquired the shaggy man. "one is a scarecrow who's stuffed with straw, and the other a woodman made out of tin. they haven't any appetites inside of 'em, you see; so they never eat anything at all." "are they alive?" asked button-bright. "oh yes," replied dorothy; "and they're very clever and very nice, too. if we get to oz i'll introduce them to you." "do you really expect to get to oz?" inquired the shaggy man, taking a drink of cold tea. "i don't know just what to 'spect," answered the child, seriously; "but i've noticed if i happen to get lost i'm almost sure to come to the land of oz in the end, somehow 'r other; so i may get there this time. but i can't promise, you know; all i can do is wait and see." "will the scarecrow scare me?" asked button-bright. "no; 'cause you're not a crow," she returned. "he has the loveliest smile you ever saw--only it's painted on and he can't help it." luncheon being over they started again upon their journey, the shaggy man, dorothy and button-bright walking soberly along, side by side, and the rainbow's daughter dancing merrily before them. sometimes she darted along the road so swiftly that she was nearly out of sight, then she came tripping back to greet them with her silvery laughter. but once she came back more sedately, to say: "there's a city a little way off." "i 'spected that," returned dorothy; "for the fox-people warned us there was one on this road. it's filled with stupid beasts of some sort, but we musn't be afraid of 'em 'cause they won't hurt us." "all right," said button-bright; but polychrome didn't know whether it was all right or not. "it's a big city," she said, "and the road runs straight through it." "never mind," said the shaggy man; "as long as i carry the love magnet every living thing will love me, and you may be sure i shan't allow any of my friends to be harmed in any way." this comforted them somewhat, and they moved on again. pretty soon they came to a signpost that read: "haf a myle to dunkiton." "oh," said the shaggy man, "if they're donkeys, we've nothing to fear at all." "they may kick," said dorothy, doubtfully. "then we will cut some switches, and make them behave," he replied. at the first tree he cut himself a long, slender switch from one of the branches, and shorter switches for the others. "don't be afraid to order the beasts around," he said; "they're used to it." before long the road brought them to the gates of the city. there was a high wall all around, which had been whitewashed, and the gate just before our travelers was a mere opening in the wall, with no bars across it. no towers or steeples or domes showed above the enclosure, nor was any living thing to be seen as our friends drew near. suddenly, as they were about to boldly enter through the opening, there arose a harsh clamor of sound that swelled and echoed on every side, until they were nearly deafened by the racket and had to put their fingers to their ears to keep the noise out. it was like the firing of many cannon, only there were no cannon-balls or other missiles to be seen; it was like the rolling of mighty thunder, only not a cloud was in the sky; it was like the roar of countless breakers on a rugged seashore, only there was no sea or other water anywhere about. they hesitated to advance; but, as the noise did no harm, they entered through the whitewashed wall and quickly discovered the cause of the turmoil. inside were suspended many sheets of tin or thin iron, and against these metal sheets a row of donkeys were pounding their heels with vicious kicks. the shaggy man ran up to the nearest donkey and gave the beast a sharp blow with his switch. "stop that noise!" he shouted; and the donkey stopped kicking the metal sheet and turned its head to look with surprise at the shaggy man. he switched the next donkey, and made him stop, and then the next, so that gradually the rattling of heels ceased and the awful noise subsided. the donkeys stood in a group and eyed the strangers with fear and trembling. "what do you mean by making such a racket?" asked the shaggy man, sternly. "we were scaring away the foxes," said one of the donkeys, meekly. "usually they run fast enough when they hear the noise, which makes them afraid." "there are no foxes here," said the shaggy man. "i beg to differ with you. there's one, anyhow," replied the donkey, sitting upright on its haunches and waving a hoof toward button-bright. "we saw him coming and thought the whole army of foxes was marching to attack us." "button-bright isn't a fox," explained the shaggy man. "he's only wearing a fox head for a time, until he can get his own head back." "oh, i see," remarked the donkey, waving its left ear reflectively. "i'm sorry we made such a mistake, and had all our work and worry for nothing." the other donkeys by this time were sitting up and examining the strangers with big, glassy eyes. they made a queer picture, indeed; for they wore wide, white collars around their necks and the collars had many scallops and points. the gentlemen-donkeys wore high pointed caps set between their great ears, and the lady-donkeys wore sunbonnets with holes cut in the top for the ears to stick through. but they had no other clothing except their hairy skins, although many wore gold and silver bangles on their front wrists and bands of different metals on their rear ankles. when they were kicking they had braced themselves with their front legs, but now they all stood or sat upright on their hind legs and used the front ones as arms. having no fingers or hands the beasts were rather clumsy, as you may guess; but dorothy was surprised to observe how many things they could do with their stiff, heavy hoofs. some of the donkeys were white, some were brown, or gray, or black, or spotted; but their hair was sleek and smooth and their broad collars and caps gave them a neat, if whimsical, appearance. "this is a nice way to welcome visitors, i must say!" remarked the shaggy man, in a reproachful tone. "oh, we did not mean to be impolite," replied a grey donkey which had not spoken before. "but you were not expected, nor did you send in your visiting cards, as it is proper to do." "there is some truth in that," admitted the shaggy man; "but, now you are informed that we are important and distinguished travelers, i trust you will accord us proper consideration." these big words delighted the donkeys, and made them bow to the shaggy man with great respect. said the grey one: "you shall be taken before his great and glorious majesty king kik-a-bray, who will greet you as becomes your exalted stations." "that's right," answered dorothy. "take us to some one who knows something." "oh, we all know something, my child, or we shouldn't be donkeys," asserted the grey one, with dignity. "the word 'donkey' means 'clever,' you know." "i didn't know it," she replied. "i thought it meant 'stupid'." "not at all, my child. if you will look in the encyclopedia donkaniara you will find i'm correct. but come; i will myself lead you before our splendid, exalted, and most intellectual ruler." all donkeys love big words, so it is no wonder the grey one used so many of them. 7. the shaggy man's transformation they found the houses of the town all low and square and built of bricks, neatly whitewashed inside and out. the houses were not set in rows, forming regular streets, but placed here and there in a haphazard manner which made it puzzling for a stranger to find his way. "stupid people must have streets and numbered houses in their cities, to guide them where to go," observed the grey donkey, as he walked before the visitors on his hind legs, in an awkward but comical manner; "but clever donkeys know their way about without such absurd marks. moreover, a mixed city is much prettier than one with straight streets." dorothy did not agree with this, but she said nothing to contradict it. presently she saw a sign on a house that read: "madam de fayke, hoofist," and she asked their conductor: "what's a 'hoofist,' please?" "one who reads your fortune in your hoofs," replied the grey donkey. "oh, i see," said the little girl. "you are quite civilized here." "dunkiton," he replied, "is the center of the world's highest civilization." they came to a house where two youthful donkeys were whitewashing the wall, and dorothy stopped a moment to watch them. they dipped the ends of their tails, which were much like paint-brushes, into a pail of whitewash, backed up against the house, and wagged their tails right and left until the whitewash was rubbed on the wall, after which they dipped these funny brushes in the pail again and repeated the performance. "that must be fun," said button-bright. "no, it's work," replied the old donkey; "but we make our youngsters do all the whitewashing, to keep them out of mischief." "don't they go to school?" asked dorothy. "all donkeys are born wise," was the reply, "so the only school we need is the school of experience. books are only for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people." "in other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows," observed the shaggy man. the grey donkey paid no attention to this speech because he had just stopped before a house which had painted over the doorway a pair of hoofs, with a donkey tail between them and a rude crown and sceptre above. "i'll see if his magnificent majesty king kik-a-bray is at home," said he. he lifted his head and called "whee-haw! whee-haw! whee-haw!" three times, in a shocking voice, turning about and kicking with his heels against the panel of the door. for a time there was no reply; then the door opened far enough to permit a donkey's head to stick out and look at them. it was a white head, with big, awful ears and round, solemn eyes. "have the foxes gone?" it asked, in a trembling voice. "they haven't been here, most stupendous majesty," replied the grey one. "the new arrivals prove to be travelers of distinction." "oh," said the king, in a relieved tone of voice. "let them come in." he opened the door wide, and the party marched into a big room, which, dorothy thought, looked quite unlike a king's palace. there were mats of woven grasses on the floor and the place was clean and neat; but his majesty had no other furniture at all--perhaps because he didn't need it. he squatted down in the center of the room and a little brown donkey ran and brought a big gold crown which it placed on the monarch's head, and a golden staff with a jeweled ball at the end of it, which the king held between his front hoofs as he sat upright. "now then," said his majesty, waving his long ears gently to and fro, "tell me why you are here, and what you expect me to do for you." he eyed button-bright rather sharply, as if afraid of the little boy's queer head, though it was the shaggy man who undertook to reply. "most noble and supreme ruler of dunkiton," he said, trying not to laugh in the solemn king's face, "we are strangers traveling through your dominions and have entered your magnificent city because the road led through it, and there was no way to go around. all we desire is to pay our respects to your majesty--the cleverest king in all the world, i'm sure--and then to continue on our way." this polite speech pleased the king very much; indeed, it pleased him so much that it proved an unlucky speech for the shaggy man. perhaps the love magnet helped to win his majesty's affections as well as the flattery, but however this may be, the white donkey looked kindly upon the speaker and said: "only a donkey should be able to use such fine, big words, and you are too wise and admirable in all ways to be a mere man. also, i feel that i love you as well as i do my own favored people, so i will bestow upon you the greatest gift within my power--a donkey's head." as he spoke he waved his jeweled staff. although the shaggy man cried out and tried to leap backward and escape, it proved of no use. suddenly his own head was gone and a donkey head appeared in its place--a brown, shaggy head so absurd and droll that dorothy and polly both broke into merry laughter, and even button-bright's fox face wore a smile. "dear me! dear me!" cried the shaggy man, feeling of his shaggy new head and his long ears. "what a misfortune--what a great misfortune! give me back my own head, you stupid king--if you love me at all!" "don't you like it?" asked the king, surprised. "hee-haw! i hate it! take it away, quick!" said the shaggy man. "but i can't do that," was the reply. "my magic works only one way. i can do things, but i can't undo them. you'll have to find the truth pond, and bathe in its water, in order to get back your own head. but i advise you not to do that. this head is much more beautiful than the old one." "that's a matter of taste," said dorothy. "where is the truth pond?" asked the shaggy man, earnestly. "somewhere in the land of oz; but just the exact location of it i can not tell," was the answer. "don't worry, shaggy man," said dorothy, smiling because her friend wagged his new ears so comically. "if the truth pond is in oz, we'll be sure to find it when we get there." "oh! are you going to the land of oz?" asked king kik-a-bray. "i don't know," she replied, "but we've been told we are nearer the land of oz than to kansas, and if that's so, the quickest way for me to get home is to find ozma." "haw-haw! do you know the mighty princess ozma?" asked the king, his tone both surprised and eager. "'course i do; she's my friend," said dorothy. "then perhaps you'll do me a favor," continued the white donkey, much excited. "what is it?" she asked. "perhaps you can get me an invitation to princess ozma's birthday celebration, which will be the grandest royal function ever held in fairyland. i'd love to go." "hee-haw! you deserve punishment, rather than reward, for giving me this dreadful head," said the shaggy man, sorrowfully. "i wish you wouldn't say 'hee-haw' so much," polychrome begged him; "it makes cold chills run down my back." "but i can't help it, my dear; my donkey head wants to bray continually," he replied. "doesn't your fox head want to yelp every minute?" he asked button-bright. "don't know," said the boy, still staring at the shaggy man's ears. these seemed to interest him greatly, and the sight also made him forget his own fox head, which was a comfort. "what do you think, polly? shall i promise the donkey king an invitation to ozma's party?" asked dorothy of the rainbow's daughter, who was flitting about the room like a sunbeam because she could never keep still. "do as you please, dear," answered polychrome. "he might help to amuse the guests of the princess." "then, if you will give us some supper and a place to sleep to-night, and let us get started on our journey early to-morrow morning," said dorothy to the king, "i'll ask ozma to invite you--if i happen to get to oz." "good! hee-haw! excellent!" cried kik-a-bray, much pleased. "you shall all have fine suppers and good beds. what food would you prefer, a bran mash or ripe oats in the shell?" "neither one," replied dorothy, promptly. "perhaps plain hay, or some sweet juicy grass would suit you better," suggested kik-a-bray, musingly. "is that all you have to eat?" asked the girl. "what more do you desire?" "well, you see we're not donkeys," she explained, "and so we're used to other food. the foxes gave us a nice supper in foxville." "we'd like some dewdrops and mist-cakes," said polychrome. "i'd prefer apples and a ham sandwich," declared the shaggy man, "for although i've a donkey head, i still have my own particular stomach." "i want pie," said button-bright. "i think some beefsteak and chocolate layer-cake would taste best," said dorothy. "hee-haw! i declare!" exclaimed the king. "it seems each one of you wants a different food. how queer all living creatures are, except donkeys!" "and donkeys like you are queerest of all," laughed polychrome. "well," decided the king, "i suppose my magic staff will produce the things you crave; if you are lacking in good taste it is not my fault." with this, he waved his staff with the jeweled ball, and before them instantly appeared a tea-table, set with linen and pretty dishes, and on the table were the very things each had wished for. dorothy's beefsteak was smoking hot, and the shaggy man's apples were plump and rosy-cheeked. the king had not thought to provide chairs, so they all stood in their places around the table and ate with good appetite, being hungry. the rainbow's daughter found three tiny dewdrops on a crystal plate, and button-bright had a big slice of apple pie, which he devoured eagerly. afterward the king called the brown donkey, which was his favorite servant, and bade it lead his guests to the vacant house where they were to pass the night. it had only one room and no furniture except beds of clean straw and a few mats of woven grasses; but our travelers were contented with these simple things because they realized it was the best the donkey-king had to offer them. as soon as it was dark they lay down on the mats and slept comfortably until morning. at daybreak there was a dreadful noise throughout the city. every donkey in the place brayed. when he heard this the shaggy man woke up and called out "hee-haw!" as loud as he could. "stop that!" said button-bright, in a cross voice. both dorothy and polly looked at the shaggy man reproachfully. "i couldn't help it, my dears," he said, as if ashamed of his bray; "but i'll try not to do it again." of coursed they forgave him, for as he still had the love magnet in his pocket they were all obliged to love him as much as ever. they did not see the king again, but kik-a-bray remembered them; for a table appeared again in their room with the same food upon it as on the night before. "don't want pie for breakfus'," said button-bright. "i'll give you some of my beefsteak," proposed dorothy; "there's plenty for us all." that suited the boy better, but the shaggy man said he was content with his apples and sandwiches, although he ended the meal by eating button-bright's pie. polly liked her dewdrops and mist-cakes better than any other food, so they all enjoyed an excellent breakfast. toto had the scraps left from the beefsteak, and he stood up nicely on his hind legs while dorothy fed them to him. breakfast ended, they passed through the village to the side opposite that by which they had entered, the brown servant-donkey guiding them through the maze of scattered houses. there was the road again, leading far away into the unknown country beyond. "king kik-a-bray says you must not forget his invitation," said the brown donkey, as they passed through the opening in the wall. "i shan't," promised dorothy. perhaps no one ever beheld a more strangely assorted group than the one which now walked along the road, through pretty green fields and past groves of feathery pepper-trees and fragrant mimosa. polychrome, her beautiful gauzy robes floating around her like a rainbow cloud, went first, dancing back and forth and darting now here to pluck a wild-flower or there to watch a beetle crawl across the path. toto ran after her at times, barking joyously the while, only to become sober again and trot along at dorothy's heels. the little kansas girl walked holding button-bright's hand clasped in her own, and the wee boy with his fox head covered by the sailor hat presented an odd appearance. strangest of all, perhaps, was the shaggy man, with his shaggy donkey head, who shuffled along in the rear with his hands thrust deep in his big pockets. none of the party was really unhappy. all were straying in an unknown land and had suffered more or less annoyance and discomfort; but they realized they were having a fairy adventure in a fairy country, and were much interested in finding out what would happen next. 8. the musicker about the middle of the forenoon they began to go up a long hill. by-and-by this hill suddenly dropped down into a pretty valley, where the travelers saw, to their surprise, a small house standing by the road-side. it was the first house they had seen, and they hastened into the valley to discover who lived there. no one was in sight as they approached, but when they began to get nearer the house they heard queer sounds coming from it. they could not make these out at first, but as they became louder our friends thought they heard a sort of music like that made by a wheezy hand-organ; the music fell upon their ears in this way: tiddle-widdle-iddle oom pom-pom! oom, pom-pom! oom, pom-pom! tiddle-tiddle-tiddle oom pom-pom! oom, pom-pom--pah! "what is it, a band or a mouth-organ?" asked dorothy. "don't know," said button-bright. "sounds to me like a played-out phonograph," said the shaggy man, lifting his enormous ears to listen. "oh, there just couldn't be a funnygraf in fairyland!" cried dorothy. "it's rather pretty, isn't it?" asked polychrome, trying to dance to the strains. tiddle-widdle-iddle, oom pom-pom, oom pom-pom; oom pom-pom! came the music to their ears, more distinctly as they drew nearer the house. presently, they saw a little fat man sitting on a bench before the door. he wore a red, braided jacket that reached to his waist, a blue waistcoat, and white trousers with gold stripes down the sides. on his bald head was perched a little, round, red cap held in place by a rubber elastic underneath his chin. his face was round, his eyes a faded blue, and he wore white cotton gloves. the man leaned on a stout gold-headed cane, bending forward on his seat to watch his visitors approach. singularly enough, the musical sounds they had heard seemed to come from the inside of the fat man himself; for he was playing no instrument nor was any to be seen near him. they came up and stood in a row, staring at him, and he stared back while the queer sounds came from him as before: tiddle-iddle-iddle, oom pom-pom, oom, pom-pom; oom pom-pom! tiddle-widdle-iddle, oom pom-pom, oom, pom-pom--pah! "why, he's a reg'lar musicker!" said button-bright. "what's a musicker?" asked dorothy. "him!" said the boy. hearing this, the fat man sat up a little stiffer than before, as if he had received a compliment, and still came the sounds: tiddle-widdle-iddle, oom pom-pom, oom pom-pom, oom-"stop it!" cried the shaggy man, earnestly. "stop that dreadful noise." the fat man looked at him sadly and began his reply. when he spoke the music changed and the words seemed to accompany the notes. he said--or rather sang: it isn't a noise that you hear, but music, harmonic and clear. my breath makes me play like an organ, all day- that bass note is in my left ear. "how funny!" exclaimed dorothy; "he says his breath makes the music." "that's all nonsense," declared the shaggy man; but now the music began again, and they all listened carefully. my lungs are full of reeds like those in organs, therefore i suppose, if i breathe in or out my nose, the reeds are bound to play. so as i breathe to live, you know, i squeeze out music as i go; i'm very sorry this is so- forgive my piping, pray! "poor man," said polychrome; "he can't help it. what a great misfortune it is!" "yes," replied the shaggy man; "we are only obliged to hear this music a short time, until we leave him and go away; but the poor fellow must listen to himself as long as he lives, and that is enough to drive him crazy. don't you think so?" "don't know," said button-bright. toto said, "bow-wow!" and the others laughed. "perhaps that's why he lives all alone," suggested dorothy. "yes; if he had neighbors, they might do him an injury," responded the shaggy man. all this while the little fat musicker was breathing the notes: tiddle-tiddle-iddle, oom, pom-pom, and they had to speak loud in order to hear themselves. the shaggy man said: "who are you, sir?" the reply came in the shape of this sing-song: i'm allegro da capo, a very famous man; just find another, high or low, to match me if you can. some people try, but can't, to play and have to practice every day; but i've been musical always, since first my life began. "why, i b'lieve he's proud of it," exclaimed dorothy; "and seems to me i've heard worse music than he makes." "where?" asked button-bright. "i've forgotten, just now. but mr. da capo is certainly a strange person--isn't he?--and p'r'aps he's the only one of his kind in all the world." this praise seemed to please the little fat musicker, for he swelled out his chest, looked important and sang as follows: i wear no band around me, and yet i am a band! i do not strain to make my strains but, on the other hand, my toot is always destitute of flats or other errors; to see sharp and be natural are for me but minor terrors. "i don't quite understand that," said polychrome, with a puzzled look; "but perhaps it's because i'm accustomed only to the music of the spheres." "what's that?" asked button-bright. "oh, polly means the atmosphere and hemisphere, i s'pose," explained dorothy. "oh," said button-bright. "bow-wow!" said toto. but the musicker was still breathing his constant oom, pom-pom; oom pom-pom-and it seemed to jar on the shaggy man's nerves. "stop it, can't you?" he cried angrily; "or breathe in a whisper; or put a clothes-pin on your nose. do something, anyhow!" but the fat one, with a sad look, sang this answer: music hath charms, and it may soothe even the savage, they say; so if savage you feel just list to my reel, for sooth to say that's the real way. the shaggy man had to laugh at this, and when he laughed he stretched his donkey mouth wide open. said dorothy: "i don't know how good his poetry is, but it seems to fit the notes, so that's all that can be 'xpected." "i like it," said button-bright, who was staring hard at the musicker, his little legs spread wide apart. to the surprise of his companions, the boy asked this long question: "if i swallowed a mouth-organ, what would i be?" "an organette," said the shaggy man. "but come, my dears; i think the best thing we can do is to continue on our journey before button-bright swallows anything. we must try to find that land of oz, you know." hearing this speech the musicker sang, quickly: if you go to the land of oz please take me along, because on ozma's birthday i'm anxious to play the loveliest song ever was. "no thank you," said dorothy; "we prefer to travel alone. but if i see ozma i'll tell her you want to come to her birthday party." "let's be going," urged the shaggy man, anxiously. polly was already dancing along the road, far in advance, and the others turned to follow her. toto did not like the fat musicker and made a grab for his chubby leg. dorothy quickly caught up the growling little dog and hurried after her companions, who were walking faster than usual in order to get out of hearing. they had to climb a hill, and until they got to the top they could not escape the musicker's monotonous piping: oom, pom-pom; oom, pom-pom; tiddle-iddle-widdle, oom, pom-pom; oom, pom-pom--pah! as they passed the brow of the hill, however, and descended on the other side, the sounds gradually died away, whereat they all felt much relieved. "i'm glad i don't have to live with the organ-man; aren't you, polly?" said dorothy. "yes indeed," answered the rainbow's daughter. "he's nice," declared button-bright, soberly. "i hope your princess ozma won't invite him to her birthday celebration," remarked the shaggy man; "for the fellow's music would drive her guests all crazy. you've given me an idea, button-bright; i believe the musicker must have swallowed an accordeon in his youth." "what's 'cordeon?" asked the boy. "it's a kind of pleating," explained dorothy, putting down the dog. "bow-wow!" said toto, and ran away at a mad gallop to chase a bumble-bee. 9. facing the scoodlers the country wasn't so pretty now. before the travelers appeared a rocky plain covered with hills on which grew nothing green. they were nearing some low mountains, too, and the road, which before had been smooth and pleasant to walk upon, grew rough and uneven. button-bright's little feet stumbled more than once, and polychrome ceased her dancing because the walking was now so difficult that she had no trouble to keep warm. it had become afternoon, yet there wasn't a thing for their luncheon except two apples which the shaggy man had taken from the breakfast table. he divided these into four pieces and gave a portion to each of his companions. dorothy and button-bright were glad to get theirs; but polly was satisfied with a small bite, and toto did not like apples. "do you know," asked the rainbow's daughter, "if this is the right road to the emerald city?" "no, i don't," replied dorothy, "but it's the only road in this part of the country, so we may as well go to the end of it." "it looks now as if it might end pretty soon," remarked the shaggy man; "and what shall we do if it does?" "don't know," said button-bright. "if i had my magic belt," replied dorothy, thoughtfully, "it could do us a lot of good just now." "what is your magic belt?" asked polychrome. "it's a thing i captured from the nome king one day, and it can do 'most any wonderful thing. but i left it with ozma, you know; 'cause magic won't work in kansas, but only in fairy countries." "is this a fairy country?" asked button-bright. "i should think you'd know," said the little girl, gravely. "if it wasn't a fairy country you couldn't have a fox head and the shaggy man couldn't have a donkey head, and the rainbow's daughter would be invis'ble." "what's that?" asked the boy. "you don't seem to know anything, button-bright. invis'ble is a thing you can't see." "then toto's invis'ble," declared the boy, and dorothy found he was right. toto had disappeared from view, but they could hear him barking furiously among the heaps of grey rock ahead of them. they moved forward a little faster to see what the dog was barking at, and found perched upon a point of rock by the roadside a curious creature. it had the form of a man, middle-sized and rather slender and graceful; but as it sat silent and motionless upon the peak they could see that its face was black as ink, and it wore a black cloth costume made like a union suit and fitting tight to its skin. its hands were black, too, and its toes curled down, like a bird's. the creature was black all over except its hair, which was fine, and yellow, banged in front across the black forehead and cut close at the sides. the eyes, which were fixed steadily upon the barking dog, were small and sparkling and looked like the eyes of a weasel. "what in the world do you s'pose that is?" asked dorothy in a hushed voice, as the little group of travelers stood watching the strange creature. "don't know," said button-bright. the thing gave a jump and turned half around, sitting in the same place but with the other side of its body facing them. instead of being black, it was now pure white, with a face like that of a clown in a circus and hair of a brilliant purple. the creature could bend either way, and its white toes now curled the same way the black ones on the other side had done. "it has a face both front and back," whispered dorothy, wonderingly; "only there's no back at all, but two fronts." having made the turn, the being sat motionless as before, while toto barked louder at the white man than he had done at the black one. "once," said the shaggy man, "i had a jumping jack like that, with two faces." "was it alive?" asked button-bright. "no," replied the shaggy man; "it worked on strings and was made of wood." "wonder if this works with strings," said dorothy; but polychrome cried "look!" for another creature just like the first had suddenly appeared sitting on another rock, its black side toward them. the two twisted their heads around and showed a black face on the white side of one and a white face on the black side of the other. "how curious," said polychrome; "and how loose their heads seem to be! are they friendly to us, do you think?" "can't tell, polly," replied dorothy. "let's ask 'em." the creatures flopped first one way and then the other, showing black or white by turns; and now another joined them, appearing on another rock. our friends had come to a little hollow in the hills, and the place where they now stood was surrounded by jagged peaks of rock, except where the road ran through. "now there are four of them," said the shaggy man. "five," declared polychrome. "six," said dorothy. "lots of 'em!" cried button-bright; and so there were--quite a row of the two-sided black and white creatures sitting on the rocks all around. toto stopped barking and ran between dorothy's feet, where he crouched down as if afraid. the creatures did not look pleasant or friendly, to be sure, and the shaggy man's donkey face became solemn, indeed. "ask 'em who they are, and what they want," whispered dorothy; so the shaggy man called out in a loud voice: "who are you?" "scoodlers!" they yelled in chorus, their voices sharp and shrill. "what do you want?" called the shaggy man. "you!" they yelled, pointing their thin fingers at the group; and they all flopped around, so they were white, and then all flopped back again, so they were black. "but what do you want us for?" asked the shaggy man, uneasily. "soup!" they all shouted, as if with one voice. "goodness me!" said dorothy, trembling a little; "the scoodlers must be reg'lar cannibals." "don't want to be soup," protested button-bright, beginning to cry. "hush, dear," said the little girl, trying to comfort him; "we don't any of us want to be soup. but don't worry; the shaggy man will take care of us." "will he?" asked polychrome, who did not like the scoodlers at all, and kept close to dorothy. "i'll try," promised the shaggy man; but he looked worried. happening just then to feel the love magnet in his pocket, he said to the creatures, with more confidence: "don't you love me?" "yes!" they shouted, all together. "then you mustn't harm me, or my friends," said the shaggy man, firmly. "we love you in soup!" they yelled, and in a flash turned their white sides to the front. "how dreadful!" said dorothy. "this is a time, shaggy man, when you get loved too much." "don't want to be soup!" wailed button-bright again; and toto began to whine dismally, as if he didn't want to be soup, either. "the only thing to do," said the shaggy man to his friends, in a low tone, "is to get out of this pocket in the rocks as soon as we can, and leave the scoodlers behind us. follow me, my dears, and don't pay any attention to what they do or say." with this, he began to march along the road to the opening in the rocks ahead, and the others kept close behind him. but the scoodlers closed up in front, as if to bar their way, and so the shaggy man stooped down and picked up a loose stone, which he threw at the creatures to scare them from the path. at this the scoodlers raised a howl. two of them picked their heads from their shoulders and hurled them at the shaggy man with such force that he fell over in a heap, greatly astonished. the two now ran forward with swift leaps, caught up their heads, and put them on again, after which they sprang back to their positions on the rocks. 10. escaping the soup-kettle the shaggy man got up and felt of himself to see if he was hurt; but he was not. one of the heads had struck his breast and the other his left shoulder; yet though they had knocked him down, the heads were not hard enough to bruise him. "come on," he said firmly; "we've got to get out of here some way," and forward he started again. the scoodlers began yelling and throwing their heads in great numbers at our frightened friends. the shaggy man was knocked over again, and so was button-bright, who kicked his heels against the ground and howled as loud as he could, although he was not hurt a bit. one head struck toto, who first yelped and then grabbed the head by an ear and started running away with it. the scoodlers who had thrown their heads began to scramble down and run to pick them up, with wonderful quickness; but the one whose head toto had stolen found it hard to get it back again. the head couldn't see the body with either pair of its eyes, because the dog was in the way, so the headless scoodler stumbled around over the rocks and tripped on them more than once in its effort to regain its top. toto was trying to get outside the rocks and roll the head down the hill; but some of the other scoodlers came to the rescue of their unfortunate comrade and pelted the dog with their own heads until he was obliged to drop his burden and hurry back to dorothy. the little girl and the rainbow's daughter had both escaped the shower of heads, but they saw now that it would be useless to try to run away from the dreadful scoodlers. "we may as well submit," declared the shaggy man, in a rueful voice, as he got upon his feet again. he turned toward their foes and asked: "what do you want us to do?" "come!" they cried, in a triumphant chorus, and at once sprang from the rocks and surrounded their captives on all sides. one funny thing about the scoodlers was they could walk in either direction, coming or going, without turning around; because they had two faces and, as dorothy said, "two front sides," and their feet were shaped like the letter t upside down. they moved with great rapidity and there was something about their glittering eyes and contrasting colors and removable heads that inspired the poor prisoners with horror, and made them long to escape. but the creatures led their captives away from the rocks and the road, down the hill by a side path until they came before a low mountain of rock that looked like a huge bowl turned upside down. at the edge of this mountain was a deep gulf--so deep that when you looked into it there was nothing but blackness below. across the gulf was a narrow bridge of rock, and at the other end of the bridge was an arched opening that led into the mountain. over this bridge the scoodlers led their prisoners, through the opening into the mountain, which they found to be an immense hollow dome lighted by several holes in the roof. all around the circular space were built rock houses, set close together, each with a door in the front wall. none of these houses was more than six feet wide, but the scoodlers were thin people sidewise and did not need much room. so vast was the dome that there was a large space in the middle of the cave, in front of all these houses, where the creatures might congregate as in a great hall. it made dorothy shudder to see a huge iron kettle suspended by a stout chain in the middle of the place, and underneath the kettle a great heap of kindling wood and shavings, ready to light. "what's that?" asked the shaggy man, drawing back as they approached this place, so that they were forced to push him forward. "the soup kettle!" yelled the scoodlers, and then they shouted in the next breath: "we're hungry!" button-bright, holding dorothy's hand in one chubby fist and polly's hand in the other, was so affected by this shout that he began to cry again, repeating the protest: "don't want to be soup, i don't!" "never mind," said the shaggy man, consolingly; "i ought to make enough soup to feed them all, i'm so big; so i'll ask them to put me in the kettle first." "all right," said button-bright, more cheerfully. but the scoodlers were not ready to make soup yet. they led the captives into a house at the farthest side of the cave--a house somewhat wider than the others. "who lives here?" asked the rainbow's daughter. the scoodlers nearest her replied: "the queen." it made dorothy hopeful to learn that a woman ruled over these fierce creatures, but a moment later they were ushered by two or three of the escort into a gloomy, bare room--and her hope died away. for the queen of the scoodlers proved to be much more dreadful in appearance than any of her people. one side of her was fiery red, with jet-black hair and green eyes and the other side of her was bright yellow, with crimson hair and black eyes. she wore a short skirt of red and yellow and her hair, instead of being banged, was a tangle of short curls upon which rested a circular crown of silver--much dented and twisted because the queen had thrown her head at so many things so many times. her form was lean and bony and both her faces were deeply wrinkled. "what have we here?" asked the queen sharply, as our friends were made to stand before her. "soup!" cried the guard of scoodlers, speaking together. "we're not!" said dorothy, indignantly; "we're nothing of the sort." "ah, but you will be soon," retorted the queen, a grim smile making her look more dreadful than before. "pardon me, most beautiful vision," said the shaggy man, bowing before the queen politely. "i must request your serene highness to let us go our way without being made into soup. for i own the love magnet, and whoever meets me must love me and all my friends." "true," replied the queen. "we love you very much; so much that we intend to eat your broth with real pleasure. but tell me, do you think i am so beautiful?" "you won't be at all beautiful if you eat me," he said, shaking his head sadly. "handsome is as handsome does, you know." the queen turned to button-bright. "do you think i'm beautiful?" she asked. "no," said the boy; "you're ugly." "i think you're a fright," said dorothy. "if you could see yourself you'd be terribly scared," added polly. the queen scowled at them and flopped from her red side to her yellow side. "take them away," she commanded the guard, "and at six o'clock run them through the meat chopper and start the soup kettle boiling. and put plenty of salt in the broth this time, or i'll punish the cooks severely." "any onions, your majesty?" asked one of the guard. "plenty of onions and garlic and a dash of red pepper. now, go!" the scoodlers led the captives away and shut them up in one of the houses, leaving only a single scoodler to keep guard. the place was a sort of store-house; containing bags of potatoes and baskets of carrots, onions and turnips. "these," said their guard, pointing to the vegetables, "we use to flavor our soups with." the prisoners were rather disheartened by this time, for they saw no way to escape and did not know how soon it would be six o'clock and time for the meatchopper to begin work. but the shaggy man was brave and did not intend to submit to such a horrid fate without a struggle. "i'm going to fight for our lives," he whispered to the children, "for if i fail we will be no worse off than before, and to sit here quietly until we are made into soup would be foolish and cowardly." the scoodler on guard stood near the doorway, turning first his white side toward them and then his black side, as if he wanted to show to all of his greedy four eyes the sight of so many fat prisoners. the captives sat in a sorrowful group at the other end of the room--except polychrome, who danced back and forth in the little place to keep herself warm, for she felt the chill of the cave. whenever she approached the shaggy man he would whisper something in her ear, and polly would nod her pretty head as if she understood. the shaggy man told dorothy and button-bright to stand before him while he emptied the potatoes out of one of the sacks. when this had been secretly done, little polychrome, dancing near to the guard, suddenly reached out her hand and slapped his face, the next instant whirling away from him quickly to rejoin her friends. the angry scoodler at once picked off his head and hurled it at the rainbow's daughter; but the shaggy man was expecting that, and caught the head very neatly, putting it in the sack, which he tied at the mouth. the body of the guard, not having the eyes of its head to guide it, ran here and there in an aimless manner, and the shaggy man easily dodged it and opened the door. fortunately, there was no one in the big cave at that moment, so he told dorothy and polly to run as fast as they could for the entrance, and out across the narrow bridge. "i'll carry button-bright," he said, for he knew the little boy's legs were too short to run fast. dorothy picked up toto and then seized polly's hand and ran swiftly toward the entrance to the cave. the shaggy man perched button-bright on his shoulders and ran after them. they moved so quickly and their escape was so wholly unexpected that they had almost reached the bridge when one of the scoodlers looked out of his house and saw them. the creature raised a shrill cry that brought all of its fellows bounding out of the numerous doors, and at once they started in chase. dorothy and polly had reached the bridge and crossed it when the scoodlers began throwing their heads. one of the queer missiles struck the shaggy man on his back and nearly knocked him over; but he was at the mouth of the cave now, so he set down button-bright and told the boy to run across the bridge to dorothy. then the shaggy man turned around and faced his enemies, standing just outside the opening, and as fast as they threw their heads at him he caught them and tossed them into the black gulf below. the headless bodies of the foremost scoodlers kept the others from running close up, but they also threw their heads in an effort to stop the escaping prisoners. the shaggy man caught them all and sent them whirling down into the black gulf. among them he noticed the crimson and yellow head of the queen, and this he tossed after the others with right good will. presently every scoodler of the lot had thrown its head, and every head was down in the deep gulf, and now the helpless bodies of the creatures were mixed together in the cave and wriggling around in a vain attempt to discover what had become of their heads. the shaggy man laughed and walked across the bridge to rejoin his companions. "it's lucky i learned to play base-ball when i was young," he remarked, "for i caught all those heads easily and never missed one. but come along, little ones; the scoodlers will never bother us or anyone else any more." button-bright was still frightened and kept insisting, "i don't want to be soup!" for the victory had been gained so suddenly that the boy could not realize they were free and safe. but the shaggy man assured him that all danger of their being made into soup was now past, as the scoodlers would be unable to eat soup for some time to come. so now, anxious to get away from the horrid gloomy cave as soon as possible, they hastened up the hillside and regained the road just beyond the place where they had first met the scoodlers; and you may be sure they were glad to find their feet on the old familiar path again. 11. johnny dooit does it "it's getting awful rough walking," said dorothy, as they trudged along. button-bright gave a deep sigh and said he was hungry. indeed, all were hungry, and thirsty, too; for they had eaten nothing but the apples since breakfast; so their steps lagged and they grew silent and weary. at last they slowly passed over the crest of a barren hill and saw before them a line of green trees with a strip of grass at their feet. an agreeable fragrance was wafted toward them. our travelers, hot and tired, ran forward on beholding this refreshing sight and were not long in coming to the trees. here they found a spring of pure bubbling water, around which the grass was full of wild strawberry plants, their pretty red berries ripe and ready to eat. some of the trees bore yellow oranges and some russet pears, so the hungry adventurers suddenly found themselves provided with plenty to eat and to drink. they lost no time in picking the biggest strawberries and ripest oranges and soon had feasted to their hearts' content. walking beyond the line of trees they saw before them a fearful, dismal desert, everywhere gray sand. at the edge of this awful waste was a large, white sign with black letters neatly painted upon it and the letters made these words: all persons are warned not to venture upon this desert for the deadly sands will turn any living flesh to dust in an instant. beyond this barrier is the land of oz but no one can reach that beautiful country because of these destroying sands "oh," said dorothy, when the shaggy man had read the sign aloud; "i've seen this desert before, and it's true no one can live who tries to walk upon the sands." "then we musn't try it," answered the shaggy man thoughtfully. "but as we can't go ahead and there's no use going back, what shall we do next?" "don't know," said button-bright. "i'm sure i don't know, either," added dorothy, despondently. "i wish father would come for me," sighed the pretty rainbow's daughter, "i would take you all to live upon the rainbow, where you could dance along its rays from morning till night, without a care or worry of any sort. but i suppose father's too busy just now to search the world for me." "don't want to dance," said button-bright, sitting down wearily upon the soft grass. "it's very good of you, polly," said dorothy; "but there are other things that would suit me better than dancing on rainbows. i'm 'fraid they'd be kind of soft an' squashy under foot, anyhow, although they're so pretty to look at." this didn't help to solve the problem, and they all fell silent and looked at one another questioningly. "really, i don't know what to do," muttered the shaggy man, gazing hard at toto; and the little dog wagged his tail and said "bow-wow!" just as if he could not tell, either, what to do. button-bright got a stick and began to dig in the earth, and the others watched him for a while in deep thought. finally, the shaggy man said: "it's nearly evening, now; so we may as well sleep in this pretty place and get rested; perhaps by morning we can decide what is best to be done." there was little chance to make beds for the children, but the leaves of the trees grew thickly and would serve to keep off the night dews, so the shaggy man piled soft grasses in the thickest shade and when it was dark they lay down and slept peacefully until morning. long after the others were asleep, however, the shaggy man sat in the starlight by the spring, gazing thoughtfully into its bubbling waters. suddenly he smiled and nodded to himself as if he had found a good thought, after which he, too, laid himself down under a tree and was soon lost in slumber. in the bright morning sunshine, as they ate of the strawberries and sweet juicy pears, dorothy said: "polly, can you do any magic?" "no dear," answered polychrome, shaking her dainty head. "you ought to know some magic, being the rainbow's daughter," continued dorothy, earnestly. "but we who live on the rainbow among the fleecy clouds have no use for magic," replied polychrome. "what i'd like," said dorothy, "is to find some way to cross the desert to the land of oz and its emerald city. i've crossed it already, you know, more than once. first a cyclone carried my house over, and some silver shoes brought me back again--in half a second. then ozma took me over on her magic carpet, and the nome king's magic belt took me home that time. you see it was magic that did it every time 'cept the first, and we can't 'spect a cyclone to happen along and take us to the emerald city now." "no indeed," returned polly, with a shudder, "i hate cyclones, anyway." "that's why i wanted to find out if you could do any magic," said the little kansas girl. "i'm sure i can't; and i'm sure button-bright can't; and the only magic the shaggy man has is the love magnet, which won't help us much." "don't be too sure of that, my dear," spoke the shaggy man, a smile on his donkey face. "i may not be able to do magic myself, but i can call to us a powerful friend who loves me because i own the love magnet, and this friend surely will be able to help us." "who is your friend?" asked dorothy. "johnny dooit." "what can johnny do?" "anything," answered the shaggy man, with confidence. "ask him to come," she exclaimed, eagerly. the shaggy man took the love magnet from his pocket and unwrapped the paper that surrounded it. holding the charm in the palm of his hand he looked at it steadily and said these words: "dear johnny dooit, come to me. i need you bad as bad can be." "well, here i am," said a cheery little voice; "but you shouldn't say you need me bad, 'cause i'm always, always, good." at this they quickly whirled around to find a funny little man sitting on a big copper chest, puffing smoke from a long pipe. his hair was grey, his whiskers were grey; and these whiskers were so long that he had wound the ends of them around his waist and tied them in a hard knot underneath the leather apron that reached from his chin nearly to his feet, and which was soiled and scratched as if it had been used a long time. his nose was broad, and stuck up a little; but his eyes were twinkling and merry. the little man's hands and arms were as hard and tough as the leather in his apron, and dorothy thought johnny dooit looked as if he had done a lot of hard work in his lifetime. "good morning, johnny," said the shaggy man. "thank you for coming to me so quickly." "i never waste time," said the newcomer, promptly. "but what's happened to you? where did you get that donkey head? really, i wouldn't have known you at all, shaggy man, if i hadn't looked at your feet." the shaggy man introduced johnny dooit to dorothy and toto and button-bright and the rainbow's daughter, and told him the story of their adventures, adding that they were anxious now to reach the emerald city in the land of oz, where dorothy had friends who would take care of them and send them safe home again. "but," said he, "we find that we can't cross this desert, which turns all living flesh that touches it into dust; so i have asked you to come and help us." johnny dooit puffed his pipe and looked carefully at the dreadful desert in front of them--stretching so far away they could not see its end. "you must ride," he said, briskly. "what in?" asked the shaggy man. "in a sand-boat, which has runners like a sled and sails like a ship. the wind will blow you swiftly across the desert and the sand cannot touch your flesh to turn it into dust." "good!" cried dorothy, clapping her hands delightedly. "that was the way the magic carpet took us across. we didn't have to touch the horrid sand at all." "but where is the sand-boat?" asked the shaggy man, looking all around him. "i'll make you one," said johnny dooit. as he spoke, he knocked the ashes from his pipe and put it in his pocket. then he unlocked the copper chest and lifted the lid, and dorothy saw it was full of shining tools of all sorts and shapes. johnny dooit moved quickly now--so quickly that they were astonished at the work he was able to accomplish. he had in his chest a tool for everything he wanted to do, and these must have been magic tools because they did their work so fast and so well. the man hummed a little song as he worked, and dorothy tried to listen to it. she thought the words were something like these: the only way to do a thing is do it when you can, and do it cheerfully, and sing and work and think and plan. the only real unhappy one is he who dares to shirk; the only really happy one is he who cares to work. whatever johnny dooit was singing he was certainly doing things, and they all stood by and watched him in amazement. he seized an axe and in a couple of chops felled a tree. next he took a saw and in a few minutes sawed the tree-trunk into broad, long boards. he then nailed the boards together into the shape of a boat, about twelve feet long and four feet wide. he cut from another tree a long, slender pole which, when trimmed of its branches and fastened upright in the center of the boat, served as a mast. from the chest he drew a coil of rope and a big bundle of canvas, and with these--still humming his song--he rigged up a sail, arranging it so it could be raised or lowered upon the mast. dorothy fairly gasped with wonder to see the thing grow so speedily before her eyes, and both button-bright and polly looked on with the same absorbed interest. "it ought to be painted," said johnny dooit, tossing his tools back into the chest, "for that would make it look prettier. but 'though i can paint it for you in three seconds it would take an hour to dry, and that's a waste of time." "we don't care how it looks," said the shaggy man, "if only it will take us across the desert." "it will do that," declared johnny dooit. "all you need worry about is tipping over. did you ever sail a ship?" "i've seen one sailed," said the shaggy man. "good. sail this boat the way you've seen a ship sailed, and you'll be across the sands before you know it." with this he slammed down the lid of the chest, and the noise made them all wink. while they were winking the workman disappeared, tools and all. 12. the deadly desert crossed "oh, that's too bad!" cried dorothy; "i wanted to thank johnny dooit for all his kindness to us." "he hasn't time to listen to thanks," replied the shaggy man; "but i'm sure he knows we are grateful. i suppose he is already at work in some other part of the world." they now looked more carefully at the sand-boat, and saw that the bottom was modeled with two sharp runners which would glide through the sand. the front of the sand-boat was pointed like the bow of a ship, and there was a rudder at the stern to steer by. it had been built just at the edge of the desert, so that all its length lay upon the gray sand except the after part, which still rested on the strip of grass. "get in, my dears," said the shaggy man; "i'm sure i can manage this boat as well as any sailor. all you need do is sit still in your places." dorothy got in, toto in her arms, and sat on the bottom of the boat just in front of the mast. button-bright sat in front of dorothy, while polly leaned over the bow. the shaggy man knelt behind the mast. when all were ready he raised the sail half-way. the wind caught it. at once the sand-boat started forward--slowly at first, then with added speed. the shaggy man pulled the sail way up, and they flew so fast over the deadly desert that every one held fast to the sides of the boat and scarcely dared to breathe. the sand lay in billows, and was in places very uneven, so that the boat rocked dangerously from side to side; but it never quite tipped over, and the speed was so great that the shaggy man himself became frightened and began to wonder how he could make the ship go slower. "it we're spilled in this sand, in the middle of the desert," dorothy thought to herself, "we'll be nothing but dust in a few minutes, and that will be the end of us." but they were not spilled, and by-and-by polychrome, who was clinging to the bow and looking straight ahead, saw a dark line before them and wondered what it was. it grew plainer every second, until she discovered it to be a row of jagged rocks at the end of the desert, while high above these rocks she could see a tableland of green grass and beautiful trees. "look out!" she screamed to the shaggy man. "go slowly, or we shall smash into the rocks." he heard her, and tried to pull down the sail; but the wind would not let go of the broad canvas and the ropes had become tangled. nearer and nearer they drew to the great rocks, and the shaggy man was in despair because he could do nothing to stop the wild rush of the sand-boat. they reached the edge of the desert and bumped squarely into the rocks. there was a crash as dorothy, button-bright, toto and polly flew up in the air in a curve like a skyrocket's, one after another landing high upon the grass, where they rolled and tumbled for a time before they could stop themselves. the shaggy man flew after them, head first, and lighted in a heap beside toto, who, being much excited at the time, seized one of the donkey ears between his teeth and shook and worried it as hard as he could, growling angrily. the shaggy man made the little dog let go, and sat up to look around him. dorothy was feeling one of her front teeth, which was loosened by knocking against her knee as she fell. polly was looking sorrowfully at a rent in her pretty gauze gown, and button-bright's fox head had stuck fast in a gopher hole and he was wiggling his little fat legs frantically in an effort to get free. otherwise they were unhurt by the adventure; so the shaggy man stood up and pulled button-bright out of the hole and went to the edge of the desert to look at the sand-boat. it was a mere mass of splinters now, crushed out of shape against the rocks. the wind had torn away the sail and carried it to the top of a tall tree, where the fragments of it fluttered like a white flag. "well," he said, cheerfully, "we're here; but where the here is i don't know." "it must be some part of the land of oz," observed dorothy, coming to his side. "must it?" "'course it must. we're across the desert, aren't we? and somewhere in the middle of oz is the emerald city." "to be sure," said the shaggy man, nodding. "let's go there." "but i don't see any people about, to show us the way," she continued. "let's hunt for them," he suggested. "there must be people somewhere; but perhaps they did not expect us, and so are not at hand to give us a welcome." 13. the truth pond they now made a more careful examination of the country around them. all was fresh and beautiful after the sultriness of the desert, and the sunshine and sweet, crisp air were delightful to the wanderers. little mounds of yellowish green were away at the right, while on the left waved a group of tall leafy trees bearing yellow blossoms that looked like tassels and pompoms. among the grasses carpeting the ground were pretty buttercups and cowslips and marigolds. after looking at these a moment dorothy said reflectively: "we must be in the country of the winkies, for the color of that country is yellow, and you will notice that 'most everything here is yellow that has any color at all." "but i thought this was the land of oz," replied the shaggy man, as if greatly disappointed. "so it is," she declared; "but there are four parts to the land of oz. the north country is purple, and it's the country of the gillikins. the east country is blue, and that's the country of the munchkins. down at the south is the red country of the quadlings, and here, in the west, the yellow country of the winkies. this is the part that is ruled by the tin woodman, you know." "who's he?" asked button-bright. "why, he's the tin man i told you about. his name is nick chopper, and he has a lovely heart given him by the wonderful wizard." "where does he live?" asked the boy. "the wizard? oh, he lives in the emerald city, which is just in the middle of oz, where the corners of the four countries meet." "oh," said button-bright, puzzled by this explanation. "we must be some distance from the emerald city," remarked the shaggy man. "that's true," she replied; "so we'd better start on and see if we can find any of the winkies. they're nice people," she continued, as the little party began walking toward the group of trees, "and i came here once with my friends the scarecrow, and the tin woodman, and the cowardly lion, to fight a wicked witch who had made all the winkies her slaves." "did you conquer her?" asked polly. "why, i melted her with a bucket of water, and that was the end of her," replied dorothy. "after that the people were free, you know, and they made nick chopper--that's the tin woodman--their emp'ror." "what's that?" asked button-bright. "emp'ror? oh, it's something like an alderman, i guess." "oh," said the boy. "but i thought princess ozma ruled oz," said the shaggy man. "so she does; she rules the emerald city and all the four countries of oz; but each country has another little ruler, not so big as ozma. it's like the officers of an army, you see; the little rulers are all captains, and ozma's the general." by this time they had reached the trees, which stood in a perfect circle and just far enough apart so that their thick branches touched--or "shook hands," as button-bright remarked. under the shade of the trees they found, in the center of the circle, a crystal pool, its water as still as glass. it must have been deep, too, for when polychrome bent over it she gave a little sigh of pleasure. "why, it's a mirror!" she cried; for she could see all her pretty face and fluffy, rainbow-tinted gown reflected in the pool, as natural as life. dorothy bent over, too, and began to arrange her hair, blown by the desert wind into straggling tangles. button-bright leaned over the edge next, and then began to cry, for the sight of his fox head frightened the poor little fellow. "i guess i won't look," remarked the shaggy man, sadly, for he didn't like his donkey head, either. while polly and dorothy tried to comfort button-bright, the shaggy man sat down near the edge of the pool, where his image could not be reflected, and stared at the water thoughtfully. as he did this he noticed a silver plate fastened to a rock just under the surface of the water, and on the silver plate was engraved these words: the truth pond "ah!" cried the shaggy man, springing to his feet with eager joy; "we've found it at last." "found what?" asked dorothy, running to him. "the truth pond. now, at last, i may get rid of this frightful head; for we were told, you remember, that only the truth pond could restore to me my proper face." "me, too!" shouted button-bright, trotting up to them. "of course," said dorothy. "it will cure you both of your bad heads, i guess. isn't it lucky we found it?" "it is, indeed," replied the shaggy man. "i hated dreadfully to go to princess ozma looking like this; and she's to have a birthday celebration, too." just then a splash startled them, for button-bright, in his anxiety to see the pool that would "cure" him, had stepped too near the edge and tumbled heels over head into the water. down he went, out of sight entirely, so that only his sailor hat floated on the top of the truth pond. he soon bobbed up, and the shaggy man seized him by his sailor collar and dragged him to the shore, dripping and gasping for breath. they all looked upon the boy wonderingly, for the fox head with its sharp nose and pointed ears was gone, and in its place appeared the chubby round face and blue eyes and pretty curls that had belonged to button-bright before king dox of foxville transformed him. "oh, what a darling!" cried polly, and would have hugged the little one had he not been so wet. their joyful exclamations made the child rub the water out of his eyes and look at his friends questioningly. "you're all right now, dear," said dorothy. "come and look at yourself." she led him to the pool, and although there were still a few ripples on the surface of the water he could see his reflection plainly. "it's me!" he said, in a pleased yet awed whisper. "'course it is," replied the girl, "and we're all as glad as you are, button-bright." "well," announced the shaggy man, "it's my turn next." he took off his shaggy coat and laid it on the grass and dived head first into the truth pond. when he came up the donkey head had disappeared, and the shaggy man's own shaggy head was in its place, with the water dripping in little streams from his shaggy whiskers. he scrambled ashore and shook himself to get off some of the wet, and then leaned over the pool to look admiringly at his reflected face. "i may not be strictly beautiful, even now," he said to his companions, who watched him with smiling faces; "but i'm so much handsomer than any donkey that i feel as proud as i can be." "you're all right, shaggy man," declared dorothy. "and button-bright is all right, too. so let's thank the truth pond for being so nice, and start on our journey to the emerald city." "i hate to leave it," murmured the shaggy man, with a sigh. "a truth pond wouldn't be a bad thing to carry around with us." but he put on his coat and started with the others in search of some one to direct them on their way. 14. tik-tok and billina they had not walked far across the flower-strewn meadows when they came upon a fine road leading toward the northwest and winding gracefully among the pretty yellow hills. "that way," said dorothy, "must be the direction of the emerald city. we'd better follow the road until we meet some one or come to a house." the sun soon dried button-bright's sailor suit and the shaggy man's shaggy clothes, and so pleased were they at regaining their own heads that they did not mind at all the brief discomfort of getting wet. "it's good to be able to whistle again," remarked the shaggy man, "for those donkey lips were so thick i could not whistle a note with them." he warbled a tune as merrily as any bird. "you'll look more natural at the birthday celebration, too," said dorothy, happy in seeing her friends so happy. polychrome was dancing ahead in her usual sprightly manner, whirling gaily along the smooth, level road, until she passed from sight around the curve of one of the mounds. suddenly they heard her exclaim "oh!" and she appeared again, running toward them at full speed. "what's the matter, polly?" asked dorothy, perplexed. there was no need for the rainbow's daughter to answer, for turning the bend in the road there came advancing slowly toward them a funny round man made of burnished copper, gleaming brightly in the sun. perched on the copper man's shoulder sat a yellow hen, with fluffy feathers and a pearl necklace around her throat. "oh, tik-tok!" cried dorothy, running forward. when she came to him, the copper man lifted the little girl in his copper arms and kissed her cheek with his copper lips. "oh, billina!" cried dorothy, in a glad voice, and the yellow hen flew to her arms, to be hugged and petted by turns. the others were curiously crowding around the group, and the girl said to them: "it's tik-tok and billina; and oh! i'm so glad to see them again." "wel-come to oz," said the copper man in a monotonous voice. dorothy sat right down in the road, the yellow hen in her arms, and began to stroke billina's back. said the hen: "dorothy, dear, i've got some wonderful news to tell you." "tell it quick, billina!" said the girl. just then toto, who had been growling to himself in a cross way, gave a sharp bark and flew at the yellow hen, who ruffled her feathers and let out such an angry screech that dorothy was startled. "stop, toto! stop that this minute!" she commanded. "can't you see that billina is my friend?" in spite of this warning had she not grabbed toto quickly by the neck the little dog would have done the yellow hen a mischief, and even now he struggled madly to escape dorothy's grasp. she slapped his ears once or twice and told him to behave, and the yellow hen flew to tik-tok's shoulder again, where she was safe. "what a brute!" croaked billina, glaring down at the little dog. "toto isn't a brute," replied dorothy, "but at home uncle henry has to whip him sometimes for chasing the chickens. now look here, toto," she added, holding up her finger and speaking sternly to him, "you've got to understand that billina is one of my dearest friends, and musn't be hurt--now or ever." toto wagged his tail as if he understood. "the miserable thing can't talk," said billina, with a sneer. "yes, he can," replied dorothy; "he talks with his tail, and i know everything he says. if you could wag your tail, billina, you wouldn't need words to talk with." "nonsense!" said billina. "it isn't nonsense at all. just now toto says he's sorry, and that he'll try to love you for my sake. don't you, toto?" "bow-wow!" said toto, wagging his tail again. "but i've such wonderful news for you, dorothy," cried the yellow hen; "i've--" "wait a minute, dear," interrupted the little girl; "i've got to introduce you all, first. that's manners, billina. this," turning to her traveling companions, "is mr. tik-tok, who works by machinery 'cause his thoughts wind up, and his talk winds up, and his action winds up--like a clock." "do they all wind up together?" asked the shaggy man. "no; each one separate. but he works just lovely, and tik-tok was a good friend to me once, and saved my life--and billina's life, too." "is he alive?" asked button-bright, looking hard at the copper man. "oh, no, but his machinery makes him just as good as alive." she turned to the copper man and said politely: "mr. tik-tok, these are my new friends: the shaggy man, and polly the rainbow's daughter, and button-bright, and toto. only toto isn't a new friend, 'cause he's been to oz before." the copper man bowed low, removing his copper hat as he did so. "i'm ve-ry pleased to meet dor-o-thy's fr-r-r-r---" here he stopped short. "oh, i guess his speech needs winding!" said the little girl, running behind the copper man to get the key off a hook at his back. she wound him up at a place under his right arm and he went on to say: "par-don me for run-ning down. i was a-bout to say i am pleased to meet dor-o-thy's friends, who must be my friends." the words were somewhat jerky, but plain to understand. "and this is billina," continued dorothy, introducing the yellow hen, and they all bowed to her in turn. "i've such wonderful news," said the hen, turning her head so that one bright eye looked full at dorothy. "what is it, dear?" asked the girl. "i've hatched out ten of the loveliest chicks you ever saw." "oh, how nice! and where are they, billina?" "i left them at home. but they're beauties, i assure you, and all wonderfully clever. i've named them dorothy." "which one?" asked the girl. "all of them," replied billina. "that's funny. why did you name them all with the same name?" "it was so hard to tell them apart," explained the hen. "now, when i call 'dorothy,' they all come running to me in a bunch; it's much easier, after all, than having a separate name for each." "i'm just dying to see 'em, billina," said dorothy, eagerly. "but tell me, my friends, how did you happen to be here, in the country of the winkies, the first of all to meet us?" "i'll tell you," answered tik-tok, in his monotonous voice, all the sounds of his words being on one level--"prin-cess oz-ma saw you in her mag-ic pic-ture, and knew you were com-ing here; so she sent bil-lin-a and me to wel-come you as she could not come her-self; so that--fiz-i-dig-le cum-so-lut-ing hy-ber-gob-ble in-tu-zib-ick--" "good gracious! whatever's the matter now?" cried dorothy, as the copper man continued to babble these unmeaning words, which no one could understand at all because they had no sense. "don't know," said button-bright, who was half scared. polly whirled away to a distance and turned to look at the copper man in a fright. "his thoughts have run down, this time," remarked billina composedly, as she sat on tik-tok's shoulder and pruned her sleek feathers. "when he can't think, he can't talk properly, any more than you can. you'll have to wind up his thoughts, dorothy, or else i'll have to finish his story myself." dorothy ran around and got the key again and wound up tik-tok under his left arm, after which he could speak plainly again. "par-don me," he said, "but when my thoughts run down, my speech has no mean-ing, for words are formed on-ly by thought. i was a-bout to say that oz-ma sent us to wel-come you and in-vite you to come straight to the em-er-ald ci-ty. she was too bus-y to come her-self, for she is pre-par-ing for her birth-day cel-e-bra-tion, which is to be a grand af-fair." "i've heard of it," said dorothy, "and i'm glad we've come in time to attend. is it far from here to the emerald city?" "not ve-ry far," answered tik-tok, "and we have plen-ty of time. to-night we will stop at the pal-ace of the tin wood-man, and to-mor-row night we will ar-rive at the em-er-ald ci-ty." "goody!" cried dorothy. "i'd like to see dear nick chopper again. how's his heart?" "it's fine," said billina; "the tin woodman says it gets softer and kindlier every day. he's waiting at his castle to welcome you, dorothy; but he couldn't come with us because he's getting polished as bright as possible for ozma's party." "well then," said dorothy, "let's start on, and we can talk more as we go." they proceeded on their journey in a friendly group, for polychrome had discovered that the copper man was harmless and was no longer afraid of him. button-bright was also reassured, and took quite a fancy to tik-tok. he wanted the clockwork man to open himself, so that he might see the wheels go round; but that was a thing tik-tok could not do. button-bright then wanted to wind up the copper man, and dorothy promised he should do so as soon as any part of the machinery ran down. this pleased button-bright, who held fast to one of tik-tok's copper hands as he trudged along the road, while dorothy walked on the other side of her old friend and billina perched by turns upon his shoulder or his copper hat. polly once more joyously danced ahead and toto ran after her, barking with glee. the shaggy man was left to walk behind; but he didn't seem to mind that a bit, and whistled merrily or looked curiously upon the pretty scenes they passed. at last they came to a hilltop from which the tin castle of nick chopper could plainly be seen, its towers glistening magnificently under the rays of the declining sun. "how pretty!" exclaimed dorothy. "i've never seen the emp'ror's new house before." "he built it because the old castle was damp, and likely to rust his tin body," said billina. "all those towers and steeples and domes and gables took a lot of tin, as you can see." "is it a toy?" asked button-bright softly. "no, dear," answered dorothy; "it's better than that. it's the fairy dwelling of a fairy prince." 15. the emperor's tin castle the grounds around nick chopper's new house were laid out in pretty flower-beds, with fountains of crystal water and statues of tin representing the emperor's personal friends. dorothy was astonished and delighted to find a tin statue of herself standing on a tin pedestal at a bend in the avenue leading up to the entrance. it was life-size and showed her in her sunbonnet with her basket on her arm, just as she had first appeared in the land of oz. "oh, toto--you're there too!" she exclaimed; and sure enough there was the tin figure of toto lying at the tin dorothy's feet. also, dorothy saw figures of the scarecrow, and the wizard, and ozma, and of many others, including tik-tok. they reached the grand tin entrance to the tin castle, and the tin woodman himself came running out of the door to embrace little dorothy and give her a glad welcome. he welcomed her friends as well, and the rainbow's daughter he declared to be the loveliest vision his tin eyes had ever beheld. he patted button-bright's curly head tenderly, for he was fond of children, and turned to the shaggy man and shook both his hands at the same time. nick chopper, the emperor of the winkies, who was also known throughout the land of oz as the tin woodman, was certainly a remarkable person. he was neatly made, all of tin, nicely soldered at the joints, and his various limbs were cleverly hinged to his body so that he could use them nearly as well as if they had been common flesh. once, he told the shaggy man, he had been made all of flesh and bones, as other people are, and then he chopped wood in the forests to earn his living. but the axe slipped so often and cut off parts of him--which he had replaced with tin--that finally there was no flesh left, nothing but tin; so he became a real tin woodman. the wonderful wizard of oz had given him an excellent heart to replace his old one, and he didn't at all mind being tin. every one loved him, he loved every one; and he was therefore as happy as the day was long. the emperor was proud of his new tin castle, and showed his visitors through all the rooms. every bit of the furniture was made of brightly polished tin--the tables, chairs, beds, and all--even the floors and walls were of tin. "i suppose," said he, "that there are no cleverer tinsmiths in all the world than the winkies. it would be hard to match this castle in kansas; wouldn't it, little dorothy?" "very hard," replied the child, gravely. "it must have cost a lot of money," remarked the shaggy man. "money! money in oz!" cried the tin woodman. "what a queer idea! did you suppose we are so vulgar as to use money here?" "why not?" asked the shaggy man. "if we used money to buy things with, instead of love and kindness and the desire to please one another, then we should be no better than the rest of the world," declared the tin woodman. "fortunately money is not known in the land of oz at all. we have no rich, and no poor; for what one wishes the others all try to give him, in order to make him happy, and no one in all oz cares to have more than he can use." "good!" cried the shaggy man, greatly pleased to hear this. "i also despise money--a man in butterfield owes me fifteen cents, and i will not take it from him. the land of oz is surely the most favored land in all the world, and its people the happiest. i should like to live here always." the tin woodman listened with respectful attention. already he loved the shaggy man, although he did not yet know of the love magnet. so he said: "if you can prove to the princess ozma that you are honest and true and worthy of our friendship, you may indeed live here all your days, and be as happy as we are." "i'll try to prove that," said the shaggy man, earnestly. "and now," continued the emperor, "you must all go to your rooms and prepare for dinner, which will presently be served in the grand tin dining-hall. i am sorry, shaggy man, that i can not offer you a change of clothing; but i dress only in tin, myself, and i suppose that would not suit you." "i care little about dress," said the shaggy man, indifferently. "so i should imagine," replied the emperor, with true politeness. they were shown to their rooms and permitted to make such toilets as they could, and soon they assembled again in the grand tin dining-hall, even toto being present. for the emperor was fond of dorothy's little dog, and the girl explained to her friends that in oz all animals were treated with as much consideration as the people--"if they behave themselves," she added. toto behaved himself, and sat in a tin high-chair beside dorothy and ate his dinner from a tin platter. indeed, they all ate from tin dishes, but these were of pretty shapes and brightly polished; dorothy thought they were just as good as silver. button-bright looked curiously at the man who had "no appetite inside him," for the tin woodman, although he had prepared so fine a feast for his guests, ate not a mouthful himself, sitting patiently in his place to see that all built so they could eat were well and plentifully served. what pleased button-bright most about the dinner was the tin orchestra that played sweet music while the company ate. the players were not tin, being just ordinary winkies; but the instruments they played upon were all tin--tin trumpets, tin fiddles, tin drums and cymbals and flutes and horns and all. they played so nicely the "shining emperor waltz," composed expressly in honor of the tin woodman by mr. h. m. wogglebug, t.e., that polly could not resist dancing to it. after she had tasted a few dewdrops, freshly gathered for her, she danced gracefully to the music while the others finished their repast; and when she whirled until her fleecy draperies of rainbow hues enveloped her like a cloud, the tin woodman was so delighted that he clapped his tin hands until the noise of them drowned the sound of the cymbals. altogether it was a merry meal, although polychrome ate little and the host nothing at all. "i'm sorry the rainbow's daughter missed her mist-cakes," said the tin woodman to dorothy; "but by a mistake miss polly's mist-cakes were mislaid and not missed until now. i'll try to have some for her breakfast." they spent the evening telling stories, and the next morning left the splendid tin castle and set out upon the road to the emerald city. the tin woodman went with them, of course, having by this time been so brightly polished that he sparkled like silver. his axe, which he always carried with him, had a steel blade that was tin plated and a handle covered with tin plate beautifully engraved and set with diamonds. the winkies assembled before the castle gates and cheered their emperor as he marched away, and it was easy to see that they all loved him dearly. 16. visiting the pumpkin-field dorothy let button-bright wind up the clock-work in the copper man this morning--his thinking machine first, then his speech, and finally his action; so he would doubtless run perfectly until they had reached the emerald city. the copper man and the tin man were good friends, and not so much alike as you might think. for one was alive and the other moved by means of machinery; one was tall and angular and the other short and round. you could love the tin woodman because he had a fine nature, kindly and simple; but the machine man you could only admire without loving, since to love such a thing as he was as impossible as to love a sewing-machine or an automobile. yet tik-tok was popular with the people of oz because he was so trustworthy, reliable and true; he was sure to do exactly what he was wound up to do, at all times and in all circumstances. perhaps it is better to be a machine that does its duty than a flesh-and-blood person who will not, for a dead truth is better than a live falsehood. about noon the travelers reached a large field of pumpkins--a vegetable quite appropriate to the yellow country of the winkies--and some of the pumpkins which grew there were of remarkable size. just before they entered upon this field they saw three little mounds that looked like graves, with a pretty headstone to each one of them. "what is this?" asked dorothy, in wonder. "it's jack pumpkinhead's private graveyard," replied the tin woodman. "but i thought nobody ever died in oz," she said. "nor do they; although if one is bad, he may be condemned and killed by the good citizens," he answered. dorothy ran over to the little graves and read the words engraved upon the tombstones. the first one said: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled april 9th. she then went to the next stone, which read: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled october 2nd. on the third stone were carved these words: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled january 24th. "poor jack!" sighed dorothy. "i'm sorry he had to die in three parts, for i hoped to see him again." "so you shall," declared the tin woodman, "since he is still alive. come with me to his house, for jack is now a farmer and lives in this very pumpkin field." they walked over to a monstrous big, hollow pumpkin which had a door and windows cut through the rind. there was a stovepipe running through the stem, and six steps had been built leading up to the front door. they walked up to this door and looked in. seated on a bench was a man clothed in a spotted shirt, a red vest, and faded blue trousers, whose body was merely sticks of wood, jointed clumsily together. on his neck was set a round, yellow pumpkin, with a face carved on it such as a boy often carves on a jack-lantern. this queer man was engaged in snapping slippery pumpkin-seeds with his wooden fingers, trying to hit a target on the other side of the room with them. he did not know he had visitors until dorothy exclaimed: "why, it's jack pumpkinhead himself!" he turned and saw them, and at once came forward to greet the little kansas girl and nick chopper, and to be introduced to their new friends. button-bright was at first rather shy with the quaint pumpkinhead, but jack's face was so jolly and smiling--being carved that way--that the boy soon grew to like him. "i thought a while ago that you were buried in three parts," said dorothy, "but now i see you're just the same as ever." "not quite the same, my dear, for my mouth is a little more one-sided than it used to be; but pretty nearly the same. i've a new head, and this is the fourth one i've owned since ozma first made me and brought me to life by sprinkling me with the magic powder." "what became of the other heads, jack?" "they spoiled and i buried them, for they were not even fit for pies. each time ozma has carved me a new head just like the old one, and as my body is by far the largest part of me, i am still jack pumpkinhead, no matter how often i change my upper end. once we had a dreadful time to find another pumpkin, as they were out of season, and so i was obliged to wear my old head a little longer than was strictly healthy. but after this sad experience i resolved to raise pumpkins myself, so as never to be caught again without one handy; and now i have this fine field that you see before you. some grow pretty big--too big to be used for heads--so i dug out this one and use it for a house." "isn't it damp?" asked dorothy. "not very. there isn't much left but the shell, you see, and it will last a long time yet." "i think you are brighter than you used to be, jack," said the tin woodman. "your last head was a stupid one." "the seeds in this one are better," was the reply. "are you going to ozma's party?" asked dorothy. "yes," said he, "i wouldn't miss it for anything. ozma's my parent, you know, because she built my body and carved my pumpkin head. i'll follow you to the emerald city to-morrow, where we shall meet again. i can't go to-day, because i have to plant fresh pumpkin-seeds and water the young vines. but give my love to ozma, and tell her i'll be there in time for the jubilation." "we will," she promised; and then they all left him and resumed their journey. 17. the royal chariot arrives the neat yellow houses of the winkies were now to be seen standing here and there along the roadway, giving the country a more cheerful and civilized look. they were farm-houses, though, and set far apart; for in the land of oz there were no towns or villages except the magnificent emerald city in its center. hedges of evergreen or of yellow roses bordered the broad highway and the farms showed the care of their industrious inhabitants. the nearer the travelers came to the great city the more prosperous the country became, and they crossed many bridges over the sparkling streams and rivulets that watered the lands. as they walked leisurely along the shaggy man said to the tin woodman: "what sort of a magic powder was it that made your friend the pumpkinhead live?" "it was called the powder of life," was the answer; "and it was invented by a crooked sorcerer who lived in the mountains of the north country. a witch named mombi got some of this powder from the crooked sorcerer and took it home with her. ozma lived with the witch then, for it was before she became our princess, while mombi had transformed her into the shape of a boy. well, while mombi was gone to the crooked sorcerer's, the boy made this pumpkin-headed man to amuse himself, and also with the hope of frightening the witch with it when she returned. but mombi was not scared, and she sprinkled the pumpkinhead with her magic powder of life, to see if the powder would work. ozma was watching, and saw the pumpkinhead come to life; so that night she took the pepper-box containing the powder and ran away with it and with jack, in search of adventures. "next day they found a wooden saw-horse standing by the roadside, and sprinkled it with the powder. it came to life at once, and jack pumpkinhead rode the saw-horse to the emerald city." "what became of the saw-horse, afterward?" asked the shaggy man, much interested in this story. "oh, it's alive yet, and you will probably meet it presently in the emerald city. afterward, ozma used the last of the powder to bring the flying gump to life; but as soon as it had carried her away from her enemies the gump was taken apart, so it doesn't exist any more." "it's too bad the powder of life was all used up," remarked the shaggy man; "it would be a handy thing to have around." "i am not so sure of that, sir," answered the tin woodman. "a while ago the crooked sorcerer who invented the magic powder fell down a precipice and was killed. all his possessions went to a relative--an old woman named dyna, who lives in the emerald city. she went to the mountains where the sorcerer had lived and brought away everything she thought of value. among them was a small bottle of the powder of life; but of course dyna didn't know it was a magic powder, at all. it happened she had once had a big blue bear for a pet; but the bear choked to death on a fishbone one day, and she loved it so dearly that dyna made a rug of its skin, leaving the head and four paws on the hide. she kept the rug on the floor of her front parlor." "i've seen rugs like that," said the shaggy man, nodding, "but never one made from a blue bear." "well," continued the tin woodman, "the old woman had an idea that the powder in the bottle must be moth-powder, because it smelled something like moth-powder; so one day she sprinkled it on her bear rug to keep the moths out of it. she said, looking lovingly at the skin: 'i wish my dear bear were alive again!' to her horror, the bear rug at once came to life, having been sprinkled with the magic powder; and now this live bear rug is a great trial to her, and makes her a lot of trouble." "why?" asked the shaggy man. "well, it stands up on its four feet and walks all around, and gets in the way; and that spoils it for a rug. it can't speak, although it is alive; for, while its head might say words, it has no breath in a solid body to push the words out of its mouth. it's a very slimpsy affair altogether, that bear rug, and the old woman is sorry it came to life. every day she has to scold it, and make it lie down flat on the parlor floor to be walked upon; but sometimes when she goes to market the rug will hump up its back skin, and stand on its four feet, and trot along after her." "i should think dyna would like that," said dorothy. "well, she doesn't; because every one knows it isn't a real bear, but just a hollow skin, and so of no actual use in the world except for a rug," answered the tin woodman. "therefore i believe it is a good thing that all the magic powder of life is now used up, as it can not cause any more trouble." "perhaps you're right," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully. at noon they stopped at a farmhouse, where it delighted the farmer and his wife to be able to give them a good luncheon. the farm people knew dorothy, having seen her when she was in the country before, and they treated the little girl with as much respect as they did the emperor, because she was a friend of the powerful princess ozma. they had not proceeded far after leaving this farm-house before coming to a high bridge over a broad river. this river, the tin woodman informed them, was the boundary between the country of the winkies and the territory of the emerald city. the city itself was still a long way off, but all around it was a green meadow as pretty as a well-kept lawn, and in this were neither houses nor farms to spoil the beauty of the scene. from the top of the high bridge they could see far away the magnificent spires and splendid domes of the superb city, sparkling like brilliant jewels as they towered above the emerald walls. the shaggy man drew a deep breath of awe and amazement, for never had he dreamed that such a grand and beautiful place could exist--even in the fairyland of oz. polly was so pleased that her violet eyes sparkled like amethysts, and she danced away from her companions across the bridge and into a group of feathery trees lining both the roadsides. these trees she stopped to look at with pleasure and surprise, for their leaves were shaped like ostrich plumes, their feather edges beautifully curled; and all the plumes were tinted in the same dainty rainbow hues that appeared in polychrome's own pretty gauze gown. "father ought to see these trees," she murmured; "they are almost as lovely as his own rainbows." then she gave a start of terror, for beneath the trees came stalking two great beasts, either one big enough to crush the little daughter of the rainbow with one blow of his paws, or to eat her up with one snap of his enormous jaws. one was a tawny lion, as tall as a horse, nearly; the other a striped tiger almost the same size. polly was too frightened to scream or to stir; she stood still with a wildly beating heart until dorothy rushed past her and with a glad cry threw her arms around the huge lion's neck, hugging and kissing the beast with evident joy. "oh, i'm so glad to see you again!" cried the little kansas girl. "and the hungry tiger, too! how fine you're both looking. are you well and happy?" "we certainly are, dorothy," answered the lion, in a deep voice that sounded pleasant and kind; "and we are greatly pleased that you have come to ozma's party. it's going to be a grand affair, i promise you." "there will be lots of fat babies at the celebration, i hear," remarked the hungry tiger, yawning so that his mouth opened dreadfully wide and showed all his big, sharp teeth; "but of course i can't eat any of 'em." "is your conscience still in good order?" asked dorothy, anxiously. "yes; it rules me like a tyrant," answered the tiger, sorrowfully. "i can imagine nothing more unpleasant than to own a conscience," and he winked slyly at his friend the lion. "you're fooling me!" said dorothy, with a laugh. "i don't b'lieve you'd eat a baby if you lost your conscience. come here, polly," she called, "and be introduced to my friends." polly advanced rather shyly. "you have some queer friends, dorothy," she said. "the queerness doesn't matter so long as they're friends," was the answer. "this is the cowardly lion, who isn't a coward at all, but just thinks he is. the wizard gave him some courage once, and he has part of it left." the lion bowed with great dignity to polly. "you are very lovely, my dear," said he. "i hope we shall be friends when we are better acquainted." "and this is the hungry tiger," continued dorothy. "he says he longs to eat fat babies; but the truth is he is never hungry at all, 'cause he gets plenty to eat; and i don't s'pose he'd hurt anybody even if he was hungry." "hush, dorothy," whispered the tiger; "you'll ruin my reputation if you are not more discreet. it isn't what we are, but what folks think we are, that counts in this world. and come to think of it miss polly would make a fine variegated breakfast, i'm sure." 18. the emerald city the others now came up, and the tin woodman greeted the lion and the tiger cordially. button-bright yelled with fear when dorothy first took his hand and led him toward the great beasts; but the girl insisted they were kind and good, and so the boy mustered up courage enough to pat their heads; after they had spoken to him gently and he had looked into their intelligent eyes his fear vanished entirely and he was so delighted with the animals that he wanted to keep close to them and stroke their soft fur every minute. as for the shaggy man, he might have been afraid if he had met the beasts alone, or in any other country, but so many were the marvels in; the land of oz that he was no longer easily surprised, and dorothy's friendship for the lion and tiger was enough to assure him they were safe companions. toto barked at the cowardly lion in joyous greeting, for he knew the beast of old and loved him, and it was funny to see how gently the lion raised his huge paw to pat toto's head. the little dog smelled of the tiger's nose, and the tiger politely shook paws with him; so they were quite likely to become firm friends. tik-tok and billina knew the beasts well, so merely bade them good day and asked after their healths and inquired about the princess ozma. now it was seen that the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger were drawing behind them a splendid golden chariot, to which they were harnessed by golden cords. the body of the chariot was decorated on the outside with designs in clusters of sparkling emeralds, while inside it was lined with a green and gold satin, and the cushions of the seats were of green plush embroidered in gold with a crown, underneath which was a monogram. "why, it's ozma's own royal chariot!" exclaimed dorothy. "yes," said the cowardly lion; "ozma sent us to meet you here, for she feared you would be weary with your long walk and she wished you to enter the city in a style becoming your exalted rank." "what!" cried polly, looking at dorothy curiously. "do you belong to the nobility?" "just in oz i do," said the child, "'cause ozma made me a princess, you know. but when i'm home in kansas i'm only a country girl, and have to help with the churning and wipe the dishes while aunt em washes 'em. do you have to help wash dishes on the rainbow, polly?" "no, dear," answered polychrome, smiling. "well, i don't have to work any in oz, either," said dorothy. "it's kind of fun to be a princess once in a while; don't you think so?" "dorothy and polychrome and button-bright are all to ride in the chariot," said the lion. "so get in, my dears, and be careful not to mar the gold or put your dusty feet on the embroidery." button-bright was delighted to ride behind such a superb team, and he told dorothy it made him feel like an actor in a circus. as the strides of the animals brought them nearer to the emerald city every one bowed respectfully to the children, as well as to the tin woodman, tik-tok, and the shaggy man, who were following behind. the yellow hen had perched upon the back of the chariot, where she could tell dorothy more about her wonderful chickens as they rode. and so the grand chariot came finally to the high wall surrounding the city, and paused before the magnificent jewel-studded gates. these were opened by a cheerful-looking little man who wore green spectacles over his eyes. dorothy introduced him to her friends as the guardian of the gates, and they noticed a big bunch of keys suspended on the golden chain that hung around his neck. the chariot passed through the outer gates into a fine arched chamber built in the thick wall, and through the inner gates into the streets of the emerald city. polychrome exclaimed in rapture at the wondrous beauty that met her eyes on every side as they rode through this stately and imposing city, the equal of which has never been discovered, even in fairyland. button-bright could only say "my!" so amazing was the sight; but his eyes were wide open and he tried to look in every direction at the same time, so as not to miss anything. the shaggy man was fairly astounded at what he saw, for the graceful and handsome buildings were covered with plates of gold and set with emeralds so splendid and valuable that in any other part of the world any one of them would have been worth a fortune to its owner. the sidewalks were superb marble slabs polished as smooth as glass, and the curbs that separated the walks from the broad street were also set thick with clustered emeralds. there were many people on these walks--men, women and children--all dressed in handsome garments of silk or satin or velvet, with beautiful jewels. better even than this: all seemed happy and contented, for their faces were smiling and free from care, and music and laughter might be heard on every side. "don't they work at all?" asked the shaggy man. "to be sure they work," replied the tin woodman; "this fair city could not be built or cared for without labor, nor could the fruit and vegetables and other food be provided for the inhabitants to eat. but no one works more than half his time, and the people of oz enjoy their labors as much as they do their play." "it's wonderful!" declared the shaggy man. "i do hope ozma will let me live here." the chariot, winding through many charming streets, paused before a building so vast and noble and elegant that even button-bright guessed at once that it was the royal palace. its gardens and ample grounds were surrounded by a separate wall, not so high or thick as the wall around the city, but more daintily designed and built all of green marble. the gates flew open as the chariot appeared before them, and the cowardly lion and hungry tiger trotted up a jeweled driveway to the front door of the palace and stopped short. "here we are!" said dorothy, gaily, and helped button-bright from the chariot. polychrome leaped out lightly after them, and they were greeted by a crowd of gorgeously dressed servants who bowed low as the visitors mounted the marble steps. at their head was a pretty little maid with dark hair and eyes, dressed all in green embroidered with silver. dorothy ran up to her with evident pleasure, and exclaimed: "o, jellia jamb! i'm so glad to see you again. where's ozma?" "in her room, your highness," replied the little maid demurely, for this was ozma's favorite attendant. "she wishes you to come to her as soon as you have rested and changed your dress, princess dorothy. and you and your friends are to dine with her this evening." "when is her birthday, jellia?" asked the girl. "day after to-morrow, your highness." "and where's the scarecrow?" "he's gone into the munchkin country to get some fresh straw to stuff himself with, in honor of ozma's celebration," replied the maid. "he returns to the emerald city to-morrow, he said." by this time, tok-tok, the tin woodman, and the shaggy man had arrived and the chariot had gone around to the back of the palace, billina going with the lion and tiger to see her chickens after her absence from them. but toto stayed close beside dorothy. "come in, please," said jellia jamb; "it shall be our pleasant duty to escort all of you to the rooms prepared for your use." the shaggy man hesitated. dorothy had never known him to be ashamed of his shaggy looks before, but now that he was surrounded by so much magnificence and splendor the shaggy man felt sadly out of place. dorothy assured him that all her friends were welcome at ozma's palace, so he carefully dusted his shaggy shoes with his shaggy handkerchief and entered the grand hall after the others. tik-tok lived at the royal palace and the tin woodman always had the same room whenever he visited ozma, so these two went at once to remove the dust of the journey from their shining bodies. dorothy also had a pretty suite of rooms which she always occupied when in the emerald city; but several servants walked ahead politely to show the way, although she was quite sure she could find the rooms herself. she took button-bright with her, because he seemed too small to be left alone in such a big palace; but jellia jamb herself ushered the beautiful daughter of the rainbow to her apartments, because it was easy to see that polychrome was used to splendid palaces and was therefore entitled to especial attention. 19. the shaggy man's welcome the shaggy man stood in the great hall, his shaggy hat in his hands, wondering what would become of him. he had never been a guest in a fine palace before; perhaps he had never been a guest anywhere. in the big, cold, outside world people did not invite shaggy men to their homes, and this shaggy man of ours had slept more in hay-lofts and stables than in comfortable rooms. when the others left the great hall he eyed the splendidly dressed servants of the princess ozma as if he expected to be ordered out; but one of them bowed before him as respectfully as if he had been a prince, and said: "permit me, sir, to conduct you to your apartments." the shaggy man drew a long breath and took courage. "very well," he answered. "i'm ready." through the big hall they went, up the grand staircase carpeted thick with velvet, and so along a wide corridor to a carved doorway. here the servant paused, and opening the door said with polite deference: "be good enough to enter, sir, and make yourself at home in the rooms our royal ozma has ordered prepared for you. whatever you see is for you to use and enjoy, as if your own. the princess dines at seven, and i shall be here in time to lead you to the drawing-room, where you will be privileged to meet the lovely ruler of oz. is there any command, in the meantime, with which you desire to honor me?" "no," said the shaggy man; "but i'm much obliged." he entered the room and shut the door, and for a time stood in bewilderment, admiring the grandeur before him. he had been given one of the handsomest apartments in the most magnificent palace in the world, and you can not wonder that his good fortune astonished and awed him until he grew used to his surroundings. the furniture was upholstered in cloth of gold, with the royal crown embroidered upon it in scarlet. the rug upon the marble floor was so thick and soft that he could not hear the sound of his own footsteps, and upon the walls were splendid tapestries woven with scenes from the land of oz. books and ornaments were scattered about in profusion, and the shaggy man thought he had never seen so many pretty things in one place before. in one corner played a tinkling fountain of perfumed water, and in another was a table bearing a golden tray loaded with freshly gathered fruit, including several of the red-cheeked apples that the shaggy man loved. at the farther end of this charming room was an open doorway, and he crossed over to find himself in a bedroom containing more comforts than the shaggy man had ever before imagined. the bedstead was of gold and set with many brilliant diamonds, and the coverlet had designs of pearls and rubies sewed upon it. at one side of the bedroom was a dainty dressing-room with closets containing a large assortment of fresh clothing; and beyond this was the bath--a large room having a marble pool big enough to swim in, with white marble steps leading down to the water. around the edge of the pool were set rows of fine emeralds as large as door-knobs, while the water of the bath was clear as crystal. for a time the shaggy man gazed upon all this luxury with silent amazement. then he decided, being wise in his way, to take advantage of his good fortune. he removed his shaggy boots and his shaggy clothing, and bathed in the pool with rare enjoyment. after he had dried himself with the soft towels he went into the dressing-room and took fresh linen from the drawers and put it on, finding that everything fitted him exactly. he examined the contents of the closets and selected an elegant suit of clothing. strangely enough, everything about it was shaggy, although so new and beautiful, and he sighed with contentment to realize that he could now be finely dressed and still be the shaggy man. his coat was of rose-colored velvet, trimmed with shags and bobtails, with buttons of blood-red rubies and golden shags around the edges. his vest was a shaggy satin of a delicate cream color, and his knee-breeches of rose velvet trimmed like the coat. shaggy creamy stockings of silk, and shaggy slippers of rose leather with ruby buckles, completed his costume, and when he was thus attired the shaggy man looked at himself in a long mirror with great admiration. on a table he found a mother-of-pearl chest decorated with delicate silver vines and flowers of clustered rubies, and on the cover was a silver plate engraved with these words: the shaggy man: his box of ornaments the chest was not locked, so he opened it and was almost dazzled by the brilliance of the rich jewels it contained. after admiring the pretty things, he took out a fine golden watch with a big chain, several handsome finger-rings, and an ornament of rubies to pin upon the breast of his shaggy shirt-bosom. having carefully brushed his hair and whiskers all the wrong way to make them look as shaggy as possible, the shaggy man breathed a deep sigh of joy and decided he was ready to meet the royal princess as soon as she sent for him. while he waited he returned to the beautiful sitting room and ate several of the red-cheeked apples to pass away the time. meanwhile, dorothy had dressed herself in a pretty gown of soft grey embroidered with silver, and put a blue-and-gold suit of satin upon little button-bright, who looked as sweet as a cherub in it. followed by the boy and toto--the dog with a new green ribbon around his neck--she hastened down to the splendid drawing-room of the palace, where, seated upon an exquisite throne of carved malachite and nestled amongst its green satin cushions was the lovely princess ozma, waiting eagerly to welcome her friend. 20. princess ozma of oz the royal historians of oz, who are fine writers and know any number of big words, have often tried to describe the rare beauty of ozma and failed because the words were not good enough. so of course i cannot hope to tell you how great was the charm of this little princess, or how her loveliness put to shame all the sparkling jewels and magnificent luxury that surrounded her in this her royal palace. whatever else was beautiful or dainty or delightful of itself faded to dullness when contrasted with ozma's bewitching face, and it has often been said by those who know that no other ruler in all the world can ever hope to equal the gracious charm of her manner. everything about ozma attracted one, and she inspired love and the sweetest affection rather than awe or ordinary admiration. dorothy threw her arms around her little friend and hugged and kissed her rapturously, and toto barked joyfully and button-bright smiled a happy smile and consented to sit on the soft cushions close beside the princess. "why didn't you send me word you were going to have a birthday party?" asked the little kansas girl, when the first greetings were over. "didn't i?" asked ozma, her pretty eyes dancing with merriment. "did you?" replied dorothy, trying to think. "who do you imagine, dear, mixed up those roads, so as to start you wandering in the direction of oz?" inquired the princess. "oh! i never 'spected you of that," cried dorothy. "i've watched you in my magic picture all the way here," declared ozma, "and twice i thought i should have to use the magic belt to save you and transport you to the emerald city. once was when the scoodlers caught you, and again when you reached the deadly desert. but the shaggy man was able to help you out both times, so i did not interfere." "do you know who button-bright is?" asked dorothy. "no; i never saw him until you found him in the road, and then only in my magic picture." "and did you send polly to us?" "no, dear; the rainbow's daughter slid from her father's pretty arch just in time to meet you." "well," said dorothy, "i've promised king dox of foxville and king kik-a-bray of dunkiton that i'd ask you to invite them to your party." "i have already done that," returned ozma, "because i thought it would please you to favor them." "did you 'vite the musicker?" asked button-bright. "no; because he would be too noisy, and might interfere with the comfort of others. when music is not very good, and is indulged in all the time, it is better that the performer should be alone," said the princess. "i like the musicker's music," declared the boy, gravely. "but i don't," said dorothy. "well, there will be plenty of music at my celebration," promised ozma; "so i've an idea button-bright won't miss the musicker at all." just then polychrome danced in, and ozma rose to greet the rainbow's daughter in her sweetest and most cordial manner. dorothy thought she had never seen two prettier creatures together than these lovely maidens; but polly knew at once her own dainty beauty could not match that of ozma, yet was not a bit jealous because this was so. the wizard of oz was announced, and a dried-up, little, old man, clothed all in black, entered the drawing-room. his face was cheery and his eyes twinkling with humor, so polly and button-bright were not at all afraid of the wonderful personage whose fame as a humbug magician had spread throughout the world. after greeting dorothy with much affection, he stood modestly behind ozma's throne and listened to the lively prattle of the young people. now the shaggy man appeared, and so startling was his appearance, all clad in shaggy new raiment, that dorothy cried "oh!" and clasped her hands impulsively as she examined her friend with pleased eyes. "he's still shaggy, all right," remarked button-bright; and ozma nodded brightly because she had meant the shaggy man to remain shaggy when she provided his new clothes for him. dorothy led him toward the throne, as he was shy in such fine company, and presented him gracefully to the princess, saying: "this, your highness, is my friend, the shaggy man, who owns the love magnet." "you are welcome to oz," said the girl ruler, in gracious accents. "but tell me, sir, where did you get the love magnet which you say you own?" the shaggy man grew red and looked downcast, as he answered in a low voice: "i stole it, your majesty." "oh, shaggy man!" cried dorothy. "how dreadful! and you told me the eskimo gave you the love magnet." he shuffled first on one foot and then on the other, much embarrassed. "i told you a falsehood, dorothy," he said; "but now, having bathed in the truth pond, i must tell nothing but the truth." "why did you steal it?" asked ozma, gently. "because no one loved me, or cared for me," said the shaggy man, "and i wanted to be loved a great deal. it was owned by a girl in butterfield who was loved too much, so that the young men quarreled over her, which made her unhappy. after i had stolen the magnet from her, only one young man continued to love the girl, and she married him and regained her happiness." "are you sorry you stole it?" asked the princess. "no, your highness; i'm glad," he answered; "for it has pleased me to be loved, and if dorothy had not cared for me i could not have accompanied her to this beautiful land of oz, or met its kind-hearted ruler. now that i'm here, i hope to remain, and to become one of your majesty's most faithful subjects." "but in oz we are loved for ourselves alone, and for our kindness to one another, and for our good deeds," she said. "i'll give up the love magnet," said the shaggy man, eagerly; "dorothy shall have it." "but every one loves dorothy already," declared the wizard. "then button-bright shall have it." "don't want it," said the boy, promptly. "then i'll give it to the wizard, for i'm sure the lovely princess ozma does not need it." "all my people love the wizard, too," announced the princess, laughing; "so we will hang the love magnet over the gates of the emerald city, that whoever shall enter or leave the gates may be loved and loving." "that is a good idea," said the shaggy man; "i agree to it most willingly." those assembled now went in to dinner, which you can imagine was a grand affair; and afterward ozma asked the wizard to give them an exhibition of his magic. the wizard took eight tiny white piglets from an inside pocket and set them on the table. one was dressed like a clown, and performed funny antics, and the others leaped over the spoons and dishes and ran around the table like race-horses, and turned hand-springs and were so sprightly and amusing that they kept the company in one roar of merry laughter. the wizard had trained these pets to do many curious things, and they were so little and so cunning and soft that polychrome loved to pick them up as they passed near her place and fondle them as if they were kittens. it was late when the entertainment ended, and they separated to go to their rooms. "to-morrow," said ozma, "my invited guests will arrive, and you will find among them some interesting and curious people, i promise you. the next day will be my birthday, and the festivities will be held on the broad green just outside the gates of the city, where all my people can assemble without being crowded." "i hope the scarecrow won't be late," said dorothy, anxiously. "oh, he is sure to return to-morrow," answered ozma. "he wanted new straw to stuff himself with, so he went to the munchkin country, where straw is plentiful." with this the princess bade her guests good night and went to her own room. 21. dorothy receives the guests next morning dorothy's breakfast was served in her own pretty sitting room, and she sent to invite polly and the shaggy man to join her and button-bright at the meal. they came gladly, and toto also had breakfast with them, so that the little party that had traveled together to oz was once more reunited. no sooner had they finished eating than they heard the distant blast of many trumpets, and the sound of a brass band playing martial music; so they all went out upon the balcony. this was at the front of the palace and overlooked the streets of the city, being higher than the wall that shut in the palace grounds. they saw approaching down the street a band of musicians, playing as hard and loud as they could, while the people of the emerald city crowded the sidewalks and cheered so lustily that they almost drowned the noise of the drums and horns. dorothy looked to see what they were cheering at, and discovered that behind the band was the famous scarecrow, riding proudly upon the back of a wooden saw-horse which pranced along the street almost as gracefully as if it had been made of flesh. its hoofs, or rather the ends of its wooden legs, were shod with plates of solid gold, and the saddle strapped to the wooden body was richly embroidered and glistened with jewels. as he reached the palace the scarecrow looked up and saw dorothy, and at once waved his peaked hat at her in greeting. he rode up to the front door and dismounted, and the band stopped playing and went away and the crowds of people returned to their dwellings. by the time dorothy and her friends had re-entered her room, the scarecrow was there, and he gave the girl a hearty embrace and shook the hands of the others with his own squashy hands, which were white gloves filled with straw. the shaggy man, button-bright, and polychrome stared hard at this celebrated person, who was acknowledged to be the most popular and most beloved man in all the land of oz. "why, your face has been newly painted!" exclaimed dorothy, when the first greetings were over. "i had it touched up a bit by the munchkin farmer who first made me," answered the scarecrow, pleasantly. "my complexion had become a bit grey and faded, you know, and the paint had peeled off one end of my mouth, so i couldn't talk quite straight. now i feel like myself again, and i may say without immodesty that my body is stuffed with the loveliest oat-straw in all oz." he pushed against his chest. "hear me crunkle?" he asked. "yes," said dorothy; "you sound fine." button-bright was wonderfully attracted by the strawman, and so was polly. the shaggy man treated him with great respect, because he was so queerly made. jellia jamb now came to say that ozma wanted princess dorothy to receive the invited guests in the throne-room, as they arrived. the ruler was herself busy ordering the preparations for the morrow's festivities, so she wished her friend to act in her place. dorothy willingly agreed, being the only other princess in the emerald city; so she went to the great throne-room and sat in ozma's seat, placing polly on one side of her and button-bright on the other. the scarecrow stood at the left of the throne and the tin woodman at the right, while the wonderful wizard and the shaggy man stood behind. the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger came in, with bright new bows of ribbon on their collars and tails. after greeting dorothy affectionately the huge beasts lay down at the foot of the throne. while they waited, the scarecrow, who was near the little boy, asked: "why are you called button-bright?" "don't know," was the answer. "oh yes, you do, dear," said dorothy. "tell the scarecrow how you got your name." "papa always said i was bright as a button, so mama always called me button-bright," announced the boy. "where is your mama?" asked the scarecrow. "don't know," said button-bright. "where is your home?" asked the scarecrow. "don't know," said button-bright. "don't you want to find your mama again?" asked the scarecrow. "don't know," said button-bright, calmly. the scarecrow looked thoughtful. "your papa may have been right," he observed; "but there are many kinds of buttons, you see. there are silver and gold buttons, which are highly polished and glitter brightly. there are pearl and rubber buttons, and other kinds, with surfaces more or less bright. but there is still another sort of button which is covered with dull cloth, and that must be the sort your papa meant when he said you were bright as a button. don't you think so?" "don't know," said button-bright. jack pumpkinhead arrived, wearing a pair of new, white kid gloves; and he brought a birthday present for ozma consisting of a necklace of pumpkin-seeds. in each seed was set a sparkling carolite, which is considered the rarest and most beautiful gem that exists. the necklace was in a plush case and jellia jamb put it on a table with the princess ozma's other presents. next came a tall, beautiful woman clothed in a splendid trailing gown, trimmed with exquisite lace as fine as cobweb. this was the important sorceress known as glinda the good, who had been of great assistance to both ozma and dorothy. there was no humbug about her magic, you may be sure, and glinda was as kind as she was powerful. she greeted dorothy most lovingly, and kissed button-bright and polly, and smiled upon the shaggy man, after which jellia jamb led the sorceress to one of the most magnificent rooms of the royal palace and appointed fifty servants to wait upon her. the next arrival was mr. h. m. woggle-bug, t.e.; the "h. m." meaning highly magnified and the "t.e." meaning thoroughly educated. the woggle-bug was head professor at the royal college of oz, and he had composed a fine ode in honor of ozma's birthday. this he wanted to read to them; but the scarecrow wouldn't let him. soon they heard a clucking sound and a chorus of "cheep! cheep!" and a servant threw open the door to allow billina and her ten fluffy chicks to enter the throne-room. as the yellow hen marched proudly at the head of her family, dorothy cried, "oh, you lovely things!" and ran down from her seat to pet the little yellow downy balls. billina wore a pearl necklace, and around the neck of each chicken was a tiny gold chain holding a locket with the letter "d" engraved upon the outside. "open the lockets, dorothy," said billina. the girl obeyed and found a picture of herself in each locket. "they were named after you, my dear," continued the yellow hen, "so i wanted all my chickens to wear your picture. cluck--cluck! come here, dorothy--this minute!" she cried, for the chickens were scattered and wandering all around the big room. they obeyed the call at once, and came running as fast as they could, fluttering their fluffy wings in a laughable way. it was lucky that billina gathered the little ones under her soft breast just then, for tik-tok came in and tramped up to the throne on his flat copper feet. "i am all wound up and work-ing fine-ly," said the clock-work man to dorothy. "i can hear him tick," declared button-bright. "you are quite the polished gentleman," said the tin woodman. "stand up here beside the shaggy man, tik-tok, and help receive the company." dorothy placed soft cushions in a corner for billina and her chicks, and had just returned to the throne and seated herself when the playing of the royal band outside the palace announced the approach of distinguished guests. and my, how they did stare when the high chamberlain threw open the doors and the visitors entered the throne-room! first walked a gingerbread man neatly formed and baked to a lovely brown tint. he wore a silk hat and carried a candy cane prettily striped with red and yellow. his shirt-front and cuffs were white frosting, and the buttons on his coat were licorice drops. behind the gingerbread man came a child with flaxen hair and merry blue eyes, dressed in white pajamas, with sandals on the soles of its pretty bare feet. the child looked around smiling and thrust its hands into the pockets of the pajamas. close after it came a big rubber bear, walking erect on its hind feet. the bear had twinkling black eyes, and its body looked as if it had been pumped full of air. following these curious visitors were two tall, thin men and two short, fat men, all four dressed in gorgeous uniforms. ozma's high chamberlain now hurried forward to announce the names of the new arrivals, calling out in a loud voice: "his gracious and most edible majesty, king dough the first, ruler of the two kingdoms of hiland and loland. also the head boolywag of his majesty, known as chick the cherub, and their faithful friend para bruin, the rubber bear." these great personages bowed low as their names were called, and dorothy hastened to introduce them to the assembled company. they were the first foreign arrivals, and the friends of princess ozma were polite to them and tried to make them feel that they were welcome. chick the cherub shook hands with every one, including billina, and was so joyous and frank and full of good spirits that john dough's head booleywag at once became a prime favorite. "is it a boy or a girl?" whispered dorothy. "don't know," said button-bright. "goodness me! what a queer lot of people you are," exclaimed the rubber bear, looking at the assembled company. "so're you," said button-bright, gravely. "is king dough good to eat?" "he's too good to eat," laughed chick the cherub. "i hope none of you are fond of gingerbread," said the king, rather anxiously. "we should never think of eating our visitors, if we were," declared the scarecrow; "so please do not worry, for you will be perfectly safe while you remain in oz." "why do they call you chick?" the yellow hen asked the child. "because i'm an incubator baby, and never had any parents," replied the head booleywag. "my chicks have a parent, and i'm it," said billina. "i'm glad of that," answered the cherub, "because they'll have more fun worrying you than if they were brought up in an incubator. the incubator never worries, you know." king john dough had brought for ozma's birthday present a lovely gingerbread crown, with rows of small pearls around it and a fine big pearl in each of its five points. after this had been received by dorothy with proper thanks and placed on the table with the other presents, the visitors from hiland and loland were escorted to their rooms by the high chamberlain. they had no sooner departed than the band before the palace began to play again, announcing more arrivals, and as these were doubtless from foreign parts the high chamberlain hurried back to receive them in his most official manner. 22. important arrivals first entered a band of ryls from the happy valley, all merry little sprites like fairy elves. a dozen crooked knooks followed from the great forest of burzee. they had long whiskers and pointed caps and curling toes, yet were no taller than button-bright's shoulder. with this group came a man so easy to recognize and so important and dearly beloved throughout the known world, that all present rose to their feet and bowed their heads in respectful homage, even before the high chamberlain knelt to announce his name. "the most mighty and loyal friend of children, his supreme highness--santa claus!" said the chamberlain, in an awed voice. "well, well, well! glad to see you--glad to meet you all!" cried santa claus, briskly, as he trotted up the long room. he was round as an apple, with a fresh rosy face, laughing eyes, and a bushy beard as white as snow. a red cloak trimmed with beautiful ermine hung from his shoulders and upon his back was a basket filled with pretty presents for the princess ozma. "hello, dorothy; still having adventures?" he asked in his jolly way, as he took the girl's hand in both his own. "how did you know my name, santa?" she replied, feeling more shy in the presence of this immortal saint than she ever had before in her young life. "why, don't i see you every christmas eve, when you're asleep?" he rejoined, pinching her blushing cheek. "oh, do you?" "and here's button-bright, i declare!" cried santa claus, holding up the boy to kiss him. "what a long way from home you are; dear me!" "do you know button-bright, too?" questioned dorothy, eagerly. "indeed i do. i've visited his home several christmas eves." "and do you know his father?" asked the girl. "certainly, my dear. who else do you suppose brings him his christmas neckties and stockings?" with a sly wink at the wizard. "then where does he live? we're just crazy to know, 'cause button-bright's lost," she said. santa laughed and laid his finger aside of his nose as if thinking what to reply. he leaned over and whispered something in the wizard's ear, at which the wizard smiled and nodded as if he understood. now santa claus spied polychrome, and trotted over to where she stood. "seems to me the rainbow's daughter is farther from home than any of you," he observed, looking at the pretty maiden admiringly. "i'll have to tell your father where you are, polly, and send him to get you." "please do, dear santa claus," implored the little maid, beseechingly. "but just now we must all have a jolly good time at ozma's party," said the old gentleman, turning to put his presents on the table with the others already there. "it isn't often i find time to leave my castle, as you know; but ozma invited me and i just couldn't help coming to celebrate the happy occasion." "i'm so glad!" exclaimed dorothy. "these are my ryls," pointing to the little sprites squatting around him. "their business is to paint the colors of the flowers when they bud and bloom; but i brought the merry fellows along to see oz, and they've left their paint-pots behind them. also i brought these crooked knooks, whom i love. my dears, the knooks are much nicer than they look, for their duty is to water and care for the young trees of the forest, and they do their work faithfully and well. it's hard work, though, and it makes my knooks crooked and gnarled, like the trees themselves; but their hearts are big and kind, as are the hearts of all who do good in our beautiful world." "i've read of the ryls and knooks," said dorothy, looking upon these little workers with interest. santa claus turned to talk with the scarecrow and the tin woodman, and he also said a kind word to the shaggy man, and afterward went away to ride the saw-horse around the emerald city. "for," said he, "i must see all the grand sights while i am here and have the chance, and ozma has promised to let me ride the saw-horse because i'm getting fat and short of breath." "where are your reindeer?" asked polychrome. "i left them at home, for it is too warm for them in this sunny country," he answered. "they're used to winter weather when they travel." in a flash he was gone, and the ryls and knooks with him; but they could all hear the golden hoofs of the saw-horse ringing on the marble pavement outside, as he pranced away with his noble rider. presently the band played again, and the high chamberlain announced: "her gracious majesty, the queen of merryland." they looked earnestly to discover whom this queen might be, and saw advancing up the room an exquisite wax doll dressed in dainty fluffs and ruffles and spangled gown. she was almost as big as button-bright, and her cheeks and mouth and eyebrow were prettily painted in delicate colors. her blue eyes stared a bit, being of glass, yet the expression upon her majesty's face was quite pleasant and decidedly winning. with the queen of merryland were four wooden soldiers, two stalking ahead of her with much dignity and two following behind, like a royal bodyguard. the soldiers were painted in bright colors and carried wooden guns, and after them came a fat little man who attracted attention at once, although he seemed modest and retiring. for he was made of candy, and carried a tin sugar-sifter filled with powdered sugar, with which he dusted himself frequently so that he wouldn't stick to things if he touched them. the high chamberlain had called him "the candy man of merryland," and dorothy saw that one of his thumbs looked as if it had been bitten off by some one who was fond of candy and couldn't resist the temptation. the wax doll queen spoke prettily to dorothy and the others, and sent her loving greetings to ozma before she retired to the rooms prepared for her. she had brought a birthday present wrapped in tissue paper and tied with pink and blue ribbons, and one of the wooden soldiers placed it on the table with the other gifts. but the candy man did not go to his room, because he said he preferred to stay and talk with the scarecrow and tik-tok and the wizard and tin woodman, whom he declared the queerest people he had ever met. button-bright was glad the candy man stayed in the throne room, because the boy thought this guest smelled deliciously of wintergreen and maple sugar. the braided man now entered the room, having been fortunate enough to receive an invitation to the princess ozma's party. he was from a cave halfway between the invisible valley and the country of the gargoyles, and his hair and whiskers were so long that he was obliged to plait them into many braids that hung to his feet, and every braid was tied with a bow of colored ribbon. "i've brought princess ozma a box of flutters for her birthday," said the braided man, earnestly; "and i hope she will like them, for they are the finest quality i have ever made." "i'm sure she will be greatly pleased," said dorothy, who remembered the braided man well; and the wizard introduced the guest to the rest of the company and made him sit down in a chair and keep quiet, for, if allowed, he would talk continually about his flutters. the band then played a welcome to another set of guests, and into the throne-room swept the handsome and stately queen of ev. beside her was young king evardo, and following them came the entire royal family of five princesses and four princes of ev. the kingdom of ev lay just across the deadly desert to the north of oz, and once ozma and her people had rescued the queen of ev and her ten children from the nome king, who had enslaved them. dorothy had been present on this adventure, so she greeted the royal family cordially; and all the visitors were delighted to meet the little kansas girl again. they knew tik-tok and billina, too, and the scarecrow and tin woodman, as well as the lion and tiger; so there was a joyful reunion, as you may imagine, and it was fully an hour before the queen and her train retired to their rooms. perhaps they would not have gone then had not the band begun to play to announce new arrivals; but before they left the great throne-room king evardo added to ozma's birthday presents a diadem of diamonds set in radium. the next comer proved to be king renard of foxville; or king dox, as he preferred to be called. he was magnificently dressed in a new feather costume and wore white kid mittens over his paws and a flower in his button-hole and had his hair parted in the middle. king dox thanked dorothy fervently for getting him the invitation to come to oz, which he all his life longed to visit. he strutted around rather absurdly as he was introduced to all the famous people assembled in the throne-room, and when he learned that dorothy was a princess of oz the fox king insisted on kneeling at her feet and afterward retired backward--a dangerous thing to do, as he might have stubbed his paw and tumbled over. no sooner was he gone than the blasts of bugles and clatter of drums and cymbals announced important visitors, and the high chamberlain assumed his most dignified tone as he threw open the door and said proudly: "her sublime and resplendent majesty, queen zixi of ix! his serene and tremendous majesty, king bud of noland. her royal highness, the princess fluff." that three such high and mighty royal personages should arrive at once was enough to make dorothy and her companions grow solemn and assume their best company manners; but when the exquisite beauty of queen zixi met their eyes they thought they had never beheld anything so charming. dorothy decided that zixi must be about sixteen years old, but the wizard whispered to her that this wonderful queen had lived thousands of years, but knew the secret of remaining always fresh and beautiful. king bud of noland and his dainty fair-haired sister, the princess fluff, were friends of zixi, as their kingdoms were adjoining, so they had traveled together from their far-off domains to do honor to ozma of oz on the occasion of her birthday. they brought many splendid gifts; so the table was now fairly loaded down with presents. dorothy and polly loved the princess fluff the moment they saw her, and little king bud was so frank and boyish that button-bright accepted him as a chum at once and did not want him to go away. but it was after noon now, and the royal guests must prepare their toilets for the grand banquet at which they were to assemble that evening to meet the reigning princess of this fairyland; so queen zixi was shown to her room by a troop of maidens led by jellia jamb, and bud and fluff presently withdrew to their own apartments. "my! what a big party ozma is going to have," exclaimed dorothy. "i guess the palace will be chock full, button-bright; don't you think so?" "don't know," said the boy. "but we must go to our rooms, pretty soon, to dress for the banquet," continued the girl. "i don't have to dress," said the candy man from merryland. "all i need do is to dust myself with fresh sugar." "tik-tok always wears the same suits of clothes," said the tin woodman; "and so does our friend the scarecrow." "my feathers are good enough for any occasion," cried billina, from her corner. "then i shall leave you four to welcome any new guests that come," said dorothy; "for button-bright and i must look our very best at ozma's banquet." "who is still to come?" asked the scarecrow. "well, there's king kik-a-bray of dunkiton, and johnny dooit, and the good witch of the north. but johnny dooit may not get here until late, he's so very busy." "we will receive them and give them a proper welcome," promised the scarecrow. "so run along, little dorothy, and get yourself dressed." 23. the grand banquet i wish i could tell you how fine the company was that assembled that evening at ozma's royal banquet. a long table was spread in the center of the great dining-hall of the palace and the splendor of the decorations and the blaze of lights and jewels was acknowledged to be the most magnificent sight that any of the guests had ever seen. the jolliest person present, as well as the most important, was of course old santa claus; so he was given the seat of honor at one end of the table while at the other end sat princess ozma, the hostess. john dough, queen zixi, king bud, the queen of ev and her son evardo, and the queen of merryland had golden thrones to sit in, while the others were supplied with beautiful chairs. at the upper end of the banquet room was a separate table provided for the animals. toto sat at one end of this table with a bib tied around his neck and a silver platter to eat from. at the other end was placed a small stand, with a low rail around the edge of it, for billina and her chicks. the rail kept the ten little dorothys from falling off the stand, while the yellow hen could easily reach over and take her food from her tray upon the table. at other places sat the hungry tiger, the cowardly lion, the saw-horse, the rubber bear, the fox king and the donkey king; they made quite a company of animals. at the lower end of the great room was another table, at which sat the ryls and knooks who had come with santa claus, the wooden soldiers who had come with the queen of merryland, and the hilanders and lolanders who had come with john dough. here were also seated the officers of the royal palace and of ozma's army. the splendid costumes of those at the three tables made a gorgeous and glittering display that no one present was ever likely to forget; perhaps there has never been in any part of the world at any time another assemblage of such wonderful people as that which gathered this evening to honor the birthday of the ruler of oz. when all members of ethe company were in their places an orchestra of five hundred pieces, in a balcony overlooking the banquet room, began to play sweet and delightful music. then a door draped with royal green opened, and in came the fair and girlish princess ozma, who now greeted her guests in person for the first time. as she stood by her throne at the head of the banquet table every eye was turned eagerly upon the lovely princess, who was as dignified as she was bewitching, and who smiled upon all her old and new friends in a way that touched their hearts and brought an answering smile to every face. each guest had been served with a crystal goblet filled with lacasa, which is a sort of nectar famous in oz and nicer to drink than soda-water or lemonade. santa now made a pretty speech in verse, congratulating ozma on having a birthday, and asking every one present to drink to the health and happiness of their dearly beloved hostess. this was done with great enthusiasm by those who were made so they could drink at all, and those who could not drink politely touched the rims of their goblets to their lips. all seated themselves at the tables and the servants of the princess began serving the feast. i am quite sure that only in fairyland could such a delicious repast be prepared. the dishes were of precious metals set with brilliant jewels and the good things to eat which were placed upon them were countless in number and of exquisite flavor. several present, such as the candy man, the rubber bear, tik-tok, and the scarecrow, were not made so they could eat, and the queen of merryland contented herself with a small dish of sawdust; but these enjoyed the pomp and glitter of the gorgeous scene as much as did those who feasted. the woggle-bug read his "ode to ozma," which was written in very good rhythm and was well received by the company. the wizard added to the entertainment by making a big pie appear before dorothy, and when the little girl cut the pie the nine tiny piglets leaped out of it and danced around the table, while the orchestra played a merry tune. this amused the company very much, but they were even more pleased when polychrome, whose hunger had been easily satisfied, rose from the table and performed her graceful and bewildering rainbow dance for them. when it was ended, the people clapped their hands and the animals clapped their paws, while billina cackled and the donkey king brayed approval. johnny dooit was present, and of course he proved he could do wonders in the way of eating, as well as in everything else that he undertook to do; the tin woodman sang a love song, every one joining in the chorus; and the wooden soldiers from merryland gave an exhibition of a lightning drill with their wooden muskets; the ryls and knooks danced the fairy circle; and the rubber bear bounced himself all around the room. there was laughter and merriment on every side, and everybody was having a royal good time. button-bright was so excited and interested that he paid little attention to his fine dinner and a great deal of attention to his queer companions; and perhaps he was wise to do this, because he could eat at any other time. the feasting and merrymaking continued until late in the evening, when they separated to meet again the next morning and take part in the birthday celebration, to which this royal banquet was merely the introduction. 24. the birthday celebration a clear, perfect day, with a gentle breeze and a sunny sky, greeted princess ozma as she wakened next morning, the anniversary of her birth. while it was yet early all the city was astir and crowds of people came from all parts of the land of oz to witness the festivities in honor of their girl ruler's birthday. the noted visitors from foreign countries, who had all been transported to the emerald city by means of the magic belt, were as much a show to the ozites as were their own familiar celebrities, and the streets leading from the royal palace to the jeweled gates were thronged with men, women, and children to see the procession as it passed out to the green fields where the ceremonies were to take place. and what a great procession it was! first came a thousand young girls--the prettiest in the land--dressed in white muslin, with green sashes and hair ribbons, bearing green baskets of red roses. as they walked they scattered these flowers upon the marble pavements, so that the way was carpeted thick with roses for the procession to walk upon. then came the rulers of the four kingdoms of oz: the emperor of the winkies, the monarch of the munchkins, the king of the quadlings and the sovereign of the gillikins, each wearing a long chain of emeralds around his neck to show that he was a vassal of the ruler of the emerald city. next marched the emerald city cornet band, clothed in green-and-gold uniforms and playing the "ozma two-step." the royal army of oz followed, consisting of twenty-seven officers, from the captain-general down to the lieutenants. there were no privates in ozma's army because soldiers were not needed to fight battles, but only to look important, and an officer always looks more imposing than a private. while the people cheered and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, there came walking the royal princess ozma, looking so pretty and sweet that it is no wonder her people love her so dearly. she had decided she would not ride in her chariot that day, as she preferred to walk in the procession with her favored subjects and her guests. just in front of her trotted the living blue bear rug owned by old dyna, which wobbled clumsily on its four feet because there was nothing but the skin to support them, with a stuffed head at one end and a stubby tail at the other. but whenever ozma paused in her walk the bear rug would flop down flat upon the ground for the princess to stand upon until she resumed her progress. following the princess stalked her two enormous beasts, the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, and even if the army had not been there these two would have been powerful enough to guard their mistress from any harm. next marched the invited guests, who were loudly cheered by the people of oz along the road, and were therefore obliged to bow to right and left almost every step of the way. first was santa claus, who, because he was fat and not used to walking, rode the wonderful saw-horse. the merry old gentleman had a basket of small toys with him, and he tossed the toys one by one to the children as he passed by. his ryls and knooks marched close behind him. queen zixi of ix came after; then john dough and the cherub, with the rubber bear named para bruin strutting between them on its hind legs; then the queen of merryland, escorted by her wooden soldiers; then king bud of noland and his sister, the princess fluff; then the queen of ev and her ten royal children; then the braided man and the candy man, side by side; then king dox of foxville and king kik-a-bray of dunkiton, who by this time had become good friends; and finally johnny dooit, in his leather apron, smoking his long pipe. these wonderful personages were not more heartily cheered by the people than were those who followed after them in the procession. dorothy was a general favorite, and she walked arm in arm with the scarecrow, who was beloved by all. then came polychrome and button-bright, and the people loved the rainbow's pretty daughter and the beautiful blue-eyed boy as soon as they saw them. the shaggy man in his shaggy new suit attracted much attention because he was such a novelty. with regular steps tramped the machine-man tik-tok, and there was more cheering when the wizard of oz followed in the procession. the woggle-bug and jack pumpkinhead were next, and behind them glinda the sorceress and the good witch of the north. finally came billina, with her brood of chickens to whom she clucked anxiously to keep them together and to hasten them along so they would not delay the procession. another band followed, this time the tin band of the emperor of the winkies, playing a beautiful march called, "there's no plate like tin." then came the servants of the royal palace, in a long line, and behind them all the people joined the procession and marched away through the emerald gates and out upon the broad green. here had been erected a splendid pavilion, with a grandstand big enough to seat all the royal party and those who had taken part in the procession. over the pavilion, which was of green silk and cloth of gold, countless banners waved in the breeze. just in front of this, and connected with it by a runway had been built a broad platform, so that all the spectators could see plainly the entertainment provided for them. the wizard now became master of ceremonies, as ozma had placed the conduct of the performance in his hands. after the people had all congregated about the platform and the royal party and the visitors were seated in the grandstand, the wizard skillfully performed some feats of juggling glass balls and lighted candles. he tossed a dozen or so of them high in the air and caught them one by one as they came down, without missing any. then he introduced the scarecrow, who did a sword-swallowing act that aroused much interest. after this the tin woodman gave an exhibition of swinging the axe, which he made to whirl around him so rapidly that the eye could scarcely follow the motion of the gleaming blade. glinda the sorceress then stepped upon the platform, and by her magic made a big tree grow in the middle of the space, made blossoms appear upon the tree, and made the blossoms become delicious fruit called tamornas, and so great was the quantity of fruit produced that when the servants climbed the tree and tossed it down to the crowd, there was enough to satisfy every person present. para bruin, the rubber bear, climbed to a limb of the big tree, rolled himself into a ball, and dropped to the platform, whence he bounded up again to the limb. he repeated this bouncing act several times, to the great delight of all the children present. after he had finished, and bowed, and returned to his seat, glinda waved her wand and the tree disappeared; but its fruit still remained to be eaten. the good witch of the north amused the people by transforming ten stones into ten birds, the ten birds into ten lambs, and the ten lambs into ten little girls, who gave a pretty dance and were then transformed into ten stones again, just as they were in the beginning. johnny dooit next came on the platform with his tool-chest, and in a few minutes built a great flying machine; then put his chest in the machine and the whole thing flew away together--johnny and all--after he had bid good-bye to those present and thanked the princess for her hospitality. the wizard then announced the last act of all, which was considered really wonderful. he had invented a machine to blow huge soap-bubbles, as big as balloons, and this machine was hidden under the platform so that only the rim of the big clay pipe to produce the bubbles showed above the flooring. the tank of soapsuds, and the air-pumps to inflate the bubbles, were out of sight beneath, so that when the bubbles began to grow upon the floor of the platform it really seemed like magic to the people of oz, who knew nothing about even the common soap-bubbles that our children blow with a penny clay pipe and a basin of soap-and-water. the wizard had invented another thing. usually, soap-bubbles are frail and burst easily, lasting only a few moments as they float in the air; but the wizard added a sort of glue to his soapsuds, which made his bubbles tough; and, as the glue dried rapidly when exposed to the air, the wizard's bubbles were strong enough to float for hours without breaking. he began by blowing--by means of his machinery and air-pumps--several large bubbles which he allowed to float upward into the sky, where the sunshine fell upon them and gave them iridescent hues that were most beautiful. this aroused much wonder and delight because it was a new amusement to every one present--except perhaps dorothy and button-bright, and even they had never seen such big, strong bubbles before. the wizard then blew a bunch of small bubbles and afterward blew a big bubble around them so they were left in the center of it; then he allowed the whole mass of pretty globes to float into the air and disappear in the far distant sky. "that is really fine!" declared santa claus, who loved toys and pretty things. "i think, mr. wizard, i shall have you blow a bubble around me; then i can float away home and see the country spread out beneath me as i travel. there isn't a spot on earth that i haven't visited, but i usually go in the night-time, riding behind my swift reindeer. here is a good chance to observe the country by daylight, while i am riding slowly and at my ease." "do you think you will be able to guide the bubble?" asked the wizard. "oh yes; i know enough magic to do that," replied santa claus. "you blow the bubble, with me inside of it, and i'll be sure to get home in safety." "please send me home in a bubble, too!" begged the queen of merryland. "very well, madam; you shall try the journey first," politely answered old santa. the pretty wax doll bade good-bye to the princess ozma and the others and stood on the platform while the wizard blew a big soap-bubble around her. when completed, he allowed the bubble to float slowly upward, and there could be seen the little queen of merryland standing in the middle of it and blowing kisses from her fingers to those below. the bubble took a southerly direction, quickly floating out of sight. "that's a very nice way to travel," said princess fluff. "i'd like to go home in a bubble, too." so the wizard blew a big bubble around princess fluff, and another around king bud, her brother, and a third one around queen zixi; and soon these three bubbles had mounted into the sky and were floating off in a group in the direction of the kingdom of noland. the success of these ventures induced the other guests from foreign lands to undertake bubble journeys, also; so the wizard put them one by one inside his bubbles, and santa claus directed the way they should go, because he knew exactly where everybody lived. finally, button-bright said: "i want to go home, too." "why, so you shall!" cried santa; "for i'm sure your father and mother will be glad to see you again. mr. wizard, please blow a big, fine bubble for button-bright to ride in, and i'll agree to send him home to his family as safe as safe can be." "i'm sorry," said dorothy with a sigh, for she was fond of her little comrade; "but p'raps it's best for button-bright to get home; 'cause his folks must be worrying just dreadful." she kissed the boy, and ozma kissed him, too, and all the others waved their hands and said good-bye and wished him a pleasant journey. "are you glad to leave us, dear?" asked dorothy, a little wistfully. "don't know," said button-bright. he sat down cross-legged on the platform, with his sailor hat tipped back on his head, and the wizard blew a beautiful bubble all around him. a minute later it had mounted into the sky, sailing toward the west, and the last they saw of button-bright he was still sitting in the middle of the shining globe and waving his sailor hat at those below. "will you ride in a bubble, or shall i send you and toto home by means of the magic belt?" the princess asked dorothy. "guess i'll use the belt," replied the little girl. "i'm sort of 'fraid of those bubbles." "bow-wow!" said toto, approvingly. he loved to bark at the bubbles as they sailed away, but he didn't care to ride in one. santa claus decided to go next. he thanked ozma for her hospitality and wished her many happy returns of the day. then the wizard blew a bubble around his chubby little body and smaller bubbles around each of his ryls and knooks. as the kind and generous friend of children mounted into the air the people all cheered at the top of their voices, for they loved santa claus dearly; and the little man heard them through the walls of his bubble and waved his hands in return as he smiled down upon them. the band played bravely while every one watched the bubble until it was completely out of sight. "how 'bout you, polly?" dorothy asked her friend. "are you 'fraid of bubbles, too?" "no," answered polychrome, smiling; "but santa claus promised to speak to my father as he passed through the sky. so perhaps i shall get home an easier way." indeed, the little maid had scarcely made this speech when a sudden radiance filled the air, and while the people looked on in wonder the end of a gorgeous rainbow slowly settled down upon the platform. with a glad cry, the rainbow's daughter sprang from her seat and danced along the curve of the bow, mounting gradually upward, while the folds of her gauzy gown whirled and floated around her like a cloud and blended with the colors of the rainbow itself. "good-bye ozma! good-bye dorothy!" cried a voice they knew belonged to polychrome; but now the little maiden's form had melted wholly into the rainbow, and their eyes could no longer see her. suddenly, the end of the rainbow lifted and its colors slowly faded like mist before a breeze. dorothy sighed deeply and turned to ozma. "i'm sorry to lose polly," she said; "but i guess she's better off with her father; 'cause even the land of oz couldn't be like home to a cloud fairy." "no indeed," replied the princess; "but it has been delightful for us to know polychrome for a little while, and--who knows?--perhaps we may meet the rainbow's daughter again, some day." the entertainment being now ended, all left the pavilion and formed their gay procession back to the emerald city again. of dorothy's recent traveling companions only toto and the shaggy man remained, and ozma had decided to allow the latter to live in oz for a time, at least. if he proved honest and true she promised to let him live there always, and the shaggy man was anxious to earn this reward. they had a nice quiet dinner together and passed a pleasant evening with the scarecrow, the tin woodman, tik-tok, and the yellow hen for company. when dorothy bade them good-night, she kissed them all good-bye at the same time. for ozma had agreed that while dorothy slept she and toto should be transported by means of the magic belt to her own little bed in the kansas farm-house and the little girl laughed as she thought how astonished uncle henry and aunt em would be when she came down to breakfast with them next morning. quite content to have had so pleasant an adventure, and a little tired by all the day's busy scenes, dorothy clasped toto in her arms and lay down upon the pretty white bed in her room in ozma's royal palace. presently she was sound asleep. ozma of oz a record of her adventures with dorothy gale of kansas, the yellow hen, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, tiktok, the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger; besides other good people too numerous to mention faithfully recorded herein by l. frank baum the author of the wizard of oz, the land of oz, etc. contents --author's note- 1. the girl in the chicken coop 2. the yellow hen 3. letters in the sand 4. tiktok, the machine man 5. dorothy opens the dinner pail 6. the heads of langwidere 7. ozma of oz to the rescue 8. the hungry tiger 9. the royal family of ev 10. the giant with the hammer 11. the nome king 12. the eleven guesses 13. the nome king laughs 14. dorothy tries to be brave 15. billina frightens the nome king 16. purple, green and gold 17. the scarecrow wins the fight 18. the fate of the tin woodman 19. the king of ev 20. the emerald city 21. dorothy's magic belt author's note my friends the children are responsible for this new "oz book," as they were for the last one, which was called the land of oz. their sweet little letters plead to know "more about dorothy"; and they ask: "what became of the cowardly lion?" and "what did ozma do afterward?"--meaning, of course, after she became the ruler of oz. and some of them suggest plots to me, saying: "please have dorothy go to the land of oz again"; or, "why don't you make ozma and dorothy meet, and have a good time together?" indeed, could i do all that my little friends ask, i would be obliged to write dozens of books to satisfy their demands. and i wish i could, for i enjoy writing these stories just as much as the children say they enjoy reading them. well, here is "more about dorothy," and about our old friends the scarecrow and the tin woodman, and about the cowardly lion, and ozma, and all the rest of them; and here, likewise, is a good deal about some new folks that are queer and unusual. one little friend, who read this story before it was printed, said to me: "billina is real ozzy, mr. baum, and so are tiktok and the hungry tiger." if this judgment is unbiased and correct, and the little folks find this new story "real ozzy," i shall be very glad indeed that i wrote it. but perhaps i shall get some more of those very welcome letters from my readers, telling me just how they like "ozma of oz." i hope so, anyway. l. frank baum. macatawa, 1907. 1. the girl in the chicken coop the wind blew hard and joggled the water of the ocean, sending ripples across its surface. then the wind pushed the edges of the ripples until they became waves, and shoved the waves around until they became billows. the billows rolled dreadfully high: higher even than the tops of houses. some of them, indeed, rolled as high as the tops of tall trees, and seemed like mountains; and the gulfs between the great billows were like deep valleys. all this mad dashing and splashing of the waters of the big ocean, which the mischievous wind caused without any good reason whatever, resulted in a terrible storm, and a storm on the ocean is liable to cut many queer pranks and do a lot of damage. at the time the wind began to blow, a ship was sailing far out upon the waters. when the waves began to tumble and toss and to grow bigger and bigger the ship rolled up and down, and tipped sidewise--first one way and then the other--and was jostled around so roughly that even the sailor-men had to hold fast to the ropes and railings to keep themselves from being swept away by the wind or pitched headlong into the sea. and the clouds were so thick in the sky that the sunlight couldn't get through them; so that the day grew dark as night, which added to the terrors of the storm. the captain of the ship was not afraid, because he had seen storms before, and had sailed his ship through them in safety; but he knew that his passengers would be in danger if they tried to stay on deck, so he put them all into the cabin and told them to stay there until after the storm was over, and to keep brave hearts and not be scared, and all would be well with them. now, among these passengers was a little kansas girl named dorothy gale, who was going with her uncle henry to australia, to visit some relatives they had never before seen. uncle henry, you must know, was not very well, because he had been working so hard on his kansas farm that his health had given way and left him weak and nervous. so he left aunt em at home to watch after the hired men and to take care of the farm, while he traveled far away to australia to visit his cousins and have a good rest. dorothy was eager to go with him on this journey, and uncle henry thought she would be good company and help cheer him up; so he decided to take her along. the little girl was quite an experienced traveller, for she had once been carried by a cyclone as far away from home as the marvelous land of oz, and she had met with a good many adventures in that strange country before she managed to get back to kansas again. so she wasn't easily frightened, whatever happened, and when the wind began to howl and whistle, and the waves began to tumble and toss, our little girl didn't mind the uproar the least bit. "of course we'll have to stay in the cabin," she said to uncle henry and the other passengers, "and keep as quiet as possible until the storm is over. for the captain says if we go on deck we may be blown overboard." no one wanted to risk such an accident as that, you may be sure; so all the passengers stayed huddled up in the dark cabin, listening to the shrieking of the storm and the creaking of the masts and rigging and trying to keep from bumping into one another when the ship tipped sidewise. dorothy had almost fallen asleep when she was aroused with a start to find that uncle henry was missing. she couldn't imagine where he had gone, and as he was not very strong she began to worry about him, and to fear he might have been careless enough to go on deck. in that case he would be in great danger unless he instantly came down again. the fact was that uncle henry had gone to lie down in his little sleeping-berth, but dorothy did not know that. she only remembered that aunt em had cautioned her to take good care of her uncle, so at once she decided to go on deck and find him, in spite of the fact that the tempest was now worse than ever, and the ship was plunging in a really dreadful manner. indeed, the little girl found it was as much as she could do to mount the stairs to the deck, and as soon as she got there the wind struck her so fiercely that it almost tore away the skirts of her dress. yet dorothy felt a sort of joyous excitement in defying the storm, and while she held fast to the railing she peered around through the gloom and thought she saw the dim form of a man clinging to a mast not far away from her. this might be her uncle, so she called as loudly as she could: "uncle henry! uncle henry!" but the wind screeched and howled so madly that she scarce heard her own voice, and the man certainly failed to hear her, for he did not move. dorothy decided she must go to him; so she made a dash forward, during a lull in the storm, to where a big square chicken-coop had been lashed to the deck with ropes. she reached this place in safety, but no sooner had she seized fast hold of the slats of the big box in which the chickens were kept than the wind, as if enraged because the little girl dared to resist its power, suddenly redoubled its fury. with a scream like that of an angry giant it tore away the ropes that held the coop and lifted it high into the air, with dorothy still clinging to the slats. around and over it whirled, this way and that, and a few moments later the chicken-coop dropped far away into the sea, where the big waves caught it and slid it up-hill to a foaming crest and then down-hill into a deep valley, as if it were nothing more than a plaything to keep them amused. dorothy had a good ducking, you may be sure, but she didn't lose her presence of mind even for a second. she kept tight hold of the stout slats and as soon as she could get the water out of her eyes she saw that the wind had ripped the cover from the coop, and the poor chickens were fluttering away in every direction, being blown by the wind until they looked like feather dusters without handles. the bottom of the coop was made of thick boards, so dorothy found she was clinging to a sort of raft, with sides of slats, which readily bore up her weight. after coughing the water out of her throat and getting her breath again, she managed to climb over the slats and stand upon the firm wooden bottom of the coop, which supported her easily enough. "why, i've got a ship of my own!" she thought, more amused than frightened at her sudden change of condition; and then, as the coop climbed up to the top of a big wave, she looked eagerly around for the ship from which she had been blown. it was far, far away, by this time. perhaps no one on board had yet missed her, or knew of her strange adventure. down into a valley between the waves the coop swept her, and when she climbed another crest the ship looked like a toy boat, it was such a long way off. soon it had entirely disappeared in the gloom, and then dorothy gave a sigh of regret at parting with uncle henry and began to wonder what was going to happen to her next. just now she was tossing on the bosom of a big ocean, with nothing to keep her afloat but a miserable wooden hen-coop that had a plank bottom and slatted sides, through which the water constantly splashed and wetted her through to the skin! and there was nothing to eat when she became hungry--as she was sure to do before long--and no fresh water to drink and no dry clothes to put on. "well, i declare!" she exclaimed, with a laugh. "you're in a pretty fix, dorothy gale, i can tell you! and i haven't the least idea how you're going to get out of it!" as if to add to her troubles the night was now creeping on, and the gray clouds overhead changed to inky blackness. but the wind, as if satisfied at last with its mischievous pranks, stopped blowing this ocean and hurried away to another part of the world to blow something else; so that the waves, not being joggled any more, began to quiet down and behave themselves. it was lucky for dorothy, i think, that the storm subsided; otherwise, brave though she was, i fear she might have perished. many children, in her place, would have wept and given way to despair; but because dorothy had encountered so many adventures and come safely through them it did not occur to her at this time to be especially afraid. she was wet and uncomfortable, it is true; but, after sighing that one sigh i told you of, she managed to recall some of her customary cheerfulness and decided to patiently await whatever her fate might be. by and by the black clouds rolled away and showed a blue sky overhead, with a silver moon shining sweetly in the middle of it and little stars winking merrily at dorothy when she looked their way. the coop did not toss around any more, but rode the waves more gently--almost like a cradle rocking--so that the floor upon which dorothy stood was no longer swept by water coming through the slats. seeing this, and being quite exhausted by the excitement of the past few hours, the little girl decided that sleep would be the best thing to restore her strength and the easiest way in which she could pass the time. the floor was damp and she was herself wringing wet, but fortunately this was a warm climate and she did not feel at all cold. so she sat down in a corner of the coop, leaned her back against the slats, nodded at the friendly stars before she closed her eyes, and was asleep in half a minute. 2. the yellow hen a strange noise awoke dorothy, who opened her eyes to find that day had dawned and the sun was shining brightly in a clear sky. she had been dreaming that she was back in kansas again, and playing in the old barn-yard with the calves and pigs and chickens all around her; and at first, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she really imagined she was there. "kut-kut-kut, ka-daw-kut! kut-kut-kut, ka-daw-kut!" ah; here again was the strange noise that had awakened her. surely it was a hen cackling! but her wide-open eyes first saw, through the slats of the coop, the blue waves of the ocean, now calm and placid, and her thoughts flew back to the past night, so full of danger and discomfort. also she began to remember that she was a waif of the storm, adrift upon a treacherous and unknown sea. "kut-kut-kut, ka-daw-w-w--kut!" "what's that?" cried dorothy, starting to her feet. "why, i've just laid an egg, that's all," replied a small, but sharp and distinct voice, and looking around her the little girl discovered a yellow hen squatting in the opposite corner of the coop. "dear me!" she exclaimed, in surprise; "have you been here all night, too?" "of course," answered the hen, fluttering her wings and yawning. "when the coop blew away from the ship i clung fast to this corner, with claws and beak, for i knew if i fell into the water i'd surely be drowned. indeed, i nearly drowned, as it was, with all that water washing over me. i never was so wet before in my life!" "yes," agreed dorothy, "it was pretty wet, for a time, i know. but do you feel comfor'ble now?" "not very. the sun has helped to dry my feathers, as it has your dress, and i feel better since i laid my morning egg. but what's to become of us, i should like to know, afloat on this big pond?" "i'd like to know that, too," said dorothy. "but, tell me; how does it happen that you are able to talk? i thought hens could only cluck and cackle." "why, as for that," answered the yellow hen thoughtfully, "i've clucked and cackled all my life, and never spoken a word before this morning, that i can remember. but when you asked a question, a minute ago, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to answer you. so i spoke, and i seem to keep on speaking, just as you and other human beings do. strange, isn't it?" "very," replied dorothy. "if we were in the land of oz, i wouldn't think it so queer, because many of the animals can talk in that fairy country. but out here in the ocean must be a good long way from oz." "how is my grammar?" asked the yellow hen, anxiously. "do i speak quite properly, in your judgment?" "yes," said dorothy, "you do very well, for a beginner." "i'm glad to know that," continued the yellow hen, in a confidential tone; "because, if one is going to talk, it's best to talk correctly. the red rooster has often said that my cluck and my cackle were quite perfect; and now it's a comfort to know i am talking properly." "i'm beginning to get hungry," remarked dorothy. "it's breakfast time; but there's no breakfast." "you may have my egg," said the yellow hen. "i don't care for it, you know." "don't you want to hatch it?" asked the little girl, in surprise. "no, indeed; i never care to hatch eggs unless i've a nice snug nest, in some quiet place, with a baker's dozen of eggs under me. that's thirteen, you know, and it's a lucky number for hens. so you may as well eat this egg." "oh, i couldn't poss'bly eat it, unless it was cooked," exclaimed dorothy. "but i'm much obliged for your kindness, just the same." "don't mention it, my dear," answered the hen, calmly, and began preening her feathers. for a moment dorothy stood looking out over the wide sea. she was still thinking of the egg, though; so presently she asked: "why do you lay eggs, when you don't expect to hatch them?" "it's a habit i have," replied the yellow hen. "it has always been my pride to lay a fresh egg every morning, except when i'm moulting. i never feel like having my morning cackle till the egg is properly laid, and without the chance to cackle i would not be happy." "it's strange," said the girl, reflectively; "but as i'm not a hen i can't be 'spected to understand that." "certainly not, my dear." then dorothy fell silent again. the yellow hen was some company, and a bit of comfort, too; but it was dreadfully lonely out on the big ocean, nevertheless. after a time the hen flew up and perched upon the topmost slat of the coop, which was a little above dorothy's head when she was sitting upon the bottom, as she had been doing for some moments past. "why, we are not far from land!" exclaimed the hen. "where? where is it?" cried dorothy, jumping up in great excitement. "over there a little way," answered the hen, nodding her head in a certain direction. "we seem to be drifting toward it, so that before noon we ought to find ourselves upon dry land again." "i shall like that!" said dorothy, with a little sigh, for her feet and legs were still wetted now and then by the sea-water that came through the open slats. "so shall i," answered her companion. "there is nothing in the world so miserable as a wet hen." the land, which they seemed to be rapidly approaching, since it grew more distinct every minute, was quite beautiful as viewed by the little girl in the floating hen-coop. next to the water was a broad beach of white sand and gravel, and farther back were several rocky hills, while beyond these appeared a strip of green trees that marked the edge of a forest. but there were no houses to be seen, nor any sign of people who might inhabit this unknown land. "i hope we shall find something to eat," said dorothy, looking eagerly at the pretty beach toward which they drifted. "it's long past breakfast time, now." "i'm a trifle hungry, myself," declared the yellow hen. "why don't you eat the egg?" asked the child. "you don't need to have your food cooked, as i do." "do you take me for a cannibal?" cried the hen, indignantly. "i do not know what i have said or done that leads you to insult me!" "i beg your pardon, i'm sure mrs.--mrs.--by the way, may i inquire your name, ma'am?" asked the little girl. "my name is bill," said the yellow hen, somewhat gruffly. "bill! why, that's a boy's name." "what difference does that make?" "you're a lady hen, aren't you?" "of course. but when i was first hatched out no one could tell whether i was going to be a hen or a rooster; so the little boy at the farm where i was born called me bill, and made a pet of me because i was the only yellow chicken in the whole brood. when i grew up, and he found that i didn't crow and fight, as all the roosters do, he did not think to change my name, and every creature in the barn-yard, as well as the people in the house, knew me as 'bill.' so bill i've always been called, and bill is my name." "but it's all wrong, you know," declared dorothy, earnestly; "and, if you don't mind, i shall call you 'billina.' putting the 'eena' on the end makes it a girl's name, you see." "oh, i don't mind it in the least," returned the yellow hen. "it doesn't matter at all what you call me, so long as i know the name means me." "very well, billina. my name is dorothy gale--just dorothy to my friends and miss gale to strangers. you may call me dorothy, if you like. we're getting very near the shore. do you suppose it is too deep for me to wade the rest of the way?" "wait a few minutes longer. the sunshine is warm and pleasant, and we are in no hurry." "but my feet are all wet and soggy," said the girl. "my dress is dry enough, but i won't feel real comfor'ble till i get my feet dried." she waited, however, as the hen advised, and before long the big wooden coop grated gently on the sandy beach and the dangerous voyage was over. it did not take the castaways long to reach the shore, you may be sure. the yellow hen flew to the sands at once, but dorothy had to climb over the high slats. still, for a country girl, that was not much of a feat, and as soon as she was safe ashore dorothy drew off her wet shoes and stockings and spread them upon the sun-warmed beach to dry. then she sat down and watched billina, who was pick-pecking away with her sharp bill in the sand and gravel, which she scratched up and turned over with her strong claws. "what are you doing?" asked dorothy. "getting my breakfast, of course," murmured the hen, busily pecking away. "what do you find?" inquired the girl, curiously. "oh, some fat red ants, and some sand-bugs, and once in a while a tiny crab. they are very sweet and nice, i assure you." "how dreadful!" exclaimed dorothy, in a shocked voice. "what is dreadful?" asked the hen, lifting her head to gaze with one bright eye at her companion. "why, eating live things, and horrid bugs, and crawly ants. you ought to be 'shamed of yourself!" "goodness me!" returned the hen, in a puzzled tone; "how queer you are, dorothy! live things are much fresher and more wholesome than dead ones, and you humans eat all sorts of dead creatures." "we don't!" said dorothy. "you do, indeed," answered billina. "you eat lambs and sheep and cows and pigs and even chickens." "but we cook 'em," said dorothy, triumphantly. "what difference does that make?" "a good deal," said the girl, in a graver tone. "i can't just 'splain the diff'rence, but it's there. and, anyhow, we never eat such dreadful things as bugs." "but you eat the chickens that eat the bugs," retorted the yellow hen, with an odd cackle. "so you are just as bad as we chickens are." this made dorothy thoughtful. what billina said was true enough, and it almost took away her appetite for breakfast. as for the yellow hen, she continued to peck away at the sand busily, and seemed quite contented with her bill-of-fare. finally, down near the water's edge, billina stuck her bill deep into the sand, and then drew back and shivered. "ow!" she cried. "i struck metal, that time, and it nearly broke my beak." "it prob'bly was a rock," said dorothy, carelessly. "nonsense. i know a rock from metal, i guess," said the hen. "there's a different feel to it." "but there couldn't be any metal on this wild, deserted seashore," persisted the girl. "where's the place? i'll dig it up, and prove to you i'm right." billina showed her the place where she had "stubbed her bill," as she expressed it, and dorothy dug away the sand until she felt something hard. then, thrusting in her hand, she pulled the thing out, and discovered it to be a large sized golden key--rather old, but still bright and of perfect shape. "what did i tell you?" cried the hen, with a cackle of triumph. "can i tell metal when i bump into it, or is the thing a rock?" "it's metal, sure enough," answered the child, gazing thoughtfully at the curious thing she had found. "i think it is pure gold, and it must have lain hidden in the sand for a long time. how do you suppose it came there, billina? and what do you suppose this mysterious key unlocks?" "i can't say," replied the hen. "you ought to know more about locks and keys than i do." dorothy glanced around. there was no sign of any house in that part of the country, and she reasoned that every key must fit a lock and every lock must have a purpose. perhaps the key had been lost by somebody who lived far away, but had wandered on this very shore. musing on these things the girl put the key in the pocket of her dress and then slowly drew on her shoes and stockings, which the sun had fully dried. "i b'lieve, billina," she said, "i'll have a look 'round, and see if i can find some breakfast." 3. letters in the sand walking a little way back from the water's edge, toward the grove of trees, dorothy came to a flat stretch of white sand that seemed to have queer signs marked upon its surface, just as one would write upon sand with a stick. "what does it say?" she asked the yellow hen, who trotted along beside her in a rather dignified fashion. "how should i know?" returned the hen. "i cannot read." "oh! can't you?" "certainly not; i've never been to school, you know." "well, i have," admitted dorothy; "but the letters are big and far apart, and it's hard to spell out the words." but she looked at each letter carefully, and finally discovered that these words were written in the sand: "beware the wheelers!" "that's rather strange," declared the hen, when dorothy had read aloud the words. "what do you suppose the wheelers are?" "folks that wheel, i guess. they must have wheelbarrows, or baby-cabs or hand-carts," said dorothy. "perhaps they're automobiles," suggested the yellow hen. "there is no need to beware of baby-cabs and wheelbarrows; but automobiles are dangerous things. several of my friends have been run over by them." "it can't be auto'biles," replied the girl, "for this is a new, wild country, without even trolley-cars or tel'phones. the people here haven't been discovered yet, i'm sure; that is, if there are any people. so i don't b'lieve there can be any auto'biles, billina." "perhaps not," admitted the yellow hen. "where are you going now?" "over to those trees, to see if i can find some fruit or nuts," answered dorothy. she tramped across the sand, skirting the foot of one of the little rocky hills that stood near, and soon reached the edge of the forest. at first she was greatly disappointed, because the nearer trees were all punita, or cotton-wood or eucalyptus, and bore no fruit or nuts at all. but, bye and bye, when she was almost in despair, the little girl came upon two trees that promised to furnish her with plenty of food. one was quite full of square paper boxes, which grew in clusters on all the limbs, and upon the biggest and ripest boxes the word "lunch" could be read, in neat raised letters. this tree seemed to bear all the year around, for there were lunch-box blossoms on some of the branches, and on others tiny little lunch-boxes that were as yet quite green, and evidently not fit to eat until they had grown bigger. the leaves of this tree were all paper napkins, and it presented a very pleasing appearance to the hungry little girl. but the tree next to the lunch-box tree was even more wonderful, for it bore quantities of tin dinner-pails, which were so full and heavy that the stout branches bent underneath their weight. some were small and dark-brown in color; those larger were of a dull tin color; but the really ripe ones were pails of bright tin that shone and glistened beautifully in the rays of sunshine that touched them. dorothy was delighted, and even the yellow hen acknowledged that she was surprised. the little girl stood on tip-toe and picked one of the nicest and biggest lunch-boxes, and then she sat down upon the ground and eagerly opened it. inside she found, nicely wrapped in white papers, a ham sandwich, a piece of sponge-cake, a pickle, a slice of new cheese and an apple. each thing had a separate stem, and so had to be picked off the side of the box; but dorothy found them all to be delicious, and she ate every bit of luncheon in the box before she had finished. "a lunch isn't zactly breakfast," she said to billina, who sat beside her curiously watching. "but when one is hungry one can eat even supper in the morning, and not complain." "i hope your lunch-box was perfectly ripe," observed the yellow hen, in a anxious tone. "so much sickness is caused by eating green things." "oh, i'm sure it was ripe," declared dorothy, "all, that is, 'cept the pickle, and a pickle just has to be green, billina. but everything tasted perfectly splendid, and i'd rather have it than a church picnic. and now i think i'll pick a dinner-pail, to have when i get hungry again, and then we'll start out and 'splore the country, and see where we are." "haven't you any idea what country this is?" inquired billina. "none at all. but listen: i'm quite sure it's a fairy country, or such things as lunch-boxes and dinner-pails wouldn't be growing upon trees. besides, billina, being a hen, you wouldn't be able to talk in any civ'lized country, like kansas, where no fairies live at all." "perhaps we're in the land of oz," said the hen, thoughtfully. "no, that can't be," answered the little girl; "because i've been to the land of oz, and it's all surrounded by a horrid desert that no one can cross." "then how did you get away from there again?" asked billina. "i had a pair of silver shoes, that carried me through the air; but i lost them," said dorothy. "ah, indeed," remarked the yellow hen, in a tone of unbelief. "anyhow," resumed the girl, "there is no seashore near the land of oz, so this must surely be some other fairy country." while she was speaking she selected a bright and pretty dinner-pail that seemed to have a stout handle, and picked it from its branch. then, accompanied by the yellow hen, she walked out of the shadow of the trees toward the sea-shore. they were part way across the sands when billina suddenly cried, in a voice of terror: "what's that?" dorothy turned quickly around, and saw coming out of a path that led from between the trees the most peculiar person her eyes had ever beheld. it had the form of a man, except that it walked, or rather rolled, upon all fours, and its legs were the same length as its arms, giving them the appearance of the four legs of a beast. yet it was no beast that dorothy had discovered, for the person was clothed most gorgeously in embroidered garments of many colors, and wore a straw hat perched jauntily upon the side of its head. but it differed from human beings in this respect, that instead of hands and feet there grew at the end of its arms and legs round wheels, and by means of these wheels it rolled very swiftly over the level ground. afterward dorothy found that these odd wheels were of the same hard substance that our finger-nails and toe-nails are composed of, and she also learned that creatures of this strange race were born in this queer fashion. but when our little girl first caught sight of the first individual of a race that was destined to cause her a lot of trouble, she had an idea that the brilliantly-clothed personage was on roller-skates, which were attached to his hands as well as to his feet. "run!" screamed the yellow hen, fluttering away in great fright. "it's a wheeler!" "a wheeler?" exclaimed dorothy. "what can that be?" "don't you remember the warning in the sand: 'beware the wheelers'? run, i tell you--run!" so dorothy ran, and the wheeler gave a sharp, wild cry and came after her in full chase. looking over her shoulder as she ran, the girl now saw a great procession of wheelers emerging from the forest--dozens and dozens of them--all clad in splendid, tight-fitting garments and all rolling swiftly toward her and uttering their wild, strange cries. "they're sure to catch us!" panted the girl, who was still carrying the heavy dinner-pail she had picked. "i can't run much farther, billina." "climb up this hill,--quick!" said the hen; and dorothy found she was very near to the heap of loose and jagged rocks they had passed on their way to the forest. the yellow hen was even now fluttering among the rocks, and dorothy followed as best she could, half climbing and half tumbling up the rough and rugged steep. she was none too soon, for the foremost wheeler reached the hill a moment after her; but while the girl scrambled up the rocks the creature stopped short with howls of rage and disappointment. dorothy now heard the yellow hen laughing, in her cackling, henny way. "don't hurry, my dear," cried billina. "they can't follow us among these rocks, so we're safe enough now." dorothy stopped at once and sat down upon a broad boulder, for she was all out of breath. the rest of the wheelers had now reached the foot of the hill, but it was evident that their wheels would not roll upon the rough and jagged rocks, and therefore they were helpless to follow dorothy and the hen to where they had taken refuge. but they circled all around the little hill, so the child and billina were fast prisoners and could not come down without being captured. then the creatures shook their front wheels at dorothy in a threatening manner, and it seemed they were able to speak as well as to make their dreadful outcries, for several of them shouted: "we'll get you in time, never fear! and when we do get you, we'll tear you into little bits!" "why are you so cruel to me?" asked dorothy. "i'm a stranger in your country, and have done you no harm." "no harm!" cried one who seemed to be their leader. "did you not pick our lunch-boxes and dinner-pails? have you not a stolen dinner-pail still in your hand?" "i only picked one of each," she answered. "i was hungry, and i didn't know the trees were yours." "that is no excuse," retorted the leader, who was clothed in a most gorgeous suit. "it is the law here that whoever picks a dinner-pail without our permission must die immediately." "don't you believe him," said billina. "i'm sure the trees do not belong to these awful creatures. they are fit for any mischief, and it's my opinion they would try to kill us just the same if you hadn't picked a dinner-pail." "i think so, too," agreed dorothy. "but what shall we do now?" "stay where we are," advised the yellow hen. "we are safe from the wheelers until we starve to death, anyhow; and before that time comes a good many things can happen." 4. tiktok the machine man after an hour or so most of the band of wheelers rolled back into the forest, leaving only three of their number to guard the hill. these curled themselves up like big dogs and pretended to go to sleep on the sands; but neither dorothy nor billina were fooled by this trick, so they remained in security among the rocks and paid no attention to their cunning enemies. finally the hen, fluttering over the mound, exclaimed: "why, here's a path!" so dorothy at once clambered to where billina sat, and there, sure enough, was a smooth path cut between the rocks. it seemed to wind around the mound from top to bottom, like a cork-screw, twisting here and there between the rough boulders but always remaining level and easy to walk upon. indeed, dorothy wondered at first why the wheelers did not roll up this path; but when she followed it to the foot of the mound she found that several big pieces of rock had been placed directly across the end of the way, thus preventing any one outside from seeing it and also preventing the wheelers from using it to climb up the mound. then dorothy walked back up the path, and followed it until she came to the very top of the hill, where a solitary round rock stood that was bigger than any of the others surrounding it. the path came to an end just beside this great rock, and for a moment it puzzled the girl to know why the path had been made at all. but the hen, who had been gravely following her around and was now perched upon a point of rock behind dorothy, suddenly remarked: "it looks something like a door, doesn't it?" "what looks like a door?" enquired the child. "why, that crack in the rock, just facing you," replied billina, whose little round eyes were very sharp and seemed to see everything. "it runs up one side and down the other, and across the top and the bottom." "what does?" "why, the crack. so i think it must be a door of rock, although i do not see any hinges." "oh, yes," said dorothy, now observing for the first time the crack in the rock. "and isn't this a key-hole, billina?" pointing to a round, deep hole at one side of the door. "of course. if we only had the key, now, we could unlock it and see what is there," replied the yellow hen. "may be it's a treasure chamber full of diamonds and rubies, or heaps of shining gold, or--" "that reminds me," said dorothy, "of the golden key i picked up on the shore. do you think that it would fit this key-hole, billina?" "try it and see," suggested the hen. so dorothy searched in the pocket of her dress and found the golden key. and when she had put it into the hole of the rock, and turned it, a sudden sharp snap was heard; then, with a solemn creak that made the shivers run down the child's back, the face of the rock fell outward, like a door on hinges, and revealed a small dark chamber just inside. "good gracious!" cried dorothy, shrinking back as far as the narrow path would let her. for, standing within the narrow chamber of rock, was the form of a man--or, at least, it seemed like a man, in the dim light. he was only about as tall as dorothy herself, and his body was round as a ball and made out of burnished copper. also his head and limbs were copper, and these were jointed or hinged to his body in a peculiar way, with metal caps over the joints, like the armor worn by knights in days of old. he stood perfectly still, and where the light struck upon his form it glittered as if made of pure gold. "don't be frightened," called billina, from her perch. "it isn't alive." "i see it isn't," replied the girl, drawing a long breath. "it is only made out of copper, like the old kettle in the barn-yard at home," continued the hen, turning her head first to one side and then to the other, so that both her little round eyes could examine the object. "once," said dorothy, "i knew a man made out of tin, who was a woodman named nick chopper. but he was as alive as we are, 'cause he was born a real man, and got his tin body a little at a time--first a leg and then a finger and then an ear--for the reason that he had so many accidents with his axe, and cut himself up in a very careless manner." "oh," said the hen, with a sniff, as if she did not believe the story. "but this copper man," continued dorothy, looking at it with big eyes, "is not alive at all, and i wonder what it was made for, and why it was locked up in this queer place." "that is a mystery," remarked the hen, twisting her head to arrange her wing-feathers with her bill. dorothy stepped inside the little room to get a back view of the copper man, and in this way discovered a printed card that hung between his shoulders, it being suspended from a small copper peg at the back of his neck. she unfastened this card and returned to the path, where the light was better, and sat herself down upon a slab of rock to read the printing. "what does it say?" asked the hen, curiously. dorothy read the card aloud, spelling out the big words with some difficulty; and this is what she read: +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | smith & tinker's | | patent double-action, extra-responsive, | | thought-creating, perfect-talking | | mechanical man | | fitted with our special clock-work attachment. | | thinks, speaks, acts, and does everything but live. | | manufactured only at our works at evna, land of ev. | | all infringements will be promptly prosecuted according to law. | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ "how queer!" said the yellow hen. "do you think that is all true, my dear?" "i don't know," answered dorothy, who had more to read. "listen to this, billina:" +--------------------------------------------------+ | | | directions for using: | | for thinking:--wind the clock-work man under his | | left arm, (marked no. 1.) | | for speaking:--wind the clock-work man under his | | right arm, (marked no. 2.) | | for walking and action:--wind clock-work in the | | middle of his back, (marked no. 3.) | | n. b.--this mechanism is guaranteed to work | | perfectly for a thousand years. | | | +--------------------------------------------------+ "well, i declare!" gasped the yellow hen, in amazement; "if the copper man can do half of these things he is a very wonderful machine. but i suppose it is all humbug, like so many other patented articles." "we might wind him up," suggested dorothy, "and see what he'll do." "where is the key to the clock-work?" asked billina. "hanging on the peg where i found the card." "then," said the hen, "let us try him, and find out if he will go. he is warranted for a thousand years, it seems; but we do not know how long he has been standing inside this rock." dorothy had already taken the clock key from the peg. "which shall i wind up first?" she asked, looking again at the directions on the card. "number one, i should think," returned billina. "that makes him think, doesn't it?" "yes," said dorothy, and wound up number one, under the left arm. "he doesn't seem any different," remarked the hen, critically. "why, of course not; he is only thinking, now," said dorothy. "i wonder what he is thinking about." "i'll wind up his talk, and then perhaps he can tell us," said the girl. so she wound up number two, and immediately the clock-work man said, without moving any part of his body except his lips: "good morn-ing, lit-tle girl. good morn-ing, mrs. hen." the words sounded a little hoarse and creaky, and they were uttered all in the same tone, without any change of expression whatever; but both dorothy and billina understood them perfectly. "good morning, sir," they answered, politely. "thank you for res-cu-ing me," continued the machine, in the same monotonous voice, which seemed to be worked by a bellows inside of him, like the little toy lambs and cats the children squeeze so that they will make a noise. "don't mention it," answered dorothy. and then, being very curious, she asked: "how did you come to be locked up in this place?" "it is a long sto-ry," replied the copper man; "but i will tell it to you brief-ly. i was pur-chased from smith & tin-ker, my man-u-fac-tur-ers, by a cru-el king of ev, named ev-ol-do, who used to beat all his serv-ants un-til they died. how-ev-er, he was not a-ble to kill me, be-cause i was not a-live, and one must first live in or-der to die. so that all his beat-ing did me no harm, and mere-ly kept my cop-per bod-y well pol-ished. "this cru-el king had a love-ly wife and ten beau-ti-ful chil-dren--five boys and five girls--but in a fit of an-ger he sold them all to the nome king, who by means of his mag-ic arts changed them all in-to oth-er forms and put them in his un-der-ground pal-ace to or-na-ment the rooms. "af-ter-ward the king of ev re-gret-ted his wick-ed ac-tion, and tried to get his wife and chil-dren a-way from the nome king, but with-out a-vail. so, in de-spair, he locked me up in this rock, threw the key in-to the o-cean, and then jumped in af-ter it and was drowned." "how very dreadful!" exclaimed dorothy. "it is, in-deed," said the machine. "when i found my-self im-pris-oned i shout-ed for help un-til my voice ran down; and then i walked back and forth in this lit-tle room un-til my ac-tion ran down; and then i stood still and thought un-til my thoughts ran down. af-ter that i re-mem-ber noth-ing un-til you wound me up a-gain." "it's a very wonderful story," said dorothy, "and proves that the land of ev is really a fairy land, as i thought it was." "of course it is," answered the copper man. "i do not sup-pose such a per-fect ma-chine as i am could be made in an-y place but a fair-y land." "i've never seen one in kansas," said dorothy. "but where did you get the key to un-lock this door?" asked the clock-work voice. "i found it on the shore, where it was prob'ly washed up by the waves," she answered. "and now, sir, if you don't mind, i'll wind up your action." "that will please me ve-ry much," said the machine. so she wound up number three, and at once the copper man in a somewhat stiff and jerky fashion walked out of the rocky cavern, took off his copper hat and bowed politely, and then kneeled before dorothy. said he: "from this time forth i am your o-be-di-ent ser-vant. what-ev-er you 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." 5. dorothy opens the dinner pail "now tiktok," said dorothy, "the first thing to be done is to find a way for us to escape from these rocks. the wheelers are down below, you know, and threaten to kill us." "there is no rea-son to be a-fraid of the wheel-ers," said tiktok, the words coming more slowly than before. "why not?" she asked. "be-cause they are ag-g-g--gr-gr-r-r-" he gave a sort of gurgle and stopped short, waving his hands frantically until suddenly he became motionless, with one arm in the air and the other held stiffly before him with all the copper fingers of the hand spread out like a fan. "dear me!" said dorothy, in a frightened tone. "what can the matter be?" "he's run down, i suppose," said the hen, calmly. "you couldn't have wound him up very tight." "i didn't know how much to wind him," replied the girl; "but i'll try to do better next time." she ran around the copper man to take the key from the peg at the back of his neck, but it was not there. "it's gone!" cried dorothy, in dismay. "what's gone?" asked billina. "the key." "it probably fell off when he made that low bow to you," returned the hen. "look around, and see if you cannot find it again." dorothy looked, and the hen helped her, and by and by the girl discovered the clock-key, which had fallen into a crack of the rock. at once she wound up tiktok's voice, taking care to give the key as many turns as it would go around. she found this quite a task, as you may imagine if you have ever tried to wind a clock, but the machine man's first words were to assure dorothy that he would now run for at least twenty-four hours. "you did not wind me much, at first," he calmly said, "and i told you that long sto-ry a-bout king ev-ol-do; so it is no won-der that i ran down." she next rewound the action clock-work, and then billina advised her to carry the key to tiktok in her pocket, so it would not get lost again. "and now," said dorothy, when all this was accomplished, "tell me what you were going to say about the wheelers." "why, they are noth-ing to be fright-en'd at," said the machine. "they try to make folks be-lieve that they are ver-y ter-ri-ble, but as a mat-ter of fact the wheel-ers are harm-less e-nough to an-y one that dares to fight them. they might try to hurt a lit-tle girl like you, per-haps, be-cause they are ver-y mis-chiev-ous. but if i had a club they would run a-way as soon as they saw me." "haven't you a club?" asked dorothy. "no," said tiktok. "and you won't find such a thing among these rocks, either," declared the yellow hen. "then what shall we do?" asked the girl. "wind up my think-works tight-ly, and i will try to think of some oth-er plan," said tiktok. so dorothy rewound his thought machinery, and while he was thinking she decided to eat her dinner. billina was already pecking away at the cracks in the rocks, to find something to eat, so dorothy sat down and opened her tin dinner-pail. in the cover she found a small tank that was full of very nice lemonade. it was covered by a cup, which might also, when removed, be used to drink the lemonade from. within the pail were three slices of turkey, two slices of cold tongue, some lobster salad, four slices of bread and butter, a small custard pie, an orange and nine large strawberries, and some nuts and raisins. singularly enough, the nuts in this dinner-pail grew already cracked, so that dorothy had no trouble in picking out their meats to eat. she spread the feast upon the rock beside her and began her dinner, first offering some of it to tiktok, who declined because, as he said, he was merely a machine. afterward she offered to share with billina, but the hen murmured something about "dead things" and said she preferred her bugs and ants. "do the lunch-box trees and the dinner-pail trees belong to the wheelers?" the child asked tiktok, while engaged in eating her meal. "of course not," he answered. "they be-long to the roy-al fam-il-y of ev, on-ly of course there is no roy-al fam-il-y just now be-cause king ev-ol-do jumped in-to the sea and his wife and ten chil-dren have been trans-formed by the nome king. so there is no one to rule the land of ev, that i can think of. per-haps it is for this rea-son that the wheel-ers claim the trees for their own, and pick the lunch-eons and din-ners to eat them-selves. but they be-long to the king, and you will find the roy-al "e" stamped up-on the bot-tom of ev-er-y din-ner pail." dorothy turned the pail over, and at once discovered the royal mark upon it, as tiktok had said. "are the wheelers the only folks living in the land of ev?" enquired the girl. "no; they on-ly in-hab-it a small por-tion of it just back of the woods," replied the machine. "but they have al-ways been mis-chiev-ous and im-per-ti-nent, and my old mas-ter, king ev-ol-do, used to car-ry a whip with him, when he walked out, to keep the crea-tures in or-der. when i was first made the wheel-ers tried to run o-ver me, and butt me with their heads; but they soon found i was built of too sol-id a ma-ter-i-al for them to in-jure." "you seem very durable," said dorothy. "who made you?" "the firm of smith & tin-ker, in the town of evna, where the roy-al pal-ace stands," answered tiktok. "did they make many of you?" asked the child. "no; i am the on-ly au-to-mat-ic me-chan-i-cal man they ev-er com-plet-ed," he replied. "they were ver-y won-der-ful in-ven-tors, were my mak-ers, and quite ar-tis-tic in all they did." "i am sure of that," said dorothy. "do they live in the town of evna now?" "they are both gone," replied the machine. "mr. smith was an art-ist, as well as an in-vent-or, and he paint-ed a pic-ture of a riv-er which was so nat-ur-al that, as he was reach-ing a-cross it to paint some flow-ers on the op-po-site bank, he fell in-to the wa-ter and was drowned." "oh, i'm sorry for that!" exclaimed the little girl. "mis-ter tin-ker," continued tiktok, "made a lad-der so tall that he could rest the end of it a-gainst the moon, while he stood on the high-est rung and picked the lit-tle stars to set in the points of the king's crown. but when he got to the moon mis-ter tin-ker found it such a love-ly place that he de-cid-ed to live there, so he pulled up the lad-der af-ter him and we have nev-er seen him since." "he must have been a great loss to this country," said dorothy, who was by this time eating her custard pie. "he was," acknowledged tiktok. "also he is a great loss to me. for if i should get out of or-der i do not know of an-y one a-ble to re-pair me, be-cause i am so com-pli-cat-ed. you have no i-de-a how full of ma-chin-er-y i am." "i can imagine it," said dorothy, readily. "and now," continued the machine, "i must stop talk-ing and be-gin think-ing a-gain of a way to es-cape from this rock." so he turned half way around, in order to think without being disturbed. "the best thinker i ever knew," said dorothy to the yellow hen, "was a scarecrow." "nonsense!" snapped billina. "it is true," declared dorothy. "i met him in the land of oz, and he traveled with me to the city of the great wizard of oz, so as to get some brains, for his head was only stuffed with straw. but it seemed to me that he thought just as well before he got his brains as he did afterward." "do you expect me to believe all that rubbish about the land of oz?" enquired billina, who seemed a little cross--perhaps because bugs were scarce. "what rubbish?" asked the child, who was now finishing her nuts and raisins. "why, your impossible stories about animals that can talk, and a tin woodman who is alive, and a scarecrow who can think." "they are all there," said dorothy, "for i have seen them." "i don't believe it!" cried the hen, with a toss of her head. "that's 'cause you're so ign'rant," replied the girl, who was a little offended at her friend billina's speech. "in the land of oz," remarked tiktok, turning toward them, "an-y-thing is pos-si-ble. for it is a won-der-ful fair-y coun-try." "there, billina! what did i say?" cried dorothy. and then she turned to the machine and asked in an eager tone: "do you know the land of oz, tiktok?" "no; but i have heard a-bout it," said the cop-per man. "for it is on-ly sep-a-ra-ted from this land of ev by a broad des-ert." dorothy clapped her hands together delightedly. "i'm glad of that!" she exclaimed. "it makes me quite happy to be so near my old friends. the scarecrow i told you of, billina, is the king of the land of oz." "par-don me. he is not the king now," said tiktok. "he was when i left there," declared dorothy. "i know," said tiktok, "but there was a rev-o-lu-tion in the land of oz, and the scare-crow was de-posed by a sol-dier wo-man named gen-er-al jin-jur. and then jin-jur was de-posed by a lit-tle girl named oz-ma, who was the right-ful heir to the throne and now rules the land un-der the ti-tle of oz-ma of oz." "that is news to me," said dorothy, thoughtfully. "but i s'pose lots of things have happened since i left the land of oz. i wonder what has become of the scarecrow, and of the tin woodman, and the cowardly lion. and i wonder who this girl ozma is, for i never heard of her before." but tiktok did not reply to this. he had turned around again to resume his thinking. dorothy packed the rest of the food back into the pail, so as not to be wasteful of good things, and the yellow hen forgot her dignity far enough to pick up all of the scattered crumbs, which she ate rather greedily, although she had so lately pretended to despise the things that dorothy preferred as food. by this time tiktok approached them with his stiff bow. "be kind e-nough to fol-low me," he said, "and i will lead you a-way from here to the town of ev-na, where you will be more com-for-ta-ble, and al-so i will pro-tect you from the wheel-ers." "all right," answered dorothy, promptly. "i'm ready!" 6. the heads of langwidere they walked slowly down the path between the rocks, tiktok going first, dorothy following him, and the yellow hen trotting along last of all. at the foot of the path the copper man leaned down and tossed aside with ease the rocks that encumbered the way. then he turned to dorothy and said: "let me car-ry your din-ner-pail." she placed it in his right hand at once, and the copper fingers closed firmly over the stout handle. then the little procession marched out upon the level sands. as soon as the three wheelers who were guarding the mound saw them, they began to shout their wild cries and rolled swiftly toward the little group, as if to capture them or bar their way. but when the foremost had approached near enough, tiktok swung the tin dinner-pail and struck the wheeler a sharp blow over its head with the queer weapon. perhaps it did not hurt very much, but it made a great noise, and the wheeler uttered a howl and tumbled over upon its side. the next minute it scrambled to its wheels and rolled away as fast as it could go, screeching with fear at the same time. "i told you they were harm-less," began tiktok; but before he could say more another wheeler was upon them. crack! went the dinner-pail against its head, knocking its straw hat a dozen feet away; and that was enough for this wheeler, also. it rolled away after the first one, and the third did not wait to be pounded with the pail, but joined its fellows as quickly as its wheels would whirl. the yellow hen gave a cackle of delight, and flying to a perch upon tiktok's shoulder, she said: "bravely done, my copper friend! and wisely thought of, too. now we are free from those ugly creatures." but just then a large band of wheelers rolled from the forest, and relying upon their numbers to conquer, they advanced fiercely upon tiktok. dorothy grabbed billina in her arms and held her tight, and the machine embraced the form of the little girl with his left arm, the better to protect her. then the wheelers were upon them. rattlety, bang! bang! went the dinner-pail in every direction, and it made so much clatter bumping against the heads of the wheelers that they were much more frightened than hurt and fled in a great panic. all, that is, except their leader. this wheeler had stumbled against another and fallen flat upon his back, and before he could get his wheels under him to rise again, tiktok had fastened his copper fingers into the neck of the gorgeous jacket of his foe and held him fast. "tell your peo-ple to go a-way," commanded the machine. the leader of the wheelers hesitated to give this order, so tiktok shook him as a terrier dog does a rat, until the wheeler's teeth rattled together with a noise like hailstones on a window pane. then, as soon as the creature could get its breath, it shouted to the others to roll away, which they immediately did. "now," said tiktok, "you shall come with us and tell me what i want to know." "you'll be sorry for treating me in this way," whined the wheeler. "i'm a terribly fierce person." "as for that," answered tiktok, "i am only a ma-chine, and can-not feel sor-row or joy, no mat-ter what hap-pens. but you are wrong to think your-self ter-ri-ble or fierce." "why so?" asked the wheeler. "be-cause no one else thinks as you do. your wheels make you help-less to in-jure an-y one. for you have no fists and can not scratch or e-ven pull hair. nor have you an-y feet to kick with. all you can do is to yell and shout, and that does not hurt an-y one at all." the wheeler burst into a flood of tears, to dorothy's great surprise. "now i and my people are ruined forever!" he sobbed; "for you have discovered our secret. being so helpless, our only hope is to make people afraid of us, by pretending we are very fierce and terrible, and writing in the sand warnings to beware the wheelers. until now we have frightened everyone, but since you have discovered our weakness our enemies will fall upon us and make us very miserable and unhappy." "oh, no," exclaimed dorothy, who was sorry to see this beautifully dressed wheeler so miserable; "tiktok will keep your secret, and so will billina and i. only, you must promise not to try to frighten children any more, if they come near to you." "i won't--indeed i won't!" promised the wheeler, ceasing to cry and becoming more cheerful. "i'm not really bad, you know; but we have to pretend to be terrible in order to prevent others from attacking us." "that is not ex-act-ly true," said tiktok, starting to walk toward the path through the forest, and still holding fast to his prisoner, who rolled slowly along beside him. "you and your peo-ple are full of mis-chief, and like to both-er those who fear you. and you are of-ten im-pu-dent and dis-a-gree-a-ble, too. but if you will try to cure those faults i will not tell any-one how help-less you are." "i'll try, of course," replied the wheeler, eagerly. "and thank you, mr. tiktok, for your kindness." "i am on-ly a ma-chine," said tiktok. "i can not be kind an-y more than i can be sor-ry or glad. i can on-ly do what i am wound up to do." "are you wound up to keep my secret?" asked the wheeler, anxiously. "yes; if you be-have your-self. but tell me: who rules the land of ev now?" asked the machine. "there is no ruler," was the answer, "because every member of the royal family is imprisoned by the nome king. but the princess langwidere, who is a niece of our late king evoldo, lives in a part of the royal palace and takes as much money out of the royal treasury as she can spend. the princess langwidere is not exactly a ruler, you see, because she doesn't rule; but she is the nearest approach to a ruler we have at present." "i do not re-mem-ber her," said tiktok. "what does she look like?" "that i cannot say," replied the wheeler, "although i have seen her twenty times. for the princess langwidere is a different person every time i see her, and the only way her subjects can recognize her at all is by means of a beautiful ruby key which she always wears on a chain attached to her left wrist. when we see the key we know we are beholding the princess." "that is strange," said dorothy, in astonishment. "do you mean to say that so many different princesses are one and the same person?" "not exactly," answered the wheeler. "there is, of course, but one princess; but she appears to us in many forms, which are all more or less beautiful." "she must be a witch," exclaimed the girl. "i do not think so," declared the wheeler. "but there is some mystery connected with her, nevertheless. she is a very vain creature, and lives mostly in a room surrounded by mirrors, so that she can admire herself whichever way she looks." no one answered this speech, because they had just passed out of the forest and their attention was fixed upon the scene before them--a beautiful vale in which were many fruit trees and green fields, with pretty farm-houses scattered here and there and broad, smooth roads that led in every direction. in the center of this lovely vale, about a mile from where our friends were standing, rose the tall spires of the royal palace, which glittered brightly against their background of blue sky. the palace was surrounded by charming grounds, full of flowers and shrubbery. several tinkling fountains could be seen, and there were pleasant walks bordered by rows of white marble statuary. all these details dorothy was, of course, unable to notice or admire until they had advanced along the road to a position quite near to the palace, and she was still looking at the pretty sights when her little party entered the grounds and approached the big front door of the king's own apartments. to their disappointment they found the door tightly closed. a sign was tacked to the panel which read as follows: +----------------------------+ | | | owner absent. | | | | please knock at the third | | door in the left wing. | | | +----------------------------+ "now," said tiktok to the captive wheeler, "you must show us the way to the left wing." "very well," agreed the prisoner, "it is around here at the right." "how can the left wing be at the right?" demanded dorothy, who feared the wheeler was fooling them. "because there used to be three wings, and two were torn down, so the one on the right is the only one left. it is a trick of the princess langwidere to prevent visitors from annoying her." then the captive led them around to the wing, after which the machine man, having no further use for the wheeler, permitted him to depart and rejoin his fellows. he immediately rolled away at a great pace and was soon lost to sight. tiktok now counted the doors in the wing and knocked loudly upon the third one. it was opened by a little maid in a cap trimmed with gay ribbons, who bowed respectfully and asked: "what do you wish, good people?" "are you the princess langwidere?" asked dorothy. "no, miss; i am her servant," replied the maid. "may i see the princess, please?" "i will tell her you are here, miss, and ask her to grant you an audience," said the maid. "step in, please, and take a seat in the drawing-room." so dorothy walked in, followed closely by the machine. but as the yellow hen tried to enter after them, the little maid cried "shoo!" and flapped her apron in billina's face. "shoo, yourself!" retorted the hen, drawing back in anger and ruffling up her feathers. "haven't you any better manners than that?" "oh, do you talk?" enquired the maid, evidently surprised. "can't you hear me?" snapped billina. "drop that apron, and get out of the doorway, so that i may enter with my friends!" "the princess won't like it," said the maid, hesitating. "i don't care whether she likes it or not," replied billina, and fluttering her wings with a loud noise she flew straight at the maid's face. the little servant at once ducked her head, and the hen reached dorothy's side in safety. "very well," sighed the maid; "if you are all ruined because of this obstinate hen, don't blame me for it. it isn't safe to annoy the princess langwidere." "tell her we are waiting, if you please," dorothy requested, with dignity. "billina is my friend, and must go wherever i go." without more words the maid led them to a richly furnished drawing-room, lighted with subdued rainbow tints that came in through beautiful stained-glass windows. "remain here," she said. "what names shall i give the princess?" "i am dorothy gale, of kansas," replied the child; "and this gentleman is a machine named tiktok, and the yellow hen is my friend billina." the little servant bowed and withdrew, going through several passages and mounting two marble stairways before she came to the apartments occupied by her mistress. princess langwidere's sitting-room was paneled with great mirrors, which reached from the ceiling to the floor; also the ceiling was composed of mirrors, and the floor was of polished silver that reflected every object upon it. so when langwidere sat in her easy chair and played soft melodies upon her mandolin, her form was mirrored hundreds of times, in walls and ceiling and floor, and whichever way the lady turned her head she could see and admire her own features. this she loved to do, and just as the maid entered she was saying to herself: "this head with the auburn hair and hazel eyes is quite attractive. i must wear it more often than i have done of late, although it may not be the best of my collection." "you have company, your highness," announced the maid, bowing low. "who is it?" asked langwidere, yawning. "dorothy gale of kansas, mr. tiktok and billina," answered the maid. "what a queer lot of names!" murmured the princess, beginning to be a little interested. "what are they like? is dorothy gale of kansas pretty?" "she might be called so," the maid replied. "and is mr. tiktok attractive?" continued the princess. "that i cannot say, your highness. but he seems very bright. will your gracious highness see them?" "oh, i may as well, nanda. but i am tired admiring this head, and if my visitor has any claim to beauty i must take care that she does not surpass me. so i will go to my cabinet and change to no. 17, which i think is my best appearance. don't you?" "your no. 17 is exceedingly beautiful," answered nanda, with another bow. again the princess yawned. then she said: "help me to rise." so the maid assisted her to gain her feet, although langwidere was the stronger of the two; and then the princess slowly walked across the silver floor to her cabinet, leaning heavily at every step upon nanda's arm. now i must explain to you that the princess langwidere had thirty heads--as many as there are days in the month. but of course she could only wear one of them at a time, because she had but one neck. these heads were kept in what she called her "cabinet," which was a beautiful dressing-room that lay just between langwidere's sleeping-chamber and the mirrored sitting-room. each head was in a separate cupboard lined with velvet. the cupboards ran all around the sides of the dressing-room, and had elaborately carved doors with gold numbers on the outside and jeweled-framed mirrors on the inside of them. when the princess got out of her crystal bed in the morning she went to her cabinet, opened one of the velvet-lined cupboards, and took the head it contained from its golden shelf. then, by the aid of the mirror inside the open door, she put on the head--as neat and straight as could be--and afterward called her maids to robe her for the day. she always wore a simple white costume, that suited all the heads. for, being able to change her face whenever she liked, the princess had no interest in wearing a variety of gowns, as have other ladies who are compelled to wear the same face constantly. of course the thirty heads were in great variety, no two formed alike but all being of exceeding loveliness. there were heads with golden hair, brown hair, rich auburn hair and black hair; but none with gray hair. the heads had eyes of blue, of gray, of hazel, of brown and of black; but there were no red eyes among them, and all were bright and handsome. the noses were grecian, roman, retrousse and oriental, representing all types of beauty; and the mouths were of assorted sizes and shapes, displaying pearly teeth when the heads smiled. as for dimples, they appeared in cheeks and chins, wherever they might be most charming, and one or two heads had freckles upon the faces to contrast the better with the brilliancy of their complexions. one key unlocked all the velvet cupboards containing these treasures--a curious key carved from a single blood-red ruby--and this was fastened to a strong but slender chain which the princess wore around her left wrist. when nanda had supported langwidere to a position in front of cupboard no. 17, the princess unlocked the door with her ruby key and after handing head no. 9, which she had been wearing, to the maid, she took no. 17 from its shelf and fitted it to her neck. it had black hair and dark eyes and a lovely pearl-and-white complexion, and when langwidere wore it she knew she was remarkably beautiful in appearance. there was only one trouble with no. 17; the temper that went with it (and which was hidden somewhere under the glossy black hair) was fiery, harsh and haughty in the extreme, and it often led the princess to do unpleasant things which she regretted when she came to wear her other heads. but she did not remember this today, and went to meet her guests in the drawing-room with a feeling of certainty that she would surprise them with her beauty. however, she was greatly disappointed to find that her visitors were merely a small girl in a gingham dress, a copper man that would only go when wound up, and a yellow hen that was sitting contentedly in langwidere's best work-basket, where there was a china egg used for darning stockings. (it may surprise you to learn that a princess ever does such a common thing as darn stockings. but, if you will stop to think, you will realize that a princess is sure to wear holes in her stockings, the same as other people; only it isn't considered quite polite to mention the matter.) "oh!" said langwidere, slightly lifting the nose of no. 17. "i thought some one of importance had called." "then you were right," declared dorothy. "i'm a good deal of 'portance myself, and when billina lays an egg she has the proudest cackle you ever heard. as for tiktok, he's the--" "stop--stop!" commanded the princess, with an angry flash of her splendid eyes. "how dare you annoy me with your senseless chatter?" "why, you horrid thing!" said dorothy, who was not accustomed to being treated so rudely. the princess looked at her more closely. "tell me," she resumed, "are you of royal blood?" "better than that, ma'am," said dorothy. "i came from kansas." "huh!" cried the princess, scornfully. "you are a foolish child, and i cannot allow you to annoy me. run away, you little goose, and bother some one else." dorothy was so indignant that for a moment she could find no words to reply. but she rose from her chair, and was about to leave the room when the princess, who had been scanning the girl's face, stopped her by saying, more gently: "come nearer to me." dorothy obeyed, without a thought of fear, and stood before the princess while langwidere examined her face with careful attention. "you are rather attractive," said the lady, presently. "not at all beautiful, you understand, but you have a certain style of prettiness that is different from that of any of my thirty heads. so i believe i'll take your head and give you no. 26 for it." "well, i b'lieve you won't!" exclaimed dorothy. "it will do you no good to refuse," continued the princess; "for i need your head for my collection, and in the land of ev my will is law. i never have cared much for no. 26, and you will find that it is very little worn. besides, it will do you just as well as the one you're wearing, for all practical purposes." "i don't know anything about your no. 26, and i don't want to," said dorothy, firmly. "i'm not used to taking cast-off things, so i'll just keep my own head." "you refuse?" cried the princess, with a frown. "of course i do," was the reply. "then," said langwidere, "i shall lock you up in a tower until you decide to obey me. nanda," turning to her maid, "call my army." nanda rang a silver bell, and at once a big fat colonel in a bright red uniform entered the room, followed by ten lean soldiers, who all looked sad and discouraged and saluted the princess in a very melancholy fashion. "carry that girl to the north tower and lock her up!" cried the princess, pointing to dorothy. "to hear is to obey," answered the big red colonel, and caught the child by her arm. but at that moment tiktok raised his dinner-pail and pounded it so forcibly against the colonel's head that the big officer sat down upon the floor with a sudden bump, looking both dazed and very much astonished. "help!" he shouted, and the ten lean soldiers sprang to assist their leader. there was great excitement for the next few moments, and tiktok had knocked down seven of the army, who were sprawling in every direction upon the carpet, when suddenly the machine paused, with the dinner-pail raised for another blow, and remained perfectly motionless. "my ac-tion has run down," he called to dorothy. "wind me up, quick." she tried to obey, but the big colonel had by this time managed to get upon his feet again, so he grabbed fast hold of the girl and she was helpless to escape. "this is too bad," said the machine. "i ought to have run six hours lon-ger, at least, but i sup-pose my long walk and my fight with the wheel-ers made me run down fast-er than us-u-al." "well, it can't be helped," said dorothy, with a sigh. "will you exchange heads with me?" demanded the princess. "no, indeed!" cried dorothy. "then lock her up," said langwidere to her soldiers, and they led dorothy to a high tower at the north of the palace and locked her securely within. the soldiers afterward tried to lift tiktok, but they found the machine so solid and heavy that they could not stir it. so they left him standing in the center of the drawing-room. "people will think i have a new statue," said langwidere, "so it won't matter in the least, and nanda can keep him well polished." "what shall we do with the hen?" asked the colonel, who had just discovered billina in the work-basket. "put her in the chicken-house," answered the princess. "someday i'll have her fried for breakfast." "she looks rather tough, your highness," said nanda, doubtfully. "that is a base slander!" cried billina, struggling frantically in the colonel's arms. "but the breed of chickens i come from is said to be poison to all princesses." "then," remarked langwidere, "i will not fry the hen, but keep her to lay eggs; and if she doesn't do her duty i'll have her drowned in the horse trough." 7. ozma of oz to the rescue nanda brought dorothy bread and water for her supper, and she slept upon a hard stone couch with a single pillow and a silken coverlet. in the morning she leaned out of the window of her prison in the tower to see if there was any way to escape. the room was not so very high up, when compared with our modern buildings, but it was far enough above the trees and farm houses to give her a good view of the surrounding country. to the east she saw the forest, with the sands beyond it and the ocean beyond that. there was even a dark speck upon the shore that she thought might be the chicken-coop in which she had arrived at this singular country. then she looked to the north, and saw a deep but narrow valley lying between two rocky mountains, and a third mountain that shut off the valley at the further end. westward the fertile land of ev suddenly ended a little way from the palace, and the girl could see miles and miles of sandy desert that stretched further than her eyes could reach. it was this desert, she thought, with much interest, that alone separated her from the wonderful land of oz, and she remembered sorrowfully that she had been told no one had ever been able to cross this dangerous waste but herself. once a cyclone had carried her across it, and a magical pair of silver shoes had carried her back again. but now she had neither a cyclone nor silver shoes to assist her, and her condition was sad indeed. for she had become the prisoner of a disagreeable princess who insisted that she must exchange her head for another one that she was not used to, and which might not fit her at all. really, there seemed no hope of help for her from her old friends in the land of oz. thoughtfully she gazed from her narrow window. on all the desert not a living thing was stirring. wait, though! something surely was stirring on the desert--something her eyes had not observed at first. now it seemed like a cloud; now it seemed like a spot of silver; now it seemed to be a mass of rainbow colors that moved swiftly toward her. what could it be, she wondered? then, gradually, but in a brief space of time nevertheless, the vision drew near enough to dorothy to make out what it was. a broad green carpet was unrolling itself upon the desert, while advancing across the carpet was a wonderful procession that made the girl open her eyes in amazement as she gazed. first came a magnificent golden chariot, drawn by a great lion and an immense tiger, who stood shoulder to shoulder and trotted along as gracefully as a well-matched team of thoroughbred horses. and standing upright within the chariot was a beautiful girl clothed in flowing robes of silver gauze and wearing a jeweled diadem upon her dainty head. she held in one hand the satin ribbons that guided her astonishing team, and in the other an ivory wand that separated at the top into two prongs, the prongs being tipped by the letters "o" and "z", made of glistening diamonds set closely together. the girl seemed neither older nor larger than dorothy herself, and at once the prisoner in the tower guessed that the lovely driver of the chariot must be that ozma of oz of whom she had so lately heard from tiktok. following close behind the chariot dorothy saw her old friend the scarecrow, riding calmly astride a wooden saw-horse, which pranced and trotted as naturally as any meat horse could have done. and then came nick chopper, the tin woodman, with his funnel-shaped cap tipped carelessly over his left ear, his gleaming axe over his right shoulder, and his whole body sparkling as brightly as it had ever done in the old days when first she knew him. the tin woodman was on foot, marching at the head of a company of twenty-seven soldiers, of whom some were lean and some fat, some short and some tall; but all the twenty-seven were dressed in handsome uniforms of various designs and colors, no two being alike in any respect. behind the soldiers the green carpet rolled itself up again, so that there was always just enough of it for the procession to walk upon, in order that their feet might not come in contact with the deadly, life-destroying sands of the desert. dorothy knew at once it was a magic carpet she beheld, and her heart beat high with hope and joy as she realized she was soon to be rescued and allowed to greet her dearly beloved friends of oz--the scarecrow, the tin woodman and the cowardly lion. indeed, the girl felt herself as good as rescued as soon as she recognized those in the procession, for she well knew the courage and loyalty of her old comrades, and also believed that any others who came from their marvelous country would prove to be pleasant and reliable acquaintances. as soon as the last bit of desert was passed and all the procession, from the beautiful and dainty ozma to the last soldier, had reached the grassy meadows of the land of ev, the magic carpet rolled itself together and entirely disappeared. then the chariot driver turned her lion and tiger into a broad roadway leading up to the palace, and the others followed, while dorothy still gazed from her tower window in eager excitement. they came quite close to the front door of the palace and then halted, the scarecrow dismounting from his saw-horse to approach the sign fastened to the door, that he might read what it said. dorothy, just above him, could keep silent no longer. "here i am!" she shouted, as loudly as she could. "here's dorothy!" "dorothy who?" asked the scarecrow, tipping his head to look upward until he nearly lost his balance and tumbled over backward. "dorothy gale, of course. your friend from kansas," she answered. "why, hello, dorothy!" said the scarecrow. "what in the world are you doing up there?" "nothing," she called down, "because there's nothing to do. save me, my friend--save me!" "you seem to be quite safe now," replied the scarecrow. "but i'm a prisoner. i'm locked in, so that i can't get out," she pleaded. "that's all right," said the scarecrow. "you might be worse off, little dorothy. just consider the matter. you can't get drowned, or be run over by a wheeler, or fall out of an apple-tree. some folks would think they were lucky to be up there." "well, i don't," declared the girl, "and i want to get down immed'i'tly and see you and the tin woodman and the cowardly lion." "very well," said the scarecrow, nodding. "it shall be just as you say, little friend. who locked you up?" "the princess langwidere, who is a horrid creature," she answered. at this ozma, who had been listening carefully to the conversation, called to dorothy from her chariot, asking: "why did the princess lock you up, my dear?" "because," exclaimed dorothy, "i wouldn't let her have my head for her collection, and take an old, cast-off head in exchange for it." "i do not blame you," exclaimed ozma, promptly. "i will see the princess at once, and oblige her to liberate you." "oh, thank you very, very much!" cried dorothy, who as soon as she heard the sweet voice of the girlish ruler of oz knew that she would soon learn to love her dearly. ozma now drove her chariot around to the third door of the wing, upon which the tin woodman boldly proceeded to knock. as soon as the maid opened the door ozma, bearing in her hand her ivory wand, stepped into the hall and made her way at once to the drawing-room, followed by all her company, except the lion and the tiger. and the twenty-seven soldiers made such a noise and a clatter that the little maid nanda ran away screaming to her mistress, whereupon the princess langwidere, roused to great anger by this rude invasion of her palace, came running into the drawing-room without any assistance whatever. there she stood before the slight and delicate form of the little girl from oz and cried out;-"how dare you enter my palace unbidden? leave this room at once, or i will bind you and all your people in chains, and throw you into my darkest dungeons!" "what a dangerous lady!" murmured the scarecrow, in a soft voice. "she seems a little nervous," replied the tin woodman. but ozma only smiled at the angry princess. "sit down, please," she said, quietly. "i have traveled a long way to see you, and you must listen to what i have to say." "must!" screamed the princess, her black eyes flashing with fury--for she still wore her no. 17 head. "must, to me!" "to be sure," said ozma. "i am ruler of the land of oz, and i am powerful enough to destroy all your kingdom, if i so wish. yet i did not come here to do harm, but rather to free the royal family of ev from the thrall of the nome king, the news having reached me that he is holding the queen and her children prisoners." hearing these words, langwidere suddenly became quiet. "i wish you could, indeed, free my aunt and her ten royal children," said she, eagerly. "for if they were restored to their proper forms and station they could rule the kingdom of ev themselves, and that would save me a lot of worry and trouble. at present there are at least ten minutes every day that i must devote to affairs of state, and i would like to be able to spend my whole time in admiring my beautiful heads." "then we will presently discuss this matter," said ozma, "and try to find a way to liberate your aunt and cousins. but first you must liberate another prisoner--the little girl you have locked up in your tower." "of course," said langwidere, readily. "i had forgotten all about her. that was yesterday, you know, and a princess cannot be expected to remember today what she did yesterday. come with me, and i will release the prisoner at once." so ozma followed her, and they passed up the stairs that led to the room in the tower. while they were gone ozma's followers remained in the drawing-room, and the scarecrow was leaning against a form that he had mistaken for a copper statue when a harsh, metallic voice said suddenly in his ear: "get off my foot, please. you are scratch-ing my pol-ish." "oh, excuse me!" he replied, hastily drawing back. "are you alive?" "no," said tiktok, "i am on-ly a ma-chine. but i can think and speak and act, when i am pro-per-ly wound up. just now my ac-tion is run down, and dor-o-thy has the key to it." "that's all right," replied the scarecrow. "dorothy will soon be free, and then she'll attend to your works. but it must be a great misfortune not to be alive. i'm sorry for you." "why?" asked tiktok. "because you have no brains, as i have," said the scarecrow. "oh, yes, i have," returned tiktok. "i am fit-ted with smith & tin-ker's im-proved com-bi-na-tion steel brains. they are what make me think. what sort of brains are you fit-ted with?" "i don't know," admitted the scarecrow. "they were given to me by the great wizard of oz, and i didn't get a chance to examine them before he put them in. but they work splendidly and my conscience is very active. have you a conscience?" "no," said tiktok. "and no heart, i suppose?" added the tin woodman, who had been listening with interest to this conversation. "no," said tiktok. "then," continued the tin woodman, "i regret to say that you are greatly inferior to my friend the scarecrow, and to myself. for we are both alive, and he has brains which do not need to be wound up, while i have an excellent heart that is continually beating in my bosom." "i con-grat-u-late you," replied tiktok. "i can-not help be-ing your in-fer-i-or for i am a mere ma-chine. when i am wound up i do my du-ty by go-ing just as my ma-chin-er-y is made to go. you have no i-de-a how full of ma-chin-er-y i am." "i can guess," said the scarecrow, looking at the machine man curiously. "some day i'd like to take you apart and see just how you are made." "do not do that, i beg of you," said tiktok; "for you could not put me to-geth-er a-gain, and my use-ful-ness would be de-stroyed." "oh! are you useful?" asked the scarecrow, surprised. "ve-ry," said tiktok. "in that case," the scarecrow kindly promised, "i won't fool with your interior at all. for i am a poor mechanic, and might mix you up." "thank you," said tiktok. just then ozma re-entered the room, leading dorothy by the hand and followed closely by the princess langwidere. 8. the hungry tiger the first thing dorothy did was to rush into the embrace of the scarecrow, whose painted face beamed with delight as he pressed her form to his straw-padded bosom. then the tin woodman embraced her--very gently, for he knew his tin arms might hurt her if he squeezed too roughly. these greetings having been exchanged, dorothy took the key to tiktok from her pocket and wound up the machine man's action, so that he could bow properly when introduced to the rest of the company. while doing this she told them how useful tiktok had been to her, and both the scarecrow and the tin woodman shook hands with the machine once more and thanked him for protecting their friend. then dorothy asked: "where is billina?" "i don't know," said the scarecrow. "who is billina?" "she's a yellow hen who is another friend of mine," answered the girl, anxiously. "i wonder what has become of her?" "she is in the chicken house, in the back yard," said the princess. "my drawing-room is no place for hens." without waiting to hear more dorothy ran to get billina, and just outside the door she came upon the cowardly lion, still hitched to the chariot beside the great tiger. the cowardly lion had a big bow of blue ribbon fastened to the long hair between his ears, and the tiger wore a bow of red ribbon on his tail, just in front of the bushy end. in an instant dorothy was hugging the huge lion joyfully. "i'm so glad to see you again!" she cried. "i am also glad to see you, dorothy," said the lion. "we've had some fine adventures together, haven't we?" "yes, indeed," she replied. "how are you?" "as cowardly as ever," the beast answered in a meek voice. "every little thing scares me and makes my heart beat fast. but let me introduce to you a new friend of mine, the hungry tiger." "oh! are you hungry?" she asked, turning to the other beast, who was just then yawning so widely that he displayed two rows of terrible teeth and a mouth big enough to startle anyone. "dreadfully hungry," answered the tiger, snapping his jaws together with a fierce click. "then why don't you eat something?" she asked. "it's no use," said the tiger sadly. "i've tried that, but i always get hungry again." "why, it is the same with me," said dorothy. "yet i keep on eating." "but you eat harmless things, so it doesn't matter," replied the tiger. "for my part, i'm a savage beast, and have an appetite for all sorts of poor little living creatures, from a chipmunk to fat babies." "how dreadful!" said dorothy. "isn't it, though?" returned the hungry tiger, licking his lips with his long red tongue. "fat babies! don't they sound delicious? but i've never eaten any, because my conscience tells me it is wrong. if i had no conscience i would probably eat the babies and then get hungry again, which would mean that i had sacrificed the poor babies for nothing. no; hungry i was born, and hungry i shall die. but i'll not have any cruel deeds on my conscience to be sorry for." "i think you are a very good tiger," said dorothy, patting the huge head of the beast. "in that you are mistaken," was the reply. "i am a good beast, perhaps, but a disgracefully bad tiger. for it is the nature of tigers to be cruel and ferocious, and in refusing to eat harmless living creatures i am acting as no good tiger has ever before acted. that is why i left the forest and joined my friend the cowardly lion." "but the lion is not really cowardly," said dorothy. "i have seen him act as bravely as can be." "all a mistake, my dear," protested the lion gravely. "to others i may have seemed brave, at times, but i have never been in any danger that i was not afraid." "nor i," said dorothy, truthfully. "but i must go and set free billina, and then i will see you again." she ran around to the back yard of the palace and soon found the chicken house, being guided to it by a loud cackling and crowing and a distracting hubbub of sounds such as chickens make when they are excited. something seemed to be wrong in the chicken house, and when dorothy looked through the slats in the door she saw a group of hens and roosters huddled in one corner and watching what appeared to be a whirling ball of feathers. it bounded here and there about the chicken house, and at first dorothy could not tell what it was, while the screeching of the chickens nearly deafened her. but suddenly the bunch of feathers stopped whirling, and then, to her amazement, the girl saw billina crouching upon the prostrate form of a speckled rooster. for an instant they both remained motionless, and then the yellow hen shook her wings to settle the feathers and walked toward the door with a strut of proud defiance and a cluck of victory, while the speckled rooster limped away to the group of other chickens, trailing his crumpled plumage in the dust as he went. "why, billina!" cried dorothy, in a shocked voice; "have you been fighting?" "i really think i have," retorted billina. "do you think i'd let that speckled villain of a rooster lord it over me, and claim to run this chicken house, as long as i'm able to peck and scratch? not if my name is bill!" "it isn't bill, it's billina; and you're talking slang, which is very undig'n'fied," said dorothy, reprovingly. "come here, billina, and i'll let you out; for ozma of oz is here, and has set us free." so the yellow hen came to the door, which dorothy unlatched for her to pass through, and the other chickens silently watched them from their corner without offering to approach nearer. the girl lifted her friend in her arms and exclaimed: "oh, billina! how dreadful you look. you've lost a lot of feathers, and one of your eyes is nearly pecked out, and your comb is bleeding!" "that's nothing," said billina. "just look at the speckled rooster! didn't i do him up brown?" dorothy shook her head. "i don't 'prove of this, at all," she said, carrying billina away toward the palace. "it isn't a good thing for you to 'sociate with those common chickens. they would soon spoil your good manners, and you wouldn't be respec'able any more." "i didn't ask to associate with them," replied billina. "it is that cross old princess who is to blame. but i was raised in the united states, and i won't allow any one-horse chicken of the land of ev to run over me and put on airs, as long as i can lift a claw in self-defense." "very well, billina," said dorothy. "we won't talk about it any more." soon they came to the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger to whom the girl introduced the yellow hen. "glad to meet any friend of dorothy's," said the lion, politely. "to judge by your present appearance, you are not a coward, as i am." "your present appearance makes my mouth water," said the tiger, looking at billina greedily. "my, my! how good you would taste if i could only crunch you between my jaws. but don't worry. you would only appease my appetite for a moment; so it isn't worth while to eat you." "thank you," said the hen, nestling closer in dorothy's arms. "besides, it wouldn't be right," continued the tiger, looking steadily at billina and clicking his jaws together. "of course not," cried dorothy, hastily. "billina is my friend, and you mustn't ever eat her under any circ'mstances." "i'll try to remember that," said the tiger; "but i'm a little absent-minded, at times." then dorothy carried her pet into the drawing-room of the palace, where tiktok, being invited to do so by ozma, had seated himself between the scarecrow and the tin woodman. opposite to them sat ozma herself and the princess langwidere, and beside them there was a vacant chair for dorothy. around this important group was ranged the army of oz, and as dorothy looked at the handsome uniforms of the twenty-seven she said: "why, they seem to be all officers." "they are, all except one," answered the tin woodman. "i have in my army eight generals, six colonels, seven majors and five captains, besides one private for them to command. i'd like to promote the private, for i believe no private should ever be in public life; and i've also noticed that officers usually fight better and are more reliable than common soldiers. besides, the officers are more important looking, and lend dignity to our army." "no doubt you are right," said dorothy, seating herself beside ozma. "and now," announced the girlish ruler of oz, "we will hold a solemn conference to decide the best manner of liberating the royal family of this fair land of ev from their long imprisonment." 9. the royal family of ev the tin woodman was the first to address the meeting. "to begin with," said he, "word came to our noble and illustrious ruler, ozma of oz, that the wife and ten children--five boys and five girls--of the former king of ev, by name evoldo, have been enslaved by the nome king and are held prisoners in his underground palace. also that there was no one in ev powerful enough to release them. naturally our ozma wished to undertake the adventure of liberating the poor prisoners; but for a long time she could find no way to cross the great desert between the two countries. finally she went to a friendly sorceress of our land named glinda the good, who heard the story and at once presented ozma a magic carpet, which would continually unroll beneath our feet and so make a comfortable path for us to cross the desert. as soon as she had received the carpet our gracious ruler ordered me to assemble our army, which i did. you behold in these bold warriors the pick of all the finest soldiers of oz; and, if we are obliged to fight the nome king, every officer as well as the private, will battle fiercely unto death." then tiktok spoke. "why should you fight the nome king?" he asked. "he has done no wrong." "no wrong!" cried dorothy. "isn't it wrong to imprison a queen mother and her ten children?" "they were sold to the nome king by king ev-ol-do," replied tiktok. "it was the king of ev who did wrong, and when he re-al-ized what he had done he jumped in-to the sea and drowned him-self." "this is news to me," said ozma, thoughtfully. "i had supposed the nome king was all to blame in the matter. but, in any case, he must be made to liberate the prisoners." "my uncle evoldo was a very wicked man," declared the princess langwidere. "if he had drowned himself before he sold his family, no one would have cared. but he sold them to the powerful nome king in exchange for a long life, and afterward destroyed the life by jumping into the sea." "then," said ozma, "he did not get the long life, and the nome king must give up the prisoners. where are they confined?" "no one knows, exactly," replied the princess. "for the king, whose name is roquat of the rocks, owns a splendid palace underneath the great mountain which is at the north end of this kingdom, and he has transformed the queen and her children into ornaments and bric-a-brac with which to decorate his rooms." "i'd like to know," said dorothy, "who this nome king is?" "i will tell you," replied ozma. "he is said to be the ruler of the underground world, and commands the rocks and all that the rocks contain. under his rule are many thousands of the nomes, who are queerly shaped but powerful sprites that labor at the furnaces and forges of their king, making gold and silver and other metals which they conceal in the crevices of the rocks, so that those living upon the earth's surface can only find them with great difficulty. also they make diamonds and rubies and emeralds, which they hide in the ground; so that the kingdom of the nomes is wonderfully rich, and all we have of precious stones and silver and gold is what we take from the earth and rocks where the nome king has hidden them." "i understand," said dorothy, nodding her little head wisely. "for the reason that we often steal his treasures," continued ozma, "the ruler of the underground world is not fond of those who live upon the earth's surface, and never appears among us. if we wish to see king roquat of the rocks, we must visit his own country, where he is all powerful, and therefore it will be a dangerous undertaking." "but, for the sake of the poor prisoners," said dorothy, "we ought to do it." "we shall do it," replied the scarecrow, "although it requires a lot of courage for me to go near to the furnaces of the nome king. for i am only stuffed with straw, and a single spark of fire might destroy me entirely." "the furnaces may also melt my tin," said the tin woodman; "but i am going." "i can't bear heat," remarked the princess langwidere, yawning lazily, "so i shall stay at home. but i wish you may have success in your undertaking, for i am heartily tired of ruling this stupid kingdom, and i need more leisure in which to admire my beautiful heads." "we do not need you," said ozma. "for, if with the aid of my brave followers i cannot accomplish my purpose, then it would be useless for you to undertake the journey." "quite true," sighed the princess. "so, if you'll excuse me, i will now retire to my cabinet. i've worn this head quite awhile, and i want to change it for another." when she had left them (and you may be sure no one was sorry to see her go) ozma said to tiktok: "will you join our party?" "i am the slave of the girl dor-oth-y, who rescued me from pris-on," replied the machine. "where she goes i will go." "oh, i am going with my friends, of course," said dorothy, quickly. "i wouldn't miss the fun for anything. will you go, too, billina?" "to be sure," said billina in a careless tone. she was smoothing down the feathers of her back and not paying much attention. "heat is just in her line," remarked the scarecrow. "if she is nicely roasted, she will be better than ever." "then" said ozma, "we will arrange to start for the kingdom of the nomes at daybreak tomorrow. and, in the meantime, we will rest and prepare ourselves for the journey." although princess langwidere did not again appear to her guests, the palace servants waited upon the strangers from oz and did everything in their power to make the party comfortable. there were many vacant rooms at their disposal, and the brave army of twenty-seven was easily provided for and liberally feasted. the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger were unharnessed from the chariot and allowed to roam at will throughout the palace, where they nearly frightened the servants into fits, although they did no harm at all. at one time dorothy found the little maid nanda crouching in terror in a corner, with the hungry tiger standing before her. "you certainly look delicious," the beast was saying. "will you kindly give me permission to eat you?" "no, no, no!" cried the maid in reply. "then," said the tiger, yawning frightfully, "please to get me about thirty pounds of tenderloin steak, cooked rare, with a peck of boiled potatoes on the side, and five gallons of ice-cream for dessert." "i--i'll do the best i can!" said nanda, and she ran away as fast as she could go. "are you so very hungry?" asked dorothy, in wonder. "you can hardly imagine the size of my appetite," replied the tiger, sadly. "it seems to fill my whole body, from the end of my throat to the tip of my tail. i am very sure the appetite doesn't fit me, and is too large for the size of my body. some day, when i meet a dentist with a pair of forceps, i'm going to have it pulled." "what, your tooth?" asked dorothy. "no, my appetite," said the hungry tiger. the little girl spent most of the afternoon talking with the scarecrow and the tin woodman, who related to her all that had taken place in the land of oz since dorothy had left it. she was much interested in the story of ozma, who had been, when a baby, stolen by a wicked old witch and transformed into a boy. she did not know that she had ever been a girl until she was restored to her natural form by a kind sorceress. then it was found that she was the only child of the former ruler of oz, and was entitled to rule in his place. ozma had many adventures, however, before she regained her father's throne, and in these she was accompanied by a pumpkin-headed man, a highly magnified and thoroughly educated woggle-bug, and a wonderful sawhorse that had been brought to life by means of a magic powder. the scarecrow and the tin woodman had also assisted her; but the cowardly lion, who ruled the great forest as the king of beasts, knew nothing of ozma until after she became the reigning princess of oz. then he journeyed to the emerald city to see her, and on hearing she was about to visit the land of ev to set free the royal family of that country, the cowardly lion begged to go with her, and brought along his friend, the hungry tiger, as well. having heard this story, dorothy related to them her own adventures, and then went out with her friends to find the sawhorse, which ozma had caused to be shod with plates of gold, so that its legs would not wear out. they came upon the sawhorse standing motionless beside the garden gate, but when dorothy was introduced to him he bowed politely and blinked his eyes, which were knots of wood, and wagged his tail, which was only the branch of a tree. "what a remarkable thing, to be alive!" exclaimed dorothy. "i quite agree with you," replied the sawhorse, in a rough but not unpleasant voice. "a creature like me has no business to live, as we all know. but it was the magic powder that did it, so i cannot justly be blamed." "of course not," said dorothy. "and you seem to be of some use, 'cause i noticed the scarecrow riding upon your back." "oh, yes; i'm of use," returned the sawhorse; "and i never tire, never have to be fed, or cared for in any way." "are you intel'gent?" asked the girl. "not very," said the creature. "it would be foolish to waste intelligence on a common sawhorse, when so many professors need it. but i know enough to obey my masters, and to gid-dup, or whoa, when i'm told to. so i'm pretty well satisfied." that night dorothy slept in a pleasant little bed-chamber next to that occupied by ozma of oz, and billina perched upon the foot of the bed and tucked her head under her wing and slept as soundly in that position as did dorothy upon her soft cushions. but before daybreak every one was awake and stirring, and soon the adventurers were eating a hasty breakfast in the great dining-room of the palace. ozma sat at the head of a long table, on a raised platform, with dorothy on her right hand and the scarecrow on her left. the scarecrow did not eat, of course; but ozma placed him near her so that she might ask his advice about the journey while she ate. lower down the table were the twenty-seven warriors of oz, and at the end of the room the lion and the tiger were eating out of a kettle that had been placed upon the floor, while billina fluttered around to pick up any scraps that might be scattered. it did not take long to finish the meal, and then the lion and the tiger were harnessed to the chariot and the party was ready to start for the nome king's palace. first rode ozma, with dorothy beside her in the golden chariot and holding billina fast in her arms. then came the scarecrow on the sawhorse, with the tin woodman and tiktok marching side by side just behind him. after these tramped the army, looking brave and handsome in their splendid uniforms. the generals commanded the colonels and the colonels commanded the majors and the majors commanded the captains and the captains commanded the private, who marched with an air of proud importance because it required so many officers to give him his orders. and so the magnificent procession left the palace and started along the road just as day was breaking, and by the time the sun came out they had made good progress toward the valley that led to the nome king's domain. 10. the giant with the hammer the road led for a time through a pretty farm country, and then past a picnic grove that was very inviting. but the procession continued to steadily advance until billina cried in an abrupt and commanding manner: "wait--wait!" ozma stopped her chariot so suddenly that the scarecrow's sawhorse nearly ran into it, and the ranks of the army tumbled over one another before they could come to a halt. immediately the yellow hen struggled from dorothy's arms and flew into a clump of bushes by the roadside. "what's the matter?" called the tin woodman, anxiously. "why, billina wants to lay her egg, that's all," said dorothy. "lay her egg!" repeated the tin woodman, in astonishment. "yes; she lays one every morning, about this time; and it's quite fresh," said the girl. "but does your foolish old hen suppose that this entire cavalcade, which is bound on an important adventure, is going to stand still while she lays her egg?" enquired the tin woodman, earnestly. "what else can we do?" asked the girl. "it's a habit of billina's and she can't break herself of it." "then she must hurry up," said the tin woodman, impatiently. "no, no!" exclaimed the scarecrow. "if she hurries she may lay scrambled eggs." "that's nonsense," said dorothy. "but billina won't be long, i'm sure." so they stood and waited, although all were restless and anxious to proceed. and by and by the yellow hen came from the bushes saying: "kut-kut, kut, ka-daw-kutt! kut, kut, kut--ka-daw-kut!" "what is she doing--singing her lay?" asked the scarecrow. "for-ward--march!" shouted the tin woodman, waving his axe, and the procession started just as dorothy had once more grabbed billina in her arms. "isn't anyone going to get my egg?" cried the hen, in great excitement. "i'll get it," said the scarecrow; and at his command the sawhorse pranced into the bushes. the straw man soon found the egg, which he placed in his jacket pocket. the cavalcade, having moved rapidly on, was even then far in advance; but it did not take the sawhorse long to catch up with it, and presently the scarecrow was riding in his accustomed place behind ozma's chariot. "what shall i do with the egg?" he asked dorothy. "i do not know," the girl answered. "perhaps the hungry tiger would like it." "it would not be enough to fill one of my back teeth," remarked the tiger. "a bushel of them, hard boiled, might take a little of the edge off my appetite; but one egg isn't good for anything at all, that i know of." "no; it wouldn't even make a sponge cake," said the scarecrow, thoughtfully. "the tin woodman might carry it with his axe and hatch it; but after all i may as well keep it myself for a souvenir." so he left it in his pocket. they had now reached that part of the valley that lay between the two high mountains which dorothy had seen from her tower window. at the far end was the third great mountain, which blocked the valley and was the northern edge of the land of ev. it was underneath this mountain that the nome king's palace was said to be; but it would be some time before they reached that place. the path was becoming rocky and difficult for the wheels of the chariot to pass over, and presently a deep gulf appeared at their feet which was too wide for them to leap. so ozma took a small square of green cloth from her pocket and threw it upon the ground. at once it became the magic carpet, and unrolled itself far enough for all the cavalcade to walk upon. the chariot now advanced, and the green carpet unrolled before it, crossing the gulf on a level with its banks, so that all passed over in safety. "that's easy enough," said the scarecrow. "i wonder what will happen next." he was not long in making the discovery, for the sides of the mountain came closer together until finally there was but a narrow path between them, along which ozma and her party were forced to pass in single file. they now heard a low and deep "thump!--thump!--thump!" which echoed throughout the valley and seemed to grow louder as they advanced. then, turning a corner of rock, they saw before them a huge form, which towered above the path for more than a hundred feet. the form was that of a gigantic man built out of plates of cast iron, and it stood with one foot on either side of the narrow road and swung over its right shoulder an immense iron mallet, with which it constantly pounded the earth. these resounding blows explained the thumping sounds they had heard, for the mallet was much bigger than a barrel, and where it struck the path between the rocky sides of the mountain it filled all the space through which our travelers would be obliged to pass. of course they at once halted, a safe distance away from the terrible iron mallet. the magic carpet would do them no good in this case, for it was only meant to protect them from any dangers upon the ground beneath their feet, and not from dangers that appeared in the air above them. "wow!" said the cowardly lion, with a shudder. "it makes me dreadfully nervous to see that big hammer pounding so near my head. one blow would crush me into a door-mat." "the ir-on gi-ant is a fine fel-low," said tiktok, "and works as stead-i-ly as a clock. he was made for the nome king by smith & tin-ker, who made me, and his du-ty is to keep folks from find-ing the un-der-ground pal-ace. is he not a great work of art?" "can he think, and speak, as you do?" asked ozma, regarding the giant with wondering eyes. "no," replied the machine; "he is on-ly made to pound the road, and has no think-ing or speak-ing at-tach-ment. but he pounds ve-ry well, i think." "too well," observed the scarecrow. "he is keeping us from going farther. is there no way to stop his machinery?" "on-ly the nome king, who has the key, can do that," answered tiktok. "then," said dorothy, anxiously, "what shall we do?" "excuse me for a few minutes," said the scarecrow, "and i will think it over." he retired, then, to a position in the rear, where he turned his painted face to the rocks and began to think. meantime the giant continued to raise his iron mallet high in the air and to strike the path terrific blows that echoed through the mountains like the roar of a cannon. each time the mallet lifted, however, there was a moment when the path beneath the monster was free, and perhaps the scarecrow had noticed this, for when he came back to the others he said: "the matter is a very simple one, after all. we have but to run under the hammer, one at a time, when it is lifted, and pass to the other side before it falls again." "it will require quick work, if we escape the blow," said the tin woodman, with a shake of his head. "but it really seems the only thing to be done. who will make the first attempt?" they looked at one another hesitatingly for a moment. then the cowardly lion, who was trembling like a leaf in the wind, said to them: "i suppose the head of the procession must go first--and that's me. but i'm terribly afraid of the big hammer!" "what will become of me?" asked ozma. "you might rush under the hammer yourself, but the chariot would surely be crushed." "we must leave the chariot," said the scarecrow. "but you two girls can ride upon the backs of the lion and the tiger." so this was decided upon, and ozma, as soon as the lion was unfastened from the chariot, at once mounted the beast's back and said she was ready. "cling fast to his mane," advised dorothy. "i used to ride him myself, and that's the way i held on." so ozma clung fast to the mane, and the lion crouched in the path and eyed the swinging mallet carefully until he knew just the instant it would begin to rise in the air. then, before anyone thought he was ready, he made a sudden leap straight between the iron giant's legs, and before the mallet struck the ground again the lion and ozma were safe on the other side. the tiger went next. dorothy sat upon his back and locked her arms around his striped neck, for he had no mane to cling to. he made the leap straight and true as an arrow from a bow, and ere dorothy realized it she was out of danger and standing by ozma's side. now came the scarecrow on the sawhorse, and while they made the dash in safety they were within a hair's breadth of being caught by the descending hammer. tiktok walked up to the very edge of the spot the hammer struck, and as it was raised for the next blow he calmly stepped forward and escaped its descent. that was an idea for the tin woodman to follow, and he also crossed in safety while the great hammer was in the air. but when it came to the twenty-six officers and the private, their knees were so weak that they could not walk a step. "in battle we are wonderfully courageous," said one of the generals, "and our foes find us very terrible to face. but war is one thing and this is another. when it comes to being pounded upon the head by an iron hammer, and smashed into pancakes, we naturally object." "make a run for it," urged the scarecrow. "our knees shake so that we cannot run," answered a captain. "if we should try it we would all certainly be pounded to a jelly." "well, well," sighed the cowardly lion, "i see, friend tiger, that we must place ourselves in great danger to rescue this bold army. come with me, and we will do the best we can." so, ozma and dorothy having already dismounted from their backs, the lion and the tiger leaped back again under the awful hammer and returned with two generals clinging to their necks. they repeated this daring passage twelve times, when all the officers had been carried beneath the giant's legs and landed safely on the further side. by that time the beasts were very tired, and panted so hard that their tongues hung out of their great mouths. "but what is to become of the private?" asked ozma. "oh, leave him there to guard the chariot," said the lion. "i'm tired out, and won't pass under that mallet again." the officers at once protested that they must have the private with them, else there would be no one for them to command. but neither the lion or the tiger would go after him, and so the scarecrow sent the sawhorse. either the wooden horse was careless, or it failed to properly time the descent of the hammer, for the mighty weapon caught it squarely upon its head, and thumped it against the ground so powerfully that the private flew off its back high into the air, and landed upon one of the giant's cast-iron arms. here he clung desperately while the arm rose and fell with each one of the rapid strokes. the scarecrow dashed in to rescue his sawhorse, and had his left foot smashed by the hammer before he could pull the creature out of danger. they then found that the sawhorse had been badly dazed by the blow; for while the hard wooden knot of which his head was formed could not be crushed by the hammer, both his ears were broken off and he would be unable to hear a sound until some new ones were made for him. also his left knee was cracked, and had to be bound up with a string. billina having fluttered under the hammer, it now remained only to rescue the private who was riding upon the iron giant's arm, high in the air. the scarecrow lay flat upon the ground and called to the man to jump down upon his body, which was soft because it was stuffed with straw. this the private managed to do, waiting until a time when he was nearest the ground and then letting himself drop upon the scarecrow. he accomplished the feat without breaking any bones, and the scarecrow declared he was not injured in the least. therefore, the tin woodman having by this time fitted new ears to the sawhorse, the entire party proceeded upon its way, leaving the giant to pound the path behind them. 11. the nome king by and by, when they drew near to the mountain that blocked their path and which was the furthermost edge of the kingdom of ev, the way grew dark and gloomy for the reason that the high peaks on either side shut out the sunshine. and it was very silent, too, as there were no birds to sing or squirrels to chatter, the trees being left far behind them and only the bare rocks remaining. ozma and dorothy were a little awed by the silence, and all the others were quiet and grave except the sawhorse, which, as it trotted along with the scarecrow upon his back, hummed a queer song, of which this was the chorus: "would a wooden horse in a woodland go? aye, aye! i sigh, he would, although had he not had a wooden head he'd mount the mountain top instead." but no one paid any attention to this because they were now close to the nome king's dominions, and his splendid underground palace could not be very far away. suddenly they heard a shout of jeering laughter, and stopped short. they would have to stop in a minute, anyway, for the huge mountain barred their further progress and the path ran close up to a wall of rock and ended. "who was that laughing?" asked ozma. there was no reply, but in the gloom they could see strange forms flit across the face of the rock. whatever the creations might be they seemed very like the rock itself, for they were the color of rocks and their shapes were as rough and rugged as if they had been broken away from the side of the mountain. they kept close to the steep cliff facing our friends, and glided up and down, and this way and that, with a lack of regularity that was quite confusing. and they seemed not to need places to rest their feet, but clung to the surface of the rock as a fly does to a window-pane, and were never still for a moment. "do not mind them," said tiktok, as dorothy shrank back. "they are on-ly the nomes." "and what are nomes?" asked the girl, half frightened. "they are rock fair-ies, and serve the nome king," replied the machine. "but they will do us no harm. you must call for the king, be-cause with-out him you can ne-ver find the en-trance to the pal-ace." "you call," said dorothy to ozma. just then the nomes laughed again, and the sound was so weird and disheartening that the twenty-six officers commanded the private to "right-about-face!" and they all started to run as fast as they could. the tin woodman at once pursued his army and cried "halt!" and when they had stopped their flight he asked: "where are you going?" "i--i find i've forgotten the brush for my whiskers," said a general, trembling with fear. "s-s-so we are g-going back after it!" "that is impossible," replied the tin woodman. "for the giant with the hammer would kill you all if you tried to pass him." "oh! i'd forgotten the giant," said the general, turning pale. "you seem to forget a good many things," remarked the tin woodman. "i hope you won't forget that you are brave men." "never!" cried the general, slapping his gold-embroidered chest. "never!" cried all the other officers, indignantly slapping their chests. "for my part," said the private, meekly, "i must obey my officers; so when i am told to run, i run; and when i am told to fight, i fight." "that is right," agreed the tin woodman. "and now you must all come back to ozma, and obey her orders. and if you try to run away again i will have her reduce all the twenty-six officers to privates, and make the private your general." this terrible threat so frightened them that they at once returned to where ozma was standing beside the cowardly lion. then ozma cried out in a loud voice: "i demand that the nome king appear to us!" there was no reply, except that the shifting nomes upon the mountain laughed in derision. "you must not command the nome king," said tiktok, "for you do not rule him, as you do your own peo-ple." so ozma called again, saying: "i request the nome king to appear to us." only the mocking laughter replied to her, and the shadowy nomes continued to flit here and there upon the rocky cliff. "try en-treat-y," said tiktok to ozma. "if he will not come at your re-quest, then the nome king may list-en to your plead-ing." ozma looked around her proudly. "do you wish your ruler to plead with this wicked nome king?" she asked. "shall ozma of oz humble herself to a creature who lives in an underground kingdom?" "no!" they all shouted, with big voices; and the scarecrow added: "if he will not come, we will dig him out of his hole, like a fox, and conquer his stubbornness. but our sweet little ruler must always maintain her dignity, just as i maintain mine." "i'm not afraid to plead with him," said dorothy. "i'm only a little girl from kansas, and we've got more dignity at home than we know what to do with. i'll call the nome king." "do," said the hungry tiger; "and if he makes hash of you i'll willingly eat you for breakfast tomorrow morning." so dorothy stepped forward and said: "please mr. nome king, come here and see us." the nomes started to laugh again; but a low growl came from the mountain, and in a flash they had all vanished from sight and were silent. then a door in the rock opened, and a voice cried: "enter!" "isn't it a trick?" asked the tin woodman. "never mind," replied ozma. "we came here to rescue the poor queen of ev and her ten children, and we must run some risks to do so." "the nome king is hon-est and good na-tured," said tiktok. "you can trust him to do what is right." so ozma led the way, hand in hand with dorothy, and they passed through the arched doorway of rock and entered a long passage which was lighted by jewels set in the walls and having lamps behind them. there was no one to escort them, or to show them the way, but all the party pressed through the passage until they came to a round, domed cavern that was grandly furnished. in the center of this room was a throne carved out of a solid boulder of rock, rude and rugged in shape but glittering with great rubies and diamonds and emeralds on every part of its surface. and upon the throne sat the nome king. this important monarch of the underground world was a little fat man clothed in gray-brown garments that were the exact color of the rock throne in which he was seated. his bushy hair and flowing beard were also colored like the rocks, and so was his face. he wore no crown of any sort, and his only ornament was a broad, jewel-studded belt that encircled his fat little body. as for his features, they seemed kindly and good humored, and his eyes were turned merrily upon his visitors as ozma and dorothy stood before him with their followers ranged in close order behind them. "why, he looks just like santa claus--only he isn't the same color!" whispered dorothy to her friend; but the nome king heard the speech, and it made him laugh aloud. "'he had a red face and a round little belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly!'" quoth the monarch, in a pleasant voice; and they could all see that he really did shake like jelly when he laughed. both ozma and dorothy were much relieved to find the nome king so jolly, and a minute later he waved his right hand and the girls each found a cushioned stool at her side. "sit down, my dears," said the king, "and tell me why you have come all this way to see me, and what i can do to make you happy." while they seated themselves the nome king picked up a pipe, and taking a glowing red coal out of his pocket he placed it in the bowl of the pipe and began puffing out clouds of smoke that curled in rings above his head. dorothy thought this made the little monarch look more like santa claus than ever; but ozma now began speaking, and every one listened intently to her words. "your majesty," said she, "i am the ruler of the land of oz, and i have come here to ask you to release the good queen of ev and her ten children, whom you have enchanted and hold as your prisoners." "oh, no; you are mistaken about that," replied the king. "they are not my prisoners, but my slaves, whom i purchased from the king of ev." "but that was wrong," said ozma. "according to the laws of ev, the king can do no wrong," answered the monarch, eying a ring of smoke he had just blown from his mouth; "so that he had a perfect right to sell his family to me in exchange for a long life." "you cheated him, though," declared dorothy; "for the king of ev did not have a long life. he jumped into the sea and was drowned." "that was not my fault," said the nome king, crossing his legs and smiling contentedly. "i gave him the long life, all right; but he destroyed it." "then how could it be a long life?" asked dorothy. "easily enough," was the reply. "now suppose, my dear, that i gave you a pretty doll in exchange for a lock of your hair, and that after you had received the doll you smashed it into pieces and destroyed it. could you say that i had not given you a pretty doll?" "no," answered dorothy. "and could you, in fairness, ask me to return to you the lock of hair, just because you had smashed the doll?" "no," said dorothy, again. "of course not," the nome king returned. "nor will i give up the queen and her children because the king of ev destroyed his long life by jumping into the sea. they belong to me and i shall keep them." "but you are treating them cruelly," said ozma, who was much distressed by the king's refusal. "in what way?" he asked. "by making them your slaves," said she. "cruelty," remarked the monarch, puffing out wreathes of smoke and watching them float into the air, "is a thing i can't abide. so, as slaves must work hard, and the queen of ev and her children were delicate and tender, i transformed them all into articles of ornament and bric-a-brac and scattered them around the various rooms of my palace. instead of being obliged to labor, they merely decorate my apartments, and i really think i have treated them with great kindness." "but what a dreadful fate is theirs!" exclaimed ozma, earnestly. "and the kingdom of ev is in great need of its royal family to govern it. if you will liberate them, and restore them to their proper forms, i will give you ten ornaments to replace each one you lose." the nome king looked grave. "suppose i refuse?" he asked. "then," said ozma, firmly, "i am here with my friends and my army to conquer your kingdom and oblige you to obey my wishes." the nome king laughed until he choked; and he choked until he coughed; and he coughed until his face turned from grayish-brown to bright red. and then he wiped his eyes with a rock-colored handkerchief and grew grave again. "you are as brave as you are pretty, my dear," he said to ozma. "but you have little idea of the extent of the task you have undertaken. come with me for a moment." he arose and took ozma's hand, leading her to a little door at one side of the room. this he opened and they stepped out upon a balcony, from whence they obtained a wonderful view of the underground world. a vast cave extended for miles and miles under the mountain, and in every direction were furnaces and forges glowing brightly and nomes hammering upon precious metals or polishing gleaming jewels. all around the walls of the cave were thousands of doors of silver and gold, built into the solid rock, and these extended in rows far away into the distance, as far as ozma's eyes could follow them. while the little maid from oz gazed wonderingly upon this scene the nome king uttered a shrill whistle, and at once all the silver and gold doors flew open and solid ranks of nome soldiers marched out from every one. so great were their numbers that they quickly filled the immense underground cavern and forced the busy workmen to abandon their tasks. although this tremendous army consisted of rock-colored nomes, all squat and fat, they were clothed in glittering armor of polished steel, inlaid with beautiful gems. upon his brow each wore a brilliant electric light, and they bore sharp spears and swords and battle-axes of solid bronze. it was evident they were perfectly trained, for they stood in straight rows, rank after rank, with their weapons held erect and true, as if awaiting but the word of command to level them upon their foes. "this," said the nome king, "is but a small part of my army. no ruler upon earth has ever dared to fight me, and no ruler ever will, for i am too powerful to oppose." he whistled again, and at once the martial array filed through the silver and gold doorways and disappeared, after which the workmen again resumed their labors at the furnaces. then, sad and discouraged, ozma of oz turned to her friends, and the nome king calmly reseated himself on his rock throne. "it would be foolish for us to fight," the girl said to the tin woodman. "for our brave twenty-seven would be quickly destroyed. i'm sure i do not know how to act in this emergency." "ask the king where his kitchen is," suggested the tiger. "i'm hungry as a bear." "i might pounce upon the king and tear him in pieces," remarked the cowardly lion. "try it," said the monarch, lighting his pipe with another hot coal which he took from his pocket. the lion crouched low and tried to spring upon the nome king; but he hopped only a little way into the air and came down again in the same place, not being able to approach the throne by even an inch. "it seems to me," said the scarecrow, thoughtfully, "that our best plan is to wheedle his majesty into giving up his slaves, since he is too great a magician to oppose." "this is the most sensible thing any of you have suggested," declared the nome king. "it is folly to threaten me, but i'm so kind-hearted that i cannot stand coaxing or wheedling. if you really wish to accomplish anything by your journey, my dear ozma, you must coax me." "very well," said ozma, more cheerfully. "let us be friends, and talk this over in a friendly manner." "to be sure," agreed the king, his eyes twinkling merrily. "i am very anxious," she continued, "to liberate the queen of ev and her children who are now ornaments and bric-a-brac in your majesty's palace, and to restore them to their people. tell me, sir, how this may be accomplished." the king remained thoughtful for a moment, after which he asked: "are you willing to take a few chances and risks yourself, in order to set free the people of ev?" "yes, indeed!" answered ozma, eagerly. "then," said the nome king, "i will make you this offer: you shall go alone and unattended into my palace and examine carefully all that the rooms contain. then you shall have permission to touch eleven different objects, pronouncing at the time the word 'ev,' and if any one of them, or more than one, proves to be the transformation of the queen of ev or any of her ten children, then they will instantly be restored to their true forms and may leave my palace and my kingdom in your company, without any objection whatever. it is possible for you, in this way, to free the entire eleven; but if you do not guess all the objects correctly, and some of the slaves remain transformed, then each one of your friends and followers may, in turn, enter the palace and have the same privileges i grant you." "oh, thank you! thank you for this kind offer!" said ozma, eagerly. "i make but one condition," added the nome king, his eyes twinkling. "what is it?" she enquired. "if none of the eleven objects you touch proves to be the transformation of any of the royal family of ev, then, instead of freeing them, you will yourself become enchanted, and transformed into an article of bric-a-brac or an ornament. this is only fair and just, and is the risk you declared you were willing to take." 12. the eleven guesses hearing this condition imposed by the nome king, ozma became silent and thoughtful, and all her friends looked at her uneasily. "don't you do it!" exclaimed dorothy. "if you guess wrong, you will be enslaved yourself." "but i shall have eleven guesses," answered ozma. "surely i ought to guess one object in eleven correctly; and, if i do, i shall rescue one of the royal family and be safe myself. then the rest of you may attempt it, and soon we shall free all those who are enslaved." "what if we fail?" enquired the scarecrow. "i'd look nice as a piece of bric-a-brac, wouldn't i?" "we must not fail!" cried ozma, courageously. "having come all this distance to free these poor people, it would be weak and cowardly in us to abandon the adventure. therefore i will accept the nome king's offer, and go at once into the royal palace." "come along, then, my dear," said the king, climbing down from his throne with some difficulty, because he was so fat; "i'll show you the way." he approached a wall of the cave and waved his hand. instantly an opening appeared, through which ozma, after a smiling farewell to her friends, boldly passed. she found herself in a splendid hall that was more beautiful and grand than anything she had ever beheld. the ceilings were composed of great arches that rose far above her head, and all the walls and floors were of polished marble exquisitely tinted in many colors. thick velvet carpets were on the floor and heavy silken draperies covered the arches leading to the various rooms of the palace. the furniture was made of rare old woods richly carved and covered with delicate satins, and the entire palace was lighted by a mysterious rosy glow that seemed to come from no particular place but flooded each apartment with its soft and pleasing radiance. ozma passed from one room to another, greatly delighted by all she saw. the lovely palace had no other occupant, for the nome king had left her at the entrance, which closed behind her, and in all the magnificent rooms there appeared to be no other person. upon the mantels, and on many shelves and brackets and tables, were clustered ornaments of every description, seemingly made out of all sorts of metals, glass, china, stones and marbles. there were vases, and figures of men and animals, and graven platters and bowls, and mosaics of precious gems, and many other things. pictures, too, were on the walls, and the underground palace was quite a museum of rare and curious and costly objects. after her first hasty examination of the rooms ozma began to wonder which of all the numerous ornaments they contained were the transformations of the royal family of ev. there was nothing to guide her, for everything seemed without a spark of life. so she must guess blindly; and for the first time the girl came to realize how dangerous was her task, and how likely she was to lose her own freedom in striving to free others from the bondage of the nome king. no wonder the cunning monarch laughed good naturedly with his visitors, when he knew how easily they might be entrapped. but ozma, having undertaken the venture, would not abandon it. she looked at a silver candelabra that had ten branches, and thought: "this may be the queen of ev and her ten children." so she touched it and uttered aloud the word "ev," as the nome king had instructed her to do when she guessed. but the candelabra remained as it was before. then she wandered into another room and touched a china lamb, thinking it might be one of the children she sought. but again she was unsuccessful. three guesses; four guesses; five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten she made, and still not one of them was right! the girl shivered a little and grew pale even under the rosy light; for now but one guess remained, and her own fate depended upon the result. she resolved not to be hasty, and strolled through all the rooms once more, gazing earnestly upon the various ornaments and trying to decide which she would touch. finally, in despair, she decided to leave it entirely to chance. she faced the doorway of a room, shut her eyes tightly, and then, thrusting aside the heavy draperies, she advanced blindly with her right arm outstretched before her. slowly, softly she crept forward until her hand came in contact with an object upon a small round table. she did not know what it was, but in a low voice she pronounced the word "ev." the rooms were quite empty of life after that. the nome king had gained a new ornament. for upon the edge of the table rested a pretty grasshopper, that seemed to have been formed from a single emerald. it was all that remained of ozma of oz. in the throne room just beyond the palace the nome king suddenly looked up and smiled. "next!" he said, in his pleasant voice. dorothy, the scarecrow, and the tin woodman, who had been sitting in anxious silence, each gave a start of dismay and stared into one another's eyes. "has she failed?" asked tiktok. "so it seems," answered the little monarch, cheerfully. "but that is no reason one of you should not succeed. the next may have twelve guesses, instead of eleven, for there are now twelve persons transformed into ornaments. well, well! which of you goes next?" "i'll go," said dorothy. "not so," replied the tin woodman. "as commander of ozma's army, it is my privilege to follow her and attempt her rescue." "away you go, then," said the scarecrow. "but be careful, old friend." "i will," promised the tin woodman; and then he followed the nome king to the entrance to the palace and the rock closed behind him. 13. the nome king laughs in a moment the king returned to his throne and relighted his pipe, and the rest of the little band of adventurers settled themselves for another long wait. they were greatly disheartened by the failure of their girl ruler, and the knowledge that she was now an ornament in the nome king's palace--a dreadful, creepy place in spite of all its magnificence. without their little leader they did not know what to do next, and each one, down to the trembling private of the army, began to fear he would soon be more ornamental than useful. suddenly the nome king began laughing. "ha, ha, ha! he, he, he! ho, ho, ho!" "what's happened?" asked the scarecrow. "why, your friend, the tin woodman, has become the funniest thing you can imagine," replied the king, wiping the tears of merriment from his eyes. "no one would ever believe he could make such an amusing ornament. next!" they gazed at each other with sinking hearts. one of the generals began to weep dolefully. "what are you crying for?" asked the scarecrow, indignant at such a display of weakness. "he owed me six weeks back pay," said the general, "and i hate to lose him." "then you shall go and find him," declared the scarecrow. "me!" cried the general, greatly alarmed. "certainly. it is your duty to follow your commander. march!" "i won't," said the general. "i'd like to, of course; but i just simply won't." the scarecrow looked enquiringly at the nome king. "never mind," said the jolly monarch. "if he doesn't care to enter the palace and make his guesses i'll throw him into one of my fiery furnaces." "i'll go!--of course i'm going," yelled the general, as quick as scat. "where is the entrance--where is it? let me go at once!" so the nome king escorted him into the palace, and again returned to await the result. what the general did, no one can tell; but it was not long before the king called for the next victim, and a colonel was forced to try his fortune. thus, one after another, all of the twenty-six officers filed into the palace and made their guesses--and became ornaments. meantime the king ordered refreshments to be served to those waiting, and at his command a rudely shaped nome entered, bearing a tray. this nome was not unlike the others that dorothy had seen, but he wore a heavy gold chain around his neck to show that he was the chief steward of the nome king, and he assumed an air of much importance, and even told his majesty not to eat too much cake late at night, or he would be ill. dorothy, however, was hungry, and she was not afraid of being ill; so she ate several cakes and found them good, and also she drank a cup of excellent coffee made of a richly flavored clay, browned in the furnaces and then ground fine, and found it most refreshing and not at all muddy. of all the party which had started upon this adventure, the little kansas girl was now left alone with the scarecrow, tiktok, and the private for counsellors and companions. of course the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger were still there, but they, having also eaten some of the cakes, had gone to sleep at one side of the cave, while upon the other side stood the sawhorse, motionless and silent, as became a mere thing of wood. billina had quietly walked around and picked up the crumbs of cake which had been scattered, and now, as it was long after bed-time, she tried to find some dark place in which to go to sleep. presently the hen espied a hollow underneath the king's rocky throne, and crept into it unnoticed. she could still hear the chattering of those around her, but it was almost dark underneath the throne, so that soon she had fallen fast asleep. "next!" called the king, and the private, whose turn it was to enter the fatal palace, shook hands with dorothy and the scarecrow and bade them a sorrowful good-bye, and passed through the rocky portal. they waited a long time, for the private was in no hurry to become an ornament and made his guesses very slowly. the nome king, who seemed to know, by some magical power, all that took place in his beautiful rooms of his palace, grew impatient finally and declared he would sit up no longer. "i love ornaments," said he, "but i can wait until tomorrow to get more of them; so, as soon as that stupid private is transformed, we will all go to bed and leave the job to be finished in the morning." "is it so very late?" asked dorothy. "why, it is after midnight," said the king, "and that strikes me as being late enough. there is neither night nor day in my kingdom, because it is under the earth's surface, where the sun does not shine. but we have to sleep, just the same as the up-stairs people do, and for my part i'm going to bed in a few minutes." indeed, it was not long after this that the private made his last guess. of course he guessed wrongly, and of course he at once became an ornament. so the king was greatly pleased, and clapped his hands to summon his chief steward. "show these guests to some of the sleeping apartments," he commanded, "and be quick about it, too, for i'm dreadfully sleepy myself." "you've no business to sit up so late," replied the steward, gruffly. "you'll be as cross as a griffin tomorrow morning." his majesty made no answer to this remark, and the chief steward led dorothy through another doorway into a long hall, from which several plain but comfortable sleeping rooms opened. the little girl was given the first room, and the scarecrow and tiktok the next--although they never slept--and the lion and the tiger the third. the sawhorse hobbled after the steward into a fourth room, to stand stiffly in the center of it until morning. each night was rather a bore to the scarecrow, tiktok and the sawhorse; but they had learned from experience to pass the time patiently and quietly, since all their friends who were made of flesh had to sleep and did not like to be disturbed. when the chief steward had left them alone the scarecrow remarked, sadly: "i am in great sorrow over the loss of my old comrade, the tin woodman. we have had many dangerous adventures together, and escaped them all, and now it grieves me to know he has become an ornament, and is lost to me forever." "he was al-ways an or-na-ment to so-ci-e-ty," said tiktok. "true; but now the nome king laughs at him, and calls him the funniest ornament in all the palace. it will hurt my poor friend's pride to be laughed at," continued the scarecrow, sadly. "we will make rath-er ab-surd or-na-ments, our-selves, to-mor-row," observed the machine, in his monotonous voice. just then dorothy ran into their room, in a state of great anxiety, crying: "where's billina? have you seen billina? is she here?" "no," answered the scarecrow. "then what has become of her?" asked the girl. "why, i thought she was with you," said the scarecrow. "yet i do not remember seeing the yellow hen since she picked up the crumbs of cake." "we must have left her in the room where the king's throne is," decided dorothy, and at once she turned and ran down the hall to the door through which they had entered. but it was fast closed and locked on the other side, and the heavy slab of rock proved to be so thick that no sound could pass through it. so dorothy was forced to return to her chamber. the cowardly lion stuck his head into her room to try to console the girl for the loss of her feathered friend. "the yellow hen is well able to take care of herself," said he; "so don't worry about her, but try to get all the sleep you can. it has been a long and weary day, and you need rest." "i'll prob'ly get lots of rest tomorrow, when i become an orn'ment," said dorothy, sleepily. but she lay down upon her couch, nevertheless, and in spite of all her worries was soon in the land of dreams. 14. dorothy tries to be brave meantime the chief steward had returned to the throne room, where he said to the king: "you are a fool to waste so much time upon these people." "what!" cried his majesty, in so enraged a voice that it awoke billina, who was asleep under his throne. "how dare you call me a fool?" "because i like to speak the truth," said the steward. "why didn't you enchant them all at once, instead of allowing them to go one by one into the palace and guess which ornaments are the queen of ev and her children?" "why, you stupid rascal, it is more fun this way," returned the king, "and it serves to keep me amused for a long time." "but suppose some of them happen to guess aright," persisted the steward; "then you would lose your old ornaments and these new ones, too." "there is no chance of their guessing aright," replied the monarch, with a laugh. "how could they know that the queen of ev and her family are all ornaments of a royal purple color?" "but there are no other purple ornaments in the palace," said the steward. "there are many other colors, however, and the purple ones are scattered throughout the rooms, and are of many different shapes and sizes. take my word for it, steward, they will never think of choosing the purple ornaments." billina, squatting under the throne, had listened carefully to all this talk, and now chuckled softly to herself as she heard the king disclose his secret. "still, you are acting foolishly by running the chance," continued the steward, roughly; "and it is still more foolish of you to transform all those people from oz into green ornaments." "i did that because they came from the emerald city," replied the king; "and i had no green ornaments in my collection until now. i think they will look quite pretty, mixed with the others. don't you?" the steward gave an angry grunt. "have your own way, since you are the king," he growled. "but if you come to grief through your carelessness, remember that i told you so. if i wore the magic belt which enables you to work all your transformations, and gives you so much other power, i am sure i would make a much wiser and better king than you are." "oh, cease your tiresome chatter!" commanded the king, getting angry again. "because you are my chief steward you have an idea you can scold me as much as you please. but the very next time you become impudent, i will send you to work in the furnaces, and get another nome to fill your place. now follow me to my chamber, for i am going to bed. and see that i am wakened early tomorrow morning. i want to enjoy the fun of transforming the rest of these people into ornaments." "what color will you make the kansas girl?" asked the steward. "gray, i think," said his majesty. "and the scarecrow and the machine man?" "oh, they shall be of solid gold, because they are so ugly in real life." then the voices died away, and billina knew that the king and his steward had left the room. she fixed up some of her tail feathers that were not straight, and then tucked her head under her wing again and went to sleep. in the morning dorothy and the lion and tiger were given their breakfast in their rooms, and afterward joined the king in his throne room. the tiger complained bitterly that he was half starved, and begged to go into the palace and become an ornament, so that he would no longer suffer the pangs of hunger. "haven't you had your breakfast?" asked the nome king. "oh, i had just a bite," replied the beast. "but what good is a bite, to a hungry tiger?" "he ate seventeen bowls of porridge, a platter full of fried sausages, eleven loaves of bread and twenty-one mince pies," said the steward. "what more do you want?" demanded the king. "a fat baby. i want a fat baby," said the hungry tiger. "a nice, plump, juicy, tender, fat baby. but, of course, if i had one, my conscience would not allow me to eat it. so i'll have to be an ornament and forget my hunger." "impossible!" exclaimed the king. "i'll have no clumsy beasts enter my palace, to overturn and break all my pretty nick-nacks. when the rest of your friends are transformed you can return to the upper world, and go about your business." "as for that, we have no business, when our friends are gone," said the lion. "so we do not care much what becomes of us." dorothy begged to be allowed to go first into the palace, but tiktok firmly maintained that the slave should face danger before the mistress. the scarecrow agreed with him in that, so the nome king opened the door for the machine man, who tramped into the palace to meet his fate. then his majesty returned to his throne and puffed his pipe so contentedly that a small cloud of smoke formed above his head. bye and bye he said: "i'm sorry there are so few of you left. very soon, now, my fun will be over, and then for amusement i shall have nothing to do but admire my new ornaments." "it seems to me," said dorothy, "that you are not so honest as you pretend to be." "how's that?" asked the king. "why, you made us think it would be easy to guess what ornaments the people of ev were changed into." "it is easy," declared the monarch, "if one is a good guesser. but it appears that the members of your party are all poor guessers." "what is tiktok doing now?" asked the girl, uneasily. "nothing," replied the king, with a frown. "he is standing perfectly still, in the middle of a room." "oh, i expect he's run down," said dorothy. "i forgot to wind him up this morning. how many guesses has he made?" "all that he is allowed except one," answered the king. "suppose you go in and wind him up, and then you can stay there and make your own guesses." "all right," said dorothy. "it is my turn next," declared the scarecrow. "why, you don't want to go away and leave me all alone, do you?" asked the girl. "besides, if i go now i can wind up tiktok, so that he can make his last guess." "very well, then," said the scarecrow, with a sigh. "run along, little dorothy, and may good luck go with you!" so dorothy, trying to be brave in spite of her fears, passed through the doorway into the gorgeous rooms of the palace. the stillness of the place awed her, at first, and the child drew short breaths, and pressed her hand to her heart, and looked all around with wondering eyes. yes, it was a beautiful place; but enchantments lurked in every nook and corner, and she had not yet grown accustomed to the wizardries of these fairy countries, so different from the quiet and sensible common-places of her own native land. slowly she passed through several rooms until she came upon tiktok, standing motionless. it really seemed, then, that she had found a friend in this mysterious palace, so she hastened to wind up the machine man's action and speech and thoughts. "thank you, dor-oth-y," were his first words. "i have now one more guess to make." "oh, be very careful, tiktok; won't you?" cried the girl. "yes. but the nome king has us in his power, and he has set a trap for us. i fear we are all lost." he answered. "i fear so, too," said dorothy, sadly. "if smith & tin-ker had giv-en me a guess-ing clock-work at-tach-ment," continued tiktok, "i might have de-fied the nome king. but my thoughts are plain and sim-ple, and are not of much use in this case." "do the best you can," said dorothy, encouragingly, "and if you fail i will watch and see what shape you are changed into." so tiktok touched a yellow glass vase that had daisies painted on one side, and he spoke at the same time the word "ev." in a flash the machine man had disappeared, and although the girl looked quickly in every direction, she could not tell which of the many ornaments the room contained had a moment before been her faithful friend and servant. so all she could do was to accept the hopeless task set her, and make her guesses and abide by the result. "it can't hurt very much," she thought, "for i haven't heard any of them scream or cry out--not even the poor officers. dear me! i wonder if uncle henry or aunt em will ever know i have become an orn'ment in the nome king's palace, and must stand forever and ever in one place and look pretty--'cept when i'm moved to be dusted. it isn't the way i thought i'd turn out, at all; but i s'pose it can't be helped." she walked through all the rooms once more, and examined with care all the objects they contained; but there were so many, they bewildered her, and she decided, after all, as ozma had done, that it could be only guess work at the best, and that the chances were much against her guessing aright. timidly she touched an alabaster bowl and said: "ev." "that's one failure, anyhow," she thought. "but how am i to know which thing is enchanted, and which is not?" next she touched the image of a purple kitten that stood on the corner of a mantel, and as she pronounced the word "ev" the kitten disappeared, and a pretty, fair-haired boy stood beside her. at the same time a bell rang somewhere in the distance, and as dorothy started back, partly in surprise and partly in joy, the little one exclaimed: "where am i? and who are you? and what has happened to me?" "well, i declare!" said dorothy. "i've really done it." "done what?" asked the boy. "saved myself from being an ornament," replied the girl, with a laugh, "and saved you from being forever a purple kitten." "a purple kitten?" he repeated. "there is no such thing." "i know," she answered. "but there was, a minute ago. don't you remember standing on a corner of the mantel?" "of course not. i am a prince of ev, and my name is evring," the little one announced, proudly. "but my father, the king, sold my mother and all her children to the cruel ruler of the nomes, and after that i remember nothing at all." "a purple kitten can't be 'spected to remember, evring," said dorothy. "but now you are yourself again, and i'm going to try to save some of your brothers and sisters, and perhaps your mother, as well. so come with me." she seized the child's hand and eagerly hurried here and there, trying to decide which object to choose next. the third guess was another failure, and so was the fourth and the fifth. little evring could not imagine what she was doing, but he trotted along beside her very willingly, for he liked the new companion he had found. dorothy's further quest proved unsuccessful; but after her first disappointment was over, the little girl was filled with joy and thankfulness to think that after all she had been able to save one member of the royal family of ev, and could restore the little prince to his sorrowing country. now she might return to the terrible nome king in safety, carrying with her the prize she had won in the person of the fair-haired boy. so she retraced her steps until she found the entrance to the palace, and as she approached, the massive doors of rock opened of their own accord, allowing both dorothy and evring to pass the portals and enter the throne room. 15. billina frightens the nome king now when dorothy had entered the palace to make her guesses and the scarecrow was left with the nome king, the two sat in moody silence for several minutes. then the monarch exclaimed, in a tone of satisfaction: "very good!" "who is very good?" asked the scarecrow. "the machine man. he won't need to be wound up any more, for he has now become a very neat ornament. very neat, indeed." "how about dorothy?" the scarecrow enquired. "oh, she will begin to guess, pretty soon," said the king, cheerfully. "and then she will join my collection, and it will be your turn." the good scarecrow was much distressed by the thought that his little friend was about to suffer the fate of ozma and the rest of their party; but while he sat in gloomy reverie a shrill voice suddenly cried: "kut, kut, kut--ka-daw-kutt! kut, kut, kut--ka-daw-kutt!" the nome king nearly jumped off his seat, he was so startled. "good gracious! what's that?" he yelled. "why, it's billina," said the scarecrow. "what do you mean by making a noise like that?" shouted the king, angrily, as the yellow hen came from under the throne and strutted proudly about the room. "i've got a right to cackle, i guess," replied billina. "i've just laid my egg." "what! laid an egg! in my throne room! how dare you do such a thing?" asked the king, in a voice of fury. "i lay eggs wherever i happen to be," said the hen, ruffling her feathers and then shaking them into place. "but--thunder-ation! don't you know that eggs are poison?" roared the king, while his rock-colored eyes stuck out in great terror. "poison! well, i declare," said billina, indignantly. "i'll have you know all my eggs are warranted strictly fresh and up to date. poison, indeed!" "you don't understand," retorted the little monarch, nervously. "eggs belong only to the outside world--to the world on the earth's surface, where you came from. here, in my underground kingdom, they are rank poison, as i said, and we nomes can't bear them around." "well, you'll have to bear this one around," declared billina; "for i've laid it." "where?" asked the king. "under your throne," said the hen. the king jumped three feet into the air, so anxious was he to get away from the throne. "take it away! take it away at once!" he shouted. "i can't," said billina. "i haven't any hands." "i'll take the egg," said the scarecrow. "i'm making a collection of billina's eggs. there's one in my pocket now, that she laid yesterday." hearing this, the monarch hastened to put a good distance between himself and the scarecrow, who was about to reach under the throne for the egg when the hen suddenly cried: "stop!" "what's wrong?" asked the scarecrow. "don't take the egg unless the king will allow me to enter the palace and guess as the others have done," said billina. "pshaw!" returned the king. "you're only a hen. how could you guess my enchantments?" "i can try, i suppose," said billina. "and, if i fail, you will have another ornament." "a pretty ornament you'd make, wouldn't you?" growled the king. "but you shall have your way. it will properly punish you for daring to lay an egg in my presence. after the scarecrow is enchanted you shall follow him into the palace. but how will you touch the objects?" "with my claws," said the hen; "and i can speak the word 'ev' as plainly as anyone. also i must have the right to guess the enchantments of my friends, and to release them if i succeed." "very well," said the king. "you have my promise." "then," said billina to the scarecrow, "you may get the egg." he knelt down and reached underneath the throne and found the egg, which he placed in another pocket of his jacket, fearing that if both eggs were in one pocket they would knock together and get broken. just then a bell above the throne rang briskly, and the king gave another nervous jump. "well, well!" said he, with a rueful face; "the girl has actually done it." "done what?" asked the scarecrow. "she has made one guess that is right, and broken one of my neatest enchantments. by ricketty, it's too bad! i never thought she would do it." "do i understand that she will now return to us in safety?" enquired the scarecrow, joyfully wrinkling his painted face into a broad smile. "of course," said the king, fretfully pacing up and down the room. "i always keep my promises, no matter how foolish they are. but i shall make an ornament of the yellow hen to replace the one i have just lost." "perhaps you will, and perhaps you won't," murmured billina, calmly. "i may surprise you by guessing right." "guessing right?" snapped the king. "how could you guess right, where your betters have failed, you stupid fowl?" billina did not care to answer this question, and a moment later the doors flew open and dorothy entered, leading the little prince evring by the hand. the scarecrow welcomed the girl with a close embrace, and he would have embraced evring, too, in his delight. but the little prince was shy, and shrank away from the painted scarecrow because he did not yet know his many excellent qualities. but there was little time for the friends to talk, because the scarecrow must now enter the palace. dorothy's success had greatly encouraged him, and they both hoped he would manage to make at least one correct guess. however, he proved as unfortunate as the others except dorothy, and although he took a good deal of time to select his objects, not one did the poor scarecrow guess aright. so he became a solid gold card-receiver, and the beautiful but terrible palace awaited its next visitor. "it's all over," remarked the king, with a sigh of satisfaction; "and it has been a very amusing performance, except for the one good guess the kansas girl made. i am richer by a great many pretty ornaments." "it is my turn, now," said billina, briskly. "oh, i'd forgotten you," said the king. "but you needn't go if you don't wish to. i will be generous, and let you off." "no you won't," replied the hen. "i insist upon having my guesses, as you promised." "then go ahead, you absurd feathered fool!" grumbled the king, and he caused the opening that led to the palace to appear once more. "don't go, billina," said dorothy, earnestly. "it isn't easy to guess those orn'ments, and only luck saved me from being one myself. stay with me and we'll go back to the land of ev together. i'm sure this little prince will give us a home." "indeed i will," said evring, with much dignity. "don't worry, my dear," cried billina, with a cluck that was meant for a laugh. "i may not be human, but i'm no fool, if i am a chicken." "oh, billina!" said dorothy, "you haven't been a chicken in a long time. not since you--you've been--grown up." "perhaps that's true," answered billina, thoughtfully. "but if a kansas farmer sold me to some one, what would he call me?--a hen or a chicken!" "you are not a kansas farmer, billina," replied the girl, "and you said--" "never mind that, dorothy. i'm going. i won't say good-bye, because i'm coming back. keep up your courage, for i'll see you a little later." then billina gave several loud "cluck-clucks" that seemed to make the fat little king more nervous than ever, and marched through the entrance into the enchanted palace. "i hope i've seen the last of that bird," declared the monarch, seating himself again in his throne and mopping the perspiration from his forehead with his rock-colored handkerchief. "hens are bothersome enough at their best, but when they can talk they're simply dreadful." "billina's my friend," said dorothy quietly. "she may not always be 'zactly polite; but she means well, i'm sure." 16. purple, green, and gold the yellow hen, stepping high and with an air of vast importance, walked slowly over the rich velvet carpets of the splendid palace, examining everything she met with her sharp little eyes. billina had a right to feel important; for she alone shared the nome king's secret and knew how to tell the objects that were transformations from those that had never been alive. she was very sure that her guesses would be correct, but before she began to make them she was curious to behold all the magnificence of this underground palace, which was perhaps one of the most splendid and beautiful places in any fairyland. as she went through the rooms she counted the purple ornaments; and although some were small and hidden in queer places, billina spied them all, and found the entire ten scattered about the various rooms. the green ornaments she did not bother to count, for she thought she could find them all when the time came. finally, having made a survey of the entire palace and enjoyed its splendor, the yellow hen returned to one of the rooms where she had noticed a large purple footstool. she placed a claw upon this and said "ev," and at once the footstool vanished and a lovely lady, tall and slender and most beautifully robed, stood before her. the lady's eyes were round with astonishment for a moment, for she could not remember her transformation, nor imagine what had restored her to life. "good morning, ma'am," said billina, in her sharp voice. "you're looking quite well, considering your age." "who speaks?" demanded the queen of ev, drawing herself up proudly. "why, my name's bill, by rights," answered the hen, who was now perched upon the back of a chair; "although dorothy has put scollops on it and made it billina. but the name doesn't matter. i've saved you from the nome king, and you are a slave no longer." "then i thank you for the gracious favor," said the queen, with a graceful courtesy. "but, my children--tell me, i beg of you--where are my children?" and she clasped her hands in anxious entreaty. "don't worry," advised billina, pecking at a tiny bug that was crawling over the chair back. "just at present they are out of mischief and perfectly safe, for they can't even wiggle." "what mean you, o kindly stranger?" asked the queen, striving to repress her anxiety. "they're enchanted," said billina, "just as you have been--all, that is, except the little fellow dorothy picked out. and the chances are that they have been good boys and girls for some time, because they couldn't help it." "oh, my poor darlings!" cried the queen, with a sob of anguish. "not at all," returned the hen. "don't let their condition make you unhappy, ma'am, because i'll soon have them crowding 'round to bother and worry you as naturally as ever. come with me, if you please, and i'll show you how pretty they look." she flew down from her perch and walked into the next room, the queen following. as she passed a low table a small green grasshopper caught her eye, and instantly billina pounced upon it and snapped it up in her sharp bill. for grasshoppers are a favorite food with hens, and they usually must be caught quickly, before they can hop away. it might easily have been the end of ozma of oz, had she been a real grasshopper instead of an emerald one. but billina found the grasshopper hard and lifeless, and suspecting it was not good to eat she quickly dropped it instead of letting it slide down her throat. "i might have known better," she muttered to herself, "for where there is no grass there can be no live grasshoppers. this is probably one of the king's transformations." a moment later she approached one of the purple ornaments, and while the queen watched her curiously the hen broke the nome king's enchantment and a sweet-faced girl, whose golden hair fell in a cloud over her shoulders, stood beside them. "evanna!" cried the queen, "my own evanna!" and she clasped the girl to her bosom and covered her face with kisses. "that's all right," said billina, contentedly. "am i a good guesser, mr. nome king? well, i guess!" then she disenchanted another girl, whom the queen addressed as evrose, and afterwards a boy named evardo, who was older than his brother evring. indeed, the yellow hen kept the good queen exclaiming and embracing for some time, until five princesses and four princes, all looking very much alike except for the difference in size, stood in a row beside their happy mother. the princesses were named, evanna, evrose, evella, evirene and evedna, while the princes were evrob, evington, evardo and evroland. of these evardo was the eldest and would inherit his father's throne and be crowned king of ev when he returned to his own country. he was a grave and quiet youth, and would doubtless rule his people wisely and with justice. billina, having restored all of the royal family of ev to their proper forms, now began to select the green ornaments which were the transformations of the people of oz. she had little trouble in finding these, and before long all the twenty-six officers, as well as the private, were gathered around the yellow hen, joyfully congratulating her upon their release. the thirty-seven people who were now alive in the rooms of the palace knew very well that they owed their freedom to the cleverness of the yellow hen, and they were earnest in thanking her for saving them from the magic of the nome king. "now," said billina, "i must find ozma. she is sure to be here, somewhere, and of course she is green, being from oz. so look around, you stupid soldiers, and help me in my search." for a while, however, they could discover nothing more that was green. but the queen, who had kissed all her nine children once more and could now find time to take an interest in what was going on, said to the hen: "mayhap, my gentle friend, it is the grasshopper whom you seek." "of course it's the grasshopper!" exclaimed billina. "i declare, i'm nearly as stupid as these brave soldiers. wait here for me, and i'll go back and get it." so she went into the room where she had seen the grasshopper, and presently ozma of oz, as lovely and dainty as ever, entered and approached the queen of ev, greeting her as one high born princess greets another. "but where are my friends, the scarecrow and the tin woodman?" asked the girl ruler, when these courtesies had been exchanged. "i'll hunt them up," replied billina. "the scarecrow is solid gold, and so is tiktok; but i don't exactly know what the tin woodman is, because the nome king said he had been transformed into something funny." ozma eagerly assisted the hen in her quest, and soon the scarecrow and the machine man, being ornaments of shining gold, were discovered and restored to their accustomed forms. but, search as they might, in no place could they find a funny ornament that might be the transformation of the tin woodman. "only one thing can be done," said ozma, at last, "and that is to return to the nome king and oblige him to tell us what has become of our friend." "perhaps he won't," suggested billina. "he must," returned ozma, firmly. "the king has not treated us honestly, for under the mask of fairness and good nature he entrapped us all, and we would have been forever enchanted had not our wise and clever friend, the yellow hen, found a way to save us." "the king is a villain," declared the scarecrow. "his laugh is worse than another man's frown," said the private, with a shudder. "i thought he was hon-est, but i was mis-tak-en," remarked tiktok. "my thoughts are us-u-al-ly cor-rect, but it is smith & tin-ker's fault if they some-times go wrong or do not work prop-er-ly." "smith & tinker made a very good job of you," said ozma, kindly. "i do not think they should be blamed if you are not quite perfect." "thank you," replied tiktok. "then," said billina, in her brisk little voice, "let us all go back to the nome king, and see what he has to say for himself." so they started for the entrance, ozma going first, with the queen and her train of little princes and princesses following. then came tiktok, and the scarecrow with billina perched upon his straw-stuffed shoulder. the twenty-seven officers and the private brought up the rear. as they reached the hall the doors flew open before them; but then they all stopped and stared into the domed cavern with faces of astonishment and dismay. for the room was filled with the mail-clad warriors of the nome king, rank after rank standing in orderly array. the electric lights upon their brows gleamed brightly, their battle-axes were poised as if to strike down their foes; yet they remained motionless as statues, awaiting the word of command. and in the center of this terrible army sat the little king upon his throne of rock. but he neither smiled nor laughed. instead, his face was distorted with rage, and most dreadful to behold. 17. the scarecrow wins the fight after billina had entered the palace dorothy and evring sat down to await the success or failure of her mission, and the nome king occupied his throne and smoked his long pipe for a while in a cheerful and contented mood. then the bell above the throne, which sounded whenever an enchantment was broken, began to ring, and the king gave a start of annoyance and exclaimed, "rocketty-ricketts!" when the bell rang a second time the king shouted angrily, "smudge and blazes!" and at a third ring he screamed in a fury, "hippikaloric!" which must be a dreadful word because we don't know what it means. after that the bell went on ringing time after time; but the king was now so violently enraged that he could not utter a word, but hopped out of his throne and all around the room in a mad frenzy, so that he reminded dorothy of a jumping-jack. the girl was, for her part, filled with joy at every peal of the bell, for it announced the fact that billina had transformed one more ornament into a living person. dorothy was also amazed at billina's success, for she could not imagine how the yellow hen was able to guess correctly from all the bewildering number of articles clustered in the rooms of the palace. but after she had counted ten, and the bell continued to ring, she knew that not only the royal family of ev, but ozma and her followers also, were being restored to their natural forms, and she was so delighted that the antics of the angry king only made her laugh merrily. perhaps the little monarch could not be more furious than he was before, but the girl's laughter nearly drove him frantic, and he roared at her like a savage beast. then, as he found that all his enchantments were likely to be dispelled and his victims every one set free, he suddenly ran to the little door that opened upon the balcony and gave the shrill whistle that summoned his warriors. at once the army filed out of the gold and silver doors in great numbers, and marched up a winding stairs and into the throne room, led by a stern featured nome who was their captain. when they had nearly filled the throne room they formed ranks in the big underground cavern below, and then stood still until they were told what to do next. dorothy had pressed back to one side of the cavern when the warriors entered, and now she stood holding little prince evring's hand while the great lion crouched upon one side and the enormous tiger crouched on the other side. "seize that girl!" shouted the king to his captain, and a group of warriors sprang forward to obey. but both the lion and tiger snarled so fiercely and bared their strong, sharp teeth so threateningly, that the men drew back in alarm. "don't mind them!" cried the nome king; "they cannot leap beyond the places where they now stand." "but they can bite those who attempt to touch the girl," said the captain. "i'll fix that," answered the king. "i'll enchant them again, so that they can't open their jaws." he stepped out of the throne to do this, but just then the sawhorse ran up behind him and gave the fat monarch a powerful kick with both his wooden hind legs. "ow! murder! treason!" yelled the king, who had been hurled against several of his warriors and was considerably bruised. "who did that?" "i did," growled the sawhorse, viciously. "you let dorothy alone, or i'll kick you again." "we'll see about that," replied the king, and at once he waved his hand toward the sawhorse and muttered a magical word. "aha!" he continued; "now let us see you move, you wooden mule!" but in spite of the magic the sawhorse moved; and he moved so quickly toward the king, that the fat little man could not get out of his way. thump--bang! came the wooden heels, right against his round body, and the king flew into the air and fell upon the head of his captain, who let him drop flat upon the ground. "well, well!" said the king, sitting up and looking surprised. "why didn't my magic belt work, i wonder?" "the creature is made of wood," replied the captain. "your magic will not work on wood, you know." "ah, i'd forgotten that," said the king, getting up and limping to his throne. "very well, let the girl alone. she can't escape us, anyway." the warriors, who had been rather confused by these incidents, now formed their ranks again, and the sawhorse pranced across the room to dorothy and took a position beside the hungry tiger. at that moment the doors that led to the palace flew open and the people of ev and the people of oz were disclosed to view. they paused, astonished, at sight of the warriors and the angry nome king, seated in their midst. "surrender!" cried the king, in a loud voice. "you are my prisoners." "go 'long!" answered billina, from the scarecrow's shoulder. "you promised me that if i guessed correctly my friends and i might depart in safety. and you always keep your promises." "i said you might leave the palace in safety," retorted the king; "and so you may, but you cannot leave my dominions. you are my prisoners, and i will hurl you all into my underground dungeons, where the volcanic fires glow and the molten lava flows in every direction, and the air is hotter than blue blazes." "that will be the end of me, all right," said the scarecrow, sorrowfully. "one small blaze, blue or green, is enough to reduce me to an ash-heap." "do you surrender?" demanded the king. billina whispered something in the scarecrow's ear that made him smile and put his hands in his jacket pockets. "no!" returned ozma, boldly answering the king. then she said to her army: "forward, my brave soldiers, and fight for your ruler and yourselves, unto death!" "pardon me, most royal ozma," replied one of her generals; "but i find that i and my brother officers all suffer from heart disease, and the slightest excitement might kill us. if we fight we may get excited. would it not be well for us to avoid this grave danger?" "soldiers should not have heart disease," said ozma. "private soldiers are not, i believe, afflicted that way," declared another general, twirling his moustache thoughtfully. "if your royal highness desires, we will order our private to attack yonder warriors." "do so," replied ozma. "for-ward--march!" cried all the generals, with one voice. "for-ward--march!" yelled the colonels. "for-ward--march!" shouted the majors. "for-ward--march!" commanded the captains. and at that the private leveled his spear and dashed furiously upon the foe. the captain of the nomes was so surprised by this sudden onslaught that he forgot to command his warriors to fight, so that the ten men in the first row, who stood in front of the private's spear, fell over like so many toy soldiers. the spear could not go through their steel armor, however, so the warriors scrambled to their feet again, and by that time the private had knocked over another row of them. then the captain brought down his battle-axe with such a strong blow that the private's spear was shattered and knocked from his grasp, and he was helpless to fight any longer. the nome king had left his throne and pressed through his warriors to the front ranks, so he could see what was going on; but as he faced ozma and her friends the scarecrow, as if aroused to action by the valor of the private, drew one of billina's eggs from his right jacket pocket and hurled it straight at the little monarch's head. it struck him squarely in his left eye, where the egg smashed and scattered, as eggs will, and covered his face and hair and beard with its sticky contents. "help, help!" screamed the king, clawing with his fingers at the egg, in a struggle to remove it. "an egg! an egg! run for your lives!" shouted the captain of the nomes, in a voice of horror. and how they did run! the warriors fairly tumbled over one another in their efforts to escape the fatal poison of that awful egg, and those who could not rush down the winding stair fell off the balcony into the great cavern beneath, knocking over those who stood below them. even while the king was still yelling for help his throne room became emptied of every one of his warriors, and before the monarch had managed to clear the egg away from his left eye the scarecrow threw the second egg against his right eye, where it smashed and blinded him entirely. the king was unable to flee because he could not see which way to run; so he stood still and howled and shouted and screamed in abject fear. while this was going on, billina flew over to dorothy, and perching herself upon the lion's back the hen whispered eagerly to the girl: "get his belt! get the nome king's jeweled belt! it unbuckles in the back. quick, dorothy--quick!" 18. the fate of the tin woodman dorothy obeyed. she ran at once behind the nome king, who was still trying to free his eyes from the egg, and in a twinkling she had unbuckled his splendid jeweled belt and carried it away with her to her place beside the tiger and lion, where, because she did not know what else to do with it, she fastened it around her own slim waist. just then the chief steward rushed in with a sponge and a bowl of water, and began mopping away the broken eggs from his master's face. in a few minutes, and while all the party stood looking on, the king regained the use of his eyes, and the first thing he did was to glare wickedly upon the scarecrow and exclaim: "i'll make you suffer for this, you hay-stuffed dummy! don't you know eggs are poison to nomes?" "really," said the scarecrow, "they don't seem to agree with you, although i wonder why." "they were strictly fresh and above suspicion," said billina. "you ought to be glad to get them." "i'll transform you all into scorpions!" cried the king, angrily, and began waving his arms and muttering magic words. but none of the people became scorpions, so the king stopped and looked at them in surprise. "what's wrong?" he asked. "why, you are not wearing your magic belt," replied the chief steward, after looking the king over carefully. "where is it? what have you done with it?" the nome king clapped his hand to his waist, and his rock colored face turned white as chalk. "it's gone," he cried, helplessly. "it's gone, and i am ruined!" dorothy now stepped forward and said: "royal ozma, and you, queen of ev, i welcome you and your people back to the land of the living. billina has saved you from your troubles, and now we will leave this drea'ful place, and return to ev as soon as poss'ble." while the child spoke they could all see that she wore the magic belt, and a great cheer went up from all her friends, which was led by the voices of the scarecrow and the private. but the nome king did not join them. he crept back onto his throne like a whipped dog, and lay there bitterly bemoaning his defeat. "but we have not yet found my faithful follower, the tin woodman," said ozma to dorothy, "and without him i do not wish to go away." "nor i," replied dorothy, quickly. "wasn't he in the palace?" "he must be there," said billina; "but i had no clue to guide me in guessing the tin woodman, so i must have missed him." "we will go back into the rooms," said dorothy. "this magic belt, i am sure, will help us to find our dear old friend." so she re-entered the palace, the doors of which still stood open, and everyone followed her except the nome king, the queen of ev and prince evring. the mother had taken the little prince in her lap and was fondling and kissing him lovingly, for he was her youngest born. but the others went with dorothy, and when she came to the middle of the first room the girl waved her hand, as she had seen the king do, and commanded the tin woodman, whatever form he might then have, to resume his proper shape. no result followed this attempt, so dorothy went into another room and repeated it, and so through all the rooms of the palace. yet the tin woodman did not appear to them, nor could they imagine which among the thousands of ornaments was their transformed friend. sadly they returned to the throne room, where the king, seeing that they had met with failure, jeered at dorothy, saying: "you do not know how to use my belt, so it is of no use to you. give it back to me and i will let you go free--you and all the people who came with you. as for the royal family of ev, they are my slaves, and shall remain here." "i shall keep the belt," said dorothy. "but how can you escape, without my consent?" asked the king. "easily enough," answered the girl. "all we need to do is to walk out the way that we came in." "oh, that's all, is it?" sneered the king. "well, where is the passage through which you entered this room?" they all looked around, but could not discover the place, for it had long since been closed. dorothy, however, would not be dismayed. she waved her hand toward the seemingly solid wall of the cavern and said: "i command the passage to open!" instantly the order was obeyed; the opening appeared and the passage lay plainly before them. the king was amazed, and all the others overjoyed. "why, then, if the belt obeys you, were we unable to discover the tin woodman?" asked ozma. "i can't imagine," said dorothy. "see here, girl," proposed the king, eagerly; "give me the belt, and i will tell you what shape the tin woodman was changed into, and then you can easily find him." dorothy hesitated, but billina cried out: "don't you do it! if the nome king gets the belt again he will make every one of us prisoners, for we will be in his power. only by keeping the belt, dorothy, will you ever be able to leave this place in safety." "i think that is true," said the scarecrow. "but i have another idea, due to my excellent brains. let dorothy transform the king into a goose-egg unless he agrees to go into the palace and bring out to us the ornament which is our friend nick chopper, the tin woodman." "a goose-egg!" echoed the horrified king. "how dreadful!" "well, a goose-egg you will be unless you go and fetch us the ornament we want," declared billina, with a joyful chuckle. "you can see for yourself that dorothy is able to use the magic belt all right," added the scarecrow. the nome king thought it over and finally consented, for he did not want to be a goose-egg. so he went into the palace to get the ornament which was the transformation of the tin woodman, and they all awaited his return with considerable impatience, for they were anxious to leave this underground cavern and see the sunshine once more. but when the nome king came back he brought nothing with him except a puzzled and anxious expression upon his face. "he's gone!" he said. "the tin woodman is nowhere in the palace." "are you sure?" asked ozma, sternly. "i'm very sure," answered the king, trembling, "for i know just what i transformed him into, and exactly where he stood. but he is not there, and please don't change me into a goose-egg, because i've done the best i could." they were all silent for a time, and then dorothy said: "there is no use punishing the nome king any more, and i'm 'fraid we'll have to go away without our friend." "if he is not here, we cannot rescue him," agreed the scarecrow, sadly. "poor nick! i wonder what has become of him." "and he owed me six weeks back pay!" said one of the generals, wiping the tears from his eyes with his gold-laced coat sleeve. very sorrowfully they determined to return to the upper world without their former companion, and so ozma gave the order to begin the march through the passage. the army went first, and then the royal family of ev, and afterward came dorothy, ozma, billina, the scarecrow and tiktok. they left the nome king scowling at them from his throne, and had no thought of danger until ozma chanced to look back and saw a large number of the warriors following them in full chase, with their swords and spears and axes raised to strike down the fugitives as soon as they drew near enough. evidently the nome king had made this last attempt to prevent their escaping him; but it did him no good, for when dorothy saw the danger they were in she stopped and waved her hand and whispered a command to the magic belt. instantly the foremost warriors became eggs, which rolled upon the floor of the cavern in such numbers that those behind could not advance without stepping upon them. but, when they saw the eggs, all desire to advance departed from the warriors, and they turned and fled madly into the cavern, and refused to go back again. our friends had no further trouble in reaching the end of the passage, and soon were standing in the outer air upon the gloomy path between the two high mountains. but the way to ev lay plainly before them, and they fervently hoped that they had seen the last of the nome king and of his dreadful palace. the cavalcade was led by ozma, mounted on the cowardly lion, and the queen of ev, who rode upon the back of the tiger. the children of the queen walked behind her, hand in hand. dorothy rode the sawhorse, while the scarecrow walked and commanded the army in the absence of the tin woodman. presently the way began to lighten and more of the sunshine to come in between the two mountains. and before long they heard the "thump! thump! thump!" of the giant's hammer upon the road. "how may we pass the monstrous man of iron?" asked the queen, anxious for the safety of her children. but dorothy solved the problem by a word to the magic belt. the giant paused, with his hammer held motionless in the air, thus allowing the entire party to pass between his cast-iron legs in safety. 19. the king of ev if there were any shifting, rock-colored nomes on the mountain side now, they were silent and respectful, for our adventurers were not annoyed, as before, by their impudent laughter. really the nomes had nothing to laugh at, since the defeat of their king. on the other side they found ozma's golden chariot, standing as they had left it. soon the lion and the tiger were harnessed to the beautiful chariot, in which was enough room for ozma and the queen and six of the royal children. little evring preferred to ride with dorothy upon the sawhorse, which had a long back. the prince had recovered from his shyness and had become very fond of the girl who had rescued him, so they were fast friends and chatted pleasantly together as they rode along. billina was also perched upon the head of the wooden steed, which seemed not to mind the added weight in the least, and the boy was full of wonder that a hen could talk, and say such sensible things. when they came to the gulf, ozma's magic carpet carried them all over in safety; and now they began to pass the trees, in which birds were singing; and the breeze that was wafted to them from the farms of ev was spicy with flowers and new-mown hay; and the sunshine fell full upon them, to warm them and drive away from their bodies the chill and dampness of the underground kingdom of the nomes. "i would be quite content," said the scarecrow to tiktok, "were only the tin woodman with us. but it breaks my heart to leave him behind." "he was a fine fel-low," replied tiktok, "al-though his ma-ter-i-al was not ve-ry du-ra-ble." "oh, tin is an excellent material," the scarecrow hastened to say; "and if anything ever happened to poor nick chopper he was always easily soldered. besides, he did not have to be wound up, and was not liable to get out of order." "i some-times wish," said tiktok, "that i was stuffed with straw, as you are. it is hard to be made of cop-per." "i have no reason to complain of my lot," replied the scarecrow. "a little fresh straw, now and then, makes me as good as new. but i can never be the polished gentleman that my poor departed friend, the tin woodman, was." you may be sure the royal children of ev and their queen mother were delighted at seeing again their beloved country; and when the towers of the palace of ev came into view they could not forbear cheering at the sight. little evring, riding in front of dorothy, was so overjoyed that he took a curious tin whistle from his pocket and blew a shrill blast that made the sawhorse leap and prance in sudden alarm. "what is that?" asked billina, who had been obliged to flutter her wings in order to keep her seat upon the head of the frightened sawhorse. "that's my whistle," said prince evring, holding it out upon his hand. it was in the shape of a little fat pig, made of tin and painted green. the whistle was in the tail of the pig. "where did you get it?" asked the yellow hen, closely examining the toy with her bright eyes. "why, i picked it up in the nome king's palace, while dorothy was making her guesses, and i put it in my pocket," answered the little prince. billina laughed; or at least she made the peculiar cackle that served her for a laugh. "no wonder i couldn't find the tin woodman," she said; "and no wonder the magic belt didn't make him appear, or the king couldn't find him, either!" "what do you mean?" questioned dorothy. "why, the prince had him in his pocket," cried billina, cackling again. "i did not!" protested little evring. "i only took the whistle." "well, then, watch me," returned the hen, and reaching out a claw she touched the whistle and said "ev." swish! "good afternoon," said the tin woodman, taking off his funnel cap and bowing to dorothy and the prince. "i think i must have been asleep for the first time since i was made of tin, for i do not remember our leaving the nome king." "you have been enchanted," answered the girl, throwing an arm around her old friend and hugging him tight in her joy. "but it's all right, now." "i want my whistle!" said the little prince, beginning to cry. "hush!" cautioned billina. "the whistle is lost, but you may have another when you get home." the scarecrow had fairly thrown himself upon the bosom of his old comrade, so surprised and delighted was he to see him again, and tiktok squeezed the tin woodman's hand so earnestly that he dented some of his fingers. then they had to make way for ozma to welcome the tin man, and the army caught sight of him and set up a cheer, and everybody was delighted and happy. for the tin woodman was a great favorite with all who knew him, and his sudden recovery after they had thought he was lost to them forever was indeed a pleasant surprise. before long the cavalcade arrived at the royal palace, where a great crowd of people had gathered to welcome their queen and her ten children. there was much shouting and cheering, and the people threw flowers in their path, and every face wore a happy smile. they found the princess langwidere in her mirrored chamber, where she was admiring one of her handsomest heads--one with rich chestnut hair, dreamy walnut eyes and a shapely hickorynut nose. she was very glad to be relieved of her duties to the people of ev, and the queen graciously permitted her to retain her rooms and her cabinet of heads as long as she lived. then the queen took her eldest son out upon a balcony that overlooked the crowd of subjects gathered below, and said to them: "here is your future ruler, king evardo fifteenth. he is fifteen years of age, has fifteen silver buckles on his jacket and is the fifteenth evardo to rule the land of ev." the people shouted their approval fifteen times, and even the wheelers, some of whom were present, loudly promised to obey the new king. so the queen placed a big crown of gold, set with rubies, upon evardo's head, and threw an ermine robe over his shoulders, and proclaimed him king; and he bowed gratefully to all his subjects and then went away to see if he could find any cake in the royal pantry. ozma of oz and her people, as well as dorothy, tiktok and billina, were splendidly entertained by the queen mother, who owed all her happiness to their kind offices; and that evening the yellow hen was publicly presented with a beautiful necklace of pearls and sapphires, as a token of esteem from the new king. 20. the emerald city dorothy decided to accept ozma's invitation to return with her to the land of oz. there was no greater chance of her getting home from ev than from oz, and the little girl was anxious to see once more the country where she had encountered such wonderful adventures. by this time uncle henry would have reached australia in his ship, and had probably given her up for lost; so he couldn't worry any more than he did if she stayed away from him a while longer. so she would go to oz. they bade good-bye to the people of ev, and the king promised ozma that he would ever be grateful to her and render the land of oz any service that might lie within his power. and then they approached the edge of the dangerous desert, and ozma threw down the magic carpet, which at once unrolled far enough for all of them to walk upon it without being crowded. tiktok, claiming to be dorothy's faithful follower because he belonged to her, had been permitted to join the party, and before they started the girl wound up his machinery as far as possible, and the copper man stepped off as briskly as any one of them. ozma also invited billina to visit the land of oz, and the yellow hen was glad enough to go where new sights and scenes awaited her. they began the trip across the desert early in the morning, and as they stopped only long enough for billina to lay her daily egg, before sunset they espied the green slopes and wooded hills of the beautiful land of oz. they entered it in the munchkin territory, and the king of the munchkins met them at the border and welcomed ozma with great respect, being very pleased by her safe return. for ozma of oz ruled the king of the munchkins, the king of the winkies, the king of the quadlings and the king of the gillikins just as those kings ruled their own people; and this supreme ruler of the land of oz lived in a great town of her own, called the emerald city, which was in the exact center of the four kingdoms of the land of oz. the munchkin king entertained them at his palace that night, and in the morning they set out for the emerald city, travelling over a road of yellow brick that led straight to the jewel-studded gates. everywhere the people turned out to greet their beloved ozma, and to hail joyfully the scarecrow, the tin woodman and the cowardly lion, who were popular favorites. dorothy, too, remembered some of the people, who had befriended her on the occasion of her first visit to oz, and they were well pleased to see the little kansas girl again, and showered her with compliments and good wishes. at one place, where they stopped to refresh themselves, ozma accepted a bowl of milk from the hands of a pretty dairy-maid. then she looked at the girl more closely, and exclaimed: "why, it's jinjur--isn't it!" "yes, your highness," was the reply, as jinjur dropped a low curtsy. and dorothy looked wonderingly at this lively appearing person, who had once assembled an army of women and driven the scarecrow from the throne of the emerald city, and even fought a battle with the powerful army of glinda the sorceress. "i've married a man who owns nine cows," said jinjur to ozma, "and now i am happy and contented and willing to lead a quiet life and mind my own business." "where is your husband?" asked ozma. "he is in the house, nursing a black eye," replied jinjur, calmly. "the foolish man would insist upon milking the red cow when i wanted him to milk the white one; but he will know better next time, i am sure." then the party moved on again, and after crossing a broad river on a ferry and passing many fine farm houses that were dome shaped and painted a pretty green color, they came in sight of a large building that was covered with flags and bunting. "i don't remember that building," said dorothy. "what is it?" "that is the college of art and athletic perfection," replied ozma. "i had it built quite recently, and the woggle-bug is its president. it keeps him busy, and the young men who attend the college are no worse off than they were before. you see, in this country are a number of youths who do not like to work, and the college is an excellent place for them." and now they came in sight of the emerald city, and the people flocked out to greet their lovely ruler. there were several bands and many officers and officials of the realm, and a crowd of citizens in their holiday attire. thus the beautiful ozma was escorted by a brilliant procession to her royal city, and so great was the cheering that she was obliged to constantly bow to the right and left to acknowledge the greetings of her subjects. that evening there was a grand reception in the royal palace, attended by the most important persons of oz, and jack pumpkinhead, who was a little overripe but still active, read an address congratulating ozma of oz upon the success of her generous mission to rescue the royal family of a neighboring kingdom. then magnificent gold medals set with precious stones were presented to each of the twenty-six officers; and the tin woodman was given a new axe studded with diamonds; and the scarecrow received a silver jar of complexion powder. dorothy was presented with a pretty coronet and made a princess of oz, and tiktok received two bracelets set with eight rows of very clear and sparkling emeralds. afterward they sat down to a splendid feast, and ozma put dorothy at her right and billina at her left, where the hen sat upon a golden roost and ate from a jeweled platter. then were placed the scarecrow, the tin woodman and tiktok, with baskets of lovely flowers before them, because they did not require food. the twenty-six officers were at the lower end of the table, and the lion and the tiger also had seats, and were served on golden platters, that held a half a bushel at one time. the wealthiest and most important citizens of the emerald city were proud to wait upon these famous adventurers, and they were assisted by a sprightly little maid named jellia jamb, whom the scarecrow pinched upon her rosy cheeks and seemed to know very well. during the feast ozma grew thoughtful, and suddenly she asked: "where is the private?" "oh, he is sweeping out the barracks," replied one of the generals, who was busy eating a leg of a turkey. "but i have ordered him a dish of bread and molasses to eat when his work is done." "let him be sent for," said the girl ruler. while they waited for this command to be obeyed, she enquired: "have we any other privates in the armies?" "oh, yes," replied the tin woodman, "i believe there are three, altogether." the private now entered, saluting his officers and the royal ozma very respectfully. "what is your name, my man?" asked the girl. "omby amby," answered the private. "then, omby amby," said she, "i promote you to be captain general of all the armies of my kingdom, and especially to be commander of my body guard at the royal palace." "it is very expensive to hold so many offices," said the private, hesitating. "i have no money with which to buy uniforms." "you shall be supplied from the royal treasury," said ozma. then the private was given a seat at the table, where the other officers welcomed him cordially, and the feasting and merriment were resumed. suddenly jellia jamb exclaimed: "there is nothing more to eat! the hungry tiger has consumed everything!" "but that is not the worst of it," declared the tiger, mournfully. "somewhere or somehow, i've actually lost my appetite!" 21. dorothy's magic belt dorothy passed several very happy weeks in the land of oz as the guest of the royal ozma, who delighted to please and interest the little kansas girl. many new acquaintances were formed and many old ones renewed, and wherever she went dorothy found herself among friends. one day, however, as she sat in ozma's private room, she noticed hanging upon the wall a picture which constantly changed in appearance, at one time showing a meadow and at another time a forest, a lake or a village. "how curious!" she exclaimed, after watching the shifting scenes for a few moments. "yes," said ozma, "that is really a wonderful invention in magic. if i wish to see any part of the world or any person living, i need only express the wish and it is shown in the picture." "may i use it?" asked dorothy, eagerly. "of course, my dear." "then i'd like to see the old kansas farm, and aunt em," said the girl. instantly the well remembered farmhouse appeared in the picture, and aunt em could be seen quite plainly. she was engaged in washing dishes by the kitchen window and seemed quite well and contented. the hired men and the teams were in the harvest fields behind the house, and the corn and wheat seemed to the child to be in prime condition. on the side porch dorothy's pet dog, toto, was lying fast asleep in the sun, and to her surprise old speckles was running around with a brood of twelve new chickens trailing after her. "everything seems all right at home," said dorothy, with a sigh of relief. "now i wonder what uncle henry is doing." the scene in the picture at once shifted to australia, where, in a pleasant room in sydney, uncle henry was seated in an easy chair, solemnly smoking his briar pipe. he looked sad and lonely, and his hair was now quite white and his hands and face thin and wasted. "oh!" cried dorothy, in an anxious voice, "i'm sure uncle henry isn't getting any better, and it's because he is worried about me. ozma, dear, i must go to him at once!" "how can you?" asked ozma. "i don't know," replied dorothy; "but let us go to glinda the good. i'm sure she will help me, and advise me how to get to uncle henry." ozma readily agreed to this plan and caused the sawhorse to be harnessed to a pretty green and pink phaeton, and the two girls rode away to visit the famous sorceress. glinda received them graciously, and listened to dorothy's story with attention. "i have the magic belt, you know," said the little girl. "if i buckled it around my waist and commanded it to take me to uncle henry, wouldn't it do it?" "i think so," replied glinda, with a smile. "and then," continued dorothy, "if i ever wanted to come back here again, the belt would bring me." "in that you are wrong," said the sorceress. "the belt has magical powers only while it is in some fairy country, such as the land of oz, or the land of ev. indeed, my little friend, were you to wear it and wish yourself in australia, with your uncle, the wish would doubtless be fulfilled, because it was made in fairyland. but you would not find the magic belt around you when you arrived at your destination." "what would become of it?" asked the girl. "it would be lost, as were your silver shoes when you visited oz before, and no one would ever see it again. it seems too bad to destroy the use of the magic belt in that way, doesn't it?" "then," said dorothy, after a moment's thought, "i will give the magic belt to ozma, for she can use it in her own country. and she can wish me transported to uncle henry without losing the belt." "that is a wise plan," replied glinda. so they rode back to the emerald city, and on the way it was arranged that every saturday morning ozma would look at dorothy in her magic picture, wherever the little girl might chance to be. and, if she saw dorothy make a certain signal, then ozma would know that the little kansas girl wanted to revisit the land of oz, and by means of the nome king's magic belt would wish that she might instantly return. this having been agreed upon, dorothy bade good-bye to all her friends. tiktok wanted to go to australia; too, but dorothy knew that the machine man would never do for a servant in a civilized country, and the chances were that his machinery wouldn't work at all. so she left him in ozma's care. billina, on the contrary, preferred the land of oz to any other country, and refused to accompany dorothy. "the bugs and ants that i find here are the finest flavored in the world," declared the yellow hen, "and there are plenty of them. so here i shall end my days; and i must say, dorothy, my dear, that you are very foolish to go back into that stupid, humdrum world again." "uncle henry needs me," said dorothy, simply; and every one except billina thought it was right that she should go. all dorothy's friends of the land of oz--both old and new--gathered in a group in front of the palace to bid her a sorrowful good-bye and to wish her long life and happiness. after much hand shaking, dorothy kissed ozma once more, and then handed her the nome king's magic belt, saying: "now, dear princess, when i wave my handkerchief, please wish me with uncle henry. i'm aw'fly sorry to leave you--and the scarecrow--and the tin woodman--and the cowardly lion--and tiktok--and--and everybody--but i do want my uncle henry! so good-bye, all of you." then the little girl stood on one of the big emeralds which decorated the courtyard, and after looking once again at each of her friends, waved her handkerchief. "no," said dorothy, "i wasn't drowned at all. and i've come to nurse you and take care of you, uncle henry, and you must promise to get well as soon as poss'ble." uncle henry smiled and cuddled his little niece close in his lap. "i'm better already, my darling," said he. glinda of oz by l. frank baum in which are related the exciting experiences of princess ozma of oz, and dorothy, in their hazardous journey to the home of the flatheads, and to the magic isle of the skeezers, and how they were rescued from dire peril by the sorcery of glinda the good by l. frank baum "royal historian of oz" this book is dedicated to my son robert stanton baum list of chapters 1 the call to duty 2 ozma and dorothy 3 the mist maidens 4 the magic tent 5 the magic stairway 6 flathead mountain 7 the magic isle 8 queen coo-ee-oh 9 lady aurex 10 under water 11 the conquest of the skeezers 12 the diamond swan 13 the alarm bell 14 ozma's counsellors 15 the great sorceress 16 the enchanted fishes 17 under the great dome 18 the cleverness of ervic 19 red reera, the yookoohoo 20 a puzzling problem 21 the three adepts 22 the sunken island 23 the magic words 24 glinda's triumph chapter one the call to duty glinda, the good sorceress of oz, sat in the grand court of her palace, surrounded by her maids of honor--a hundred of the most beautiful girls of the fairyland of oz. the palace court was built of rare marbles, exquisitely polished. fountains tinkled musically here and there; the vast colonnade, open to the south, allowed the maidens, as they raised their heads from their embroideries, to gaze upon a vista of rose-hued fields and groves of trees bearing fruits or laden with sweet-scented flowers. at times one of the girls would start a song, the others joining in the chorus, or one would rise and dance, gracefully swaying to the music of a harp played by a companion. and then glinda smiled, glad to see her maids mixing play with work. presently among the fields an object was seen moving, threading the broad path that led to the castle gate. some of the girls looked upon this object enviously; the sorceress merely gave it a glance and nodded her stately head as if pleased, for it meant the coming of her friend and mistress--the only one in all the land that glinda bowed to. then up the path trotted a wooden animal attached to a red wagon, and as the quaint steed halted at the gate there descended from the wagon two young girls, ozma, ruler of oz, and her companion, princess dorothy. both were dressed in simple white muslin gowns, and as they ran up the marble steps of the palace they laughed and chatted as gaily as if they were not the most important persons in the world's loveliest fairyland. the maids of honor had risen and stood with bowed heads to greet the royal ozma, while glinda came forward with outstretched arms to greet her guests. "we've just come on a visit, you know," said ozma. "both dorothy and i were wondering how we should pass the day when we happened to think we'd not been to your quadling country for weeks, so we took the sawhorse and rode straight here." "and we came so fast," added dorothy, "that our hair is blown all fuzzy, for the sawhorse makes a wind of his own. usually it's a day's journey from the em'rald city, but i don't s'pose we were two hours on the way." "you are most welcome," said glinda the sorceress, and led them through the court to her magnificent reception hall. ozma took the arm of her hostess, but dorothy lagged behind, kissing some of the maids she knew best, talking with others, and making them all feel that she was their friend. when at last she joined glinda and ozma in the reception hall, she found them talking earnestly about the condition of the people, and how to make them more happy and contented--although they were already the happiest and most contented folks in all the world. this interested ozma, of course, but it didn't interest dorothy very much, so the little girl ran over to a big table on which was lying open glinda's great book of records. this book is one of the greatest treasures in oz, and the sorceress prizes it more highly than any of her magical possessions. that is the reason it is firmly attached to the big marble table by means of golden chains, and whenever glinda leaves home she locks the great book together with five jeweled padlocks, and carries the keys safely hidden in her bosom. i do not suppose there is any magical thing in any fairyland to compare with the record book, on the pages of which are constantly being printed a record of every event that happens in any part of the world, at exactly the moment it happens. and the records are always truthful, although sometimes they do not give as many details as one could wish. but then, lots of things happen, and so the records have to be brief or even glinda's great book could not hold them all. glinda looked at the records several times each day, and dorothy, whenever she visited the sorceress, loved to look in the book and see what was happening everywhere. not much was recorded about the land of oz, which is usually peaceful and uneventful, but today dorothy found something which interested her. indeed, the printed letters were appearing on the page even while she looked. "this is funny!" she exclaimed. "did you know, ozma, that there were people in your land of oz called skeezers?" "yes," replied ozma, coming to her side, "i know that on professor wogglebug's map of the land of oz there is a place marked 'skeezer,' but what the skeezers are like i do not know. no one i know has ever seen them or heard of them. the skeezer country is 'way at the upper edge of the gillikin country, with the sandy, impassable desert on one side and the mountains of oogaboo on another side. that is a part of the land of oz of which i know very little." "i guess no one else knows much about it either, unless it's the skeezers themselves," remarked dorothy. "but the book says: 'the skeezers of oz have declared war on the flatheads of oz, and there is likely to be fighting and much trouble as the result.'" "is that all the book says?" asked ozma. "every word," said dorothy, and ozma and glinda both looked at the record and seemed surprised and perplexed. "tell me, glinda," said ozma, "who are the flatheads?" "i cannot, your majesty," confessed the sorceress. "until now i never have heard of them, nor have i ever heard the skeezers mentioned. in the faraway corners of oz are hidden many curious tribes of people, and those who never leave their own countries and never are visited by those from our favored part of oz, naturally are unknown to me. however, if you so desire, i can learn through my arts of sorcery something of the skeezers and the flatheads." "i wish you would," answered ozma seriously. "you see, glinda, if these are oz people they are my subjects and i cannot allow any wars or troubles in the land i rule, if i can possibly help it." "very well, your majesty," said the sorceress, "i will try to get some information to guide you. please excuse me for a time, while i retire to my room of magic and sorcery." "may i go with you?" asked dorothy, eagerly. "no, princess," was the reply. "it would spoil the charm to have anyone present." so glinda locked herself in her own room of magic and dorothy and ozma waited patiently for her to come out again. in about an hour glinda appeared, looking grave and thoughtful. "your majesty," she said to ozma, "the skeezers live on a magic isle in a great lake. for that reason--because the skeezers deal in magic--i can learn little about them." "why, i didn't know there was a lake in that part of oz," exclaimed ozma. "the map shows a river running through the skeezer country, but no lake." "that is because the person who made the map never had visited that part of the country," explained the sorceress. "the lake surely is there, and in the lake is an island--a magic isle--and on that island live the people called the skeezers." "what are they like?" inquired the ruler of oz. "my magic cannot tell me that," confessed glinda, "for the magic of the skeezers prevents anyone outside of their domain knowing anything about them." "the flatheads must know, if they're going to fight the skeezers," suggested dorothy. "perhaps so," glinda replied, "but i can get little information concerning the flatheads, either. they are people who inhabit a mountain just south of the lake of the skeezers. the mountain has steep sides and a broad, hollow top, like a basin, and in this basin the flatheads have their dwellings. they also are magic-workers and usually keep to themselves and allow no one from outside to visit them. i have learned that the flatheads number about one hundred people--men, women and children--while the skeezers number just one hundred and one." "what did they quarrel about, and why do they wish to fight one another?" was ozma's next question. "i cannot tell your majesty that," said glinda. "but see here!" cried dorothy, "it's against the law for anyone but glinda and the wizard to work magic in the land of oz, so if these two strange people are magic-makers they are breaking the law and ought to be punished!" ozma smiled upon her little friend. "those who do not know me or my laws," she said, "cannot be expected to obey my laws. if we know nothing of the skeezers or the flatheads, it is likely that they know nothing of us." "but they ought to know, ozma, and we ought to know. who's going to tell them, and how are we going to make them behave?" "that," returned ozma, "is what i am now considering. what would you advise, glinda?" the sorceress took a little time to consider this question, before she made reply. then she said: "had you not learned of the existence of the flatheads and the skeezers, through my book of records, you would never have worried about them or their quarrels. so, if you pay no attention to these peoples, you may never hear of them again." "but that wouldn't be right," declared ozma. "i am ruler of all the land of oz, which includes the gillikin country, the quadling country, the winkie country and the munchkin country, as well as the emerald city, and being the princess of this fairyland it is my duty to make all my people--wherever they may be--happy and content and to settle their disputes and keep them from quarreling. so, while the skeezers and flatheads may not know me or that i am their lawful ruler, i now know that they inhabit my kingdom and are my subjects, so i would not be doing my duty if i kept away from them and allowed them to fight." "that's a fact, ozma," commented dorothy. "you've got to go up to the gillikin country and make these people behave themselves and make up their quarrels. but how are you going to do it?" "that is what is puzzling me also, your majesty," said the sorceress. "it may be dangerous for you to go into those strange countries, where the people are possibly fierce and warlike." "i am not afraid," said ozma, with a smile. "'tisn't a question of being 'fraid," argued dorothy. "of course we know you're a fairy, and can't be killed or hurt, and we know you've a lot of magic of your own to help you. but, ozma dear, in spite of all this you've been in trouble before, on account of wicked enemies, and it isn't right for the ruler of all oz to put herself in danger." "perhaps i shall be in no danger at all," returned ozma, with a little laugh. "you mustn't imagine danger, dorothy, for one should only imagine nice things, and we do not know that the skeezers and flatheads are wicked people or my enemies. perhaps they would be good and listen to reason." "dorothy is right, your majesty," asserted the sorceress. "it is true we know nothing of these faraway subjects, except that they intend to fight one another, and have a certain amount of magic power at their command. such folks do not like to submit to interference and they are more likely to resent your coming among them than to receive you kindly and graciously, as is your due." "if you had an army to take with you," added dorothy, "it wouldn't be so bad; but there isn't such a thing as an army in all oz." "i have one soldier," said ozma. "yes, the soldier with the green whiskers; but he's dreadful 'fraid of his gun and never loads it. i'm sure he'd run rather than fight. and one soldier, even if he were brave, couldn't do much against two hundred and one flatheads and skeezers." "what then, my friends, would you suggest?" inquired ozma. "i advise you to send the wizard of oz to them, and let him inform them that it is against the laws of oz to fight, and that you command them to settle their differences and become friends," proposed glinda. "let the wizard tell them they will be punished if they refuse to obey the commands of the princess of all the land of oz." ozma shook her head, to indicate that the advice was not to her satisfaction. "if they refuse, what then?" she asked. "i should be obliged to carry out my threat and punish them, and that would be an unpleasant and difficult thing to do. i am sure it would be better for me to go peacefully, without an army and armed only with my authority as ruler, and plead with them to obey me. then, if they prove obstinate i could resort to other means to win their obedience." "it's a ticklish thing, anyhow you look at it," sighed dorothy. "i'm sorry now that i noticed the record in the great book." "but can't you realize, my dear, that i must do my duty, now that i am aware of this trouble?" asked ozma. "i am fully determined to go at once to the magic isle of the skeezers and to the enchanted mountain of the flatheads, and prevent war and strife between their inhabitants. the only question to decide is whether it is better for me to go alone, or to assemble a party of my friends and loyal supporters to accompany me." "if you go i want to go, too," declared dorothy. "whatever happens it's going to be fun--'cause all excitement is fun--and i wouldn't miss it for the world!" neither ozma nor glinda paid any attention to this statement, for they were gravely considering the serious aspect of this proposed adventure. "there are plenty of friends who would like to go with you," said the sorceress, "but none of them would afford your majesty any protection in case you were in danger. you are yourself the most powerful fairy in oz, although both i and the wizard have more varied arts of magic at our command. however, you have one art that no other in all the world can equal--the art of winning hearts and making people love to bow to your gracious presence. for that reason i believe you can accomplish more good alone than with a large number of subjects in your train." "i believe that also," agreed the princess. "i shall be quite able to take care of myself, you know, but might not be able to protect others so well. i do not look for opposition, however. i shall speak to these people in kindly words and settle their dispute--whatever it may be--in a just manner." "aren't you going to take me?" pleaded dorothy. "you'll need some companion, ozma." the princess smiled upon her little friend. "i see no reason why you should not accompany me," was her reply. "two girls are not very warlike and they will not suspect us of being on any errand but a kindly and peaceful one. but, in order to prevent war and strife between these angry peoples, we must go to them at once. let us return immediately to the emerald city and prepare to start on our journey early tomorrow morning." glinda was not quite satisfied with this plan, but could not think of any better way to meet the problem. she knew that ozma, with all her gentleness and sweet disposition, was accustomed to abide by any decision she had made and could not easily be turned from her purpose. moreover she could see no great danger to the fairy ruler of oz in the undertaking, even though the unknown people she was to visit proved obstinate. but dorothy was not a fairy; she was a little girl who had come from kansas to live in the land of oz. dorothy might encounter dangers that to ozma would be as nothing but to an "earth child" would be very serious. the very fact that dorothy lived in oz, and had been made a princess by her friend ozma, prevented her from being killed or suffering any great bodily pain as long as she lived in that fairyland. she could not grow big, either, and would always remain the same little girl who had come to oz, unless in some way she left that fairyland or was spirited away from it. but dorothy was a mortal, nevertheless, and might possibly be destroyed, or hidden where none of her friends could ever find her. she could, for instance be cut into pieces, and the pieces, while still alive and free from pain, could be widely scattered; or she might be buried deep underground or "destroyed" in other ways by evil magicians, were she not properly protected. these facts glinda was considering while she paced with stately tread her marble hall. finally the good sorceress paused and drew a ring from her finger, handing it to dorothy. "wear this ring constantly until your return," she said to the girl. "if serious danger threatens you, turn the ring around on your finger once to the right and another turn to the left. that will ring the alarm bell in my palace and i will at once come to your rescue. but do not use the ring unless you are actually in danger of destruction. while you remain with princess ozma i believe she will be able to protect you from all lesser ills." "thank you, glinda," responded dorothy gratefully, as she placed the ring on her finger. "i'm going to wear my magic belt which i took from the nome king, too, so i guess i'll be safe from anything the skeezers and flatheads try to do to me." ozma had many arrangements to make before she could leave her throne and her palace in the emerald city, even for a trip of a few days, so she bade goodbye to glinda and with dorothy climbed into the red wagon. a word to the wooden sawhorse started that astonishing creature on the return journey, and so swiftly did he run that dorothy was unable to talk or do anything but hold tight to her seat all the way back to the emerald city. chapter two ozma and dorothy residing in ozma's palace at this time was a live scarecrow, a most remarkable and intelligent creature who had once ruled the land of oz for a brief period and was much loved and respected by all the people. once a munchkin farmer had stuffed an old suit of clothes with straw and put stuffed boots on the feet and used a pair of stuffed cotton gloves for hands. the head of the scarecrow was a stuffed sack fastened to the body, with eyes, nose, mouth and ears painted on the sack. when a hat had been put on the head, the thing was a good imitation of a man. the farmer placed the scarecrow on a pole in his cornfield and it came to life in a curious manner. dorothy, who was passing by the field, was hailed by the live scarecrow and lifted him off his pole. he then went with her to the emerald city, where the wizard of oz gave him some excellent brains, and the scarecrow soon became an important personage. ozma considered the scarecrow one of her best friends and most loyal subjects, so the morning after her visit to glinda she asked him to take her place as ruler of the land of oz while she was absent on a journey, and the scarecrow at once consented without asking any questions. ozma had warned dorothy to keep their journey a secret and say nothing to anyone about the skeezers and flatheads until their return, and dorothy promised to obey. she longed to tell her girl friends, tiny trot and betsy bobbin, of the adventure they were undertaking, but refrained from saying a word on the subject although both these girls lived with her in ozma's palace. indeed, only glinda the sorceress knew they were going, until after they had gone, and even the sorceress didn't know what their errand might be. princess ozma took the sawhorse and the red wagon, although she was not sure there was a wagon road all the way to the lake of the skeezers. the land of oz is a pretty big place, surrounded on all sides by a deadly desert which it is impossible to cross, and the skeezer country, according to the map, was in the farthest northwestern part of oz, bordering on the north desert. as the emerald city was exactly in the center of oz, it was no small journey from there to the skeezers. around the emerald city the country is thickly settled in every direction, but the farther away you get from the city the fewer people there are, until those parts that border on the desert have small populations. also those faraway sections are little known to the oz people, except in the south, where glinda lives and where dorothy has often wandered on trips of exploration. the least known of all is the gillikin country, which harbors many strange bands of people among its mountains and valleys and forests and streams, and ozma was now bound for the most distant part of the gillikin country. "i am really sorry," said ozma to dorothy, as they rode away in the red wagon, "not to know more about the wonderful land i rule. it is my duty to be acquainted with every tribe of people and every strange and hidden country in all oz, but i am kept so busy at my palace making laws and planning for the comforts of those who live near the emerald city, that i do not often find time to make long journeys." "well," replied dorothy, "we'll prob'bly find out a lot on this trip, and we'll learn all about the skeezers and flatheads, anyhow. time doesn't make much diff'rence in the land of oz, 'cause we don't grow up, or get old, or become sick and die, as they do other places; so, if we explore one place at a time, we'll by-an'-by know all about every nook and corner in oz." dorothy wore around her waist the nome ki