the mythological zoo by oliver herford [illustration] new york - charles scribner's sons copyright, , by oliver herford published september, to elwyn barron with affectionate regard contents page medusa the siren the dolphin the cockatrice cerberus the sphinx the sea serpent the salamander the jinn the mermaid the unicorn the satyr the gargoyle the chimera the ph[oe]nix the gryphon the harpy the centaur pegasus the hydra the hyppogriff the minotaur the mythological zoo medusa how did medusa do her hair? the question fills me with despair. it must have caused her sore distress that head of curling snakes to dress. whenever after endless toil she coaxed it finally to coil, the music of a passing band would cause each separate hair to stand on end and sway and writhe and spit,-- she couldn't "do a thing with it." and, being woman and aware of such disaster to her hair, what _could_ she do but petrify all whom she met, with freezing eye? [illustration] the siren the siren may be said to be the chorus-lady of the sea; tho' mermaids claim her as their kin, instead of fishy tail and fin two shapely feet rejoice the view (with all that appertains thereto). when to these other charms we add a voice that drives the hearer mad, who will dispute her claim to be the chorus-lady of the sea? [illustration] the dolphin the dolphin was, if you should wish to call him so,--the king of fish. though having neither gills nor scales, his title _should be_ prince of whales. while too small waisted to provide a jonah with a berth inside, the dolphin has been known to pack a drowning sailor on his back and bear him safely into port,-- he was a taxi-whale, in short. [illustration] the cockatrice if you will listen to advice you will avoid the cockatrice-- a caution i need hardly say wholly superfluous to-day. yet had you lived when they were rife such warning might have saved your life. to meet the cockatrice's eye means certain death--and that is why when i its features here portray i make it look the other way. o cockatrice! were you so mean what must the _hen_atrice have been! [illustration] cerberus dear reader, should you chance to go to hades, do not fail to throw a "sop to cerberus" at the gate, his anger to propitiate. don't say "good dog!" and hope thereby his three fierce heads to pacify. what though he try to be polite and wag his tail with all his might, how shall one amiable tail against three angry heads prevail? the heads _must_ win.--what puzzles me is why in hades there should be a watch dog; 'tis, i should surmise, the _last_ place one would burglarize. [illustration] the sphinx she was half lady and half cat-- what is so wonderful in that? half of our lady friends (so say the other half) are _cats_ to-day. in egypt she made quite a stir, they carved huge images of her. riddles she asked of all she met and all who answered wrong, she ate. when oedipus her riddle solved the minx--i mean the sphinx--dissolved in tears. what is there, when one thinks, so wonderful about the sphinx? [illustration] the sea serpent o wondrous worm that won the height of fame by keeping out of sight! never was known on land or sea such a colossal modesty; never such arrogant pretence of ostentatious diffidence. celebrity whom none has seen, save some post prandial marine, no magazine can reproduce your photograph.--oh, what's the use of doing things when one may be so famous a nonentity! [illustration] the salamander the salamander made his bed among the glowing embers red. a fiery furnace, to his mind, hygiene and luxury combined. he was, if i may put it so, a saurian abednigo. he loved to climb with nimble ease the branches of the gas-log trees where oft on chilly winter nights he rose to dizzy fahrenheits. believers in soul transmigration see in him the re-incarnation of those sad plagues of summer, who ask, "is it hot enough for you?" [illustration] the jinn to call a jinn the only thing one needed was a magic ring. you rubbed the ring and forth there came a monster born of smoke and flame, a thing of vapor, fume and glare ready to waft you anywhere. the magic jinns of yesterday the wand of science now obey. you ring, and lo! with rush and roar the panting monster's at the door, a thing of vapor, fume and glare ready to take you anywhere. what's in a name? what choice between the giants, jinn and gasolene? [illustration] the mermaid although a fishwife in a sense, she does not barter fish for pence. fisher of men, her golden nets for foolish sailormen she sets. all day she combs her hair and longs for dimpled feet and curling-tongs. all night she dreams in ocean caves of low tide shoes and marcel waves. and while the fishwife, making sales, may sell her wares upon her scales, the mermaid, wonderful to tell, must wear her scales upon hersel'. [illustration] the unicorn the unicorn 's a first-rate sort. he helps the lion to support the royal arms of england's king and keep the throne from tottering. i wonder what the king would do if his supporters all withdrew? perhaps he'd try the stage; a throne should be an easy stepping-stone to histrionic heights, and who knows till he tries what he can do? the king, with diligence and care, _might_ rise to be a manager. [illustration] the satyr the satyr lived in times remote, a shape half-human and half-goat, who, having all man's faults combined with a goat's nature unrefined, was not what you would call a bright example or a shining light. far be it from me to condone the satyr's sins, yet i must own i like to think there were a few young satyrs who to heaven flew, and when saint peter, thunder browed, seeing them, cried, "no goats allowed!" although the gate slammed quickly to, somehow their human halves got through; whereat the kindly saint relented, and that's how cherubs were invented. [illustration] the gargoyle the gargoyle often makes its perch on a cathedral or a church, where, mid ecclesiastic style, it smiles an early-gothic smile. and while the parson, dignified, spouts at his weary flock inside, the gargoyle, from its lofty seat, spouts at the people in the street, and, like the parson, seems to say to those beneath him, "let us spray." i like the gargoyle best; it plays so cheerfully on rainy days, while parsons (no one can deny) are awful dampers--when they're dry. [illustration] the chimera you'd think a lion or a snake were quite enough one's nerves to shake; but in this classic beast we find a lion and a snake combined, and, just as if that weren't enough, a goat thrown in to make it tough. let scientists the breed pooh! pooh! come with me to some social zoo and hear the bearded lion bleat goat-like on patent-kidded feet, whose "civil leer and damning praise" the serpent's cloven tongue betrays. lo! lion, goat, and snake combined! thus nature doth repeat her kind. [illustration] the ph[oe]nix the ph[oe]nix was, as you might say, the burning question of his day: the more he burned, the more he grew splendiferous in feathers new. and from his ashes rising bland, did business at the same old stand. but though good people went about and talked, they could not put him out. a wond'rous bird--indeed, they say he is not quite extinct to-day. [illustration] the gryphon it chanced that allah, looking round, when he had made his creatures, found half of an eagle and a pair of extra lion legs to spare. so, hating waste, he took some glue and made a gryphon of the two. but when his handiwork he eyed, he frowned--and it was petrified, doomed for all time to represent impatience on a monument. sometimes upon our path to-day its living counterpart will stray-- columbia's eagle strutting in an awf'ly english lion's skin, with glass in eye and swagg'ring gait: behold the gryphon up to date. [illustration] the harpy they certainly contrived to raise queer ladies in the olden days. either the type had not been fixed, or else zoology got mixed. i envy not primeval man this female on the feathered plan. we only have, i'm glad to say, two kinds of human bird to-day-- women and warriors, who still wear feathers when dressed up to kill. [illustration] the centaur the centaur led a double life: two natures in perpetual strife he had, that never could agree on what the bill-of-fare should be; for when the man-half set his heart on taking dinner _à la carte_, the horse was sure to cast his vote unswervingly for _table d'oat_. a pretty sort of life to lead; the horse in time went off his feed, the hungry man was nigh demented, when one day--oatmeal was invented! [illustration] pegasus the ancients made no end of fuss about a horse named pegasus, a famous flyer of his time, who often soared to heights sublime, when backed by some poetic chap for the parnassus handicap. alas for fame! the other day i saw an ancient "one-hoss shay" stop at the mont de piété, and, lo! alighting from the same, a bard, whom i forbear to name. noting the poor beast's rusty hide (the horse, i mean), methought i spied what once were wings. incredulous, i cried, "can _this_ be pegasus!" [illustration] the hydra the hydra hercules defied, its nine diminished heads must hide before the baneful modern beast who has a thousand heads at least. see how in horrid tiers they rise, with straining ears and bulging eyes, while, blinded by fierce calcium rays, the trembling victim tribute pays of song or measure, mime or jest, to soothe the savage hydra's breast. if she please not the monster's whim, wild scribes will tear her limb from limb; even if charmed, he rend the air with hideous joy, let her beware; for she must surely, soon or late, fall 'neath the hissing hydra's hate. [illustration] the hyppogriff biologists are prone to sniff at hybrids like the hyppogriff. in evolution's plan, they say, there is no place for such as they. a horse with wings could not have more than two legs, and this beast had four. well, i for one am glad to waive two of his legs, his wings to save. i'd even sell my auto--if i had one--for a hyppogriff. [illustration] the minotaur no book of monsters is complete without the minotaur of crete. yet should i draw him you would quail, so in his place i draw a veil. o stars, that from creation's birth have winked at everything on earth, who shine where poets fear to tread, relate the story in my stead! * * * * * although it's comforting to know that theseus slew him long ago, _we_ need not boast, we too could do with--well, a theseus or two. [illustration] the end. * * * * * books by oliver herford _with pictures by the author_ published by charles scribner's sons the bashful earthquake $ . a child's primer of natural history $ . overheard in a garden $ . more animals _net_, $ . the rubaiyat of a persian kitten _net_, $ . the fairy godmother-in-law _net_, $ . a little book of bores _net_, $ . the peter pan alphabe _net_, $ . the astonishing tale of a pen-and-ink puppet _net_, $ . a kitten's garden of verses _net_, $ . the mythological zoo _net_, . _with john cecil clay_ cupid's cyclopedia _net_, $ . cupid's fair-weather booke _net_, $ . * * * * * none 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 the call to duty ozma and dorothy the mist maidens the magic tent the magic stairway flathead mountain the magic isle queen coo-ee-oh lady aurex under water the conquest of the skeezers the diamond swan the alarm bell ozma's counsellors the great sorceress the enchanted fishes under the great dome the cleverness of ervic red reera, the yookoohoo a puzzling problem the three adepts the sunken island the magic words 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 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!" caching 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 three 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 four 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'm 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 five 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 bands 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 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 six 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: "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 seven 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 eight 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 nine 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 ten 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 eleven 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 toassist 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-ce-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 twelve 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 thirteen 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 fourteen 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 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 fifteen 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 back 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 hye 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 sixteen 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 seventeen 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-ce-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-ce-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-ce-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 watertight, 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 eighteen 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 nineteen 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 crowd 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 twenty 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. , 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 underwater 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-ce-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, flags, 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 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 twenty-one 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 twenty-two 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-ce-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 twenty-three 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 twenty-four 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." the wonderful oz books by l. frank baum: the wizard of oz the land of oz ozma of oz dorothy and the wizard in oz the road to oz the emerald city of oz the patchwork girl of oz tik-tok of oz the scarecrow of oz rinkitink in oz the lost princess of oz the tin woodman of oz the magic of oz glinda of oz 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 the call of duty ozma and dorothy the mist maidens the magic tent the magic stairway flathead mountain the magic isle queen coo-ee-oh lady aurex under water the conquest of the skeezers the diamond swan the alarm bell ozma's counsellors the great sorceress the enchanted fishes under the great dome the cleverness of ervic red reera, the yookoohoo a puzzling problem the three adepts the sunken island the magic words glinda's triumph [illustration: glinda of oz] chapter 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. , 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 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 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 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 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. tik-tok of oz by l. frank baum to louis f. gottschalk, whose sweet and dainty melodies breathe the true spirit of fairyland, this book is affectionately dedicated to my readers the very marked success of my last year's fairy book, "the patchwork girl of oz," convinces me that my readers like the oz stories "best of all," as one little girl wrote me. so here, my dears, is a new oz story in which is introduced ann soforth, the queen of oogaboo, whom tik-tok assisted in conquering our old acquaintance, the nome king. it also tells of betsy bobbin and how, after many adventures, she finally reached the marvelous land of oz. there is a play called "the tik-tok man of oz," but it is not like this story of "tik-tok of oz," although some of the adventures recorded in this book, as well as those in several other oz books, are included in the play. those who have seen the play and those who have read the other oz books will find in this story a lot of strange characters and adventures that they have never heard of before. in the letters i receive from children there has been an urgent appeal for me to write a story that will take trot and cap'n bill to the land of oz, where they will meet dorothy and ozma. also they think button-bright ought to get acquainted with ojo the lucky. as you know, i am obliged to talk these matters over with dorothy by means of the "wireless," for that is the only way i can communicate with the land of oz. when i asked her about this idea, she replied: "why, haven't you heard?" i said "no." "well," came the message over the wireless, "i'll tell you all about it, by and by, and then you can make a book of that story for the children to read." so, if dorothy keeps her word and i am permitted to write another oz book, you will probably discover how all these characters came together in the famous emerald city. meantime, i want to tell all my little friends--whose numbers are increasing by many thousands every year--that i am very grateful for the favor they have shown my books and for the delightful little letters i am constantly receiving. i am almost sure that i have as many friends among the children of america as any story writer alive; and this, of course, makes me very proud and happy. l. frank baum. "ozcot" at hollywood in california, . list of chapters - ann's army - out of oogaboo - magic mystifies the marchers - betsy braves the bellows - the roses repulse the refugees - shaggy seeks his stray brother - polychrome's pitiful plight - tik-tok tackles a tough task - ruggedo's rage is rash and reckless - a terrible tumble through a tube - the famous fellowship of fairies - the lovely lady of light - the jinjin's just judgment - the long-eared hearer learns by listening - the dragon defies danger - the naughty nome - a tragic transformation - a clever conquest - king kaliko - quox quietly quits - a bashful brother - kindly kisses - ruggedo reforms - dorothy is delighted - the land of love tik-tok of oz chapter one ann's army "i won't!" cried ann; "i won't sweep the floor. it is beneath my dignity." "some one must sweep it," replied ann's younger sister, salye; "else we shall soon be wading in dust. and you are the eldest, and the head of the family." "i'm queen of oogaboo," said ann, proudly. "but," she added with a sigh, "my kingdom is the smallest and the poorest in all the land of oz." this was quite true. away up in the mountains, in a far corner of the beautiful fairyland of oz, lies a small valley which is named oogaboo, and in this valley lived a few people who were usually happy and contented and never cared to wander over the mountain pass into the more settled parts of the land. they knew that all of oz, including their own territory, was ruled by a beautiful princess named ozma, who lived in the splendid emerald city; yet the simple folk of oogaboo never visited ozma. they had a royal family of their own--not especially to rule over them, but just as a matter of pride. ozma permitted the various parts of her country to have their kings and queens and emperors and the like, but all were ruled over by the lovely girl queen of the emerald city. the king of oogaboo used to be a man named jol jemkiph soforth, who for many years did all the drudgery of deciding disputes and telling his people when to plant cabbages and pickle onions. but the king's wife had a sharp tongue and small respect for the king, her husband; therefore one night king jol crept over the pass into the land of oz and disappeared from oogaboo for good and all. the queen waited a few years for him to return and then started in search of him, leaving her eldest daughter, ann soforth, to act as queen. now, ann had not forgotten when her birthday came, for that meant a party and feasting and dancing, but she had quite forgotten how many years the birthdays marked. in a land where people live always, this is not considered a cause for regret, so we may justly say that queen ann of oogaboo was old enough to make jelly--and let it go at that. but she didn't make jelly, or do any more of the housework than she could help. she was an ambitious woman and constantly resented the fact that her kingdom was so tiny and her people so stupid and unenterprising. often she wondered what had become of her father and mother, out beyond the pass, in the wonderful land of oz, and the fact that they did not return to oogaboo led ann to suspect that they had found a better place to live. so, when salye refused to sweep the floor of the living room in the palace, and ann would not sweep it, either, she said to her sister: "i'm going away. this absurd kingdom of oogaboo tires me." "go, if you want to," answered salye; "but you are very foolish to leave this place." "why?" asked ann. "because in the land of oz, which is ozma's country, you will be a nobody, while here you are a queen." "oh, yes! queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven women and forty-four children!" returned ann bitterly. "well, there are certainly more people than that in the great land of oz," laughed salye. "why don't you raise an army and conquer them, and be queen of all oz?" she asked, trying to taunt ann and so to anger her. then she made a face at her sister and went into the back yard to swing in the hammock. her jeering words, however, had given queen ann an idea. she reflected that oz was reported to be a peaceful country and ozma a mere girl who ruled with gentleness to all and was obeyed because her people loved her. even in oogaboo the story was told that ozma's sole army consisted of twenty-seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms but carried no weapons, because there was no one to fight. once there had been a private soldier, besides the officers, but ozma had made him a captain-general and taken away his gun for fear it might accidentally hurt some one. the more ann thought about the matter the more she was convinced it would be easy to conquer the land of oz and set herself up as ruler in ozma's place, if she but had an army to do it with. afterward she could go out into the world and conquer other lands, and then perhaps she could find a way to the moon, and conquer that. she had a warlike spirit that preferred trouble to idleness. it all depended on an army, ann decided. she carefully counted in her mind all the men of her kingdom. yes; there were exactly eighteen of them, all told. that would not make a very big army, but by surprising ozma's unarmed officers her men might easily subdue them. "gentle people are always afraid of those that bluster," ann told herself. "i don't wish to shed any blood, for that would shock my nerves and i might faint; but if we threaten and flash our weapons i am sure the people of oz will fall upon their knees before me and surrender." this argument, which she repeated to herself more than once, finally determined the queen of oogaboo to undertake the audacious venture. "whatever happens," she reflected, "can make me no more unhappy than my staying shut up in this miserable valley and sweeping floors and quarreling with sister salye; so i will venture all, and win what i may." that very day she started out to organize her army. the first man she came to was jo apple, so called because he had an apple orchard. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and i want you to join my army." "don't ask me to do such a fool thing, for i must politely refuse your majesty," said jo apple. "i have no intention of asking you. i shall command you, as queen of oogaboo, to join," said ann. "in that case, i suppose i must obey," the man remarked, in a sad voice. "but i pray you to consider that i am a very important citizen, and for that reason am entitled to an office of high rank." "you shall be a general," promised ann. "with gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked. "of course," said the queen. then she went to the next man, whose name was jo bunn, as he owned an orchard where graham-buns and wheat-buns, in great variety, both hot and cold, grew on the trees. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and i command you to join my army." "impossible!" he exclaimed. "the bun crop has to be picked." "let your wife and children do the picking," said ann. "but i'm a man of great importance, your majesty," he protested. "for that reason you shall be one of my generals, and wear a cocked hat with gold braid, and curl your mustaches and clank a long sword," she promised. so he consented, although sorely against his will, and the queen walked on to the next cottage. here lived jo cone, so called because the trees in his orchard bore crops of excellent ice-cream cones. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and you must join my army." "excuse me, please," said jo cone. "i am a bad fighter. my good wife conquered me years ago, for she can fight better than i. take her, your majesty, instead of me, and i'll bless you for the favor." "this must be an army of men--fierce, ferocious warriors," declared ann, looking sternly upon the mild little man. "and you will leave my wife here in oogaboo?" he asked. "yes; and make you a general." "i'll go," said jo cone, and ann went on to the cottage of jo clock, who had an orchard of clock-trees. this man at first insisted that he would not join the army, but queen ann's promise to make him a general finally won his consent. "how many generals are there in your army?" he asked. "four, so far," replied ann. "and how big will the army be?" was his next question. "i intend to make every one of the eighteen men in oogaboo join it," she said. "then four generals are enough," announced jo clock. "i advise you to make the rest of them colonels." ann tried to follow his advice. the next four men she visited--who were jo plum, jo egg, jo banjo and jo cheese, named after the trees in their orchards--she made colonels of her army; but the fifth one, jo nails, said colonels and generals were getting to be altogether too common in the army of oogaboo and he preferred to be a major. so jo nails, jo cake, jo ham and jo stockings were all four made majors, while the next four--jo sandwich, jo padlocks, jo sundae and jo buttons--were appointed captains of the army. but now queen ann was in a quandary. there remained but two other men in all oogaboo, and if she made these two lieutenants, while there were four captains, four majors, four colonels and four generals, there was likely to be jealousy in her army, and perhaps mutiny and desertions. one of these men, however, was jo candy, and he would not go at all. no promises could tempt him, nor could threats move him. he said he must remain at home to harvest his crop of jackson-balls, lemon-drops, bonbons and chocolate-creams. also he had large fields of crackerjack and buttered pop corn to be mowed and threshed, and he was determined not to disappoint the children of oogaboo by going away to conquer the world and so let the candy crop spoil. finding jo candy so obstinate, queen ann let him have his own way and continued her journey to the house of the eighteenth and last man in oogaboo, who was a young fellow named jo files. this files had twelve trees which bore steel files of various sorts; but also he had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice selection of story-books. in case you have never seen books growing upon trees, i will explain that those in jo files' orchard were enclosed in broad green husks which, when fully ripe, turned to a deep red color. then the books were picked and husked and were ready to read. if they were picked too soon, the stories were found to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling bad. however, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the stories were fine reading and the spelling and grammar excellent. files freely gave his books to all who wanted them, but the people of oogaboo cared little for books and so he had to read most of them himself, before they spoiled. for, as you probably know, as soon as the books were read the words disappeared and the leaves withered and faded--which is the worst fault of all books which grow upon trees. when queen ann spoke to this young man files, who was both intelligent and ambitious, he said he thought it would be great fun to conquer the world. but he called her attention to the fact that he was far superior to the other men of her army. therefore, he would not be one of her generals or colonels or majors or captains, but claimed the honor of being sole private. ann did not like this idea at all. "i hate to have a private soldier in my army," she said; "they're so common. i am told that princess ozma once had a private soldier, but she made him her captain-general, which is good evidence that the private was unnecessary." "ozma's army doesn't fight," returned files; "but your army must fight like fury in order to conquer the world. i have read in my books that it is always the private soldiers who do the fighting, for no officer is ever brave enough to face the foe. also, it stands to reason that your officers must have some one to command and to issue their orders to; therefore i'll be the one. i long to slash and slay the enemy and become a hero. then, when we return to oogaboo, i'll take all the marbles away from the children and melt them up and make a marble statue of myself for all to look upon and admire." ann was much pleased with private files. he seemed indeed to be such a warrior as she needed in her enterprise, and her hopes of success took a sudden bound when files told her he knew where a gun-tree grew and would go there at once and pick the ripest and biggest musket the tree bore. chapter two out of oogaboo three days later the grand army of oogaboo assembled in the square in front of the royal palace. the sixteen officers were attired in gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glittering swords. the private had picked his gun and, although it was not a very big weapon, files tried to look fierce and succeeded so well that all his commanding officers were secretly afraid of him. the women were there, protesting that queen ann soforth had no right to take their husbands and fathers from them; but ann commanded them to keep silent, and that was the hardest order to obey they had ever received. the queen appeared before her army dressed in an imposing uniform of green, covered with gold braid. she wore a green soldier-cap with a purple plume in it and looked so royal and dignified that everyone in oogaboo except the army was glad she was going. the army was sorry she was not going alone. "form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice. salye leaned out of the palace window and laughed. "i believe your army can run better than it can fight," she observed. "of course," replied general bunn, proudly. "we're not looking for trouble, you know, but for plunder. the more plunder and the less fighting we get, the better we shall like our work." "for my part," said files, "i prefer war and carnage to anything. the only way to become a hero is to conquer, and the story-books all say that the easiest way to conquer is to fight." "that's the idea, my brave man!" agreed ann. "to fight is to conquer and to conquer is to secure plunder and to secure plunder is to become a hero. with such noble determination to back me, the world is mine! good-bye, salye. when we return we shall be rich and famous. come, generals; let us march." at this the generals straightened up and threw out their chests. then they swung their glittering swords in rapid circles and cried to the colonels: "for-ward march!" then the colonels shouted to the majors: "for-ward march!" and the majors yelled to the captains: "for-ward march!" and the captains screamed to the private: "for-ward march!" so files shouldered his gun and began to march, and all the officers followed after him. queen ann came last of all, rejoicing in her noble army and wondering why she had not decided long ago to conquer the world. in this order the procession marched out of oogaboo and took the narrow mountain pass which led into the lovely fairyland of oz. chapter three magic mystifies the marchers princess ozma was all unaware that the army of oogaboo, led by their ambitious queen, was determined to conquer her kingdom. the beautiful girl ruler of oz was busy with the welfare of her subjects and had no time to think of ann soforth and her disloyal plans. but there was one who constantly guarded the peace and happiness of the land of oz and this was the official sorceress of the kingdom, glinda the good. in her magnificent castle, which stands far north of the emerald city where ozma holds her court, glinda owns a wonderful magic record book, in which is printed every event that takes place anywhere, just as soon as it happens. the smallest things and the biggest things are all recorded in this book. if a child stamps its foot in anger, glinda reads about it; if a city burns down, glinda finds the fact noted in her book. the sorceress always reads her record book every day, and so it was she knew that ann soforth, queen of oogaboo, had foolishly assembled an army of sixteen officers and one private soldier, with which she intended to invade and conquer the land of oz. there was no danger but that ozma, supported by the magic arts of glinda the good and the powerful wizard of oz--both her firm friends--could easily defeat a far more imposing army than ann's; but it would be a shame to have the peace of oz interrupted by any sort of quarreling or fighting. so glinda did not even mention the matter to ozma, or to anyone else. she merely went into a great chamber of her castle, known as the magic room, where she performed a magical ceremony which caused the mountain pass that led from oogaboo to make several turns and twists. the result was that when ann and her army came to the end of the pass they were not in the land of oz at all, but in an adjoining territory that was quite distinct from ozma's domain and separated from oz by an invisible barrier. as the oogaboo people emerged into this country, the pass they had traversed disappeared behind them and it was not likely they would ever find their way back into the valley of oogaboo. they were greatly puzzled, indeed, by their surroundings and did not know which way to go. none of them had ever visited oz, so it took them some time to discover they were not in oz at all, but in an unknown country. "never mind," said ann, trying to conceal her disappointment; "we have started out to conquer the world, and here is part of it. in time, as we pursue our victorious journey, we will doubtless come to oz; but, until we get there, we may as well conquer whatever land we find ourselves in." "have we conquered this place, your majesty?" anxiously inquired major cake. "most certainly," said ann. "we have met no people, as yet, but when we do, we will inform them that they are our slaves." "and afterward we will plunder them of all their possessions," added general apple. "they may not possess anything," objected private files; "but i hope they will fight us, just the same. a peaceful conquest wouldn't be any fun at all." "don't worry," said the queen. "_we_ can fight, whether our foes do or not; and perhaps we would find it more comfortable to have the enemy surrender promptly." it was a barren country and not very pleasant to travel in. moreover, there was little for them to eat, and as the officers became hungry they became fretful. many would have deserted had they been able to find their way home, but as the oogaboo people were now hopelessly lost in a strange country they considered it more safe to keep together than to separate. queen ann's temper, never very agreeable, became sharp and irritable as she and her army tramped over the rocky roads without encountering either people or plunder. she scolded her officers until they became surly, and a few of them were disloyal enough to ask her to hold her tongue. others began to reproach her for leading them into difficulties and in the space of three unhappy days every man was mourning for his orchard in the pretty valley of oogaboo. files, however, proved a different sort. the more difficulties he encountered the more cheerful he became, and the sighs of the officers were answered by the merry whistle of the private. his pleasant disposition did much to encourage queen ann and before long she consulted the private soldier more often than she did his superiors. it was on the third day of their pilgrimage that they encountered their first adventure. toward evening the sky was suddenly darkened and major nails exclaimed: "a fog is coming toward us." "i do not think it is a fog," replied files, looking with interest at the approaching cloud. "it seems to me more like the breath of a rak." "what is a rak?" asked ann, looking about fearfully. "a terrible beast with a horrible appetite," answered the soldier, growing a little paler than usual. "i have never seen a rak, to be sure, but i have read of them in the story-books that grew in my orchard, and if this is indeed one of those fearful monsters, we are not likely to conquer the world." hearing this, the officers became quite worried and gathered closer about their soldier. "what is the thing like?" asked one. "the only picture of a rak that i ever saw in a book was rather blurred," said files, "because the book was not quite ripe when it was picked. but the creature can fly in the air and run like a deer and swim like a fish. inside its body is a glowing furnace of fire, and the rak breathes in air and breathes out smoke, which darkens the sky for miles around, wherever it goes. it is bigger than a hundred men and feeds on any living thing." the officers now began to groan and to tremble, but files tried to cheer them, saying: "it may not be a rak, after all, that we see approaching us, and you must not forget that we people of oogaboo, which is part of the fairyland of oz, cannot be killed." "nevertheless," said captain buttons, "if the rak catches us, and chews us up into small pieces, and swallows us--what will happen then?" "then each small piece will still be alive," declared files. "i cannot see how that would help us," wailed colonel banjo. "a hamburger steak is a hamburger steak, whether it is alive or not!" "i tell you, this may not be a rak," persisted files. "we will know, when the cloud gets nearer, whether it is the breath of a rak or not. if it has no smell at all, it is probably a fog; but if it has an odor of salt and pepper, it is a rak and we must prepare for a desperate fight." they all eyed the dark cloud fearfully. before long it reached the frightened group and began to envelop them. every nose sniffed the cloud--and every one detected in it the odor of salt and pepper. "the rak!" shouted private files, and with a howl of despair the sixteen officers fell to the ground, writhing and moaning in anguish. queen ann sat down upon a rock and faced the cloud more bravely, although her heart was beating fast. as for files, he calmly loaded his gun and stood ready to fight the foe, as a soldier should. they were now in absolute darkness, for the cloud which covered the sky and the setting sun was black as ink. then through the gloom appeared two round, glowing balls of red, and files at once decided these must be the monster's eyes. he raised his gun, took aim and fired. there were several bullets in the gun, all gathered from an excellent bullet-tree in oogaboo, and they were big and hard. they flew toward the monster and struck it, and with a wild, weird cry the rak came fluttering down and its huge body fell plump upon the forms of the sixteen officers, who thereupon screamed louder than before. "badness me!" moaned the rak. "see what you've done with that dangerous gun of yours!" "i can't see," replied files, "for the cloud formed by your breath darkens my sight!" "don't tell me it was an accident," continued the rak, reproachfully, as it still flapped its wings in a helpless manner. "don't claim you didn't know the gun was loaded, i beg of you!" "i don't intend to," replied files. "did the bullets hurt you very badly?" "one has broken my jaw, so that i can't open my mouth. you will notice that my voice sounds rather harsh and husky, because i have to talk with my teeth set close together. another bullet broke my left wing, so that i can't fly; and still another broke my right leg, so that i can't walk. it was the most careless shot i ever heard of!" "can't you manage to lift your body off from my commanding officers?" inquired files. "from their cries i'm afraid your great weight is crushing them." "i hope it is," growled the rak. "i want to crush them, if possible, for i have a bad disposition. if only i could open my mouth, i'd eat all of you, although my appetite is poorly this warm weather." with this the rak began to roll its immense body sidewise, so as to crush the officers more easily; but in doing this it rolled completely off from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to their feet and made off as fast as they could run. private files could not see them go but he knew from the sound of their voices that they had escaped, so he ceased to worry about them. "pardon me if i now bid you good-bye," he said to the rak. "the parting is caused by our desire to continue our journey. if you die, do not blame me, for i was obliged to shoot you as a matter of self-protection." "i shall not die," answered the monster, "for i bear a charmed life. but i beg you not to leave me!" "why not?" asked files. "because my broken jaw will heal in about an hour, and then i shall be able to eat you. my wing will heal in a day and my leg will heal in a week, when i shall be as well as ever. having shot me, and so caused me all this annoyance, it is only fair and just that you remain here and allow me to eat you as soon as i can open my jaws." "i beg to differ with you," returned the soldier firmly. "i have made an engagement with queen ann of oogaboo to help her conquer the world, and i cannot break my word for the sake of being eaten by a rak." "oh; that's different," said the monster. "if you've an engagement, don't let me detain you." so files felt around in the dark and grasped the hand of the trembling queen, whom he led away from the flapping, sighing rak. they stumbled over the stones for a way but presently began to see dimly the path ahead of them, as they got farther and farther away from the dreadful spot where the wounded monster lay. by and by they reached a little hill and could see the last rays of the sun flooding a pretty valley beyond, for now they had passed beyond the cloudy breath of the rak. here were huddled the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting from their run. they had halted only because it was impossible for them to run any farther. queen ann gave them a severe scolding for their cowardice, at the same time praising files for his courage. "we are wiser than he, however," muttered general clock, "for by running away we are now able to assist your majesty in conquering the world; whereas, had files been eaten by the rak, he would have deserted your army." after a brief rest they descended into the valley, and as soon as they were out of sight of the rak the spirits of the entire party rose quickly. just at dusk they came to a brook, on the banks of which queen ann commanded them to make camp for the night. each officer carried in his pocket a tiny white tent. this, when placed upon the ground, quickly grew in size until it was large enough to permit the owner to enter it and sleep within its canvas walls. files was obliged to carry a knapsack, in which was not only his own tent but an elaborate pavilion for queen ann, besides a bed and chair and a magic table. this table, when set upon the ground in ann's pavilion, became of large size, and in a drawer of the table was contained the queen's supply of extra clothing, her manicure and toilet articles and other necessary things. the royal bed was the only one in the camp, the officers and private sleeping in hammocks attached to their tent poles. there was also in the knapsack a flag bearing the royal emblem of oogaboo, and this flag files flew upon its staff every night, to show that the country they were in had been conquered by the queen of oogaboo. so far, no one but themselves had seen the flag, but ann was pleased to see it flutter in the breeze and considered herself already a famous conqueror. chapter four betsy braves the billows the waves dashed and the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled and the ship struck a rock. betsy bobbin was running across the deck and the shock sent her flying through the air until she fell with a splash into the dark blue water. the same shock caught hank, a thin little, sad-faced mule, and tumbled him also into the sea, far from the ship's side. when betsy came up, gasping for breath because the wet plunge had surprised her, she reached out in the dark and grabbed a bunch of hair. at first she thought it was the end of a rope, but presently she heard a dismal "hee-haw!" and knew she was holding fast to the end of hank's tail. suddenly the sea was lighted up by a vivid glare. the ship, now in the far distance, caught fire, blew up and sank beneath the waves. betsy shuddered at the sight, but just then her eye caught a mass of wreckage floating near her and she let go the mule's tail and seized the rude raft, pulling herself up so that she rode upon it in safety. hank also saw the raft and swam to it, but he was so clumsy he never would have been able to climb upon it had not betsy helped him to get aboard. they had to crowd close together, for their support was only a hatch-cover torn from the ship's deck; but it floated them fairly well and both the girl and the mule knew it would keep them from drowning. the storm was not over, by any means, when the ship went down. blinding bolts of lightning shot from cloud to cloud and the clamor of deep thunderclaps echoed far over the sea. the waves tossed the little raft here and there as a child tosses a rubber ball and betsy had a solemn feeling that for hundreds of watery miles in every direction there was no living thing besides herself and the small donkey. perhaps hank had the same thought, for he gently rubbed his nose against the frightened girl and said "hee-haw!" in his softest voice, as if to comfort her. "you'll protect me, hank dear, won't you?" she cried helplessly, and the mule said "hee-haw!" again, in tones that meant a promise. on board the ship, during the days that preceded the wreck, when the sea was calm, betsy and hank had become good friends; so, while the girl might have preferred a more powerful protector in this dreadful emergency, she felt that the mule would do all in a mule's power to guard her safety. all night they floated, and when the storm had worn itself out and passed away with a few distant growls, and the waves had grown smaller and easier to ride, betsy stretched herself out on the wet raft and fell asleep. hank did not sleep a wink. perhaps he felt it his duty to guard betsy. anyhow, he crouched on the raft beside the tired sleeping girl and watched patiently until the first light of dawn swept over the sea. the light wakened betsy bobbin. she sat up, rubbed her eyes and stared across the water. "oh, hank; there's land ahead!" she exclaimed. "hee-haw!" answered hank in his plaintive voice. the raft was floating swiftly toward a very beautiful country and as they drew near betsy could see banks of lovely flowers showing brightly between leafy trees. but no people were to be seen at all. chapter five the roses repulse the refugees gently the raft grated on the sandy beach. then betsy easily waded ashore, the mule following closely behind her. the sun was now shining and the air was warm and laden with the fragrance of roses. "i'd like some breakfast, hank," remarked the girl, feeling more cheerful now that she was on dry land; "but we can't eat the flowers, although they do smell mighty good." "hee-haw!" replied hank and trotted up a little pathway to the top of the bank. betsy followed and from the eminence looked around her. a little way off stood a splendid big greenhouse, its thousands of crystal panes glittering in the sunlight. "there ought to be people somewhere 'round," observed betsy thoughtfully; "gardeners, or somebody. let's go and see, hank. i'm getting hungrier ev'ry minute." so they walked toward the great greenhouse and came to its entrance without meeting with anyone at all. a door stood ajar, so hank went in first, thinking if there was any danger he could back out and warn his companion. but betsy was close at his heels and the moment she entered was lost in amazement at the wonderful sight she saw. the greenhouse was filled with magnificent rosebushes, all growing in big pots. on the central stem of each bush bloomed a splendid rose, gorgeously colored and deliciously fragrant, and in the center of each rose was the face of a lovely girl. as betsy and hank entered, the heads of the roses were drooping and their eyelids were closed in slumber; but the mule was so amazed that he uttered a loud "hee-haw!" and at the sound of his harsh voice the rose leaves fluttered, the roses raised their heads and a hundred startled eyes were instantly fixed upon the intruders. "i--i beg your pardon!" stammered betsy, blushing and confused. "o-o-o-h!" cried the roses, in a sort of sighing chorus; and one of them added: "what a horrid noise!" "why, that was only hank," said betsy, and as if to prove the truth of her words the mule uttered another loud "hee-haw!" at this all the roses turned on their stems as far as they were able and trembled as if some one were shaking their bushes. a dainty moss rose gasped: "dear me! how dreadfully dreadful!" "it isn't dreadful at all," said betsy, somewhat indignant. "when you get used to hank's voice it will put you to sleep." the roses now looked at the mule less fearfully and one of them asked: "is that savage beast named hank?" "yes; hank's my comrade, faithful and true," answered the girl, twining her arms around the little mule's neck and hugging him tight. "aren't you, hank?" hank could only say in reply: "hee-haw!" and at his bray the roses shivered again. "please go away!" begged one. "can't you see you're frightening us out of a week's growth?" "go away!" echoed betsy. "why, we've no place to go. we've just been wrecked." "wrecked?" asked the roses in a surprised chorus. "yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came and wrecked it," explained the girl. "but hank and i caught hold of a raft and floated ashore to this place, and--we're tired and hungry. what country _is_ this, please?" "this is the rose kingdom," replied the moss rose, haughtily, "and it is devoted to the culture of the rarest and fairest roses grown." "i believe it," said betsy, admiring the pretty blossoms. "but only roses are allowed here," continued a delicate tea rose, bending her brows in a frown; "therefore you must go away before the royal gardener finds you and casts you back into the sea." "oh! is there a royal gardener, then?" inquired betsy. "to be sure." "and is he a rose, also?" "of course not; he's a man--a wonderful man," was the reply. "well, i'm not afraid of a man," declared the girl, much relieved, and even as she spoke the royal gardener popped into the greenhouse--a spading fork in one hand and a watering pot in the other. he was a funny little man, dressed in a rose-colored costume, with ribbons at his knees and elbows, and a bunch of ribbons in his hair. his eyes were small and twinkling, his nose sharp and his face puckered and deeply lined. "o-ho!" he exclaimed, astonished to find strangers in his greenhouse, and when hank gave a loud bray the gardener threw the watering pot over the mule's head and danced around with his fork, in such agitation that presently he fell over the handle of the implement and sprawled at full length upon the ground. betsy laughed and pulled the watering pot off from hank's head. the little mule was angry at the treatment he had received and backed toward the gardener threateningly. "look out for his heels!" called betsy warningly and the gardener scrambled to his feet and hastily hid behind the roses. "you are breaking the law!" he shouted, sticking out his head to glare at the girl and the mule. "what law?" asked betsy. "the law of the rose kingdom. no strangers are allowed in these domains." "not when they're shipwrecked?" she inquired. "the law doesn't except shipwrecks," replied the royal gardener, and he was about to say more when suddenly there was a crash of glass and a man came tumbling through the roof of the greenhouse and fell plump to the ground. chapter six shaggy seeks his stray brother this sudden arrival was a queer looking man, dressed all in garments so shaggy that betsy at first thought he must be some animal. but the stranger ended his fall in a sitting position and then the girl saw it was really a man. he held an apple in his hand, which he had evidently been eating when he fell, and so little was he jarred or flustered by the accident that he continued to munch this apple as he calmly looked around him. "good gracious!" exclaimed betsy, approaching him. "who _are_ you, and where did you come from?" "me? oh, i'm shaggy man," said he, taking another bite of the apple. "just dropped in for a short call. excuse my seeming haste." "why, i s'pose you couldn't help the haste," said betsy. "no. i climbed an apple tree, outside; branch gave way and--here i am." as he spoke the shaggy man finished his apple, gave the core to hank--who ate it greedily--and then stood up to bow politely to betsy and the roses. the royal gardener had been frightened nearly into fits by the crash of glass and the fall of the shaggy stranger into the bower of roses, but now he peeped out from behind a bush and cried in his squeaky voice: "you're breaking the law! you're breaking the law!" shaggy stared at him solemnly. "is the glass the law in this country?" he asked. "breaking the glass is breaking the law," squeaked the gardener, angrily. "also, to intrude in any part of the rose kingdom is breaking the law." "how do you know?" asked shaggy. "why, it's printed in a book," said the gardener, coming forward and taking a small book from his pocket. "page thirteen. here it is: 'if any stranger enters the rose kingdom he shall at once be condemned by the ruler and put to death.' so you see, strangers," he continued triumphantly, "it's death for you all and your time has come!" but just here hank interposed. he had been stealthily backing toward the royal gardener, whom he disliked, and now the mule's heels shot out and struck the little man in the middle. he doubled up like the letter "u" and flew out of the door so swiftly--never touching the ground--that he was gone before betsy had time to wink. but the mule's attack frightened the girl. "come," she whispered, approaching the shaggy man and taking his hand; "let's go somewhere else. they'll surely kill us if we stay here!" "don't worry, my dear," replied shaggy, patting the child's head. "i'm not afraid of anything, so long as i have the love magnet." "the love magnet! why, what is that?" asked betsy. "it's a charming little enchantment that wins the heart of everyone who looks upon it," was the reply. "the love magnet used to hang over the gateway to the emerald city, in the land of oz; but when i started on this journey our beloved ruler, ozma of oz, allowed me to take it with me." "oh!" cried betsy, staring hard at him; "are you really from the wonderful land of oz?" "yes. ever been there, my dear?" "no; but i've heard about it. and do you know princess ozma?" "very well indeed." "and--and princess dorothy?" "dorothy's an old chum of mine," declared shaggy. "dear me!" exclaimed betsy. "and why did you ever leave such a beautiful land as oz?" "on an errand," said shaggy, looking sad and solemn. "i'm trying to find my dear little brother." "oh! is he lost?" questioned betsy, feeling very sorry for the poor man. "been lost these ten years," replied shaggy, taking out a handkerchief and wiping a tear from his eye. "i didn't know it until lately, when i saw it recorded in the magic record book of the sorceress glinda, in the land of oz. so now i'm trying to find him." "where was he lost?" asked the girl sympathetically. "back in colorado, where i used to live before i went to oz. brother was a miner, and dug gold out of a mine. one day he went into his mine and never came out. they searched for him, but he was not there. disappeared entirely," shaggy ended miserably. "for goodness sake! what do you s'pose became of him?" she asked. "there is only one explanation," replied shaggy, taking another apple from his pocket and eating it to relieve his misery. "the nome king probably got him." "the nome king! who is he?" "why, he's sometimes called the metal monarch, and his name is ruggedo. lives in some underground cavern. claims to own all the metals hidden in the earth. don't ask me why." "why?" "'cause i don't know. but this ruggedo gets wild with anger if anyone digs gold out of the earth, and my private opinion is that he captured brother and carried him off to his underground kingdom. no--don't ask me why. i see you're dying to ask me why. but i don't know." "but--dear me!--in that case you will never find your lost brother!" exclaimed the girl. "maybe not; but it's my duty to try," answered shaggy. "i've wandered so far without finding him, but that only proves he is not where i've been looking. what i seek now is the hidden passage to the underground cavern of the terrible metal monarch." "well," said betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me that if you ever manage to get there the metal monarch will make you, too, his prisoner." "nonsense!" answered shaggy, carelessly. "you mustn't forget the love magnet." "what about it?" she asked. "when the fierce metal monarch sees the love magnet, he will love me dearly and do anything i ask." "it must be wonderful," said betsy, with awe. "it is," the man assured her. "shall i show it to you?" "oh, do!" she cried; so shaggy searched in his shaggy pocket and drew out a small silver magnet, shaped like a horseshoe. the moment betsy saw it she began to like the shaggy man better than before. hank also saw the magnet and crept up to shaggy to rub his head lovingly against the man's knee. but they were interrupted by the royal gardener, who stuck his head into the greenhouse and shouted angrily: "you are all condemned to death! your only chance to escape is to leave here instantly." this startled little betsy, but the shaggy man merely waved the magnet toward the gardener, who, seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself at shaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words: "oh, you lovely, lovely man! how fond i am of you! every shag and bobtail that decorates you is dear to me--all i have is yours! but for goodness' sake get out of here before you die the death." "i'm not going to die," declared shaggy man. "you must. it's the law," exclaimed the gardener, beginning to weep real tears. "it breaks my heart to tell you this bad news, but the law says that all strangers must be condemned by the ruler to die the death." "no ruler has condemned us yet," said betsy. "of course not," added shaggy. "we haven't even seen the ruler of the rose kingdom." "well, to tell the truth," said the gardener, in a perplexed tone of voice, "we haven't any real ruler, just now. you see, all our rulers grow on bushes in the royal gardens, and the last one we had got mildewed and withered before his time. so we had to plant him, and at this time there is no one growing on the royal bushes who is ripe enough to pick." "how do you know?" asked betsy. "why, i'm the royal gardener. plenty of royalties are growing, i admit; but just now they are all green. until one ripens, i am supposed to rule the rose kingdom myself, and see that its laws are obeyed. therefore, much as i love you, shaggy, i must put you to death." "wait a minute," pleaded betsy. "i'd like to see those royal gardens before i die." "so would i," added shaggy man. "take us there, gardener." "oh, i can't do that," objected the gardener. but shaggy again showed him the love magnet and after one glance at it the gardener could no longer resist. he led shaggy, betsy and hank to the end of the great greenhouse and carefully unlocked a small door. passing through this they came into the splendid royal garden of the rose kingdom. it was all surrounded by a tall hedge and within the enclosure grew several enormous rosebushes having thick green leaves of the texture of velvet. upon these bushes grew the members of the royal family of the rose kingdom--men, women and children in all stages of maturity. they all seemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe or not fully developed, their flesh and clothing being alike green. they stood perfectly lifeless upon their branches, which swayed softly in the breeze, and their wide open eyes stared straight ahead, unseeing and unintelligent. while examining these curious growing people, betsy passed behind a big central bush and at once uttered an exclamation of surprise and pleasure. for there, blooming in perfect color and shape, stood a royal princess, whose beauty was amazing. "why, she's ripe!" cried betsy, pushing aside some of the broad leaves to observe her more clearly. "well, perhaps so," admitted the gardener, who had come to the girl's side; "but she's a girl, and so we can't use her for a ruler." "no, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices, and looking around betsy discovered that all the roses had followed them from the greenhouse and were now grouped before the entrance. "you see," explained the gardener, "the subjects of rose kingdom don't want a girl ruler. they want a king." "a king! we want a king!" repeated the chorus of roses. "isn't she royal?" inquired shaggy, admiring the lovely princess. "of course, for she grows on a royal bush. this princess is named ozga, as she is a distant cousin of ozma of oz; and, were she but a man, we would joyfully hail her as our ruler." the gardener then turned away to talk with his roses and betsy whispered to her companion: "let's pick her, shaggy." "all right," said he. "if she's royal, she has the right to rule this kingdom, and if we pick her she will surely protect us and prevent our being hurt, or driven away." so betsy and shaggy each took an arm of the beautiful rose princess and a little twist of her feet set her free of the branch upon which she grew. very gracefully she stepped down from the bush to the ground, where she bowed low to betsy and shaggy and said in a delightfully sweet voice: "i thank you." but at the sound of these words the gardener and the roses turned and discovered that the princess had been picked, and was now alive. over every face flashed an expression of resentment and anger, and one of the roses cried aloud. "audacious mortals! what have you done?" "picked a princess for you, that's all," replied betsy, cheerfully. "but we won't have her! we want a king!" exclaimed a jacque rose, and another added with a voice of scorn: "no girl shall rule over us!" the newly-picked princess looked from one to another of her rebellious subjects in astonishment. a grieved look came over her exquisite features. "have i no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she asked gently. "have i not come from my royal bush to be your ruler?" "you were picked by mortals, without our consent," replied the moss rose, coldly; "so we refuse to allow you to rule us." "turn her out, gardener, with the others!" cried the tea rose. "just a second, please!" called shaggy, taking the love magnet from his pocket. "i guess this will win their love, princess. here--take it in your hand and let the roses see it." princess ozga took the magnet and held it poised before the eyes of her subjects; but the roses regarded it with calm disdain. "why, what's the matter?" demanded shaggy in surprise. "the magnet never failed to work before!" "i know," said betsy, nodding her head wisely. "these roses have no hearts." "that's it," agreed the gardener. "they're pretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they are roses. their stems have thorns, but no hearts." the princess sighed and handed the magnet to the shaggy man. "what shall i do?" she asked sorrowfully. "turn her out, gardener, with the others!" commanded the roses. "we will have no ruler until a man-rose--a king--is ripe enough to pick." "very well," said the gardener meekly. "you must excuse me, my dear shaggy, for opposing your wishes, but you and the others, including ozga, must get out of rose kingdom immediately, if not before." "don't you love me, gardy?" asked shaggy, carelessly displaying the magnet. "i do. i dote on thee!" answered the gardener earnestly; "but no true man will neglect his duty for the sake of love. my duty is to drive you out, so--out you go!" with this he seized a garden fork and began jabbing it at the strangers, in order to force them to leave. hank the mule was not afraid of the fork and when he got his heels near to the gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick. but now the roses crowded around the outcasts and it was soon discovered that beneath their draperies of green leaves were many sharp thorns which were more dangerous than hank's heels. neither betsy nor ozga nor shaggy nor the mule cared to brave those thorns and when they pressed away from them they found themselves slowly driven through the garden door into the greenhouse. from there they were forced out at the entrance and so through the territory of the flower-strewn rose kingdom, which was not of very great extent. the rose princess was sobbing bitterly; betsy was indignant and angry; hank uttered defiant "hee-haws" and the shaggy man whistled softly to himself. the boundary of the rose kingdom was a deep gulf, but there was a drawbridge in one place and this the royal gardener let down until the outcasts had passed over it. then he drew it up again and returned with his roses to the greenhouse, leaving the four queerly assorted comrades to wander into the bleak and unknown country that lay beyond. "i don't mind, much," remarked shaggy, as he led the way over the stony, barren ground. "i've got to search for my long-lost little brother, anyhow, so it won't matter where i go." "hank and i will help you find your brother," said betsy in her most cheerful voice. "i'm so far away from home now that i don't s'pose i'll ever find my way back; and, to tell the truth, it's more fun traveling around and having adventures than sticking at home. don't you think so, hank?" "hee-haw!" said hank, and the shaggy man thanked them both. "for my part," said princess ozga of roseland, with a gentle sigh, "i must remain forever exiled from my kingdom. so i, too, will be glad to help the shaggy man find his lost brother." "that's very kind of you, ma'am," said shaggy. "but unless i can find the underground cavern of ruggedo, the metal monarch, i shall never find poor brother." (this king was formerly named "roquat," but after he drank of the "waters of oblivion" he forgot his own name and had to take another.) "doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired betsy. "_some_ one must know, of course," was shaggy's reply. "but we are not the ones. the only way to succeed is for us to keep going until we find a person who can direct us to ruggedo's cavern." "we may find it ourselves, without any help," suggested betsy. "who knows?" "no one knows that, except the person who's writing this story," said shaggy. "but we won't find anything--not even supper--unless we travel on. here's a path. let's take it and see where it leads to." chapter seven polychrome's pitiful plight the rain king got too much water in his basin and spilled some over the brim. that made it rain in a certain part of the country--a real hard shower, for a time--and sent the rainbow scampering to the place to show the gorgeous colors of his glorious bow as soon as the mist of rain had passed and the sky was clear. the coming of the rainbow is always a joyous event to earth folk, yet few have ever seen it close by. usually the rainbow is so far distant that you can observe its splendid hues but dimly, and that is why we seldom catch sight of the dancing daughters of the rainbow. in the barren country where the rain had just fallen there appeared to be no human beings at all; but the rainbow appeared, just the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were the rainbow's daughters, led by the fairylike polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that no girl has ever quite equalled her in loveliness. polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch of the bow to the ground, daring her sisters to follow her. laughing and gleeful, they also touched the ground with their twinkling feet; but all the daughters of the rainbow knew that this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly climbed upon their bow again. all but polychrome. though the sweetest and merriest of them all, she was likewise the most reckless. moreover, it was an unusual sensation to pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes. before she realized it the bow had lifted and disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here was polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies floating about her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or mortal--to help her regain her lost bow! "dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across her pretty face, "i'm caught again. this is the second time my carelessness has left me on earth while my sisters returned to our sky palaces. the first time i enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but this is a lonely, forsaken country and i shall be very unhappy until my rainbow comes again and i can climb aboard. let me think what is best to be done." she crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies about her and bowed her head. it was in this position that betsy bobbin spied polychrome as she came along the stony path, followed by hank, the princess and shaggy. at once the girl ran up to the radiant daughter of the rainbow and exclaimed: "oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!" polychrome raised her golden head. there were tears in her blue eyes. "i'm the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she sobbed. the others gathered around her. "tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the princess. "i--i've lost my bow!" wailed polychrome. "take me, my dear," said shaggy man in a sympathetic tone, thinking she meant "beau" instead of "bow." "i don't want you!" cried polychrome, stamping her foot imperiously; "i want my _rain_bow." "oh; that's different," said shaggy. "but try to forget it. when i was young i used to cry for the rainbow myself, but i couldn't have it. looks as if _you_ couldn't have it, either; so please don't cry." polychrome looked at him reproachfully. "i don't like you," she said. "no?" replied shaggy, drawing the love magnet from his pocket; "not a little bit?--just a wee speck of a like?" "yes, yes!" said polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as she gazed at the enchanted talisman; "i love you, shaggy man!" "of course you do," said he calmly; "but i don't take any credit for it. it's the love magnet's powerful charm. but you seem quite alone and friendless, little rainbow. don't you want to join our party until you find your father and sisters again?" "where are you going?" she asked. "we don't just know that," said betsy, taking her hand; "but we're trying to find shaggy's long-lost brother, who has been captured by the terrible metal monarch. won't you come with us, and help us?" polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party of travelers and a bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face. "a donkey, a mortal maid, a rose princess and a shaggy man!" she exclaimed. "surely you need help, if you intend to face ruggedo." "do you know him, then?" inquired betsy. "no, indeed. ruggedo's caverns are beneath the earth's surface, where no rainbow can ever penetrate. but i've heard of the metal monarch. he is also called the nome king, you know, and he has made trouble for a good many people--mortals and fairies--in his time," said polychrome. "do you fear him, then?" asked the princess, anxiously. "no one can harm a daughter of the rainbow," said polychrome proudly. "i'm a sky fairy." "then," said betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us the way to ruggedo's cavern." "no," returned polychrome, shaking her head, "that is one thing i cannot do. but i will gladly go with you and help you search for the place." this promise delighted all the wanderers and after the shaggy man had found the path again they began moving along it in a more happy mood. the rainbow's daughter danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with her beautiful features wreathed in smiles. shaggy came next, walking steadily and now and then supporting the rose princess, who followed him. betsy and hank brought up the rear, and if she tired with walking the girl got upon hank's back and let the stout little donkey carry her for awhile. at nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a tiny brook and here they made camp and rested until morning. then away they tramped, finding berries and fruits here and there which satisfied the hunger of betsy, shaggy and hank, so that they were well content with their lot. it surprised betsy to see the rose princess partake of their food, for she considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned this to polychrome, the rainbow's daughter explained that when ozga was driven out of her rose kingdom she ceased to be a fairy and would never again be more than a mere mortal. polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she happened to be, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no one ever saw her do it. as they continued their wandering journey, direction meant very little to them, for they were hopelessly lost in this strange country. shaggy said it would be best to go toward the mountains, as the natural entrance to ruggedo's underground cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky, deserted place; but mountains seemed all around them except in the one direction that they had come from, which led to the rose kingdom and the sea. therefore it mattered little which way they traveled. by and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path and after following this for some time they reached a crossroads. here were many paths, leading in various directions, and there was a signpost so old that there were now no words upon the sign. at one side was an old well, with a chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no house or other building anywhere in sight. while the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the mule approached the well and tried to look into it. "he's thirsty," said betsy. "it's a dry well," remarked shaggy. "probably there has been no water in it for many years. but, come; let us decide which way to travel." no one seemed able to decide that. they sat down in a group and tried to consider which road might be the best to take. hank, however, could not keep away from the well and finally he reared up on his hind legs, got his head over the edge and uttered a loud "hee-haw!" betsy watched her animal friend curiously. "i wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said. at this, shaggy rose and went over to the well to investigate, and betsy went with him. the princess and polychrome, who had become fast friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the roads, to find an easy path. "really," said shaggy, "there does seem to be something at the bottom of this old well." "can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl. there was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain, but there was a big hook that at one time was used to hold a bucket. shaggy let down this hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then pulled it up. an old hoopskirt came with it, and betsy laughed and threw it away. the thing frightened hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and he kept a good distance away from it. several other objects the shaggy man captured with the hook and drew up, but none of these was important. "this well seems to have been the dump for all the old rubbish in the country," he said, letting down the hook once more. "i guess i've captured everything now. no--the hook has caught again. help me, betsy! whatever this thing is, it's heavy." she ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort a confused mass of copper came in sight. "good gracious!" exclaimed shaggy. "here is a surprise, indeed!" "what is it?" inquired betsy, clinging to the windlass and panting for breath. for answer the shaggy man grasped the bundle of copper and dumped it upon the ground, free of the well. then he turned it over with his foot, spread it out, and to betsy's astonishment the thing proved to be a copper man. "just as i thought," said shaggy, looking hard at the object. "but unless there are two copper men in the world this is the most astonishing thing i ever came across." at this moment the rainbow's daughter and the rose princess approached them, and polychrome said: "what have you found, shaggy one?" "either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied. "oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried betsy, who had knelt down to examine the man. "dear me; how funny! listen to this." then she read the following words, engraved upon the copper plates of the man's body: smith & tinker's patent double-action, extra-responsive, thought-creating, perfect-talking mechanical man fitted with our special clockwork attachment. thinks, speaks, acts, and does everything but live. "isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the princess. "yes; but here's more," said betsy, reading from another engraved plate: directions for using: for thinking:--wind the clockwork man under his left arm, (marked no. ). for speaking:--wind the clockwork man under his right arm, (marked no. ). for walking and action:--wind clockwork man in the middle of his back, (marked no. ). n. b.--this mechanism is guaranteed to work perfectly for a thousand years. "if he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said polychrome, "he ought to work yet." "of course," replied shaggy. "let's wind him up." in order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man upon his feet, in an upright position, and this was no easy task. he was inclined to topple over, and had to be propped again and again. the girls assisted shaggy, and at last tik-tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his broad feet. "yes," said shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully, "this must be, indeed, my old friend tik-tok, whom i left ticking merrily in the land of oz. but how he came to this lonely place, and got into that old well, is surely a mystery." "if we wind him, perhaps he will tell us," suggested betsy. "here's the key, hanging to a hook on his back. what part of him shall i wind up first?" "his thoughts, of course," said polychrome, "for it requires thought to speak or move intelligently." so betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes of light began to show in the top of his head, which was proof that he had begun to think. "now, then," said shaggy, "wind up his phonograph." "what's that?" she asked. "why, his talking-machine. his thoughts may be interesting, but they don't tell us anything." so betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from the interior of his copper body came in jerky tones the words: "ma-ny thanks!" "hurrah!" cried shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped tik-tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the ground in a heap. but the clockwork that enabled him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying: "pick-me-up! pick-me-up! pick-me-up!" until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his feet, when he added politely: "ma-ny thanks!" "he won't be self-supporting until we wind up his action," remarked shaggy; so betsy wound it, as tight as she could--for the key turned rather hard--and then tik-tok lifted his feet, marched around in a circle and ended by stopping before the group and making them all a low bow. "how in the world did you happen to be in that well, when i left you safe in oz?" inquired shaggy. "it is a long sto-ry," replied tik-tok, "but i'll tell it in a few words. af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er, oz-ma saw you wan-der-ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in the nome king's cavern; so she sent me to tell you where to find your broth-er and told me to help you if i could. the sor-cer-ess, glin-da the good, trans-port-ed me to this place in the wink of an eye; but here i met the nome king him-self--old rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the met-al mon-arch. rug-ge-do knew what i had come for, and he was so an-gry that he threw me down the well. af-ter my works ran down i was help-less un-til you came a-long and pulled me out a-gain. ma-ny thanks." "this is, indeed, good news," said shaggy. "i suspected that my brother was the prisoner of ruggedo; but now i know it. tell us, tik-tok, how shall we get to the nome king's underground cavern?" "the best way is to walk," said tik-tok. "we might crawl, or jump, or roll o-ver and o-ver until we get there; but the best way is to walk." "i know; but which road shall we take?" "my ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that," replied tik-tok. "there is more than one entrance to the underground cavern," said polychrome; "but old ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, so that earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain. if we find our way underground at all, it will be by chance." "then," said betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard, and see where it leads us." "that seems sensible," declared the princess. "it may require a lot of time for us to find ruggedo, but we have more time than anything else." "if you keep me wound up," said tik-tok, "i will last a thou-sand years." "then the only question to decide is which way to go," added shaggy, looking first at one road and then at another. but while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached their ears--a sound like the tramping of many feet. "what's coming?" cried betsy; and then she ran to the left-hand road and glanced along the path. "why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "what shall we do, hide or run?" "stand still," commanded shaggy. "i'm not afraid of an army. if they prove to be friendly, they can help us; if they are enemies, i'll show them the love magnet." chapter eight tik-tok tackles a tough task while shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a group at one side, the army of oogaboo was approaching along the pathway, the tramp of their feet being now and then accompanied by a dismal groan as one of the officers stepped on a sharp stone or knocked his funnybone against his neighbor's sword-handle. then out from among the trees marched private files, bearing the banner of oogaboo, which fluttered from a long pole. this pole he stuck in the ground just in front of the well and then he cried in a loud voice: "i hereby conquer this territory in the name of queen ann soforth of oogaboo, and all the inhabitants of the land i proclaim her slaves!" some of the officers now stuck their heads out of the bushes and asked: "is the coast clear, private files?" "there is no coast here," was the reply, "but all's well." "i hope there's water in it," said general cone, mustering courage to advance to the well; but just then he caught a glimpse of tik-tok and shaggy and at once fell upon his knees, trembling and frightened and cried out: "mercy, kind enemies! mercy! spare us, and we will be your slaves forever!" the other officers, who had now advanced into the clearing, likewise fell upon their knees and begged for mercy. files turned around and, seeing the strangers for the first time, examined them with much curiosity. then, discovering that three of the party were girls, he lifted his cap and made a polite bow. "what's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as queen ann reached the place and beheld her kneeling army. "permit us to introduce ourselves," replied shaggy, stepping forward. "this is tik-tok, the clockwork man--who works better than some meat people. and here is princess ozga of roseland, just now unfortunately exiled from her kingdom of roses. i next present polychrome, a sky fairy, who lost her bow by an accident and can't find her way home. the small girl here is betsy bobbin, from some unknown earthly paradise called oklahoma, and with her you see mr. hank, a mule with a long tail and a short temper." "puh!" said ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of vagabonds you are, indeed; all lost or strayed, i suppose, and not worth a queen's plundering. i'm sorry i've conquered you." "but you haven't conquered us yet," called betsy indignantly. "no," agreed files, "that is a fact. but if my officers will kindly command me to conquer you, i will do so at once, after which we can stop arguing and converse more at our ease." the officers had by this time risen from their knees and brushed the dust from their trousers. to them the enemy did not look very fierce, so the generals and colonels and majors and captains gained courage to face them and began strutting in their most haughty manner. "you must understand," said ann, "that i am the queen of oogaboo, and this is my invincible army. we are busy conquering the world, and since you seem to be a part of the world, and are obstructing our journey, it is necessary for us to conquer you--unworthy though you may be of such high honor." "that's all right," replied shaggy. "conquer us as often as you like. we don't mind." "but we won't be anybody's slaves," added betsy, positively. "we'll see about that," retorted the queen, angrily. "advance, private files, and bind the enemy hand and foot!" but private files looked at pretty betsy and fascinating polychrome and the beautiful rose princess and shook his head. "it would be impolite, and i won't do it," he asserted. "you must!" cried ann. "it is your duty to obey orders." "i haven't received any orders from my officers," objected the private. but the generals now shouted: "forward, and bind the prisoners!" and the colonels and majors and captains repeated the command, yelling it as loud as they could. all this noise annoyed hank, who had been eyeing the army of oogaboo with strong disfavor. the mule now dashed forward and began backing upon the officers and kicking fierce and dangerous heels at them. the attack was so sudden that the officers scattered like dust in a whirlwind, dropping their swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge behind the trees and bushes. betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of the "noble army," and polychrome danced with glee. but ann was furious at this ignoble defeat of her gallant forces by one small mule. "private files, i command you to do your duty!" she cried again, and then she herself ducked to escape the mule's heels--for hank made no distinction in favor of a lady who was an open enemy. betsy grabbed her champion by the forelock, however, and so held him fast, and when the officers saw that the mule was restrained from further attacks they crept fearfully back and picked up their discarded swords. "private files, seize and bind these prisoners!" screamed the queen. "no," said files, throwing down his gun and removing the knapsack which was strapped to his back, "i resign my position as the army of oogaboo. i enlisted to fight the enemy and become a hero, but if you want some one to bind harmless girls you will have to hire another private." then he walked over to the others and shook hands with shaggy and tik-tok. "treason!" shrieked ann, and all the officers echoed her cry. "nonsense," said files. "i've the right to resign if i want to." "indeed you haven't!" retorted the queen. "if you resign it will break up my army, and then i cannot conquer the world." she now turned to the officers and said: "i must ask you to do me a favor. i know it is undignified in officers to fight, but unless you immediately capture private files and force him to obey my orders there will be no plunder for any of us. also it is likely you will all suffer the pangs of hunger, and when we meet a powerful foe you are liable to be captured and made slaves." the prospect of this awful fate so frightened the officers that they drew their swords and rushed upon files, who stood beside shaggy, in a truly ferocious manner. the next instant, however, they halted and again fell upon their knees; for there, before them, was the glistening love magnet, held in the hand of the smiling shaggy man, and the sight of this magic talisman at once won the heart of every oogabooite. even ann saw the love magnet, and forgetting all enmity and anger threw herself upon shaggy and embraced him lovingly. quite disconcerted by this unexpected effect of the magnet, shaggy disengaged himself from the queen's encircling arms and quickly hid the talisman in his pocket. the adventurers from oogaboo were now his firm friends, and there was no more talk about conquering and binding any of his party. "if you insist on conquering anyone," said shaggy, "you may march with me to the underground kingdom of ruggedo. to conquer the world, as you have set out to do, you must conquer everyone under its surface as well as those upon its surface, and no one in all the world needs conquering so much as ruggedo." "who is he?" asked ann. "the metal monarch, king of the nomes." "is he rich?" inquired major stockings in an anxious voice. "of course," answered shaggy. "he owns all the metal that lies underground--gold, silver, copper, brass and tin. he has an idea he also owns all the metals above ground, for he says all metal was once a part of his kingdom. so, by conquering the metal monarch, you will win all the riches in the world." "ah!" exclaimed general apple, heaving a deep sigh, "that would be plunder worth our while. let's conquer him, your majesty." the queen looked reproachfully at files, who was sitting next to the lovely princess and whispering in her ear. "alas," said ann, "i have no longer an army. i have plenty of brave officers, indeed, but no private soldier for them to command. therefore i cannot conquer ruggedo and win all his wealth." "why don't you make one of your officers the private?" asked shaggy; but at once every officer began to protest and the queen of oogaboo shook her head as she replied: "that is impossible. a private soldier must be a terrible fighter, and my officers are unable to fight. they are exceptionally brave in commanding others to fight, but could not themselves meet the enemy and conquer." "very true, your majesty," said colonel plum, eagerly. "there are many kinds of bravery and one cannot be expected to possess them all. i myself am brave as a lion in all ways until it comes to fighting, but then my nature revolts. fighting is unkind and liable to be injurious to others; so, being a gentleman, i never fight." "nor i!" shouted each of the other officers. "you see," said ann, "how helpless i am. had not private files proved himself a traitor and a deserter, i would gladly have conquered this ruggedo; but an army without a private soldier is like a bee without a stinger." "i am not a traitor, your majesty," protested files. "i resigned in a proper manner, not liking the job. but there are plenty of people to take my place. why not make shaggy man the private soldier?" "he might be killed," said ann, looking tenderly at shaggy, "for he is mortal, and able to die. if anything happened to him, it would break my heart." "it would hurt me worse than that," declared shaggy. "you must admit, your majesty, that i am commander of this expedition, for it is my brother we are seeking, rather than plunder. but i and my companions would like the assistance of your army, and if you help us to conquer ruggedo and to rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you to keep all the gold and jewels and other plunder you may find." this prospect was so tempting that the officers began whispering together and presently colonel cheese said: "your majesty, by combining our brains we have just evolved a most brilliant idea. we will make the clockwork man the private soldier!" "who? me?" asked tik-tok. "not for a sin-gle sec-ond! i can-not fight, and you must not for-get that it was rug-ge-do who threw me in the well." "at that time you had no gun," said polychrome. "but if you join the army of oogaboo you will carry the gun that mr. files used." "a sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to fight," protested tik-tok, "and if my works run down, as they of-ten do, i could nei-ther run nor fight." "i'll keep you wound up, tik-tok," promised betsy. "why, it isn't a bad idea," said shaggy. "tik-tok will make an ideal soldier, for nothing can injure him except a sledge hammer. and, since a private soldier seems to be necessary to this army, tik-tok is the only one of our party fitted to undertake the job." "what must i do?" asked tik-tok. "obey orders," replied ann. "when the officers command you to do anything, you must do it; that is all." "and that's enough, too," said files. "do i get a salary?" inquired tik-tok. "you get your share of the plunder," answered the queen. "yes," remarked files, "one-half of the plunder goes to queen ann, the other half is divided among the officers, and the private gets the rest." "that will be sat-is-fac-tor-y," said tik-tok, picking up the gun and examining it wonderingly, for he had never before seen such a weapon. then ann strapped the knapsack to tik-tok's copper back and said: "now we are ready to march to ruggedo's kingdom and conquer it. officers, give the command to march." "fall--in!" yelled the generals, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" cried the colonels, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" shouted the majors, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" bawled the captains, drawing their swords. tik-tok looked at them and then around him in surprise. "fall in what? the well?" he asked. "no," said queen ann, "you must fall in marching order." "can-not i march without fall-ing in-to it?" asked the clockwork man. "shoulder your gun and stand ready to march," advised files; so tik-tok held the gun straight and stood still. "what next?" he asked. the queen turned to shaggy. "which road leads to the metal monarch's cavern?" "we don't know, your majesty," was the reply. "but this is absurd!" said ann with a frown. "if we can't get to ruggedo, it is certain that we can't conquer him." "you are right," admitted shaggy; "but i did not say we could not get to him. we have only to discover the way, and that was the matter we were considering when you and your magnificent army arrived here." "well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped the queen. that was no easy task. they all stood looking from one road to another in perplexity. the paths radiated from the little clearing like the rays of the midday sun, and each path seemed like all the others. files and the rose princess, who had by this time become good friends, advanced a little way along one of the roads and found that it was bordered by pretty wild flowers. "why don't you ask the flowers to tell you the way?" he said to his companion. "the flowers?" returned the princess, surprised at the question. "of course," said files. "the field-flowers must be second-cousins to a rose princess, and i believe if you ask them they will tell you." she looked more closely at the flowers. there were hundreds of white daisies, golden buttercups, bluebells and daffodils growing by the roadside, and each flower-head was firmly set upon its slender but stout stem. there were even a few wild roses scattered here and there and perhaps it was the sight of these that gave the princess courage to ask the important question. she dropped to her knees, facing the flowers, and extended both her arms pleadingly toward them. "tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her sweet, gentle voice, "which way will lead us to the kingdom of ruggedo, the nome king?" at once all the stems bent gracefully to the right and the flower heads nodded once--twice--thrice in that direction. "that's it!" cried files joyfully. "now we know the way." ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly at the field-flowers, which had now resumed their upright position. "was it the wind, do you think?" she asked in a low whisper. "no, indeed," replied files. "there is not a breath of wind stirring. but these lovely blossoms are indeed your cousins and answered your question at once, as i knew they would." chapter nine ruggedo's rage is rash and reckless the way taken by the adventurers led up hill and down dale and wound here and there in a fashion that seemed aimless. but always it drew nearer to a range of low mountains and files said more than once that he was certain the entrance to ruggedo's cavern would be found among these rugged hills. in this he was quite correct. far underneath the nearest mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowed from the solid rock, the walls and roof of which glittered with thousands of magnificent jewels. here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the famous nome king, dressed in splendid robes and wearing a superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby. ruggedo, the monarch of all the metals and precious stones of the underground world, was a round little man with a flowing white beard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl that covered all his forehead. one would think, to look at him, that he ought to be jolly; one might think, considering his enormous wealth, that he ought to be happy; but this was not the case. the metal monarch was surly and cross because mortals had dug so much treasure out of the earth and kept it above ground, where all the power of ruggedo and his nomes was unable to recover it. he hated not only the mortals but also the fairies who live upon the earth or above it, and instead of being content with the riches he still possessed he was unhappy because he did not own all the gold and jewels in the world. ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in his chair when suddenly he sat upright, uttered a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge gong that stood beside him. the sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated to many caverns beyond, where countless thousands of nomes were working at their unending tasks, hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or melting ores in great furnaces, or polishing glittering gems. the nomes trembled at the sound of the king's gong and whispered fearfully to one another that something unpleasant was sure to happen; but none dared pause in his task. the heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside and kaliko, the king's high chamberlain, entered the royal presence. "what's up, your majesty?" he asked, with a wide yawn, for he had just wakened. "up?" roared ruggedo, stamping his foot viciously. "those foolish mortals are up, that's what! and they want to come down." "down here?" inquired kaliko. "yes!" "how do you know?" continued the chamberlain, yawning again. "i feel it in my bones," said ruggedo. "i can always feel it when those hateful earth-crawlers draw near to my kingdom. i am positive, kaliko, that mortals are this very minute on their way here to annoy me--and i hate mortals more than i do catnip tea!" "well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome. "look through your spyglass, and see where the invaders are," commanded the king. so kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rock and put his eye to it. the tube ran from the cavern up to the side of the mountain and turned several curves and corners, but as it was a magic spyglass kaliko was able to see through it just as easily as if it had been straight. "ho--hum," said he. "i see 'em, your majesty." "what do they look like?" inquired the monarch. "that's a hard question to answer, for a queerer assortment of creatures i never yet beheld," replied the nome. "however, such a collection of curiosities may prove dangerous. there's a copper man, worked by machinery--" "bah! that's only tik-tok," said ruggedo. "i'm not afraid of him. why, only the other day i met the fellow and threw him down a well." "then some one must have pulled him out again," said kaliko. "and there's a little girl--" "dorothy?" asked ruggedo, jumping up in fear. "no; some other girl. in fact, there are several girls, of various sizes; but dorothy is not with them, nor is ozma." "that's good!" exclaimed the king, sighing in relief. kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass. "i see," said he, "an army of men from oogaboo. they are all officers and carry swords. and there is a shaggy man--who seems very harmless--and a little donkey with big ears." "pooh!" cried ruggedo, snapping his fingers in scorn. "i've no fear of such a mob as that. a dozen of my nomes can destroy them all in a jiffy." "i'm not so sure of that," said kaliko. "the people of oogaboo are hard to destroy, and i believe the rose princess is a fairy. as for polychrome, you know very well that the rainbow's daughter cannot be injured by a nome." "polychrome! is she among them?" asked the king. "yes; i have just recognized her." "then these people are coming here on no peaceful errand," declared ruggedo, scowling fiercely. "in fact, no one ever comes here on a peaceful errand. i hate everybody, and everybody hates me!" "very true," said kaliko. "i must in some way prevent these people from reaching my dominions. where are they now?" "just now they are crossing the rubber country, your majesty." "good! are your magnetic rubber wires in working order?" "i think so," replied kaliko. "is it your royal will that we have some fun with these invaders?" "it is," answered ruggedo. "i want to teach them a lesson they will never forget." now, shaggy had no idea that he was in a rubber country, nor had any of his companions. they noticed that everything around them was of a dull gray color and that the path upon which they walked was soft and springy, yet they had no suspicion that the rocks and trees were rubber and even the path they trod was made of rubber. presently they came to a brook where sparkling water dashed through a deep channel and rushed away between high rocks far down the mountain-side. across the brook were stepping-stones, so placed that travelers might easily leap from one to another and in that manner cross the water to the farther bank. tik-tok was marching ahead, followed by his officers and queen ann. after them came betsy bobbin and hank, polychrome and shaggy, and last of all the rose princess with files. the clockwork man saw the stream and the stepping-stones and, without making a pause, placed his foot upon the first stone. the result was astonishing. first he sank down in the soft rubber, which then rebounded and sent tik-tok soaring high in the air, where he turned a succession of flip-flops and alighted upon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party. general apple did not see tik-tok bound, so quickly had he disappeared; therefore he also stepped upon the stone (which you will guess was connected with kaliko's magnetic rubber wire) and instantly shot upward like an arrow. general cone came next and met with a like fate, but the others now noticed that something was wrong and with one accord they halted the column and looked back along the path. there was tik-tok, still bounding from one rubber rock to another, each time rising a less distance from the ground. and there was general apple, bounding away in another direction, his three-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and his long sword thumping him upon the arms and head as it swung this way and that. and there, also, appeared general cone, who had struck a rubber rock headforemost and was so crumpled up that his round body looked more like a bouncing-ball than the form of a man. betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight and polychrome echoed her laughter. but ozga was grave and wondering, while queen ann became angry at seeing the chief officers of the army of oogaboo bounding around in so undignified a manner. she shouted to them to stop, but they were unable to obey, even though they would have been glad to do so. finally, however, they all ceased bounding and managed to get upon their feet and rejoin the army. "why did you do that?" demanded ann, who seemed greatly provoked. "don't ask them why," said shaggy earnestly. "i knew you would ask them why, but you ought not to do it. the reason is plain. those stones are rubber; therefore they are not stones. those rocks around us are rubber, and therefore they are not rocks. even this path is not a path; it's rubber. unless we are very careful, your majesty, we are all likely to get the bounce, just as your poor officers and tik-tok did." "then let's be careful," remarked files, who was full of wisdom; but polychrome wanted to test the quality of the rubber, so she began dancing. every step sent her higher and higher into the air, so that she resembled a big butterfly fluttering lightly. presently she made a great bound and bounded way across the stream, landing lightly and steadily on the other side. "there is no rubber over here," she called to them. "suppose you all try to bound over the stream, without touching the stepping-stones." ann and her officers were reluctant to undertake such a risky adventure, but betsy at once grasped the value of the suggestion and began jumping up and down until she found herself bounding almost as high as polychrome had done. then she suddenly leaned forward and the next bound took her easily across the brook, where she alighted by the side of the rainbow's daughter. "come on, hank!" called the girl, and the donkey tried to obey. he managed to bound pretty high but when he tried to bound across the stream he misjudged the distance and fell with a splash into the middle of the water. "hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward the far bank. betsy rushed forward to help him out, but when the mule stood safely beside her she was amazed to find he was not wet at all. "it's dry water," said polychrome, dipping her hand into the stream and showing how the water fell from it and left it perfectly dry. "in that case," returned betsy, "they can all walk through the water." she called to ozga and shaggy to wade across, assuring them the water was shallow and would not wet them. at once they followed her advice, avoiding the rubber stepping stones, and made the crossing with ease. this encouraged the entire party to wade through the dry water, and in a few minutes all had assembled on the bank and renewed their journey along the path that led to the nome king's dominions. when kaliko again looked through his magic spyglass he exclaimed: "bad luck, your majesty! all the invaders have passed the rubber country and now are fast approaching the entrance to your caverns." ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and his anger was so great that several times, as he strode up and down his jeweled cavern, he paused to kick kaliko upon his shins, which were so sensitive that the poor nome howled with pain. finally the king said: "there's no help for it; we must drop these audacious invaders down the hollow tube." kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his master wonderingly. "if you do that, your majesty," he said, "you will make tititi-hoochoo very angry." "never mind that," retorted ruggedo. "tititi-hoochoo lives on the other side of the world, so what do i care for his anger?" kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan. "remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "and remember that he warned you, the last time you slid people through the hollow tube, that if you did it again he would take vengeance upon you." the metal monarch walked up and down in silence, thinking deeply. "of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose the least. what do you suppose these invaders want?" "let the long-eared hearer listen to them," suggested kaliko. "call him here at once!" commanded ruggedo eagerly. so in a few minutes there entered the cavern a nome with enormous ears, who bowed low before the king. "strangers are approaching," said ruggedo, "and i wish to know their errand. listen carefully to their talk and tell me why they are coming here, and what for." the nome bowed again and spread out his great ears, swaying them gently up and down and back and forth. for half an hour he stood silent, in an attitude of listening, while both the king and kaliko grew impatient at the delay. at last the long-eared hearer spoke: "shaggy man is coming here to rescue his brother from captivity," said he. "ha, the ugly one!" exclaimed ruggedo. "well, shaggy man may have his ugly brother, for all i care. he's too lazy to work and is always getting in my way. where is the ugly one now, kaliko?" "the last time your majesty stumbled over the prisoner you commanded me to send him to the metal forest, which i did. i suppose he is still there." "very good. the invaders will have a hard time finding the metal forest," said the king, with a grin of malicious delight, "for half the time i can't find it myself. yet i created the forest and made every tree, out of gold and silver, so as to keep the precious metals in a safe place and out of the reach of mortals. but tell me, hearer, do the strangers want anything else?" "yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "the army of oogaboo is determined to capture all the rich metals and rare jewels in your kingdom, and the officers and their queen have arranged to divide the spoils and carry them away." when he heard this ruggedo uttered a bellow of rage and began dancing up and down, rolling his eyes, clicking his teeth together and swinging his arms furiously. then, in an ecstasy of anger he seized the long ears of the hearer and pulled and twisted them cruelly; but kaliko grabbed up the king's sceptre and rapped him over the knuckles with it, so that ruggedo let go the ears and began to chase his royal chamberlain around the throne. the hearer took advantage of this opportunity to slip away from the cavern and escape, and after the king had tired himself out chasing kaliko he threw himself into his throne and panted for breath, while he glared wickedly at his defiant subject. "you'd better save your strength to fight the enemy," suggested kaliko. "there will be a terrible battle when the army of oogaboo gets here." "the army won't get here," said the king, still coughing and panting. "i'll drop 'em down the hollow tube--every man jack and every girl jill of 'em!" "and defy tititi-hoochoo?" asked kaliko. "yes. go at once to my chief magician and order him to turn the path toward the hollow tube, and to make the tip of the tube invisible, so they'll all fall into it." kaliko went away shaking his head, for he thought ruggedo was making a great mistake. he found the magician and had the path twisted so that it led directly to the opening of the hollow tube, and this opening he made invisible. having obeyed the orders of his master, the royal chamberlain went to his private room and began to write letters of recommendation of himself, stating that he was an honest man, a good servant and a small eater. "pretty soon," he said to himself, "i shall have to look for another job, for it is certain that ruggedo has ruined himself by this reckless defiance of the mighty tititi-hoochoo. and in seeking a job nothing is so effective as a letter of recommendation." chapter ten a terrible tumble through a tube i suppose that polychrome, and perhaps queen ann and her army, might have been able to dispel the enchantment of ruggedo's chief magician had they known that danger lay in their pathway; for the rainbow's daughter was a fairy and as oogaboo is a part of the land of oz its inhabitants cannot easily be deceived by such common magic as the nome king could command. but no one suspected any especial danger until after they had entered ruggedo's cavern, and so they were journeying along in quite a contented manner when tik-tok, who marched ahead, suddenly disappeared. the officers thought he must have turned a corner, so they kept on their way and all of them likewise disappeared--one after another. queen ann was rather surprised at this, and in hastening forward to learn the reason she also vanished from sight. betsy bobbin had tired her feet by walking, so she was now riding upon the back of the stout little mule, facing backward and talking to shaggy and polychrome, who were just behind. suddenly hank pitched forward and began falling and betsy would have tumbled over his head had she not grabbed the mule's shaggy neck with both arms and held on for dear life. all around was darkness, and they were not falling directly downward but seemed to be sliding along a steep incline. hank's hoofs were resting upon some smooth substance over which he slid with the swiftness of the wind. once betsy's heels flew up and struck a similar substance overhead. they were, indeed, descending the "hollow tube" that led to the other side of the world. "stop, hank--stop!" cried the girl; but hank only uttered a plaintive "hee-haw!" for it was impossible for him to obey. after several minutes had passed and no harm had befallen them, betsy gained courage. she could see nothing at all, nor could she hear anything except the rush of air past her ears as they plunged downward along the tube. whether she and hank were alone, or the others were with them, she could not tell. but had some one been able to take a flash-light photograph of the tube at that time a most curious picture would have resulted. there was tik-tok, flat upon his back and sliding headforemost down the incline. and there were the officers of the army of oogaboo, all tangled up in a confused crowd, flapping their arms and trying to shield their faces from the clanking swords, which swung back and forth during the swift journey and pommeled everyone within their reach. now followed queen ann, who had struck the tube in a sitting position and went flying along with a dash and abandon that thoroughly bewildered the poor lady, who had no idea what had happened to her. then, a little distance away, but unseen by the others in the inky darkness, slid betsy and hank, while behind them were shaggy and polychrome and finally files and the princess. when first they tumbled into the tube all were too dazed to think clearly, but the trip was a long one, because the cavity led straight through the earth to a place just opposite the nome king's dominions, and long before the adventurers got to the end they had begun to recover their wits. "this is awful, hank!" cried betsy in a loud voice, and queen ann heard her and called out: "are you safe, betsy?" "mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "how could anyone be safe when she's going about sixty miles a minute?" then, after a pause, she added: "but where do you s'pose we're going to, your maj'sty?" "don't ask her that, please don't!" said shaggy, who was not too far away to overhear them. "and please don't ask me why, either." "why?" said betsy. "no one can tell where we are going until we get there," replied shaggy, and then he yelled "ouch!" for polychrome had overtaken him and was now sitting on his head. the rainbow's daughter laughed merrily, and so infectious was this joyous laugh that betsy echoed it and hank said "hee haw!" in a mild and sympathetic tone of voice. "i'd like to know where and when we'll arrive, just the same," exclaimed the little girl. "be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said polychrome. "but isn't this an odd experience? here am i, whose home is in the skies, making a journey through the center of the earth--where i never expected to be!" "how do you know we're in the center of the earth?" asked betsy, her voice trembling a little through nervousness. "why, we can t be anywhere else," replied polychrome. "i have often heard of this passage, which was once built by a magician who was a great traveler. he thought it would save him the bother of going around the earth's surface, but he tumbled through the tube so fast that he shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky, which at once exploded." "the star exploded?" asked betsy wonderingly. "yes; the magician hit it so hard." "and what became of the magician?" inquired the girl. "no one knows that," answered polychrome. "but i don't think it matters much." "it matters a good deal, if we also hit the stars when we come out," said queen ann, with a moan. "don't worry," advised polychrome. "i believe the magician was going the other way, and probably he went much faster than we are going." "it's fast enough to suit me," remarked shaggy, gently removing polychrome's heel from his left eye. "couldn't you manage to fall all by yourself, my dear?" "i'll try," laughed the rainbow's daughter. all this time they were swiftly falling through the tube, and it was not so easy for them to talk as you may imagine when you read their words. but although they were so helpless and altogether in the dark as to their fate, the fact that they were able to converse at all cheered them, considerably. files and ozga were also conversing as they clung tightly to one another, and the young fellow bravely strove to reassure the princess, although he was terribly frightened, both on her account and on his own. an hour, under such trying circumstances, is a very long time, and for more than an hour they continued their fearful journey. then, just as they began to fear the tube would never end, tik-tok popped out into broad daylight and, after making a graceful circle in the air, fell with a splash into a great marble fountain. out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels over head and striking the ground in many undignified attitudes. "for the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a peculiar person who was hoeing pink violets in a garden. "what can all this mean?" for answer, queen ann sailed up from the tube, took a ride through the air as high as the treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the peculiar person's head, smashing a jeweled crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the ground. the mule was heavier and had betsy clinging to his back, so he did not go so high up. fortunately for his little rider he struck the ground upon his four feet. betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt and when she looked around her she saw the queen and the peculiar person struggling together upon the ground, where the man was trying to choke ann and she had both hands in his bushy hair and was pulling with all her might. some of the officers, when they got upon their feet, hastened to separate the combatants and sought to restrain the peculiar person so that he could not attack their queen again. by this time, shaggy, polychrome, ozga and files had all arrived and were curiously examining the strange country in which they found themselves and which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side of the world from the place where they had fallen into the tube. it was a lovely place, indeed, and seemed to be the garden of some great prince, for through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be seen the towers of an immense castle. but as yet the only inhabitant to greet them was the peculiar person just mentioned, who had shaken off the grasp of the officers without effort and was now trying to pull the battered crown from off his eyes. shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to do this and when the man was free and could see again he looked at his visitors with evident amazement. "well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "where did you come from and how did you get here?" betsy tried to answer him, for queen ann was surly and silent. "i can't say, exac'ly where we came from, 'cause i don't know the name of the place," said the girl, "but the way we got here was through the hollow tube." "don't call it a 'hollow' tube, please," exclaimed the peculiar person in an irritated tone of voice. "if it's a tube, it's sure to be hollow." "why?" asked betsy. "because all tubes are made that way. but this tube is private property and everyone is forbidden to fall into it." "we didn't do it on purpose," explained betsy, and polychrome added: "i am quite sure that ruggedo, the nome king, pushed us down that tube." "ha! ruggedo! did you say ruggedo?" cried the man, becoming much excited. "that is what she said," replied shaggy, "and i believe she is right. we were on our way to conquer the nome king when suddenly we fell into the tube." "then you are enemies of ruggedo?" inquired the peculiar person. "not exac'ly enemies," said betsy, a little puzzled by the question, "'cause we don't know him at all; but we started out to conquer him, which isn't as friendly as it might be." "true," agreed the man. he looked thoughtfully from one to another of them for a while and then he turned his head over his shoulder and said: "never mind the fire and pincers, my good brothers. it will be best to take these strangers to the private citizen." "very well, tubekins," responded a voice, deep and powerful, that seemed to come out of the air, for the speaker was invisible. all our friends gave a jump, at this. even polychrome was so startled that her gauze draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze. shaggy shook his head and sighed; queen ann looked very unhappy; the officers clung to each other, trembling violently. but soon they gained courage to look more closely at the peculiar person. as he was a type of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land whom they afterward met, i will try to tell you what he looked like. his face was beautiful, but lacked expression. his eyes were large and blue in color and his teeth finely formed and white as snow. his hair was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at the ends. so far no one could find any fault with his appearance. he wore a robe of scarlet, which did not cover his arms and extended no lower than his bare knees. on the bosom of the robe was embroidered a terrible dragon's head, as horrible to look at as the man was beautiful. his arms and legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a vivid green. he had one blue leg and one pink one, while both his feet--which showed through the open sandals he wore--were jet black. betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin, but while she was thinking it over the man who had been called "tubekins" said: "follow me to the residence--all of you!" but just then a voice exclaimed: "here's another of them, tubekins, lying in the water of the fountain." "gracious!" cried betsy; "it must be tik-tok, and he'll drown." "water is a bad thing for his clockworks, anyhow," agreed shaggy, as with one accord they all started for the fountain. but before they could reach it, invisible hands raised tik-tok from the marble basin and set him upon his feet beside it, water dripping from every joint of his copper body. "ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and then his copper jaws clicked together and he could say no more. he next made an attempt to walk but after several awkward trials found he could not move his joints. peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen greeted tik-tok's failure, and the new arrivals in this strange land found it very uncomfortable to realize that there were many creatures around them who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly. "shall i wind him up?" asked betsy, feeling very sorry for tik-tok. "i think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling," replied shaggy. at once an oil-can appeared before him, held on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand. shaggy took the can and tried to oil tik-tok's joints. as if to assist him, a strong current of warm air was directed against the copper man which quickly dried him. soon he was able to say "ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his joints worked fairly well. "come!" commanded tubekins, and turning his back upon them he walked up the path toward the castle. "shall we go?" asked queen ann, uncertainly; but just then she received a shove that almost pitched her forward on her head; so she decided to go. the officers who hesitated received several energetic kicks, but could not see who delivered them; therefore they also decided--very wisely--to go. the others followed willingly enough, for unless they ventured upon another terrible journey through the tube they must make the best of the unknown country they were in, and the best seemed to be to obey orders. chapter eleven the famous fellowship of fairies after a short walk through very beautiful gardens they came to the castle and followed tubekins through the entrance and into a great domed chamber, where he commanded them to be seated. from the crown which he wore, betsy had thought this man must be the king of the country they were in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a high throne, tubekins bowed humbly before the vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and disappeared. the hall was an immense place, but there seemed to be no one in it beside themselves. presently, however, they heard a low cough near them, and here and there was the faint rustling of a robe and a slight patter as of footsteps. then suddenly there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the sound all was changed. gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw that it was filled with hundreds of men and women, all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon their heads. in fact, these people seemed exact duplicates of tubekins and it was difficult to find any mark by which to tell them apart. "my! what a lot of kings and queens!" whispered betsy to polychrome, who sat beside her and appeared much interested in the scene but not a bit worried. "it is certainly a strange sight," was polychrome's reply; "but i cannot see how there can be more than one king, or queen, in any one country, for were these all rulers, no one could tell who was master." one of the kings who stood near and overheard this remark turned to her and said: "one who is master of himself is always a king, if only to himself. in this favored land all kings and queens are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before one supreme ruler--the private citizen." "who's he?" inquired betsy. as if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell again rang out and instantly there appeared seated in the throne the man who was lord and master of all these royal ones. this fact was evident when with one accord they fell upon their knees and touched their foreheads to the floor. the private citizen was not unlike the others, except that his eyes were black instead of blue and in the centers of the black irises glowed red sparks that seemed like coals of fire. but his features were very beautiful and dignified and his manner composed and stately. instead of the prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white, and the same dragon's head that decorated the others was embroidered upon its bosom. "what charge lies against these people, tubekins?" he asked in quiet, even tones. "they came through the forbidden tube, o mighty citizen," was the reply. "you see, it was this way," said betsy. "we were marching to the nome king, to conquer him and set shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--" "who are you?" demanded the private citizen sternly. "me? oh, i'm betsy bobbin, and--" "who is the leader of this party?" asked the citizen. "sir, i am queen ann of oogaboo, and--" "then keep quiet," said the citizen. "who is the leader?" no one answered for a moment. then general bunn stood up. "sit down!" commanded the citizen. "i can see that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no account." "but we have an army," said general clock, blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was of no account. "where is your army?" asked the citizen. "it's me," said tik-tok, his voice sounding a little rusty. "i'm the on-ly pri-vate sol-dier in the par-ty." hearing this, the citizen rose and bowed respectfully to the clockwork man. "pardon me for not realizing your importance before," said he. "will you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on my throne?" tik-tok rose and walked over to the throne, all the kings and queens making way for him. then with clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on the broad seat beside the citizen. ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor shown to the humble clockwork man, but shaggy seemed much pleased that his old friend's importance had been recognized by the ruler of this remarkable country. the citizen now began to question tik-tok, who told in his mechanical voice about shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how ozma of oz had sent the clockwork man to assist him, and how they had fallen in with queen ann and her people from oogaboo. also he told how betsy and hank and polychrome and the rose princess had happened to join their party. "and you intended to conquer ruggedo, the metal monarch and king of the nomes?" asked the citizen. "yes. that seemed the on-ly thing for us to do," was tik-tok's reply. "but he was too clev-er for us. when we got close to his cav-ern he made our path lead to the tube, and made the op-en-ing in-vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-to it be-fore we knew it was there. it was an eas-y way to get rid of us and now rug-gedo is safe and we are far a-way in a strange land." the citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be thinking. then he said: "most noble private soldier, i must inform you that by the laws of our country anyone who comes through the forbidden tube must be tortured for nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into the tube. but it is wise to disregard laws when they conflict with justice, and it seems that you and your followers did not disobey our laws willingly, being forced into the tube by ruggedo. therefore the nome king is alone to blame, and he alone must be punished." "that suits me," said tik-tok. "but rug-ge-do is on the o-ther side of the world where he is a-way out of your reach." the citizen drew himself up proudly. "do you imagine anything in the world or upon it can be out of the reach of the great jinjin?" he asked. "oh! are you, then, the great jinjin?" inquired tik-tok. "i am." "then your name is ti-ti-ti-hoo-choo?" "it is." queen ann gave a scream and began to tremble. shaggy was so disturbed that he took out a handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his brow. polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the first time, while files put his arms around the rose princess as if to protect her. as for the officers, the name of the great jinjin set them moaning and weeping at a great rate and every one fell upon his knees before the throne, begging for mercy. betsy was worried at seeing her companions so disturbed, but did not know what it was all about. only tik-tok was unmoved at the discovery. "then," said he, "if you are ti-ti-ti-hoo-choo, and think rug-ge-do is to blame, i am sure that some-thing queer will hap-pen to the king of the nomes." "i wonder what 'twill be," said betsy. the private citizen--otherwise known as tititi-hoochoo, the great jinjin--looked at the little girl steadily. "i will presently decide what is to happen to ruggedo," said he in a hard, stern voice. then, turning to the throng of kings and queens, he continued: "tik-tok has spoken truly, for his machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it allow his thoughts to think falsely. therefore these people are not our enemies and must be treated with consideration and justice. take them to your palaces and entertain them as guests until to-morrow, when i command that they be brought again to my residence. by then i shall have formed my plans." no sooner had tititi-hoochoo spoken than he disappeared from sight. immediately after, most of the kings and queens likewise disappeared. but several of them remained visible and approached the strangers with great respect. one of the lovely queens said to betsy: "i trust you will honor me by being my guest. i am erma, queen of light." "may hank come with me?" asked the girl. "the king of animals will care for your mule," was the reply. "but do not fear for him, for he will be treated royally. all of your party will be reunited on the morrow." "i--i'd like to have _some_ one with me," said betsy, pleadingly. queen erma looked around and smiled upon polychrome. "will the rainbow's daughter be an agreeable companion?" she asked. "oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl. so polychrome and betsy became guests of the queen of light, while other beautiful kings and queens took charge of the others of the party. the two girls followed erma out of the hall and through the gardens of the residence to a village of pretty dwellings. none of these was so large or imposing as the castle of the private citizen, but all were handsome enough to be called palaces--as, in fact, they really were. chapter twelve the lovely lady of light the palace of the queen of light stood on a little eminence and was a mass of crystal windows, surmounted by a vast crystal dome. when they entered the portals erma was greeted by six lovely maidens, evidently of high degree, who at once aroused betsy's admiration. each bore a wand in her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and their costumes were also emblematic of the lights they represented. erma introduced them to her guests and each made a graceful and courteous acknowledgment. first was sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very fair; the second was moonlight, a soft, dreamy damsel with nut-brown hair; next came starlight, equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and shy. these three were dressed in shimmering robes of silvery white. the fourth was daylight, a brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank manners, who wore a variety of colors. then came firelight, clothed in a fleecy flame-colored robe that wavered around her shapely form in a very attractive manner. the sixth maiden, electra, was the most beautiful of all, and betsy thought from the first that both sunlight and daylight regarded electra with envy and were a little jealous of her. but all were cordial in their greetings to the strangers and seemed to regard the queen of light with much affection, for they fluttered around her in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to her regal drawing-room. this apartment was richly and cosily furnished, the upholstery being of many tints, and both betsy and polychrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the downy divans after their strenuous adventures of the day. the queen sat down to chat with her guests, who noticed that daylight was the only maiden now seated beside erma. the others had retired to another part of the room, where they sat modestly with entwined arms and did not intrude themselves at all. the queen told the strangers all about this beautiful land, which is one of the chief residences of fairies who minister to the needs of mankind. so many important fairies lived there that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their ruler the only important personage in the country who had no duties to mankind to perform and was, in effect, a private citizen. this ruler, or jinjin, as was his title, bore the name of tititi-hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was that he had no heart. but instead of this he possessed a high degree of reason and justice and while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never punished unjustly or without reason. to wrong-doers tititi-hoochoo was as terrible as he was heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had nothing to fear from him. all the kings and queens of this fairyland paid reverence to jinjin, for as they expected to be obeyed by others they were willing to obey the one in authority over them. the inhabitants of the land of oz had heard many tales of this fearfully just jinjin, whose punishments were always equal to the faults committed. polychrome also knew of him, although this was the first time she had ever seen him face to face. but to betsy the story was all new, and she was greatly interested in tititi-hoochoo, whom she no longer feared. time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly betsy noticed that moonlight was sitting beside the queen of light, instead of daylight. "but tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you all wear a dragon's head embroidered on your gowns?" erma's pleasant face became grave as she answered: "the dragon, as you must know, was the first living creature ever made; therefore the dragon is the oldest and wisest of living things. by good fortune the original dragon, who still lives, is a resident of this land and supplies us with wisdom whenever we are in need of it. he is old as the world and remembers everything that has happened since the world was created." "did he ever have any children?" inquired the girl. "yes, many of them. some wandered into other lands, where men, not understanding them, made war upon them; but many still reside in this country. none, however, is as wise as the original dragon, for whom we have great respect. as he was the first resident here, we wear the emblem of the dragon's head to show that we are the favored people who alone have the right to inhabit this fairyland, which in beauty almost equals the fairyland of oz, and in power quite surpasses it." "i understand about the dragon, now," said polychrome, nodding her lovely head. betsy did not quite understand, but she was at present interested in observing the changing lights. as daylight had given way to moonlight, so now starlight sat at the right hand of erma the queen, and with her coming a spirit of peace and content seemed to fill the room. polychrome, being herself a fairy, had many questions to ask about the various kings and queens who lived in this far-away, secluded place, and before erma had finished answering them a rosy glow filled the room and firelight took her place beside the queen. betsy liked firelight, but to gaze upon her warm and glowing features made the little girl sleepy, and presently she began to nod. thereupon erma rose and took betsy's hand gently in her own. "come," said she; "the feast time has arrived and the feast is spread." "that's nice," exclaimed the small mortal. "now that i think of it, i'm awful hungry. but p'raps i can't eat your fairy food." the queen smiled and led her to a doorway. as she pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of silvery light greeted them, and betsy saw before her a splendid banquet hall, with a table spread with snowy linen and crystal and silver. at one side was a broad, throne-like seat for erma and beside her now sat the brilliant maid electra. polychrome was placed on the queen's right hand and betsy upon her left. the other five messengers of light now waited upon them, and each person was supplied with just the food she liked best. polychrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh and sparkling, while betsy was so lavishly served that she decided she had never in her life eaten a dinner half so good. "i s'pose," she said to the queen, "that miss electra is the youngest of all these girls." "why do you suppose that?" inquired erma, with a smile. "'cause electric'ty is the newest light we know of. didn't mr. edison discover it?" "perhaps he was the first mortal to discover it," replied the queen. "but electricity was a part of the world from its creation, and therefore my electra is as old as daylight or moonlight, and equally beneficent to mortals and fairies alike." betsy was thoughtful for a time. then she remarked, as she looked at the six messengers of light: "we couldn't very well do without any of 'em; could we?" erma laughed softly. "_i_ couldn't, i'm sure," she replied, "and i think mortals would miss any one of my maidens, as well. daylight cannot take the place of sunlight, which gives us strength and energy. moonlight is of value when daylight, worn out with her long watch, retires to rest. if the moon in its course is hidden behind the earth's rim, and my sweet moonlight cannot cheer us, starlight takes her place, for the skies always lend her power. without firelight we should miss much of our warmth and comfort, as well as much cheer when the walls of houses encompass us. but always, when other lights forsake us, our glorious electra is ready to flood us with bright rays. as queen of light, i love all my maidens, for i know them to be faithful and true." "i love 'em, too!" declared betsy. "but sometimes, when i'm _real_ sleepy, i can get along without any light at all." "are you sleepy now?" inquired erma, for the feast had ended. "a little," admitted the girl. so electra showed her to a pretty chamber where there was a soft, white bed, and waited patiently until betsy had undressed and put on a shimmery silken nightrobe that lay beside her pillow. then the light-maid bade her good night and opened the door. when she closed it after her betsy was in darkness. in six winks the little girl was fast asleep. chapter thirteen the jinjin's just judgment all the adventurers were reunited next morning when they were brought from various palaces to the residence of tititi-hoochoo and ushered into the great hall of state. as before, no one was visible except our friends and their escorts until the first bell sounded. then in a flash the room was seen to be filled with the beautiful kings and queens of the land. the second bell marked the appearance in the throne of the mighty jinjin, whose handsome countenance was as composed and expressionless as ever. all bowed low to the ruler. their voices softly murmured: "we greet the private citizen, mightiest of rulers, whose word is law and whose law is just." tititi-hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment. then, looking around the brilliant assemblage, and at the little group of adventurers before him, he said: "an unusual thing has happened. inhabitants of other lands than ours, who are different from ourselves in many ways, have been thrust upon us through the forbidden tube, which one of our people foolishly made years ago and was properly punished for his folly. but these strangers had no desire to come here and were wickedly thrust into the tube by a cruel king on the other side of the world, named ruggedo. this king is an immortal, but he is not good. his magic powers hurt mankind more than they benefit them. because he had unjustly kept the shaggy man's brother a prisoner, this little band of honest people, consisting of both mortals and immortals, determined to conquer ruggedo and to punish him. fearing they might succeed in this, the nome king misled them so that they fell into the tube. "now, this same ruggedo has been warned by me, many times, that if ever he used this forbidden tube in any way he would be severely punished. i find, by referring to the fairy records, that this king's servant, a nome named kaliko, begged his master not to do such a wrong act as to drop these people into the tube and send them tumbling into our country. but ruggedo defied me and my orders. "therefore these strangers are innocent of any wrong. it is only ruggedo who deserves punishment, and i will punish him." he paused a moment and then continued in the same cold, merciless voice: "these strangers must return through the tube to their own side of the world; but i will make their fall more easy and pleasant than it was before. also i shall send with them an instrument of vengeance, who in my name will drive ruggedo from his underground caverns, take away his magic powers and make him a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth--a place he detests." there was a little murmur of horror from the kings and queens at the severity of this punishment, but no one uttered a protest, for all realized that the sentence was just. "in selecting my instrument of vengeance," went on tititi-hoochoo, "i have realized that this will be an unpleasant mission. therefore no one of us who is blameless should be forced to undertake it. in this wonderful land it is seldom one is guilty of wrong, even in the slightest degree, and on examining the records i found no king or queen had erred. nor had any among their followers or servants done any wrong. but finally i came to the dragon family, which we highly respect, and then it was that i discovered the error of quox. "quox, as you well know, is a young dragon who has not yet acquired the wisdom of his race. because of this lack, he has been disrespectful toward his most ancient ancestor, the original dragon, telling him once to mind his own business and again saying that the ancient one had grown foolish with age. we are aware that dragons are not the same as fairies and cannot be altogether guided by our laws, yet such disrespect as quox has shown should not be unnoticed by us. therefore i have selected quox as my royal instrument of vengeance and he shall go through the tube with these people and inflict upon ruggedo the punishment i have decreed." all had listened quietly to this speech and now the kings and queens bowed gravely to signify their approval of the jinjin's judgment. tititi-hoochoo turned to tubekins. "i command you," said he, "to escort these strangers to the tube and see that they all enter it." the king of the tube, who had first discovered our friends and brought them to the private citizen, stepped forward and bowed. as he did so, the jinjin and all the kings and queens suddenly disappeared and only tubekins remained visible. "all right," said betsy, with a sigh; "i don't mind going back so _very_ much, 'cause the jinjin promised to make it easy for us." indeed, queen ann and her officers were the only ones who looked solemn and seemed to fear the return journey. one thing that bothered ann was her failure to conquer this land of tititi-hoochoo. as they followed their guide through the gardens to the mouth of the tube she said to shaggy: "how can i conquer the world, if i go away and leave this rich country unconquered?" "you can't," he replied. "don't ask me why, please, for if you don't know i can't inform you." "why not?" said ann; but shaggy paid no attention to the question. this end of the tube had a silver rim and around it was a gold railing to which was attached a sign that read. "if you are out, stay there. if you are in, don't come out." on a little silver plate just inside the tube was engraved the words: "burrowed and built by hiergargo the magician, in the year of the world for his own exclusive uses." "he was some builder, i must say," remarked betsy, when she had read the inscription; "but if he had known about that star i guess he'd have spent his time playing solitaire." "well, what are we waiting for?" inquired shaggy, who was impatient to start. "quox," replied tubekins. "but i think i hear him coming." "is the young dragon invisible?" asked ann, who had never seen a live dragon and was a little fearful of meeting one. "no, indeed," replied the king of the tube. "you'll see him in a minute; but before you part company i'm sure you'll wish he _was_ invisible." "is he dangerous, then?" questioned files. "not at all. but quox tires me dreadfully," said tubekins, "and i prefer his room to his company." at that instant a scraping sound was heard, drawing nearer and nearer until from between two big bushes appeared a huge dragon, who approached the party, nodded his head and said: "good morning." had quox been at all bashful i am sure he would have felt uncomfortable at the astonished stare of every eye in the group--except tubekins, of course, who was not astonished because he had seen quox so often. betsy had thought a "young" dragon must be a small dragon, yet here was one so enormous that the girl decided he must be full grown, if not overgrown. his body was a lovely sky-blue in color and it was thickly set with glittering silver scales, each one as big as a serving-tray. around his neck was a pink ribbon with a bow just under his left ear, and below the ribbon appeared a chain of pearls to which was attached a golden locket about as large around as the end of a bass drum. this locket was set with many large and beautiful jewels. the head and face of quox were not especially ugly, when you consider that he was a dragon; but his eyes were so large that it took him a long time to wink and his teeth seemed very sharp and terrible when they showed, which they did whenever the beast smiled. also his nostrils were quite large and wide, and those who stood near him were liable to smell brimstone--especially when he breathed out fire, as it is the nature of dragons to do. to the end of his long tail was attached a big electric light. perhaps the most singular thing about the dragon's appearance at this time was the fact that he had a row of seats attached to his back, one seat for each member of the party. these seats were double, with curved backs, so that two could sit in them, and there were twelve of these double seats, all strapped firmly around the dragon's thick body and placed one behind the other, in a row that extended from his shoulders nearly to his tail. "aha!" exclaimed tubekins; "i see that tititi-hoochoo has transformed quox into a carryall." "i'm glad of that," said betsy. "i hope, mr. dragon, you won't mind our riding on your back." "not a bit," replied quox. "i'm in disgrace just now, you know, and the only way to redeem my good name is to obey the orders of the jinjin. if he makes me a beast of burden, it is only a part of my punishment, and i must bear it like a dragon. i don't blame you people at all, and i hope you'll enjoy the ride. hop on, please. all aboard for the other side of the world!" silently they took their places. hank sat in the front seat with betsy, so that he could rest his front hoofs upon the dragon's head. behind them were shaggy and polychrome, then files and the princess, and queen ann and tik-tok. the officers rode in the rear seats. when all had mounted to their places the dragon looked very like one of those sightseeing wagons so common in big cities--only he had legs instead of wheels. "all ready?" asked quox, and when they said they were he crawled to the mouth of the tube and put his head in. "good-bye, and good luck to you!" called tubekins; but no one thought to reply, because just then the dragon slid his great body into the tube and the journey to the other side of the world had begun. at first they went so fast that they could scarcely catch their breaths, but presently quox slowed up and said with a sort of cackling laugh: "my scales! but that is some tumble. i think i shall take it easy and fall slower, or i'm likely to get dizzy. is it very far to the other side of the world?" "haven't you ever been through this tube before?" inquired shaggy. "never. nor has anyone else in our country; at least, not since i was born." "how long ago was that?" asked betsy. "that i was born? oh, not very long ago. i'm only a mere child. if i had not been sent on this journey, i would have celebrated my three thousand and fifty-sixth birthday next thursday. mother was going to make me a birthday cake with three thousand and fifty-six candles on it; but now, of course, there will be no celebration, for i fear i shall not get home in time for it." "three thousand and fifty-six years!" cried betsy. "why, i had no idea anything could live that long!" "my respected ancestor, whom i would call a stupid old humbug if i had not reformed, is so old that i am a mere baby compared with him," said quox. "he dates from the beginning of the world, and insists on telling us stories of things that happened fifty thousand years ago, which are of no interest at all to youngsters like me. in fact, grandpa isn't up to date. he lives altogether in the past, so i can't see any good reason for his being alive to-day.... are you people able to see your way, or shall i turn on more light?" "oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there's nothing to see but ourselves," answered betsy. this was true. the dragon's big eyes were like headlights on an automobile and illuminated the tube far ahead of them. also he curled his tail upward so that the electric light on the end of it enabled them to see one another quite clearly. but the tube itself was only dark metal, smooth as glass but exactly the same from one of its ends to the other. therefore there was no scenery of interest to beguile the journey. they were now falling so gently that the trip was proving entirely comfortable, as the jinjin had promised it would be; but this meant a longer journey and the only way they could make time pass was to engage in conversation. the dragon seemed a willing and persistent talker and he was of so much interest to them that they encouraged him to chatter. his voice was a little gruff but not unpleasant when one became used to it. "my only fear," said he presently, "is that this constant sliding over the surface of the tube will dull my claws. you see, this hole isn't straight down, but on a steep slant, and so instead of tumbling freely through the air i must skate along the tube. fortunately, there is a file in my tool-kit, and if my claws get dull they can be sharpened again." "why do you want sharp claws?" asked betsy. "they are my natural weapons, and you must not forget that i have been sent to conquer ruggedo." "oh, you needn't mind about that," remarked queen ann, in her most haughty manner; "for when we get to ruggedo i and my invincible army can conquer him without your assistance." "very good," returned the dragon, cheerfully. "that will save me a lot of bother--if you succeed. but i think i shall file my claws, just the same." he gave a long sigh, as he said this, and a sheet of flame, several feet in length, shot from his mouth. betsy shuddered and hank said "hee-haw!" while some of the officers screamed in terror. but the dragon did not notice that he had done anything unusual. "is there fire inside of you?" asked shaggy. "of course," answered quox. "what sort of a dragon would i be if my fire went out?" "what keeps it going?" betsy inquired. "i've no idea. i only know it's there," said quox. "the fire keeps me alive and enables me to move; also to think and speak." "ah! you are ver-y much like my-self," said tik-tok. "the on-ly dif-fer-ence is that i move by clock-work, while you move by fire." "i don't see a particle of likeness between us, i must confess," retorted quox, gruffly. "you are not a live thing; you're a dummy." "but i can do things, you must ad-mit," said tik-tok. "yes, when you are wound up," sneered the dragon. "but if you run down, you are helpless." "what would happen to you, quox, if you ran out of gasoline?" inquired shaggy, who did not like this attack upon his friend. "i don't use gasoline." "well, suppose you ran out of fire." "what's the use of supposing that?" asked quox. "my great-great-great-grandfather has lived since the world began, and he has never once run out of fire to keep him going. but i will confide to you that as he gets older he shows more smoke and less fire. as for tik-tok, he's well enough in his way, but he's merely copper. and the metal monarch knows copper through and through. i wouldn't be surprised if ruggedo melted tik-tok in one of his furnaces and made copper pennies of him." "in that case, i would still keep going," remarked tik-tok, calmly. "pennies do," said betsy regretfully. "this is all nonsense," said the queen, with irritation. "tik-tok is my great army--all but the officers--and i believe he will be able to conquer ruggedo with ease. what do you think, polychrome?" "you might let him try," answered the rainbow's daughter, with her sweet ringing laugh, that sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells. "and if tik-tok fails, you have still the big fire-breathing dragon to fall back on." "ah!" said the dragon, another sheet of flame gushing from his mouth and nostrils; "it's a wise little girl, this polychrome. anyone would know she is a fairy." chapter fourteen the long-eared hearer learns by listening during this time ruggedo, the metal monarch and king of the nomes, was trying to amuse himself in his splendid jeweled cavern. it was hard work for ruggedo to find amusement to-day, for all the nomes were behaving well and there was no one to scold or to punish. the king had thrown his sceptre at kaliko six times, without hitting him once. not that kaliko had done anything wrong. on the contrary, he had obeyed the king in every way but one: he would not stand still, when commanded to do so, and let the heavy sceptre strike him. we can hardly blame kaliko for this, and even the cruel ruggedo forgave him; for he knew very well that if he mashed his royal chamberlain he could never find another so intelligent and obedient. kaliko could make the nomes work when their king could not, for the nomes hated ruggedo and there were so many thousands of the quaint little underground people that they could easily have rebelled and defied the king had they dared to do so. sometimes, when ruggedo abused them worse than usual, they grew sullen and threw down their hammers and picks. then, however hard the king scolded or whipped them, they would not work until kaliko came and begged them to. for kaliko was one of themselves and was as much abused by the king as any nome in the vast series of caverns. but to-day all the little people were working industriously at their tasks and ruggedo, having nothing to do, was greatly bored. he sent for the long-eared hearer and asked him to listen carefully and report what was going on in the big world. "it seems," said the hearer, after listening for awhile, "that the women in america have clubs." "are there spikes in them?" asked ruggedo, yawning. "i cannot hear any spikes, your majesty," was the reply. "then their clubs are not as good as my sceptre. what else do you hear?' "there's a war. "bah! there's always a war. what else?" for a time the hearer was silent, bending forward and spreading out his big ears to catch the slightest sound. then suddenly he said: "here is an interesting thing, your majesty. these people are arguing as to who shall conquer the metal monarch, seize his treasure and drive him from his dominions." "what people?" demanded ruggedo, sitting up straight in his throne. "the ones you threw down the hollow tube." "where are they now?" "in the same tube, and coming back this way," said the hearer. ruggedo got out of his throne and began to pace up and down the cavern. "i wonder what can be done to stop them," he mused. "well," said the hearer, "if you could turn the tube upside down, they would be falling the other way, your majesty." ruggedo glared at him wickedly, for it was impossible to turn the tube upside down and he believed the hearer was slyly poking fun at him. presently he asked: "how far away are those people now?" "about nine thousand three hundred and six miles, seventeen furlongs, eight feet and four inches--as nearly as i can judge from the sound of their voices," replied the hearer. "aha! then it will be some time before they arrive," said ruggedo, "and when they get here i shall be ready to receive them." he rushed to his gong and pounded upon it so fiercely that kaliko came bounding into the cavern with one shoe off and one shoe on, for he was just dressing himself after a swim in the hot bubbling lake of the underground kingdom. "kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the tube are coming back again!" he exclaimed. "i thought they would," said the royal chamberlain, pulling on the other shoe. "tititi-hoochoo would not allow them to remain in his kingdom, of course, and so i've been expecting them back for some time. that was a very foolish action of yours, rug." "what, to throw them down the tube?" "yes. tititi-hoochoo has forbidden us to throw even rubbish into the tube." "pooh! what do i care for the jinjin?" asked ruggedo scornfully. "he never leaves his own kingdom, which is on the other side of the world." "true; but he might send some one through the tube to punish you," suggested kaliko. "i'd like to see him do it! who could conquer my thousands of nomes?" "why, they've been conquered before, if i remember aright," answered kaliko with a grin. "once i saw you running from a little girl named dorothy, and her friends, as if you were really afraid." "well, i _was_ afraid, that time," admitted the nome king, with a deep sigh, "for dorothy had a yellow hen that laid eggs!" the king shuddered as he said "eggs," and kaliko also shuddered, and so did the long-eared hearer; for eggs are the only things that the nomes greatly dread. the reason for this is that eggs belong on the earth's surface, where birds and fowl of all sorts live, and there is something about a hen's egg, especially, that fills a nome with horror. if by chance the inside of an egg touches one of these underground people, he withers up and blows away and that is the end of him--unless he manages quickly to speak a magical word which only a few of the nomes know. therefore ruggedo and his followers had very good cause to shudder at the mere mention of eggs. "but dorothy," said the king, "is not with this band of invaders; nor is the yellow hen. as for tititi-hoochoo, he has no means of knowing that we are afraid of eggs." "you mustn't be too sure of that," kaliko warned him. "tititi-hoochoo knows a great many things, being a fairy, and his powers are far superior to any we can boast." ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned to the hearer. "listen," said he, "and tell me if you hear any eggs coming through the tube." the long-eared one listened and then shook his head. but kaliko laughed at the king. "no one can hear an egg, your majesty," said he. "the only way to discover the truth is to look through the magic spyglass." "that's it!" cried the king. "why didn't i think of it before? look at once, kaliko!" so kaliko went to the spyglass and by uttering a mumbled charm he caused the other end of it to twist around, so that it pointed down the opening of the tube. then he put his eye to the glass and was able to gaze along all the turns and windings of the magic spyglass and then deep into the tube, to where our friends were at that time falling. "dear me!" he exclaimed. "here comes a dragon." "a big one?" asked ruggedo. "a monster. he has an electric light on the end of his tail, so i can see him very plainly. and the other people are all riding upon his back." "how about the eggs?" inquired the king. kaliko looked again. "i can see no eggs at all," said he; "but i imagine that the dragon is as dangerous as eggs. probably tititi-hoochoo has sent him here to punish you for dropping those strangers into the forbidden tube. i warned you not to do it, your majesty." this news made the nome king anxious. for a few minutes he paced up and down, stroking his long beard and thinking with all his might. after this he turned to kaliko and said: "all the harm a dragon can do is to scratch with his claws and bite with his teeth." "that is not all, but it's quite enough," returned kaliko earnestly. "on the other hand, no one can hurt a dragon, because he's the toughest creature alive. one flop of his huge tail could smash a hundred nomes to pancakes, and with teeth and claws he could tear even you or me into small bits, so that it would be almost impossible to put us together again. once, a few hundred years ago, while wandering through some deserted caverns, i came upon a small piece of a nome lying on the rocky floor. i asked the piece of nome what had happened to it. fortunately the mouth was a part of this piece--the mouth and the left eye--so it was able to tell me that a fierce dragon was the cause. it had attacked the poor nome and scattered him in every direction, and as there was no friend near to collect his pieces and put him together, they had been separated for a great many years. so you see, your majesty, it is not in good taste to sneer at a dragon." the king had listened attentively to kaliko. said he: "it will only be necessary to chain this dragon which tititi-hoochoo has sent here, in order to prevent his reaching us with his claws and teeth." "he also breathes flames," kaliko reminded him. "my nomes are not afraid of fire, nor am i," said ruggedo. "well, how about the army of oogaboo?" "sixteen cowardly officers and tik-tok! why, i could defeat them single-handed; but i won't try to. i'll summon my army of nomes to drive the invaders out of my territory, and if we catch any of them i intend to stick needles into them until they hop with pain." "i hope you won't hurt any of the girls," said kaliko. "i'll hurt 'em all!" roared the angry metal monarch. "and that braying mule i'll make into hoof-soup, and feed it to my nomes, that it may add to their strength." "why not be good to the strangers and release your prisoner, the shaggy man's brother?" suggested kaliko. "never!" "it may save you a lot of annoyance. and you don't want the ugly one." "i don't want him; that's true. but i won't allow anybody to order me around. i'm king of the nomes and i'm the metal monarch, and i shall do as i please and what i please and when i please!" with this speech ruggedo threw his sceptre at kaliko's head, aiming it so well that the royal chamberlain had to fall flat upon the floor in order to escape it. but the hearer did not see the sceptre coming and it swept past his head so closely that it broke off the tip of one of his long ears. he gave a dreadful yell that quite startled ruggedo, and the king was sorry for the accident because those long ears of the hearer were really valuable to him. so the nome king forgot to be angry with kaliko and ordered his chamberlain to summon general guph and the army of nomes and have them properly armed. they were then to march to the mouth of the tube, where they could seize the travelers as soon as they appeared. chapter fifteen the dragon defies danger although the journey through the tube was longer, this time, than before, it was so much more comfortable that none of our friends minded it at all. they talked together most of the time and as they found the dragon good-natured and fond of the sound of his own voice they soon became well acquainted with him and accepted him as a companion. "you see," said shaggy, in his frank way, "quox is on our side, and therefore the dragon is a good fellow. if he happened to be an enemy, instead of a friend, i am sure i should dislike him very much, for his breath smells of brimstone, he is very conceited and he is so strong and fierce that he would prove a dangerous foe." "yes, indeed," returned quox, who had listened to this speech with pleasure; "i suppose i am about as terrible as any living thing. i am glad you find me conceited, for that proves i know my good qualities. as for my breath smelling of brimstone, i really can't help it, and i once met a man whose breath smelled of onions, which i consider far worse." "i don't," said betsy; "i love onions. "and i love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so don't let us quarrel over one another's peculiarities." saying this, he breathed a long breath and shot a flame fifty feet from his mouth. the brimstone made betsy cough, but she remembered about the onions and said nothing. they had no idea how far they had gone through the center of the earth, nor when to expect the trip to end. at one time the little girl remarked: "i wonder when we'll reach the bottom of this hole. and isn't it funny, shaggy man, that what is the bottom to us now, was the top when we fell the other way?" "what puzzles me," said files, "is that we are able to fall both ways." "that," announced tik-tok, "is be-cause the world is round." "exactly," responded shaggy. "the machinery in your head is in fine working order, tik-tok. you know, betsy, that there is such a thing as the attraction of gravitation, which draws everything toward the center of the earth. that is why we fall out of bed, and why everything clings to the surface of the earth." "then why doesn't everything go on down to the center of the earth?" inquired the little girl. "i was afraid you were going to ask me that," replied shaggy in a sad tone. "the reason, my dear, is that the earth is so solid that other solid things can't get through it. but when there's a hole, as there is in this case, we drop right down to the center of the world." "why don't we stop there?" asked betsy. "because we go so fast that we acquire speed enough to carry us right up to the other end." "i don't understand that, and it makes my head ache to try to figure it out," she said after some thought. "one thing draws us to the center and another thing pushes us away from it. but--" "don't ask me why, please," interrupted the shaggy man. "if you can't understand it, let it go at that." "do _you_ understand it?" she inquired. "all the magic isn't in fairyland," he said gravely. "there's lots of magic in all nature, and you may see it as well in the united states, where you and i once lived, as you can here." "i never did," she replied. "because you were so used to it all that you didn't realize it was magic. is anything more wonderful than to see a flower grow and blossom, or to get light out of the electricity in the air? the cows that manufacture milk for us must have machinery fully as remarkable as that in tik-tok's copper body, and perhaps you've noticed that--" and then, before shaggy could finish his speech, the strong light of day suddenly broke upon them, grew brighter, and completely enveloped them. the dragon's claws no longer scraped against the metal tube, for he shot into the open air a hundred feet or more and sailed so far away from the slanting hole that when he landed it was on the peak of a mountain and just over the entrance to the many underground caverns of the nome king. some of the officers tumbled off their seats when quox struck the ground, but most of the dragon's passengers only felt a slight jar. all were glad to be on solid earth again and they at once dismounted and began to look about them. queerly enough, as soon as they had left the dragon, the seats that were strapped to the monster's back disappeared, and this probably happened because there was no further use for them and because quox looked far more dignified in just his silver scales. of course he still wore the forty yards of ribbon around his neck, as well as the great locket, but these only made him look "dressed up," as betsy remarked. now the army of nomes had gathered thickly around the mouth of the tube, in order to be ready to capture the band of invaders as soon as they popped out. there were, indeed, hundreds of nomes assembled, and they were led by guph, their most famous general. but they did not expect the dragon to fly so high, and he shot out of the tube so suddenly that it took them by surprise. when the nomes had rubbed the astonishment out of their eyes and regained their wits, they discovered the dragon quietly seated on the mountainside far above their heads, while the other strangers were standing in a group and calmly looking down upon them. general guph was very angry at the escape, which was no one's fault but his own. "come down here and be captured!" he shouted, waving his sword at them. "come up here and capture us--if you dare!" replied queen ann, who was winding up the clockwork of her private soldier, so he could fight more briskly. guph's first answer was a roar of rage at the defiance; then he turned and issued a command to his nomes. these were all armed with sharp spears and with one accord they raised these spears and threw them straight at their foes, so that they rushed through the air in a perfect cloud of flying weapons. some damage might have been done had not the dragon quickly crawled before the others, his body being so big that it shielded every one of them, including hank. the spears rattled against the silver scales of quox and then fell harmlessly to the ground. they were magic spears, of course, and all straightway bounded back into the hands of those who had thrown them, but even guph could see that it was useless to repeat the attack. it was now queen ann's turn to attack, so the generals yelled "for--ward march!" and the colonels and majors and captains repeated the command and the valiant army of oogaboo, which seemed to be composed mainly of tik-tok, marched forward in single column toward the nomes, while betsy and polychrome cheered and hank gave a loud "hee-haw!" and shaggy shouted "hooray!" and queen ann screamed: "at 'em, tik-tok--at 'em!" the nomes did not await the clockwork man's attack but in a twinkling disappeared into the underground caverns. they made a great mistake in being so hasty, for tik-tok had not taken a dozen steps before he stubbed his copper toe on a rock and fell flat to the ground, where he cried: "pick me up! pick me up! pick me up!" until shaggy and files ran forward and raised him to his feet again. the dragon chuckled softly to himself as he scratched his left ear with his hind claw, but no one was paying much attention to quox just then. it was evident to ann and her officers that there could be no fighting unless the enemy was present, and in order to find the enemy they must boldly enter the underground kingdom of the nomes. so bold a step demanded a council of war. "don't you think i'd better drop in on ruggedo and obey the orders of the jinjin?" asked quox. "by no means!" returned queen ann. "we have already put the army of nomes to flight and all that yet remains is to force our way into those caverns, and conquer the nome king and all his people." "that seems to me something of a job," said the dragon, closing his eyes sleepily. "but go ahead, if you like, and i'll wait here for you. don't be in any hurry on my account. to one who lives thousands of years the delay of a few days means nothing at all, and i shall probably sleep until the time comes for me to act." ann was provoked at this speech. "you may as well go back to tititi-hoochoo now," she said, "for the nome king is as good as conquered already." but quox shook his head. "no," said he; "i'll wait." chapter sixteen the naughty nome shaggy man had said nothing during the conversation between queen ann and quox, for the simple reason that he did not consider the matter worth an argument. safe within his pocket reposed the love magnet, which had never failed to win every heart. the nomes, he knew, were not like the heartless roses and therefore could be won to his side as soon as he exhibited the magic talisman. shaggy's chief anxiety had been to reach ruggedo's kingdom and now that the entrance lay before him he was confident he would be able to rescue his lost brother. let ann and the dragon quarrel as to who should conquer the nomes, if they liked; shaggy would let them try, and if they failed he had the means of conquest in his own pocket. but ann was positive she could not fail, for she thought her army could do anything. so she called the officers together and told them how to act, and she also instructed tik-tok what to do and what to say. "please do not shoot your gun except as a last resort," she added, "for i do not wish to be cruel or to shed any blood--unless it is absolutely necessary." "all right," replied tik-tok; "but i do not think rug-ge-do would bleed if i filled him full of holes and put him in a ci-der press." then the officers fell in line, the four generals abreast and then the four colonels and the four majors and the four captains. they drew their glittering swords and commanded tik-tok to march, which he did. twice he fell down, being tripped by the rough rocks, but when he struck the smooth path he got along better. into the gloomy mouth of the cavern entrance he stepped without hesitation, and after him proudly pranced the officers and queen ann. the others held back a little, waiting to see what would happen. of course the nome king knew they were coming and was prepared to receive them. just within the rocky passage that led to the jeweled throne-room was a deep pit, which was usually covered. ruggedo had ordered the cover removed and it now stood open, scarcely visible in the gloom. the pit was so large around that it nearly filled the passage and there was barely room for one to walk around it by pressing close to the rock walls. this tik-tok did, for his copper eyes saw the pit clearly and he avoided it; but the officers marched straight into the hole and tumbled in a heap on the bottom. an instant later queen ann also walked into the pit, for she had her chin in the air and was careless where she placed her feet. then one of the nomes pulled a lever which replaced the cover on the pit and made the officers of oogaboo and their queen fast prisoners. as for tik-tok, he kept straight on to the cavern where ruggedo sat in his throne and there he faced the nome king and said: "i here-by con-quer you in the name of queen ann so-forth of oo-ga-boo, whose ar-my i am, and i de-clare that you are her pris-on-er!" ruggedo laughed at him. "where is this famous queen?" he asked. "she'll be here in a min-ute," said tik-tok. "per-haps she stopped to tie her shoe-string." "now, see here, tik-tok," began the nome king, in a stern voice, "i've had enough of this nonsense. your queen and her officers are all prisoners, having fallen into my power, so perhaps you'll tell me what you mean to do." "my or-ders were to con-quer you," replied tik-tok, "and my ma-chin-er-y has done the best it knows how to car-ry out those or-ders." ruggedo pounded on his gong and kaliko appeared, followed closely by general guph. "take this copper man into the shops and set him to work hammering gold," commanded the king. "being run by machinery he ought to be a steady worker. he ought never to have been made, but since he exists i shall hereafter put him to good use." "if you try to cap-ture me," said tik-tok, "i shall fight." "don't do that!" exclaimed general guph, earnestly, "for it will be useless to resist and you might hurt some one." but tik-tok raised his gun and took aim and not knowing what damage the gun might do the nomes were afraid to face it. while he was thus defying the nome king and his high officials, betsy bobbin rode calmly into the royal cavern, seated upon the back of hank the mule. the little girl had grown tired of waiting for "something to happen" and so had come to see if ruggedo had been conquered. "nails and nuggets!" roared the king; "how dare you bring that beast here and enter my presence unannounced?" "there wasn't anybody to announce me," replied betsy. "i guess your folks were all busy. are you conquered yet?" "no!" shouted the king, almost beside himself with rage. "then please give me something to eat, for i'm awful hungry," said the girl. "you see, this conquering business is a good deal like waiting for a circus parade; it takes a long time to get around and don't amount to much anyhow." the nomes were so much astonished at this speech that for a time they could only glare at her silently, not finding words to reply. the king finally recovered the use of his tongue and said: "earth-crawler! this insolence to my majesty shall be your death-warrant. you are an ordinary mortal, and to stop a mortal from living is so easy a thing to do that i will not keep you waiting half so long as you did for my conquest." "i'd rather you wouldn't stop me from living," remarked betsy, getting off hank's back and standing beside him. "and it would be a pretty cheap king who killed a visitor while she was hungry. if you'll give me something to eat, i'll talk this killing business over with you afterward; only, i warn you now that i don't approve of it, and never will." her coolness and lack of fear impressed the nome king, although he bore an intense hatred toward all mortals. "what do you wish to eat?" he asked gruffly. "oh, a ham-sandwich would do, or perhaps a couple of hard-boiled eggs--" "eggs!" shrieked the three nomes who were present, shuddering till their teeth chattered. "what's the matter?" asked betsy wonderingly. "are eggs as high here as they are at home?" "guph," said the king in an agitated voice, turning to his general, "let us destroy this rash mortal at once! seize her and take her to the slimy cave and lock her in." guph glanced at tik-tok, whose gun was still pointed, but just then kaliko stole softly behind the copper man and kicked his knee-joints so that they suddenly bent forward and tumbled tik-tok to the floor, his gun falling from his grasp. then guph, seeing tik-tok helpless, made a grab at betsy. at the same time hank's heels shot out and caught the general just where his belt was buckled. he rose into the air swift as a cannon-ball, struck the nome king fairly and flattened his majesty against the wall of rock on the opposite side of the cavern. together they fell to the floor in a dazed and crumpled condition, seeing which kaliko whispered to betsy: "come with me--quick!--and i will save you." she looked into kaliko's face inquiringly and thought he seemed honest and good-natured, so she decided to follow him. he led her and the mule through several passages and into a small cavern very nicely and comfortably furnished. "this is my own room," said he, "but you are quite welcome to use it. wait here a minute and i'll get you something to eat." when kaliko returned he brought a tray containing some broiled mushrooms, a loaf of mineral bread and some petroleum-butter. the butter betsy could not eat, but the bread was good and the mushrooms delicious. "here's the door key," said kaliko, "and you'd better lock yourself in." "won't you let polychrome and the rose princess come here, too?" she asked. "i'll see. where are they?" "i don't know. i left them outside," said betsy. "well, if you hear three raps on the door, open it," said kaliko; "but don't let anyone in unless they give the three raps." "all right," promised betsy, and when kaliko left the cosy cavern she closed and locked the door. in the meantime ann and her officers, finding themselves prisoners in the pit, had shouted and screamed until they were tired out, but no one had come to their assistance. it was very dark and damp in the pit and they could not climb out because the walls were higher than their heads and the cover was on. the queen was first angry and then annoyed and then discouraged; but the officers were only afraid. every one of the poor fellows heartily wished he was back in oogaboo caring for his orchard, and some were so unhappy that they began to reproach ann for causing them all this trouble and danger. finally the queen sat down on the bottom of the pit and leaned her back against the wall. by good luck her sharp elbow touched a secret spring in the wall and a big flat rock swung inward. ann fell over backward, but the next instant she jumped up and cried to the others: "a passage! a passage! follow me, my brave men, and we may yet escape." then she began to crawl through the passage, which was as dark and dank as the pit, and the officers followed her in single file. they crawled, and they crawled, and they kept on crawling, for the passage was not big enough to allow them to stand upright. it turned this way and twisted that, sometimes like a corkscrew and sometimes zigzag, but seldom ran for long in a straight line. "it will never end--never!" moaned the officers, who were rubbing all the skin off their knees on the rough rocks. "it _must_ end," retorted ann courageously, "or it never would have been made. we don't know where it will lead us to, but any place is better than that loathsome pit." so she crawled on, and the officers crawled on, and while they were crawling through this awful underground passage polychrome and shaggy and files and the rose princess, who were standing outside the entrance to ruggedo's domains, were wondering what had become of them. chapter seventeen a tragic transformation "don't let us worry," said shaggy to his companions, "for it may take the queen some time to conquer the metal monarch, as tik-tok has to do everything in his slow, mechanical way." "do you suppose they are likely to fail?" asked the rose princess. "i do, indeed," replied shaggy. "this nome king is really a powerful fellow and has a legion of nomes to assist him, whereas our bold queen commands a clockwork man and a band of faint-hearted officers." "she ought to have let quox do the conquering," said polychrome, dancing lightly upon a point of rock and fluttering her beautiful draperies. "but perhaps the dragon was wise to let her go first, for when she fails to conquer ruggedo she may become more modest in her ambitions." "where is the dragon now?" inquired ozga. "up there on the rocks," replied files. "look, my dear; you may see him from here. he said he would take a little nap while we were mixing up with ruggedo, and he added that after we had gotten into trouble he would wake up and conquer the nome king in a jiffy, as his master the jinjin has ordered him to do." "quox means well," said shaggy, "but i do not think we shall need his services; for just as soon as i am satisfied that queen ann and her army have failed to conquer ruggedo, i shall enter the caverns and show the king my love magnet. that he cannot resist; therefore the conquest will be made with ease." this speech of shaggy man's was overheard by the long-eared hearer, who was at that moment standing by ruggedo's side. for when the king and guph had recovered from hank's kick and had picked themselves up, their first act was to turn tik-tok on his back and put a heavy diamond on top of him, so that he could not get up again. then they carefully put his gun in a corner of the cavern and the king sent guph to fetch the long-eared hearer. the hearer was still angry at ruggedo for breaking his ear, but he acknowledged the nome king to be his master and was ready to obey his commands. therefore he repeated shaggy's speech to the king, who at once realized that his kingdom was in grave danger. for ruggedo knew of the love magnet and its powers and was horrified at the thought that shaggy might show him the magic talisman and turn all the hatred in his heart into love. ruggedo was proud of his hatred and abhorred love of any sort. "really," said he, "i'd rather be conquered and lose my wealth and my kingdom than gaze at that awful love magnet. what can i do to prevent the shaggy man from taking it out of his pocket?" kaliko returned to the cavern in time to overhear this question, and being a loyal nome and eager to serve his king, he answered by saying: "if we can manage to bind the shaggy man's arms, tight to his body, he could not get the love magnet out of his pocket." "true!" cried the king in delight at this easy solution of the problem. "get at once a dozen nomes, with ropes, and place them in the passage where they can seize and bind shaggy as soon as he enters." this kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the entrance were growing more and more uneasy about their friends. "i don't worry so much about the oogaboo people," said polychrome, who had grown sober with waiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for they could not be killed, even though ruggedo might cause them much suffering and perhaps destroy them utterly. but we should not have allowed betsy and hank to go alone into the caverns. the little girl is mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever, so if ruggedo captures her she will be wholly at his mercy." "that is indeed true," replied shaggy. "i wouldn't like to have anything happen to dear little betsy, so i believe i'll go in right away and put an end to all this worry." "we may as well go with you," asserted files, "for by means of the love magnet, you can soon bring the nome king to reason." so it was decided to wait no longer. shaggy walked through the entrance first, and after him came the others. they had no thought of danger to themselves, and shaggy, who was going along with his hands thrust into his pockets, was much surprised when a rope shot out from the darkness and twined around his body, pinning down his arms so securely that he could not even withdraw his hands from the pockets. then appeared several grinning nomes, who speedily tied knots in the ropes and then led the prisoner along the passage to the cavern. no attention was paid to the others, but files and the princess followed on after shaggy, determined not to desert their friend and hoping that an opportunity might arise to rescue him. as for polychrome, as soon as she saw that trouble had overtaken shaggy she turned and ran lightly back through the passage and out of the entrance. then she easily leaped from rock to rock until she paused beside the great dragon, who lay fast asleep. "wake up, quox!" she cried. "it is time for you to act." but quox did not wake up. he lay as one in a trance, absolutely motionless, with his enormous eyes tight closed. the eyelids had big silver scales on them, like all the rest of his body. polychrome might have thought quox was dead had she not known that dragons do not die easily or had she not observed his huge body swelling as he breathed. she picked up a piece of rock and pounded against his eyelids with it, saying: "wake up, quox--wake up!" but he would not waken. "dear me, how unfortunate!" sighed the lovely rainbow's daughter. "i wonder what is the best and surest way to waken a dragon. all our friends may be captured and destroyed while this great beast lies asleep." she walked around quox two or three times, trying to discover some tender place on his body where a thump or a punch might be felt; but he lay extended along the rocks with his chin flat upon the ground and his legs drawn underneath his body, and all that one could see was his thick sky-blue skin--thicker than that of a rhinoceros--and his silver scales. then, despairing at last of wakening the beast, and worried over the fate of her friends, polychrome again ran down to the entrance and hurried along the passage into the nome king's cavern. here she found ruggedo lolling in his throne and smoking a long pipe. beside him stood general guph and kaliko, and ranged before the king were the rose princess, files and the shaggy man. tik-tok still lay upon the floor, weighted down by the big diamond. ruggedo was now in a more contented frame of mind. one by one he had met the invaders and easily captured them. the dreaded love magnet was indeed in shaggy's pocket, only a few feet away from the king, but shaggy was powerless to show it and unless ruggedo's eyes beheld the talisman it could not affect him. as for betsy bobbin and her mule, he believed kaliko had placed them in the slimy cave, while ann and her officers he thought safely imprisoned in the pit. ruggedo had no fear of files or ozga, but to be on the safe side he had ordered golden handcuffs placed upon their wrists. these did not cause them any great annoyance but prevented them from making an attack, had they been inclined to do so. the nome king, thinking himself wholly master of the situation, was laughing and jeering at his prisoners when polychrome, exquisitely beautiful and dancing like a ray of light, entered the cavern. "oho!" cried the king; "a rainbow under ground, eh?" and then he stared hard at polychrome, and still harder, and then he sat up and pulled the wrinkles out of his robe and arranged his whiskers. "on my word," said he, "you are a very captivating creature; moreover, i perceive you are a fairy." "i am polychrome, the rainbow's daughter," she said proudly. "well," replied ruggedo, "i like you. the others i hate. i hate everybody--but you! wouldn't you like to live always in this beautiful cavern, polychrome? see! the jewels that stud the walls have every tint and color of your rainbow--and they are not so elusive. i'll have fresh dewdrops gathered for your feasting every day and you shall be queen of all my nomes and pull kaliko's nose whenever you like." "no, thank you," laughed polychrome. "my home is in the sky, and i'm only on a visit to this solid, sordid earth. but tell me, ruggedo, why my friends have been wound with cords and bound with chains?" "they threatened me," answered ruggedo. "the fools did not know how powerful i am." "then, since they are now helpless, why not release them and send them back to the earth's surface?" "because i hate 'em and mean to make 'em suffer for their invasion. but i'll make a bargain with you, sweet polly. remain here and live with me and i'll set all these people free. you shall be my daughter or my wife or my aunt or grandmother--whichever you like--only stay here to brighten my gloomy kingdom and make me happy!" polychrome looked at him wonderingly. then she turned to shaggy and asked: "are you sure he hasn't seen the love magnet?" "i'm positive," answered shaggy. "but you seem to be something of a love magnet yourself, polychrome." she laughed again and said to ruggedo: "not even to rescue my friends would i live in your kingdom. nor could i endure for long the society of such a wicked monster as you." "you forget," retorted the king, scowling darkly, "that you also are in my power." "not so, ruggedo. the rainbow's daughter is beyond the reach of your spite or malice." "seize her!" suddenly shouted the king, and general guph sprang forward to obey. polychrome stood quite still, yet when guph attempted to clutch her his hands met in air, and now the rainbow's daughter was in another part of the room, as smiling and composed as before. several times guph endeavored to capture her and ruggedo even came down from his throne to assist his general; but never could they lay hands upon the lovely sky fairy, who flitted here and there with the swiftness of light and constantly defied them with her merry laughter as she evaded their efforts. so after a time they abandoned the chase and ruggedo returned to his throne and wiped the perspiration from his face with a finely-woven handkerchief of cloth-of-gold. "well," said polychrome, "what do you intend to do now?" "i'm going to have some fun, to repay me for all my bother," replied the nome king. then he said to kaliko: "summon the executioners." kaliko at once withdrew and presently returned with a score of nomes, all of whom were nearly as evil looking as their hated master. they bore great golden pincers, and prods of silver, and clamps and chains and various wicked-looking instruments, all made of precious metals and set with diamonds and rubies. "now, pang," said ruggedo, addressing the leader of the executioners, "fetch the army of oogaboo and their queen from the pit and torture them here in my presence--as well as in the presence of their friends. it will be great sport." "i hear your majesty, and i obey your majesty," answered pang, and went with his nomes into the passage. in a few minutes he returned and bowed to ruggedo. "they're all gone," said he. "gone!" exclaimed the nome king. "gone where?" "they left no address, your majesty; but they are not in the pit." "picks and puddles!" roared the king; "who took the cover off?" "no one," said pang. "the cover was there, but the prisoners were not under it." "in that case," snarled the king, trying to control his disappointment, "go to the slimy cave and fetch hither the girl and the donkey. and while we are torturing them kaliko must take a hundred nomes and search for the escaped prisoners--the queen of oogaboo and her officers. if he does not find them, i will torture kaliko." kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for he knew the king was cruel and unjust enough to carry out this threat. pang and the executioners also went away, in another direction, but when they came back betsy bobbin was not with them, nor was hank. "there is no one in the slimy cave, your majesty," reported pang. "jumping jellycakes!" screamed the king. "another escape? are you sure you found the right cave?" "there is but one slimy cave, and there is no one in it," returned pang positively. ruggedo was beginning to be alarmed as well as angry. however, these disappointments but made him the more vindictive and he cast an evil look at the other prisoners and said: "never mind the girl and the donkey. here are four, at least, who cannot escape my vengeance. let me see; i believe i'll change my mind about tik-tok. have the gold crucible heated to a white, seething heat, and then we'll dump the copper man into it and melt him up." "but, your majesty," protested kaliko, who had returned to the room after sending a hundred nomes to search for the oogaboo people, "you must remember that tik-tok is a very curious and interesting machine. it would be a shame to deprive the world of such a clever contrivance." "say another word, and you'll go into the furnace with him!" roared the king. "i'm getting tired of you, kaliko, and the first thing you know i'll turn you into a potato and make saratoga-chips of you! the next to consider," he added more mildly, "is the shaggy man. as he owns the love magnet, i think i'll transform him into a dove, and then we can practice shooting at him with tik-tok's gun. now, this is a very interesting ceremony and i beg you all to watch me closely and see that i've nothing up my sleeve." he came out of his throne to stand before the shaggy man, and then he waved his hands, palms downward, in seven semicircles over his victim's head, saying in a low but clear tone of voice the magic wugwa: "adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo! idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!" the effect of this well-known sorcery was instantaneous. instead of the shaggy man, a pretty dove lay fluttering upon the floor, its wings confined by tiny cords wound around them. ruggedo gave an order to pang, who cut the cords with a pair of scissors. being freed, the dove quickly flew upward and alighted on the shoulder of the rose princess, who stroked it tenderly. "very good! very good!" cried ruggedo, rubbing his hands gleefully together. "one enemy is out of my way, and now for the others." (perhaps my readers should be warned not to attempt the above transformation; for, although the exact magical formula has been described, it is unlawful in all civilized countries for anyone to transform a person into a dove by muttering the words ruggedo used. there were no laws to prevent the nome king from performing this transformation, but if it should be attempted in any other country, and the magic worked, the magician would be severely punished.) when polychrome saw shaggy man transformed into a dove and realized that ruggedo was about to do something as dreadful to the princess and files, and that tik-tok would soon be melted in a crucible, she turned and ran from the cavern, through the passage and back to the place where quox lay asleep. chapter eighteen a clever conquest the great dragon still had his eyes closed and was even snoring in a manner that resembled distant thunder; but polychrome was now desperate, because any further delay meant the destruction of her friends. she seized the pearl necklace, to which was attached the great locket, and jerked it with all her strength. the result was encouraging. quox stopped snoring and his eyelids flickered. so polychrome jerked again--and again--till slowly the great lids raised and the dragon looked at her steadily. said he, in a sleepy tone: "what's the matter, little rainbow?" "come quick!" exclaimed polychrome. "ruggedo has captured all our friends and is about to destroy them." "well, well," said quox, "i suspected that would happen. step a little out of my path, my dear, and i'll make a rush for the nome king's cavern." she fell back a few steps and quox raised himself on his stout legs, whisked his long tail and in an instant had slid down the rocks and made a dive through the entrance. along the passage he swept, nearly filling it with his immense body, and now he poked his head into the jeweled cavern of ruggedo. but the king had long since made arrangements to capture the dragon, whenever he might appear. no sooner did quox stick his head into the room than a thick chain fell from above and encircled his neck. then the ends of the chain were drawn tight--for in an adjoining cavern a thousand nomes were pulling on them--and so the dragon could advance no further toward the king. he could not use his teeth or his claws and as his body was still in the passage he had not even room to strike his foes with his terrible tail. ruggedo was delighted with the success of his stratagem. he had just transformed the rose princess into a fiddle and was about to transform files into a fiddle bow, when the dragon appeared to interrupt him. so he called out: "welcome, my dear quox, to my royal entertainment. since you are here, you shall witness some very neat magic, and after i have finished with files and tik-tok i mean to transform you into a tiny lizard--one of the chameleon sort--and you shall live in my cavern and amuse me." "pardon me for contradicting your majesty," returned quox in a quiet voice, "but i don't believe you'll perform any more magic." "eh? why not?" asked the king in surprise. "there's a reason," said quox. "do you see this ribbon around my neck?" "yes; and i'm astonished that a dignified dragon should wear such a silly thing." "do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon, with a little chuckle of amusement. "i do," declared ruggedo. "then you no longer possess any magical powers, and are as helpless as a clam," asserted quox. "my great master, tititi-hoochoo, the jinjin, enchanted this ribbon in such a way that whenever your majesty looked upon it all knowledge of magic would desert you instantly, nor will any magical formula you can remember ever perform your bidding." "pooh! i don't believe a word of it!" cried ruggedo, half frightened, nevertheless. then he turned toward files and tried to transform him into a fiddle bow. but he could not remember the right words or the right pass of the hands and after several trials he finally gave up the attempt. by this time the nome king was so alarmed that he was secretly shaking in his shoes. "i told you not to anger tititi-hoochoo," grumbled kaliko, "and now you see the result of your disobedience." ruggedo promptly threw his sceptre at his royal chamberlain, who dodged it with his usual cleverness, and then he said with an attempt to swagger: "never mind; i don't need magic to enable me to destroy these invaders; fire and the sword will do the business and i am still king of the nomes and lord and master of my underground kingdom!" "again i beg to differ with your majesty," said quox. "the great jinjin commands you to depart instantly from this kingdom and seek the earth's surface, where you will wander for all time to come, without a home or country, without a friend or follower, and without any more riches than you can carry with you in your pockets. the great jinjin is so generous that he will allow you to fill your pockets with jewels or gold, but you must take nothing more." ruggedo now stared at the dragon in amazement. "does tititi-hoochoo condemn me to such a fate?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "he does," said quox. "and just for throwing a few strangers down the forbidden tube?" "just for that," repeated quox in a stern, gruff voice. "well, i won't do it. and your crazy old jinjin can't make me do it, either!" declared ruggedo. "i intend to remain here, king of the nomes, until the end of the world, and i defy your tititi-hoochoo and all his fairies--as well as his clumsy messenger, whom i have been obliged to chain up!" the dragon smiled again, but it was not the sort of smile that made ruggedo feel very happy. instead, there was something so cold and merciless in the dragon's expression that the condemned nome king trembled and was sick at heart. there was little comfort for ruggedo in the fact that the dragon was now chained, although he had boasted of it. he glared at the immense head of quox as if fascinated and there was fear in the old king's eyes as he watched his enemy's movements. for the dragon was now moving; not abruptly, but as if he had something to do and was about to do it. very deliberately he raised one claw, touched the catch of the great jeweled locket that was suspended around his neck, and at once it opened wide. nothing much happened at first; half a dozen hen's eggs rolled out upon the floor and then the locket closed with a sharp click. but the effect upon the nomes of this simple thing was astounding. general guph, kaliko, pang and his band of executioners were all standing close to the door that led to the vast series of underground caverns which constituted the dominions of the nomes, and as soon as they saw the eggs they raised a chorus of frantic screams and rushed through the door, slamming it in ruggedo's face and placing a heavy bronze bar across it. ruggedo, dancing with terror and uttering loud cries, now leaped upon the seat of his throne to escape the eggs, which had rolled steadily toward him. perhaps these eggs, sent by the wise and crafty tititi-hoochoo, were in some way enchanted, for they all rolled directly after ruggedo and when they reached the throne where he had taken refuge they began rolling up the legs to the seat. this was too much for the king to bear. his horror of eggs was real and absolute and he made a leap from the throne to the center of the room and then ran to a far corner. the eggs followed, rolling slowly but steadily in his direction. ruggedo threw his sceptre at them, and then his ruby crown, and then he drew off his heavy golden sandals and hurled these at the advancing eggs. but the eggs dodged every missile and continued to draw nearer. the king stood trembling, his eyes staring in terror, until they were but half a yard distant; then with an agile leap he jumped clear over them and made a rush for the passage that led to the outer entrance. of course the dragon was in his way, being chained in the passage with his head in the cavern, but when he saw the king making toward him he crouched as low as he could and dropped his chin to the floor, leaving a small space between his body and the roof of the passage. ruggedo did not hesitate an instant. impelled by fear, he leaped to the dragon's nose and then scrambled to his back, where he succeeded in squeezing himself through the opening. after the head was passed there was more room and he slid along the dragon's scales to his tail and then ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the entrance. not pausing here, so great was his fright, the king dashed on down the mountain path, but before he had gone very far he stumbled and fell. when he picked himself up he observed that no one was following him, and while he recovered his breath he happened to think of the decree of the jinjin--that he should be driven from his kingdom and made a wanderer on the face of the earth. well, here he was, driven from his cavern in truth; driven by those dreadful eggs; but he would go back and defy them; he would not submit to losing his precious kingdom and his tyrannical powers, all because tititi-hoochoo had said he must. so, although still afraid, ruggedo nerved himself to creep back along the path to the entrance, and when he arrived there he saw the six eggs lying in a row just before the arched opening. at first he paused a safe distance away to consider the case, for the eggs were now motionless. while he was wondering what could be done, he remembered there was a magical charm which would destroy eggs and render them harmless to nomes. there were nine passes to be made and six verses of incantation to be recited; but ruggedo knew them all. now that he had ample time to be exact, he carefully went through the entire ceremony. but nothing happened. the eggs did not disappear, as he had expected; so he repeated the charm a second time. when that also failed, he remembered, with a moan of despair, that his magic power had been taken away from him and in the future he could do no more than any common mortal. and there were the eggs, forever barring him from the kingdom which he had ruled so long with absolute sway! he threw rocks at them, but could not hit a single egg. he raved and scolded and tore his hair and beard, and danced in helpless passion, but that did nothing to avert the just judgment of the jinjin, which ruggedo's own evil deeds had brought upon him. from this time on he was an outcast--a wanderer upon the face of the earth--and he had even forgotten to fill his pockets with gold and jewels before he fled from his former kingdom! chapter nineteen king kaliko after the king had made good his escape files said to the dragon, in a sad voice: "alas! why did you not come before? because you were sleeping instead of conquering, the lovely rose princess has become a fiddle without a bow, while poor shaggy sits there a cooing dove!" "don't worry," replied quox. "tititi-hoochoo knows his business, and i have my orders from the great jinjin himself. bring the fiddle here and touch it lightly to my pink ribbon." files obeyed and at the moment of contact with the ribbon the nome king's charm was broken and the rose princess herself stood before them as sweet and smiling as ever. the dove, perched on the back of the throne, had seen and heard all this, so without being told what to do it flew straight to the dragon and alighted on the ribbon. next instant shaggy was himself again and quox said to him grumblingly: "please get off my left toe, shaggy man, and be more particular where you step." "i beg your pardon!" replied shaggy, very glad to resume his natural form. then he ran to lift the heavy diamond off tik-tok's chest and to assist the clockwork man to his feet. "ma-ny thanks!" said tik-tok. "where is the wicked king who want-ed to melt me in a cru-ci-ble?" "he has gone, and gone for good," answered polychrome, who had managed to squeeze into the room beside the dragon and had witnessed the occurrences with much interest. "but i wonder where betsy bobbin and hank can be, and if any harm has befallen them." "we must search the cavern until we find them," declared shaggy; but when he went to the door leading to the other caverns he found it shut and barred. "i've a pretty strong push in my forehead," said quox, "and i believe i can break down that door, even though it's made of solid gold." "but you are a prisoner, and the chains that hold you are fastened in some other room, so that we cannot release you," files said anxiously. "oh, never mind that," returned the dragon. "i have remained a prisoner only because i wished to be one," and with this he stepped forward and burst the stout chains as easily as if they had been threads. but when he tried to push in the heavy metal door, even his mighty strength failed, and after several attempts he gave it up and squatted himself in a corner to think of a better way. "i'll o-pen the door," asserted tik-tok, and going to the king's big gong he pounded upon it until the noise was almost deafening. kaliko, in the next cavern, was wondering what had happened to ruggedo and if he had escaped the eggs and outwitted the dragon. but when he heard the sound of the gong, which had so often called him into the king's presence, he decided that ruggedo had been victorious; so he took away the bar, threw open the door and entered the royal cavern. great was his astonishment to find the king gone and the enchantments removed from the princess and shaggy. but the eggs were also gone and so kaliko advanced to the dragon, whom he knew to be tititi-hoochoo's messenger, and bowed humbly before the beast. "what is your will?" he inquired. "where is betsy?" demanded the dragon. "safe in my own private room," said kaliko. "go and get her!" commanded quox. so kaliko went to betsy's room and gave three raps upon the door. the little girl had been asleep, but she heard the raps and opened the door. "you may come out now," said kaliko. "the king has fled in disgrace and your friends are asking for you." so betsy and hank returned with the royal chamberlain to the throne cavern, where she was received with great joy by her friends. they told her what had happened to ruggedo and she told them how kind kaliko had been to her. quox did not have much to say until the conversation was ended, but then he turned to kaliko and asked: "do you suppose you could rule your nomes better than ruggedo has done?" "me?" stammered the chamberlain, greatly surprised by the question. "well, i couldn't be a worse king, i'm sure." "would the nomes obey you?" inquired the dragon. "of course," said kaliko. "they like me better than ever they did ruggedo." "then hereafter you shall be the metal monarch, king of the nomes, and tititi-hoochoo expects you to rule your kingdom wisely and well," said quox. "hooray!" cried betsy; "i'm glad of that. king kaliko, i salute your majesty and wish you joy in your gloomy old kingdom!" "we all wish him joy," said polychrome; and then the others made haste to congratulate the new king. "will you release my dear brother?" asked shaggy. "the ugly one? very willingly," replied kaliko. "i begged ruggedo long ago to send him away, but he would not do so. i also offered to help your brother to escape, but he would not go." "he's so conscientious!" said shaggy, highly pleased. "all of our family have noble natures. but is my dear brother well?" he added anxiously. "he eats and sleeps very steadily," replied the new king. "i hope he doesn't work too hard," said shaggy. "he doesn't work at all. in fact, there is nothing he can do in these dominions as well as our nomes, whose numbers are so great that it worries us to keep them all busy. so your brother has only to amuse himself." "why, it's more like visiting, than being a prisoner," asserted betsy. "not exactly," returned kaliko. "a prisoner cannot go where or when he pleases, and is not his own master." "where is my brother now?" inquired shaggy. "in the metal forest." "where is that?" "the metal forest is in the great domed cavern, the largest in all our dominions," replied kaliko. "it is almost like being out of doors, it is so big, and ruggedo made the wonderful forest to amuse himself, as well as to tire out his hard-working nomes. all the trees are gold and silver and the ground is strewn with precious stones, so it is a sort of treasury." "let us go there at once and rescue my dear brother," pleaded shaggy earnestly. kaliko hesitated. "i don't believe i can find the way," said he. "ruggedo made three secret passages to the metal forest, but he changes the location of these passages every week, so that no one can get to the metal forest without his permission. however, if we look sharp, we may be able to discover one of these secret ways." "that reminds me to ask what has become of queen ann and the officers of oogaboo," said files. "i'm sure i can't say," replied kaliko. "do you suppose ruggedo destroyed them?" "oh, no; i'm quite sure he didn't. they fell into the big pit in the passage, and we put the cover on to keep them there; but when the executioners went to look for them they had all disappeared from the pit and we could find no trace of them." "that's funny," remarked betsy thoughtfully. "i don't believe ann knew any magic, or she'd have worked it before. but to disappear like that _seems_ like magic; now, doesn't it?" they agreed that it did, but no one could explain the mystery. "however," said shaggy, "they are gone, that is certain, so we cannot help them or be helped by them. and the important thing just now is to rescue my dear brother from captivity." "why do they call him the ugly one?" asked betsy. "i do not know," confessed shaggy. "i cannot remember his looks very well, it is so long since i have seen him; but all of our family are noted for their handsome faces." betsy laughed and shaggy seemed rather hurt; but polychrome relieved his embarrassment by saying softly: "one can be ugly in looks, but lovely in disposition." "our first task," said shaggy, a little comforted by this remark, "is to find one of those secret passages to the metal forest." "true," agreed kaliko. "so i think i will assemble the chief nomes of my kingdom in this throne room and tell them that i am their new king. then i can ask them to assist us in searching for the secret passages. "that's a good idea," said the dragon, who seemed to be getting sleepy again. kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as ruggedo used to do; but no one answered the summons. "of course not," said he, jumping up from the throne, where he had seated himself. "that is my call, and i am still the royal chamberlain, and will be until i appoint another in my place." so he ran out of the room and found guph and told him to answer the summons of the king's gong. having returned to the royal cavern, kaliko first pounded the gong and then sat in the throne, wearing ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which ruggedo had so often thrown at his head. when guph entered he was amazed. "better get out of that throne before old ruggedo comes back," he said warningly. "he isn't coming back, and i am now the king of the nomes, in his stead," announced kaliko. "all of which is quite true," asserted the dragon, and all of those who stood around the throne bowed respectfully to the new king. seeing this, guph also bowed, for he was glad to be rid of such a hard master as ruggedo. then kaliko, in quite a kingly way, informed guph that he was appointed the royal chamberlain, and promised not to throw the sceptre at his head unless he deserved it. all this being pleasantly arranged, the new chamberlain went away to tell the news to all the nomes of the underground kingdom, every one of whom would be delighted with the change in kings. chapter twenty quox quietly quits when the chief nomes assembled before their new king they joyfully saluted him and promised to obey his commands. but, when kaliko questioned them, none knew the way to the metal forest, although all had assisted in its making. so the king instructed them to search carefully for one of the passages and to bring him the news as soon as they had found it. meantime quox had managed to back out of the rocky corridor and so regain the open air and his old station on the mountain-side, and there he lay upon the rocks, sound asleep, until the next day. the others of the party were all given as good rooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, for king kaliko felt that he was indebted to them for his promotion and was anxious to be as hospitable as he could. much wonderment had been caused by the absolute disappearance of the sixteen officers of oogaboo and their queen. not a nome had seen them, nor were they discovered during the search for the passages leading to the metal forest. perhaps no one was unhappy over their loss, but all were curious to know what had become of them. on the next day, when our friends went to visit the dragon, quox said to them: "i must now bid you good-bye, for my mission here is finished and i must depart for the other side of the world, where i belong." "will you go through the tube again?" asked betsy. "to be sure. but it will be a lonely trip this time, with no one to talk to, and i cannot invite any of you to go with me. therefore, as soon as i slide into the hole i shall go to sleep, and when i pop out at the other end i will wake up at home." they thanked the dragon for befriending them and wished him a pleasant journey. also they sent their thanks to the great jinjin, whose just condemnation of ruggedo had served their interests so well. then quox yawned and stretched himself and ambled over to the tube, into which he slid headforemost and disappeared. they really felt as if they had lost a friend, for the dragon had been both kind and sociable during their brief acquaintance with him; but they knew it was his duty to return to his own country. so they went back to the caverns to renew the search for the hidden passages that led to the forest, but for three days all efforts to find them proved in vain. it was polychrome's custom to go every day to the mountain and watch for her father, the rainbow, for she was growing tired with wandering upon the earth and longed to rejoin her sisters in their sky palaces. and on the third day, while she sat motionless upon a point of rock, whom should she see slyly creeping up the mountain but ruggedo! the former king looked very forlorn. his clothes were soiled and torn and he had no sandals upon his feet or hat upon his head. having left his crown and sceptre behind when he fled, the old nome no longer seemed kingly, but more like a beggerman. several times had ruggedo crept up to the mouth of the caverns, only to find the six eggs still on guard. he knew quite well that he must accept his fate and become a homeless wanderer, but his chief regret now was that he had neglected to fill his pockets with gold and jewels. he was aware that a wanderer with wealth at his command would fare much better than one who was a pauper, so he still loitered around the caverns wherein he knew so much treasure was stored, hoping for a chance to fill his pockets. that was how he came to recollect the metal forest. "aha!" said he to himself, "i alone know the way to that forest, and once there i can fill my pockets with the finest jewels in all the world." he glanced at his pockets and was grieved to find them so small. perhaps they might be enlarged, so that they would hold more. he knew of a poor woman who lived in a cottage at the foot of the mountain, so he went to her and begged her to sew pockets all over his robe, paying her with the gift of a diamond ring which he had worn upon his finger. the woman was delighted to possess so valuable a ring and she sewed as many pockets on ruggedo's robe as she possibly could. then he returned up the mountain and, after gazing cautiously around to make sure he was not observed, he touched a spring in a rock and it swung slowly backward, disclosing a broad passageway. this he entered, swinging the rock in place behind him. however, ruggedo had failed to look as carefully as he might have done, for polychrome was seated only a little distance off and her clear eyes marked exactly the manner in which ruggedo had released the hidden spring. so she rose and hurried into the cavern, where she told kaliko and her friends of her discovery. "i've no doubt that that is a way to the metal forest," exclaimed shaggy. "come, let us follow ruggedo at once and rescue my poor brother!" they agreed to this and king kaliko called together a band of nomes to assist them by carrying torches to light their way. "the metal forest has a brilliant light of its own," said he, "but the passage across the valley is likely to be dark." polychrome easily found the rock and touched the spring, so in less than an hour after ruggedo had entered they were all in the passage and following swiftly after the former king. "he means to rob the forest, i'm sure," said kaliko; "but he will find he is no longer of any account in this kingdom and i will have my nomes throw him out." "then please throw him as hard as you can," said betsy, "for he deserves it. i don't mind an honest, out-an'-out enemy, who fights square; but changing girls into fiddles and ordering 'em put into slimy caves is mean and tricky, and ruggedo doesn't deserve any sympathy. but you'll have to let him take as much treasure as he can get in his pockets, kaliko." "yes, the jinjin said so; but we won't miss it much. there is more treasure in the metal forest than a million nomes could carry in their pockets." it was not difficult to walk through this passage, especially when the torches lighted the way, so they made good progress. but it proved to be a long distance and betsy had tired herself with walking and was seated upon the back of the mule when the passage made a sharp turn and a wonderful and glorious light burst upon them. the next moment they were all standing upon the edge of the marvelous metal forest. it lay under another mountain and occupied a great domed cavern, the roof of which was higher than a church steeple. in this space the industrious nomes had built, during many years of labor, the most beautiful forest in the world. the trees--trunks, branches and leaves--were all of solid gold, while the bushes and underbrush were formed of filigree silver, virgin pure. the trees towered as high as natural live oaks do and were of exquisite workmanship. on the ground were thickly strewn precious gems of every hue and size, while here and there among the trees were paths pebbled with cut diamonds of the clearest water. taken all together, more treasure was gathered in this metal forest than is contained in all the rest of the world--if we except the land of oz, where perhaps its value is equalled in the famous emerald city. our friends were so amazed at the sight that for a while they stood gazing in silent wonder. then shaggy exclaimed. "my brother! my dear lost brother! is he indeed a prisoner in this place?" "yes," replied kaliko. "the ugly one has been here for two or three years, to my positive knowledge." "but what could he find to eat?" inquired betsy. "it's an awfully swell place to live in, but one can't breakfast on rubies and di'monds, or even gold." "one doesn't need to, my dear," kaliko assured her. "the metal forest does not fill all of this great cavern, by any means. beyond these gold and silver trees are other trees of the real sort, which bear foods very nice to eat. let us walk in that direction, for i am quite sure we will find shaggy's brother in that part of the cavern, rather than in this." so they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled paths, and at every step they were more and more bewildered by the wondrous beauty of the golden trees with their glittering foliage. suddenly they heard a scream. jewels scattered in every direction as some one hidden among the bushes scampered away before them. then a loud voice cried: "halt!" and there was the sound of a struggle. chapter twenty-one a bashful brother with fast beating hearts they all rushed forward and, beyond a group of stately metal trees, came full upon a most astonishing scene. there was ruggedo in the hands of the officers of oogaboo, a dozen of whom were clinging to the old nome and holding him fast in spite of his efforts to escape. there also was queen ann, looking grimly upon the scene of strife; but when she observed her former companions approaching she turned away in a shamefaced manner. for ann and her officers were indeed a sight to behold. her majesty's clothing, once so rich and gorgeous, was now worn and torn into shreds by her long crawl through the tunnel, which, by the way, had led her directly into the metal forest. it was, indeed, one of the three secret passages, and by far the most difficult of the three. ann had not only torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her crown had become bent and battered and even her shoes were so cut and slashed that they were ready to fall from her feet. the officers had fared somewhat worse than their leader, for holes were worn in the knees of their trousers, while sharp points of rock in the roof and sides of the tunnel had made rags of every inch of their once brilliant uniforms. a more tattered and woeful army never came out of a battle, than these harmless victims of the rocky passage. but it had seemed their only means of escape from the cruel nome king; so they had crawled on, regardless of their sufferings. when they reached the metal forest their eyes beheld more plunder than they had ever dreamed of; yet they were prisoners in this huge dome and could not escape with the riches heaped about them. perhaps a more unhappy and homesick lot of "conquerors" never existed than this band from oogaboo. after several days of wandering in their marvelous prison they were frightened by the discovery that ruggedo had come among them. rendered desperate by their sad condition, the officers exhibited courage for the first time since they left home and, ignorant of the fact that ruggedo was no longer king of the nomes, they threw themselves upon him and had just succeeded in capturing him when their fellow adventurers reached the spot. "goodness gracious!" cried betsy. "what has happened to you all?" ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and indignant. "we were obliged to escape from the pit through a small tunnel, which was lined with sharp and jagged rocks," said she, "and not only was our clothing torn to rags but our flesh is so bruised and sore that we are stiff and lame in every joint. to add to our troubles we find we are still prisoners; but now that we have succeeded in capturing the wicked metal monarch we shall force him to grant us our liberty." "ruggedo is no longer metal monarch, or king of the nomes," files informed her. "he has been deposed and cast out of his kingdom by quox; but here is the new king, whose name is kaliko, and i am pleased to assure your majesty that he is our friend." "glad to meet your majesty, i'm sure," said kaliko, bowing as courteously as if the queen still wore splendid raiment. the officers, having heard this explanation, now set ruggedo free; but, as he had no place to go, he stood by and faced his former servant, who was now king in his place, in a humble and pleading manner. "what are you doing here?" asked kaliko sternly. "why, i was promised as much treasure as i could carry in my pockets," replied ruggedo; "so i came here to get it, not wishing to disturb your majesty." "you were commanded to leave the country of the nomes forever!" declared kaliko. "i know; and i'll go as soon as i have filled my pockets," said ruggedo, meekly. "then fill them, and be gone," returned the new king. ruggedo obeyed. stooping down, he began gathering up jewels by the handful and stuffing them into his many pockets. they were heavy things, these diamonds and rubies and emeralds and amethysts and the like, so before long ruggedo was staggering with the weight he bore, while the pockets were not yet filled. when he could no longer stoop over without falling, betsy and polychrome and the rose princess came to his assistance, picking up the finest gems and tucking them into his pockets. at last these were all filled and ruggedo presented a comical sight, for surely no man ever before had so many pockets, or any at all filled with such a choice collection of precious stones. he neglected to thank the young ladies for their kindness, but gave them a surly nod of farewell and staggered down the path by the way he had come. they let him depart in silence, for with all he had taken, the masses of jewels upon the ground seemed scarcely to have been disturbed, so numerous were they. also they hoped they had seen the last of the degraded king. "i'm awful glad he's gone," said betsy, sighing deeply. "if he doesn't get reckless and spend his wealth foolishly, he's got enough to start a bank when he gets to oklahoma." "but my brother--my dear brother! where is he?" inquired shaggy anxiously. "have you seen him, queen ann?" "what does your brother look like?" asked the queen. shaggy hesitated to reply, but betsy said: "he's called the ugly one. perhaps you'll know him by that." "the only person we have seen in this cavern," said ann, "has run away from us whenever we approached him. he hides over yonder, among the trees that are not gold, and we have never been able to catch sight of his face. so i cannot tell whether he is ugly or not." "that must be my dear brother!" exclaimed shaggy. "yes, it must be," assented kaliko. "no one else inhabits this splendid dome, so there can be no mistake." "but why does he hide among those green trees, instead of enjoying all these glittery golden ones?" asked betsy. "because he finds food among the natural trees," replied kaliko, "and i remember that he has built a little house there, to sleep in. as for these glittery golden trees, i will admit they are very pretty at first sight. one cannot fail to admire them, as well as the rich jewels scattered beneath them; but if one has to look at them always, they become pretty tame." "i believe that is true," declared shaggy. "my dear brother is very wise to prefer real trees to the imitation ones. but come; let us go there and find him." shaggy started for the green grove at once, and the others followed him, being curious to witness the final rescue of his long-sought, long-lost brother. not far from the edge of the grove they came upon a small hut, cleverly made of twigs and golden branches woven together. as they approached the place they caught a glimpse of a form that darted into the hut and slammed the door tight shut after him. shaggy man ran to the door and cried aloud: "brother! brother!" "who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice from within. "it is shaggy--your own loving brother--who has been searching for you a long time and has now come to rescue you." "too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "no one can rescue me now." "oh, but you are mistaken about that," said shaggy. "there is a new king of the nomes, named kaliko, in ruggedo's place, and he has promised you shall go free." "free! i dare not go free!" said the ugly one, in a voice of despair. "why not, brother?" asked shaggy, anxiously. "do you know what they have done to me?" came the answer through the closed door. "no. tell me, brother, what have they done?" "when ruggedo first captured me i was very handsome. don't you remember, shaggy?" "not very well, brother; you were so young when i left home. but i remember that mother thought you were beautiful." "she was right! i am sure she was right," wailed the prisoner. "but ruggedo wanted to injure me--to make me ugly in the eyes of all the world--so he performed a wicked enchantment. i went to bed beautiful--or you might say handsome--to be very modest i will merely claim that i was good-looking--and i wakened the next morning the homeliest man in all the world! i am so repulsive that when i look in a mirror i frighten myself." "poor brother!" said shaggy softly, and all the others were silent from sympathy. "i was so ashamed of my looks," continued the voice of shaggy's brother, "that i tried to hide; but the cruel king ruggedo forced me to appear before all the legion of nomes, to whom he said: 'behold the ugly one!' but when the nomes saw my face they all fell to laughing and jeering, which prevented them from working at their tasks. seeing this, ruggedo became angry and pushed me into a tunnel, closing the rock entrance so that i could not get out. i followed the length of the tunnel until i reached this huge dome, where the marvelous metal forest stands, and here i have remained ever since." "poor brother!" repeated shaggy. "but i beg you now to come forth and face us, who are your friends. none here will laugh or jeer, however unhandsome you may be." "no, indeed," they all added pleadingly. but the ugly one refused the invitation. "i cannot," said he; "indeed, i cannot face strangers, ugly as i am." shaggy man turned to the group surrounding him. "what shall i do?" he asked in sorrowful tones. "i cannot leave my dear brother here, and he refuses to come out of that house and face us." "i'll tell you," replied betsy. "let him put on a mask." "the very idea i was seeking!" exclaimed shaggy joyfully; and then he called out: "brother, put a mask over your face, and then none of us can see what your features are like." "i have no mask," answered the ugly one. "look here," said betsy; "he can use my handkerchief." shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and shook his head. "it isn't big enough," he objected; "i'm sure it isn't big enough to hide a man's face. but he can use mine." saying this he took from his pocket his own handkerchief and went to the door of the hut. "here, my brother," he called, "take this handkerchief and make a mask of it. i will also pass you my knife, so that you may cut holes for the eyes, and then you must tie it over your face." the door slowly opened, just far enough for the ugly one to thrust out his hand and take the handkerchief and the knife. then it closed again. "don't forget a hole for your nose," cried betsy. "you must breathe, you know." for a time there was silence. queen ann and her army sat down upon the ground to rest. betsy sat on hank's back. polychrome danced lightly up and down the jeweled paths while files and the princess wandered through the groves arm in arm. tik-tok, who never tired, stood motionless. by and by a noise sounded from within the hut. "are you ready?" asked shaggy. "yes, brother," came the reply and the door was thrown open to allow the ugly one to step forth. betsy might have laughed aloud had she not remembered how sensitive to ridicule shaggy's brother was, for the handkerchief with which he had masked his features was a red one covered with big white polka dots. in this two holes had been cut--in front of the eyes--while two smaller ones before the nostrils allowed the man to breathe freely. the cloth was then tightly drawn over the ugly one's face and knotted at the back of his neck. he was dressed in clothes that had once been good, but now were sadly worn and frayed. his silk stockings had holes in them, and his shoes were stub-toed and needed blackening. "but what can you expect," whispered betsy, "when the poor man has been a prisoner for so many years?" shaggy had darted forward, and embraced his newly found brother with both his arms. the brother also embraced shaggy, who then led him forward and introduced him to all the assembled company. "this is the new nome king," he said when he came to kaliko. "he is our friend, and has granted you your freedom." "that is a kindly deed," replied ugly in a sad voice, "but i dread to go back to the world in this direful condition. unless i remain forever masked, my dreadful face would curdle all the milk and stop all the clocks." "can't the enchantment be broken in some way?" inquired betsy. shaggy looked anxiously at kaliko, who shook his head. "i am sure i can't break the enchantment," he said. "ruggedo was fond of magic, and learned a good many enchantments that we nomes know nothing of." "perhaps ruggedo himself might break his own enchantment," suggested ann; "but unfortunately we have allowed the old king to escape." "never mind, my dear brother," said shaggy consolingly; "i am very happy to have found you again, although i may never see your face. so let us make the most of this joyful reunion." the ugly one was affected to tears by this tender speech, and the tears began to wet the red handkerchief; so shaggy gently wiped them away with his coat sleeve. chapter twenty-two kindly kisses "won't you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovely place?" betsy asked the ugly one. "no, indeed," said he. "jewels and gold are cold and heartless things, and i am sure i would presently have died of loneliness had i not found this natural forest at the edge of the artificial one. anyhow, without these real trees i should soon have starved to death." betsy looked around at the quaint trees. "i don't just understand that," she admitted. "what could you find to eat here?" "the best food in the world," ugly answered. "do you see that grove at your left?" he added, pointing it out; "well, such trees as those do not grow in your country, or in any other place but this cavern. i have named them 'hotel trees,' because they bear a certain kind of table d'hote fruit called 'three-course nuts.'" "that's funny!" said betsy. "what are the 'three-course nuts' like?" "something like cocoanuts, to look at," explained the ugly one. "all you have to do is to pick one of them and then sit down and eat your dinner. you first unscrew the top part and find a cupfull of good soup. after you've eaten that, you unscrew the middle part and find a hollow filled with meat and potatoes, vegetables and a fine salad. eat that, and unscrew the next section, and you come to the dessert in the bottom of the nut. that is, pie and cake, cheese and crackers, and nuts and raisins. the three-course nuts are not all exactly alike in flavor or in contents, but they are all good and in each one may be found a complete three-course dinner." "but how about breakfasts?" inquired betsy. "why, there are breakfast trees for that, which grow over there at the right. they bear nuts, like the others, only the nuts contain coffee or chocolate, instead of soup; oatmeal instead of meat-and-potatoes, and fruits instead of dessert. sad as has been my life in this wonderful prison, i must admit that no one could live more luxuriously in the best hotel in the world than i have lived here; but i will be glad to get into the open air again and see the good old sun and the silvery moon and the soft green grass and the flowers that are kissed by the morning dew. ah, how much more lovely are those blessed things than the glitter of gems or the cold gleam of gold!" "of course," said betsy. "i once knew a little boy who wanted to catch the measles, because all the little boys in his neighborhood but him had had 'em, and he was really unhappy 'cause he couldn't catch 'em, try as he would. so i'm pretty certain that the things we want, and can't have, are not good for us. isn't that true, shaggy?" "not always, my dear," he gravely replied. "if we didn't want anything, we would never get anything, good or bad. i think our longings are natural, and if we act as nature prompts us we can't go far wrong." "for my part," said queen ann, "i think the world would be a dreary place without the gold and jewels." "all things are good in their way," said shaggy; "but we may have too much of any good thing. and i have noticed that the value of anything depends upon how scarce it is, and how difficult it is to obtain." "pardon me for interrupting you," said king kaliko, coming to their side, "but now that we have rescued shaggy's brother i would like to return to my royal cavern. being the king of the nomes, it is my duty to look after my restless subjects and see that they behave themselves." so they all turned and began walking through the metal forest to the other side of the great domed cave, where they had first entered it. shaggy and his brother walked side by side and both seemed rejoiced that they were together after their long separation. betsy didn't dare look at the polka dot handkerchief, for fear she would laugh aloud; so she walked behind the two brothers and led hank by holding fast to his left ear. when at last they reached the place where the passage led to the outer world, queen ann said, in a hesitating way that was unusual with her: "i have not conquered this nome country, nor do i expect to do so; but i would like to gather a few of these pretty jewels before i leave this place." "help yourself, ma'am," said king kaliko, and at once the officers of the army took advantage of his royal permission and began filling their pockets, while ann tied a lot of diamonds in a big handkerchief. this accomplished, they all entered the passage, the nomes going first to light the way with their torches. they had not proceeded far when betsy exclaimed: "why, there are jewels here, too!" all eyes were turned upon the ground and they found a regular trail of jewels strewn along the rock floor. "this is queer!" said kaliko, much surprised. "i must send some of my nomes to gather up these gems and replace them in the metal forest, where they belong. i wonder how they came to be here?" all the way along the passage they found this trail of jewels, but when they neared the end the mystery was explained. for there, squatted upon the floor with his back to the rock wall, sat old ruggedo, puffing and blowing as if he was all tired out. then they realized it was he who had scattered the jewels, from his many pockets, which one by one had burst with the weight of their contents as he had stumbled along the passage. "but i don't mind," said ruggedo, with a deep sigh. "i now realize that i could not have carried such a weighty load very far, even had i managed to escape from this passage with it. the woman who sewed the pockets on my robe used poor thread, for which i shall thank her." "have you any jewels left?" inquired betsy. he glanced into some of the remaining pockets. "a few," said he, "but they will be sufficient to supply my wants, and i no longer have any desire to be rich. if some of you will kindly help me to rise, i'll get out of here and leave you, for i know you all despise me and prefer my room to my company." shaggy and kaliko raised the old king to his feet, when he was confronted by shaggy's brother, whom he now noticed for the first time. the queer and unexpected appearance of the ugly one so startled ruggedo that he gave a wild cry and began to tremble, as if he had seen a ghost. "wh--wh--who is this?" he faltered. "i am that helpless prisoner whom your cruel magic transformed from a handsome man into an ugly one!" answered shaggy's brother, in a voice of stern reproach. "really, ruggedo," said betsy, "you ought to be ashamed of that mean trick." "i am, my dear," admitted ruggedo, who was now as meek and humble as formerly he had been cruel and vindictive. "then," returned the girl, "you'd better do some more magic and give the poor man his own face again." "i wish i could," answered the old king; "but you must remember that tititi-hoochoo has deprived me of all my magic powers. however, i never took the trouble to learn just how to break the charm i cast over shaggy's brother, for i intended he should always remain ugly." "every charm," remarked pretty polychrome, "has its antidote; and, if you knew this charm of ugliness, ruggedo, you must have known how to dispel it." he shook his head. "if i did, i--i've forgotten," he stammered regretfully. "try to think!" pleaded shaggy, anxiously. "_please_ try to think!" ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands, sighed, slapped his chest, rubbed his ear, and stared stupidly around the group. "i've a faint recollection that there _was_ one thing that would break the charm," said he; "but misfortune has so addled my brain that i can't remember what it was." "see here, ruggedo," said betsy, sharply, "we've treated you pretty well, so far, but we won't stand for any nonsense, and if you know what's good for yourself you'll think of that charm!" "why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderingly at the little girl. "because it means so much to shaggy's brother. he's dreadfully ashamed of himself, the way he is now, and you're to blame for it. fact is, ruggedo, you've done so much wickedness in your life that it won't hurt you to do a kind act now." ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, and then tried very hard to think. "i seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that a certain kind of a kiss will break the charm of ugliness." "what kind of a kiss?" "what kind? why, it was--it was--it was either the kiss of a mortal maid; or--or--the kiss of a mortal maid who had once been a fairy; or--or the kiss of one who is still a fairy. i can't remember which. but of course no maid, mortal or fairy, would ever consent to kiss a person so ugly--so dreadfully, fearfully, terribly ugly--as shaggy's brother." "i'm not so sure of that," said betsy, with admirable courage; "i'm a mortal maid, and if it is _my_ kiss that will break this awful charm, i--i'll do it!" "oh, you really couldn't," protested ugly. "i would be obliged to remove my mask, and when you saw my face, nothing could induce you to kiss me, generous as you are." "well, as for that," said the little girl, "i needn't see your face at all. here's my plan: you stay in this dark passage, and we'll send away the nomes with their torches. then you'll take off the handkerchief, and i--i'll kiss you." "this is awfully kind of you, betsy!" said shaggy, gratefully. "well, it surely won't kill me," she replied; "and, if it makes you and your brother happy, i'm willing to take some chances." so kaliko ordered the torch-bearers to leave the passage, which they did by going through the rock opening. queen ann and her army also went out; but the others were so interested in betsy's experiment that they remained grouped at the mouth of the passageway. when the big rock swung into place, closing tight the opening, they were left in total darkness. "now, then," called betsy in a cheerful voice, "have you got that handkerchief off your face, ugly?" "yes," he replied. "well, where are you, then?" she asked, reaching out her arms. "here," said he. "you'll have to stoop down, you know." he found her hands and clasping them in his own stooped until his face was near to that of the little girl. the others heard a clear, smacking kiss, and then betsy exclaimed: "there! i've done it, and it didn't hurt a bit!" "tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?" asked shaggy. "i do not know," was the reply. "it may be, or it may not be. i cannot tell." "has anyone a match?" inquired betsy. "i have several," said shaggy. "then let ruggedo strike one of them and look at your brother's face, while we all turn our backs. ruggedo made your brother ugly, so i guess he can stand the horror of looking at him, if the charm isn't broken." agreeing to this, ruggedo took the match and lighted it. he gave one look and then blew out the match. "ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "so it wasn't the kiss of a mortal maid, after all." "let me try," proposed the rose princess, in her sweet voice. "i am a mortal maid who was once a fairy. perhaps my kiss will break the charm." files did not wholly approve of this, but he was too generous to interfere. so the rose princess felt her way through the darkness to shaggy's brother and kissed him. ruggedo struck another match, while they all turned away. "no," announced the former king; "that didn't break the charm, either. it must be the kiss of a fairy that is required--or else my memory has failed me altogether." "polly," said betsy, pleadingly, "won't _you_ try?" "of course i will!" answered polychrome, with a merry laugh. "i've never kissed a mortal man in all the thousands of years i have existed, but i'll do it to please our faithful shaggy man, whose unselfish affection for his ugly brother deserves to be rewarded." even as polychrome was speaking she tripped lightly to the side of the ugly one and quickly touched his cheek with her lips. "oh, thank you--thank you!" he fervently cried. "i've changed, this time, i know. i can feel it! i'm different. shaggy--dear shaggy--i am myself again!" files, who was near the opening, touched the spring that released the big rock and it suddenly swung backward and let in a flood of daylight. everyone stood motionless, staring hard at shaggy's brother, who, no longer masked by the polka-dot handkerchief, met their gaze with a glad smile. "well," said shaggy man, breaking the silence at last and drawing a long, deep breath of satisfaction, "you are no longer the ugly one, my dear brother; but, to be entirely frank with you, the face that belongs to you is no more handsome than it ought to be." "i think he's rather good looking," remarked betsy, gazing at the man critically. "in comparison with what he was," said king kaliko, "he is really beautiful. you, who never beheld his ugliness, may not understand that; but it was my misfortune to look at the ugly one many times, and i say again that, in comparison with what he was, the man is now beautiful." "all right," returned betsy, briskly, "we'll take your word for it, kaliko. and now let us get out of this tunnel and into the world again." chapter twenty-three ruggedo reforms it did not take them long to regain the royal cavern of the nome king, where kaliko ordered served to them the nicest refreshments the place afforded. ruggedo had come trailing along after the rest of the party and while no one paid any attention to the old king they did not offer any objection to his presence or command him to leave them. he looked fearfully to see if the eggs were still guarding the entrance, but they had now disappeared; so he crept into the cavern after the others and humbly squatted down in a corner of the room. there betsy discovered him. all of the little girl's companions were now so happy at the success of shaggy's quest for his brother, and the laughter and merriment seemed so general, that betsy's heart softened toward the friendless old man who had once been their bitter enemy, and she carried to him some of the food and drink. ruggedo's eyes filled with tears at this unexpected kindness. he took the child's hand in his own and pressed it gratefully. "look here, kaliko," said betsy, addressing the new king, "what's the use of being hard on ruggedo? all his magic power is gone, so he can't do any more harm, and i'm sure he's sorry he acted so badly to everybody." "are you?" asked kaliko, looking down at his former master. "i am," said ruggedo. "the girl speaks truly. i'm sorry and i'm harmless. i don't want to wander through the wide world, on top of the ground, for i'm a nome. no nome can ever be happy any place but underground." "that being the case," said kaliko, "i will let you stay here as long as you behave yourself; but, if you try to act badly again, i shall drive you out, as tititi-hoochoo has commanded, and you'll have to wander." "never fear. i'll behave," promised ruggedo. "it is hard work being a king, and harder still to be a good king. but now that i am a common nome i am sure i can lead a blameless life." they were all pleased to hear this and to know that ruggedo had really reformed. "i hope he'll keep his word," whispered betsy to shaggy; "but if he gets bad again we will be far away from the nome kingdom and kaliko will have to 'tend to the old nome himself." polychrome had been a little restless during the last hour or two. the lovely daughter of the rainbow knew that she had now done all in her power to assist her earth friends, and so she began to long for her sky home. "i think," she said, after listening intently, "that it is beginning to rain. the rain king is my uncle, you know, and perhaps he has read my thoughts and is going to help me. anyway i must take a look at the sky and make sure." so she jumped up and ran through the passage to the outer entrance, and they all followed after her and grouped themselves on a ledge of the mountain-side. sure enough, dark clouds had filled the sky and a slow, drizzling rain had set in. "it can't last for long," said shaggy, looking upward, "and when it stops we shall lose the sweet little fairy we have learned to love. alas," he continued, after a moment, "the clouds are already breaking in the west, and--see!--isn't that the rainbow coming?" betsy didn't look at the sky; she looked at polychrome, whose happy, smiling face surely foretold the coming of her father to take her to the cloud palaces. a moment later a gleam of sunshine flooded the mountain and a gorgeous rainbow appeared. with a cry of gladness polychrome sprang upon a point of rock and held out her arms. straightway the rainbow descended until its end was at her very feet, when with a graceful leap she sprang upon it and was at once clasped in the arms of her radiant sisters, the daughters of the rainbow. but polychrome released herself to lean over the edge of the glowing arch and nod, and smile and throw a dozen kisses to her late comrades. "good-bye!" she called, and they all shouted "good-bye!" in return and waved their hands to their pretty friend. slowly the magnificent bow lifted and melted into the sky, until the eyes of the earnest watchers saw only fleecy clouds flitting across the blue. "i'm dreadful sorry to see polychrome go," said betsy, who felt like crying; "but i s'pose she'll be a good deal happier with her sisters in the sky palaces." "to be sure," returned shaggy, nodding gravely. "it's her home, you know, and those poor wanderers who, like ourselves, have no home, can realize what that means to her." "once," said betsy, "i, too, had a home. now, i've only--only--dear old hank!" she twined her arms around her shaggy friend who was not human, and he said: "hee-haw!" in a tone that showed he understood her mood. and the shaggy friend who was human stroked the child's head tenderly and said: "you're wrong about that, betsy, dear. i will never desert you." "nor i!" exclaimed shaggy's brother, in earnest tones. the little girl looked up at them gratefully, and her eyes smiled through their tears. "all right," she said. "it's raining again, so let's go back into the cavern." rather soberly, for all loved polychrome and would miss her, they reentered the dominions of the nome king. chapter twenty-four dorothy is delighted "well," said queen ann, when all were again seated in kaliko's royal cavern, "i wonder what we shall do next. if i could find my way back to oogaboo i'd take my army home at once, for i'm sick and tired of these dreadful hardships." "don't you want to conquer the world?" asked betsy. "no; i've changed my mind about that," admitted the queen. "the world is too big for one person to conquer and i was happier with my own people in oogaboo. i wish--oh, how earnestly i wish--that i was back there this minute!" "so do i!" yelled every officer in a fervent tone. now, it is time for the reader to know that in the far-away land of oz the lovely ruler, ozma, had been following the adventures of her shaggy man, and tik-tok, and all the others they had met. day by day ozma, with the wonderful wizard of oz seated beside her, had gazed upon a magic picture in a radium frame, which occupied one side of the ruler's cosy boudoir in the palace of the emerald city. the singular thing about this magic picture was that it showed whatever scene ozma wished to see, with the figures all in motion, just as it was taking place. so ozma and the wizard had watched every action of the adventurers from the time shaggy had met shipwrecked betsy and hank in the rose kingdom, at which time the rose princess, a distant cousin of ozma, had been exiled by her heartless subjects. when ann and her people so earnestly wished to return to oogaboo, ozma was sorry for them and remembered that oogaboo was a corner of the land of oz. she turned to her attendant and asked: "can not your magic take these unhappy people to their old home, wizard?" "it can, your highness," replied the little wizard. "i think the poor queen has suffered enough in her misguided effort to conquer the world," said ozma, smiling at the absurdity of the undertaking, "so no doubt she will hereafter be contented in her own little kingdom. please send her there, wizard, and with her the officers and files." "how about the rose princess?" asked the wizard. "send her to oogaboo with files," answered ozma. "they have become such good friends that i am sure it would make them unhappy to separate them." "very well," said the wizard, and without any fuss or mystery whatever he performed a magical rite that was simple and effective. therefore those seated in the nome king's cavern were both startled and amazed when all the people of oogaboo suddenly disappeared from the room, and with them the rose princess. at first they could not understand it at all; but presently shaggy suspected the truth, and believing that ozma was now taking an interest in the party he drew from his pocket a tiny instrument which he placed against his ear. ozma, observing this action in her magic picture, at once caught up a similar instrument from a table beside her and held it to her own ear. the two instruments recorded the same delicate vibrations of sound and formed a wireless telephone, an invention of the wizard. those separated by any distance were thus enabled to converse together with perfect ease and without any wire connection. "do you hear me, shaggy man?" asked ozma. "yes, your highness," he replied. "i have sent the people of oogaboo back to their own little valley," announced the ruler of oz; "so do not worry over their disappearance." "that was very kind of you," said shaggy. "but your highness must permit me to report that my own mission here is now ended. i have found my lost brother, and he is now beside me, freed from the enchantment of ugliness which ruggedo cast upon him. tik-tok has served me and my comrades faithfully, as you requested him to do, and i hope you will now transport the clockwork man back to your fairyland of oz." "i will do that," replied ozma. "but how about yourself, shaggy?" "i have been very happy in oz," he said, "but my duty to others forces me to exile myself from that delightful land. i must take care of my new-found brother, for one thing, and i have a new comrade in a dear little girl named betsy bobbin, who has no home to go to, and no other friends but me and a small donkey named hank. i have promised betsy never to desert her as long as she needs a friend, and so i must give up the delights of the land of oz forever." he said this with a sigh of regret, and ozma made no reply but laid the tiny instrument on her table, thus cutting off all further communication with the shaggy man. but the lovely ruler of oz still watched her magic picture, with a thoughtful expression upon her face, and the little wizard of oz watched ozma and smiled softly to himself. in the cavern of the nome king shaggy replaced the wireless telephone in his pocket and turning to betsy said in as cheerful a voice as he could muster: "well, little comrade, what shall we do next?" "i don't know, i'm sure," she answered with a puzzled face. "i'm kind of sorry our adventures are over, for i enjoyed them, and now that queen ann and her people are gone, and polychrome is gone, and--dear me!--where's tik-tok, shaggy?" "he also has disappeared," said shaggy, looking around the cavern and nodding wisely. "by this time he is in ozma's palace in the land of oz, which is his home." "isn't it your home, too?" asked betsy. "it used to be, my dear; but now my home is wherever you and my brother are. we are wanderers, you know, but if we stick together i am sure we shall have a good time." "then," said the girl, "let us get out of this stuffy, underground cavern and go in search of new adventures. i'm sure it has stopped raining." "i'm ready," said shaggy, and then they bade good-bye to king kaliko, and thanked him for his assistance, and went out to the mouth of the passage. the sky was now clear and a brilliant blue in color; the sun shone brightly and even this rugged, rocky country seemed delightful after their confinement underground. there were but four of them now--betsy and hank, and shaggy and his brother--and the little party made their way down the mountain and followed a faint path that led toward the southwest. during this time ozma had been holding a conference with the wizard, and later with tik-tok, whom the magic of the wizard had quickly transported to ozma's palace. tik-tok had only words of praise for betsy bobbin, "who," he said, "is al-most as nice as dor-o-thy her-self." "let us send for dorothy," said ozma, and summoning her favorite maid, who was named jellia jamb, she asked her to request princess dorothy to attend her at once. so a few moments later dorothy entered ozma's room and greeted her and the wizard and tik-tok with the same gentle smile and simple manner that had won for the little girl the love of everyone she met. "did you want to see me, ozma?" she asked. "yes, dear. i am puzzled how to act, and i want your advice." "i don't b'lieve it's worth much," replied dorothy, "but i'll do the best i can. what is it all about, ozma?" "you all know," said the girl ruler, addressing her three friends, "what a serious thing it is to admit any mortals into this fairyland of oz. it is true i have invited several mortals to make their home here, and all of them have proved true and loyal subjects. indeed, no one of you three was a native of oz. dorothy and the wizard came here from the united states, and tik-tok came from the land of ev. but of course he is not a mortal. shaggy is another american, and he is the cause of all my worry, for our dear shaggy will not return here and desert the new friends he has found in his recent adventures, because he believes they need his services." "shaggy man was always kind-hearted," remarked dorothy. "but who are these new friends he has found?" "one is his brother, who for many years has been a prisoner of the nome king, our old enemy ruggedo. this brother seems a kindly, honest fellow, but he has done nothing to entitle him to a home in the land of oz." "who else?" asked dorothy. "i have told you about betsy bobbin, the little girl who was shipwrecked--in much the same way you once were--and has since been following the shaggy man in his search for his lost brother. you remember her, do you not?" "oh, yes!" exclaimed dorothy. "i've often watched her and hank in the magic picture, you know. she's a dear little girl, and old hank is a darling! where are they now?" "look and see," replied ozma with a smile at her friend's enthusiasm. dorothy turned to the picture, which showed betsy and hank, with shaggy and his brother, trudging along the rocky paths of a barren country. "seems to me," she said, musingly, "that they're a good way from any place to sleep, or any nice things to eat." "you are right," said tik-tok. "i have been in that coun-try, and it is a wil-der-ness." "it is the country of the nomes," explained the wizard, "who are so mischievous that no one cares to live near them. i'm afraid shaggy and his friends will endure many hardships before they get out of that rocky place, unless--" he turned to ozma and smiled. "unless i ask you to transport them all here?" she asked. "yes, your highness." "could your magic do that?" inquired dorothy. "i think so," said the wizard. "well," said dorothy, "as far as betsy and hank are concerned, i'd like to have them here in oz. it would be such fun to have a girl playmate of my own age, you see. and hank is such a dear little mule!" ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the girl's eyes, and then she drew dorothy to her and kissed her. "am i not your friend and playmate?" she asked. dorothy flushed. "you know how dearly i love you, ozma!" she cried. "but you're so busy ruling all this land of oz that we can't always be together." "i know, dear. my first duty is to my subjects, and i think it would be a delight to us all to have betsy with us. there's a pretty suite of rooms just opposite your own where she can live, and i'll build a golden stall for hank in the stable where the sawhorse lives. then we'll introduce the mule to the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, and i'm sure they will soon become firm friends. but i cannot very well admit betsy and hank into oz unless i also admit shaggy's brother." "and, unless you admit shaggy's brother, you will keep out poor shaggy, whom we are all very fond of," said the wizard. "well, why not ad-mit him?" demanded tik-tok. "the land of oz is not a refuge for all mortals in distress," explained ozma. "i do not wish to be unkind to shaggy man, but his brother has no claim on me." "the land of oz isn't crowded," suggested dorothy. "then you advise me to admit shaggy's brother?" inquired ozma. "well, we can't afford to lose our shaggy man, can we?" "no, indeed!" returned ozma. "what do you say, wizard?" "i'm getting my magic ready to transport them all." "and you, tik-tok?" "shag-gy's broth-er is a good fel-low, and we can't spare shag-gy." "so, then; the question is settled," decided ozma. "perform your magic, wizard!" he did so, placing a silver plate upon a small standard and pouring upon the plate a small quantity of pink powder which was contained in a crystal vial. then he muttered a rather difficult incantation which the sorceress glinda the good had taught him, and it all ended in a puff of perfumed smoke from the silver plate. this smoke was so pungent that it made both ozma and dorothy rub their eyes for a moment. "you must pardon these disagreeable fumes," said the wizard. "i assure you the smoke is a very necessary part of my wizardry." "look!" cried dorothy, pointing to the magic picture; "they're gone! all of them are gone." indeed, the picture now showed the same rocky landscape as before, but the three people and the mule had disappeared from it. "they are gone," said the wizard, polishing the silver plate and wrapping it in a fine cloth, "because they are here." at that moment jellia jamb entered the room. "your highness," she said to ozma, "the shaggy man and another man are in the waiting room and ask to pay their respects to you. shaggy is crying like a baby, but he says they are tears of joy." "send them here at once, jellia!" commanded ozma. "also," continued the maid, "a girl and a small-sized mule have mysteriously arrived, but they don't seem to know where they are or how they came here. shall i send them here, too?" "oh, no!" exclaimed dorothy, eagerly jumping up from her chair; "i'll go to meet betsy myself, for she'll feel awful strange in this big palace." and she ran down the stairs two at a time to greet her new friend, betsy bobbin. chapter twenty-five the land of love "well, is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?" inquired the sawhorse, as he examined hank with his knot eyes and slowly wagged the branch that served him for a tail. they were in a beautiful stable in the rear of ozma's palace, where the wooden sawhorse--very much alive--lived in a gold-paneled stall, and where there were rooms for the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, which were filled with soft cushions for them to lie upon and golden troughs for them to eat from. beside the stall of the sawhorse had been placed another for hank, the mule. this was not quite so beautiful as the other, for the sawhorse was ozma's favorite steed; but hank had a supply of cushions for a bed (which the sawhorse did not need because he never slept) and all this luxury was so strange to the little mule that he could only stand still and regard his surroundings and his queer companions with wonder and amazement. the cowardly lion, looking very dignified, was stretched out upon the marble floor of the stable, eyeing hank with a calm and critical gaze, while near by crouched the huge hungry tiger, who seemed equally interested in the new animal that had just arrived. the sawhorse, standing stiffly before hank, repeated his question: "is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?" hank moved his ears in an embarrassed manner. "i have never said anything else, until now," he replied; and then he began to tremble with fright to hear himself talk. "i can well understand that," remarked the lion, wagging his great head with a swaying motion. "strange things happen in this land of oz, as they do everywhere else. i believe you came here from the cold, civilized, outside world, did you not?" "i did," replied hank. "one minute i was outside of oz--and the next minute i was inside! that was enough to give me a nervous shock, as you may guess; but to find myself able to talk, as betsy does, is a marvel that staggers me." "that is because you are in the land of oz," said the sawhorse. "all animals talk, in this favored country, and you must admit it is more sociable than to bray your dreadful 'hee-haw,' which nobody can understand." "mules understand it very well," declared hank. "oh, indeed! then there must be other mules in your outside world," said the tiger, yawning sleepily. "there are a great many in america," said hank. "are you the only tiger in oz?" "no," acknowledged the tiger, "i have many relatives living in the jungle country; but i am the only tiger living in the emerald city." "there are other lions, too," said the sawhorse; "but i am the only horse, of any description, in this favored land." "that is why this land is favored," said the tiger. "you must understand, friend hank, that the sawhorse puts on airs because he is shod with plates of gold, and because our beloved ruler, ozma of oz, likes to ride upon his back." "betsy rides upon _my_ back," declared hank proudly. "who is betsy?" "the dearest, sweetest girl in all the world!" the sawhorse gave an angry snort and stamped his golden feet. the tiger crouched and growled. slowly the great lion rose to his feet, his mane bristling. "friend hank," said he, "either you are mistaken in judgment or you are willfully trying to deceive us. the dearest, sweetest girl in the world is our dorothy, and i will fight anyone--animal or human--who dares to deny it!" "so will i!" snarled the tiger, showing two rows of enormous white teeth. "you are all wrong!" asserted the sawhorse in a voice of scorn. "no girl living can compare with my mistress, ozma of oz!" hank slowly turned around until his heels were toward the others. then he said stubbornly: "i am not mistaken in my statement, nor will i admit there can be a sweeter girl alive than betsy bobbin. if you want to fight, come on--i'm ready for you!" while they hesitated, eyeing hank's heels doubtfully, a merry peal of laughter startled the animals and turning their heads they beheld three lovely girls standing just within the richly carved entrance to the stable. in the center was ozma, her arms encircling the waists of dorothy and betsy, who stood on either side of her. ozma was nearly half a head taller than the two other girls, who were almost of one size. unobserved, they had listened to the talk of the animals, which was a very strange experience indeed to little betsy bobbin. "you foolish beasts!" exclaimed the ruler of oz, in a gentle but chiding tone of voice. "why should you fight to defend us, who are all three loving friends and in no sense rivals? answer me!" she continued, as they bowed their heads sheepishly. "i have the right to express my opinion, your highness," pleaded the lion. "and so have the others," replied ozma. "i am glad you and the hungry tiger love dorothy best, for she was your first friend and companion. also i am pleased that my sawhorse loves me best, for together we have endured both joy and sorrow. hank has proved his faith and loyalty by defending his own little mistress; and so you are all right in one way, but wrong in another. our land of oz is a land of love, and here friendship outranks every other quality. unless you can all be friends, you cannot retain our love." they accepted this rebuke very meekly. "all right," said the sawhorse, quite cheerfully; "shake hoofs, friend mule." hank touched his hoof to that of the wooden horse. "let us be friends and rub noses," said the tiger. so hank modestly rubbed noses with the big beast. the lion merely nodded and said, as he crouched before the mule: "any friend of a friend of our beloved ruler is a friend of the cowardly lion. that seems to cover your case. if ever you need help or advice, friend hank, call on me." "why, this is as it should be," said ozma, highly pleased to see them so fully reconciled. then she turned to her companions: "come, my dears, let us resume our walk." as they turned away betsy said wonderingly: "do all the animals in oz talk as we do?" "almost all," answered dorothy. "there's a yellow hen here, and she can talk, and so can her chickens; and there's a pink kitten upstairs in my room who talks very nicely; but i've a little fuzzy black dog, named toto, who has been with me in oz a long time, and he's never said a single word but 'bow-wow!'" "do you know why?" asked ozma. "why, he's a kansas dog; so i s'pose he's different from these fairy animals," replied dorothy. "hank isn't a fairy animal, any more than toto," said ozma, "yet as soon as he came under the spell of our fairyland he found he could talk. it was the same way with billina, the yellow hen whom you brought here at one time. the same spell has affected toto, i assure you; but he's a wise little dog and while he knows everything that is said to him he prefers not to talk." "goodness me!" exclaimed dorothy. "i never s'pected toto was fooling me all this time." then she drew a small silver whistle from her pocket and blew a shrill note upon it. a moment later there was a sound of scurrying footsteps, and a shaggy black dog came running up the path. dorothy knelt down before him and shaking her finger just above his nose she said: "toto, haven't i always been good to you?" toto looked up at her with his bright black eyes and wagged his tail. "bow-wow!" he said, and betsy knew at once that meant yes, as well as dorothy and ozma knew it, for there was no mistaking the tone of toto's voice. "that's a dog answer," said dorothy. "how would you like it, toto, if i said nothing to you but 'bow-wow'?" toto's tail was wagging furiously now, but otherwise he was silent. "really, dorothy," said betsy, "he can talk with his bark and his tail just as well as we can. don't you understand such dog language?" "of course i do," replied dorothy. "but toto's got to be more sociable. see here, sir!" she continued, addressing the dog, "i've just learned, for the first time, that you can say words--if you want to. don't you want to, toto?" "woof!" said toto, and that meant "no." "not just one word, toto, to prove you're as any other animal in oz?" "woof!" "just one word, toto--and then you may run away." he looked at her steadily a moment. "all right. here i go!" he said, and darted away as swift as an arrow. dorothy clapped her hands in delight, while betsy and ozma both laughed heartily at her pleasure and the success of her experiment. arm in arm they sauntered away through the beautiful gardens of the palace, where magnificent flowers bloomed in abundance and fountains shot their silvery sprays far into the air. and by and by, as they turned a corner, they came upon shaggy man and his brother, who were seated together upon a golden bench. the two arose to bow respectfully as the ruler of oz approached them. "how are you enjoying our land of oz?" ozma asked the stranger. "i am very happy here, your highness," replied shaggy's brother. "also i am very grateful to you for permitting me to live in this delightful place." "you must thank shaggy for that," said ozma. "being his brother, i have made you welcome here." "when you know brother better," said shaggy earnestly, "you will be glad he has become one of your loyal subjects. i am just getting acquainted with him myself and i find much in his character to admire." leaving the brothers, ozma and the girls continued their walk. presently betsy exclaimed: "shaggy's brother can't ever be as happy in oz as _i_ am. do you know, dorothy, i didn't believe any girl could ever have such a good time--_anywhere_--as i'm having now?" "i know," answered dorothy. "i've felt that way myself, lots of times." "i wish," continued betsy, dreamily, "that every little girl in the world could live in the land of oz; and every little boy, too!" ozma laughed at this. "it is quite fortunate for us, betsy, that your wish cannot be granted," said she, "for all that army of girls and boys would crowd us so that we would have to move away." "yes," agreed betsy, after a little thought, "i guess that's true." the end the wonderful oz books by l. frank baum the wizard of oz the land of oz ozma of oz dorothy and the wizard in oz the road to oz the emerald city of oz the patchwork girl of oz tik-tok of oz the scarecrow of oz rinkitink in oz the lost princess of oz the tin woodman of oz the magic of oz glinda of oz transcriber's notes: italic text is denoted by _underscores_. chapter headings were parts of illustrations. [illustration: this book belongs to] [illustration: the emerald city of oz] [illustration] to her royal highness cynthia ii of syracuse; and to each and every one of the children whose loyal appreciation has encouraged me to write the oz books this volume is affectionately dedicated. [illustration: he led them into his queer mansion-- (_see page _)] the emerald city of oz by l. frank baum author of the road to oz, dorothy and the wizard in oz, the land of oz, etc. [illustration] illustrated by john r. neill the reilly & lee co. chicago [illustration] copyright by l. frank baum all rights reserved [illustration] perhaps i should admit on the title page that this book is "by l. frank baum and his correspondents," for i have used many suggestions conveyed to me in letters from children. once on a time i really imagined myself "an author of fairy tales," but now i am merely an editor or private secretary for a host of youngsters whose ideas i am requested to weave into the thread of my stories. these ideas are often clever. they are also logical and interesting. so i have used them whenever i could find an opportunity, and it is but just that i acknowledge my indebtedness to my little friends. my, what imaginations these children have developed! sometimes i am fairly astounded by their daring and genius. there will be no lack of fairy-tale authors in the future, i am sure. my readers have told me what to do with dorothy, and aunt em and uncle henry, and i have obeyed their mandates. they have also given me a variety of subjects to write about in the future: enough, in fact, to keep me busy for some time. i am very proud of this alliance. children love these stories because children have helped to create them. my readers know what they want and realize that i try to please them. the result is very satisfactory to the publishers, to me, and (i am quite sure) to the children. i hope, my dears, it will be a long time before we are obliged to dissolve partnership. _coronado, _ l. frank baum. [illustration] [illustration: hum bug] list of chapters chapter page how the nome king became angry how uncle henry got into trouble how ozma granted dorothy's request how the nome king planned revenge how dorothy became a princess how guph visited the whimsies how aunt em conquered the lion how the grand gallipoot joined the nomes how the wogglebug taught athletics how the cuttenclips lived how the general met the first and foremost how they matched the fuddles how the general talked to the king how the wizard practiced sorcery how dorothy happened to get lost how dorothy visited utensia how they came to bunbury how ozma looked into the magic picture how bunnybury welcomed the strangers how dorothy lunched with a king how the king changed his mind how the wizard found dorothy how they encountered the flutterbudgets how the tin woodman told the sad news how the scarecrow displayed his wisdom how ozma refused to fight for her kingdom how the fierce warriors invaded oz how they drank at the forbidden fountain how glinda worked a magic spell how the story of oz came to an end [illustration] _how_ the nome king became angry chapter one [illustration] the nome king was in an angry mood, and at such times he was very disagreeable. every one kept away from him, even his chief steward kaliko. therefore the king stormed and raved all by himself, walking up and down in his jewel-studded cavern and getting angrier all the time. then he remembered that it was no fun being angry unless he had some one to frighten and make miserable, and he rushed to his big gong and made it clatter as loud as he could. in came the chief steward, trying not to show the nome king how frightened he was. "send the chief counselor here!" shouted the angry monarch. kaliko ran out as fast as his spindle legs could carry his fat round body, and soon the chief counselor entered the cavern. the king scowled and said to him: "i'm in great trouble over the loss of my magic belt. every little while i want to do something magical, and find i can't because the belt is gone. that makes me angry, and when i'm angry i can't have a good time. now, what do you advise?" "some people," said the chief counselor, "enjoy getting angry." "but not all the time," declared the king. "to be angry once in a while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable. but to be angry morning, noon and night, as i am, grows monotonous and prevents my gaining any other pleasure in life. now, what do you advise?" "why, if you are angry because you want to do magical things and can't, and if you don't want to get angry at all, my advice is not to want to do magical things." hearing this, the king glared at his counselor with a furious expression and tugged at his own long white whiskers until he pulled them so hard that he yelled with pain. "you are a fool!" he exclaimed. "i share that honor with your majesty," said the chief counselor. the king roared with rage and stamped his foot. [illustration] "ho, there, my guards!" he cried. "ho" is a royal way of saying, "come here." so, when the guards had hoed, the king said to them: "take this chief counselor and throw him away." then the guards took the chief counselor, and bound him with chains to prevent his struggling, and threw him away. and the king paced up and down his cavern more angry than before. finally he rushed to his big gong and made it clatter like a fire-alarm. kaliko appeared again, trembling and white with fear. "fetch my pipe!" yelled the king. "your pipe is already here, your majesty," replied kaliko. "then get my tobacco!" roared the king. "the tobacco is in your pipe, your majesty," returned the steward. "then bring a live coal from the furnace!" commanded the king. "the tobacco is lighted, and your majesty is already smoking your pipe," answered the steward. "why, so i am!" said the king, who had forgotten this fact; "but you are very rude to remind me of it." "i am a lowborn, miserable villain," declared the chief steward, humbly. the nome king could think of nothing to say next, so he puffed away at his pipe and paced up and down the room. finally he remembered how angry he was, and cried out: "what do you mean, kaliko, by being so contented when your monarch is unhappy?" "what makes you unhappy?" asked the steward. "i've lost my magic belt. a little girl named dorothy, who was here with ozma of oz, stole my belt and carried it away with her," said the king, grinding his teeth with rage. "she captured it in a fair fight," kaliko ventured to say. "but i want it! i must have it! half my power is gone with that belt!" roared the king. "you will have to go to the land of oz to recover it, and your majesty can't get to the land of oz in any possible way," said the steward, yawning because he had been on duty ninety-six hours, and was sleepy. "why not?" asked the king. "because there is a deadly desert all around that fairy country, which no one is able to cross. you know that fact as well as i do, your majesty. never mind the lost belt. you have plenty of power left, for you rule this underground kingdom like a tyrant, and thousands of nomes obey your commands. i advise you to drink a glass of melted silver, to quiet your nerves, and then go to bed." the king grabbed a big ruby and threw it at kaliko's head. the steward ducked to escape the heavy jewel, which crashed against the door just over his left ear. "get out of my sight! vanish! go away--and send general blug here," screamed the nome king. kaliko hastily withdrew, and the nome king stamped up and down until the general of his armies appeared. this nome was known far and wide as a terrible fighter and a cruel, desperate commander. he had fifty thousand nome soldiers, all well drilled, who feared nothing but their stern master. yet general blug was a trifle uneasy when he arrived and saw how angry the nome king was. "ha! so you're here!" cried the king. "so i am," said the general. "march your army at once to the land of oz, capture and destroy the emerald city, and bring back to me my magic belt!" roared the king. "you're crazy," calmly remarked the general. "what's that? what's that? what's that?" and the nome king danced around on his pointed toes, he was so enraged. "you don't know what you're talking about," continued the general, seating himself upon a large cut diamond. "i advise you to stand in a corner and count sixty before you speak again. by that time you may be more sensible." the king looked around for something to throw at general blug, but as nothing was handy he began to consider that perhaps the man was right and he had been talking foolishly. so he merely threw himself into his glittering throne and tipped his crown over his ear and curled his feet up under him and glared wickedly at blug. "in the first place," said the general, "we cannot march across the deadly desert to the land of oz; and, if we could, the ruler of that country, princess ozma, has certain fairy powers that would render my army helpless. had you not lost your magic belt we might have some chance of defeating ozma; but the belt is gone." "i want it!" screamed the king. "i must have it." "well, then, let us try in a sensible way to get it," replied the general. "the belt was captured by a little girl named dorothy, who lives in kansas, in the united states of america." "but she left it in the emerald city, with ozma," declared the king. "how do you know that?" asked the general. "one of my spies, who is a blackbird, flew over the desert to the land of oz, and saw the magic belt in ozma's palace," replied the king with a groan. "now, that gives me an idea," said general blug, thoughtfully. "there are two ways to get to the land of oz without traveling across the sandy desert." "what are they?" demanded the king, eagerly. "one way is _over_ the desert, through the air; and the other way is _under_ the desert, through the earth." [illustration] hearing this the nome king uttered a yell of joy and leaped from his throne, to resume his wild walk up and down the cavern. "that's it, blug!" he shouted. "that's the idea, general! i'm king of the under world, and my subjects are all miners. i'll make a secret tunnel under the desert to the land of oz--yes! right up to the emerald city--and you will march your armies there and capture the whole country!" "softly, softly, your majesty. don't go too fast," warned the general. "my nomes are good fighters, but they are not strong enough to conquer the emerald city." "are you sure?" asked the king. "absolutely certain, your majesty." "then what am i to do?" "give up the idea and mind your own business," advised the general. "you have plenty to do trying to rule your underground kingdom." "but i want that magic belt--and i'm going to have it!" roared the nome king. "i'd like to see you get it," replied the general, laughing maliciously. the king was by this time so exasperated that he picked up his scepter, which had a heavy ball, made from a sapphire, at the end of it, and threw it with all his force at general blug. the sapphire hit the general upon his forehead and knocked him flat upon the ground, where he lay motionless. then the king rang his gong and told his guards to drag out the general and throw him away; which they did. this nome king was named roquat the red, and no one loved him. he was a bad man and a powerful monarch, and he had resolved to destroy the land of oz and its magnificent emerald city, to enslave princess ozma and little dorothy and all the oz people, and recover his magic belt. this same belt had once enabled roquat the red to carry out many wicked plans; but that was before ozma and her people marched to the underground cavern and captured it. the nome king could not forgive dorothy or princess ozma, and he had determined to be revenged upon them. but they, for their part, did not know they had so dangerous an enemy. indeed, ozma and dorothy had both almost forgotten that such a person as the nome king yet lived under the mountains of the land of ev--which lay just across the deadly desert to the south of the land of oz. an unsuspected enemy is doubly dangerous. [illustration] _how_ uncle henry got into trouble chapter two [illustration] dorothy gale lived on a farm in kansas, with her aunt em and her uncle henry. it was not a big farm, nor a very good one, because sometimes the rain did not come when the crops needed it, and then everything withered and dried up. once a cyclone had carried away uncle henry's house, so that he was obliged to build another; and as he was a poor man he had to mortgage his farm to get the money to pay for the new house. then his health became bad and he was too feeble to work. the doctor ordered him to take a sea voyage and he went to australia and took dorothy with him. that cost a lot of money, too. uncle henry grew poorer every year, and the crops raised on the farm only bought food for the family. therefore the mortgage could not be paid. at last the banker who had loaned him the money said that if he did not pay on a certain day, his farm would be taken away from him. this worried uncle henry a good deal, for without the farm he would have no way to earn a living. he was a good man, and worked in the fields as hard as he could; and aunt em did all the housework, with dorothy's help. yet they did not seem to get along. this little girl, dorothy, was like dozens of little girls you know. she was loving and usually sweet-tempered, and had a round rosy face and earnest eyes. life was a serious thing to dorothy, and a wonderful thing, too, for she had encountered more strange adventures in her short life than many other girls of her age. aunt em once said she thought the fairies must have marked dorothy at her birth, because she had wandered into strange places and had always been protected by some unseen power. as for uncle henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been, for he could not quite believe all the curious stories dorothy told them of the land of oz, which she had several times visited. he did not think that she tried to deceive her uncle and aunt, but he imagined that she had dreamed all of those astonishing adventures, and that the dreams had been so real to her that she had come to believe them true. whatever the explanation might be, it was certain that dorothy had been absent from her kansas home for several long periods, always disappearing unexpectedly, yet always coming back safe and sound, with amazing tales of where she had been and the unusual people she had met. her uncle and aunt listened to her stories eagerly and in spite of their doubts began to feel that the little girl had gained a lot of experience and wisdom that were unaccountable in this age, when fairies are supposed no longer to exist. most of dorothy's stories were about the land of oz, with its beautiful emerald city and a lovely girl ruler named ozma, who was the most faithful friend of the little kansas girl. when dorothy told about the riches of this fairy country uncle henry would sigh, for he knew that a single one of the great emeralds that were so common there would pay all his debts and leave his farm free. but dorothy never brought any jewels home with her, so their poverty became greater every year. when the banker told uncle henry that he must pay the money in thirty days or leave the farm, the poor man was in despair, as he knew he could not possibly get the money. so he told his wife, aunt em, of his trouble, and she first cried a little and then said that they must be brave and do the best they could, and go away somewhere and try to earn an honest living. but they were getting old and feeble and she feared that they could not take care of dorothy as well as they had formerly done. probably the little girl would also be obliged to go to work. they did not tell their niece the sad news for several days, not wishing to make her unhappy; but one morning the little girl found aunt em softly crying while uncle henry tried to comfort her. then dorothy asked them to tell her what was the matter. "we must give up the farm, my dear," replied her uncle, sadly, "and wander away into the world to work for our living." the girl listened quite seriously, for she had not known before how desperately poor they were. "we don't mind for ourselves," said her aunt, stroking the little girl's head tenderly; "but we love you as if you were our own child, and we are heart-broken to think that you must also endure poverty, and work for a living before you have grown big and strong." "what could i do to earn money?" asked dorothy. "you might do housework for some one, dear, you are so handy; or perhaps you could be a nurse-maid to little children. i'm sure i don't know exactly what you _can_ do to earn money, but if your uncle and i are able to support you we will do it willingly, and send you to school. we fear, though, that we shall have much trouble in earning a living for ourselves. no one wants to employ old people who are broken down in health, as we are." [illustration] dorothy smiled. "wouldn't it be funny," she said, "for me to do housework in kansas, when i'm a princess in the land of oz?" "a princess!" they both exclaimed, astonished. "yes; ozma made me a princess some time ago, and she has often begged me to come and live always in the emerald city," said the child. her uncle and aunt looked at each other in amazement. then the man said: "do you suppose you could manage to return to your fairyland, my dear?" "oh, yes," replied dorothy; "i could do that easily." "how?" asked aunt em. "ozma sees me every day at four o'clock, in her magic picture. she can see me wherever i am, no matter what i am doing. and at that time, if i make a certain secret sign, she will send for me by means of the magic belt, which i once captured from the nome king. then, in the wink of an eye, i shall be with ozma in her palace." the elder people remained silent for some time after dorothy had spoken. finally aunt em said, with another sigh of regret: "if that is the case, dorothy, perhaps you'd better go and live in the emerald city. it will break our hearts to lose you from our lives, but you will be so much better off with your fairy friends that it seems wisest and best for you to go." "i'm not so sure about that," remarked uncle henry, shaking his gray head doubtfully. "these things all seem real to dorothy, i know; but i'm afraid our little girl won't find her fairyland just what she has dreamed it to be. it would make me very unhappy to think that she was wandering among strangers who might be unkind to her." dorothy laughed merrily at this speech, and then she became very sober again, for she could see how all this trouble was worrying her aunt and uncle, and knew that unless she found a way to help them their future lives would be quite miserable and unhappy. she knew that she _could_ help them. she had thought of a way already. yet she did not tell them at once what it was, because she must ask ozma's consent before she would be able to carry out her plans. so she only said: "if you will promise not to worry a bit about me, i'll go to the land of oz this very afternoon. and i'll make a promise, too; that you shall both see me again before the day comes when you must leave this farm." "the day isn't far away, now," her uncle sadly replied. "i did not tell you of our trouble until i was obliged to, dear dorothy, so the evil time is near at hand. but if you are quite sure your fairy friends will give you a home, it will be best for you to go to them, as your aunt says." that was why dorothy went to her little room in the attic that afternoon, taking with her a small dog named toto. the dog had curly black hair and big brown eyes and loved dorothy very dearly. the child had kissed her uncle and aunt affectionately before she went upstairs, and now she looked around her little room rather wistfully, gazing at the simple trinkets and worn calico and gingham dresses, as if they were old friends. she was tempted at first to make a bundle of them, yet she knew very well that they would be of no use to her in her future life. she sat down upon a broken-backed chair--the only one the room contained--and holding toto in her arms waited patiently until the clock struck four. then she made the secret signal that had been agreed upon between her and ozma. uncle henry and aunt em waited downstairs. they were uneasy and a good deal excited, for this is a practical humdrum world, and it seemed to them quite impossible that their little niece could vanish from her home and travel instantly to fairyland. so they watched the stairs, which seemed to be the only way that dorothy could get out of the farmhouse, and they watched them a long time. they heard the clock strike four, but there was no sound from above. half-past four came, and now they were too impatient to wait any longer. softly they crept up the stairs to the door of the little girl's room. "dorothy! dorothy!" they called. there was no answer. they opened the door and looked in. the room was empty. [illustration] _how_ ozma granted dorothy's request chapter three [illustration] i suppose you have read so much about the magnificent emerald city that there is little need for me to describe it here. it is the capital city of the land of oz, which is justly considered the most attractive and delightful fairyland in all the world. the emerald city is built all of beautiful marbles in which are set a profusion of emeralds, every one exquisitely cut and of very great size. there are other jewels used in the decorations inside the houses and palaces, such as rubies, diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and turquoises. but in the streets and upon the outside of the buildings only emeralds appear, from which circumstance the place is named the emerald city of oz. it has nine thousand, six hundred and fifty-four buildings, in which lived fifty-seven thousand three hundred and eighteen people, up to the time my story opens. all the surrounding country, extending to the borders of the desert which enclosed it upon every side, was full of pretty and comfortable farmhouses, in which resided those inhabitants of oz who preferred country to city life. altogether there were more than half a million people in the land of oz--although some of them, as you will soon learn, were not made of flesh and blood as we are--and every inhabitant of that favored country was happy and prosperous. no disease of any sort was ever known among the ozites, and so no one ever died unless he met with an accident that prevented him from living. this happened very seldom, indeed. there were no poor people in the land of oz, because there was no such thing as money, and all property of every sort belonged to the ruler. the people were her children, and she cared for them. each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as any one may reasonably desire. some tilled the lands and raised great crops of grain, which was divided equally among the entire population, so that all had enough. there were many tailors and dressmakers and shoemakers and the like, who made things that any who desired them might wear. likewise there were jewelers who made ornaments for the person, which pleased and beautified the people, and these ornaments also were free to those who asked for them. each man and woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. if by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the ruler, which were afterward filled up again when there was more of any article than the people needed. every one worked half the time and played half the time, and the people enjoyed the work as much as they did the play, because it is good to be occupied and to have something to do. there were no cruel overseers set to watch them, and no one to rebuke them or to find fault with them. so each one was proud to do all he could for his friends and neighbors, and was glad when they would accept the things he produced. you will know, by what i have here told you, that the land of oz was a remarkable country. i do not suppose such an arrangement would be practical with us, but dorothy assures me that it works finely with the oz people. oz being a fairy country, the people were, of course, fairy people; but that does not mean that all of them were very unlike the people of our own world. there were all sorts of queer characters among them, but not a single one who was evil, or who possessed a selfish or violent nature. they were peaceful, kind-hearted, loving and merry, and every inhabitant adored the beautiful girl who ruled them, and delighted to obey her every command. in spite of all i have said in a general way, there were some parts of the land of oz not quite so pleasant as the farming country and the emerald city which was its center. far away in the south country there lived in the mountains a band of strange people called hammer-heads, because they had no arms and used their flat heads to pound any one who came near them. their necks were like rubber, so that they could shoot out their heads to quite a distance, and afterward draw them back again to their shoulders. the hammer-heads were called the "wild people," but never harmed any but those who disturbed them in the mountains where they lived. in some of the dense forests there lived great beasts of every sort; yet these were for the most part harmless and even sociable, and conversed agreeably with those who visited their haunts. the kalidahs--beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers--had once been fierce and bloodthirsty, but even they were now nearly all tamed, although at times one or another of them would get cross and disagreeable. not so tame were the fighting trees, which had a forest of their own. if any one approached them these curious trees would bend down their branches, twine them around the intruders, and hurl them away. but these unpleasant things existed only in a few remote parts of the land of oz. i suppose every country has some drawbacks, so even this almost perfect fairyland could not be quite perfect. once there had been wicked witches in the land, too; but now these had all been destroyed; so, as i said, only peace and happiness reigned in oz. for some time ozma has ruled over this fair country, and never was ruler more popular or beloved. she is said to be the most beautiful girl the world has ever known, and her heart and mind are as lovely as her person. dorothy gale had several times visited the emerald city and experienced adventures in the land of oz, so that she and ozma had now become firm friends. the girl ruler had even made dorothy a princess of oz, and had often implored her to come to ozma's stately palace and live there always; but dorothy had been loyal to her aunt em and uncle henry, who had cared for her since she was a baby, and she had refused to leave them because she knew they would be lonely without her. however, dorothy now realized that things were going to be different with her uncle and aunt from this time forth, so after giving the matter deep thought she decided to ask ozma to grant her a very great favor. a few seconds after she had made the secret signal in her little bedchamber, the kansas girl was seated in a lovely room in ozma's palace in the emerald city of oz. when the first loving kisses and embraces had been exchanged, the fair ruler inquired: "what is the matter, dear? i know something unpleasant has happened to you, for your face was very sober when i saw it in my magic picture. and whenever you signal me to transport you to this safe place, where you are always welcome, i know you are in danger or in trouble." dorothy sighed. "this time, ozma, it isn't i," she replied. "but it's worse, i guess, for uncle henry and aunt em are in a heap of trouble, and there seems no way for them to get out of it--anyhow, not while they live in kansas." "tell me about it, dorothy," said ozma, with ready sympathy. "why, you see uncle henry is poor; for the farm in kansas doesn't 'mount to much, as farms go. so one day uncle henry borrowed some money, and wrote a letter saying that if he didn't pay the money back they could take his farm for pay. course he 'spected to pay by making money from the farm; but he just couldn't. an' so they're going to take the farm, and uncle henry and aunt em won't have any place to live. they're pretty old to do much hard work, ozma; so i'll have to work for them, unless--" ozma had been thoughtful during the story, but now she smiled and pressed her little friend's hand. "unless what, dear?" she asked. dorothy hesitated, because her request meant so much to them all. "well," said she, "i'd like to live here in the land of oz, where you've often 'vited me to live. but i can't, you know, unless uncle henry and aunt em could live here too." "of course not," exclaimed the ruler of oz, laughing gaily. "so, in order to get you, little friend, we must invite your uncle and aunt to live in oz, also." "oh, will you, ozma?" cried dorothy, clasping her chubby little hands eagerly. "will you bring them here with the magic belt, and give them a nice little farm in the munchkin country, or the winkie country--or some other place?" "to be sure," answered ozma, full of joy at the chance to please her little friend. "i have long been thinking of this very thing, dorothy dear, and often i have had it in my mind to propose it to you. i am sure your uncle and aunt must be good and worthy people, or you would not love them so much; and for _your_ friends, princess, there is always room in the land of oz." dorothy was delighted, yet not altogether surprised, for she had clung to the hope that ozma would be kind enough to grant her request. when, indeed, had her powerful and faithful friend refused her anything? "but you must not call me 'princess,'" she said; "for after this i shall live on the little farm with uncle henry and aunt em, and princesses ought not to live on farms." "princess dorothy will not," replied ozma, with her sweet smile. "you are going to live in your own rooms in this palace, and be my constant companion." "but uncle henry--" began dorothy. "oh, he is old, and has worked enough in his lifetime," interrupted the girl ruler; "so we must find a place for your uncle and aunt where they will be comfortable and happy and need not work more than they care to. when shall we transport them here, dorothy?" "i promised to go and see them again before they were turned out of the farmhouse," answered dorothy; "so--perhaps next saturday--" "but why wait so long?" asked ozma. "and why make the journey back to kansas again? let us surprise them, and bring them here without any warning." "i'm not sure that they believe in the land of oz," said dorothy, "though i've told 'em 'bout it lots of times." "they'll believe when they see it," declared ozma; "and if they are told they are to make a magical journey to our fairyland, it may make them nervous. i think the best way will be to use the magic belt without warning them, and when they have arrived you can explain to them whatever they do not understand." "perhaps that's best," decided dorothy. "there isn't much use in their staying at the farm until they are put out, 'cause it's much nicer here." [illustration] "then to-morrow morning they shall come here," said princess ozma. "i will order jellia jamb, who is the palace housekeeper, to have rooms all prepared for them, and after breakfast we will get the magic belt and by its aid transport your uncle and aunt to the emerald city." "thank you, ozma!" cried dorothy, kissing her friend gratefully. "and now," ozma proposed, "let us take a walk in the gardens before we dress for dinner. come, dorothy dear!" [illustration] _how_ the nome king planned revenge chapter four [illustration] the reason most people are bad is because they do not try to be good. now, the nome king had never tried to be good, so he was very bad indeed. having decided to conquer the land of oz and to destroy the emerald city and enslave all its people, king roquat the red kept planning ways to do this dreadful thing, and the more he planned the more he believed he would be able to accomplish it. about the time dorothy went to ozma the nome king called his chief steward to him and said: "kaliko, i think i shall make you the general of my armies." "i think you won't," replied kaliko, positively. "why not?" inquired the king, reaching for his scepter with the big sapphire. "because i'm your chief steward, and know nothing of warfare," said kaliko, preparing to dodge if anything were thrown at him. "i manage all the affairs of your kingdom better than you could yourself, and you'll never find another steward as good as i am. but there are a hundred nomes better fitted to command your army, and your generals get thrown away so often that i have no desire to be one of them." "ah, there is some truth in your remarks, kaliko," remarked the king, deciding not to throw the scepter. "summon my army to assemble in the great cavern." kaliko bowed and retired, and in a few minutes returned to say that the army was assembled. so the king went out upon a balcony that overlooked the great cavern, where fifty thousand nomes, all armed with swords and pikes, stood marshaled in military array. when they were not required as soldiers all these nomes were metal workers and miners, and they had hammered so much at the forges and dug so hard with pick and shovel that they had acquired great muscular strength. they were strangely formed creatures, rather round and not very tall. their toes were curly and their ears broad and flat. in time of war every nome left his forge or mine and became part of the great army of king roquat. the soldiers wore rock-colored uniforms and were excellently drilled. the king looked upon this tremendous army, which stood silently arrayed before him, and a cruel smile curled the corners of his mouth, for he saw that his legions were very powerful. then he addressed them from the balcony, saying: "i have thrown away general blug, because he did not please me. so i want another general to command this army. who is next in command?" "i am," replied colonel crinkle, a dapper-looking nome, as he stepped forward to salute his monarch. the king looked at him carefully and said: "i want you to march this army through an underground tunnel, which i am going to bore, to the emerald city of oz. when you get there i want you to conquer the oz people, destroy them and their city, and bring all their gold and silver and precious stones back to my cavern. also you are to recapture my magic belt and return it to me. will you do this, general crinkle?" "no, your majesty," replied the nome; "for it can't be done." "oh, indeed!" exclaimed the king. then he turned to his servants and said: "please take general crinkle to the torture chamber. there you will kindly slice him into thin slices. afterward you may feed him to the seven-headed dogs." "anything to oblige your majesty," replied the servants, politely, and led the condemned man away. when they had gone the king addressed the army again. "listen!" said he. "the general who is to command my armies must promise to carry out my orders. if he fails he will share the fate of poor crinkle. now, then, who will volunteer to lead my hosts to the emerald city?" for a time no one moved and all were silent. then an old nome with white whiskers so long that they were tied around his waist to prevent their tripping him up, stepped out of the ranks and saluted the king. "i'd like to ask a few questions, your majesty," he said. "go ahead," replied the king. "these oz people are quite good, are they not?" "as good as apple pie," said the king. "and they are happy, i suppose?" continued the old nome. "happy as the day is long," said the king. "and contented and prosperous?" inquired the nome. "very much so," said the king. "well, your majesty," remarked he of the white whiskers, "i think i should like to undertake the job, so i'll be your general. i hate good people; i detest happy people; i'm opposed to any one who is contented and prosperous. that is why i am so fond of your majesty. make me your general and i'll promise to conquer and destroy the oz people. if i fail i'm ready to be sliced thin and fed to the seven-headed dogs." "very good! very good, indeed! that's the way to talk!" cried roquat the red, who was greatly pleased. "what is your name, general?" [illustration] "i'm called guph, your majesty." "well, guph, come with me to my private cave and we'll talk it over." then he turned to the army. "nomes and soldiers," said he, "you are to obey the commands of general guph until he becomes dog-feed. any man who fails to obey his new general will be promptly thrown away. you are now dismissed." guph went to the king's private cave and sat down upon an amethyst chair and put his feet on the arm of the king's ruby throne. then he lighted his pipe and threw the live coal he had taken from his pocket upon the king's left foot and puffed the smoke into the king's eyes and made himself comfortable. for he was a wise old nome, and he knew that the best way to get along with roquat the red was to show that he was not afraid of him. "i'm ready for the talk, your majesty," he said. the king coughed and looked at his new general fiercely. "do you not tremble to take such liberties with your monarch?" he asked. "oh, no," said guph, calmly, and he blew a wreath of smoke that curled around the king's nose and made him sneeze. "you want to conquer the emerald city, and i'm the only nome in all your dominions who can conquer it. so you will be very careful not to hurt me until i have carried out your wishes. after that--" "well, what then?" inquired the king. "then you will be so grateful to me that you won't care to hurt me," replied the general. "that is a very good argument," said roquat. "but suppose you fail?" "then it's the slicing machine. i agree to that," announced guph. "but if you do as i tell you there will be no failure. the trouble with you, roquat, is that you don't think carefully enough. i do. you would go ahead and march through your tunnel into oz, and get defeated and driven back. i won't. and the reason i won't is because when i march i'll have all my plans made, and a host of allies to assist my nomes." [illustration] "what do you mean by that?" asked the king. "i'll explain, king roquat. you're going to attack a fairy country, and a mighty fairy country, too. they haven't much of an army in oz, but the princess who rules them has a fairy wand; and the little girl dorothy has your magic belt; and at the north of the emerald city lives a clever sorceress called glinda the good, who commands the spirits of the air. also i have heard that there is a wonderful wizard in ozma's palace, who is so skillful that people used to pay him money in america to see him perform. so you see it will be no easy thing to overcome all this magic." "we have fifty thousand soldiers!" cried the king, proudly. "yes; but they are nomes," remarked guph, taking a silk handkerchief from the king's pocket and wiping his own pointed shoes with it. "nomes are immortals, but they are not strong on magic. when you lost your famous belt the greater part of your own power was gone from you. against ozma you and your nomes would have no show at all." roquat's eyes flashed angrily. "then away you go to the slicing machine!" he cried. "not yet," said the general, filling his pipe from the king's private tobacco pouch. "what do you propose to do?" asked the monarch. "i propose to obtain the power we need," answered guph. "there are a good many evil creatures who have magic powers sufficient to destroy and conquer the land of oz. we will get them on our side, band them all together, and then take ozma and her people by surprise. it's all very simple and easy when you know how. alone we should be helpless to injure the ruler of oz, but with the aid of the evil powers we can summon we shall easily succeed." king roquat was delighted with this idea, for he realized how clever it was. "surely, guph, you are the greatest general i have ever had!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. "you must go at once and make arrangements with the evil powers to assist us, and meantime i'll begin to dig the tunnel." "i thought you'd agree with me, roquat," replied the new general. "i'll start this very afternoon to visit the chief of the whimsies." [illustration] _how_ dorothy became a princess chapter five [illustration] when the people of the emerald city heard that dorothy had returned to them every one was eager to see her, for the little girl was a general favorite in the land of oz. from time to time some of the folk from the great outside world had found their way into this fairyland, but all except one had been companions of dorothy and had turned out to be very agreeable people. the exception i speak of was the wonderful wizard of oz, a sleight-of-hand performer from omaha who went up in a balloon and was carried by a current of air to the emerald city. his queer and puzzling tricks made the people of oz believe him a great wizard for a time, and he ruled over them until dorothy arrived on her first visit and showed the wizard to be a mere humbug. he was a gentle, kindly-hearted little man, and dorothy grew to like him afterward. when, after an absence, the wizard returned to the land of oz, ozma received him graciously and gave him a home in a part of the palace. in addition to the wizard two other personages from the outside world had been allowed to make their home in the emerald city. the first was a quaint shaggy man, whom ozma had made the governor of the royal storehouses, and the second a yellow hen named billina, who had a fine house in the gardens back of the palace, where she looked after a large family. both these had been old comrades of dorothy, so you see the little girl was quite an important personage in oz, and the people thought she had brought them good luck, and loved her next best to ozma. during her several visits this little girl had been the means of destroying two wicked witches who oppressed the people, and she had discovered a live scarecrow who was now one of the most popular personages in all the fairy country. with the scarecrow's help she had rescued nick chopper, a tin woodman, who had rusted in a lonely forest, and the tin man was now the emperor of the country of the winkies and much beloved because of his kind heart. no wonder the people thought dorothy had brought them good luck! yet, strange as it may seem, she had accomplished all these wonders not because she was a fairy or had any magical powers whatever, but because she was a simple, sweet and true little girl who was honest to herself and to all whom she met. in this world in which we live simplicity and kindness are the only magic wands that work wonders, and in the land of oz dorothy found these same qualities had won for her the love and admiration of the people. indeed, the little girl had made many warm friends in the fairy country, and the only real grief the ozites had ever experienced was when dorothy left them and returned to her kansas home. now she received a joyful welcome, although no one except ozma knew at first that she had finally come to stay for good and all. that evening dorothy had many callers, and among them were such important people as tiktok, a machine man who thought and spoke and moved by clockwork; her old companion the genial shaggy man; jack pumpkinhead, whose body was brush-wood and whose head was a ripe pumpkin with a face carved upon it; the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, two great beasts from the forest, who served princess ozma, and professor h. m. wogglebug, t. e. this wogglebug was a remarkable creature. he had once been a tiny little bug, crawling around in a school-room, but he was discovered and highly magnified so that he could be seen more plainly, and while in this magnified condition he had escaped. he had always remained big, and he dressed like a dandy and was so full of knowledge and information (which are distinct acquirements), that he had been made a professor and the head of the royal college. dorothy had a nice visit with these old friends, and also talked a long time with the wizard, who was little and old and withered and dried up, but as merry and active as a child. afterward she went to see billina's fast growing family of chicks. toto, dorothy's little black dog, also met with a cordial reception. toto was an especial friend of the shaggy man, and he knew every one else. being the only dog in the land of oz, he was highly respected by the people, who believed animals entitled to every consideration if they behaved themselves properly. dorothy had four lovely rooms in the palace, which were always reserved for her use and were called "dorothy's rooms." these consisted of a beautiful sitting room, a dressing room, a dainty bedchamber and a big marble bathroom. and in these rooms were everything that heart could desire, placed there with loving thoughtfulness by ozma for her little friend's use. the royal dressmakers had the little girl's measure, so they kept the closets in her dressing room filled with lovely dresses of every description and suitable for every occasion. no wonder dorothy had refrained from bringing with her her old calico and gingham dresses! here everything that was dear to a little girl's heart was supplied in profusion, and nothing so rich and beautiful could ever have been found in the biggest department stores in america. of course dorothy enjoyed all these luxuries, and the only reason she had heretofore preferred to live in kansas was because her uncle and aunt loved her and needed her with them. now, however, all was to be changed, and dorothy was really more delighted to know that her dear relatives were to share in her good fortune and enjoy the delights of the land of oz, than she was to possess such luxury for herself. next morning, at ozma's request, dorothy dressed herself in a pretty sky-blue gown of rich silk, trimmed with real pearls. the buckles of her shoes were set with pearls, too, and more of these priceless gems were on a lovely coronet which she wore upon her forehead. "for," said her friend ozma, "from this time forth, my dear, you must assume your rightful rank as a princess of oz, and being my chosen companion you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position." dorothy agreed to this, although she knew that neither gowns nor jewels could make her anything else than the simple, unaffected little girl she had always been. as soon as they had breakfasted--the girls eating together in ozma's pretty boudoir--the ruler of oz said: "now, dear friend, we will use the magic belt to transport your uncle and aunt from kansas to the emerald city. but i think it would be fitting, in receiving such distinguished guests, for us to sit in my throne room." "oh, they're not very 'stinguished, ozma," said dorothy. "they're just plain people, like me." "being your friends and relatives, princess dorothy, they are certainly distinguished," replied the ruler, with a smile. "they--they won't hardly know what to make of all your splendid furniture and things," protested dorothy, gravely. "it may scare 'em to see your grand throne room, an' p'raps we'd better go into the back yard, ozma, where the cabbages grow an' the chickens are playing. then it would seem more natural to uncle henry and aunt em." "no; they shall first see me in my throne room," replied ozma, decidedly; and when she spoke in that tone dorothy knew it was not wise to oppose her, for ozma was accustomed to having her own way. so together they went to the throne room, an immense domed chamber in the center of the palace. here stood the royal throne, made of solid gold and encrusted with enough precious stones to stock a dozen jewelry stores in our country. ozma, who was wearing the magic belt, seated herself in the throne, and dorothy sat at her feet. in the room were assembled many ladies and gentlemen of the court, clothed in rich apparel and wearing fine jewelry. two immense animals squatted, one on each side of the throne--the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger. in a balcony high up in the dome an orchestra played sweet music, and beneath the dome two electric fountains sent sprays of colored perfumed water shooting up nearly as high as the arched ceiling. "are you ready, dorothy?" asked the ruler. "i am," replied dorothy; "but i don't know whether aunt em and uncle henry are ready." "that won't matter," declared ozma. "the old life can have very little to interest them, and the sooner they begin the new life here the happier they will be. here they come, my dear!" as she spoke, there before the throne appeared uncle henry and aunt em, who for a moment stood motionless, glaring with white and startled faces at the scene that confronted them. if the ladies and gentlemen present had not been so polite i am sure they would have laughed at the two strangers. aunt em had her calico dress skirt "tucked up," and she wore a faded blue-checked apron. her hair was rather straggly and she had on a pair of uncle henry's old slippers. in one hand she held a dish-towel and in the other a cracked earthenware plate, which she had been engaged in wiping when so suddenly transported to the land of oz. [illustration] uncle henry, when the summons came, had been out in the barn "doin' chores." he wore a ragged and much soiled straw hat, a checked shirt without any collar and blue overalls tucked into the tops of his old cowhide boots. "by gum!" gasped uncle henry, looking around as if bewildered. "well, i swan!" gurgled aunt em, in a hoarse, frightened voice. then her eyes fell upon dorothy, and she said: "d-d-d-don't that look like our little girl--our dorothy, henry?" "hi, there--look out, em!" exclaimed the old man, as aunt em advanced a step; "take care o' the wild beastses, or you're a goner!" but now dorothy sprang forward and embraced and kissed her aunt and uncle affectionately, afterward taking their hands in her own. "don't be afraid," she said to them. "you are now in the land of oz, where you are to live always, and be comfer'ble an' happy. you'll never have to worry over anything again, 'cause there won't be anything to worry about. and you owe it all to the kindness of my friend princess ozma." here she led them before the throne and continued: "your highness, this is uncle henry. and this is aunt em. they want to thank you for bringing them here from kansas." aunt em tried to "slick" her hair, and she hid the dish-towel and dish under her apron while she bowed to the lovely ozma. uncle henry took off his straw hat and held it awkwardly in his hands. but the ruler of oz rose and came from her throne to greet her newly arrived guests, and she smiled as sweetly upon them as if they had been a king and a queen. "you are very welcome here, where i have brought you for princess dorothy's sake," she said, graciously, "and i hope you will be quite happy in your new home." then she turned to her courtiers, who were silently and gravely regarding the scene, and added: "i present to my people our princess dorothy's beloved uncle henry and aunt em, who will hereafter be subjects of our kingdom. it will please me to have you show them every kindness and honor in your power, and to join me in making them happy and contented." hearing this, all those assembled bowed low and respectfully to the old farmer and his wife, who bobbed their own heads in return. "and now," said ozma to them, "dorothy will show you the rooms prepared for you. i hope you will like them, and shall expect you to join me at luncheon." so dorothy led her relatives away, and as soon as they were out of the throne room and alone in the corridor aunt em squeezed dorothy's hand and said: "child, child! how in the world did we ever get here so quick? and is it all real? and are we to stay here, as she says? and what does it all mean, anyhow?" dorothy laughed. "why didn't you tell us what you were goin' to do?" inquired uncle henry, reproachfully. "if i'd known about it i'd 'a put on my sunday clothes." [illustration] "i'll 'splain ever'thing as soon as we get to your rooms," promised dorothy. "you're in great luck, uncle henry and aunt em; an' so am i! and oh! i'm so happy to have got you here, at last!" as he walked by the little girl's side uncle henry stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "'pears to me, dorothy, we won't make bang-up fairies," he remarked. "an' my back hair looks like a fright!" wailed aunt em. "never mind," returned the little girl, reassuringly. "you won't have anything to do now but to look pretty, aunt em; an' uncle henry won't have to work till his back aches, that's certain." "sure?" they asked, wonderingly, and in the same breath. "course i'm sure," said dorothy. "you're in the fairyland of oz, now; an' what's more, you belong to it!" [illustration] _how_ guph visited the whimsies chapter six [illustration] the new general of the nome king's army knew perfectly well that to fail in his plans meant death for him. yet he was not at all anxious or worried. he hated every one who was good and longed to make all who were happy unhappy. therefore he had accepted this dangerous position as general quite willingly, feeling sure in his evil mind that he would be able to do a lot of mischief and finally conquer the land of oz. yet guph determined to be careful, and to lay his plans well, so as not to fail. he argued that only careless people fail in what they attempt to do. the mountains underneath which the nome king's extensive caverns were located lay grouped just north of the land of ev, which lay directly across the deadly desert to the east of the land of oz. as the mountains were also on the edge of the desert the nome king found that he had only to tunnel underneath the desert to reach ozma's dominions. he did not wish his armies to appear above ground in the country of the winkies, which was the part of the land of oz nearest to king roquat's own country, as then the people would give the alarm and enable ozma to fortify the emerald city and assemble an army. he wanted to take all the oz people by surprise; so he decided to run the tunnel clear through to the emerald city, where he and his hosts could break through the ground without warning and conquer the people before they had time to defend themselves. roquat the red began work at once upon his tunnel, setting a thousand miners at the task and building it high and broad enough for his armies to march through it with ease. the nomes were used to making tunnels, as all the kingdom in which they lived was under ground; so they made rapid progress. while this work was going on general guph started out alone to visit the chief of the whimsies. these whimsies were curious people who lived in a retired country of their own. they had large, strong bodies, but heads so small that they were no bigger than door-knobs. of course, such tiny heads could not contain any great amount of brains, and the whimsies were so ashamed of their personal appearance and lack of commonsense that they wore big heads, made of pasteboard, which they fastened over their own little heads. on these pasteboard heads they sewed sheep's wool for hair, and the wool was colored many tints--pink, green and lavender being the favorite colors. the faces of these false heads were painted in many ridiculous ways, according to the whims of the owners, and these big, burly creatures looked so whimsical and absurd in their queer masks that they were called "whimsies." they foolishly imagined that no one would suspect the little heads that were inside the imitation ones, not knowing that it is folly to try to appear otherwise than as nature has made us. the chief of the whimsies had as little wisdom as the others, and had been chosen chief merely because none among them was any wiser or more capable of ruling. the whimsies were evil spirits and could not be killed. they were hated and feared by every one and were known as terrible fighters because they were so strong and muscular and had not sense enough to know when they were defeated. general guph thought the whimsies would be a great help to the nomes in the conquest of oz, for under his leadership they could be induced to fight as long so they could stand up. so he traveled to their country and asked to see the chief, who lived in a house that had a picture of his grotesque false head painted over the doorway. the chief's false head had blue hair, a turned-up nose, and a mouth that stretched half across the face. big green eyes had been painted upon it, but in the center of the chin were two small holes made in the pasteboard, so that the chief could see through them with his own tiny eyes; for when the big head was fastened upon his shoulders the eyes in his own natural head were on a level with the false chin. said general guph to the chief of the whimsies: "we nomes are going to conquer the land of oz and capture our king's magic belt, which the oz people stole from him. then we are going to plunder and destroy the whole country. and we want the whimsies to help us." "will there be any fighting?" asked the chief. "plenty," replied guph. that must have pleased the chief, for he got up and danced around the room three times. then he seated himself again, adjusted his false head, and said: "we have no quarrel with ozma of oz." "but you whimsies love to fight, and here is a splendid chance to do so," urged guph. "wait till i sing a song," said the chief. then he lay back in his chair and sang a foolish song that did not seem to the general to mean anything, although he listened carefully. when he had finished, the chief whimsie looked at him through the holes in his chin and asked: "what reward will you give us if we help you?" the general was prepared for this question, for he had been thinking the matter over on his journey. people often do a good deed without hope of reward, but for an evil deed they always demand payment. [illustration] "when we get our magic belt," he made reply, "our king, roquat the red, will use its power to give every whimsie a natural head as big and fine as the false head he now wears. then you will no longer be ashamed because your big strong bodies have such teenty-weenty heads." "oh! will you do that?" asked the chief, eagerly. "we surely will," promised the general. "i'll talk to my people," said the chief. so he called a meeting of all the whimsies and told them of the offer made by the nomes. the creatures were delighted with the bargain, and at once agreed to fight for the nome king and help him to conquer oz. [illustration] one whimsie alone seemed to have a glimmer of sense, for he asked: "suppose we fail to capture the magic belt? what will happen then, and what good will all our fighting do?" but they threw him into the river for asking foolish questions, and laughed when the water ruined his pasteboard head before he could swim out again. so the compact was made and general guph was delighted with his success in gaining such powerful allies. but there were other people, too, just as important as the whimsies, whom the clever old nome had determined to win to his side. [illustration] _how_ aunt em conquered the lion chapter seven [illustration] "these are your rooms," said dorothy, opening a door. aunt em drew back at sight of the splendid furniture and draperies. "ain't there any place to wipe my feet?" she asked. "you will soon change your slippers for new shoes," replied dorothy. "don't be afraid, aunt em. here is where you are to live, so walk right in and make yourself at home." aunt em advanced hesitatingly. "it beats the topeka hotel!" she cried, admiringly. "but this place is too grand for us, child. can't we have some back room in the attic, that's more in our class?" "no," said dorothy. "you've got to live here, 'cause ozma says so. and all the rooms in this palace are just as fine as these, and some are better. it won't do any good to fuss, aunt em. you've got to be swell and high-toned in the land of oz, whether you want to or not; so you may as well make up your mind to it." "it's hard luck," replied her aunt, looking around with an awed expression; "but folks can get used to anything, if they try. eh, henry?" "why, as to that," said uncle henry, slowly, "i b'lieve in takin' what's pervided us, an' askin' no questions. i've traveled some, em, in my time, and you hain't; an' that makes a difference atween us." then dorothy showed them through the rooms. the first was a handsome sitting-room, with windows opening upon the rose gardens. then came separate bedrooms for aunt em and uncle henry, with a fine bathroom between them. aunt em had a pretty dressing room, besides, and dorothy opened the closets and showed several exquisite costumes that had been provided for her aunt by the royal dressmakers, who had worked all night to get them ready. everything that aunt em could possibly need was in the drawers and closets, and her dressing-table was covered with engraved gold toilet articles. uncle henry had nine suits of clothes, cut in the popular munchkin fashion, with knee-breeches, silk stockings and low shoes with jeweled buckles. the hats to match these costumes had pointed tops and wide brims with small gold bells around the edges. his shirts were of fine linen with frilled bosoms, and his vests were richly embroidered with colored silks. uncle henry decided that he would first take a bath and then dress himself in a blue satin suit that had caught his fancy. he accepted his good fortune with calm composure and refused to have a servant to assist him. but aunt em was "all of a flutter," as she said, and it took dorothy and jellia jamb, the housekeeper, and two maids a long time to dress her and do up her hair and get her "rigged like a popinjay," as she quaintly expressed it. she wanted to stop and admire everything that caught her eye, and she sighed continually and declared that such finery was too good for an old country woman, and that she never thought she would have to "put on airs" at her time of life. finally she was dressed, and when they went into the sitting-room there was uncle henry in his blue satin, walking gravely up and down the room. he had trimmed his beard and mustache and looked very dignified and respectable. "tell me, dorothy," he said; "do all the men here wear duds like these?" "yes," she replied; "all 'cept the scarecrow and the shaggy man--and of course the tin woodman and tiktok, who are made of metal. you'll find all the men at ozma's court dressed just as you are--only perhaps a little finer." "henry, you look like a play-actor," announced aunt em, looking at her husband critically. "an' you, em, look more highfalutin' than a peacock," he replied. "i guess you're right," she said, regretfully; "but we're helpless victims of high-toned royalty." dorothy was much amused. [illustration] "come with me," she said, "and i'll show you 'round the palace." she took them through the beautiful rooms and introduced them to all the people they chanced to meet. also she showed them her own pretty rooms, which were not far from their own. "so it's all true," said aunt em, wide-eyed with amazement, "and what dorothy told us of this fairy country was plain facts instead of dreams! but where are all the strange creatures you used to know here?" "yes; where's the scarecrow?" inquired uncle henry. "why, he's just now away on a visit to the tin woodman, who is emp'ror of the winkie country," answered the little girl. "you'll see him when he comes back, and you're sure to like him." "and where's the wonderful wizard?" asked aunt em. "you'll see him at ozma's luncheon, for he lives in this palace," was the reply. "and jack pumpkinhead?" "oh, he lives a little way out of town, in his own pumpkin field. we'll go there some time and see him, and we'll call on professor wogglebug, too. the shaggy man will be at the luncheon, i guess, and tiktok. and now i'll take you out to see billina, who has a house of her own." so they went into the back yard, and after walking along winding paths some distance through the beautiful gardens they came to an attractive little house where the yellow hen sat on the front porch sunning herself. "good morning, my dear mistress," called billina, fluttering down to meet them. "i was expecting you to call, for i heard you had come back and brought your uncle and aunt with you." "we're here for good and all, this time, billina," cried dorothy, joyfully. "uncle henry and aunt em belong in oz now as much as i do!" "then they are very lucky people," declared billina; "for there couldn't be a nicer place to live. but come, my dear; i must show you all my dorothys. nine are living and have grown up to be very respectable hens; but one took cold at ozma's birthday party and died of the pip, and the other two turned out to be horrid roosters, so i had to change their names from dorothy to daniel. they all had the letter 'd' engraved upon their gold lockets, you remember, with your picture inside, and 'd' stands for daniel as well as for dorothy." "did you call both the roosters daniel?" asked uncle henry. "yes, indeed. i've nine dorothys and two daniels; and the nine dorothys have eighty-six sons and daughters and over three hundred grandchildren," said billina, proudly. "what names do you give 'em all, dear?" inquired the little girl. "oh, they are all dorothys and daniels, some being juniors and some double-juniors. dorothy and daniel are two good names, and i see no object in hunting for others," declared the yellow hen. "but just think, dorothy, what a big chicken family we've grown to be, and our numbers increase nearly every day! ozma doesn't know what to do with all the eggs we lay, and we are never eaten or harmed in any way, as chickens are in your country. they give us everything to make us contented and happy, and i, my dear, am the acknowledged queen and governor of every chicken in oz, because i'm the eldest and started the whole colony." "you ought to be very proud, ma'am," said uncle henry, who was astonished to hear a hen talk so sensibly. "oh, i am," she replied. "i've the loveliest pearl necklace you ever saw. come in the house and i'll show it to you. and i've nine leg bracelets and a diamond pin for each wing. but i only wear them on state occasions." they followed the yellow hen into the house, which aunt em declared was neat as a pin. they could not sit down, because all billina's chairs were roosting-poles made of silver; so they had to stand while the hen fussily showed them her treasures. then they had to go into the back rooms occupied by billina's nine dorothys and two daniels, who were all plump yellow chickens and greeted the visitors very politely. it was easy to see that they were well bred and that billina had looked after their education. in the yards were all the children and grandchildren of these eleven elders and they were of all sizes, from well-grown hens to tiny chickens just out of the shell. about fifty fluffy yellow youngsters were at school, being taught good manners and good grammar by a young hen who wore spectacles. they sang in chorus a patriotic song of the land of oz, in honor of their visitors, and aunt em was much impressed by these talking chickens. dorothy wanted to stay and play with the young chickens for awhile, but uncle henry and aunt em had not seen the palace grounds and gardens yet and were eager to get better acquainted with the marvelous and delightful land in which they were to live. "i'll stay here, and you can go for a walk," said dorothy. "you'll be perfec'ly safe anywhere, and may do whatever you want to. when you get tired, go back to the palace and find your rooms, and i'll come to you before luncheon is ready." so uncle henry and aunt em started out alone to explore the grounds, and dorothy knew that they couldn't get lost, because all the palace grounds were enclosed by a high wall of green marble set with emeralds. it was a rare treat to these simple folk, who had lived in the country all their lives and known little enjoyment of any sort, to wear beautiful clothes and live in a palace and be treated with respect and consideration by all around them. they were very happy indeed as they strolled up the shady walks and looked upon the gorgeous flowers and shrubs, feeling that their new home was more beautiful than any tongue could describe. suddenly, as they turned a corner and walked through a gap in a high hedge, they came face to face with an enormous lion, which crouched upon the green lawn and seemed surprised by their appearance. they stopped short, uncle henry trembling with horror and aunt em too terrified to scream. next moment the poor woman clasped her husband around the neck and cried: "save me, henry, save me!" "can't even save myself, em," he returned, in a husky voice, "for the animile looks as if it could eat both of us, an' lick its chops for more! if i only had a gun--" "haven't you, henry? haven't you?" she asked anxiously. "nary gun, em. so let's die as brave an' graceful as we can. i knew our luck couldn't last!" "i won't die. i won't be eaten by a lion!" wailed aunt em, glaring upon the huge beast. then a thought struck her, and she whispered: "henry, i've heard as savage beastses can be conquered by the human eye. i'll eye that lion out o' countenance an' save our lives." "try it, em," he returned, also in a whisper. "look at him as you do at me when i'm late to dinner." aunt em turned upon the lion a determined countenance and a wild dilated eye. she glared at the immense beast steadily, and the lion, who had been quietly blinking at them, began to appear uneasy and disturbed. [illustration] "is anything the matter, ma'am?" he asked, in a mild voice. at this speech from the terrible beast aunt em and uncle henry both were startled, and then uncle henry remembered that this must be the lion they had seen in ozma's throne room. "hold on, em!" he exclaimed. "quit the eagle eye conquest an' take courage. i guess this is the same cowardly lion dorothy has told us about." "oh, is it?" she asked, much relieved. "when he spoke, i got the idea; and when he looked so 'shamed like, i was sure of it," uncle henry continued. aunt em regarded the animal with new interest. "are you the cowardly lion?" she inquired. "are you dorothy's friend?" "yes'm," answered the lion, meekly. "dorothy and i are old chums and are very fond of each other. i'm the king of beasts, you know, and the hungry tiger and i serve princess ozma as her body guards." "to be sure," said aunt em, nodding. "but the king of beasts shouldn't be cowardly." "i've heard that said before," remarked the lion, yawning till he showed his two great rows of sharp white teeth; "but that does not keep me from being frightened whenever i go into battle." "what do you do, run?" asked uncle henry. "no; that would be foolish, for the enemy would run after me," declared the lion. "so i tremble with fear and pitch in as hard as i can; and so far i have always won my fight." "ah, i begin to understand," said uncle henry. "were you scared when i looked at you just now?" inquired aunt em. "terribly scared, madam," answered the lion, "for at first i thought you were going to have a fit. then i noticed you were trying to overcome me by the power of your eye, and your glance was so fierce and penetrating that i shook with fear." this greatly pleased the lady, and she said quite cheerfully: "well, i won't hurt you, so don't be scared any more. i just wanted to see what the human eye was good for." "the human eye is a fearful weapon," remarked the lion, scratching his nose softly with his paw to hide a smile. "had i not known you were dorothy's friends i might have torn you both into shreds in order to escape your terrible gaze." aunt em shuddered at hearing this, and uncle henry said hastily: "i'm glad you knew us. good morning, mr. lion; we'll hope to see you again--by and by--some time in the future." "good morning," replied the lion, squatting down upon the lawn again. "you are likely to see a good deal of me, if you live in the land of oz." [illustration] _how_ the grand gallipoot joined the nomes chapter eight [illustration] after leaving the whimsies, guph continued on his journey and penetrated far into the northwest. he wanted to get to the country of the growleywogs, and in order to do that he must cross the ripple land, which was a hard thing to do. for the ripple land was a succession of hills and valleys, all very steep and rocky, and they changed places constantly by rippling. while guph was climbing a hill it sank down under him and became a valley, and while he was descending into a valley it rose up and carried him to the top of a hill. this was very perplexing to the traveler, and a stranger might have thought he could never cross the ripple land at all. but guph knew that if he kept steadily on he would get to the end at last; so he paid no attention to the changing hills and valleys and plodded along as calmly as if walking upon the level ground. the result of this wise persistence was that the general finally reached firmer soil and, after penetrating a dense forest, came to the dominion of the growleywogs. no sooner had he crossed the border of this domain when two guards seized him and carried him before the grand gallipoot of the growleywogs, who scowled upon him ferociously and asked him why he dared intrude upon his territory. "i'm the lord high general of the invincible army of the nomes, and my name is guph," was the reply. "all the world trembles when that name is mentioned." the growleywogs gave a shout of jeering laughter at this, and one of them caught the nome in his strong arms and tossed him high into the air. guph was considerably shaken when he fell upon the hard ground, but he appeared to take no notice of the impertinence and composed himself to speak again to the grand gallipoot. "my master, king roquat the red, has sent me here to confer with you. he wishes your assistance to conquer the land of oz." here the general paused, and the grand gallipoot scowled upon him more terribly than ever and said: "go on!" the voice of the grand gallipoot was partly a roar and partly a growl. he mumbled his words badly and guph had to listen carefully in order to understand him. these growleywogs were certainly remarkable creatures. they were of gigantic size, yet were all bone and skin and muscle, there being no meat or fat upon their bodies at all. their powerful muscles lay just underneath their skins, like bunches of tough rope, and the weakest growleywog was so strong that he could pick up an elephant and toss it seven miles away. it seems unfortunate that strong people are usually so disagreeable and overbearing that no one cares for them. in fact, to be different from your fellow creatures is always a misfortune. the growleywogs knew that they were disliked and avoided by every one, so they had become surly and unsociable even among themselves. guph knew that they hated all people, including the nomes; but he hoped to win them over, nevertheless, and knew that if he succeeded they would afford him very powerful assistance. "the land of oz is ruled by a namby-pamby girl who is disgustingly kind and good," he continued. "her people are all happy and contented and have no care or worries whatever." "go on!" growled the grand gallipoot. [illustration] "once the nome king enslaved the royal family of ev--another goody-goody lot that we detest," said the general. "but ozma interfered, although it was none of her business, and marched her army against us. with her was a kansas girl named dorothy, and a yellow hen, and they marched directly into the nome king's cavern. there they liberated our slaves from ev and stole king roquat's magic belt, which they carried away with them. so now our king is making a tunnel under the deadly desert, so we can march through it to the emerald city. when we get there we mean to conquer and destroy all the land and recapture the magic belt." again he paused, and again the grand gallipoot growled: "go on!" guph tried to think what to say next, and a happy thought soon occurred to him. "we want you to help us in this conquest," he announced, "for we need the mighty aid of the growleywogs in order to make sure that we shall not be defeated. you are the strongest people in all the world, and you hate good and happy creatures as much as we nomes do. i am sure it will be a real pleasure to you to tear down the beautiful emerald city, and in return for your valuable assistance we will allow you to bring back to your country ten thousand people of oz, to be your slaves." "twenty thousand!" growled the grand gallipoot. "all right, we promise you twenty thousand," agreed the general. the gallipoot made a signal and at once his attendants picked up general guph and carried him away to a prison, where the jailor amused himself by sticking pins in the round fat body of the old nome, to see him jump and hear him yell. but while this was going on the grand gallipoot was talking with his counselors, who were the most important officials of the growleywogs. when he had stated to them the proposition of the nome king he said: "my advice is to offer to help them. then, when we have conquered the land of oz, we will take not only our twenty thousand prisoners but all the gold and jewels we want." "let us take the magic belt, too," suggested one counselor. "and rob the nome king and make him our slave," said another. "that is a good idea," declared the grand gallipoot. "i'd like king roquat for my own slave. he could black my boots and bring me my porridge every morning while i am in bed." "there is a famous scarecrow in oz. i'll take him for my slave," said a counselor. "i'll take tiktok, the machine man," said another. "give me the tin woodman," said a third. they went on for some time, dividing up the people and the treasure of oz in advance of the conquest. for they had no doubt at all that they would be able to destroy ozma's domain. were they not the strongest people in all the world? "the deadly desert has kept us out of oz before," remarked the grand gallipoot, "but now that the nome king is building a tunnel we shall get into the emerald city very easily. so let us send the little fat general back to his king with our promise to assist him. we will not say that we intend to conquer the nomes after we have conquered oz, but we will do so, just the same." this plan being agreed upon, they all went home to dinner, leaving general guph still in prison. the nome had no idea that he had succeeded in his mission, for finding himself in prison he feared the growleywogs intended to put him to death. by this time the jailor had tired of sticking pins in the general, and was amusing himself by carefully pulling the nome's whiskers out by the roots, one at a time. this enjoyment was interrupted by the grand gallipoot sending for the prisoner. "wait a few hours," begged the jailor. "i haven't pulled out a quarter of his whiskers yet." "if you keep the grand gallipoot waiting he'll break your back," declared the messenger. "perhaps you're right," sighed the jailor. "take the prisoner away, if you will, but i advise you to kick him at every step he takes. it will be good fun, for he is as soft as a ripe peach." [illustration] so guph was led away to the royal castle, where the grand gallipoot told him that the growleywogs had decided to assist the nomes in conquering the land of oz. "whenever you are ready," he added, "send me word and i will march with eighteen thousand of my most powerful warriors to your aid." guph was so delighted that he forgot all the smarting caused by the pins and the pulling of whiskers. he did not even complain of the treatment he had received, but thanked the grand gallipoot and hurried away upon his journey. he had now secured the assistance of the whimsies and the growleywogs; but his success made him long for still more allies. his own life depended upon his conquering oz, and he said to himself: "i'll take no chances. i'll be certain of success. then, when oz is destroyed, perhaps i shall be a greater man than old roquat, and i can throw him away and be king of the nomes myself. why not? the whimsies are stronger than the nomes, and they are my friends. the growleywogs are stronger than the whimsies, and they also are my friends. there are some people still stronger than the growleywogs, and if i can but induce them to aid me i shall have nothing more to fear." _how_ the wogglebug taught athletics chapter nine [illustration] it did not take dorothy long to establish herself in her new home, for she knew the people and the manners and customs of the emerald city just as well as she knew the old kansas farm. but uncle henry and aunt em had some trouble in getting used to the finery and pomp and ceremony of ozma's palace, and felt uneasy because they were obliged to be "dressed up" all the time. yet every one was very courteous and kind to them and endeavored to make them happy. ozma, especially, made much of dorothy's relatives, for her little friend's sake, and she well knew that the awkwardness and strangeness of their new mode of life would all wear off in time. the old people were chiefly troubled by the fact that there was no work for them to do. "ev'ry day is like sunday, now," declared aunt em, solemnly, "and i can't say i like it. if they'd only let me do up the dishes after meals, or even sweep an' dust my own rooms, i'd be a deal happier. henry don't know what to do with himself either, and once when he stole out an' fed the chickens billina scolded him for letting 'em eat between meals. i never knew before what a hardship it is to be rich and have everything you want." these complaints began to worry dorothy; so she had a long talk with ozma upon the subject. "i see i must find them something to do," said the girlish ruler of oz, seriously. "i have been watching your uncle and aunt, and i believe they will be more contented if occupied with some light tasks. while i am considering this matter, dorothy, you might make a trip with them through the land of oz, visiting some of the odd corners and introducing your relatives to some of our curious people." "oh, that would be fine!" exclaimed dorothy, eagerly. "i will give you an escort befitting your rank as a princess," continued ozma; "and you may go to some of the places you have not yet visited yourself, as well as some others that you know. i will mark out a plan of the trip for you and have everything in readiness for you to start to-morrow morning. take your time, dear, and be gone as long as you wish. by the time you return i shall have found some occupation for uncle henry and aunt em that will keep them from being restless and dissatisfied." dorothy thanked her good friend and kissed the lovely ruler gratefully. then she ran to tell the joyful news to her uncle and aunt. next morning, after breakfast, everything was found ready for their departure. the escort included omby amby, the captain general of ozma's army, which consisted merely of twenty-seven officers besides the captain general. once omby amby had been a private soldier--the only private in the army--but as there was never any fighting to do ozma saw no need of a private, so she made omby amby the highest officer of them all. he was very tall and slim and wore a gay uniform and a fierce mustache. yet the mustache was the only fierce thing about omby amby, whose nature was as gentle as that of a child. the wonderful wizard had asked to join the party, and with him came his friend the shaggy man, who was shaggy but not ragged, being dressed in fine silks with satin shags and bobtails. the shaggy man had shaggy whiskers and hair, but a sweet disposition and a soft, pleasant voice. there was an open wagon, with three seats for the passengers, and the wagon was drawn by the famous wooden sawhorse which had once been brought to life by ozma by means of a magic powder. the sawhorse wore golden shoes to keep his wooden legs from wearing away, and he was strong and swift. as this curious creature was ozma's own favorite steed, and very popular with all the people of the emerald city, dorothy knew that she had been highly favored by being permitted to use the sawhorse on her journey. in the front seat of the wagon sat dorothy and the wizard. uncle henry and aunt em sat in the next seat and the shaggy man and omby amby in the third seat. of course toto was with the party, curled up at dorothy's feet, and just as they were about to start billina came fluttering along the path and begged to be taken with them. dorothy readily agreed, so the yellow hen flew up and perched herself upon the dashboard. she wore her pearl necklace and three bracelets upon each leg, in honor of the occasion. dorothy kissed ozma good-bye, and all the people standing around waved their handkerchiefs, and the band in an upper balcony struck up a military march. then the wizard clucked to the sawhorse and said: "gid-dap!" and the wooden animal pranced away and drew behind him the big red wagon and all the passengers, without any effort at all. a servant threw open a gate of the palace enclosure, that they might pass out; and so, with music and shouts following them, the journey was begun. "it's almost like a circus," said aunt em, proudly. "i can't help feelin' high an' mighty in this kind of a turn-out." indeed, as they passed down the street, all the people cheered them lustily, and the shaggy man and the wizard and the captain general all took off their hats and bowed politely in acknowledgment. when they came to the great wall of the emerald city the gates were opened by the guardian who always tended them. over the gateway hung a dull-colored metal magnet shaped like a horse-shoe, placed against a shield of polished gold. "that," said the shaggy man, impressively, "is the wonderful love magnet. i brought it to the emerald city myself, and all who pass beneath this gateway are both loving and beloved." "it's a fine thing," declared aunt em, admiringly. "if we'd had it in kansas i guess the man who held a mortgage on the farm wouldn't have turned us out." "then i'm glad we didn't have it," returned uncle henry. "i like oz better than kansas, even; an' this little wood sawhorse beats all the critters i ever saw. he don't have to be curried, or fed, or watered, an' he's strong as an ox. can he talk, dorothy?" "yes, uncle," replied the child. "but the sawhorse never says much. he told me once that he can't talk and think at the same time, so he prefers to think." "which is very sensible," declared the wizard, nodding approvingly. "which way do we go, dorothy?" "straight ahead into the quadling country," she answered. "i've got a letter of interduction to miss cuttenclip." "oh!" exclaimed the wizard, much interested. "are we going there? then i'm glad i came, for i've always wanted to meet the cuttenclips." "who are they?" inquired aunt em. "wait till we get there," replied dorothy, with a laugh; "then you'll see for yourself. i've never seen the cuttenclips, you know, so i can't 'zactly 'splain 'em to you." once free of the emerald city the sawhorse dashed away at tremendous speed. indeed, he went so fast that aunt em had hard work to catch her breath, and uncle henry held fast to the seat of the red wagon. "gently--gently, my boy!" called the wizard, and at this the sawhorse slackened his speed. "what's wrong?" asked the animal, slightly turning his wooden head to look at the party with one eye, which was a knot of wood. "why, we wish to admire the scenery, that's all," answered the wizard. "some of your passengers," added the shaggy man, "have never been out of the emerald city before, and the country is all new to them." "if you go too fast you'll spoil all the fun," said dorothy. "there's no hurry." "very well; it is all the same to me," observed the sawhorse; and after that he went at a more moderate pace. uncle henry was astonished. "how can a wooden thing be so intelligent?" he asked. "why, i gave him some sawdust brains the last time i fitted his head with new ears," explained the wizard. "the sawdust was made from hard knots, and now the sawhorse is able to think out any knotty problem he meets with." "i see," said uncle henry. "i don't," remarked aunt em; but no one paid any attention to this statement. before long they came to a stately building that stood upon a green plain with handsome shade trees grouped here and there. "what is that?" asked uncle henry. "that," replied the wizard, "is the royal athletic college of oz, which is directed by professor h. m. wogglebug, t. e. "let's stop and make a call," suggested dorothy. [illustration] so the sawhorse drew up in front of the great building and they were met at the door by the learned wogglebug himself. he seemed fully as tall as the wizard, and was dressed in a red and white checked vest and a blue swallow-tailed coat, and had yellow knee breeches and purple silk stockings upon his slender legs. a tall hat was jauntily set upon his head and he wore spectacles over his big bright eyes. "welcome, dorothy," said the wogglebug; "and welcome to all your friends. we are indeed pleased to receive you at this great temple of learning." "i thought it was an athletic college," said the shaggy man. "it is, my dear sir," answered the wogglebug, proudly. "here it is that we teach the youth of our great land scientific college athletics--in all their purity." "don't you teach them anything else?" asked dorothy. "don't they get any reading, writing and 'rithmetic?" "oh, yes; of course. they get all those, and more," returned the professor. "but such things occupy little of their time. please follow me and i will show you how my scholars are usually occupied. this is a class hour and they are all busy." they followed him to a big field back of the college building, where several hundred young ozites were at their classes. in one place they played football, in another baseball. some played tennis, some golf; some were swimming in a big pool. upon a river which wound through the grounds several crews in racing boats were rowing with great enthusiasm. other groups of students played basketball and cricket, while in one place a ring was roped in to permit boxing and wrestling by the energetic youths. all the collegians seemed busy and there was much laughter and shouting. "this college," said professor wogglebug, complacently, "is a great success. it's educational value is undisputed, and we are turning out many great and valuable citizens every year." "but when do they study?" asked dorothy. "study?" said the wogglebug, looking perplexed at the question. "yes; when do they get their 'rithmetic, and jogerfy, and such things?" "oh, they take doses of those every night and morning," was the reply. "what do you mean by doses?" dorothy inquired, wonderingly. "why, we use the newly invented school pills, made by your friend the wizard. these pills we have found to be very effective, and they save a lot of time. please step this way and i will show you our laboratory of learning." he led them to a room in the building where many large bottles were standing in rows upon shelves. "these are the algebra pills," said the professor, taking down one of the bottles. "one at night, on retiring, is equal to four hours of study. here are the geography pills--one at night and one in the morning. in this next bottle are the latin pills--one three times a day. then we have the grammar pills--one before each meal--and the spelling pills, which are taken whenever needed." [illustration] "your scholars must have to take a lot of pills," remarked dorothy, thoughtfully. "how do they take 'em, in applesauce?" "no, my dear. they are sugar-coated and are quickly and easily swallowed. i believe the students would rather take the pills than study, and certainly the pills are a more effective method. you see, until these school pills were invented we wasted a lot of time in study that may now be better employed in practising athletics." "seems to me the pills are a good thing," said omby amby, who remembered how it used to make his head ache as a boy to study arithmetic. "they are, sir," declared the wogglebug, earnestly. "they give us an advantage over all other colleges, because at no loss of time our boys become thoroughly conversant with greek and latin, mathematics and geography, grammar and literature. you see they are never obliged to interrupt their games to acquire the lesser branches of learning." "it's a great invention, i'm sure," said dorothy, looking admiringly at the wizard, who blushed modestly at this praise. "we live in an age of progress," announced professor wogglebug, pompously. "it is easier to swallow knowledge than to acquire it laboriously from books. is it not so, my friends?" "some folks can swallow anything," said aunt em, "but to me this seems too much like taking medicine." "young men in college always have to take their medicine, one way or another," observed the wizard, with a smile; "and, as our professor says, these school pills have proved to be a great success. one day while i was making them i happened to drop one of them, and one of billina's chickens gobbled it up. a few minutes afterward this chick got upon a roost and recited 'the boy stood on the burning deck' without making a single mistake. then it recited 'the charge of the light brigade' and afterwards 'excelsior.' you see, the chicken had eaten an elocution pill." they now bade good bye to the professor, and thanking him for his kind reception mounted again into the red wagon and continued their journey. _how_ the cuttenclips lived chapter ten [illustration] the travelers had taken no provisions with them because they knew that they would be welcomed wherever they might go in the land of oz, and that the people would feed and lodge them with genuine hospitality. so about noon they stopped at a farm-house and were given a delicious luncheon of bread and milk, fruits and wheat cakes with maple syrup. after resting a while and strolling through the orchards with their host--a round, jolly farmer--they got into the wagon and again started the sawhorse along the pretty, winding road. there were sign-posts at all the corners, and finally they came to one which read: [illustration: (hand pointing right)] take this road to the cuttenclips there was also a hand pointing in the right direction, so they turned the sawhorse that way and found it a very good road, but seemingly little traveled. "i've never been to see the cuttenclips before," remarked dorothy. "nor i," said the captain general. "nor i," said the wizard. "nor i," said billina. "i've hardly been out of the emerald city since i arrived in this country," added the shaggy man. "why, none of us has been there, then," exclaimed the little girl. "i wonder what the cuttenclips are like." "we shall soon find out," said the wizard, with a sly laugh. "i've heard they are rather flimsy things." the farm-houses became fewer as they proceeded, and the path was at times so faint that the sawhorse had hard work to keep in the road. the wagon began to jounce, too; so they were obliged to go slowly. after a somewhat wearisome journey they came in sight of a high wall, painted blue with pink ornaments. this wall was circular, and seemed to enclose a large space. it was so high that only the tops of the trees could be seen above it. the path led up to a small door in the wall, which was closed and latched. upon the door was a sign in gold letters reading as follows: _visitors are requested to move slowly and carefully, and to avoid coughing or making any breeze or draught_ "that's strange," said the shaggy man, reading the sign aloud. "who _are_ the cuttenclips, anyhow?" "why, they're paper dolls," answered dorothy. "didn't you know that?" "paper dolls! then let's go somewhere else," said uncle henry. "we're all too old to play with dolls, dorothy." "but these are different," declared the girl. "they're alive." "alive!" gasped aunt em, in amazement. "yes. let's go in," said dorothy. so they all got out of the wagon, since the door in the wall was not big enough for them to drive the sawhorse and wagon through it. "you stay here, toto!" commanded dorothy, shaking her finger at the little dog. "you 're so careless that you might make a breeze if i let you inside." toto wagged his tail as if disappointed at being left behind; but he made no effort to follow them. the wizard unlatched the door, which opened outward, and they all looked eagerly inside. just before the entrance was drawn up a line of tiny soldiers, with uniforms brightly painted and paper guns upon their shoulders. they were exactly alike, from one end of the line to the other, and all were cut out of paper and joined together in the centers of their bodies. as the visitors entered the enclosure the wizard let the door swing back into place, and at once the line of soldiers tumbled over, fell flat upon their backs, and lay fluttering upon the ground. "hi, there!" called one of them; "what do you mean by slamming the door and blowing us over?" "i beg your pardon, i'm sure," said the wizard, regretfully. "i didn't know you were so delicate." "we're not delicate!" retorted another soldier, raising his head from the ground. "we are strong and healthy; but we can't stand draughts." "may i help you up?" asked dorothy. "if you please," replied the end soldier. "but do it gently, little girl." dorothy carefully stood up the line of soldiers, who first dusted their painted clothes and then saluted the visitors with their paper muskets. from the end it was easy to see that the entire line had been cut out of paper, although from the front the soldiers looked rather solid and imposing. "i've a letter of introduction from princess ozma to miss cuttenclip," announced dorothy. "very well," said the end soldier, and blew upon a paper whistle that hung around his neck. at once a paper soldier in a captain's uniform came out of a paper house near by and approached the group at the entrance. he was not very big, and he walked rather stiffly and uncertainly on his paper legs; but he had a pleasant face, with very red cheeks and very blue eyes, and he bowed so low to the strangers that dorothy laughed, and the breeze from her mouth nearly blew the captain over. he wavered and struggled and finally managed to remain upon his feet. "take care, miss!" he said, warningly. "you're breaking the rules, you know, by laughing." "oh, i didn't know that," she replied. "to laugh in this place is nearly as dangerous as to cough," said the captain. "you'll have to breathe very quietly, i assure you." "we'll try to," promised the girl. "may we see miss cuttenclip, please?" "you may," promptly returned the captain. "this is one of her reception days. be good enough to follow me." he turned and led the way up a path, and as they followed slowly, because the paper captain did not move very swiftly, they took the opportunity to gaze around them at this strange paper country. beside the path were paper trees, all cut out very neatly and painted a brilliant green color. and back of the trees were rows of cardboard houses, painted in various colors but most of them having green blinds. some were large and some small, and in the front yards were beds of paper flowers quite natural in appearance. over some of the porches paper vines were twined, giving them a cosy and shady look. as the visitors passed along the street a good many paper dolls came to the doors and windows of their houses to look at them curiously. these dolls were nearly all the same height, but were cut into various shapes, some being fat and some lean. the girl dolls wore many beautiful costumes of tissue paper, making them quite fluffy; but their heads and hands were no thicker than the paper of which they were made. some of the paper people were on the street, walking along or congregated in groups and talking together; but as soon as they saw the strangers they all fluttered into the houses as fast as they could go, so as to be out of danger. "excuse me if i go edgewise," remarked the captain, as they came to a slight hill. "i can get along faster that way and not flutter so much." "that's all right," said dorothy. "we don't mind how you go, i'm sure." at one side of the street was a paper pump, and a paper boy was pumping paper water into a paper pail. the yellow hen happened to brush against this boy with her wing, and he flew into the air and fell into a paper tree, where he stuck until the wizard gently pulled him out. at the same time the pail went soaring into the air, spilling the paper water, while the paper pump bent nearly double. "goodness me!" said the hen. "if i should flop my wings i believe i'd knock over the whole village!" "then don't flop them--please don't!" entreated the captain. "miss cuttenclip would be very much distressed if her village was spoiled." "oh, i'll be careful," promised billina. "are not all these paper girls and women named miss cuttenclips?" inquired omby amby. "no, indeed," answered the captain, who was walking better since he began to move edgewise. "there is but one miss cuttenclip, who is our queen, because she made us all. these girls are cuttenclips, to be sure, but their names are emily and polly and sue and betty and such things. only the queen is called miss cuttenclip." "i must say that this place beats anything i ever heard of," observed aunt em. "i used to play with paper dolls myself, an' cut 'em out; but i never thought i'd ever see such things alive." "i don't see as it's any more curious than hearing hens talk," returned uncle henry. "you're likely to see many queer things in the land of oz, sir," said the wizard. "but a fairy country is extremely interesting when you get used to being surprised." "here we are!" called the captain, stopping before a cottage. this house was made of wood, and was remarkably pretty in design. in the emerald city it would have been considered a tiny dwelling, indeed; but in the midst of this paper village it seemed immense. real flowers were in the garden and real trees grew beside it. upon the front door was a sign reading: miss cuttenclip. just as they reached the porch the front door opened and a little girl stood before them. she appeared to be about the same age as dorothy, and smiling upon her visitors she said, sweetly: "you are welcome." all the party seemed relieved to find that here was a real girl, of flesh and blood. she was very dainty and pretty as she stood there welcoming them. her hair was a golden blonde and her eyes turquoise blue. she had rosy cheeks and lovely white teeth. over her simple white lawn dress she wore an apron with pink and white checks, and in one hand she held a pair of scissors. "may we see miss cuttenclip, please?" asked dorothy. "i am miss cuttenclip," was the reply. "won't you come in?" she held the door open while they all entered a pretty sitting-room that was littered with all sorts of paper--some stiff, some thin, and some tissue. the sheets and scraps were of all colors. upon a table were paints and brushes, while several pair of scissors, of different sizes, were lying about. [illustration] "sit down, please," said miss cuttenclip, clearing the paper scraps off some of the chairs. "it is so long since i have had any visitors that i am not properly prepared to receive them. but i'm sure you will pardon my untidy room, for this is my workshop." "do you make all the paper dolls?" inquired dorothy. "yes; i cut them out with my scissors, and paint the faces and some of the costumes. it is very pleasant work, and i am happy making my paper village grow." "but how do the paper dolls happen to be alive?" asked aunt em. "the first dolls i made were not alive," said miss cuttenclip. "i used to live near the castle of a great sorceress named glinda the good, and she saw my dolls and said they were very pretty. i told her i thought i would like them better if they were alive, and the next day the sorceress brought me a lot of magic paper. 'this is live paper,' she said, 'and all the dolls you cut out of it will be alive, and able to think and to talk. when you have used it all up, come to me and i will give you more.' "of course i was delighted with this present," continued miss cuttenclip, "and at once set to work and made several paper dolls, which, as soon as they were cut out, began to walk around and talk to me. but they were so thin that i found that any breeze would blow them over and scatter them dreadfully; so glinda found this lonely place for me, where few people ever come. she built the wall to keep any wind from blowing away my people, and told me i could build a paper village here and be its queen. that is why i came here and settled down to work and started the village you now see. it was many years ago that i built the first houses, and i've kept pretty busy and made my village grow finely; and i need not tell you that i am very happy in my work." "many years ago!" exclaimed aunt em. "why, how old are you, child?" "i never keep track of the years," said miss cuttenclip, laughing. "you see, i don't grow up at all, but stay just the same as i was when first i came here. perhaps i'm older even than you are, madam; but i couldn't say for sure." they looked at the lovely little girl wonderingly, and the wizard asked: "what happens to your paper village when it rains?" "it does not rain here," replied miss cuttenclip. "glinda keeps all the rain storms away; so i never worry about my dolls getting wet. but now, if you will come with me, it will give me pleasure to show you over my paper kingdom. of course you must go slowly and carefully, and avoid making any breeze." they left the cottage and followed their guide through the various streets of the village. it was indeed an amazing place, when one considered that it was all made with scissors, and the visitors were not only greatly interested but full of admiration for the skill of little miss cuttenclip. in one place a large group of especially nice paper dolls assembled to greet their queen, whom it was easy to see they loved dearly. these dolls marched and danced before the visitors, and then they all waved their paper handkerchiefs and sang in a sweet chorus a song called "the flag of our native land." at the conclusion of the song they ran up a handsome paper flag on a tall flagpole, and all of the people of the village gathered around to cheer as loudly as they could--although, of course, their voices were not especially strong. miss cuttenclip was about to make her subjects a speech in reply to this patriotic song, when the shaggy man happened to sneeze. [illustration] he was a very loud and powerful sneezer at any time, and he had tried so hard to hold in this sneeze that when it suddenly exploded the result was terrible. the paper dolls were mowed down by dozens, and flew and fluttered in wild confusion in every direction, tumbling this way and that and getting more or less wrinkled and bent. a wail of terror and grief came from the scattered throng, and miss cuttenclip exclaimed: "dear me! dear me!" and hurried at once to the rescue of her overturned people. "oh, shaggy man! how could you?" asked dorothy, reproachfully. "i couldn't help it--really i couldn't," protested the shaggy man, looking quite ashamed. "and i had no idea it took so little to upset these paper dolls." "so little!" said dorothy. "why, it was 'most as bad as a kansas cyclone." and then she helped miss cuttenclip rescue the paper folk and stand them on their feet again. two of the cardboard houses had also tumbled over, and the little queen said she would have to repair them and paste them together before they could be lived in again. and now, fearing they might do more damage to the flimsy paper people, they decided to go away. but first they thanked miss cuttenclip very warmly for her courtesy and kindness to them. "any friend of princess ozma is always welcome here--unless he sneezes," said the queen, with a rather severe look at the shaggy man, who hung his head. "i like to have visitors admire my wonderful village, and i hope you will call again." miss cuttenclip herself led them to the door in the wall, and as they passed along the street the paper dolls peeped at them half fearfully from the doors and windows. perhaps they will never forget the shaggy man's awful sneeze, and i am sure they were all glad to see the meat people go away. [illustration] _how_ the general met the first and foremost chapter eleven [illustration] on leaving the growleywogs general guph had to recross the ripple lands, and he did not find it a pleasant thing to do. perhaps having his whiskers pulled out one by one and being used as a pin-cushion for the innocent amusement of a good natured jailor had not improved the quality of guph's temper, for the old nome raved and raged at the recollection of the wrongs he had suffered, and vowed to take vengeance upon the growleywogs after he had used them for his purposes and oz had been conquered. he went on in this furious way until he was half across the ripple land. then he became seasick, and the rest of the way this naughty nome was almost as miserable as he deserved to be. but when he reached the plains again and the ground was firm under his feet he began to feel better, and instead of going back home he turned directly west. a squirrel, perched in a tree, saw him take this road and called to him warningly: "look out!" but he paid no attention. an eagle paused in its flight through the air to look at him wonderingly and say: "look out!" but on he went. no one can say that guph was not brave, for he had determined to visit those dangerous creatures the phanfasms, who resided upon the very top of the dread mountain of phantastico. the phanfasms were erbs, and so dreaded by mortals and immortals alike that no one had been near their mountain home for several thousand years. yet general guph hoped to induce them to join in his proposed warfare against the good and happy oz people. guph knew very well that the phanfasms would be almost as dangerous to the nomes as they would to the ozites, but he thought himself so clever that he believed that he could manage these strange creatures and make them obey him. and there was no doubt at all that if he could enlist the services of the phanfasms their tremendous power, united to the strength of the growleywogs and the cunning of the whimsies would doom the land of oz to absolute destruction. so the old nome climbed the foothills and trudged along the wild mountain paths until he came to a big gully that encircled the mountain of phantastico and marked the boundary line of the dominion of the phanfasms. this gully was about a third of the way up the mountain, and it was filled to the brim with red-hot molten lava, in which swam fire-serpents and poisonous salamanders. the heat from this mass and its poisonous smell were both so unbearable that even birds hesitated to fly over the gully, but circled around it. all living things kept away from the mountain. now guph had heard, during his long lifetime, many tales of these dreaded phanfasms; so he had heard of this barrier of melted lava, and also he had been told that there was a narrow bridge that spanned it in one place. so he walked along the edge until he found the bridge. it was a single arch of gray stone, and lying flat upon this bridge was a scarlet alligator, seemingly fast asleep. when guph stumbled over the rocks in approaching the bridge the creature opened its eyes, from which tiny flames shot in all directions, and after looking at the intruder very wickedly the scarlet alligator closed its eyelids again and lay still. guph saw there was no room for him to pass the alligator on the narrow bridge, so he called out to it: "good morning, friend. i don't wish to hurry you, but please tell me if you are coming down, or going up?" "neither," snapped the alligator, clicking its cruel jaws together. the general hesitated. [illustration] "are you likely to stay there long?" he asked. "a few hundred years or so," said the alligator. guph softly rubbed the end of his nose and tried to think what to do. "do you know whether the first and foremost phanfasm of phantastico is at home or not?" he presently inquired. "i expect he is, seeing he is always at home," replied the alligator. "ah; who is that coming down the mountain?" asked the nome, gazing upward. the alligator turned to look over its shoulder, and at once guph ran to the bridge and leaped over the sentinel's back before it could turn back again. the scarlet monster made a snap at the nome's left foot, but missed it by fully an inch. "ah ha!" laughed the general, who was now on the mountain path. "i fooled you that time." "so you did; and perhaps you fooled yourself," retorted the alligator. "go up the mountain, if you dare, and find out what the first and foremost will do to you!" "i will," declared guph, boldly; and on he went up the path. at first the scene was wild enough, but gradually it grew more and more awful in appearance. all the rocks had the shapes of frightful beings and even the tree trunks were gnarled and twisted like serpents. suddenly there appeared before the nome a man with the head of an owl. his body was hairy, like that of an ape, and his only clothing was a scarlet scarf twisted around his waist. he bore a huge club in his hand and his round owl eyes blinked fiercely upon the intruder. "what are you doing here?" he demanded, threatening guph with his club. "i've come to see the first and foremost phanfasm of phantastico," replied the general, who did not like the way this creature looked at him, but still was not afraid. "ah; you shall see him!" the man said, with a sneering laugh. "the first and foremost shall decide upon the best way to punish you." "he will not punish me," returned guph, calmly, "for i have come here to do him and his people a rare favor. lead on, fellow, and take me directly to your master." the owl-man raised his club with a threatening gesture. "if you try to escape," he said, "beware--" but here the general interrupted him. "spare your threats," said he, "and do not be impertinent, or i will have you severely punished. lead on, and keep silent!" this guph was really a clever rascal, and it seems a pity he was so bad, for in a good cause he might have accomplished much. he realized that he had put himself into a dangerous position by coming to this dreadful mountain, but he also knew that if he showed fear he was lost. so he adopted a bold manner as his best defense. the wisdom of this plan was soon evident, for the phanfasm with the owl's head turned and led the way up the mountain. at the very top was a level plain, upon which were heaps of rock that at first glance seemed solid. but on looking closer guph discovered that these rock heaps were dwellings, for each had an opening. not a person was to be seen outside the rock huts. all was silent. the owl-man led the way among the groups of dwellings to one standing in the center. it seemed no better and no worse than any of the others. outside the entrance to this rock heap the guide gave a low wail that sounded like "lee-ow-ah!" suddenly there bounded from the opening another hairy man. this one wore the head of a bear. in his hand he bore a brass hoop. he glared at the stranger in evident surprise. "why have you captured this foolish wanderer and brought him here?" he demanded, addressing the owl-man. "i did not capture him," was the answer. "he passed the scarlet alligator and came here of his own free will and accord." the first and foremost looked at the general. "have you tired of life, then?" he asked. "no, indeed," answered guph. "i am a nome, and the chief general of king roquat the red's great army of nomes. i come of a long-lived race, and i may say that i expect to live a long time yet. sit down, you phanfasms--if you can find a seat in this wild haunt--and listen to what i have to say." with all his knowledge and bravery general guph did not know that the steady glare from the bear eyes was reading his inmost thoughts as surely as if they had been put into words. he did not know that these despised rock heaps of the phanfasms were merely deceptions to his own eyes, nor could he guess that he was standing in the midst of one of the most splendid and luxurious cities ever built by magic power. all that he saw was a barren waste of rock heaps, a hairy man with an owl's head and another with a bear's head. the sorcery of the phanfasms permitted him to see no more. suddenly the first and foremost swung his brass hoop and caught guph around the neck with it. the next instant, before the general could think what had happened to him, he was dragged inside the rock hut. here, his eyes still blinded to realities, he perceived only a dim light, by which the hut seemed as rough and rude inside as it was outside. yet he had a strange feeling that many bright eyes were fastened upon him and that he stood in a vast and extensive hall. [illustration] the first and foremost now laughed grimly and released his prisoner. "if you have anything to say that is interesting," he remarked, "speak out, before i strangle you." so guph spoke out. he tried not to pay any attention to a strange rustling sound that he heard, as of an unseen multitude drawing near to listen to his words. his eyes could see only the fierce bear-man, and to him he addressed his speech. first he told of his plan to conquer the land of oz and plunder the country of its riches and enslave its people, who, being fairies, could not be killed. after relating all this, and telling of the tunnel the nome king was building, he said he had come to ask the first and foremost to join the nomes, with his band of terrible warriors, and help them to defeat the oz people. the general spoke very earnestly and impressively, but when he had finished the bear-man began to laugh as if much amused, and his laughter seemed to be echoed by a chorus of merriment from an unseen multitude. then, for the first time, guph began to feel a trifle worried. "who else has promised to help you?" finally asked the first and foremost. "the whimsies," replied the general. again the bear-headed phanfasm laughed. "any others?" he inquired. "only the growleywogs," said guph. this answer set the first and foremost laughing anew. "what share of the spoils am i to have?" was the next question. "anything you like, except king roquat's magic belt," replied guph. at this the phanfasm set up a roar of laughter, which had its echo in the unseen chorus, and the bear-man seemed so amused that he actually rolled upon the ground and shouted with merriment. "oh, these blind and foolish nomes!" he said. "how big they seem to themselves and how small they really are!" suddenly he arose and seized guph's neck with one hairy paw, dragging him out of the hut into the open. here he gave a curious wailing cry, and, as if in answer, from all the rocky huts on the mountain-top came flocking a horde of phanfasms, all with hairy bodies, but wearing heads of various animals, birds and reptiles. all were ferocious and repulsive-looking to the deceived eyes of the nome, and guph could not repress a shudder of disgust as he looked upon them. the first and foremost slowly raised his arms, and in a twinkling his hairy skin fell from him and he appeared before the astonished nome as a beautiful woman, clothed in a flowing gown of pink gauze. in her dark hair flowers were entwined, and her face was noble and calm. at the same instant the entire band of phanfasms was transformed into a pack of howling wolves, running here and there as they snarled and showed their ugly yellow fangs. the woman now raised her arms, even as the man-bear had done, and in a twinkling the wolves became crawling lizards, while she herself changed into a huge butterfly. guph had only time to cry out in fear and take a step backward to avoid the lizards when another transformation occurred, and all returned instantly to the forms they had originally worn. then the first and foremost, who had resumed his hairy body and bear head, turned to the nome and asked: "do you still demand our assistance?" "more than ever," answered the general, firmly. "then tell me: what can you offer the phanfasms that they have not already?" inquired the first and foremost. guph hesitated. he really did not know what to say. the nome king's vaunted magic belt seemed a poor thing compared to the astonishing magical powers of these people. gold, jewels and slaves they might secure in any quantity without especial effort. he felt that he was dealing with powers greatly beyond him. there was but one argument that might influence the phanfasms, who were creatures of evil. "permit me to call your attention to the exquisite joy of making the happy unhappy," said he at last. "consider the pleasure of destroying innocent and harmless people." [illustration] "ah! you have answered me," cried the first and foremost. "for that reason alone we will aid you. go home, and tell your bandy-legged king that as soon as his tunnel is finished the phanfasms will be with him and lead his legions to the conquest of oz. the deadly desert alone has kept us from destroying oz long ago, and your underground tunnel is a clever thought. go home, and prepare for our coming!" guph was very glad to be permitted to go with this promise. the owl-man led him back down the mountain path and ordered the scarlet alligator to crawl away and allow the nome to cross the bridge in safety. after the visitor had gone a brilliant and gorgeous city appeared upon the mountain top, clearly visible to the eyes of the gaily dressed multitude of phanfasms that lived there. and the first and foremost, beautifully arrayed, addressed the others in these words: "it is time we went into the world and brought sorrow and dismay to its people. too long have we remained by ourselves upon this mountain top, for while we are thus secluded many nations have grown happy and prosperous, and the chief joy of the race of phanfasms is to destroy happiness. so i think it is lucky that this messenger from the nomes arrived among us just now, to remind us that the opportunity has come for us to make trouble. we will use king roquat's tunnel to conquer the land of oz. then we will destroy the whimsies, the growleywogs and the nomes, and afterward go out to ravage and annoy and grieve the whole world." the multitude of evil phanfasms eagerly applauded this plan, which they fully approved. i am told that the erbs are the most powerful and merciless of all the evil spirits, and the phanfasms of phantastico belong to the race of erbs. _how_ they matched the fuddles chapter twelve [illustration] dorothy and her fellow travelers rode away from the cuttenclip village and followed the indistinct path as far as the sign-post. here they took the main road again and proceeded pleasantly through the pretty farming country. when evening came they stopped at a dwelling and were joyfully welcomed and given plenty to eat and good beds for the night. early next morning, however, they were up and eager to start, and after a good breakfast they bade their host good-bye and climbed into the red wagon, to which the sawhorse had been hitched all night. being made of wood, this horse never got tired nor cared to lie down. dorothy was not quite sure whether he ever slept or not, but it was certain that he never did when anybody was around. the weather is always beautiful in oz, and this morning the air was cool and refreshing and the sunshine brilliant and delightful. in about an hour they came to a place where another road branched off. there was a sign-post here which read: [illustration: (hand pointing right)] this way to fuddlecumjig "oh, here is where we turn," said dorothy, observing the sign. "what! are we going to fuddlecumjig?" asked the captain general. "yes; ozma thought we would enjoy the fuddles. they are said to be very interesting," she replied. "no one would suspect it from their name," said aunt em. "who are they, anyhow? more paper things?" "i think not," answered dorothy, laughing; "but i can't say 'zactly, aunt em, what they are. we'll find out when we get there." "perhaps the wizard knows," suggested uncle henry. "no; i've never been there before," said the wizard. "but i've often heard of fuddlecumjig and the fuddles, who are said to be the most peculiar people in all the land of oz." "in what way?" asked the shaggy man. "i don't know, i'm sure," said the wizard. just then, as they rode along the pretty green lane toward fuddlecumjig, they espied a kangaroo sitting by the roadside. the poor animal had its face covered with both its front paws and was crying so bitterly that the tears coursed down its cheeks in two tiny streams and trickled across the road, where they formed a pool in a small hollow. [illustration] the sawhorse stopped short at this pitiful sight, and dorothy cried out, with ready sympathy: "what's the matter, kangaroo?" "boo-hoo! boo-hoo!" wailed the kangaroo; "i've lost my mi--mi--mi--oh, boo-hoo! boo-hoo!"-- "poor thing," said the wizard, "she's lost her mister. it's probably her husband, and he's dead." "no, no, no!" sobbed the kangaroo. "it--it isn't that. i've lost my mi--mi--oh, boo, boo-hoo!" "i know," said the shaggy man; "she's lost her mirror." "no; it's my mi--mi--mi--boo-hoo! my mi--oh, boo-hoo!" and the kangaroo cried harder than ever. "it must be her mince-pie," suggested aunt em. "or her milk-toast," proposed uncle henry. "i've lost my mi--mi--mittens!" said the kangaroo, getting it out at last. "oh!" cried the yellow hen, with a cackle of relief. "why didn't you say so before?" "boo-hoo! i--i--couldn't," answered the kangaroo. "but, see here," said dorothy, "you don't need mittens in this warm weather." "yes, indeed i do," replied the animal, stopping her sobs and removing her paws from her face to look at the little girl reproachfully. "my hands will get all sunburned and tanned without my mittens, and i've worn them so long that i'll probably catch cold without them." "nonsense!" said dorothy. "i never heard before of any kangaroo wearing mittens." "didn't you?" asked the animal, as if surprised. "never!" repeated the girl. "and you'll probably make yourself sick if you don't stop crying. where do you live?" "about two miles beyond fuddlecumjig," was the answer. "grandmother gnit made me the mittens, and she's one of the fuddles." "well, you'd better go home now, and perhaps the old lady will make you another pair," suggested dorothy. "we're on our way to fuddlecumjig, and you may hop along beside us." so they rode on, and the kangaroo hopped beside the red wagon and seemed quickly to have forgotten her loss. by and by the wizard said to the animal: "are the fuddles nice people?" "oh, very nice," answered the kangaroo; "that is, when they're properly put together. but they get dreadfully scattered and mixed up, at times, and then you can't do anything with them." "what do you mean by their getting scattered?" inquired dorothy. "why, they're made in a good many small pieces," explained the kangaroo; "and whenever any stranger comes near them they have a habit of falling apart and scattering themselves around. that's when they get so dreadfully mixed, and its a hard puzzle to put them together again." "who usually puts them together?" asked omby amby. "any one who is able to match the pieces. i sometimes put grandmother gnit together myself, because i know her so well i can tell every piece that belongs to her. then, when she's all matched, she knits for me, and that's how she made my mittens. but it took a good many days hard knitting, and i had to put grandmother together a good many times, because every time i came near she'd scatter herself." "i should think she would get used to your coming, and not be afraid," said dorothy. "it isn't that," replied the kangaroo. "they're not a bit afraid, when they're put together, and usually they're very jolly and pleasant. it's just a habit they have, to scatter themselves, and if they didn't do it they wouldn't be fuddles." the travelers thought upon this quite seriously for a time, while the sawhorse continued to carry them rapidly forward. then aunt em remarked: "i don't see much use our visitin' these fuddles. if we find them scattered, all we can do is to sweep 'em up, and then go about our business." "oh, i b'lieve we'd better go on," replied dorothy. "i'm getting hungry, and we must try to get some luncheon at fuddlecumjig. perhaps the food won't be scattered as badly as the people." "you'll find plenty to eat there," declared the kangaroo, hopping along in big bounds because the sawhorse was going so fast; "and they have a fine cook, too, if you can manage to put him together. there's the town now--just ahead of us!" they looked ahead and saw a group of very pretty houses standing in a green field a little apart from the main road. "some munchkins came here a few days ago and matched a lot of people together," said the kangaroo. "i think they are together yet, and if you go softly, without making any noise, perhaps they won't scatter." "let's try it," suggested the wizard. so they stopped the sawhorse and got out of the wagon, and, after bidding good bye to the kangaroo, who hopped away home, they entered the field and very cautiously approached the group of houses. so silently did they move that soon they saw through the windows of the houses, people moving around, while others were passing to and fro in the yards between the buildings. they seemed much like other people, from a distance, and apparently they did not notice the little party so quietly approaching. they had almost reached the nearest house when toto saw a large beetle crossing the path and barked loudly at it. instantly a wild clatter was heard from the houses and yards. dorothy thought it sounded like a sudden hailstorm, and the visitors, knowing that caution was no longer necessary, hurried forward to see what had happened. after the clatter an intense stillness reigned in the town. the strangers entered the first house they came to, which was also the largest, and found the floor strewn with pieces of the people who lived there. they looked much like fragments of wood neatly painted, and were of all sorts of curious and fantastic shapes, no two pieces being in any way alike. they picked up some of these pieces and looked at them carefully. on one which dorothy held was an eye, which looked at her pleasantly but with an interested expression, as if it wondered what she was going to do with it. quite near by she discovered and picked up a nose, and by matching the two pieces together found that they were part of a face. "if i could find the mouth," she said, "this fuddle might be able to talk, and tell us what to do next." "then let us find it," replied the wizard, and so all got down on their hands and knees and began examining the scattered pieces. "i've found it!" cried the shaggy man, and ran to dorothy with a queer-shaped piece that had a mouth on it. but when they tried to fit it to the eye and nose they found the parts wouldn't match together. "that mouth belongs to some other person," said dorothy. "you see we need a curve here and a point there, to make it fit the face." "well, it must be here some place," declared the wizard; "so if we search long enough we shall find it." dorothy fitted an ear on next, and the ear had a little patch of red hair above it. so while the others were searching for the mouth she hunted for pieces with red hair, and found several of them which, when matched to the other pieces, formed the top of a man's head. she had also found the other eye and the ear by the time omby amby in a far corner discovered the mouth. when the face was thus completed all the parts joined together with a nicety that was astonishing. "why, it's like a picture puzzle!" exclaimed the little girl. "let's find the rest of him, and get him all together." "what's the rest of him like?" asked the wizard. "here are some pieces of blue legs and green arms, but i don't know whether they are his or not." "look for a white shirt and a white apron," said the head which had been put together, speaking in a rather faint voice. "i'm the cook." [illustration: "i'm the cook".] "oh, thank you," said dorothy. "it's lucky we started you first, for i'm hungry, and you can be cooking something for us to eat while we match the other folks together." it was not so very difficult, now that they had a hint as to how the man was dressed, to find the other pieces belonging to him, and as all of them now worked on the cook, trying piece after piece to see if it would fit, they finally had the cook set up complete. when he was finished he made them a low bow and said: "i will go at once to the kitchen and prepare your dinner. you will find it something of a job to get all the fuddles together, so i advise you to begin on the lord high chigglewitz, whose first name is larry. he's a bald-headed fat man and is dressed in a blue coat with brass buttons, a pink vest and drab breeches. a piece of his left knee is missing, having been lost years ago when he scattered himself too carelessly. that makes him limp a little, but he gets along very well with half a knee. as he is the chief personage in this town of fuddlecumjig, he will be able to welcome you and assist you with the others. so it will be best to work on him while i'm getting your dinner." "we will," said the wizard; "and thank you very much, cook, for the suggestion." aunt em was the first to discover a piece of the lord high chigglewitz. "it seems to me like a fool business, this matching folks together," she remarked; "but as we haven't anything to do till dinner's ready we may as well get rid of some of this rubbish. here, henry, get busy and look for larry's bald head. i've got his pink vest, all right." they worked with eager interest, and billina proved a great help to them. the yellow hen had sharp eyes and could put her head close to the various pieces that lay scattered around. she would examine the lord high chigglewitz and see which piece of him was next needed, and then hunt around until she found it. so before an hour had passed old larry was standing complete before them. "i congratulate you, my friends," he said, speaking in a cheerful voice. "you are certainly the cleverest people who ever visited us. i was never matched together so quickly in my life. i'm considered a great puzzle, usually." "well," said dorothy, "there used to be a picture puzzle craze in kansas, and so i've had some 'sperience matching puzzles. but the pictures were flat, while you are round, and that makes you harder to figure out." "thank you, my dear," replied old larry, greatly pleased. "i feel highly complimented. were i not a really good puzzle there would be no object in my scattering myself." "why do you do it?" asked aunt em, severely. "why don't you behave yourself, and stay put together?" the lord high chigglewitz seemed annoyed by this speech; but he replied, politely: "madam, you have perhaps noticed that every person has some peculiarity. mine is to scatter myself. what your own peculiarity is i will not venture to say; but i shall never find fault with you, whatever you do." "now, you've got your diploma, em," said uncle henry, with a laugh, "and i'm glad of it. this is a queer country, and we may as well take people as we find them." "if we did, we'd leave these folks scattered," she returned, and this retort made everybody laugh good-naturedly. just then omby amby found a hand with a knitting needle in it, and they decided to put grandmother gnit together. she proved an easier puzzle than old larry, and when she was completed they found her a pleasant old lady who welcomed them cordially. dorothy told her how the kangaroo had lost her mittens, and grandmother gnit promised to set to work at once and make the poor animal another pair. then the cook came to call them to dinner, and they found an inviting meal prepared for them. the lord high chigglewitz sat at the head of the table and grandmother gnit at the foot, and the guests had a merry time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. after dinner they went out into the yard and matched several other people together, and this work was so interesting that they might have spent the entire day at fuddlecumjig had not the wizard suggested that they resume their journey. "but i don't like to leave all these poor people scattered," said dorothy, undecided what to do. [illustration] "oh, don't mind us, my dear," returned old larry. "every day or so some of the gillikins, or munchkins, or winkies come here to amuse themselves by matching us together, so there will be no harm in leaving these pieces where they are for a time. but i hope you will visit us again, and if you do you will always be welcome, i assure you." "don't you ever match each other?" she inquired. "never; for we are no puzzles to ourselves, and so there wouldn't be any fun in it." they now said goodbye to the queer fuddles and got into their wagon to continue their journey. "those are certainly strange people," remarked aunt em, thoughtfully, as they drove away from fuddlecumjig, "but i really can't see what use they are, at all." "why, they amused us all for several hours," replied the wizard. "that is being of use to us, i'm sure." "i think they're more fun than playing solitaire or mumbletypeg," declared uncle henry, soberly. "for my part, i'm glad we visited the fuddles." _how_ the general talked to the king chapter thirteen [illustration] when general guph returned to the cavern of the nome king his majesty asked: "well, what luck? will the whimsies join us?" "they will," answered the general. "they will fight for us with all their strength and cunning." "good!" exclaimed the king. "what reward did you promise them?" "your majesty is to use the magic belt to give each whimsie a large, fine head, in place of the small one he is now obliged to wear." "i agree to that," said the king. "this is good news, guph, and it makes me feel more certain of the conquest of oz." "but i have other news for you," announced the general. "good or bad?" "good, your majesty." "then i will hear it," said the king, with interest. "the growleywogs will join us." "no!" cried the astonished king. "yes, indeed," said the general. "i have their promise." "but what reward do they demand?" inquired the king, suspiciously, for he knew how greedy the growleywogs were. "they are to take a few of the oz people for their slaves," replied guph. he did not think it necessary to tell roquat that the growleywogs demanded twenty thousand slaves. it would be time enough for that when oz was conquered. "a very reasonable request, i'm sure," remarked the king. "i must congratulate you, guph, upon the wonderful success of your journey." "but that is not all," said the general, proudly. the king seemed astonished. "speak out, sir!" he commanded. "i have seen the first and foremost phanfasm of the mountain of phantastico, and he will bring his people to assist us." "what!" cried the king. "the phanfasms! you don't mean it, guph!" "it is true," declared the general, proudly. the king became thoughtful, and his brows wrinkled. "i'm afraid, guph," he said rather anxiously, "that the first and foremost may prove as dangerous to us as to the oz people. if he and his terrible band come down from the mountain they may take the notion to conquer the nomes!" "pah! that is a foolish idea," retorted guph, irritably, but he knew in his heart that the king was right. "the first and foremost is a particular friend of mine, and will do us no harm. why, when i was there, he even invited me into his house." the general neglected to tell the king how he had been jerked into the hut of the first and foremost by means of the brass hoop. so roquat the red looked at his general admiringly and said: "you are a wonderful nome, guph. i'm sorry i did not make you my general before. but what reward did the first and foremost demand?" "nothing at all," answered guph. "even the magic belt itself could not add to his powers of sorcery. all the phanfasms wish is to destroy the oz people, who are good and happy. this pleasure will amply repay them for assisting us." "when will they come?" asked roquat, half fearfully. "when the tunnel is completed," said the general. "we are nearly half way under the desert now," announced the king; "and that is fast work, because the tunnel has to be drilled through solid rock. but after we have passed the desert it will not take us long to extend the tunnel to the walls of the emerald city." "well, whenever you are ready, we shall be joined by the whimsies, the growleywogs and the phanfasms," said guph; "so the conquest of oz is assured without a doubt." again the king seemed thoughtful. "i'm almost sorry we did not undertake the conquest alone," said he. "all of these allies are dangerous people, and they may demand more than you have promised them. it might have been better to have conquered oz without any outside assistance." "we could not do it," said the general, positively. "why not, guph?" "you know very well. you have had one experience with the oz people, and they defeated you." "that was because they rolled eggs at us," replied the king, with a shudder. "my nomes cannot stand eggs, any more than i can myself. they are poison to all who live underground." "that is true enough," agreed guph. "but we might have taken the oz people by surprise, and conquered them before they had a chance to get any eggs. our former defeat was due to the fact that the girl dorothy had a yellow hen with her. i do not know what ever became of that hen, but i believe there are no hens at all in the land of oz, and so there could be no eggs there." "on the contrary," said guph, "there are now hundreds of chickens in oz, and they lay heaps of those dangerous eggs. i met a goshawk on my way home, and the bird informed me that he had lately been to oz to capture and devour some of the young chickens. but they are protected by magic, so the hawk did not get a single one of them." [illustration] "that is a very bad report," said the king, nervously. "very bad, indeed. my nomes are willing to fight, but they simply can't face hen's eggs--and i don't blame them." "they won't need to face them," replied guph. "i'm afraid of eggs myself, and don't propose to take any chances of being poisoned by them. my plan is to send the whimsies through the tunnel first, and then the growleywogs and the phanfasms. by the time we nomes get there the eggs will all be used up, and we may then pursue and capture the inhabitants at our leisure." "perhaps you are right," returned the king, with a dismal sigh. "but i want it distinctly understood that i claim ozma and dorothy as my own prisoners. they are rather nice girls, and i do not intend to let any of those dreadful creatures hurt them, or make them their slaves. when i have captured them i will bring them here and transform them into china ornaments to stand on my mantle. they will look very pretty--dorothy on one end of the mantle and ozma on the other--and i shall take great care to see they are not broken when the maids dust them." "very well, your majesty. do what you will with the girls, for all i care. now that our plans are arranged, and we have the three most powerful bands of evil spirits in the world to assist us, let us make haste to get the tunnel finished as soon as possible." "it will be ready in three days," promised the king, and hurried away to inspect the work and see that the nomes kept busy. _how_ the wizard practiced sorcery chapter fourteen [illustration] "where next?" asked the wizard, when they had left the town of fuddlecumjig and the sawhorse had started back along the road. "why, ozma laid out this trip," replied dorothy, "and she 'vised us to see the rigmaroles next, and then visit the tin woodman." "that sounds good," said the wizard. "but what road do we take to get to the rigmaroles?" "i don't know, 'zactly," returned the little girl; "but it must be somewhere just southwest from here." "then why need we go way back to the crossroads?" asked the shaggy man. "we might save a lot of time by branching off here." "there isn't any path," asserted uncle henry. "then we'd better go back to the signposts, and make sure of our way," decided dorothy. but after they had gone a short distance farther the sawhorse, who had overheard their conversation, stopped and said: "here is a path." sure enough, a dim path seemed to branch off from the road they were on, and it led across pretty green meadows and past leafy groves, straight toward the southwest. "that looks like a good path," said omby amby. "why not try it?" "all right," answered dorothy. "i'm anxious to see what the rigmaroles are like, and this path ought to take us there the quickest way." no one made any objection to the plan, so the sawhorse turned into the path, which proved to be nearly as good as the one they had taken to get to the fuddles. at first they passed a few retired farm houses, but soon these scattered dwellings were left behind and only the meadows and the trees were before them. but they rode along in cheerful contentment, and aunt em got into an argument with billina about the proper way to raise chickens. "i do not care to contradict you," said the yellow hen, with dignity, "but i have an idea i know more about chickens than human beings do." "pshaw!" replied aunt em, "i've raised chickens for nearly forty years, billina, and i know you've got to starve 'em to make 'em lay lots of eggs, and stuff 'em if you want good broilers." "broilers!" exclaimed billina, in horror. "broil my chickens!" "why, that's what they're for, ain't it?" asked aunt em, astonished. "no, aunt, not in oz," said dorothy. "people do not eat chickens here. you see, billina was the first hen that was ever seen in this country, and i brought her here myself. everybody liked her an' respected her, so the oz people wouldn't any more eat her chickens than they would eat billina." "well, i declare," gasped aunt em. "how about the eggs?" "oh, if we have more eggs than we want to hatch, we allow people to eat them," said billina. "indeed, i am very glad the oz folks like our eggs, for otherwise they would spoil." "this certainly is a queer country," sighed aunt em. "excuse me," called the sawhorse, "the path has ended and i'd like to know which way to go." they looked around and, sure enough, there was no path to be seen. "well," said dorothy, "we're going southwest, and it seems just as easy to follow that direction without a path as with one." "certainly," answered the sawhorse. "it is not hard to draw the wagon over the meadow. i only want to know where to go." "there's a forest over there across the prairie," said the wizard, "and it lies in the direction we are going. make straight for the forest, sawhorse, and you're bound to go right." so the wooden animal trotted on again and the meadow grass was so soft under the wheels that it made easy riding. but dorothy was a little uneasy at losing the path, because now there was nothing to guide them. no houses were to be seen at all, so they could not ask their way of any farmer; and although the land of oz was always beautiful, wherever one might go, this part of the country was strange to all the party. "perhaps we're lost," suggested aunt em, after they had proceeded quite a way in silence. "never mind," said the shaggy man; "i've been lost many a time--and so has dorothy--and we've always been found again." "but we may get hungry," remarked omby amby. "that is the worst of getting lost in a place where there are no houses near." "we had a good dinner at the fuddle town," said uncle henry, "and that will keep us from starving to death for a long time." "no one ever starved to death in oz," declared dorothy, positively; "but people may get pretty hungry sometimes." the wizard said nothing, and he did not seem especially anxious. the sawhorse was trotting along briskly, yet the forest seemed farther away than they had thought when they first saw it. so it was nearly sundown when they finally came to the trees; but now they found themselves in a most beautiful spot, the wide-spreading trees being covered with flowering vines and having soft mosses underneath them. "this will be a good place to camp," said the wizard, as the sawhorse stopped for further instructions. "camp!" they all echoed. "certainly," asserted the wizard. "it will be dark before very long and we cannot travel through this forest at night. so let us make a camp here, and have some supper, and sleep until daylight comes again." they all looked at the little man in astonishment, and aunt em said, with a sniff: "a pretty camp we'll have, i must say! i suppose you intend us to sleep under the wagon." "and chew grass for our supper," added the shaggy man, laughing. but dorothy seemed to have no doubts and was quite cheerful. "it's lucky we have the wonderful wizard with us," she said; "because he can do 'most anything he wants to." "oh, yes; i forgot we had a wizard," said uncle henry, looking at the little man curiously. "i didn't," chirped billina, contentedly. the wizard smiled and climbed out of the wagon, and all the others followed him. "in order to camp," said he, "the first thing we need is tents. will some one please lend me a handkerchief?" the shaggy man offered him one, and aunt em another. he took them both and laid them carefully upon the grass near to the edge of the forest. then he laid his own handkerchief down, too, and standing a little back from them he waved his left hand toward the handkerchiefs and said: "tents of canvas, white as snow, let me see how fast you grow!" then, lo and behold! the handkerchiefs became tiny tents, and as the travelers looked at them the tents grew bigger and bigger until in a few minutes each one was large enough to contain the entire party. "this," said the wizard, pointing to the first tent, "is for the accommodation of the ladies. dorothy, you and your aunt may step inside and take off your things." every one ran to look inside the tent, and they saw two pretty white beds, all ready for dorothy and aunt em, and a silver roost for billina. rugs were spread upon the grassy floor and some camp chairs and a table completed the furniture. "well, well, well! this beats anything i ever saw or heard of!" exclaimed aunt em, and she glanced at the wizard almost fearfully, as if he might be dangerous because of his great powers. "oh, mr. wizard! how did you manage to do it?" asked dorothy. "it's a trick glinda the sorceress taught me, and it is much better magic than i used to practise in omaha, or when i first came to oz," he answered. "when the good glinda found i was to live in the emerald city always, she promised to help me, because she said the wizard of oz ought really to be a clever wizard, and not a humbug. so we have been much together and i am learning so fast that i expect to be able to accomplish some really wonderful things in time." "you've done it now!" declared dorothy. "these tents are just wonderful!" "but come and see the men's tent," said the wizard. so they went to the second tent, which had shaggy edges because it had been made from the shaggy man's handkerchief, and found that completely furnished also. it contained four neat beds for uncle henry, omby amby, the shaggy man and the wizard. also there was a soft rug for toto to lie upon. "the third tent," explained the wizard, "is our dining room and kitchen." they visited that next, and found a table and dishes in the dining tent, with plenty of those things necessary to use in cooking. the wizard carried out a big kettle and set it swinging on a crossbar before the tent. while he was doing this omby amby and the shaggy man brought a supply of twigs from the forest and then they built a fire underneath the kettle. "now, dorothy," said the wizard, smiling, "i expect you to cook our supper." "but there is nothing in the kettle," she cried. "are you sure?" inquired the wizard. "i didn't see anything put in, and i'm almost sure it was empty when you brought it out," she replied. "nevertheless," said the little man, winking slyly at uncle henry, "you will do well to watch our supper, my dear, and see that it doesn't boil over." then the men took some pails and went into the forest to search for a spring of water, and while they were gone aunt em said to dorothy: "i believe the wizard is fooling us. i saw the kettle myself, and when he hung it over the fire there wasn't a thing in it but air." [illustration] "don't worry," remarked billina, confidently, as she nestled in the grass before the fire. "you'll find something in the kettle when it's taken off--and it won't be poor, innocent chickens, either." "your hen has very bad manners, dorothy," said aunt em, looking somewhat disdainfully at billina. "it seems too bad she ever learned how to talk." there might have been another unpleasant quarrel between aunt em and billina had not the men returned just then with their pails filled with clear, sparkling water. the wizard told dorothy that she was a good cook and he believed their supper was ready. so uncle henry lifted the kettle from the fire and poured its contents into a big platter which the wizard held for him. the platter was fairly heaped with a fine stew, smoking hot, with many kinds of vegetables and dumplings and a rich, delicious gravy. the wizard triumphantly placed the platter upon the table in the dining tent and then they all sat down in camp chairs to the feast. there were several other dishes on the table, all carefully covered, and when the time came to remove these covers they found bread and butter, cakes, cheese, pickles and fruits--including some of the luscious strawberries of oz. no one ventured to ask a question as to how these things came there. they contented themselves by eating heartily the good things provided, and toto and billina had their full share, you may be sure. after the meal was over aunt em whispered to dorothy: "that may have been magic food, my dear, and for that reason perhaps it won't be very nourishing; but i'm willing to say it tasted as good as anything i ever et." then she added, in a louder tone: "who's going to do the dishes?" "no one, madam," answered the wizard. "the dishes have 'done' themselves." "la sakes!" ejaculated the good lady, holding up her hands in amazement. for, sure enough, when she looked at the dishes they had a moment before left upon the table, she found them all washed and dried and piled up into neat stacks. [illustration] _how_ dorothy happened to get lost chapter fifteen [illustration] it was a beautiful evening, so they drew their camp chairs in a circle before one of the tents and began to tell stories to amuse themselves and pass away the time before they went to bed. pretty soon a zebra was seen coming out of the forest, and he trotted straight up to them and said politely: "good evening, people." the zebra was a sleek little animal and had a slender head, a stubby mane and a paint-brush tail--very like a donkey's. his neatly shaped white body was covered with regular bars of dark brown, and his hoofs were delicate as those of a deer. "good evening, friend zebra," said omby amby, in reply to the creature's greeting. "can we do anything for you?" "yes," answered the zebra. "i should like you to settle a dispute that has long been a bother to me, as to whether there is more water or land in the world." "who are you disputing with?" asked the wizard. "with a soft-shell crab," said the zebra. "he lives in a pool where i go to drink every day, and he is a very impertinent crab, i assure you. i have told him many times that the land is much greater in extent than the water, but he will not be convinced. even this very evening, when i told him he was an insignificant creature who lived in a small pool, he asserted that the water was greater and more important than the land. so, seeing your camp, i decided to ask you to settle the dispute for once and all, that i may not be further annoyed by this ignorant crab." when they had listened to this explanation dorothy inquired: "where is the soft-shell crab?" "not far away," replied the zebra. "if you will agree to judge between us i will run and get him." "run along, then," said the little girl. so the animal pranced into the forest and soon came trotting back to them. when he drew near they found a soft-shell crab clinging fast to the stiff hair of the zebra's head, where it held on by one claw. "now then, mr. crab," said the zebra, "here are the people i told you about; and they know more than you do, who live in a pool, and more than i do, who live in a forest. for they have been travelers all over the world, and know every part of it." "there's more of the world than oz," declared the crab, in a stubborn voice. "that is true," said dorothy; "but i used to live in kansas, in the united states, and i've been to california and to australia--and so has uncle henry." "for my part," added the shaggy man, "i've been to mexico and boston and many other foreign countries." "and i," said the wizard, "have been to europe and ireland." "so you see," continued the zebra, addressing the crab, "here are people of real consequence, who know what they are talking about." "then they know there's more water in the world than there is land," asserted the crab, in a shrill, petulant voice. "they know you are wrong to make such an absurd statement, and they will probably think you are a lobster instead of a crab," retorted the animal. at this taunt the crab reached out its other claw and seized the zebra's ear, and the creature gave a cry of pain and began prancing up and down, trying to shake off the crab, which clung fast. "stop pinching!" cried the zebra. "you promised not to pinch if i would carry you here!" "and you promised to treat me respectfully," said the crab, letting go the ear. "well, haven't i?" demanded the zebra. "no; you called me a lobster," said the crab. "ladies and gentlemen," continued the zebra, "please pardon my poor friend, because he is ignorant and stupid, and does not understand. also the pinch of his claw is very annoying. so pray tell him that the world contains more land than water, and when he has heard your judgment i will carry him back and dump him into his pool, where i hope he will be more modest in the future." "but we cannot tell him that," said dorothy, gravely, "because it would not be true." "what!" exclaimed the zebra, in astonishment; "do i hear you aright?" "the soft-shell crab is correct," declared the wizard. "there is considerably more water than there is land in the world." "impossible!" protested the zebra. "why, i can run for days upon the land, and find but little water." "did you ever see an ocean?" asked dorothy. "never," admitted the zebra. "there is no such thing as an ocean in the land of oz." "well, there are several oceans in the world," said dorothy, "and people sail in ships upon these oceans for weeks and weeks, and never see a bit of land at all. and the joggerfys will tell you that all the oceans put together are bigger than all the land put together." at this the crab began laughing in queer chuckles that reminded dorothy of the way billina sometimes cackled. "_now_ will you give up, mr. zebra?" it cried, jeeringly; "now will you give up?" the zebra seemed much humbled. "of course i cannot read geographys," he said. "you could take one of the wizard's school pills," suggested billina, "and that would make you learned and wise without studying." the crab began laughing again, which so provoked the zebra that he tried to shake the little creature off. this resulted in more ear-pinching, and finally dorothy told them that if they could not behave they must go back to the forest. "i'm sorry i asked you to decide this question," said the zebra, crossly. "so long as neither of us could prove we were right we quite enjoyed the dispute; but now i can never drink at that pool again without the soft-shell crab laughing at me. so i must find another drinking place." "do! do, you ignoramus!" shouted the crab, as loudly as his little voice would carry. "rile some other pool with your clumsy hoofs, and let your betters alone after this!" then the zebra trotted back to the forest, bearing the crab with him, and disappeared amid the gloom of the trees. and as it was now getting dark the travelers said good night to one another and went to bed. [illustration] dorothy awoke just as the light was beginning to get strong next morning, and not caring to sleep any later she quietly got out of bed, dressed herself, and left the tent where aunt em was yet peacefully slumbering. outside she noticed billina busily pecking around to secure bugs or other food for breakfast, but none of the men in the other tent seemed awake. so the little girl decided to take a walk in the woods and try to discover some path or road that they might follow when they again started upon their journey. she had reached the edge of the forest when the yellow hen came fluttering along and asked where she was going. "just to take a walk, billina; and maybe i'll find some path," said dorothy. "then i'll go along," decided billina, and scarcely had she spoken when toto ran up and joined them. toto and the yellow hen had become quite friendly by this time, although at first they did not get along well together. billina had been rather suspicious of dogs, and toto had had an idea that it was every dog's duty to chase a hen on sight. but dorothy had talked to them and scolded them for not being agreeable to one another until they grew better acquainted and became friends. i won't say they loved each other dearly, but at least they had stopped quarreling and now managed to get on together very well. the day was growing lighter every minute and driving the black shadows out of the forest; so dorothy found it very pleasant walking under the trees. she went some distance in one direction, but not finding a path, presently turned in a different direction. there was no path here, either, although she advanced quite a way into the forest, winding here and there among the trees and peering through the bushes in an endeavor to find some beaten track. "i think we'd better go back," suggested the yellow hen, after a time. "the people will all be up by this time and breakfast will be ready." "very well," agreed dorothy. "let's see--the camp must be over this way." she had probably made a mistake about that, for after they had gone far enough to have reached the camp they still found themselves in the thick of the woods. so the little girl stopped short and looked around her, and toto glanced up into her face with his bright little eyes and wagged his tail as if he knew something was wrong. he couldn't tell much about direction himself, because he had spent his time prowling among the bushes and running here and there; nor had billina paid much attention to where they were going, being interested in picking bugs from the moss as they passed along. the yellow hen now turned one eye up toward the little girl and asked: "have you forgotten where the camp is, dorothy?" "yes," she admitted; "have you, billina?" "i didn't try to remember," returned billina. "i'd no idea you would get lost, dorothy." "it's the thing we don't expect, billina, that usually happens," observed the girl, thoughtfully. "but it's no use standing here. let's go in that direction," pointing a finger at random. "it may be we'll get out of the forest over there." so on they went again, but this way the trees were closer together, and the vines were so tangled that often they tripped dorothy up. suddenly a voice cried sharply: "halt!" [illustration: "halt!"] at first dorothy could see nothing, although she looked around very carefully. but billina exclaimed: "well, i declare!" "what is it?" asked the little girl: for toto began barking at something, and following his gaze she discovered what it was. a row of spoons had surrounded the three, and these spoons stood straight up on their handles and carried swords and muskets. their faces were outlined in the polished bowls and they looked very stern and severe. dorothy laughed at the queer things. "who are you?" she asked. "we're the spoon brigade," said one. "in the service of his majesty king kleaver," said another. "and you are our prisoners," said a third. dorothy sat down on an old stump and looked at them, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "what would happen," she inquired, "if i should set my dog on your brigade?" "he would die," replied one of the spoons, sharply. "one shot from our deadly muskets would kill him, big as he is." "don't risk it, dorothy," advised the yellow hen. "remember this is a fairy country, yet none of us three happens to be a fairy." dorothy grew sober at this. "p'raps you're right, billina," she answered. "but how funny it is, to be captured by a lot of spoons!" "i do not see anything very funny about it," declared a spoon. "we're the regular military brigade of the kingdom." "what kingdom?" she asked. "utensia," said he. "i never heard of it before," asserted dorothy. then she added, thoughtfully, "i don't believe ozma ever heard of utensia, either. tell me, are you not subjects of ozma of oz?" "we never have heard of her," retorted a spoon. "we are subjects of king kleaver, and obey only his orders, which are to bring all prisoners to him as soon as they are captured. so step lively, my girl, and march with us, or we may be tempted to cut off a few of your toes with our swords." this threat made dorothy laugh again. she did not believe she was in any danger; but here was a new and interesting adventure, so she was willing to be taken to utensia that she might see what king kleaver's kingdom was like. [illustration] _how_ dorothy visited utensia chapter sixteen [illustration] there must have been from six to eight dozen spoons in the brigade, and they marched away in the shape of a hollow square, with dorothy, billina and toto in the center of the square. before they had gone very far toto knocked over one of the spoons by wagging his tail, and then the captain of the spoons told the little dog to be more careful, or he would be punished. so toto was careful, and the spoon brigade moved along with astonishing swiftness, while dorothy really had to walk fast to keep up with it. by and by they left the woods and entered a big clearing, in which was the kingdom of utensia. standing all around the clearing were a good many cookstoves, ranges and grills, of all sizes and shapes, and besides these there were several kitchen cabinets and cupboards and a few kitchen tables. these things were crowded with utensils of all sorts: frying pans, sauce pans, kettles, forks, knives, basting and soup spoons, nutmeg graters, sifters, colenders, meat saws, flat irons, rolling pins and many other things of a like nature. when the spoon brigade appeared with the prisoners a wild shout arose and many of the utensils hopped off their stoves or their benches and ran crowding around dorothy and the hen and the dog. "stand back!" cried the captain, sternly, and he led his captives through the curious throng until they came before a big range that stood in the center of the clearing. beside this range was a butcher's block upon which lay a great cleaver with a keen edge. it rested upon the flat of its back, its legs were crossed and it was smoking a long pipe. [illustration] "wake up, your majesty," said the captain. "here are prisoners." hearing this, king kleaver sat up and looked at dorothy sharply. "gristle and fat!" he cried. "where did this girl come from?" "i found her in the forest and brought her here a prisoner," replied the captain. "why did you do that?" inquired the king, puffing his pipe lazily. "to create some excitement," the captain answered. "it is so quiet here that we are all getting rusty for want of amusement. for my part, i prefer to see stirring times." "naturally," returned the cleaver, with a nod. "i have always said, captain, without a bit of irony, that you are a sterling officer and a solid citizen, bowled and polished to a degree. but what do you expect me to do with these prisoners?" "that is for you to decide," declared the captain. "you are the king." "to be sure; to be sure," muttered the cleaver, musingly. "as you say, we have had dull times since the steel and grindstone eloped and left us. command my counselors and the royal courtiers to attend me, as well as the high priest and the judge. we'll then decide what can be done." the captain saluted and retired and dorothy sat down on an overturned kettle and asked: "have you anything to eat in your kingdom?" "here! get up! get off from me!" cried a faint voice, at which his majesty the cleaver said: "excuse me, but you're sitting on my friend the ten-quart kettle." dorothy at once arose, and the kettle turned right side up and looked at her reproachfully. "i'm a friend of the king, so no one dares sit on me," said he. "i'd prefer a chair, anyway," she replied. "sit on that hearth," commanded the king. so dorothy sat on the hearth-shelf of the big range, and the subjects of utensia began to gather around in a large and inquisitive throng. toto lay at dorothy's feet and billina flew upon the range, which had no fire in it, and perched there as comfortably as she could. when all the counselors and courtiers had assembled--and these seemed to include most of the inhabitants of the kingdom--the king rapped on the block for order and said: "friends and fellow utensils! our worthy commander of the spoon brigade, captain dipp, has captured the three prisoners you see before you and brought them here for--for--i don't know what for. so i ask your advice how to act in this matter, and what fate i should mete out to these captives. judge sifter, stand on my right. it is your business to sift this affair to the bottom. high priest colender, stand on my left and see that no one testifies falsely in this matter." as these two officials took their places dorothy asked: "why is the colender the high priest?" "he's the holiest thing we have in the kingdom," replied king kleaver. "except me," said a sieve. "i'm the whole thing when it comes to holes." "what we need," remarked the king, rebukingly, "is a wireless sieve. i must speak to marconi about it. these old fashioned sieves talk too much. now, it is the duty of the king's counselors to counsel the king at all times of emergency, so i beg you to speak out and advise me what to do with these prisoners." "i demand that they be killed several times, until they are dead!" shouted a pepperbox, hopping around very excitedly. "compose yourself, mr. paprica," advised the king. "your remarks are piquant and highly-seasoned, but you need a scattering of commonsense. it is only necessary to kill a person once to make him dead; but i do not see that it is necessary to kill this little girl at all." "i don't, either," said dorothy. "pardon me, but you are not expected to advise me in this matter," replied king kleaver. "why not?" asked dorothy. "you might be prejudiced in your own favor, and so mislead us," he said. "now then, good subjects, who speaks next?" "i'd like to smooth this thing over, in some way," said a flatiron, earnestly. "we are supposed to be useful to mankind, you know." "but the girl isn't mankind! she's womankind!" yelled a corkscrew. "what do you know about it?" inquired the king. "i'm a lawyer," said the corkscrew, proudly. "i am accustomed to appear at the bar." "but you're crooked," retorted the king, "and that debars you. you may be a corking good lawyer, mr. popp, but i must ask you to withdraw your remarks." "very well," said the corkscrew, sadly; "i see i haven't any pull at this court." "permit me," continued the flatiron, "to press my suit, your majesty. i do not wish to gloss over any fault the prisoner may have committed, if such a fault exists; but we owe her some consideration, and that's flat!" "i'd like to hear from prince karver," said the king. at this a stately carvingknife stepped forward and bowed. "the captain was wrong to bring this girl here, and she was wrong to come," he said. "but now that the foolish deed is done let us all prove our mettle and have a slashing good time." "that's it! that's it!" screamed a fat choppingknife. "we'll make mincemeat of the girl and hash of the chicken and sausage of the dog!" there was a shout of approval at this and the king had to rap again for order. "gentlemen, gentlemen!" he said, "your remarks are somewhat cutting and rather disjointed, as might be expected from such acute intellects. but you give no reasons for your demands." "see here, kleaver; you make me tired," exclaimed a saucepan, strutting before the king very impudently. "you're about the worst king that ever reigned in utensia, and that's saying a good deal. why don't you run things yourself, instead of asking everybody's advice, like the big, clumsy idiot you are?" the king sighed. "i wish there wasn't a saucepan in my kingdom," he said. "you fellows are always stewing, over something, and every once in a while you slop over and make a mess of it. go hang yourself, sir--by the handle--and don't let me hear from you again." dorothy was much shocked by the dreadful language the utensils employed, and she thought that they must have had very little proper training. so she said, addressing the king, who seemed very unfit to rule his turbulent subjects: "i wish you'd decide my fate right away. i can't stay here all day, trying to find out what you're going to do with me." "this thing is becoming a regular broil, and it's time i took part in it," observed a big gridiron, coming forward. "what i'd like to know," said a can-opener, in a shrill voice, "is why the girl came to our forest, anyhow, and why she intruded upon captain dipp--who ought to be called dippy--and who she is, and where she came from, and where she is going, and why and wherefore and therefore and when." "i'm sorry to see, sir jabber," remarked the king to the can-opener, "that you have such a prying disposition. as a matter of fact, all the things you mention are none of our business." having said this the king relighted his pipe, which had gone out. "tell me, please, what _is_ our business?" inquired a potato-masher, winking at dorothy somewhat impertinently. "i'm fond of little girls, myself, and it seems to me she has as much right to wander in the forest as we have." "who accuses the little girl, anyway?" inquired a rolling-pin. "what has she done?" "i don't know," said the king. "what has she done, captain dipp?" "that's the trouble, your majesty. she hasn't done anything," replied the captain. "what do you want me to do?" asked dorothy. this question seemed to puzzle them all. finally a chafingdish, exclaimed, irritably: "if no one can throw any light on this subject you must excuse me if i go out." at this a big kitchen fork pricked up its ears and said in a tiny voice: "let's hear from judge sifter." "that's proper," returned the king. so judge sifter turned around slowly several times and then said: "we have nothing against the girl except the stove-hearth upon which she sits. therefore i order her instantly discharged." "discharged!" cried dorothy. "why, i never was discharged in my life, and i don't intend to be. if its all the same to you, i'll resign." "it's all the same," declared the king. "you are free--you and your companions--and may go wherever you like." "thank you," said the little girl. "but haven't you anything to eat in your kingdom? i'm hungry." "go into the woods and pick blackberries," advised the king, lying down upon his back again and preparing to go to sleep. "there isn't a morsel to eat in all utensia, that i know of." so dorothy jumped up and said: "come on, toto and billina. if we can't find the camp we may find some blackberries." the utensils drew back and allowed them to pass without protest, although captain dipp marched the spoon brigade in close order after them until they had reached the edge of the clearing. there the spoons halted; but dorothy and her companions entered the forest again and began searching diligently for a way back to the camp, that they might rejoin their party. [illustration] _how_ they came to bunbury chapter seventeen [illustration] wandering through the woods, without knowing where you are going or what adventure you are about to meet next, is not as pleasant as one might think. the woods are always beautiful and impressive, and if you are not worried or hungry you may enjoy them immensely; but dorothy was worried and hungry that morning, so she paid little attention to the beauties of the forest, and hurried along as fast as she could go. she tried to keep in one direction and not circle around, but she was not at all sure that the direction she had chosen would lead her to the camp. by and by, to her great joy, she came upon a path. it ran to the right and to the left, being lost in the trees in both directions, and just before her, upon a big oak, were fastened two signs, with arms pointing both ways. one sign read: [illustration: (hand pointing right)] take the other road to bunbury and the second sign read: [illustration: (hand pointing right)] take the other road to bunnybury "well!" exclaimed billina, eyeing the signs, "this looks as if we were getting back to civilization again." "i'm not sure about the civil'zation, dear," replied the little girl; "but it looks as if we might get _somewhere_, and that's a big relief, anyhow." "which path shall we take?" inquired the yellow hen. dorothy stared at the signs thoughtfully. "bunbury sounds like something to eat," she said. "let's go there." "it's all the same to me," replied billina. she had picked up enough bugs and insects from the moss as she went along to satisfy her own hunger, but the hen knew dorothy could not eat bugs; nor could toto. the path to bunbury seemed little traveled, but it was distinct enough and ran through the trees in a zigzag course until it finally led them to an open space filled with the queerest houses dorothy had ever seen. they were all made of crackers, laid out in tiny squares, and were of many pretty and ornamental shapes, having balconies and porches with posts of bread-sticks and roofs shingled with wafer-crackers. there were walks of bread-crusts leading from house to house and forming streets, and the place seemed to have many inhabitants. when dorothy, followed by billina and toto, entered the place, they found people walking the streets or assembled in groups talking together, or sitting upon the porches and balconies. and what funny people they were! men, women, and children were all made of buns and bread. some were thin and others fat; some were white, some light brown and some very dark of complexion. a few of the buns, which seemed to form the more important class of the people, were neatly frosted. some had raisins for eyes and currant buttons on their clothes; others had eyes of cloves and legs of stick cinnamon, and many wore hats and bonnets frosted pink and green. there was something of a commotion in bunbury when the strangers suddenly appeared among them. women caught up their children and hurried into their houses, shutting the cracker doors carefully behind them. some men ran so hastily that they tumbled over one another, while others, more brave, assembled in a group and faced the intruders defiantly. dorothy at once realized that she must act with caution in order not to frighten these shy people, who were evidently unused to the presence of strangers. there was a delightful fragrant odor of fresh bread in the town, and this made the little girl more hungry than ever. she told toto and billina to stay back while she slowly advanced toward the group that stood silently awaiting her. "you must 'scuse me for coming unexpected," she said, softly, "but i really didn't know i was coming here until i arrived. i was lost in the woods, you know, and i'm as hungry as anything." "hungry!" they murmured, in a horrified chorus. "yes; i haven't had anything to eat since last night's supper," she explained. "are there any eatables in bunbury?" they looked at one another undecidedly, and then one portly bun man, who seemed a person of consequence, stepped forward and said: "little girl, to be frank with you, we are all eatables. everything in bunbury is eatable to ravenous human creatures like you. but it is to escape being eaten and destroyed that we have secluded ourselves in this out-of-the-way place, and there is neither right nor justice in your coming here to feed upon us." dorothy looked at him longingly. "you're bread, aren't you?" she asked. "yes; bread and butter. the butter is inside me, so it won't melt and run. i do the running myself." at this joke all the others burst into a chorus of laughter, and dorothy thought they couldn't be much afraid if they could laugh like that. "couldn't i eat something besides people?" she asked. "couldn't i eat just one house, or a side-walk, or something? i wouldn't mind much what it was, you know." "this is not a public bakery, child," replied the man, sternly. "it's private property." "i know mr.--mr.--" "my name is c. bunn, esquire," said the man. "c stands for cinnamon, and this place is called after my family, which is the most aristocratic in the town." "oh, i don't know about that," objected another of the queer people. "the grahams and the browns and whites are all excellent families, and there are none better of their kind. i'm a boston brown, myself." "i admit you are all desirable citizens," said mr. bunn, rather stiffly; "but the fact remains that our town is called bunbury." "'scuse me," interrupted dorothy; "but i'm getting hungrier every minute. now, if you're polite and kind, as i'm sure you ought to be, you'll let me eat _something_. there's so much to eat here that you never will miss it." then a big, puffed-up man, of a delicate brown color, stepped forward and said: "i think it would be a shame to send this child away hungry, especially as she agrees to eat whatever we can spare and not touch our people." "so do i, pop," replied a roll who stood near. "what, then, do you suggest, mr. over?" inquired mr. bunn. "why, i'll let her eat my back fence, if she wants to. it's made of waffles, and they're very crisp and nice." "she may also eat my wheelbarrow," added a pleasant looking muffin. "it's made of nabiscos with a zuzu wheel." "very good; very good," remarked mr. bunn. "that is certainly very kind of you. go with pop over and mr. muffin, little girl, and they will feed you." "thank you very much," said dorothy, gratefully. "may i bring my dog toto, and the yellow hen? they're hungry, too." "will you make them behave?" asked the muffin. "of course," promised dorothy. "then come along," said pop over. so dorothy and billina and toto walked up the street and the people seemed no longer to be at all afraid of them. mr. muffin's house came first, and as his wheelbarrow stood in the front yard the little girl ate that first. it didn't seem very fresh, but she was so hungry that she was not particular. toto ate some, too, while billina picked up the crumbs. while the strangers were engaged in eating, many of the people came and stood in the street curiously watching them. dorothy noticed six roguish looking brown children standing all in a row, and she asked: "who are you, little ones?" "we're the graham gems," replied one; "and we're all twins." "i wonder if your mother could spare one or two of you?" asked billina, who decided that they were fresh baked; but at this dangerous question the six little gems ran away as fast as they could go. "you mustn't say such things, billina," said dorothy, reprovingly. "now let's go into pop over's back yard and get the waffles." "i sort of hate to let that fence go," remarked mr. over, nervously, as they walked toward his house. "the neighbors back of us are soda biscuits, and i don't care to mix with them." "but i'm hungry yet," declared the girl. "that wheelbarrow wasn't very big." "i've got a shortcake piano, but none of my family can play on it," he said, reflectively. "suppose you eat that." "all right," said dorothy; "i don't mind. anything to be accomodating." [illustration] so mr. over led her into the house, where she ate the piano, which was of an excellent flavor. "is there anything to drink here?" she asked. "yes; i've a milk pump and a water pump; which will you have?" he asked. "i guess i'll try 'em both," said dorothy. so mr. over called to his wife, who brought into the yard a pail made of some kind of baked dough, and dorothy pumped the pail full of cool, sweet milk and drank it eagerly. the wife of pop over was several shades darker than her husband. "aren't you overdone?" the little girl asked her. "no indeed," answered the woman. "i'm neither overdone nor done over; i'm just mrs. over, and i'm the president of the bunbury breakfast band." dorothy thanked them for their hospitality and went away. at the gate mr. cinnamon bunn met her and said he would show her around the town. "we have some very interesting inhabitants," he remarked, walking stiffly beside her on his stick-cinnamon legs; "and all of us who are in good health are well bred. if you are no longer hungry we will call upon a few of the most important citizens." toto and billina followed behind them, behaving very well, and a little way down the street they came to a handsome residence where aunt sally lunn lived. the old lady was glad to meet the little girl and gave her a slice of white bread and butter which had been used as a door-mat. it was almost fresh and tasted better than anything dorothy had eaten in the town. "where do you get the butter?" she inquired. "we dig it out of the ground, which, as you may have observed, is all flour and meal," replied mr. bunn. "there is a butter mine just at the opposite side of the village. the trees which you see here are all doughleanders and doughderas, and in the season we get quite a crop of dough-nuts off them." "i should think the flour would blow around and get into your eyes," said dorothy. "no," said he; "we are bothered with cracker dust sometimes, but never with flour." then he took her to see johnny cake, a cheerful old gentleman who lived near by. "i suppose you've heard of me," said old johnny, with an air of pride. "i'm a great favorite all over the world." "aren't you rather yellow?" asked dorothy, looking at him critically. "maybe, child. but don't think i'm bilious, for i was never in better health in my life," replied the old gentleman. "if anything ailed me, i'd willingly acknowledge the corn." "johnny's a trifle stale," said mr. bunn, as they went away; "but he's a good mixer and never gets cross-grained. i will now take you to call upon some of my own relatives." they visited the sugar bunns, the currant bunns and the spanish bunns, the latter having a decidedly foreign appearance. then they saw the french rolls, who were very polite to them, and made a brief call upon the parker h. rolls, who seemed a bit proud and overbearing. "but they're not as stuck up as the frosted jumbles," declared mr. bunn, "who are people i really can't abide. i don't like to be suspicious or talk scandal, but sometimes i think the jumbles have too much baking powder in them." just then a dreadful scream was heard, and dorothy turned hastily around to find a scene of great excitement a little way down the street. the people were crowding around toto and throwing at him everything they could find at hand. they pelted the little dog with hard-tack, crackers, and even articles of furniture which were hard baked and heavy enough for missiles. toto howled a little as the assortment of bake stuff struck him; but he stood still, with head bowed and tail between his legs, until dorothy ran up and inquired what the matter was. "matter!" cried a rye loafer, indignantly, "why the horrid beast has eaten three of our dear crumpets, and is now devouring a salt-rising biscuit!" "oh, toto! how could you?" exclaimed dorothy, much distressed. toto's mouth was full of his salt-rising victim; so he only whined and wagged his tail. but billina, who had flown to the top of a cracker house to be in a safe place, called out: "don't blame him, dorothy; the crumpets dared him to do it." "yes, and you pecked out the eyes of a raisin bunn--one of our best citizens!" shouted a bread pudding, shaking its fist at the yellow hen. "what's that! what's that?" wailed mr. cinnamon bunn, who had now joined them. "oh, what a misfortune--what a terrible misfortune!" "see here," said dorothy, determined to defend her pets, "i think we've treated you all pretty well, seeing you're eatables, an' reg'lar food for us. i've been kind to you, and eaten your old wheelbarrows and pianos and rubbish, an' not said a word. but toto and billina can't be 'spected to go hungry when the town's full of good things they like to eat, 'cause they can't understand your stingy ways as i do." "you must leave here at once!" said mr. bunn, sternly. "suppose we won't go?" asked dorothy, who was now much provoked. "then," said he, "we will put you into the great ovens where we are made, and bake you." dorothy gazed around and saw threatening looks upon the faces of all. she had not noticed any ovens in the town, but they might be there, nevertheless, for some of the inhabitants seemed very fresh. so she decided to go, and calling to toto and billina to follow her she marched up the street with as much dignity as possible, considering that she was followed by the hoots and cries of the buns and biscuits and other bake stuff. [illustration] _how_ ozma looked into the magic picture chapter eighteen [illustration] princess ozma was a very busy little ruler, for she looked carefully after the comfort and welfare of her people and tried to make them happy. if any quarrels arose she decided them justly; if any one needed counsel or advice she was ready and willing to listen to them. for a day or two after dorothy and her companions had started on their trip, ozma was occupied with the affairs of her kingdom. then she began to think of some manner of occupation for uncle henry and aunt em that would be light and easy and yet give the old people something to do. she soon decided to make uncle henry the keeper of the jewels, for some one really was needed to count and look after the bins and barrels of emeralds, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones that were in the royal storehouses. that would keep uncle henry busy enough, but it was harder to find something for aunt em to do. the palace was full of servants, so there was no detail of housework that aunt em could look after. while ozma sat in her pretty room engaged in thought she happened to glance at her magic picture. this was one of the most important treasures in all the land of oz. it was a large picture, set in a beautiful gold frame, and it hung in a prominent place upon a wall of ozma's private room. usually this picture seemed merely a country scene, but whenever ozma looked at it and wished to know what any of her friends or acquaintances were doing, the magic of this wonderful picture was straightway disclosed. for the country scene would gradually fade away and in its place would appear the likeness of the person or persons ozma might wish to see, surrounded by the actual scenes in which they were then placed. in this way the princess could view any part of the world she wished, and watch the actions of any one in whom she was interested. ozma had often seen dorothy in her kansas home by this means, and now, having a little leisure, she expressed a desire to see her little friend again. it was while the travelers were at fuddlecumjig, and ozma laughed merrily as she watched in the picture her friends trying to match the pieces of grandmother gnit. "they seem happy and are doubtless having a good time," the girl ruler said to herself; and then she began to think of the many adventures she herself had encountered with dorothy. the images of her friends now faded from the magic picture and the old landscape slowly reappeared. ozma was thinking of the time when with dorothy and her army she marched to the nome king's underground cavern, beyond the land of ev, and forced the old monarch to liberate his captives, who belonged to the royal family of ev. that was the time when the scarecrow nearly frightened the nome king into fits by throwing one of billina's eggs at him, and dorothy had captured king roquat's magic belt and brought it away with her to the land of oz. the pretty princess smiled at the recollection of this adventure, and then she wondered what had become of the nome king since then. merely because she was curious and had nothing better to do, ozma glanced at the magic picture and wished to see in it the king of the nomes. roquat the red went every day into his tunnel to see how the work was getting along and to hurry his workmen as much as possible. he was there now, and ozma saw him plainly in the magic picture. she saw the underground tunnel, reaching far underneath the deadly desert which separated the land of oz from the mountains beneath which the nome king had his extensive caverns. she saw that the tunnel was being made in the direction of the emerald city, and knew at once it was being dug so that the army of nomes could march through it and attack her own beautiful and peaceful country. "i suppose king roquat is planning revenge against us," she said, musingly, "and thinks he can surprise us and make us his captives and slaves. how sad it is that any one can have such wicked thoughts! but i must not blame king roquat too severely, for he is a nome, and his nature is not so gentle as my own." then she dismissed from her mind further thought of the tunnel, for that time, and began to wonder if aunt em would not be happy as royal mender of the stockings of the ruler of oz. ozma wore few holes in her stockings; still, they sometimes needed mending. aunt em ought to be able to do that very nicely. next day the princess watched the tunnel again in her magic picture, and every day afterward she devoted a few minutes to inspecting the work. it was not especially interesting, but she felt that it was her duty. slowly but surely the big arched hole crept through the rocks underneath the deadly desert, and day by day it drew nearer and nearer to the emerald city. _how_ bunnybury welcomed the strangers chapter nineteen [illustration] dorothy left bunbury the same way she had entered it and when they were in the forest again she said to billina: "i never thought that things good to eat could be so dis'gree'ble." "often i've eaten things that tasted good but were disagreeable afterward," returned the yellow hen. "i think, dorothy, if eatables are going to act badly, it's better before than after you eat them." "p'raps you're right," said the little girl, with a sigh. "but what shall we do now?" "let us follow the path back to the signpost," suggested billina. "that will be better than getting lost again." "why, we're lost anyhow," declared dorothy; "but i guess you're right about going back to that signpost, billina." they returned along the path to the place where they had first found it, and at once took "the other road" to bunnybury. this road was a mere narrow strip, worn hard and smooth but not wide enough for dorothy's feet to tread. still it was a guide, and the walking through the forest was not at all difficult. before long they reached a high wall of solid white marble, and the path came to an end at this wall. at first dorothy thought there was no opening at all in the marble, but on looking closely she discovered a small square door about on a level with her head, and underneath this closed door was a bell-push. near the bell-push a sign was painted in neat letters upon the marble, and the sign read: _no admittance except on business_ this did not discourage dorothy, however, and she rang the bell. pretty soon a bolt was cautiously withdrawn and the marble door swung slowly open. then she saw it was not really a door, but a window, for several brass bars were placed across it, being set fast in the marble and so close together that the little girl's fingers might barely go between them. back of the bars appeared the face of a white rabbit--a very sober and sedate face--with an eye-glass held in his left eye and attached to a cord in his button-hole. "well! what is it?" asked the rabbit, sharply. "i'm dorothy," said the girl, "and i'm lost, and--" "state your business, please," interrupted the rabbit. "my business," she replied, "is to find out where i am, and to--" "no one is allowed in bunnybury without an order or a letter of introduction from either ozma of oz or glinda the good," announced the rabbit; "so that that settles the matter," and he started to close the window. "wait a minute!" cried dorothy. "i've got a letter from ozma." "from the ruler of oz?" asked the rabbit, doubtingly. "of course. ozma's my best friend, you know; and i'm a princess myself," she announced, earnestly. "hum--ha! let me see your letter," returned the rabbit, as if he still doubted her. so she hunted in her pocket and found the letter ozma had given her. then she handed it through the bars to the rabbit, who took it in his paws and opened it. he read it aloud in a pompous voice, as if to let dorothy and billina see that he was educated and could read writing. the letter was as follows: "it will please me to have my subjects greet princess dorothy, the bearer of this royal missive, with the same courtesy and consideration they would extend to me." "ha--hum! it is signed 'ozma of oz,'" continued the rabbit, "and is sealed with the great seal of the emerald city. well, well, well! how strange! how remarkable!" "what are you going to do about it?" inquired dorothy, impatiently. "we must obey the royal mandate," replied the rabbit. "we are subjects of ozma of oz, and we live in her country. also we are under the protection of the great sorceress glinda the good, who made us promise to respect ozma's commands." "then may i come in?" she asked. "i'll open the door," said the rabbit. he shut the window and disappeared, but a moment afterward a big door in the wall opened and admitted dorothy to a small room, which seemed to be a part of the wall and built into it. here stood the rabbit she had been talking with, and now that she could see all of him she gazed at the creature in surprise. he was a good sized white rabbit with pink eyes, much like all other white rabbits. but the astonishing thing about him was the manner in which he was dressed. he wore a white satin jacket embroidered with gold, and having diamond buttons. his vest was rose-colored satin, with tourmaline buttons. his trousers were white, to correspond with the jacket, and they were baggy at the knees--like those of a zouave--being tied with knots of rose ribbons. his shoes were of white plush with diamond buckles, and his stockings were rose silk. the richness and even magnificence of the rabbit's clothing made dorothy stare at the little creature wonderingly. toto and billina had followed her into the room and when he saw them the rabbit ran to a table and sprang upon it nimbly. then he looked at the three through his monocle and said: "these companions, princess, cannot enter bunnybury with you." "why not?" asked dorothy. "in the first place they would frighten our people, who dislike dogs above all things on earth; and, secondly, the letter of the royal ozma does not mention them." "but they're my friends," persisted dorothy, "and go wherever i go." "not this time," said the rabbit, decidedly. "you, yourself, princess, are a welcome visitor, since you come so highly recommended; but unless you consent to leave the dog and the hen in this room i cannot permit you to enter the town." "never mind us, dorothy," said billina. "go inside and see what the place is like. you can tell us about it afterward, and toto and i will rest comfortably here until you return." this seemed the best thing to do, for dorothy was curious to see how the rabbit people lived and she was aware of the fact that her friends might frighten the timid little creatures. she had not forgotten how toto and billina had misbehaved in bunbury, and perhaps the rabbit was wise to insist on their staying outside the town. "very well," she said, "i'll go in alone. i s'pose you're the king of this town, aren't you?" "no," answered the rabbit, "i'm merely the keeper of the wicket, and a person of little importance, although i try to do my duty. i must now inform you, princess, that before you enter our town you must consent to reduce." "reduce what?" asked dorothy. "your size. you must become the size of the rabbits, although you may retain your own form." "wouldn't my clothes be too big for me?" she inquired. "no; they will reduce when your body does." "can _you_ make me smaller?" asked the girl. "easily," returned the rabbit. "and will you make me big again, when i'm ready to go away?" "i will," said he. "all right, then; i'm willing," she announced. the rabbit jumped from the table and ran--or rather hopped--to the further wall, where he opened a door so tiny that even toto could scarcely have crawled through it. "follow me," he said. now, almost any other little girl would have declared that she could not get through so small a door; but dorothy had already encountered so many fairy adventures that she believed nothing was impossible in the land of oz. so she quietly walked toward the door, and at every step she grew smaller and smaller until, by the time the opening was reached, she could pass through it with ease. indeed, as she stood beside the rabbit, who sat upon his hind legs and used his paws as hands, her head was just about as high as his own. then the keeper of the wicket passed through and she followed, after which the door swung shut and locked itself with a sharp click. dorothy now found herself in a city so strange and beautiful that she gave a gasp of surprise. the high marble wall extended all around the place and shut out all the rest of the world. and here were marble houses of curious forms, most of them resembling overturned kettles but with delicate slender spires and minarets running far up into the sky. the streets were paved with white marble and in front of each house was a lawn of rich green clover. everything was as neat as wax, the green and white contrasting prettily together. but the rabbit people were, after all, the most amazing things dorothy saw. the streets were full of them, and their costumes were so splendid that the rich dress of the keeper of the wicket was commonplace when compared with the others. silks and satins of delicate hues seemed always used for material, and nearly every costume sparkled with exquisite gems. [illustration] but the lady rabbits outshone the gentlemen rabbits in splendor, and the cut of their gowns was really wonderful. they wore bonnets, too, with feathers and jewels in them, and some wheeled baby carriages in which the girl could see wee bunnies. some were lying asleep while others lay sucking their paws and looking around them with big pink eyes. as dorothy was no bigger in size than the grown-up rabbits she had a chance to observe them closely before they noticed her presence. then they did not seem at all alarmed, although the little girl naturally became the center of attraction and all regarded her with great curiosity. "make way!" cried the keeper of the wicket, in a pompous voice; "make way for princess dorothy, who comes from ozma of oz." hearing this announcement, the throng of rabbits gave place to them on the walks, and as dorothy passed along they all bowed their heads respectfully. walking thus through several handsome streets they came to a square in the center of the city. in this square were some pretty trees and a statue in bronze of glinda the good, while beyond it were the portals of the royal palace--an extensive and imposing building of white marble covered with a filigree of frosted gold. _how_ dorothy lunched with a king chapter twenty [illustration] a line of rabbit soldiers was drawn up before the palace entrance, and they wore green and gold uniforms with high shakos upon their heads and held tiny spears in their hands. the captain had a sword and a white plume in his shako. "salute!" cried the keeper of the wicket. "salute princess dorothy, who comes from ozma of oz!" "salute!" yelled the captain, and all the soldiers promptly saluted. they now entered the great hall of the palace, where they met a gaily dressed attendant, from whom the keeper of the wicket inquired if the king were at leisure. "i think so," was the reply. "i heard his majesty blubbering and wailing as usual only a few minutes ago. if he doesn't stop acting like a cry-baby i'm going to resign my position here and go to work." "what's the matter with your king?" asked dorothy, surprised to hear the rabbit attendant speak so disrespectfully of his monarch. "oh, he doesn't want to be king, that's all; and he simply _has_ to," was the reply. "come!" said the keeper of the wicket, sternly; "lead us to his majesty; and do not air our troubles before strangers, i beg of you." "why, if this girl is going to see the king, he'll air his own troubles," returned the attendant. "that is his royal privilege," declared the keeper. so the attendant led them into a room all draped with cloth-of-gold and furnished with satin-covered gold furniture. there was a throne in this room, set on a dais and having a big cushioned seat, and on this seat reclined the rabbit king. he was lying on his back, with his paws in the air, and whining very like a puppy-dog. "your majesty! your majesty! get up. here's a visitor," called out the attendant. the king rolled over and looked at dorothy with one watery pink eye. then he sat up and wiped his eyes carefully with a silk handkerchief and put on his jeweled crown, which had fallen off. "excuse my grief, fair stranger," he said, in a sad voice. "you behold in me the most miserable monarch in all the world. what time is it, blinkem?" "one o'clock, your majesty," replied the attendant to whom the question was addressed. "serve luncheon at once!" commanded the king. "luncheon for two--that's for my visitor and me--and see that the human has some sort of food she's accustomed to." "yes, your majesty," answered the attendant, and went away. "tie my shoe, bristle," said the king to the keeper of the wicket. "ah, me! how unhappy i am!" "what seems to be worrying your majesty?" asked dorothy. "why, it's this king business, of course," he returned, while the keeper tied his shoe. "i didn't want to be king of bunnybury at all, and the rabbits all knew it. so they elected me--to save themselves from such a dreadful fate, i suppose--and here i am, shut up in a palace, when i might be free and happy." "seems to me," said dorothy, "it's a great thing to be a king." "were you ever a king?" inquired the monarch. "no," she answered, laughing. "then you know nothing about it," he said. "i haven't inquired who you are, but it doesn't matter. while we're at luncheon, i'll tell you all my troubles. they're a great deal more interesting than anything you can say about yourself." "perhaps they are, to you," replied dorothy. "luncheon is served!" cried blinkem, throwing open the door, and in came a dozen rabbits in livery, all bearing trays which they placed upon the table, where they arranged the dishes in an orderly manner. "now clear out--all of you!" exclaimed the king. "bristle, you may wait outside, in case i want you." when they had gone and the king was alone with dorothy he came down from his throne, tossed his crown into a corner and kicked his ermine robe under the table. "sit down," he said, "and try to be happy. it's useless for me to try, because i'm always wretched and miserable. but i'm hungry, and i hope you are." "i am," said dorothy. "i've only eaten a wheelbarrow and a piano to-day--oh, yes! and a slice of bread and butter that used to be a door-mat." "that sounds like a square meal," remarked the king, seating himself opposite her; "but perhaps it wasn't a square piano. eh?" dorothy laughed. "you don't seem so very unhappy now," she said. [illustration] "but i am," protested the king, fresh tears gathering in his eyes. "even my jokes are miserable. i'm wretched, woeful, afflicted, distressed and dismal as an individual can be. are you not sorry for me?" "no," answered dorothy, honestly, "i can't say i am. seems to me that for a rabbit you 're right in clover. this is the prettiest little city i ever saw." "oh, the city is good enough," he admitted. "glinda, the good sorceress, made it for us because she was fond of rabbits. i don't mind the city so much, although i wouldn't live here if i had my choice. it is being king that has absolutely ruined my happiness." "why wouldn't you live here by choice?" she asked. "because it is all unnatural, my dear. rabbits are out of place in such luxury. when i was young i lived in a burrow in the forest. i was surrounded by enemies and often had to run for my life. it was hard getting enough to eat, at times, and when i found a bunch of clover i had to listen and look for danger while i ate it. wolves prowled around the hole in which i lived and sometimes i didn't dare stir out for days at a time. oh, how happy and contented i was then! i was a real rabbit, as nature made me--wild and free!--and i even enjoyed listening to the startled throbbing of my own heart!" "i've often thought," said dorothy, who was busily eating, "that it would be fun to be a rabbit." "it _is_ fun--when you're the genuine article," agreed his majesty. "but look at me now! i live in a marble palace instead of a hole in the ground. i have all i want to eat, without the joy of hunting for it. every day i must dress in fine clothes and wear that horrible crown till it makes my head ache. rabbits come to me with all sorts of troubles, when my own troubles are the only ones i care about. when i walk out i can't hop and run; i must strut on my rear legs and wear an ermine robe! and the soldiers salute me and the band plays and the other rabbits laugh and clap their paws and cry out: 'hail to the king!' now let me ask you, as a friend and a young lady of good judgment: isn't all this pomp and foolishness enough to make a decent rabbit miserable?" "once," said dorothy, reflectively, "men were wild and unclothed and lived in caves and hunted for food as wild beasts do. but they got civ'lized, in time, and now they'd hate to go back to the old days." "that is an entirely different case," replied the king. "none of you humans were civilized in one lifetime. it came to you by degrees. but i have known the forest and the free life, and that is why i resent being civilized all at once, against my will, and being made a king with a crown and an ermine robe. pah!" "if you don't like it, why don't you resign?" she asked. "impossible!" wailed the rabbit, wiping his eyes again with his handkerchief. "there's a beastly law in this town that forbids it. when one is elected a king there's no getting out of it." "who made the laws?" inquired dorothy. "the same sorceress who made the town--glinda the good. she built the wall, and fixed up the city, and gave us several valuable enchantments, and made the laws. then she invited all the pink-eyed white rabbits of the forest to come here, after which she left us to our fate." "what made you 'cept the invitation, and come here?" asked the child. "i didn't know how dreadful city life was, and i'd no idea i would be elected king," said he, sobbing bitterly. "and--and--now i'm it--with a capital i--and can't escape!" "i know glinda," remarked dorothy, eating for dessert a dish of charlotte russe, "and when i see her again i'll ask her to put another king in your place." "will you? will you, indeed?" asked the king, joyfully. "i will if you want me to," she replied. "hurroo--hurray!" shouted the king; and then he jumped up from the table and danced wildly about the room, waving his napkin like a flag and laughing with glee. after a time he managed to control his delight and returned to the table. "when are you likely to see glinda?" he inquired. "oh, p'raps in a few days," said dorothy. "and you won't forget to ask her?" "of course not." "princess," said the rabbit king, earnestly, "you have relieved me of a great unhappiness, and i am very grateful. therefore i propose to entertain you, since you are my guest and i am the king, as a slight mark of my appreciation. come with me to my reception hall." he then summoned bristle and said to him: "assemble all the nobility in the great reception hall, and also tell blinkem that i want him immediately." the keeper of the wicket bowed and hurried away, and his majesty turned to dorothy and continued: "we'll have time for a walk in the gardens before the people get here." the gardens were back of the palace and were filled with beautiful flowers and fragrant shrubs, with many shade and fruit trees and marble paved walks running in every direction. as they entered this place blinkem came running to the king, who gave him several orders in a low voice. then his majesty rejoined dorothy and led her through the gardens, which she admired very much. "what lovely clothes your majesty wears!" she said, glancing at the rich blue satin costume, embroidered with pearls, in which the king was dressed. "yes," he returned, with an air of pride, "this is one of my favorite suits; but i have a good many that are even more elaborate. we have excellent tailors in bunnybury, and glinda supplies all the material. by the way, you might ask the sorceress, when you see her, to permit me to keep my wardrobe." "but if you go back to the forest you will not need clothes," she said. "n--o!" he faltered; "that may be so. but i've dressed up so long that i'm used to it, and i don't imagine i'd care to run around naked again. so perhaps the good glinda will let me keep the costumes." "i'll ask her," agreed dorothy. then they left the gardens and went into a fine big reception hall, where rich rugs were spread upon the tiled floors and the furniture was exquisitely carved and studded with jewels. the king's chair was an especially pretty piece of furniture, being in the shape of a silver lily with one leaf bent over to form the seat. the silver was everywhere thickly encrusted with diamonds and the seat was upholstered in white satin. "oh, what a splendid chair!" cried dorothy, clasping her hands admiringly. "isn't it?" answered the king, proudly. "it is my favorite seat, and i think it especially becoming to my complexion. while i think of it, i wish you'd ask glinda to let me keep this lily chair when i go away." "it wouldn't look very well in a hole in the ground, would it?" she suggested. "maybe not; but i'm used to sitting in it and i'd like to take it with me," he answered. "but here come the ladies and gentlemen of the court; so please sit beside me and be presented." [illustration] _how_ the king changed his mind chapter twenty-one [illustration] just then a rabbit band of nearly fifty pieces marched in, playing upon golden instruments and dressed in neat uniforms. following the band came the nobility of bunnybury, all richly dressed and hopping along on their rear legs. both the ladies and the gentlemen wore white gloves upon their paws, with their rings on the outside of the gloves, as this seemed to be the fashion here. some of the lady rabbits carried lorgnettes, while many of the gentlemen rabbits wore monocles in their left eyes. the courtiers and their ladies paraded past the king, who introduced princess dorothy to each couple in a very graceful manner. then the company seated themselves in chairs and on sofas and looked expectantly at their monarch. "it is our royal duty, as well as our royal pleasure," he said, "to provide fitting entertainment for our distinguished guest. we will now present the royal band of whiskered friskers." as he spoke the musicians, who had arranged themselves in a corner, struck up a dance melody while into the room pranced the whiskered friskers. they were eight pretty rabbits dressed only in gauzy purple skirts fastened around their waists with diamond bands. their whiskers were colored a rich purple, but otherwise they were pure white. after bowing before the king and dorothy the friskers began their pranks, and these were so comical that dorothy laughed with real enjoyment. they not only danced together, whirling and gyrating around the room, but they leaped over one another, stood upon their heads and hopped and skipped here and there so nimbly that it was hard work to keep track of them. finally they all made double somersaults and turned handsprings out of the room. the nobility enthusiastically applauded, and dorothy applauded with them. "they're fine!" she said to the king. "yes, the whiskered friskers are really very clever," he replied. "i shall hate to part with them when i go away, for they have often amused me when i was very miserable. i wonder if you would ask glinda--" "no, it wouldn't do at all," declared dorothy, positively. "there wouldn't be room in your hole in the ground for so many rabbits, 'spec'ly when you get the lily chair and your clothes there. don't think of such a thing, your majesty." the king sighed. then he stood up and announced to the company: "we will now behold a military drill by my picked bodyguard of royal pikemen." now the band played a march and a company of rabbit soldiers came in. they wore green and gold uniforms and marched very stiffly but in perfect time. their spears, or pikes, had slender shafts of polished silver with golden heads, and during the drill they handled these weapons with wonderful dexterity. "i should think you'd feel pretty safe with such a fine bodyguard," remarked dorothy. "i do," said the king. "they protect me from every harm. i suppose glinda wouldn't--" "no," interrupted the girl; "i'm sure she wouldn't. it's the king's own bodyguard, and when you are no longer king you can't have 'em." the king did not reply, but he looked rather sorrowful for a time. when the soldiers had marched out he said to the company: "the royal jugglers will now appear." dorothy had seen many jugglers in her lifetime, but never any so interesting as these. there were six of them, dressed in black satin embroidered with queer symbols in silver--a costume which contrasted strongly with their snow-white fur. first they pushed in a big red ball and three of the rabbit jugglers stood upon its top and made it roll. then two of them caught up a third and tossed him into the air, all vanishing, until only the two were left. then one of these tossed the other upward and remained alone of all his fellows. this last juggler now touched the red ball, which fell apart, being hollow, and the five rabbits who had disappeared in the air scrambled out of the hollow ball. next they all clung together and rolled swiftly upon the floor. when they came to a stop only one fat rabbit juggler was seen, the others seeming to be inside him. this one leaped lightly into the air and when he came down he exploded and separated into the original six. then four of them rolled themselves into round balls and the other two tossed them around and played ball with them. these were but a few of the tricks the rabbit jugglers performed, and they were so skillful that all the nobility and even the king applauded as loudly as did dorothy. "i suppose there are no rabbit jugglers in all the world to compare with these," remarked the king. "and since i may not have the whiskered friskers or my bodyguard, you might ask glinda to let me take away just two or three of these jugglers. will you?" "i'll ask her," replied dorothy, doubtfully. "thank you," said the king; "thank you very much. and now you shall listen to the winsome waggish warblers, who have often cheered me in my moments of anguish." the winsome waggish warblers proved to be a quartette of rabbit singers, two gentlemen and two lady rabbits. the gentlemen warblers wore full-dress swallow-tailed suits of white satin, with pearls for buttons, while the lady warblers were gowned in white satin dresses with long trails. the first song they sang began in this way: "when a rabbit gets a habit of living in a city and wearing clothes and furbelows and jewels rare and pretty, he scorns the bun who has to run and burrow in the ground and pities those whose watchful foes are man and gun and hound." dorothy looked at the king when she heard this song and noticed that he seemed disturbed and ill at ease. "i don't like that song," he said to the warblers. "give us something jolly and rollicking." so they sang to a joyous, tinkling melody as follows: "bunnies gay delight to play in their fairy town secure; ev'ry frisker flirts his whisker at a pink-eyed girl demure. ev'ry maid in silk arrayed at her partner shyly glances, paws are grasped, waists are clasped as they whirl in giddy dances. then together through the heather 'neath the moonlight soft they stroll; each is very blithe and merry, gamboling with laughter droll. life is fun to ev'ry one guarded by our magic charm for to dangers we are strangers, safe from any thought of harm." "you see," said dorothy to the king, when the song ended, "the rabbits all seem to like bunnybury except you. and i guess you're the only one that ever has cried or was unhappy and wanted to get back to your muddy hole in the ground." his majesty seemed thoughtful, and while the servants passed around glasses of nectar and plates of frosted cakes their king was silent and a bit nervous. [illustration: his majesty was thoughtful] when the refreshments had been enjoyed by all and the servants had retired dorothy said: "i must go now, for it's getting late and i'm lost. i've got to find the wizard and aunt em and uncle henry and all the rest sometime before night comes, if i poss'bly can." "won't you stay with us?" asked the king. "you will be very welcome." "no, thank you," she replied. "i must get back to my friends. and i want to see glinda just as soon as i can, you know." so the king dismissed his court and said he would himself walk with dorothy to the gate. he did not weep nor groan any more, but his long face was quite solemn and his big ears hung dejectedly on each side of it. he still wore his crown and his ermine and walked with a handsome gold-headed cane. when they arrived at the room in the wall the little girl found toto and billina waiting for her very patiently. they had been liberally fed by some of the attendants and were in no hurry to leave such comfortable quarters. the keeper of the wicket was by this time back in his old place, but he kept a safe distance from toto. dorothy bade good bye to the king as they stood just inside the wall. "you've been good to me," she said, "and i thank you ever so much. as soon as poss'ble i'll see glinda and ask her to put another king in your place and send you back into the wild forest. and i'll ask her to let you keep some of your clothes and the lily chair and one or two jugglers to amuse you. i'm sure she will do it, 'cause she's so kind she doesn't like any one to be unhappy." "ahem!" said the king, looking rather downcast. "i don't like to trouble you with my misery; so you needn't see glinda." "oh, yes i will," she replied. "it won't be any trouble at all." "but, my dear," continued the king, in an embarrassed way, "i've been thinking the subject over carefully, and i find there are a lot of pleasant things here in bunnybury that i would miss if i went away. so perhaps i'd better stay." dorothy laughed. then she looked grave. "it won't do for you to be a king and a cry-baby at the same time," she said. "you've been making all the other rabbits unhappy and discontented with your howls about being so miserable. so i guess it's better to have another king." "oh, no indeed!" exclaimed the king, earnestly. "if you won't say anything to glinda i'll promise to be merry and gay all the time, and never cry or wail again." "honor bright?" she asked. "on the royal word of a king i promise it!" he answered. "all right," said dorothy. "you'd be a reg'lar lunatic to want to leave bunnybury for a wild life in the forest, and i'm sure any rabbit outside the city would be glad to take your place." "forget it, my dear; forget all my foolishness," pleaded the king, earnestly. "hereafter i'll try to enjoy myself and do my duty by my subjects." so then she left him and entered through the little door into the room in the wall, where she grew gradually bigger and bigger until she had resumed her natural size. the keeper of the wicket let them out into the forest and told dorothy that she had been of great service to bunnybury because she had brought their dismal king to a realization of the pleasure of ruling so beautiful a city. "i shall start a petition to have your statue erected beside glinda's in the public square," said the keeper. "i hope you will come again, some day, and see it." "perhaps i shall," she replied. then, followed by toto and billina, she walked away from the high marble wall and started back along the narrow path toward the sign-post. [illustration] _how_ the wizard found dorothy chapter twenty-two [illustration] when they came to the signpost, there, to their joy, were the tents of the wizard pitched beside the path and the kettle bubbling merrily over a fire. the shaggy man and omby amby were gathering firewood while uncle henry and aunt em sat in their camp chairs talking with the wizard. they all ran forward to greet dorothy, as she approached, and aunt em exclaimed: "goodness gracious, child! where have you been?" "you've played hookey the whole day," added the shaggy man, reproachfully. "well, you see, i've been lost," explained the little girl, "and i've tried awful hard to find the way back to you, but just couldn't do it." "did you wander in the forest all day?" asked uncle henry. "you must be a'most starved!" said aunt em. "no," said dorothy, "i'm not hungry. i had a wheelbarrow and a piano for breakfast, and lunched with a king." "ah!" exclaimed the wizard, nodding with a bright smile. "so you've been having adventures again." "she's stark crazy!" cried aunt em. "whoever heard of eating a wheelbarrow?" "it wasn't very big," said dorothy; "and it had a zuzu wheel." "and i ate the crumbs," added billina, soberly. "sit down and tell us about it," begged the wizard. "we've hunted for you all day, and at last i noticed your footsteps in this path--and the tracks of billina. we found the path by accident, and seeing it only led to two places i decided you were at either one or the other of those places. so we made camp and waited for you to return. and now, dorothy, tell us where you have been--to bunbury or to bunnybury?" "why, i've been to both," she replied; "but first i went to utensia, which isn't on any path at all." she then sat down and related the day's adventures, and you may be sure aunt em and uncle henry were much astonished at the story. "but after seeing the cuttenclips and the fuddles," remarked her uncle, "we ought not to wonder at anything in this strange country." "seems like the only common and ordinary folks here are ourselves," rejoined aunt em, diffidently. "now that we're together again, and one reunited party," observed the shaggy man, "what are we to do next?" "have some supper and a night's rest," answered the wizard promptly, "and then proceed upon our journey." "where to?" asked the captain general. "we haven't visited the rigmaroles or the flutterbudgets yet," said dorothy. "i'd like to see them--wouldn't you?" "they don't sound very interesting," objected aunt em. "but perhaps they are." "and then," continued the little wizard, "we will call upon the tin woodman and jack pumpkinhead and our old friend the scarecrow, on our way home." "that will be nice!" cried dorothy, eagerly. "can't say _they_ sound very interesting, either," remarked aunt em. "why, they're the best friends i have!" asserted the little girl, "and you're sure to like them, aunt em, 'cause _ever_'body likes them." by this time twilight was approaching, so they ate the fine supper which the wizard magically produced from the kettle and then went to bed in the cosy tents. they were all up bright and early next morning, but dorothy didn't venture to wander from the camp again for fear of more accidents. "do you know where there's a road?" she asked the little man. "no, my dear," replied the wizard; "but i'll find one." after breakfast he waved his hand toward the tents and they became handkerchiefs again, which were at once returned to the pockets of their owners. then they all climbed into the red wagon and the sawhorse inquired: "which way?" "never mind which way," replied the wizard. "just go as you please and you're sure to be right. i've enchanted the wheels of the wagon, and they will roll in the right direction, never fear." as the sawhorse started away through the trees dorothy said: "if we had one of those new-fashioned airships we could float away over the top of the forest, and look down and find just the places we want. "airship? pah!" retorted the little man, scornfully. "i hate those things, dorothy, although they are nothing new to either you or me. i was a balloonist for many years, and once my balloon carried me to the land of oz, and once to the vegetable kingdom. and once ozma had a gump that flew all over this kingdom and had sense enough to go where it was told to--which airships won't do. the house which the cyclone brought to oz all the way from kansas, with you and toto in it--was a real airship at the time; so you see we've had plenty of experience flying with the birds." "airships are not so bad, after all," declared dorothy. "some day they'll fly all over the world, and perhaps bring people even to the land of oz." "i must speak to ozma about that," said the wizard, with a slight frown. "it wouldn't do at all, you know, for the emerald city to become a way-station on an airship line." "no," said dorothy, "i don't s'pose it would. but what can we do to prevent it?" "i'm working out a magic recipe to fuddle men's brains, so they'll never make an airship that will go where they want it to go," the wizard confided to her. "that won't keep the things from flying, now and then, but it'll keep them from flying to the land of oz." just then the sawhorse drew the wagon out of the forest and a beautiful landscape lay spread before the travelers' eyes. moreover, right before them was a good road that wound away through the hills and valleys. "now," said the wizard, with evident delight, "we are on the right track again, and there is nothing more to worry about." [illustration] "it's a foolish thing to take chances in a strange country," observed the shaggy man. "had we kept to the roads we never would have been lost. roads always leads to some place, else they wouldn't be roads." "this road," added the wizard, "leads to rigmarole town. i'm sure of that because i enchanted the wagon wheels." sure enough, after riding along the road for an hour or two they entered a pretty valley where a village was nestled among the hills. the houses were munchkin shaped, for they were all domes, with windows wider than they were high, and pretty balconies over the front doors. aunt em was greatly relieved to find this town "neither paper nor patch-work," and the only surprising thing about it was that it was so far distant from all other towns. as the sawhorse drew the wagon into the main street the travelers noticed that the place was filled with people, standing in groups and seeming to be engaged in earnest conversation. so occupied with themselves were the inhabitants that they scarcely noticed the strangers at all. so the wizard stopped a boy and asked: "is this rigmarole town?" "sir," replied the boy, "if you have traveled very much you will have noticed that every town differs from every other town in one way or another and so by observing the methods of the people and the way they live as well as the style of their dwelling places it ought not to be a difficult thing to make up your mind without the trouble of asking questions whether the town bears the appearance of the one you intended to visit or whether perhaps having taken a different road from the one you should have taken you have made an error in your way and arrived at some point where--" [illustration: so and so, and so and so, oh yes, i don't know it might be so i calculate but i don't know, intre mintry cuteycorn apple seeds and fly away jack. six sixes are not sixty-six? and we still hold to folderol de doodle all day, if i had a donkey that wouldn't go i'd buy a fiddle for fifty cents and rattle his bones over the stones it's only a beggar whom nobody owns, listen??] "land sakes!" cried aunt em, impatiently; "what's all this rigmarole about?" "that's it!" said the wizard, laughing merrily. "it's a rigmarole because the boy is a rigmarole and we've come to rigmarole town." "do they all talk like that?" asked dorothy, wonderingly. "he might have said 'yes' or 'no' and settled the question," observed uncle henry. "not here," said omby amby. "i don't believe the rigmaroles know what 'yes' or 'no' means." while the boy had been talking several other people had approached the wagon and listened intently to his speech. then they began talking to one another in long, deliberate speeches, where many words were used but little was said. but when the strangers criticised them so frankly one of the women, who had no one else to talk to, began an address to them, saying: "it is the easiest thing in the world for a person to say 'yes' or 'no' when a question that is asked for the purpose of gaining information or satisfying the curiosity of the one who has given expression to the inquiry has attracted the attention of an individual who may be competent either from personal experience or the experience of others to answer it with more or less correctness or at least an attempt to satisfy the desire for information on the part of the one who has made the inquiry by--" "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy, interrupting the speech. "i've lost all track of what you are saying." "don't let her begin over again, for goodness sake!" cried aunt em. but the woman did not begin again. she did not even stop talking, but went right on as she had begun, the words flowing from her mouth in a stream. "i'm quite sure that if we waited long enough and listened carefully, some of these people might be able to tell us something, in time," said the wizard. "don't let's wait," returned dorothy. "i've heard of the rigmaroles, and wondered what they were like; but now i know, and i'm ready to move on." "so am i," declared uncle henry; "we're wasting time here." "why, we're all ready to go," added the shaggy man, putting his fingers to his ears to shut out the monotonous babble of those around the wagon. so the wizard spoke to the sawhorse, who trotted nimbly through the village and soon gained the open country on the other side of it. dorothy looked back, as they rode away, and noticed that the woman had not yet finished her speech but was talking as glibly as ever, although no one was near to hear her. "if those people wrote books," omby amby remarked with a smile, "it would take a whole library to say the cow jumped over the moon." [illustration] "perhaps some of 'em do write books," asserted the little wizard. "i've read a few rigmaroles that might have come from this very town." "some of the college lecturers and ministers are certainly related to these people," observed the shaggy man; "and it seems to me the land of oz is a little ahead of the united states in some of its laws. for here, if one can't talk clearly, and straight to the point, they send him to rigmarole town; while uncle sam lets him roam around wild and free, to torture innocent people." dorothy was thoughtful. the rigmaroles had made a strong impression upon her. she decided that whenever she spoke, after this, she would use only enough words to express what she wanted to say. [illustration] _how_ they encountered the flutterbudgets chapter twenty-three [illustration] they were soon among the pretty hills and valleys again, and the sawhorse sped up hill and down at a fast and easy pace, the roads being hard and smooth. mile after mile was speedily covered, and before the ride had grown at all tiresome they sighted another village. the place seemed even larger than rigmarole town, but was not so attractive in appearance. "this must be flutterbudget center," declared the wizard. "you see, it's no trouble at all to find places if you keep to the right road." "what are the flutterbudgets like?" inquired dorothy. "i do not know, my dear. but ozma has given them a town all their own, and i've heard that whenever one of the people becomes a flutterbudget he is sent to this place to live." "that is true," omby amby added; "flutterbudget center and rigmarole town are called 'the defensive settlements of oz.'" the village they now approached was not built in a valley, but on top of a hill, and the road they followed wound around the hill like a corkscrew, ascending the hill easily until it came to the town. "look out!" screamed a voice. "look out, or you'll run over my child!" they gazed around and saw a woman standing upon the sidewalk nervously wringing her hands as she gazed at them appealingly. "where is your child?" asked the sawhorse. "in the house," said the woman, bursting into tears; "but if it should happen to be in the road, and you ran over it, those great wheels would crush my darling to jelly. oh, dear! oh dear! think of my darling child being crushed to jelly by those great wheels!" "gid-dap!" said the wizard, sharply, and the sawhorse started on. they had not gone far before a man ran out of a house shouting wildly: "help! help!" the sawhorse stopped short and the wizard and uncle henry and the shaggy man and omby amby jumped out of the wagon and ran to the poor man's assistance. dorothy followed them as quickly as she could. "what's the matter?" asked the wizard. "help! help!" screamed the man; "my wife has cut her finger off and she's bleeding to death!" then he turned and rushed back to the house, and all the party went with him. they found a woman in the front dooryard moaning and groaning as if in great pain. "be brave, madam!" said the wizard, consolingly. "you won't die just because you have cut off a finger, you may be sure." "but i haven't cut off a finger!" she sobbed. [illustration: "but i haven't cut off a finger," she sobbed.] "then what _has_ happened?" asked dorothy. "i--i pricked my finger with a needle while i was sewing, and--and the blood came!" she replied. "and now i'll have blood-poisoning, and the doctors will cut off my finger, and that will give me a fever and i shall die!" "pshaw!" said dorothy; "i've pricked my finger many a time, and nothing happened." "really?" asked the woman, brightening and wiping her eyes upon her apron. "why, it's nothing at all," declared the girl. "you're more scared than hurt." "ah, that's because she's a flutterbudget," said the wizard, nodding wisely. "i think i know now what these people are like." "so do i," announced dorothy. "oh, boo-hoo-hoo!" sobbed the woman, giving way to a fresh burst of grief. "what's wrong now?" asked the shaggy man. "oh, suppose i had pricked my foot!" she wailed. "then the doctors would have cut my foot off, and i'd be lamed for life!" "surely, ma'am," replied the wizard, "and if you'd pricked your nose they might cut your head off. but you see you didn't." "but i might have!" she exclaimed, and began to cry again. so they left her and drove away in their wagon. and her husband came out and began calling "help!" as he had before; but no one seemed to pay any attention to him. as the travelers turned into another street they found a man walking excitedly up and down the pavement. he appeared to be in a very nervous condition and the wizard stopped him to ask: "is anything wrong, sir?" "everything is wrong," answered the man, dismally. "i can't sleep." "why not?" inquired omby amby. "if i go to sleep i'll have to shut my eyes," he explained; "and if i shut my eyes they may grow together, and then i'd be blind for life!" "did you ever hear of any one's eyes growing together?" asked dorothy. "no," said the man, "i never did. but it would be a dreadful thing, wouldn't it? and the thought of it makes me so nervous i'm afraid to go to sleep." "there's no help for this case," declared the wizard; and they went on. at the next street corner a woman rushed up to them crying: "save my baby! oh, good, kind people, save my baby!" "is it in danger?" asked dorothy, noticing that the child was clasped in her arms and seemed sleeping peacefully. "yes, indeed," said the woman, nervously. "if i should go into the house and throw my child out of the window, it would roll way down to the bottom of the hill; and then if there were a lot of tigers and bears down there, they would tear my darling babe to pieces and eat it up!" "are there any tigers and bears in this neighborhood?" the wizard asked. "i've never heard of any," admitted the woman; "but if there were--" "have you any idea of throwing your baby out of the window?" questioned the little man. "none at all," she said; "but if--" "all your troubles are due to those 'ifs'," declared the wizard. "if you were not a flutterbudget you wouldn't worry." "there's another 'if'," replied the woman. "are you a flutterbudget, too?" "i will be, if i stay here long," exclaimed the wizard, nervously. "another 'if'!" cried the woman. but the wizard did not stop to argue with her. he made the sawhorse canter all the way down the hill, and only breathed easily when they were miles away from the village. after they had ridden in silence for a while dorothy turned to the little man and asked: "do 'ifs' really make flutterbudgets?" "i think the 'ifs' help," he answered seriously. "foolish fears, and worries over nothing, with a mixture of nerves and ifs, will soon make a flutterbudget of any one." then there was another long silence, for all the travelers were thinking over this statement, and nearly all decided it must be true. the country they were now passing through was everywhere tinted purple, the prevailing color of the gillikin country; but as the sawhorse ascended a hill they found that upon the other side everything was of a rich yellow hue. "aha!" cried the captain general; "here is the country of the winkies. we are just crossing the boundary line." "then we may be able to lunch with the tin woodman," announced the wizard, joyfully. "must we lunch on tin?" asked aunt em. "oh, no;" replied dorothy. "nick chopper knows how to feed meat people, and he will give us plenty of good things to eat, never fear. i've been to his castle before." "is nick chopper the tin woodman's name?" asked uncle henry. "yes; that's one of his names," answered the little girl; "and another of his names is 'emp'ror of the winkies.' he's the king of this country, you know, but ozma rules over all the countries of oz." "does the tin woodman keep any flutterbudgets or rigmaroles at his castle?" inquired aunt em, uneasily. "no, indeed," said dorothy, positively. "he lives in a new tin castle, all full of lovely things." "i should think it would rust," said uncle henry. "he has thousands of winkies to keep it polished for him," explained the wizard. "his people love to do anything in their power for their beloved emperor, so there isn't a particle of rust on all the big castle." "i suppose they polish their emperor, too," said aunt em. "why, some time ago he had himself nickel-plated," the wizard answered; "so he only needs rubbing up once in a while. he's the brightest man in all the world, is dear nick chopper; and the kindest-hearted." "i helped find him," said dorothy, reflectively. "once the scarecrow and i found the tin woodman in the woods, and he was just rusted still, that time, an' no mistake. but we oiled his joints, an' got 'em good and slippery, and after that he went with us to visit the wizard at the em'rald city." "was that the time the wizard scared you?" asked aunt em. "he didn't treat us well, at first," acknowledged dorothy; "for he made us go away and destroy the wicked witch. but after we found out he was only a humbug wizard we were not afraid of him." the wizard sighed and looked a little ashamed. "when we try to deceive people we always make mistakes," he said. "but i'm getting to be a real wizard now, and glinda the good's magic, that i am trying to practice, can never harm any one." "you were always a good man," declared dorothy, "even when you were a bad wizard." "he's a good wizard now," asserted aunt em, looking at the little man admiringly. "the way he made those tents grow out of handkerchiefs was just wonderful! and didn't he enchant the wagon wheels so they'd find the road?" "all the people of oz," said the captain general, "are very proud of their wizard. he once made some soap-bubbles that astonished the world." [illustration] the wizard blushed at this praise, yet it pleased him. he no longer looked sad, but seemed to have recovered his usual good humor. the country through which they now rode was thickly dotted with farmhouses, and yellow grain waved in all the fields. many of the winkies could be seen working on their farms and the wild and unsettled parts of oz were by this time left far behind. these winkies appeared to be happy, light-hearted folk, and all removed their caps and bowed low when the red wagon with its load of travelers passed by. it was not long before they saw something glittering in the sunshine far ahead. "see!" cried dorothy; "that's the tin castle, aunt em!" and the sawhorse, knowing his passengers were eager to arrive, broke into a swift trot that soon brought them to their destination. _how_ the tin woodman told the sad news chapter twenty-four [illustration] the tin woodman received princess dorothy's party with much grace and cordiality, yet the little girl decided that something must be worrying her old friend, because he was not so merry as usual. but at first she said nothing about this, for uncle henry and aunt em were fairly bubbling over with admiration for the beautiful tin castle and its polished tin owner. so her suspicion that something unpleasant had happened was for a time forgotten. "where is the scarecrow?" she asked, when they had all been ushered into the big tin drawing-room of the castle, the sawhorse being led around to the tin stable in the rear. "why, our old friend has just moved into his new mansion," explained the tin woodman. "it has been a long time in building, although my winkies and many other people from all parts of the country have been busily working upon it. at last, however, it is completed, and the scarecrow took possession of his new home just two days ago." "i hadn't heard that he wanted a home of his own," said dorothy. "why doesn't he live with ozma in the emerald city? he used to, you know; and i thought he was happy there." "it seems," said the tin woodman, "that our dear scarecrow cannot be contented with city life, however beautiful his surroundings might be. originally he was a farmer, for he passed his early life in a cornfield, where he was supposed to frighten away the crows." "i know," said dorothy, nodding. "i found him, and lifted him down from his pole." "so now, after a long residence in the emerald city, his tastes have turned to farm life again," continued the tin man. "he feels that he cannot be happy without a farm of his own, so ozma gave him some land and every one helped him build his mansion, and now he is settled there for good." "who designed his house?" asked the shaggy man. "i believe it was jack pumpkinhead, who is also a farmer," was the reply. they were now invited to enter the tin dining room, where luncheon was served. aunt em found, to her satisfaction, that dorothy's promise was more than fulfilled; for, although the tin woodman had no appetite of his own, he respected the appetites of his guests and saw that they were bountifully fed. they passed the afternoon in wandering through the beautiful gardens and grounds of the palace. the walks were all paved with sheets of tin, brightly polished, and there were tin fountains and tin statues here and there among the trees. the flowers were mostly natural flowers and grew in the regular way; but their host showed them one flower bed which was his especial pride. "you see, all common flowers fade and die in time," he explained, "and so there are seasons when the pretty blooms are scarce. therefore i decided to make one tin flower bed all of tin flowers, and my workmen have created them with rare skill. here you see tin camelias, tin marigolds, tin carnations, tin poppies and tin hollyhocks growing as naturally as if they were real." indeed, they were a pretty sight, and glistened under the sunlight like spun silver. "isn't this tin hollyhock going to seed?" asked the wizard, bending over the flowers. "why, i believe it is!" exclaimed the tin woodman, as if surprised. "i hadn't noticed that before. but i shall plant the tin seeds and raise another bed of tin hollyhocks." in one corner of the gardens nick chopper had established a fish-pond, in which they saw swimming and disporting themselves many pretty tin fishes. "would they bite on hooks?" asked aunt em, curiously. the tin woodman seemed hurt at this question. "madam," said he, "do you suppose i would allow anyone to catch my beautiful fishes, even if they were foolish enough to bite on hooks? no, indeed! every created thing is safe from harm in my domain, and i would as soon think of killing my little friend dorothy as killing one of my tin fishes." "the emperor is very kind-hearted, ma'am," explained the wizard. "if a fly happens to light upon his tin body he doesn't rudely brush it off, as some people might do; he asks it politely to find some other resting place." "what does the fly do then?" enquired aunt em. "usually it begs his pardon and goes away," said the wizard, gravely. "flies like to be treated politely as well as other creatures, and here in oz they understand what we say to them, and behave very nicely." "well," said aunt em, "the flies in kansas, where i came from, don't understand anything but a swat. you have to smash 'em to make 'em behave; and it's the same way with 'skeeters. do you have 'skeeters in oz?" "we have some very large mosquitoes here, which sing as beautifully as song birds," replied the tin woodman. "but they never bite or annoy our people, because they are well fed and taken care of. the reason they bite people in your country is because they are hungry--poor things!" "yes," agreed aunt em; "they're hungry, all right. an' they ain't very particular who they feed on. i'm glad you've got the 'skeeters educated in oz." that evening after dinner they were entertained by the emperor's tin cornet band, which played for them several sweet melodies. also the wizard did a few sleight-of-hand tricks to amuse the company; after which they all retired to their cosy tin bedrooms and slept soundly until morning. after breakfast dorothy said to the tin woodman: "if you'll tell us which way to go we'll visit the scarecrow on our way home." "i will go with you, and show you the way," replied the emperor; "for i must journey to-day to the emerald city." he looked so anxious, as he said this, that the little girl asked: "there isn't anything wrong with ozma, is there?" he shook his tin head. "not yet," said he; "but i'm afraid the time has come when i must tell you some very bad news, little friend." "oh, what is it?" cried dorothy. "do you remember the nome king?" asked the tin woodman. "i remember him very well," she replied. "the nome king has not a kind heart," said the emperor, sadly, "and he has been harboring wicked thoughts of revenge, because we once defeated him and liberated his slaves and you took away his magic belt. so he has ordered his nomes to dig a long tunnel underneath the deadly desert, so that he may march his hosts right into the emerald city. when he gets there he intends to destroy our beautiful country." dorothy was much surprised to hear this. "how did ozma find out about the tunnel?" she asked. "she saw it in her magic picture." "of course," said dorothy; "i might have known that. and what is she going to do?" "i cannot tell," was the reply. "pooh!" cried the yellow hen. "we're not afraid of the nomes. if we roll a few of our eggs down the tunnel they'll run away back home as fast as they can go." "why, that's true enough!" exclaimed dorothy. "the scarecrow once conquered all the nome king's army with some of billina's eggs." "but you do not understand all of the dreadful plot," continued the tin woodman. "the nome king is clever, and he knows his nomes would run from eggs; so he has bargained with many terrible creatures to help him. these evil spirits are not afraid of eggs or anything else, and they are very powerful. so the nome king will send them through the tunnel first, to conquer and destroy, and then the nomes will follow after to get their share of the plunder and slaves." they were all startled to hear this, and every face wore a troubled look. "is the tunnel all ready?" asked dorothy. "ozma sent me word yesterday that the tunnel was all completed except for a thin crust of earth at the end. when our enemies break through this crust they will be in the gardens of the royal palace, in the heart of the emerald city. i offered to arm all my winkies and march to ozma's assistance; but she said no." "i wonder why?" asked dorothy. "she answered that all the inhabitants of oz, gathered together, were not powerful enough to fight and overcome the evil forces of the nome king. therefore she refuses to fight at all." "but they will capture and enslave us, and plunder and ruin all our lovely land!" exclaimed the wizard, greatly disturbed by this statement. "i fear they will," said the tin woodman, sorrowfully. "and i also fear that those who are not fairies, such as the wizard, and dorothy, and her uncle and aunt, as well as toto and billina, will be speedily put to death by the conquerors." "what can be done?" asked dorothy, shuddering a little at the prospect of this awful fate. "nothing can be done!" gloomily replied the emperor of the winkies. "but since ozma refuses my army i will go myself to the emerald city. the least i may do is to perish beside my beloved ruler." [illustration] _how_ the scarecrow displayed his wisdom chapter twenty-five [illustration: probably the wisest man in all oz.] this amazing news had saddened every heart and all were now anxious to return to the emerald city and share ozma's fate. so they started without loss of time, and as the road led past the scarecrow's new mansion they determined to make a brief halt there and confer with him. "the scarecrow is probably the wisest man in all oz," remarked the tin woodman, when they had started upon their journey. "his brains are plentiful and of excellent quality, and often he has told me things i might never have thought of myself. i must say i rely a good deal upon the scarecrow's brains in this emergency." the tin woodman rode on the front seat of the wagon, where dorothy sat between him and the wizard. "has the scarecrow heard of ozma's trouble?" asked the captain general. "i do not know, sir," was the reply. "when i was a private," said omby amby, "i was an excellent army, as i fully proved in our war against the nomes. but now there is not a single private left in our army, since ozma made me the captain general, so there is no one to fight and defend our lovely ruler." "true," said the wizard. "the present army is composed only of officers, and the business of an officer is to order his men to fight. since there are no men there can be no fighting." "poor ozma!" whispered dorothy, with tears in her sweet eyes. "it's dreadful to think of all her lovely fairy country being destroyed. i wonder if we couldn't manage to escape and get back to kansas by means of the magic belt? and we might take ozma with us and all work hard to get money for her, so she wouldn't be so _very_ lonely and unhappy about the loss of her fairyland." "do you think there would be any work for _me_ in kansas?" asked the tin woodman. "if you are hollow, they might use you in a canning factory," suggested uncle henry. "but i can't see the use of your working for a living. you never eat or sleep or need a new suit of clothes." "i was not thinking of myself," replied the emperor, with dignity. "i merely wondered if i could not help to support dorothy and ozma." as they indulged in these sad plans for the future they journeyed in sight of the scarecrow's new mansion, and even though filled with care and worry over the impending fate of oz, dorothy could not help a feeling of wonder at the sight she saw. [illustration] the scarecrow's new house was shaped like an immense ear of corn. the rows of kernels were made of solid gold, and the green upon which the ear stood upright was a mass of sparkling emeralds. upon the very top of the structure was perched a figure representing the scarecrow himself, and upon his extended arms, as well as upon his head, were several crows carved out of ebony and having ruby eyes. you may imagine how big this ear of corn was when i tell you that a single gold kernel formed a window, swinging outward upon hinges, while a row of four kernels opened to make the front entrance. inside there were five stories, each story being a single room. the gardens around the mansion consisted of cornfields, and dorothy acknowledged that the place was in all respects a very appropriate home for her good friend the scarecrow. "he would have been very happy here, i'm sure," she said, "if only the nome king had left us alone. but if oz is destroyed of course this place will be destroyed too." "yes," replied the tin woodman, "and also my beautiful tin castle, that has been my joy and pride." "jack pumpkinhead's house will go too," remarked the wizard, "as well as professor wogglebug's athletic college, and ozma's royal palace, and all our other handsome buildings." "yes, oz will indeed become a desert when the nome king gets through with it," sighed omby amby. the scarecrow came out to meet them and gave them all a hearty welcome. "i hear you have decided always to live in the land of oz, after this," he said to dorothy; "and that will delight my heart, for i have greatly disliked our frequent partings. but why are you all so downcast?" "have you heard the news?" asked the tin woodman. "no news to make me sad," replied the scarecrow. then nick chopper told his friend of the nome king's tunnel, and how the evil creatures of the north had allied themselves with the underground monarch for the purpose of conquering and destroying oz. "well," said the scarecrow, "it certainly looks bad for ozma, and all of us. but i believe it is wrong to worry over anything before it happens. it is surely time enough to be sad when our country is despoiled and our people made slaves. so let us not deprive ourselves of the few happy hours remaining to us." "ah! that is real wisdom," declared the shaggy man, approvingly. "after we become really unhappy we shall regret these few hours that are left to us, unless we enjoy them to the utmost." "nevertheless," said the scarecrow, "i shall go with you to the emerald city and offer ozma my services." "she says we can do nothing to oppose our enemies," announced the tin woodman. "and doubtless she is right, sir," answered the scarecrow. "still, she will appreciate our sympathy, and it is the duty of ozma's friends to stand by her side when the final disaster occurs." he then led them into his queer mansion and showed them the beautiful rooms in all the five stories. the lower room was a grand reception hall, with a hand-organ in one corner. this instrument the scarecrow, when alone, could turn to amuse himself, as he was very fond of music. the walls were hung with white silk, upon which flocks of black crows were embroidered in black diamonds. some of the chairs were made in the shape of big crows and upholstered with cushions of corn-colored silk. the second story contained a fine banquet room, where the scarecrow might entertain his guests, and the three stories above that were bed-chambers exquisitely furnished and decorated. "from these rooms," said the scarecrow, proudly, "one may obtain fine views of the surrounding cornfields. the corn i grow is always husky, and i call the ears my regiments, because they have so many kernels. of course i cannot ride my cobs, but i really don't care shucks about that. taken altogether, my farm will stack up with any in the neighborhood." the visitors partook of some light refreshment and then hurried away to resume the road to the emerald city. the scarecrow found a seat in the wagon between omby amby and the shaggy man, and his weight did not add much to the load because he was stuffed with straw. "you will notice i have one oat-field on my property," he remarked, as they drove away. "oat-straw is, i have found, the best of all straws to re-stuff myself with when my interior gets musty or out of shape." "are you able to re-stuff yourself without help?" asked aunt em. "i should think that after the straw was taken out of you there wouldn't be anything left but your clothes." "you are almost correct, madam," he answered. "my servants do the stuffing, under my direction. for my head, in which are my excellent brains, is a bag tied at the bottom. my face is neatly painted upon one side of the bag, as you may see. my head does not need re-stuffing, as my body does, for all that it requires is to have the face touched up with fresh paint occasionally." [illustration] it was not far from the scarecrow's mansion to the farm of jack pumpkinhead, and when they arrived there both uncle henry and aunt em were much impressed. the farm was one vast pumpkin field, and some of the pumpkins were of enormous size. in one of them, which had been neatly hollowed out, jack himself lived, and he declared that it was a very comfortable residence. the reason he grew so many pumpkins was in order that he might change his head as often as it became wrinkled or threatened to spoil. the pumpkin-headed man welcomed his visitors joyfully and offered them several delicious pumpkin pies to eat. "i don't indulge in pumpkin pies myself, for two reasons," he said. "one reason is that were i to eat pumpkins i would become a cannibal, and the other reason is that i never eat, not being hollow inside." "very good reasons," agreed the scarecrow. they told jack pumpkinhead the dreadful news about the nome king, and he decided to go with them to the emerald city and help comfort ozma. "i had expected to live here in ease and comfort for many centuries," said jack, dolefully; "but of course if the nome king destroys everything in oz i shall be destroyed too. really, it seems too bad, doesn't it?" they were soon on their journey again, and so swiftly did the sawhorse draw the wagon over the smooth roads that before twilight fell that had reached the royal palace in the emerald city, and were at their journey's end. _how_ ozma refused to fight for her kingdom chapter twenty-six [illustration] ozma was in her rose garden picking a bouquet when the party arrived, and she greeted all her old and new friends as smilingly and sweetly as ever. dorothy's eyes were full of tears as she kissed the lovely ruler of oz, and she whispered to her: "oh, ozma, ozma! i'm _so_ sorry!" ozma seemed surprised. "sorry for what, dorothy?" she asked. "for all your trouble about the nome king," was the reply. ozma laughed with genuine amusement. "why, that has not troubled me a bit, dear princess," she replied. then, looking around at the sad faces of her friends, she added: "have you all been worrying about this tunnel?" "we have!" they exclaimed in a chorus. "well, perhaps it is more serious than i imagined," admitted the fair ruler; "but i haven't given the matter much thought. after dinner we will all meet together and talk it over." so they went to their rooms and prepared for dinner, and dorothy dressed herself in her prettiest gown and put on her coronet, for she thought that this might be the last time she would ever appear as a princess of oz. the scarecrow, the tin woodman and jack pumpkinhead all sat at the dinner table, although none of them was made so he could eat. usually they served to enliven the meal with their merry talk, but to-night all seemed strangely silent and uneasy. as soon as the dinner was finished ozma led the company to her own private room in which hung the magic picture. when they had seated themselves the scarecrow was the first to speak. "is the nome king's tunnel finished, ozma?" he asked. "it was completed to-day," she replied. "they have built it right under my palace grounds, and it ends in front of the forbidden fountain. nothing but a crust of earth remains to separate our enemies from us, and when they march here they will easily break through this crust and rush upon us." "who will assist the nome king?" inquired the scarecrow. [illustration] "the whimsies, the growleywogs and the phanfasms," she replied. "i watched to-day in my magic picture the messengers whom the nome king sent to all these people to summon them to assemble in his great caverns." "let us see what they are doing now," suggested the tin woodman. so ozma wished to see the nome king's cavern, and at once the landscape faded from the magic picture and was replaced by the scene then being enacted in the jeweled cavern of king roquat. a wild and startling scene it was which the oz people beheld. before the nome king stood the chief of the whimsies and the grand gallipoot of the groweywogs, surrounded by their most skillful generals. very fierce and powerful they looked, so that even the nome king and general guph, who stood beside his master, seemed a bit fearful in the presence of their allies. now a still more formidable creature entered the cavern. it was the first and foremost of the phanfasms and he proudly sat down in king roquat's own throne and demanded the right to lead his forces through the tunnel in advance of all the others. the first and foremost now appeared to all eyes in his hairy skin and the bear's head. what his real form was even roquat did not know. through the arches leading into the vast series of caverns that lay beyond the throne room of king roquat, could be seen ranks upon ranks of the invaders--thousands of phanfasms, growleywogs and whimsies standing in serried lines, while behind them were massed the thousands upon thousands of general guph's own army of nomes. "listen!" whispered ozma. "i think we can hear what they are saying." so they kept still and listened. "is all ready?" demanded the first and foremost, haughtily. "the tunnel is finally completed," replied general guph. "how long will it take us to march to the emerald city?" asked the grand gallipoot of the growleywogs. "if we start at midnight," replied the nome king, "we shall arrive at the emerald city by daybreak. then, while all the oz people are sleeping, we will capture them and make them our slaves. after that we will destroy the city itself and march through the land of oz, burning and devastating as we go." "good!" cried the first and foremost. "when we get through with oz it will be a desert wilderness. ozma shall be my slave." "she shall be _my_ slave!" shouted the grand gallipoot, angrily. "we'll decide that by and by," said king roquat, hastily. "don't let us quarrel now, friends. first let us conquer oz, and then we will divide the spoils of war in a satisfactory manner." the first and foremost smiled wickedly; but he only said: "i and my phanfasms go first, for nothing on earth can oppose our power." they all agreed to that, knowing the phanfasms to be the mightiest of the combined forces. king roquat now invited them to attend a banquet he had prepared, where they might occupy themselves in eating and drinking until midnight arrived. as they had now seen and heard all of the plot against them that they cared to, ozma allowed her magic picture to fade away. then she turned to her friends and said: "our enemies will be here sooner than i expected. what do you advise me to do?" "it is now too late to assemble our people," said the tin woodman, despondently. "if you had allowed me to arm and drill my winkies we might have put up a good fight and destroyed many of our enemies before we were conquered." "the munchkins are good fighters, too," said omby amby; "and so are the gillikins." "but i do not wish to fight," declared ozma, firmly. "no one has the right to destroy any living creatures, however evil they may be, or to hurt them or make them unhappy. i will not fight--even to save my kingdom." "the nome king is not so particular," remarked the scarecrow. "he intends to destroy us all and ruin our beautiful country." "because the nome king intends to do evil is no excuse for my doing the same," replied ozma. "self-preservation is the first law of nature," quoted the shaggy man. "true," she said, readily. "i would like to discover a plan to save ourselves without fighting." that seemed a hopeless task to them, but realizing that ozma was determined not to fight, they tried to think of some means that might promise escape. "couldn't we bribe our enemies, by giving them a lot of emeralds and gold?" asked jack pumpkinhead. "no, because they believe they are able to take everything we have," replied the ruler. "i have thought of something," said dorothy. "what is it, dear?" asked ozma. "let us use the magic belt to wish all of us in kansas. we will put some emeralds in our pockets, and can sell them in topeka for enough to pay off the mortgage on uncle henry's farm. then we can all live together and be happy." "a clever idea!" exclaimed the scarecrow. "kansas is a very good country. i've been there," said the shaggy man. "that seems to me an excellent plan," approved the tin woodman. "no!" said ozma, decidedly. "never will i desert my people and leave them to so cruel a fate. i will use the magic belt to send the rest of you to kansas, if you wish, but if my beloved country must be destroyed and my people enslaved i will remain and share their fate." "quite right," asserted the scarecrow, sighing. "i will remain with you." "and so will i," declared the tin woodman and the shaggy man and jack pumpkinhead, in turn. tiktok, the machine man, also said he intended to stand by ozma. "for," said he, "i should be of no use at all in kansas." "for my part," announced dorothy, gravely, "if the ruler of oz must not desert her people, a princess of oz has no right to run away, either. i'm willing to become a slave with the rest of you; so all we can do with the magic belt is to use it to send uncle henry and aunt em back to kansas." "i've been a slave all my life," aunt em replied, with considerable cheerfulness, "and so has henry. i guess we won't go back to kansas, anyway. i'd rather take my chances with the rest of you." ozma smiled upon them all gratefully. "there is no need to despair just yet," she said. "i'll get up early to-morrow morning and be at the forbidden fountain when the fierce warriors break through the crust of earth. i will speak to them pleasantly and perhaps they won't be so very bad, after all." "why do they call it the forbidden fountain?" asked dorothy, thoughtfully. "don't you know, dear?" returned ozma, surprised. "no," said dorothy. "of course i've seen the fountain in the palace grounds, ever since i first came to oz; and i've read the sign which says: 'all persons are forbidden to drink at this fountain.' but i never knew _why_ they were forbidden. the water seems clear and sparkling and it bubbles up in a golden basin all the time." "that water," declared ozma, gravely, "is the most dangerous thing in all the land of oz. it is the water of oblivion." "what does that mean?" asked dorothy. "whoever drinks at the forbidden fountain at once forgets everything he has ever known," ozma asserted. "it wouldn't be a bad way to forget our troubles," suggested uncle henry. "that is true; but you would forget everything else, and become as ignorant as a baby," returned ozma. "does it make one crazy?" asked dorothy. [illustration] "no; it only makes one forget," replied the girl ruler. "it is said that once--long, long ago--a wicked king ruled oz, and made himself and all his people very miserable and unhappy. so glinda, the good sorceress, placed this fountain here, and the king drank of its water and forgot all his wickedness. his mind became innocent and vacant, and when he learned the things of life again they were all good things. but the people remembered how wicked their king had been, and were still afraid of him. therefore he made them all drink of the water of oblivion and forget everything they had known, so that they became as simple and innocent as their king. after that they all grew wise together, and their wisdom was good, so that peace and happiness reigned in the land. but for fear some one might drink of the water again, and in an instant forget all he had learned, the king put that sign upon the fountain, where it has remained for many centuries up to this very day." they had all listened intently to ozma's story, and when she finished speaking there was a long period of silence while all thought upon the curious magical power of the water of oblivion. finally the scarecrow's painted face took on a broad smile that stretched the cloth as far as it would go. "how thankful i am," he said, "that i have such an excellent assortment of brains!" "i gave you the best brains i ever mixed," declared the wizard, with an air of pride. "you did, indeed!" agreed the scarecrow, "and they work so splendidly that they have found a way to save oz--to save us all!" "i'm glad to hear that," said the wizard. "we never needed saving more than we do just now." "do you mean to say you can save us from those awful phanfasms, and growleywogs and whimsies?" asked dorothy eagerly. "i'm sure of it, my dear," asserted the scarecrow, still smiling genially. "tell us how!" cried the tin woodman. [illustration] "not now," said the scarecrow. "you may all go to bed, and i advise you to forget your worries just as completely as if you had drunk of the water of oblivion in the forbidden fountain. i'm going to stay here and tell my plan to ozma alone, but if you will all be at the forbidden fountain at daybreak, you'll see how easily we will save the kingdom when our enemies break through the crust of earth and come from the tunnel." so they went away and left the scarecrow and ozma alone; but dorothy could not sleep a wink all night. "he is only a scarecrow," she said to herself, "and i'm not sure that his mixed brains are as clever as he thinks they are." but she knew that if the scarecrow's plan failed they were all lost; so she tried to have faith in him. [illustration] _how_ the fierce warriors invaded oz chapter twenty-seven [illustration] the nome king and his terrible allies sat at the banquet table until midnight. there was much quarreling between the growleywogs and phanfasms, and one of the wee-headed whimsies got angry at general guph and choked him until he nearly stopped breathing. yet no one was seriously hurt, and the nome king felt much relieved when the clock struck twelve and they all sprang up and seized their weapons. "aha!" shouted the first and foremost. "now to conquer the land of oz!" he marshaled his phanfasms in battle array and at his word of command they marched into the tunnel and began the long journey through it to the emerald city. the first and foremost intended to take all the treasures in oz for himself; to kill all who could be killed and enslave the rest; to destroy and lay waste the whole country, and afterward to conquer and enslave the nomes, the growleywogs and the whimsies. and he knew his power was sufficient to enable him to do all these things easily. next marched into the tunnel the army of gigantic growleywogs, with their grand gallipoot at their head. they were dreadful beings, indeed, and longed to get to oz that they might begin to pilfer and destroy. the grand gallipoot was a little afraid of the first and foremost, but had a cunning plan to murder or destroy that powerful being and secure the wealth of oz for himself. mighty little of the plunder would the nome king get, thought the grand gallipoot. the chief of the whimsies now marched his false-headed forces into the tunnel. in his wicked little head was a plot to destroy both the first and foremost and the grand gallipoot. he intended to let them conquer oz, since they insisted on going first; but he would afterward treacherously destroy them, as well as king roquat, and keep all the slaves and treasure of ozma's kingdom for himself. after all his dangerous allies had marched into the tunnel the nome king and general guph started to follow them, at the head of fifty thousand nomes, all fully armed. "guph," said the king, "those creatures ahead of us mean mischief. they intend to get everything for themselves and leave us nothing." "i know," replied the general; "but they are not as clever as they think they are. when you get the magic belt you must at once wish the whimsies and growleywogs and phanfasms all back into their own countries--and the belt will surely take them there." [illustration] "good!" cried the king. "an excellent plan, guph. i'll do it. while they are conquering oz i'll get the magic belt, and then only the nomes will remain to ravage the country." so you see there was only one thing that all were agreed upon--that oz should be destroyed. on, on, on the vast ranks of invaders marched, filling the tunnel from side to side. with a steady tramp, tramp, they advanced, every step taking them nearer to the beautiful emerald city. "nothing can save the land of oz!" thought the first and foremost, scowling until his bear face was as black as the tunnel. "the emerald city is as good as destroyed already!" muttered the grand gallipoot, shaking his war club fiercely. "in a few hours oz will be a desert!" said the chief of the whimsies, with an evil laugh. "my dear guph," remarked the nome king to his general, "at last my vengeance upon ozma of oz and her people is about to be accomplished." "you are right!" declared the general. "ozma is surely lost." and now the first and foremost, who was in advance and nearing the emerald city, began to cough and to sneeze. "this tunnel is terribly dusty," he growled, angrily. "i'll punish that nome king for not having it swept clean. my throat and eyes are getting full of dust and i'm as thirsty as a fish!" the grand gallipoot was coughing too, and his throat was parched and dry. "what a dusty place!" he cried. "i'll be glad when we reach oz, where we can get a drink." "who has any water?" asked the whimsie chief, gasping and choking. but none of his followers carried a drop of water, so he hastened on to get through the dusty tunnel to the land of oz. "where did all this dust come from?" demanded general guph, trying hard to swallow but finding his throat so dry he couldn't. "i don't know," answered the nome king. "i've been in the tunnel every day while it was being built, but i never noticed any dust before." "let's hurry!" cried the general. "i'd give half the gold in oz for a drink of water." the dust grew thicker and thicker, and the throats and eyes and noses of the invaders were filled with it. but not one halted or turned back. they hurried forward more fierce and vengeful than ever. _how_ they drank at the forbidden fountain chapter twenty-eight [illustration] the scarecrow had no need to sleep; neither had the tin woodman or tiktok or jack pumpkinhead. so they all wandered out into the palace grounds and stood beside the sparkling water of the forbidden fountain until daybreak. during this time they indulged in occasional conversation. "nothing could make me forget what i know," remarked the scarecrow, gazing into the fountain, "for i cannot drink the water of oblivion or water of any kind. and i am glad that this is so, for i consider my wisdom unexcelled." "you are cer-tain-ly- ve-ry wise," agreed tiktok. "for my part, i can on-ly think by ma-chin-er-y, so i do not pre-tend to know as much as you do." "my tin brains are very bright, but that is all i claim for them," said nick chopper, modestly. "yet i do not aspire to being very wise, for i have noticed that the happiest people are those who do not let their brains oppress them." "mine never worry me," jack pumpkinhead acknowledged. "there are many seeds of thought in my head, but they do not sprout easily. i am glad that it is so, for if i occupied my days in thinking i should have no time for anything else." in this cheery mood they passed the hours until the first golden streaks of dawn appeared in the sky. then ozma joined them, as fresh and lovely as ever and robed in one of her prettiest gowns. "our enemies have not yet arrived," said the scarecrow, after greeting affectionately the sweet and girlish ruler. "they will soon be here," she said, "for i have just glanced at my magic picture, and have seen them coughing and choking with the dust in the tunnel." "oh, is there dust in the tunnel?" asked the tin woodman. "yes; ozma placed it there by means of the magic belt," explained the scarecrow, with one of his broad smiles. then dorothy came to them, uncle henry and aunt em following close after her. the little girl's eyes were heavy because she had had a sleepless and anxious night. toto walked by her side, but the little dog's spirits were very much subdued. billina, who was always up by daybreak, was not long in joining the group by the fountain. the wizard and the shaggy man next arrived, and soon after appeared omby amby, dressed in his best uniform. "there lies the tunnel," said ozma, pointing to a part of the ground just before the forbidden fountain, "and in a few moments the dreadful invaders will break through the earth and swarm over the land. let us all stand on the other side of the fountain and watch to see what happens." [illustration] at once they followed her suggestion and moved around the fountain of the water of oblivion. there they stood silent and expectant until the earth beyond gave way with a sudden crash and up leaped the powerful form of the first and foremost, followed by all his grim warriors. as the leader sprang forward his gleaming eyes caught the play of the fountain and he rushed toward it and drank eagerly of the sparkling water. many of the other phanfasms drank, too, in order to clear their dry and dusty throats. then they stood around and looked at one another with simple, wondering smiles. the first and foremost saw ozma and her companions beyond the fountain, but instead of making an effort to capture her he merely stared at her in pleased admiration of her beauty--for he had forgotten where he was and why he had come there. but now the grand gallipoot arrived, rushing from the tunnel with a hoarse cry of mingled rage and thirst. he too saw the fountain and hastened to drink of its forbidden waters. the other growleywogs were not slow to follow suit, and even before they had finished drinking the chief of the whimsies and his people came to push them away, while they one and all cast off their false heads that they might slake their thirst at the fountain. when the nome king and general guph arrived they both made a dash to drink, but the general was so mad with thirst that he knocked his king over, and while roquat lay sprawling upon the ground the general drank heartily of the water of oblivion. this rude act of his general made the nome king so angry that for a moment he forgot he was thirsty and rose to his feet to glare upon the group of terrible warriors he had brought here to assist him. he saw ozma and her people, too, and yelled out: "why don't you capture them? why don't you conquer oz, you idiots? why do you stand there like a lot of dummies?" but the great warriors had become like little children. they had forgotten all their enmity against ozma and against oz. they had even forgotten who they themselves were, or why they were in this strange and beautiful country. as for the nome king, they did not recognize him, and wondered who he was. the sun came up and sent its flood of silver rays to light the faces of the invaders. the frowns and scowls and evil looks were all gone. even the most monstrous of the creatures there assembled smiled innocently and seemed light-hearted and content merely to be alive. not so with roquat, the nome king. he had not drunk from the forbidden fountain and all his former rage against ozma and dorothy now inflamed him as fiercely as ever. the sight of general guph babbling like a happy child and playing with his hands in the cool waters of the fountain astonished and maddened red roquat. seeing that his terrible allies and his own general refused to act, the nome king turned to order his great army of nomes to advance from the tunnel and seize the helpless oz people. but the scarecrow suspected what was in the king's mind and spoke a word to the tin woodman. together they ran at roquat and grabbing him up tossed him into the great basin of the fountain. the nome king's body was round as a ball, and it bobbed up and down in the water of oblivion while he spluttered and screamed with fear lest he should drown. and when he cried out his mouth filled with water, which ran down his throat, so that straightway he forgot all he had formerly known just as completely as had all the other invaders. ozma and dorothy could not refrain from laughing to see their dreaded enemies become as harmless as babes. there was no danger now that oz would be destroyed. the only question remaining to solve was how to get rid of this horde of intruders. [illustration] the shaggy man kindly pulled the nome king out of the fountain and set him upon his thin legs. roquat was dripping wet, but he chattered and laughed and wanted to drink more of the water. no thought of injuring any person was now in his mind. before he left the tunnel he had commanded his fifty thousand nomes to remain there until he ordered them to advance, as he wished to give his allies time to conquer oz before he appeared with his own army. ozma did not wish all these nomes to overrun her land, so she advanced to king roquat and taking his hand in her own said gently: "who are you? what is your name?" "i don't know," he replied, smiling at her. "who are you, my dear?" "my name is ozma," she said; "and your name is roquat." "oh, is it?" he replied, seeming pleased. "yes; you are king of the nomes," she said. "ah; i wonder what the nomes are!" returned the king, as if puzzled. "they are underground elves, and that tunnel over there is full of them," she answered. "you have a beautiful cavern at the other end of the tunnel, so you must go to your nomes and say: 'march home!' then follow after them and in time you will reach the pretty cavern where you live." the nome king was much pleased to learn this, for he had forgotten he had a cavern. so he went to the tunnel and said to his army: "march home!" at once the nomes turned and marched back through the tunnel, and the king followed after them, laughing with delight to find his orders so readily obeyed. the wizard went to general guph, who was trying to count his fingers, and told him to follow the nome king, who was his master. guph meekly obeyed, and so all the nomes quitted the land of oz forever. [illustration] but there were still the phanfasms and whimsies and growleywogs standing around in groups, and they were so many that they filled the gardens and trampled upon the flowers and grass because they did not know that the tender plants would be injured by their clumsy feet. but in all other respects they were perfectly harmless and played together like children or gazed with pleasure upon the pretty sights of the royal gardens. after counseling with the scarecrow ozma sent omby amby to the palace for the magic belt, and when the captain general returned with it the ruler of oz at once clasped the precious belt around her waist. "i wish all these strange people--the whimsies and the growleywogs and the phanfasms--safe back in their own homes!" she said. it all happened in a twinkling, for of course the wish was no sooner spoken than it was granted. all the hosts of the invaders were gone, and only the trampled grass showed that they had ever been in the land of oz. _how_ glinda worked a magic spell chapter twenty-nine [illustration] "that was better than fighting," said ozma, when all our friends were assembled in the palace after the exciting events of the morning; and each and every one agreed with her. "no one was hurt," said the wizard, delightedly. "and no one hurt us," added aunt em. "but, best of all," said dorothy, "the wicked people have all forgotten their wickedness, and will not wish to hurt any one after this." "true, princess," declared the shaggy man. "it seems to me that to have reformed all those evil characters is more important than to have saved oz." "nevertheless," remarked the scarecrow, "i am glad oz is saved. i can now go back to my new mansion and live happily." "and i am glad and grateful that my pumpkin farm is saved," said jack. "for my part," added the tin woodman, "i cannot express my joy that my lovely tin castle is not to be demolished by wicked enemies." "still," said tiktok, "o-ther en-e-mies may come to oz some day." "why do you allow your clock-work brains to interrupt our joy?" asked omby amby, frowning at the machine man. "i say what i am wound up to say," answered tiktok. "and you are right," declared ozma. "i myself have been thinking of this very idea, and it seems to me there are entirely too many ways for people to get to the land of oz. we used to think the deadly desert that surrounds us was enough protection; but that is no longer the case. the wizard and dorothy have both come here through the air, and i am told the earth people have invented airships that can fly anywhere they wish them to go." "why, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't," asserted dorothy. "but in time the airships may cause us trouble," continued ozma, "for if the earth folk learn how to manage them we would be overrun with visitors who would ruin our lovely, secluded fairyland." "that is true enough," agreed the wizard. "also the desert fails to protect us in other ways," ozma went on, thoughtfully. "johnny dooit once made a sandboat that sailed across it, and the nome king made a tunnel under it. so i believe something ought to be done to cut us off from the rest of the world entirely, so that no one in the future will ever be able to intrude upon us." "how will you do that?" asked the scarecrow. "i do not know; but in some way i am sure it can be accomplished. to-morrow i will make a journey to the castle of glinda the good, and ask her advice." "may i go with you?" asked dorothy, eagerly. "of course, my dear princess; and also i invite any of our friends here who would like to undertake the journey." they all declared they wished to accompany their girl ruler, for this was indeed an important mission, since the future of the land of oz to a great extent depended upon it. so ozma gave orders to her servants to prepare for the journey on the morrow. that day she watched her magic picture, and when it showed her that all the nomes had returned through the tunnel to their underground caverns, ozma used the magic belt to close up the tunnel, so that the earth underneath the desert sands became as solid as it was before the nomes began to dig. early the following morning a gay cavalcade set out to visit the famous sorceress, glinda the good. ozma and dorothy rode in a chariot drawn by the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, while the sawhorse drew the red wagon in which rode the rest of the party. with hearts light and free from care they traveled merrily along through the lovely and fascinating land of oz, and in good season reached the stately castle in which resided the sorceress. glinda knew that they were coming. [illustration] "i have been reading about you in my magic book," she said, as she greeted them in her gracious way. "what is your magic book like?" inquired aunt em, curiously. "it is a record of everything that happens," replied the sorceress. "as soon as an event takes place, anywhere in the world, it is immediately found printed in my magic book. so when i read its pages i am well informed." "did it tell how our enemies drank the water of 'blivion?" asked dorothy. "yes, my dear; it told all about it. and also it told me you were all coming to my castle, and why." "then," said ozma, "i suppose you know what is in my mind, and that i am seeking a way to prevent any one in the future from discovering the land of oz." "yes; i know that. and while you were on your journey i have thought of a way to accomplish your desire. for it seems to me unwise to allow too many outside people to come here. dorothy, with her uncle and aunt, has now returned to oz to live always, and there is no reason why we should leave any way open for others to travel uninvited to our fairyland. let us make it impossible for any one ever to communicate with us in any way, after this. then we may live peacefully and contentedly." "your advice is wise," returned ozma. "i thank you, glinda, for your promise to assist me." "but how can you do it?" asked dorothy. "how can you keep every one from ever finding oz?" "by making our country invisible to all eyes but our own," replied the sorceress, smiling. "i have a magic charm powerful enough to accomplish that wonderful feat, and now that we have been warned of our danger by the nome king's invasion, i believe we must not hesitate to separate ourselves forever from all the rest of the world." "i agree with you," said the ruler of oz. "won't it make any difference to us?" asked dorothy, doubtfully. "no, my dear," glinda answered, assuringly. "we shall still be able to see each other and everything in the land of oz. it won't affect us at all; but those who fly through the air over our country will look down and see nothing at all. those who come to the edge of the desert, or try to cross it, will catch no glimpse of oz, or know in what direction it lies. no one will try to tunnel to us again because we cannot be seen and therefore cannot be found. in other words, the land of oz will entirely disappear from the knowledge of the rest of the world." "that's all right," said dorothy, cheerfully. "you may make oz invis'ble as soon as you please, for all i care." "it is already invisible," glinda stated. "i knew ozma's wishes, and performed the magic spell before you arrived." ozma seized the hand of the sorceress and pressed it gratefully. "thank you!" she said. [illustration] _how_ the story of oz came to an end chapter thirty [illustration] the writer of these oz stories has received a little note from princess dorothy of oz which, for a time, has made him feel rather discontented. the note was written on a broad white feather from a stork's wing, and it said: _"you will never hear anything more about oz, because we are now cut off forever from all the rest of the world. but toto and i will always love you and all the other children who love us._ "dorothy gale." this seemed to me too bad, at first, for oz is a very interesting fairyland. still, we have no right to feel grieved, for we have had enough of the history of the land of oz to fill six story books, and from its quaint people and their strange adventures we have been able to learn many useful and amusing things. so good luck to little dorothy and her companions. may they live long in their invisible country and be very happy! the end [illustration] * * * * * transcriber's notes: punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. simple typographical errors were corrected. chapter names are parts of their illustrations. in this ebook, they precede the indications of where those illustrations occur. the emerald city of oz by l. frank baum author of the road to oz, dorothy and the wizard in oz, the land of oz, etc. contents --author's note-- . how the nome king became angry . how uncle henry got into trouble . how ozma granted dorothy's request . how the nome king planned revenge . how dorothy became a princess . how guph visited the whimsies . how aunt em conquered the lion . how the grand gallipoot joined the nomes . how the wogglebug taught athletics . how the cuttenclips lived . how the general met the first and foremost . how they matched the fuddles . how the general talked to the king . how the wizard practiced sorcery . how dorothy happened to get lost . how dorothy visited utensia . how they came to bunbury . how ozma looked into the magic picture . how bunnybury welcomed the strangers . how dorothy lunched with a king . how the king changed his mind . how the wizard found dorothy . how they encountered the flutterbudgets . how the tin woodman told the sad news . how the scarecrow displayed his wisdom . how ozma refused to fight for her kingdom . how the fierce warriors invaded oz . how they drank at the forbidden fountain . how glinda worked a magic spell . how the story of oz came to an end author's note perhaps i should admit on the title page that this book is "by l. frank baum and his correspondents," for i have used many suggestions conveyed to me in letters from children. once on a time i really imagined myself "an author of fairy tales," but now i am merely an editor or private secretary for a host of youngsters whose ideas i am requestsed to weave into the thread of my stories. these ideas are often clever. they are also logical and interesting. so i have used them whenever i could find an opportunity, and it is but just that i acknowledge my indebtedness to my little friends. my, what imaginations these children have developed! sometimes i am fairly astounded by their daring and genius. there will be no lack of fairy-tale authors in the future, i am sure. my readers have told me what to do with dorothy, and aunt em and uncle henry, and i have obeyed their mandates. they have also given me a variety of subjects to write about in the future: enough, in fact, to keep me busy for some time. i am very proud of this alliance. children love these stories because children have helped to create them. my readers know what they want and realize that i try to please them. the result is very satisfactory to the publishers, to me, and (i am quite sure) to the children. i hope, my dears, it will be a long time before we are obliged to dissolve partnership. l. frank baum. coronado, . how the nome king became angry the nome king was in an angry mood, and at such times he was very disagreeable. every one kept away from him, even his chief steward kaliko. therefore the king stormed and raved all by himself, walking up and down in his jewel-studded cavern and getting angrier all the time. then he remembered that it was no fun being angry unless he had some one to frighten and make miserable, and he rushed to his big gong and made it clatter as loud as he could. in came the chief steward, trying not to show the nome king how frightened he was. "send the chief counselor here!" shouted the angry monarch. kaliko ran out as fast as his spindle legs could carry his fat, round body, and soon the chief counselor entered the cavern. the king scowled and said to him: "i'm in great trouble over the loss of my magic belt. every little while i want to do something magical, and find i can't because the belt is gone. that makes me angry, and when i'm angry i can't have a good time. now, what do you advise?" "some people," said the chief counselor, "enjoy getting angry." "but not all the time," declared the king. "to be angry once in a while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable. but to be angry morning, noon and night, as i am, grows monotonous and prevents my gaining any other pleasure in life. now what do you advise?" "why, if you are angry because you want to do magical things and can't, and if you don't want to get angry at all, my advice is not to want to do magical things." hearing this, the king glared at his counselor with a furious expression and tugged at his own long white whiskers until he pulled them so hard that he yelled with pain. "you are a fool!" he exclaimed. "i share that honor with your majesty," said the chief counselor. the king roared with rage and stamped his foot. "ho, there, my guards!" he cried. "ho" is a royal way of saying, "come here." so, when the guards had hoed, the king said to them: "take this chief counselor and throw him away." then the guards took the chief counselor, and bound him with chains to prevent his struggling, and threw him away. and the king paced up and down his cavern more angry than before. finally he rushed to his big gong and made it clatter like a fire alarm. kaliko appeared again, trembling and white with fear. "fetch my pipe!" yelled the king. "your pipe is already here, your majesty," replied kaliko. "then get my tobacco!" roared the king. "the tobacco is in your pipe, your majesty," returned the steward. "then bring a live coal from the furnace!" commanded the king. "the tobacco is lighted, and your majesty is already smoking your pipe," answered the steward. "why, so i am!" said the king, who had forgotten this fact; "but you are very rude to remind me of it." "i am a lowborn, miserable villain," declared the chief steward, humbly. the nome king could think of nothing to say next, so he puffed away at his pipe and paced up and down the room. finally, he remembered how angry he was, and cried out: "what do you mean, kaliko, by being so contented when your monarch is unhappy?" "what makes you unhappy?" asked the steward. "i've lost my magic belt. a little girl named dorothy, who was here with ozma of oz, stole my belt and carried it away with her," said the king, grinding his teeth with rage. "she captured it in a fair fight," kaliko ventured to say. "but i want it! i must have it! half my power is gone with that belt!" roared the king. "you will have to go to the land of oz to recover it, and your majesty can't get to the land of oz in any possible way," said the steward, yawning because he had been on duty ninety-six hours, and was sleepy. "why not?" asked the king. "because there is a deadly desert all around that fairy country, which no one is able to cross. you know that fact as well as i do, your majesty. never mind the lost belt. you have plenty of power left, for you rule this underground kingdom like a tyrant, and thousands of nomes obey your commands. i advise you to drink a glass of melted silver, to quiet your nerves, and then go to bed." the king grabbed a big ruby and threw it at kaliko's head. the steward ducked to escape the heavy jewel, which crashed against the door just over his left ear. "get out of my sight! vanish! go away--and send general blug here," screamed the nome king. kaliko hastily withdrew, and the nome king stamped up and down until the general of his armies appeared. this nome was known far and wide as a terrible fighter and a cruel, desperate commander. he had fifty thousand nome soldiers, all well drilled, who feared nothing but their stern master. yet general blug was a trifle uneasy when he arrived and saw how angry the nome king was. "ha! so you're here!" cried the king. "so i am," said the general. "march your army at once to the land of oz, capture and destroy the emerald city, and bring back to me my magic belt!" roared the king. "you're crazy," calmly remarked the general. "what's that? what's that? what's that?" and the nome king danced around on his pointed toes, he was so enraged. "you don't know what you're talking about," continued the general, seating himself upon a large cut diamond. "i advise you to stand in a corner and count sixty before you speak again. by that time you may be more sensible." the king looked around for something to throw at general blug, but as nothing was handy he began to consider that perhaps the man was right and he had been talking foolishly. so he merely threw himself into his glittering throne and tipped his crown over his ear and curled his feet up under him and glared wickedly at blug. "in the first place," said the general, "we cannot march across the deadly desert to the land of oz. and if we could, the ruler of that country, princess ozma, has certain fairy powers that would render my army helpless. had you not lost your magic belt we might have some chance of defeating ozma; but the belt is gone." "i want it!" screamed the king. "i must have it." "well, then, let us try in a sensible way to get it," replied the general. "the belt was captured by a little girl named dorothy, who lives in kansas, in the united states of america." "but she left it in the emerald city, with ozma," declared the king. "how do you know that?" asked the general. "one of my spies, who is a blackbird, flew over the desert to the land of oz, and saw the magic belt in ozma's palace," replied the king with a groan. "now that gives me an idea," said general blug, thoughtfully. "there are two ways to get to the land of oz without traveling across the sandy desert." "what are they?" demanded the king, eagerly. "one way is over the desert, through the air; and the other way is under the desert, through the earth." hearing this the nome king uttered a yell of joy and leaped from his throne, to resume his wild walk up and down the cavern. "that's it, blug!" he shouted. "that's the idea, general! i'm king of the under world, and my subjects are all miners. i'll make a secret tunnel under the desert to the land of oz--yes! right up to the emerald city--and you will march your armies there and capture the whole country!" "softly, softly, your majesty. don't go too fast," warned the general. "my nomes are good fighters, but they are not strong enough to conquer the emerald city." "are you sure?" asked the king. "absolutely certain, your majesty." "then what am i to do?" "give up the idea and mind your own business," advised the general. "you have plenty to do trying to rule your underground kingdom." "but i want the magic belt--and i'm going to have it!" roared the nome king. "i'd like to see you get it," replied the general, laughing maliciously. the king was by this time so exasperated that he picked up his scepter, which had a heavy ball, made from a sapphire, at the end of it, and threw it with all his force at general blug. the sapphire hit the general upon his forehead and knocked him flat upon the ground, where he lay motionless. then the king rang his gong and told his guards to drag out the general and throw him away; which they did. this nome king was named roquat the red, and no one loved him. he was a bad man and a powerful monarch, and he had resolved to destroy the land of oz and its magnificent emerald city, to enslave princess ozma and little dorothy and all the oz people, and recover his magic belt. this same belt had once enabled roquat the red to carry out many wicked plans; but that was before ozma and her people marched to the underground cavern and captured it. the nome king could not forgive dorothy or princess ozma, and he had determined to be revenged upon them. but they, for their part, did not know they had so dangerous an enemy. indeed, ozma and dorothy had both almost forgotten that such a person as the nome king yet lived under the mountains of the land of ev--which lay just across the deadly desert to the south of the land of oz. an unsuspected enemy is doubly dangerous. . how uncle henry got into trouble dorothy gale lived on a farm in kansas, with her aunt em and her uncle henry. it was not a big farm, nor a very good one, because sometimes the rain did not come when the crops needed it, and then everything withered and dried up. once a cyclone had carried away uncle henry's house, so that he was obliged to build another; and as he was a poor man he had to mortgage his farm to get the money to pay for the new house. then his health became bad and he was too feeble to work. the doctor ordered him to take a sea voyage and he went to australia and took dorothy with him. that cost a lot of money, too. uncle henry grew poorer every year, and the crops raised on the farm only bought food for the family. therefore the mortgage could not be paid. at last the banker who had loaned him the money said that if he did not pay on a certain day, his farm would be taken away from him. this worried uncle henry a good deal, for without the farm he would have no way to earn a living. he was a good man, and worked in the field as hard as he could; and aunt em did all the housework, with dorothy's help. yet they did not seem to get along. this little girl, dorothy, was like dozens of little girls you know. she was loving and usually sweet-tempered, and had a round rosy face and earnest eyes. life was a serious thing to dorothy, and a wonderful thing, too, for she had encountered more strange adventures in her short life than many other girls of her age. aunt em once said she thought the fairies must have marked dorothy at her birth, because she had wandered into strange places and had always been protected by some unseen power. as for uncle henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been, for he could not quite believe all the curious stories dorothy told them of the land of oz, which she had several times visited. he did not think that she tried to deceive her uncle and aunt, but he imagined that she had dreamed all of those astonishing adventures, and that the dreams had been so real to her that she had come to believe them true. whatever the explanation might be, it was certain that dorothy had been absent from her kansas home for several long periods, always disappearing unexpectedly, yet always coming back safe and sound, with amazing tales of where she had been and the unusual people she had met. her uncle and aunt listened to her stories eagerly and in spite of their doubts began to feel that the little girl had gained a lot of experience and wisdom that were unaccountable in this age, when fairies are supposed no longer to exist. most of dorothy's stories were about the land of oz, with its beautiful emerald city and a lovely girl ruler named ozma, who was the most faithful friend of the little kansas girl. when dorothy told about the riches of this fairy country uncle henry would sigh, for he knew that a single one of the great emeralds that were so common there would pay all his debts and leave his farm free. but dorothy never brought any jewels home with her, so their poverty became greater every year. when the banker told uncle henry that he must pay the money in thirty days or leave the farm, the poor man was in despair, as he knew he could not possibly get the money. so he told his wife, aunt em, of his trouble, and she first cried a little and then said that they must be brave and do the best they could, and go away somewhere and try to earn an honest living. but they were getting old and feeble and she feared that they could not take care of dorothy as well as they had formerly done. probably the little girl would also be obliged to go to work. they did not tell their niece the sad news for several days, not wishing to make her unhappy; but one morning the little girl found aunt em softly crying while uncle henry tried to comfort her. then dorothy asked them to tell her what was the matter. "we must give up the farm, my dear," replied her uncle sadly, "and wander away into the world to work for our living." the girl listened quite seriously, for she had not known before how desperately poor they were. "we don't mind for ourselves," said her aunt, stroking the little girl's head tenderly; "but we love you as if you were our own child, and we are heart-broken to think that you must also endure poverty, and work for a living before you have grown big and strong." "what could i do to earn money?" asked dorothy. "you might do housework for some one, dear, you are so handy; or perhaps you could be a nurse-maid to little children. i'm sure i don't know exactly what you can do to earn money, but if your uncle and i are able to support you we will do it willingly, and send you to school. we fear, though, that we shall have much trouble in earning a living for ourselves. no one wants to employ old people who are broken down in health, as we are." dorothy smiled. "wouldn't it be funny," she said, "for me to do housework in kansas, when i'm a princess in the land of oz?" "a princess!" they both exclaimed, astonished. "yes; ozma made me a princess some time ago, and she has often begged me to come and live always in the emerald city," said the child. her uncle and aunt looked at her in amazement. then the man said: "do you suppose you could manage to return to your fairyland, my dear?" "oh yes," replied dorothy; "i could do that easily." "how?" asked aunt em. "ozma sees me every day at four o'clock, in her magic picture. she can see me wherever i am, no matter what i am doing. and at that time, if i make a certain secret sign, she will send for me by means of the magic belt, which i once captured from the nome king. then, in the wink of an eye, i shall be with ozma in her palace." the elder people remained silent for some time after dorothy had spoken. finally, aunt em said, with another sigh of regret: "if that is the case, dorothy, perhaps you'd better go and live in the emerald city. it will break our hearts to lose you from our lives, but you will be so much better off with your fairy friends that it seems wisest and best for you to go." "i'm not so sure about that," remarked uncle henry, shaking his gray head doubtfully. "these things all seem real to dorothy, i know; but i'm afraid our little girl won't find her fairyland just what she had dreamed it to be. it would make me very unhappy to think that she was wandering among strangers who might be unkind to her." dorothy laughed merrily at this speech, and then she became very sober again, for she could see how all this trouble was worrying her aunt and uncle, and knew that unless she found a way to help them their future lives would be quite miserable and unhappy. she knew that she could help them. she had thought of a way already. yet she did not tell them at once what it was, because she must ask ozma's consent before she would be able to carry out her plans. so she only said: "if you will promise not to worry a bit about me, i'll go to the land of oz this very afternoon. and i'll make a promise, too; that you shall both see me again before the day comes when you must leave this farm." "the day isn't far away, now," her uncle sadly replied. "i did not tell you of our trouble until i was obliged to, dear dorothy, so the evil time is near at hand. but if you are quite sure your fairy friends will give you a home, it will be best for you to go to them, as your aunt says." that was why dorothy went to her little room in the attic that afternoon, taking with her a small dog named toto. the dog had curly black hair and big brown eyes and loved dorothy very dearly. the child had kissed her uncle and aunt affectionately before she went upstairs, and now she looked around her little room rather wistfully, gazing at the simple trinkets and worn calico and gingham dresses, as if they were old friends. she was tempted at first to make a bundle of them, yet she knew very well that they would be of no use to her in her future life. she sat down upon a broken-backed chair--the only one the room contained--and holding toto in her arms waited patiently until the clock struck four. then she made the secret signal that had been agreed upon between her and ozma. uncle henry and aunt em waited downstairs. they were uneasy and a good deal excited, for this is a practical humdrum world, and it seemed to them quite impossible that their little niece could vanish from her home and travel instantly to fairyland. so they watched the stairs, which seemed to be the only way that dorothy could get out of the farmhouse, and they watched them a long time. they heard the clock strike four but there was no sound from above. half-past four came, and now they were too impatient to wait any longer. softly, they crept up the stairs to the door of the little girl's room. "dorothy! dorothy!" they called. there was no answer. they opened the door and looked in. the room was empty. . how ozma granted dorothy's request i suppose you have read so much about the magnificent emerald city that there is little need for me to describe it here. it is the capital city of the land of oz, which is justly considered the most attractive and delightful fairyland in all the world. the emerald city is built all of beautiful marbles in which are set a profusion of emeralds, every one exquisitely cut and of very great size. there are other jewels used in the decorations inside the houses and palaces, such as rubies, diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and turquoises. but in the streets and upon the outside of the buildings only emeralds appear, from which circumstance the place is named the emerald city of oz. it has nine thousand, six hundred and fifty-four buildings, in which lived fifty-seven thousand three hundred and eighteen people, up to the time my story opens. all the surrounding country, extending to the borders of the desert which enclosed it upon every side, was full of pretty and comfortable farmhouses, in which resided those inhabitants of oz who preferred country to city life. altogether there were more than half a million people in the land of oz--although some of them, as you will soon learn, were not made of flesh and blood as we are--and every inhabitant of that favored country was happy and prosperous. no disease of any sort was ever known among the ozites, and so no one ever died unless he met with an accident that prevented him from living. this happened very seldom, indeed. there were no poor people in the land of oz, because there was no such thing as money, and all property of every sort belonged to the ruler. the people were her children, and she cared for them. each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as any one may reasonably desire. some tilled the lands and raised great crops of grain, which was divided equally among the entire population, so that all had enough. there were many tailors and dressmakers and shoemakers and the like, who made things that any who desired them might wear. likewise there were jewelers who made ornaments for the person, which pleased and beautified the people, and these ornaments also were free to those who asked for them. each man and woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. if by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the ruler, which were afterward filled up again when there was more of any article than the people needed. every one worked half the time and played half the time, and the people enjoyed the work as much as they did the play, because it is good to be occupied and to have something to do. there were no cruel overseers set to watch them, and no one to rebuke them or to find fault with them. so each one was proud to do all he could for his friends and neighbors, and was glad when they would accept the things he produced. you will know by what i have here told you, that the land of oz was a remarkable country. i do not suppose such an arrangement would be practical with us, but dorothy assures me that it works finely with the oz people. oz being a fairy country, the people were, of course, fairy people; but that does not mean that all of them were very unlike the people of our own world. there were all sorts of queer characters among them, but not a single one who was evil, or who possessed a selfish or violent nature. they were peaceful, kind hearted, loving and merry, and every inhabitant adored the beautiful girl who ruled them and delighted to obey her every command. in spite of all i have said in a general way, there were some parts of the land of oz not quite so pleasant as the farming country and the emerald city which was its center. far away in the south country there lived in the mountains a band of strange people called hammer-heads, because they had no arms and used their flat heads to pound any one who came near them. their necks were like rubber, so that they could shoot out their heads to quite a distance, and afterward draw them back again to their shoulders. the hammer-heads were called the "wild people," but never harmed any but those who disturbed them in the mountains where they lived. in some of the dense forests there lived great beasts of every sort; yet these were for the most part harmless and even sociable, and conversed agreeably with those who visited their haunts. the kalidahs--beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers--had once been fierce and bloodthirsty, but even they were now nearly all tamed, although at times one or another of them would get cross and disagreeable. not so tame were the fighting trees, which had a forest of their own. if any one approached them these curious trees would bend down their branches, twine them around the intruders, and hurl them away. but these unpleasant things existed only in a few remote parts of the land of oz. i suppose every country has some drawbacks, so even this almost perfect fairyland could not be quite perfect. once there had been wicked witches in the land, too; but now these had all been destroyed; so, as i said, only peace and happiness reigned in oz. for some time ozma had ruled over this fair country, and never was ruler more popular or beloved. she is said to be the most beautiful girl the world has ever known, and her heart and mind are as lovely as her person. dorothy gale had several times visited the emerald city and experienced adventures in the land of oz, so that she and ozma had now become firm friends. the girl ruler had even made dorothy a princess of oz, and had often implored her to come to ozma's stately palace and live there always; but dorothy had been loyal to her aunt em and uncle henry, who had cared for her since she was a baby, and she had refused to leave them because she knew they would be lonely without her. however, dorothy now realized that things were going to be different with her uncle and aunt from this time forth, so after giving the matter deep thought she decided to ask ozma to grant her a very great favor. a few seconds after she had made the secret signal in her little bedchamber, the kansas girl was seated in a lovely room in ozma's palace in the emerald city of oz. when the first loving kisses and embraces had been exchanged, the fair ruler inquired: "what is the matter, dear? i know something unpleasant has happened to you, for your face was very sober when i saw it in my magic picture. and whenever you signal me to transport you to this safe place, where you are always welcome, i know you are in danger or in trouble." dorothy sighed. "this time, ozma, it isn't i," she replied. "but it's worse, i guess, for uncle henry and aunt em are in a heap of trouble, and there seems no way for them to get out of it--anyhow, not while they live in kansas." "tell me about it, dorothy," said ozma, with ready sympathy. "why, you see uncle henry is poor; for the farm in kansas doesn't 'mount to much, as farms go. so one day uncle henry borrowed some money, and wrote a letter saying that if he didn't pay the money back they could take his farm for pay. course he 'spected to pay by making money from the farm; but he just couldn't. an' so they're going to take the farm, and uncle henry and aunt em won't have any place to live. they're pretty old to do much hard work, ozma; so i'll have to work for them, unless--" ozma had been thoughtful during the story, but now she smiled and pressed her little friend's hand. "unless what, dear?" she asked. dorothy hesitated, because her request meant so much to them all. "well," said she, "i'd like to live here in the land of oz, where you've often 'vited me to live. but i can't, you know, unless uncle henry and aunt em could live here too." "of course not," exclaimed the ruler of oz, laughing gaily. "so, in order to get you, little friend, we must invite your uncle and aunt to live in oz, also." "oh, will you, ozma?" cried dorothy, clasping her chubby little hands eagerly. "will you bring them here with the magic belt, and give them a nice little farm in the munchkin country, or the winkie country--or some other place?" "to be sure," answered ozma, full of joy at the chance to please her little friend. "i have long been thinking of this very thing, dorothy dear, and often i have had it in my mind to propose it to you. i am sure your uncle and aunt must be good and worthy people, or you would not love them so much; and for your friends, princess, there is always room in the land of oz." dorothy was delighted, yet not altogether surprised, for she had clung to the hope that ozma would be kind enough to grant her request. when, indeed, had her powerful and faithful friend refused her anything? "but you must not call me 'princess'," she said; "for after this i shall live on the little farm with uncle henry and aunt em, and princesses ought not to live on farms." "princess dorothy will not," replied ozma with her sweet smile. "you are going to live in your own rooms in this palace, and be my constant companion." "but uncle henry--" began dorothy. "oh, he is old, and has worked enough in his lifetime," interrupted the girl ruler; "so we must find a place for your uncle and aunt where they will be comfortable and happy and need not work more than they care to. when shall we transport them here, dorothy?" "i promised to go and see them again before they were turned out of the farmhouse," answered dorothy; "so--perhaps next saturday--" "but why wait so long?" asked ozma. "and why make the journey back to kansas again? let us surprise them, and bring them here without any warning." "i'm not sure that they believe in the land of oz," said dorothy, "though i've told 'em 'bout it lots of times." "they'll believe when they see it," declared ozma; "and if they are told they are to make a magical journey to our fairyland, it may make them nervous. i think the best way will be to use the magic belt without warning them, and when they have arrived you can explain to them whatever they do not understand." "perhaps that's best," decided dorothy. "there isn't much use in their staying at the farm until they are put out, 'cause it's much nicer here." "then to-morrow morning they shall come here," said princess ozma. "i will order jellia jamb, who is the palace housekeeper, to have rooms all prepared for them, and after breakfast we will get the magic belt and by its aid transport your uncle and aunt to the emerald city." "thank you, ozma!" cried dorothy, kissing her friend gratefully. "and now," ozma proposed, "let us take a walk in the gardens before we dress for dinner. come, dorothy dear!" . how the nome king planned revenge the reason most people are bad is because they do not try to be good. now, the nome king had never tried to be good, so he was very bad indeed. having decided to conquer the land of oz and to destroy the emerald city and enslave all its people, king roquat the red kept planning ways to do this dreadful thing, and the more he planned the more he believed he would be able to accomplish it. about the time dorothy went to ozma the nome king called his chief steward to him and said: "kaliko, i think i shall make you the general of my armies." "i think you won't," replied kaliko, positively. "why not?" inquired the king, reaching for his scepter with the big sapphire. "because i'm your chief steward and know nothing of warfare," said kaliko, preparing to dodge if anything were thrown at him. "i manage all the affairs of your kingdom better than you could yourself, and you'll never find another steward as good as i am. but there are a hundred nomes better fitted to command your army, and your generals get thrown away so often that i have no desire to be one of them." "ah, there is some truth in your remarks, kaliko," remarked the king, deciding not to throw the scepter. "summon my army to assemble in the great cavern." kaliko bowed and retired, and in a few minutes returned to say that the army was assembled. so the king went out upon a balcony that overlooked the great cavern, where fifty thousand nomes, all armed with swords and pikes, stood marshaled in military array. when they were not required as soldiers all these nomes were metal workers and miners, and they had hammered so much at the forges and dug so hard with pick and shovel that they had acquired great muscular strength. they were strangely formed creatures, rather round and not very tall. their toes were curly and their ears broad and flat. in time of war every nome left his forge or mine and became part of the great army of king roquat. the soldiers wore rock-colored uniforms and were excellently drilled. the king looked upon this tremendous army, which stood silently arrayed before him, and a cruel smile curled the corners of his mouth, for he saw that his legions were very powerful. then he addressed them from the balcony, saying: "i have thrown away general blug, because he did not please me. so i want another general to command this army. who is next in command?" "i am," replied colonel crinkle, a dapper-looking nome, as he stepped forward to salute his monarch. the king looked at him carefully and said: "i want you to march this army through an underground tunnel, which i am going to bore, to the emerald city of oz. when you get there i want you to conquer the oz people, destroy them and their city, and bring all their gold and silver and precious stones back to my cavern. also you are to recapture my magic belt and return it to me. will you do this, general crinkle?" "no, your majesty," replied the nome; "for it can't be done." "oh indeed!" exclaimed the king. then he turned to his servants and said: "please take general crinkle to the torture chamber. there you will kindly slice him into thin slices. afterward you may feed him to the seven-headed dogs." "anything to oblige your majesty," replied the servants, politely, and led the condemned man away. when they had gone, the king addressed the army again. "listen!" said he. "the general who is to command my armies must promise to carry out my orders. if he fails he will share the fate of poor crinkle. now, then, who will volunteer to lead my hosts to the emerald city?" for a time no one moved and all were silent. then an old nome with white whiskers so long that they were tied around his waist to prevent their tripping him up, stepped out of the ranks and saluted the king. "i'd like to ask a few questions, your majesty," he said. "go ahead," replied the king. "these oz people are quite good, are they not?" "as good as apple pie," said the king. "and they are happy, i suppose?" continued the old nome. "happy as the day is long," said the king. "and contented and prosperous?" inquired the nome. "very much so," said the king. "well, your majesty," remarked he of the white whiskers, "i think i should like to undertake the job, so i'll be your general. i hate good people; i detest happy people; i'm opposed to any one who is contented and prosperous. that is why i am so fond of your majesty. make me your general and i'll promise to conquer and destroy the oz people. if i fail i'm ready to be sliced thin and fed to the seven-headed dogs." "very good! very good, indeed! that's the way to talk!" cried roquat the red, who was greatly pleased. "what is your name, general?" "i'm called guph, your majesty." "well, guph, come with me to my private cave, and we'll talk it over." then he turned to the army. "nomes and soldiers," said he, "you are to obey the commands of general guph until he becomes dog-feed. any man who fails to obey his new general will be promptly thrown away. you are now dismissed." guph went to the king's private cave and sat down upon an amethyst chair and put his feet on the arm of the king's ruby throne. then he lighted his pipe and threw the live coal he had taken from his pocket upon the king's left foot and puffed the smoke into the king's eyes and made himself comfortable. for he was a wise old nome, and he knew that the best way to get along with roquat the red was to show that he was not afraid of him. "i'm ready for the talk, your majesty," he said. the king coughed and looked at his new general fiercely. "do you not tremble to take such liberties with your monarch?" he asked. "oh no," replied guph, calmly, and he blew a wreath of smoke that curled around the king's nose and made him sneeze. "you want to conquer the emerald city, and i'm the only nome in all your dominions who can conquer it. so you will be very careful not to hurt me until i have carried out your wishes. after that--" "well, what then?" inquired the king. "then you will be so grateful to me that you won't care to hurt me," replied the general. "that is a very good argument," said roquat. "but suppose you fail?" "then it's the slicing machine. i agree to that," announced guph. "but if you do as i tell you there will be no failure. the trouble with you, roquat, is that you don't think carefully enough. i do. you would go ahead and march through your tunnel into oz, and get defeated and driven back. i won't. and the reason i won't is because when i march i'll have all my plans made, and a host of allies to assist my nomes." "what do you mean by that?" asked the king. "i'll explain, king roquat. you're going to attack a fairy country, and a mighty fairy country, too. they haven't much of an army in oz, but the princess who ruled them has a fairy wand; and the little girl dorothy has your magic belt; and at the north of the emerald city lives a clever sorceress called glinda the good, who commands the spirits of the air. also i have heard that there is a wonderful wizard in ozma's palace, who is so skillful that people used to pay him money in america to see him perform. so you see it will be no easy thing to overcome all this magic." "we have fifty thousand soldiers!" cried the king proudly. "yes; but they are nomes," remarked guph, taking a silk handkerchief from the king's pocket and wiping his own pointed shoes with it. "nomes are immortals, but they are not strong on magic. when you lost your famous belt the greater part of your own power was gone from you. against ozma you and your nomes would have no show at all." roquat's eyes flashed angrily. "then away you go to the slicing machine!" he cried. "not yet," said the general, filling his pipe from the king's private tobacco pouch. "what do you propose to do?" asked the monarch. "i propose to obtain the power we need," answered guph. "there are a good many evil creatures who have magic powers sufficient to destroy and conquer the land of oz. we will get them on our side, band them all together, and then take ozma and her people by surprise. it's all very simple and easy when you know how. alone, we should be helpless to injure the ruler of oz, but with the aid of the evil powers we can summon we shall easily succeed." king roquat was delighted with this idea, for he realized how clever it was. "surely, guph, you are the greatest general i have ever had!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. "you must go at once and make arrangements with the evil powers to assist us, and meantime i'll begin to dig the tunnel." "i thought you'd agree with me, roquat," replied the new general. "i'll start this very afternoon to visit the chief of the whimsies." . how dorothy became a princess when the people of the emerald city heard that dorothy had returned to them every one was eager to see her, for the little girl was a general favorite in the land of oz. from time to time some of the folk from the great outside world had found their way into this fairyland, but all except one had been companions of dorothy and had turned out to be very agreeable people. the exception i speak of was the wonderful wizard of oz, a sleight-of-hand performer from omaha who went up in a balloon and was carried by a current of air to the emerald city. his queer and puzzling tricks made the people of oz believe him a great wizard for a time, and he ruled over them until dorothy arrived on her first visit and showed the wizard to be a mere humbug. he was a gentle, kind-hearted little man, and dorothy grew to like him afterward. when, after an absence, the wizard returned to the land of oz, ozma received him graciously and gave him a home in a part of the palace. in addition to the wizard two other personages from the outside world had been allowed to make their home in the emerald city. the first was a quaint shaggy man, whom ozma had made the governor of the royal storehouses, and the second a yellow hen named billina, who had a fine house in the gardens back of the palace, where she looked after a large family. both these had been old comrades of dorothy, so you see the little girl was quite an important personage in oz, and the people thought she had brought them good luck, and loved her next best to ozma. during her several visits this little girl had been the means of destroying two wicked witches who oppressed the people, and she had discovered a live scarecrow who was now one of the most popular personages in all the fairy country. with the scarecrow's help she had rescued nick chopper, a tin woodman, who had rusted in a lonely forest, and the tin man was now the emperor of the country of the winkies and much beloved because of his kind heart. no wonder the people thought dorothy had brought them good luck! yet, strange as it may seem, she had accomplished all these wonders not because she was a fairy or had any magical powers whatever, but because she was a simple, sweet and true little girl who was honest to herself and to all whom she met. in this world in which we live simplicity and kindness are the only magic wands that work wonders, and in the land of oz dorothy found these same qualities had won for her the love and admiration of the people. indeed, the little girl had made many warm friends in the fairy country, and the only real grief the ozites had ever experienced was when dorothy left them and returned to her kansas home. now she received a joyful welcome, although no one except ozma knew at first that she had finally come to stay for good and all. that evening dorothy had many callers, and among them were such important people as tiktok, a machine man who thought and spoke and moved by clockwork; her old companion the genial shaggy man; jack pumpkinhead, whose body was brush-wood and whose head was a ripe pumpkin with a face carved upon it; the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, two great beasts from the forest, who served princess ozma, and professor h. m. wogglebug, t.e. this wogglebug was a remarkable creature. he had once been a tiny little bug, crawling around in a school-room, but he was discovered and highly magnified so that he could be seen more plainly, and while in this magnified condition he had escaped. he had always remained big, and he dressed like a dandy and was so full of knowledge and information (which are distinct acquirements) that he had been made a professor and the head of the royal college. dorothy had a nice visit with these old friends, and also talked a long time with the wizard, who was little and old and withered and dried up, but as merry and active as a child. afterward, she went to see billina's fast-growing family of chicks. toto, dorothy's little black dog, also met with a cordial reception. toto was an especial friend of the shaggy man, and he knew every one else. being the only dog in the land of oz, he was highly respected by the people, who believed animals entitled to every consideration if they behaved themselves properly. dorothy had four lovely rooms in the palace, which were always reserved for her use and were called "dorothy's rooms." these consisted of a beautiful sitting room, a dressing room, a dainty bedchamber and a big marble bathroom. and in these rooms were everything that heart could desire, placed there with loving thoughtfulness by ozma for her little friend's use. the royal dressmakers had the little girl's measure, so they kept the closets in her dressing room filled with lovely dresses of every description and suitable for every occasion. no wonder dorothy had refrained from bringing with her her old calico and gingham dresses! here everything that was dear to a little girl's heart was supplied in profusion, and nothing so rich and beautiful could ever have been found in the biggest department stores in america. of course dorothy enjoyed all these luxuries, and the only reason she had heretofore preferred to live in kansas was because her uncle and aunt loved her and needed her with them. now, however, all was to be changed, and dorothy was really more delighted to know that her dear relatives were to share in her good fortune and enjoy the delights of the land of oz, than she was to possess such luxury for herself. next morning, at ozma's request, dorothy dressed herself in a pretty sky-blue gown of rich silk, trimmed with real pearls. the buckles of her shoes were set with pearls, too, and more of these priceless gems were on a lovely coronet which she wore upon her forehead. "for," said her friend ozma, "from this time forth, my dear, you must assume your rightful rank as a princess of oz, and being my chosen companion you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position." dorothy agreed to this, although she knew that neither gowns nor jewels could make her anything else than the simple, unaffected little girl she had always been. as soon as they had breakfasted--the girls eating together in ozma's pretty boudoir--the ruler of oz said: "now, dear friend, we will use the magic belt to transport your uncle and aunt from kansas to the emerald city. but i think it would be fitting, in receiving such distinguished guests, for us to sit in my throne room." "oh, they're not very 'stinguished, ozma," said dorothy. "they're just plain people, like me." "being your friends and relatives, princess dorothy, they are certainly distinguished," replied the ruler, with a smile. "they--they won't hardly know what to make of all your splendid furniture and things," protested dorothy, gravely. "it may scare 'em to see your grand throne room, an' p'raps we'd better go into the back yard, ozma, where the cabbages grow an' the chickens are playing. then it would seem more natural to uncle henry and aunt em." "no; they shall first see me in my throne room," replied ozma, decidedly; and when she spoke in that tone dorothy knew it was not wise to oppose her, for ozma was accustomed to having her own way. so together they went to the throne room, an immense domed chamber in the center of the palace. here stood the royal throne, made of solid gold and encrusted with enough precious stones to stock a dozen jewelry stores in our country. ozma, who was wearing the magic belt, seated herself in the throne, and dorothy sat at her feet. in the room were assembled many ladies and gentlemen of the court, clothed in rich apparel and wearing fine jewelry. two immense animals squatted, one on each side of the throne--the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger. in a balcony high up in the dome an orchestra played sweet music, and beneath the dome two electric fountains sent sprays of colored perfumed water shooting up nearly as high as the arched ceiling. "are you ready, dorothy?" asked the ruler. "i am," replied dorothy; "but i don't know whether aunt em and uncle henry are ready." "that won't matter," declared ozma. "the old life can have very little to interest them, and the sooner they begin the new life here the happier they will be. here they come, my dear!" as she spoke, there before the throne appeared uncle henry and aunt em, who for a moment stood motionless, glaring with white and startled faces at the scene that confronted them. if the ladies and gentlemen present had not been so polite i am sure they would have laughed at the two strangers. aunt em had her calico dress skirt "tucked up," and she wore a faded, blue-checked apron. her hair was rather straggly and she had on a pair of uncle henry's old slippers. in one hand she held a dish-towel and in the other a cracked earthenware plate, which she had been engaged in wiping when so suddenly transported to the land of oz. uncle henry, when the summons came, had been out in the barn "doin' chores." he wore a ragged and much soiled straw hat, a checked shirt without any collar and blue overalls tucked into the tops of his old cowhide boots. "by gum!" gasped uncle henry, looking around as if bewildered. "well, i swan!" gurgled aunt em in a hoarse, frightened voice. then her eyes fell upon dorothy, and she said: "d-d-d-don't that look like our little girl--our dorothy, henry?" "hi, there--look out, em!" exclaimed the old man, as aunt em advanced a step; "take care o' the wild beastses, or you're a goner!" but now dorothy sprang forward and embraced and kissed her aunt and uncle affectionately, afterward taking their hands in her own. "don't be afraid," she said to them. "you are now in the land of oz, where you are to live always, and be comfer'ble an' happy. you'll never have to worry over anything again, 'cause there won't be anything to worry about. and you owe it all to the kindness of my friend princess ozma." here she led them before the throne and continued: "your highness, this is uncle henry. and this is aunt em. they want to thank you for bringing them here from kansas." aunt em tried to "slick" her hair, and she hid the dish-towel and dish under her apron while she bowed to the lovely ozma. uncle henry took off his straw hat and held it awkwardly in his hands. but the ruler of oz rose and came from her throne to greet her newly arrived guests, and she smiled as sweetly upon them as if they had been a king and queen. "you are very welcome here, where i have brought you for princess dorothy's sake," she said, graciously, "and i hope you will be quite happy in your new home." then she turned to her courtiers, who were silently and gravely regarding the scene, and added: "i present to my people our princess dorothy's beloved uncle henry and aunt em, who will hereafter be subjects of our kingdom. it will please me to have you show them every kindness and honor in your power, and to join me in making them happy and contented." hearing this, all those assembled bowed low and respectfully to the old farmer and his wife, who bobbed their own heads in return. "and now," said ozma to them, "dorothy will show you the rooms prepared for you. i hope you will like them, and shall expect you to join me at luncheon." so dorothy led her relatives away, and as soon as they were out of the throne room and alone in the corridor, aunt em squeezed dorothy's hand and said: "child, child! how in the world did we ever get here so quick? and is it all real? and are we to stay here, as she says? and what does it all mean, anyhow?" dorothy laughed. "why didn't you tell us what you were goin' to do?" inquired uncle henry, reproachfully. "if i'd known about it, i'd 'a put on my sunday clothes." "i'll 'splain ever'thing as soon as we get to your rooms," promised dorothy. "you're in great luck, uncle henry and aunt em; an' so am i! and oh! i'm so happy to have got you here, at last!" as he walked by the little girl's side, uncle henry stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "'pears to me, dorothy, we won't make bang-up fairies," he remarked. "an' my back hair looks like a fright!" wailed aunt em. "never mind," returned the little girl, reassuringly. "you won't have anything to do now but to look pretty, aunt em; an' uncle henry won't have to work till his back aches, that's certain." "sure?" they asked, wonderingly, and in the same breath. "course i'm sure," said dorothy. "you're in the fairyland of oz, now; an' what's more, you belong to it!" . how guph visited the whimsies the new general of the nome king's army knew perfectly well that to fail in his plans meant death for him. yet he was not at all anxious or worried. he hated every one who was good and longed to make all who were happy unhappy. therefore he had accepted this dangerous position as general quite willingly, feeling sure in his evil mind that he would be able to do a lot of mischief and finally conquer the land of oz. yet guph determined to be careful, and to lay his plans well, so as not to fail. he argued that only careless people fail in what they attempt to do. the mountains underneath which the nome king's extensive caverns were located lay grouped just north of the land of ev, which lay directly across the deadly desert to the east of the land of oz. as the mountains were also on the edge of the desert the nome king found that he had only to tunnel underneath the desert to reach ozma's dominions. he did not wish his armies to appear above ground in the country of the winkies, which was the part of the land of oz nearest to king roquat's own country, as then the people would give the alarm and enable ozma to fortify the emerald city and assemble an army. he wanted to take all the oz people by surprise; so he decided to run the tunnel clear through to the emerald city, where he and his hosts could break through the ground without warning and conquer the people before they had time to defend themselves. roquat the red began work at once upon his tunnel, setting a thousand miners at the task and building it high and broad enough for his armies to march through it with ease. the nomes were used to making tunnels, as all the kingdom in which they lived was under ground; so they made rapid progress. while this work was going on general guph started out alone to visit the chief of the whimsies. these whimsies were curious people who lived in a retired country of their own. they had large, strong bodies, but heads so small that they were no bigger than door-knobs. of course, such tiny heads could not contain any great amount of brains, and the whimsies were so ashamed of their personal appearance and lack of commonsense that they wore big heads made of pasteboard, which they fastened over their own little heads. on these pasteboard heads they sewed sheep's wool for hair, and the wool was colored many tints--pink, green and lavender being the favorite colors. the faces of these false heads were painted in many ridiculous ways, according to the whims of the owners, and these big, burly creatures looked so whimsical and absurd in their queer masks that they were called "whimsies." they foolishly imagined that no one would suspect the little heads that were inside the imitation ones, not knowing that it is folly to try to appear otherwise than as nature has made us. the chief of the whimsies had as little wisdom as the others, and had been chosen chief merely because none among them was any wiser or more capable of ruling. the whimsies were evil spirits and could not be killed. they were hated and feared by every one and were known as terrible fighters because they were so strong and muscular and had not sense enough to know when they were defeated. general guph thought the whimsies would be a great help to the nomes in the conquest of oz, for under his leadership they could be induced to fight as long so they could stand up. so he traveled to their country and asked to see the chief, who lived in a house that had a picture of his grotesque false head painted over the doorway. the chief's false head had blue hair, a turned-up nose, and a mouth that stretched half across the face. big green eyes had been painted upon it, but in the center of the chin were two small holes made in the pasteboard, so that the chief could see through them with his own tiny eyes; for when the big head was fastened upon his shoulders the eyes in his own natural head were on a level with the false chin. said general guph to the chief of the whimsies: "we nomes are going to conquer the land of oz and capture our king's magic belt, which the oz people stole from him. then we are going to plunder and destroy the whole country. and we want the whimsies to help us." "will there be any fighting?" asked the chief. "plenty," replied guph. that must have pleased the chief, for he got up and danced around the room three times. then he seated himself again, adjusted his false head, and said: "we have no quarrel with ozma of oz." "but you whimsies love to fight, and here is a splendid chance to do so," urged guph. "wait till i sing a song," said the chief. then he lay back in his chair and sang a foolish song that did not seem to the general to mean anything, although he listened carefully. when he had finished, the chief whimsie looked at him through the holes in his chin and asked: "what reward will you give us if we help you?" the general was prepared for this question, for he had been thinking the matter over on his journey. people often do a good deed without hope of reward, but for an evil deed they always demand payment. "when we get our magic belt," he made reply, "our king, roquat the red, will use its power to give every whimsie a natural head as big and fine as the false head he now wears. then you will no longer be ashamed because your big strong bodies have such teenty-weenty heads." "oh! will you do that?" asked the chief, eagerly. "we surely will," promised the general. "i'll talk to my people," said the chief. so he called a meeting of all the whimsies and told them of the offer made by the nomes. the creatures were delighted with the bargain, and at once agreed to fight for the nome king and help him to conquer oz. one whimsie alone seemed to have a glimmer of sense, for he asked: "suppose we fail to capture the magic belt? what will happen then, and what good will all our fighting do?" but they threw him into the river for asking foolish questions, and laughed when the water ruined his pasteboard head before he could swim out again. so the compact was made and general guph was delighted with his success in gaining such powerful allies. but there were other people, too, just as important as the whimsies, whom the clever old nome had determined to win to his side. . how aunt em conquered the lion "these are your rooms," said dorothy, opening a door. aunt em drew back at the sight of the splendid furniture and draperies. "ain't there any place to wipe my feet?" she asked. "you will soon change your slippers for new shoes," replied dorothy. "don't be afraid, aunt em. here is where you are to live, so walk right in and make yourself at home." aunt em advanced hesitatingly. "it beats the topeka hotel!" she cried admiringly. "but this place is too grand for us, child. can't we have some back room in the attic, that's more in our class?" "no," said dorothy. "you've got to live here, 'cause ozma says so. and all the rooms in this palace are just as fine as these, and some are better. it won't do any good to fuss, aunt em. you've got to be swell and high-toned in the land of oz, whether you want to or not; so you may as well make up your mind to it." "it's hard luck," replied her aunt, looking around with an awed expression; "but folks can get used to anything, if they try. eh, henry?" "why, as to that," said uncle henry, slowly, "i b'lieve in takin' what's pervided us, an' askin' no questions. i've traveled some, em, in my time, and you hain't; an' that makes a difference atween us." then dorothy showed them through the rooms. the first was a handsome sitting-room, with windows opening upon the rose gardens. then came separate bedrooms for aunt em and uncle henry, with a fine bathroom between them. aunt em had a pretty dressing room, besides, and dorothy opened the closets and showed several exquisite costumes that had been provided for her aunt by the royal dressmakers, who had worked all night to get them ready. everything that aunt em could possibly need was in the drawers and closets, and her dressing-table was covered with engraved gold toilet articles. uncle henry had nine suits of clothes, cut in the popular munchkin fashion, with knee-breeches, silk stockings, and low shoes with jeweled buckles. the hats to match these costumes had pointed tops and wide brims with small gold bells around the edges. his shirts were of fine linen with frilled bosoms, and his vests were richly embroidered with colored silks. uncle henry decided that he would first take a bath and then dress himself in a blue satin suit that had caught his fancy. he accepted his good fortune with calm composure and refused to have a servant to assist him. but aunt em was "all of a flutter," as she said, and it took dorothy and jellia jamb, the housekeeper, and two maids a long time to dress her and do up her hair and get her "rigged like a popinjay," as she quaintly expressed it. she wanted to stop and admire everything that caught her eye, and she sighed continually and declared that such finery was too good for an old country woman, and that she never thought she would have to "put on airs" at her time of life. finally she was dressed, and when she went into the sitting-room there was uncle henry in his blue satin, walking gravely up and down the room. he had trimmed his beard and mustache and looked very dignified and respectable. "tell me, dorothy," he said; "do all the men here wear duds like these?" "yes," she replied; "all 'cept the scarecrow and the shaggy man--and of course the tin woodman and tiktok, who are made of metal. you'll find all the men at ozma's court dressed just as you are--only perhaps a little finer." "henry, you look like a play-actor," announced aunt em, looking at her husband critically. "an' you, em, look more highfalutin' than a peacock," he replied. "i guess you're right," she said regretfully; "but we're helpless victims of high-toned royalty." dorothy was much amused. "come with me," she said, "and i'll show you 'round the palace." she took them through the beautiful rooms and introduced them to all the people they chanced to meet. also she showed them her own pretty rooms, which were not far from their own. "so it's all true," said aunt em, wide-eyed with amazement, "and what dorothy told us of this fairy country was plain facts instead of dreams! but where are all the strange creatures you used to know here?" "yes, where's the scarecrow?" inquired uncle henry. "why, he's just now away on a visit to the tin woodman, who is emp'ror of the winkie country," answered the little girl. "you'll see him when he comes back, and you're sure to like him." "and where's the wonderful wizard?" asked aunt em. "you'll see him at ozma's luncheon, for he lives here in this palace," was the reply. "and jack pumpkinhead?" "oh, he lives a little way out of town, in his own pumpkin field. we'll go there some time and see him, and we'll call on professor wogglebug, too. the shaggy man will be at the luncheon, i guess, and tiktok. and now i'll take you out to see billina, who has a house of her own." so they went into the back yard, and after walking along winding paths some distance through the beautiful gardens they came to an attractive little house where the yellow hen sat on the front porch sunning herself. "good morning, my dear mistress," called billina, fluttering down to meet them. "i was expecting you to call, for i heard you had come back and brought your uncle and aunt with you." "we're here for good and all, this time, billina," cried dorothy, joyfully. "uncle henry and aunt em belong to oz now as much as i do!" "then they are very lucky people," declared billina; "for there couldn't be a nicer place to live. but come, my dear; i must show you all my dorothys. nine are living and have grown up to be very respectable hens; but one took cold at ozma's birthday party and died of the pip, and the other two turned out to be horrid roosters, so i had to change their names from dorothy to daniel. they all had the letter 'd' engraved upon their gold lockets, you remember, with your picture inside, and 'd' stands for daniel as well as for dorothy." "did you call both the roosters daniel?" asked uncle henry. "yes, indeed. i've nine dorothys and two daniels; and the nine dorothys have eighty-six sons and daughters and over three hundred grandchildren," said billina, proudly. "what names do you give 'em all, dear?" inquired the little girl. "oh, they are all dorothys and daniels, some being juniors and some double-juniors. dorothy and daniel are two good names, and i see no object in hunting for others," declared the yellow hen. "but just think, dorothy, what a big chicken family we've grown to be, and our numbers increase nearly every day! ozma doesn't know what to do with all the eggs we lay, and we are never eaten or harmed in any way, as chickens are in your country. they give us everything to make us contented and happy, and i, my dear, am the acknowledged queen and governor of every chicken in oz, because i'm the eldest and started the whole colony." "you ought to be very proud, ma'am," said uncle henry, who was astonished to hear a hen talk so sensibly. "oh, i am," she replied. "i've the loveliest pearl necklace you ever saw. come in the house and i'll show it to you. and i've nine leg bracelets and a diamond pin for each wing. but i only wear them on state occasions." they followed the yellow hen into the house, which aunt em declared was neat as a pin. they could not sit down, because all billina's chairs were roosting-poles made of silver; so they had to stand while the hen fussily showed them her treasures. then they had to go into the back rooms occupied by billina's nine dorothys and two daniels, who were all plump yellow chickens and greeted the visitors very politely. it was easy to see that they were well bred and that billina had looked after their education. in the yards were all the children and grandchildren of these eleven elders and they were of all sizes, from well-grown hens to tiny chickens just out of the shell. about fifty fluffy yellow youngsters were at school, being taught good manners and good grammar by a young hen who wore spectacles. they sang in chorus a patriotic song of the land of oz, in honor of their visitors, and aunt em was much impressed by these talking chickens. dorothy wanted to stay and play with the young chickens for awhile, but uncle henry and aunt em had not seen the palace grounds and gardens yet and were eager to get better acquainted with the marvelous and delightful land in which they were to live. "i'll stay here, and you can go for a walk," said dorothy. "you'll be perfec'ly safe anywhere, and may do whatever you want to. when you get tired, go back to the palace and find your rooms, and i'll come to you before luncheon is ready." so uncle henry and aunt em started out alone to explore the grounds, and dorothy knew that they couldn't get lost, because all the palace grounds were enclosed by a high wall of green marble set with emeralds. it was a rare treat to these simple folk, who had lived in the country all their lives and known little enjoyment of any sort, to wear beautiful clothes and live in a palace and be treated with respect and consideration by all around them. they were very happy indeed as they strolled up the shady walks and looked upon the gorgeous flowers and shrubs, feeling that their new home was more beautiful than any tongue could describe. suddenly, as they turned a corner and walked through a gap in a high hedge, they came face to face with an enormous lion, which crouched upon the green lawn and seemed surprised by their appearance. they stopped short, uncle henry trembling with horror and aunt em too terrified to scream. next moment the poor woman clasped her husband around the neck and cried: "save me, henry, save me!" "can't even save myself, em," he returned, in a husky voice, "for the animile looks as if it could eat both of us an' lick its chops for more! if i only had a gun--" "haven't you, henry? haven't you?" she asked anxiously. "nary gun, em. so let's die as brave an' graceful as we can. i knew our luck couldn't last!" "i won't die. i won't be eaten by a lion!" wailed aunt em, glaring upon the huge beast. then a thought struck her, and she whispered, "henry, i've heard as savage beastses can be conquered by the human eye. i'll eye that lion out o' countenance an' save our lives." "try it, em," he returned, also in a whisper. "look at him as you do at me when i'm late to dinner." aunt em turned upon the lion a determined countenance and a wild dilated eye. she glared at the immense beast steadily, and the lion, who had been quietly blinking at them, began to appear uneasy and disturbed. "is anything the matter, ma'am?" he asked, in a mild voice. at this speech from the terrible beast aunt em and uncle henry both were startled, and then uncle henry remembered that this must be the lion they had seen in ozma's throne room. "hold on, em!" he exclaimed. "quit the eagle eye conquest an' take courage. i guess this is the same cowardly lion dorothy has told us about." "oh, is it?" she cried, much relieved. "when he spoke, i got the idea; and when he looked so 'shamed like, i was sure of it," uncle henry continued. aunt em regarded the animal with new interest. "are you the cowardly lion?" she inquired. "are you dorothy's friend?" "yes'm," answered the lion, meekly. "dorothy and i are old chums and are very fond of each other. i'm the king of beasts, you know, and the hungry tiger and i serve princess ozma as her body guards." "to be sure," said aunt em, nodding. "but the king of beasts shouldn't be cowardly." "i've heard that said before," remarked the lion, yawning till he showed two great rows of sharp white teeth; "but that does not keep me from being frightened whenever i go into battle." "what do you do, run?" asked uncle henry. "no; that would be foolish, for the enemy would run after me," declared the lion. "so i tremble with fear and pitch in as hard as i can; and so far i have always won my fight." "ah, i begin to understand," said uncle henry. "were you scared when i looked at you just now?" inquired aunt em. "terribly scared, madam," answered the lion, "for at first i thought you were going to have a fit. then i noticed you were trying to overcome me by the power of your eye, and your glance was so fierce and penetrating that i shook with fear." this greatly pleased the lady, and she said quite cheerfully: "well, i won't hurt you, so don't be scared any more. i just wanted to see what the human eye was good for." "the human eye is a fearful weapon," remarked the lion, scratching his nose softly with his paw to hide a smile. "had i not known you were dorothy's friends i might have torn you both into shreds in order to escape your terrible gaze." aunt em shuddered at hearing this, and uncle henry said hastily: "i'm glad you knew us. good morning, mr. lion; we'll hope to see you again--by and by--some time in the future." "good morning," replied the lion, squatting down upon the lawn again. "you are likely to see a good deal of me, if you live in the land of oz." . how the grand gallipoot joined the nomes after leaving the whimsies, guph continued on his journey and penetrated far into the northwest. he wanted to get to the country of the growleywogs, and in order to do that he must cross the ripple land, which was a hard thing to do. for the ripple land was a succession of hills and valleys, all very steep and rocky, and they changed places constantly by rippling. while guph was climbing a hill it sank down under him and became a valley, and while he was descending into a valley it rose up and carried him to the top of a hill. this was very perplexing to the traveler, and a stranger might have thought he could never cross the ripple land at all. but guph knew that if he kept steadily on he would get to the end at last; so he paid no attention to the changing hills and valleys and plodded along as calmly as if walking upon the level ground. the result of this wise persistence was that the general finally reached firmer soil and, after penetrating a dense forest, came to the dominion of the growleywogs. no sooner had he crossed the border of this domain when two guards seized him and carried him before the grand gallipoot of the growleywogs, who scowled upon him ferociously and asked him why he dared intrude upon his territory. "i'm the lord high general of the invincible army of the nomes, and my name is guph," was the reply. "all the world trembles when that name is mentioned." the growleywogs gave a shout of jeering laughter at this, and one of them caught the nome in his strong arms and tossed him high into the air. guph was considerably shaken when he fell upon the hard ground, but he appeared to take no notice of the impertinence and composed himself to speak again to the grand gallipoot. "my master, king roquat the red, has sent me here to confer with you. he wishes your assistance to conquer the land of oz." here the general paused, and the grand gallipoot scowled upon him more terribly than ever and said: "go on!" the voice of the grand gallipoot was partly a roar and partly a growl. he mumbled his words badly and guph had to listen carefully in order to understand him. these growleywogs were certainly remarkable creatures. they were of gigantic size, yet were all bone and skin and muscle, there being no meat or fat upon their bodies at all. their powerful muscles lay just underneath their skins, like bunches of tough rope, and the weakest growleywog was so strong that he could pick up an elephant and toss it seven miles away. it seems unfortunate that strong people are usually so disagreeable and overbearing that no one cares for them. in fact, to be different from your fellow creatures is always a misfortune. the growleywogs knew that they were disliked and avoided by every one, so they had become surly and unsociable even among themselves. guph knew that they hated all people, including the nomes; but he hoped to win them over, nevertheless, and knew that if he succeeded they would afford him very powerful assistance. "the land of oz is ruled by a namby-pamby girl who is disgustingly kind and good," he continued. "her people are all happy and contented and have no care or worries whatever." "go on!" growled the grand gallipoot. "once the nome king enslaved the royal family of ev--another goody-goody lot that we detest," said the general. "but ozma interfered, although it was none of her business, and marched her army against us. with her was a kansas girl named dorothy, and a yellow hen, and they marched directly into the nome king's cavern. there they liberated our slaves from ev and stole king roquat's magic belt, which they carried away with them. so now our king is making a tunnel under the deadly desert, so we can march through it to the emerald city. when we get there we mean to conquer and destroy all the land and recapture the magic belt." again he paused, and again the grand gallipoot growled: "go on!" guph tried to think what to say next, and a happy thought soon occurred to him. "we want you to help us in this conquest," he announced, "for we need the mighty aid of the growleywogs in order to make sure that we shall not be defeated. you are the strongest people in all the world, and you hate good and happy creatures as much as we nomes do. i am sure it will be a real pleasure to you to tear down the beautiful emerald city, and in return for your valuable assistance we will allow you to bring back to your country ten thousand people of oz, to be your slaves." "twenty thousand!" growled the grand gallipoot. "all right, we promise you twenty thousand," agreed the general. the gallipoot made a signal and at once his attendants picked up general guph and carried him away to a prison, where the jailer amused himself by sticking pins in the round fat body of the old nome, to see him jump and hear him yell. but while this was going on the grand gallipoot was talking with his counselors, who were the most important officials of the growleywogs. when he had stated to them the proposition of the nome king, he said: "my advice is to offer to help them. then, when we have conquered the land of oz, we will take not only our twenty thousand prisoners but all the gold and jewels we want." "let us take the magic belt, too," suggested one counselor. "and rob the nome king and make him our slave," said another. "that is a good idea," declared the grand gallipoot. "i'd like king roquat for my own slave. he could black my boots and bring me my porridge every morning while i am in bed." "there is a famous scarecrow in oz. i'll take him for my slave," said a counselor. "i'll take tiktok, the machine man," said another. "give me the tin woodman," said a third. they went on for some time, dividing up the people and the treasure of oz in advance of the conquest. for they had no doubt at all that they would be able to destroy ozma's domain. were they not the strongest people in all the world? "the deadly desert has kept us out of oz before," remarked the grand gallipoot, "but now that the nome king is building a tunnel we shall get into the emerald city very easily. so let us send the little fat general back to his king with our promise to assist him. we will not say that we intend to conquer the nomes after we have conquered oz, but we will do so, just the same." this plan being agreed upon, they all went home to dinner, leaving general guph still in prison. the nome had no idea that he had succeeded in his mission, for finding himself in prison he feared the growleywogs intended to put him to death. by this time the jailer had tired of sticking pins in the general, and was amusing himself by carefully pulling the nome's whiskers out by the roots, one at a time. this enjoyment was interrupted by the grand gallipoot sending for the prisoner. "wait a few hours," begged the jailer. "i haven't pulled out a quarter of his whiskers yet." "if you keep the grand gallipoot waiting, he'll break your back," declared the messenger. "perhaps you're right," sighed the jailer. "take the prisoner away, if you will, but i advise you to kick him at every step he takes. it will be good fun, for he is as soft as a ripe peach." so guph was led away to the royal castle, where the grand gallipoot told him that the growleywogs had decided to assist the nomes in conquering the land of oz. "whenever you are ready," he added, "send me word and i will march with eighteen thousand of my most powerful warriors to your aid." guph was so delighted that he forgot all the smarting caused by the pins and the pulling of whiskers. he did not even complain of the treatment he had received, but thanked the grand gallipoot and hurried away upon his journey. he had now secured the assistance of the whimsies and the growleywogs; but his success made him long for still more allies. his own life depended upon his conquering oz, and he said to himself: "i'll take no chances. i'll be certain of success. then, when oz is destroyed, perhaps i shall be a greater man than old roquat, and i can throw him away and be king of the nomes myself. why not? the whimsies are stronger than the nomes, and they also are my friends. there are some people still stronger than the growleywogs, and if i can but induce them to aid me i shall have nothing more to fear." . how the wogglebug taught athletics it did not take dorothy long to establish herself in her new home, for she knew the people and the manners and customs of the emerald city just as well as she knew the old kansas farm. but uncle henry and aunt em had some trouble in getting used to the finery and pomp and ceremony of ozma's palace, and felt uneasy because they were obliged to be "dressed up" all the time. yet every one was very courteous and kind to them and endeavored to make them happy. ozma, especially, made much of dorothy's relatives, for her little friend's sake, and she well knew that the awkwardness and strangeness of their new mode of life would all wear off in time. the old people were chiefly troubled by the fact that there was no work for them to do. "ev'ry day is like sunday, now," declared aunt em, solemnly, "and i can't say i like it. if they'd only let me do up the dishes after meals, or even sweep an' dust my own rooms, i'd be a deal happier. henry don't know what to do with himself either, and once when he stole out an' fed the chickens billina scolded him for letting 'em eat between meals. i never knew before what a hardship it is to be rich and have everything you want." these complaints began to worry dorothy; so she had a long talk with ozma upon the subject. "i see i must find them something to do," said the girlish ruler of oz, seriously. "i have been watching your uncle and aunt, and i believe they will be more contented if occupied with some light tasks. while i am considering this matter, dorothy, you might make a trip with them through the land of oz, visiting some of the odd corners and introducing your relatives to some of our curious people." "oh, that would be fine!" exclaimed dorothy, eagerly. "i will give you an escort befitting your rank as a princess," continued ozma; "and you may go to some of the places you have not yet visited yourself, as well as some others that you know. i will mark out a plan of the trip for you and have everything in readiness for you to start to-morrow morning. take your time, dear, and be gone as long as you wish. by the time you return i shall have found some occupation for uncle henry and aunt em that will keep them from being restless and dissatisfied." dorothy thanked her good friend and kissed the lovely ruler gratefully. then she ran to tell the joyful news to her uncle and aunt. next morning, after breakfast, everything was found ready for their departure. the escort included omby amby, the captain general of ozma's army, which consisted merely of twenty-seven officers besides the captain general. once omby amby had been a private soldier--the only private in the army--but as there was never any fighting to do ozma saw no need of a private, so she made omby amby the highest officer of them all. he was very tall and slim and wore a gay uniform and a fierce mustache. yet the mustache was the only fierce thing about omby amby, whose nature was as gentle as that of a child. the wonderful wizard had asked to join the party, and with him came his friend the shaggy man, who was shaggy but not ragged, being dressed in fine silks with satin shags and bobtails. the shaggy man had shaggy whiskers and hair, but a sweet disposition and a soft, pleasant voice. there was an open wagon, with three seats for the passengers, and the wagon was drawn by the famous wooden sawhorse which had once been brought to life by ozma by means of a magic powder. the sawhorse wore wooden shoes to keep his wooden legs from wearing away, and he was strong and swift. as this curious creature was ozma's own favorite steed, and very popular with all the people of the emerald city, dorothy knew that she had been highly favored by being permitted to use the sawhorse on her journey. in the front seat of the wagon sat dorothy and the wizard. uncle henry and aunt em sat in the next seat and the shaggy man and omby amby in the third seat. of course toto was with the party, curled up at dorothy's feet, and just as they were about to start, billina came fluttering along the path and begged to be taken with them. dorothy readily agreed, so the yellow hen flew up and perched herself upon the dashboard. she wore her pearl necklace and three bracelets upon each leg, in honor of the occasion. dorothy kissed ozma good-bye, and all the people standing around waved their handkerchiefs, and the band in an upper balcony struck up a military march. then the wizard clucked to the sawhorse and said: "gid-dap!" and the wooden animal pranced away and drew behind him the big red wagon and all the passengers, without any effort at all. a servant threw open a gate of the palace enclosure, that they might pass out; and so, with music and shouts following them, the journey was begun. "it's almost like a circus," said aunt em, proudly. "i can't help feelin' high an' mighty in this kind of a turn-out." indeed, as they passed down the street, all the people cheered them lustily, and the shaggy man and the wizard and the captain general all took off their hats and bowed politely in acknowledgment. when they came to the great wall of the emerald city, the gates were opened by the guardian who always tended them. over the gateway hung a dull-colored metal magnet shaped like a horse-shoe, placed against a shield of polished gold. "that," said the shaggy man, impressively, "is the wonderful love magnet. i brought it to the emerald city myself, and all who pass beneath this gateway are both loving and beloved." "it's a fine thing," declared aunt em, admiringly. "if we'd had it in kansas i guess the man who held a mortgage on the farm wouldn't have turned us out." "then i'm glad we didn't have it," returned uncle henry. "i like oz better than kansas, even; an' this little wood sawhorse beats all the critters i ever saw. he don't have to be curried, or fed, or watered, an' he's strong as an ox. can he talk, dorothy?" "yes, uncle," replied the child. "but the sawhorse never says much. he told me once that he can't talk and think at the same time, so he prefers to think." "which is very sensible," declared the wizard, nodding approvingly. "which way do we go, dorothy?" "straight ahead into the quadling country," she answered. "i've got a letter of interduction to miss cuttenclip." "oh!" exclaimed the wizard, much interested. "are we going there? then i'm glad i came, for i've always wanted to meet the cuttenclips." "who are they?" inquired aunt em. "wait till we get there," replied dorothy, with a laugh; "then you'll see for yourself. i've never seen the cuttenclips, you know, so i can't 'zactly 'splain 'em to you." once free of the emerald city the sawhorse dashed away at tremendous speed. indeed, he went so fast that aunt em had hard work to catch her breath, and uncle henry held fast to the seat of the red wagon. "gently--gently, my boy!" called the wizard, and at this the sawhorse slackened his speed. "what's wrong?" asked the animal, slightly turning his wooden head to look at the party with one eye, which was a knot of wood. "why, we wish to admire the scenery, that's all," answered the wizard. "some of your passengers," added the shaggy man, "have never been out of the emerald city before, and the country is all new to them." "if you go too fast you'll spoil all the fun," said dorothy. "there's no hurry." "very well; it is all the same to me," observed the sawhorse; and after that he went at a more moderate pace. uncle henry was astonished. "how can a wooden thing be so intelligent?" he asked. "why, i gave him some sawdust brains the last time i fitted his head with new ears," explained the wizard. "the sawdust was made from hard knots, and now the sawhorse is able to think out any knotty problem he meets with." "i see," said uncle henry. "i don't," remarked aunt em; but no one paid any attention to this statement. before long they came to a stately building that stood upon a green plain with handsome shade trees grouped here and there. "what is that?" asked uncle henry. "that," replied the wizard, "is the royal athletic college of oz, which is directed by professor h. m. wogglebug, t.e." "let's stop and make a call," suggested dorothy. so the sawhorse drew up in front of the great building and they were met at the door by the learned wogglebug himself. he seemed fully as tall as the wizard, and was dressed in a red and white checked vest and a blue swallow-tailed coat, and had yellow knee breeches and purple silk stockings upon his slender legs. a tall hat was jauntily set upon his head and he wore spectacles over his big bright eyes. "welcome, dorothy," said the wogglebug; "and welcome to all your friends. we are indeed pleased to receive you at this great temple of learning." "i thought it was an athletic college," said the shaggy man. "it is, my dear sir," answered the wogglebug, proudly. "here it is that we teach the youth of our great land scientific college athletics--in all their purity." "don't you teach them anything else?" asked dorothy. "don't they get any reading, writing and 'rithmetic?" "oh, yes; of course. they get all those, and more," returned the professor. "but such things occupy little of their time. please follow me and i will show you how my scholars are usually occupied. this is a class hour and they are all busy." they followed him to a big field back of the college building, where several hundred young ozites were at their classes. in one place they played football, in another baseball. some played tennis, some golf; some were swimming in a big pool. upon a river which wound through the grounds several crews in racing boats were rowing with great enthusiasm. other groups of students played basketball and cricket, while in one place a ring was roped in to permit boxing and wrestling by the energetic youths. all the collegians seemed busy and there was much laughter and shouting. "this college," said professor wogglebug, complacently, "is a great success. its educational value is undisputed, and we are turning out many great and valuable citizens every year." "but when do they study?" asked dorothy. "study?" said the wogglebug, looking perplexed at the question. "yes; when do they get their 'rithmetic, and jogerfy, and such things?" "oh, they take doses of those every night and morning," was the reply. "what do you mean by doses?" dorothy inquired, wonderingly. "why, we use the newly invented school pills, made by your friend the wizard. these pills we have found to be very effective, and they save a lot of time. please step this way and i will show you our laboratory of learning." he led them to a room in the building where many large bottles were standing in rows upon shelves. "these are the algebra pills," said the professor, taking down one of the bottles. "one at night, on retiring, is equal to four hours of study. here are the geography pills--one at night and one in the morning. in this next bottle are the latin pills--one three times a day. then we have the grammar pills--one before each meal--and the spelling pills, which are taken whenever needed." "your scholars must have to take a lot of pills," remarked dorothy, thoughtfully. "how do they take 'em, in applesauce?" "no, my dear. they are sugar-coated and are quickly and easily swallowed. i believe the students would rather take the pills than study, and certainly the pills are a more effective method. you see, until these school pills were invented we wasted a lot of time in study that may now be better employed in practicing athletics." "seems to me the pills are a good thing," said omby amby, who remembered how it used to make his head ache as a boy to study arithmetic. "they are, sir," declared the wogglebug, earnestly. "they give us an advantage over all other colleges, because at no loss of time our boys become thoroughly conversant with greek and latin, mathematics and geography, grammar and literature. you see they are never obliged to interrupt their games to acquire the lesser branches of learning." "it's a great invention, i'm sure," said dorothy, looking admiringly at the wizard, who blushed modestly at this praise. "we live in an age of progress," announced professor wogglebug, pompously. "it is easier to swallow knowledge than to acquire it laboriously from books. is it not so, my friends?" "some folks can swallow anything," said aunt em, "but to me this seems too much like taking medicine." "young men in college always have to take their medicine, one way or another," observed the wizard, with a smile; "and, as our professor says, these school pills have proved to be a great success. one day while i was making them i happened to drop one of them, and one of billina's chickens gobbled it up. a few minutes afterward this chick got upon a roost and recited 'the boy stood on the burning deck' without making a single mistake. then it recited 'the charge of the light brigade' and afterwards 'excelsior.' you see, the chicken had eaten an elocution pill." they now bade good-bye to the professor, and thanking him for his kind reception mounted again into the red wagon and continued their journey. . how the cuttenclips lived the travelers had taken no provisions with them because they knew that they would be welcomed wherever they might go in the land of oz, and that the people would feed and lodge them with genuine hospitality. so about noon they stopped at a farm-house and were given a delicious luncheon of bread and milk, fruits and wheat cakes with maple syrup. after resting a while and strolling through the orchards with their host--a round, jolly farmer--they got into the wagon and again started the sawhorse along the pretty, winding road. there were signposts at all the corners, and finally they came to one which read: take this road to the cuttenclips there was also a hand pointing in the right direction, so they turned the sawhorse that way and found it a very good road, but seemingly little traveled. "i've never seen the cuttenclips before," remarked dorothy. "nor i," said the captain general. "nor i," said the wizard. "nor i," said billina. "i've hardly been out of the emerald city since i arrived in this country," added the shaggy man. "why, none of us has been there, then," exclaimed the little girl. "i wonder what the cuttenclips are like." "we shall soon find out," said the wizard, with a sly laugh. "i've heard they are rather flimsy things." the farm-houses became fewer as they proceeded, and the path was at times so faint that the sawhorse had hard work to keep in the road. the wagon began to jounce, too; so they were obliged to go slowly. after a somewhat wearisome journey they came in sight of a high wall, painted blue with pink ornaments. this wall was circular, and seemed to enclose a large space. it was so high that only the tops of the trees could be seen above it. the path led up to a small door in the wall, which was closed and latched. upon the door was a sign in gold letters reading as follows: visitors are requested to move slowly and carefully, and to avoid coughing or making any breeze or draught. "that's strange," said the shaggy man, reading the sign aloud. "who are the cuttenclips, anyhow?" "why, they're paper dolls," answered dorothy. "didn't you know that?" "paper dolls! then let's go somewhere else," said uncle henry. "we're all too old to play with dolls, dorothy." "but these are different," declared the girl. "they're alive." "alive!" gasped aunt em, in amazement. "yes. let's go in," said dorothy. so they all got out of the wagon, since the door in the wall was not big enough for them to drive the sawhorse and wagon through it. "you stay here, toto!" commanded dorothy, shaking her finger at the little dog. "you're so careless that you might make a breeze if i let you inside." toto wagged his tail as if disappointed at being left behind; but he made no effort to follow them. the wizard unlatched the door, which opened outward, and they all looked eagerly inside. just before the entrance was drawn up a line of tiny soldiers, with uniforms brightly painted and paper guns upon their shoulders. they were exactly alike, from one end of the line to the other, and all were cut out of paper and joined together in the centers of their bodies. as the visitors entered the enclosure the wizard let the door swing back into place, and at once the line of soldiers tumbled over, fell flat upon their backs, and lay fluttering upon the ground. "hi there!" called one of them; "what do you mean by slamming the door and blowing us over?" "i beg your pardon, i'm sure," said the wizard, regretfully. "i didn't know you were so delicate." "we're not delicate!" retorted another soldier, raising his head from the ground. "we are strong and healthy; but we can't stand draughts." "may i help you up?" asked dorothy. "if you please," replied the end soldier. "but do it gently, little girl." dorothy carefully stood up the line of soldiers, who first dusted their painted clothes and then saluted the visitors with their paper muskets. from the end it was easy to see that the entire line had been cut out of paper, although from the front the soldiers looked rather solid and imposing. "i've a letter of introduction from princess ozma to miss cuttenclip," announced dorothy. "very well," said the end soldier, and blew upon a paper whistle that hung around his neck. at once a paper soldier in a captain's uniform came out of a paper house near by and approached the group at the entrance. he was not very big, and he walked rather stiffly and uncertainly on his paper legs; but he had a pleasant face, with very red cheeks and very blue eyes, and he bowed so low to the strangers that dorothy laughed, and the breeze from her mouth nearly blew the captain over. he wavered and struggled and finally managed to remain upon his feet. "take care, miss!" he said, warningly. "you're breaking the rules, you know, by laughing." "oh, i didn't know that," she replied. "to laugh in this place is nearly as dangerous as to cough," said the captain. "you'll have to breathe very quietly, i assure you." "we'll try to," promised the girl. "may we see miss cuttenclip, please?" "you may," promptly returned the captain. "this is one of her reception days. be good enough to follow me." he turned and led the way up a path, and as they followed slowly, because the paper captain did not move very swiftly, they took the opportunity to gaze around them at this strange paper country. beside the path were paper trees, all cut out very neatly and painted a brilliant green color. and back of the trees were rows of cardboard houses, painted in various colors but most of them having green blinds. some were large and some small, and in the front yards were beds of paper flowers quite natural in appearance. over some of the porches paper vines were twined, giving them a cozy and shady look. as the visitors passed along the street a good many paper dolls came to the doors and windows of their houses to look at them curiously. these dolls were nearly all the same height, but were cut into various shapes, some being fat and some lean. the girl dolls wore many beautiful costumes of tissue paper, making them quite fluffy; but their heads and hands were no thicker than the paper of which they were made. some of the paper people were on the street, walking along or congregated in groups and talking together; but as soon as they saw the strangers they all fluttered into the houses as fast as they could go, so as to be out of danger. "excuse me if i go edgewise," remarked the captain as they came to a slight hill. "i can get along faster that way and not flutter so much." "that's all right," said dorothy. "we don't mind how you go, i'm sure." at one side of the street was a paper pump, and a paper boy was pumping paper water into a paper pail. the yellow hen happened to brush against this boy with her wing, and he flew into the air and fell into a paper tree, where he stuck until the wizard gently pulled him out. at the same time, the pail went into the air, spilling the paper water, while the paper pump bent nearly double. "goodness me!" said the hen. "if i should flop my wings i believe i'd knock over the whole village!" "then don't flop them--please don't!" entreated the captain. "miss cuttenclip would be very much distressed if her village was spoiled." "oh, i'll be careful," promised billina. "are not all these paper girls and women named miss cuttenclips?" inquired omby amby. "no indeed," answered the captain, who was walking better since he began to move edgewise. "there is but one miss cuttenclip, who is our queen, because she made us all. these girls are cuttenclips, to be sure, but their names are emily and polly and sue and betty and such things. only the queen is called miss cuttenclip." "i must say that this place beats anything i ever heard of," observed aunt em. "i used to play with paper dolls myself, an' cut 'em out; but i never thought i'd ever see such things alive." "i don't see as it's any more curious than hearing hens talk," returned uncle henry. "you're likely to see many queer things in the land of oz, sir," said the wizard. "but a fairy country is extremely interesting when you get used to being surprised." "here we are!" called the captain, stopping before a cottage. this house was made of wood, and was remarkably pretty in design. in the emerald city it would have been considered a tiny dwelling, indeed; but in the midst of this paper village it seemed immense. real flowers were in the garden and real trees grew beside it. upon the front door was a sign reading: miss cuttenclip. just as they reached the porch the front door opened and a little girl stood before them. she appeared to be about the same age as dorothy, and smiling upon her visitors she said, sweetly: "you are welcome." all the party seemed relieved to find that here was a real girl, of flesh and blood. she was very dainty and pretty as she stood there welcoming them. her hair was a golden blonde and her eyes turquoise blue. she had rosy cheeks and lovely white teeth. over her simple white lawn dress she wore an apron with pink and white checks, and in one hand she held a pair of scissors. "may we see miss cuttenclip, please?" asked dorothy. "i am miss cuttenclip," was the reply. "won't you come in?" she held the door open while they all entered a pretty sitting-room that was littered with all sorts of paper--some stiff, some thin, and some tissue. the sheets and scraps were of all colors. upon a table were paints and brushes, while several pair of scissors, of different sizes, were lying about. "sit down, please," said miss cuttenclip, clearing the paper scraps off some of the chairs. "it is so long since i have had any visitors that i am not properly prepared to receive them. but i'm sure you will pardon my untidy room, for this is my workshop." "do you make all the paper dolls?" inquired dorothy. "yes; i cut them out with my scissors, and paint the faces and some of the costumes. it is very pleasant work, and i am happy making my paper village grow." "but how do the paper dolls happen to be alive?" asked aunt em. "the first dolls i made were not alive," said miss cuttenclip. "i used to live near the castle of a great sorceress named glinda the good, and she saw my dolls and said they were very pretty. i told her i thought i would like them better if they were alive, and the next day the sorceress brought me a lot of magic paper. 'this is live paper,' she said, 'and all the dolls you cut out of it will be alive, and able to think and to talk. when you have used it all up, come to me and i will give you more.' "of course i was delighted with this present," continued miss cuttenclip, "and at once set to work and made several paper dolls, which, as soon as they were cut out, began to walk around and talk to me. but they were so thin that i found that any breeze would blow them over and scatter them dreadfully; so glinda found this lonely place for me, where few people ever come. she built the wall to keep any wind from blowing away my people, and told me i could build a paper village here and be its queen. that is why i came here and settled down to work and started the village you now see. it was many years ago that i built the first houses, and i've kept pretty busy and made my village grow finely; and i need not tell you that i am very happy in my work." "many years ago!" exclaimed aunt em. "why, how old are you, child?" "i never keep track of the years," said miss cuttenclip, laughing. "you see, i don't grow up at all, but stay just the same as i was when first i came here. perhaps i'm older even than you are, madam; but i couldn't say for sure." they looked at the lovely little girl wonderingly, and the wizard asked: "what happens to your paper village when it rains?" "it does not rain here," replied miss cuttenclip. "glinda keeps all the rain storms away; so i never worry about my dolls getting wet. but now, if you will come with me, it will give me pleasure to show you over my paper kingdom. of course you must go slowly and carefully, and avoid making any breeze." they left the cottage and followed their guide through the various streets of the village. it was indeed an amazing place, when one considered that it was all made with scissors, and the visitors were not only greatly interested but full of admiration for the skill of little miss cuttenclip. in one place a large group of especially nice paper dolls assembled to greet their queen, whom it was easy to see they loved early. these dolls marched and danced before the visitors, and then they all waved their paper handkerchiefs and sang in a sweet chorus a song called "the flag of our native land." at the conclusion of the song they ran up a handsome paper flag on a tall flagpole, and all of the people of the village gathered around to cheer as loudly as they could--although, of course, their voices were not especially strong. miss cuttenclip was about to make her subjects a speech in reply to this patriotic song, when the shaggy man happened to sneeze. he was a very loud and powerful sneezer at any time, and he had tried so hard to hold in this sneeze that when it suddenly exploded the result was terrible. the paper dolls were mowed down by dozens, and flew and fluttered in wild confusion in every direction, tumbling this way and that and getting more or less wrinkled and bent. a wail of terror and grief came from the scattered throng, and miss cuttenclip exclaimed: "dear me! dear me!" and hurried at once to the rescue of her overturned people. "oh, shaggy man! how could you?" asked dorothy, reproachfully. "i couldn't help it--really i couldn't," protested the shaggy man, looking quite ashamed. "and i had no idea it took so little to upset these paper dolls." "so little!" said dorothy. "why, it was 'most as bad as a kansas cyclone." and then she helped miss cuttenclip rescue the paper folk and stand them on their feet again. two of the cardboard houses had also tumbled over, and the little queen said she would have to repair them and paste them together before they could be lived in again. and now, fearing they might do more damage to the flimsy paper people, they decided to go away. but first they thanked miss cuttenclip very warmly for her courtesy and kindness to them. "any friend of princess ozma is always welcome here--unless he sneezes," said the queen with a rather severe look at the shaggy man, who hung his head. "i like to have visitors admire my wonderful village, and i hope you will call again." miss cuttenclip herself led them to the door in the wall, and as they passed along the street the paper dolls peeped at them half fearfully from the doors and windows. perhaps they will never forget the shaggy man's awful sneeze, and i am sure they were all glad to see the meat people go away. . how the general met the first and foremost on leaving the growleywogs general guph had to recross the ripple lands, and he did not find it a pleasant thing to do. perhaps having his whiskers pulled out one by one and being used as a pin-cushion for the innocent amusement of a good natured jailer had not improved the quality of guph's temper, for the old nome raved and raged at the recollection of the wrongs he had suffered, and vowed to take vengeance upon the growleywogs after he had used them for his purposes and oz had been conquered. he went on in this furious way until he was half across the ripple land. then he became seasick, and the rest of the way this naughty nome was almost as miserable as he deserved to be. but when he reached the plains again and the ground was firm under his feet he began to feel better, and instead of going back home he turned directly west. a squirrel, perched in a tree, saw him take this road and called to him warningly: "look out!" but he paid no attention. an eagle paused in its flight through the air to look at him wonderingly and say: "look out!" but on he went. no one can say that guph was not brave, for he had determined to visit those dangerous creatures the phanfasms, who resided upon the very top of the dread mountain of phantastico. the phanfasms were erbs, and so dreaded by mortals and immortals alike that no one had been near their mountain home for several thousand years. yet general guph hoped to induce them to join in his proposed warfare against the good and happy oz people. guph knew very well that the phanfasms would be almost as dangerous to the nomes as they would to the ozites, but he thought himself so clever that he believed he could manage these strange creatures and make them obey him. and there was no doubt at all that if he could enlist the services of the phanfasms, their tremendous power, united to the strength of the growleywogs and the cunning of the whimsies would doom the land of oz to absolute destruction. so the old nome climbed the foothills and trudged along the wild mountain paths until he came to a big gully that encircled the mountain of phantastico and marked the boundary line of the dominion of the phanfasms. this gully was about a third of the way up the mountain, and it was filled to the brim with red-hot molten lava in which swam fire-serpents and poisonous salamanders. the heat from this mass and its poisonous smell were both so unbearable that even birds hesitated to fly over the gully, but circled around it. all living things kept away from the mountain. now guph had heard, during his long lifetime, many tales of these dreaded phanfasms; so he had heard of this barrier of melted lava, and also he had been told that there was a narrow bridge that spanned it in one place. so he walked along the edge until he found the bridge. it was a single arch of gray stone, and lying flat upon the bridge was a scarlet alligator, seemingly fast asleep. when guph stumbled over the rocks in approaching the bridge the creature opened its eyes, from which tiny flames shot in all directions, and after looking at the intruder very wickedly the scarlet alligator closed its eyelids again and lay still. guph saw there was no room for him to pass the alligator on the narrow bridge, so he called out to it: "good morning, friend. i don't wish to hurry you, but please tell me if you are coming down, or going up?" "neither," snapped the alligator, clicking its cruel jaws together. the general hesitated. "are you likely to stay there long?" he asked. "a few hundred years or so," said the alligator. guph softly rubbed the end of his nose and tried to think what to do. "do you know whether the first and foremost phanfasm of phantastico is at home or not?" he presently inquired. "i expect he is, seeing he is always at home," replied the alligator. "ah; who is that coming down the mountain?" asked the nome, gazing upward. the alligator turned to look over its shoulder, and at once guph ran to the bridge and leaped over the sentinel's back before it could turn back again. the scarlet monster made a snap at the nome's left foot, but missed it by fully an inch. "ah ha!" laughed the general, who was now on the mountain path. "i fooled you that time." "so you did; and perhaps you fooled yourself," retorted the alligator. "go up the mountain, if you dare, and find out what the first and foremost will do to you!" "i will," declared guph, boldly; and on he went up the path. at first the scene was wild enough, but gradually it grew more and more awful in appearance. all the rocks had the shapes of frightful beings and even the tree trunks were gnarled and twisted like serpents. suddenly there appeared before the nome a man with the head of an owl. his body was hairy like that of an ape, and his only clothing was a scarlet scarf twisted around his waist. he bore a huge club in his hand and his round owl eyes blinked fiercely upon the intruder. "what are you doing here?" he demanded, threatening guph with his club. "i've come to see the first and foremost phanfasm of phantastico," replied the general, who did not like the way this creature looked at him, but still was not afraid. "ah; you shall see him!" the man said, with a sneering laugh. "the first and foremost shall decide upon the best way to punish you." "he will not punish me," returned guph, calmly, "for i have come here to do him and his people a rare favor. lead on, fellow, and take me directly to your master." the owl-man raised his club with a threatening gesture. "if you try to escape," he said, "beware--" but here the general interrupted him. "spare your threats," said he, "and do not be impertinent, or i will have you severely punished. lead on, and keep silent!" this guph was really a clever rascal, and it seems a pity he was so bad, for in a good cause he might have accomplished much. he realized that he had put himself into a dangerous position by coming to this dreadful mountain, but he also knew that if he showed fear he was lost. so he adopted a bold manner as his best defense. the wisdom of this plan was soon evident, for the phanfasm with the owl's head turned and led the way up the mountain. at the very top was a level plain upon which were heaps of rock that at first glance seemed solid. but on looking closer guph discovered that these rock heaps were dwellings, for each had an opening. not a person was to be seen outside the rock huts. all was silent. the owl-man led the way among the groups of dwellings to one standing in the center. it seemed no better and no worse than any of the others. outside the entrance to this rock heap the guide gave a low wail that sounded like "lee-ow-ah!" suddenly there bounded from the opening another hairy man. this one wore the head of a bear. in his hand he bore a brass hoop. he glared at the stranger in evident surprise. "why have you captured this foolish wanderer and brought him here?" he demanded, addressing the owl-man. "i did not capture him," was the answer. "he passed the scarlet alligator and came here of his own free will and accord." the first and foremost looked at the general. "have you tired of life, then?" he asked. "no indeed," answered guph. "i am a nome, and the chief general of king roquat the red's great army of nomes. i come of a long-lived race, and i may say that i expect to live a long time yet. sit down, you phanfasms--if you can find a seat in this wild haunt--and listen to what i have to say." with all his knowledge and bravery general guph did not know that the steady glare from the bear eyes was reading his inmost thoughts as surely as if they had been put into words. he did not know that these despised rock heaps of the phanfasms were merely deceptions to his own eyes, nor could he guess that he was standing in the midst of one of the most splendid and luxurious cities ever built by magic power. all that he saw was a barren waste of rock heaps, a hairy man with an owl's head and another with a bear's head. the sorcery of the phanfasms permitted him to see no more. suddenly the first and foremost swung his brass hoop and caught guph around the neck with it. the next instant, before the general could think what had happened to him, he was dragged inside the rock hut. here, his eyes still blinded to realities, he perceived only a dim light, by which the hut seemed as rough and rude inside as it was outside. yet he had a strange feeling that many bright eyes were fastened upon him and that he stood in a vast and extensive hall. the first and foremost now laughed grimly and released his prisoner. "if you have anything to say that is interesting," he remarked, "speak out, before i strangle you." so guph spoke out. he tried not to pay any attention to a strange rustling sound that he heard, as of an unseen multitude drawing near to listen to his words. his eyes could see only the fierce bear-man, and to him he addressed his speech. first he told of his plan to conquer the land of oz and plunder the country of its riches and enslave its people, who, being fairies, could not be killed. after relating all this, and telling of the tunnel the nome king was building, he said he had come to ask the first and foremost to join the nomes, with his band of terrible warriors, and help them to defeat the oz people. the general spoke very earnestly and impressively, but when he had finished the bear-man began to laugh as if much amused, and his laughter seemed to be echoed by a chorus of merriment from an unseen multitude. then, for the first time, guph began to feel a trifle worried. "who else has promised to help you?" finally asked the first and foremost. "the whimsies," replied the general. again the bear-headed phanfasm laughed. "any others?" he inquired. "only the growleywogs," said guph. this answer set the first and foremost laughing anew. "what share of the spoils am i to have?" was the next question. "anything you like, except king roquat's magic belt," replied guph. at this the phanfasm set up a roar of laughter, which had its echo in the unseen chorus, and the bear-man seemed so amused that he actually rolled upon the ground and shouted with merriment. "oh, these blind and foolish nomes!" he said. "how big they seem to themselves and how small they really are!" suddenly he arose and seized guph's neck with one hairy paw, dragging him out of the hut into the open. here he gave a curious wailing cry, and, as if in answer, from all the rocky huts on the mountain-top came flocking a horde of phanfasms, all with hairy bodies, but wearing heads of various animals, birds and reptiles. all were ferocious and repulsive-looking to the deceived eyes of the nome, and guph could not repress a shudder of disgust as he looked upon them. the first and foremost slowly raised his arms, and in a twinkling his hairy skin fell from him and he appeared before the astonished nome as a beautiful woman, clothed in a flowing gown of pink gauze. in her dark hair flowers were entwined, and her face was noble and calm. at the same instant the entire band of phanfasms was transformed into a pack of howling wolves, running here and there as they snarled and showed their ugly yellow fangs. the woman now raised her arms, even as the man-bear had done, and in a twinkling the wolves became crawling lizards, while she herself changed into a huge butterfly. guph had only time to cry out in fear and take a step backward to avoid the lizards when another transformation occurred, and all returned instantly to the forms they had originally worn. then the first and foremost, who had resumed his hairy body and bear head, turned to the nome and asked: "do you still demand our assistance?" "more than ever," answered the general, firmly. "then tell me: what can you offer the phanfasms that they have not already?" inquired the first and foremost. guph hesitated. he really did not know what to say. the nome king's vaunted magic belt seemed a poor thing compared to the astonishing magical powers of these people. gold, jewels and slaves they might secure in any quantity without especial effort. he felt that he was dealing with powers greatly beyond him. there was but one argument that might influence the phanfasms, who were creatures of evil. "permit me to call your attention to the exquisite joy of making the happy unhappy," said he at last. "consider the pleasure of destroying innocent and harmless people." "ah! you have answered me," cried the first and foremost. "for that reason alone we will aid you. go home, and tell your bandy-legged king that as soon as his tunnel is finished the phanfasms will be with him and lead his legions to the conquest of oz. the deadly desert alone has kept us from destroying oz long ago, and your underground tunnel is a clever thought. go home, and prepare for our coming!" guph was very glad to be permitted to go with this promise. the owl-man led him back down the mountain path and ordered the scarlet alligator to crawl away and allow the nome to cross the bridge in safety. after the visitor had gone a brilliant and gorgeous city appeared upon the mountain top, clearly visible to the eyes of the gaily dressed multitude of phanfasms that lived there. and the first and foremost, beautifully arrayed, addressed the others in these words: "it is time we went into the world and brought sorrow and dismay to its people. too long have we remained for ourselves upon this mountain top, for while we are thus secluded many nations have grown happy and prosperous, and the chief joy of the race of phanfasms is to destroy happiness. so i think it is lucky that this messenger from the nomes arrived among us just now, to remind us that the opportunity has come for us to make trouble. we will use king roquat's tunnel to conquer the land of oz. then we will destroy the whimsies, the growleywogs and the nomes, and afterward go out to ravage and annoy and grieve the whole world." the multitude of evil phanfasms eagerly applauded this plan, which they fully approved. i am told that the erbs are the most powerful and merciless of all the evil spirits, and the phanfasms of phantastico belong to the race of erbs. . how they matched the fuddles dorothy and her fellow travelers rode away from the cuttenclip village and followed the indistinct path as far as the sign-post. here they took the main road again and proceeded pleasantly through the pretty farming country. when evening came they stopped at a dwelling and were joyfully welcomed and given plenty to eat and good beds for the night. early next morning, however, they were up and eager to start, and after a good breakfast they bade their host good-bye and climbed into the red wagon, to which the sawhorse had been hitched all night. being made of wood, this horse never got tired nor cared to lie down. dorothy was not quite sure whether he ever slept or not, but it was certain that he never did when anybody was around. the weather is always beautiful in oz, and this morning the air was cool and refreshing and the sunshine brilliant and delightful. in about an hour they came to a place where another road branched off. there was a sign-post here which read: this way to fuddlecumjig "oh, here is where we turn," said dorothy, observing the sign. "what! are we going to fuddlecumjig?" asked the captain general. "yes; ozma thought we might enjoy the fuddles. they are said to be very interesting," she replied. "no one would suspect it from their name," said aunt em. "who are they, anyhow? more paper things?" "i think not," answered dorothy, laughing; "but i can't say 'zactly, aunt em, what they are. we'll find out when we get there." "perhaps the wizard knows," suggested uncle henry. "no; i've never been there before," said the wizard. "but i've often heard of fuddlecumjig and the fuddles, who are said to be the most peculiar people in all the land of oz." "in what way?" asked the shaggy man. "i don't know, i'm sure," said the wizard. just then, as they rode along the pretty green lane toward fuddlecumjig, they espied a kangaroo sitting by the roadside. the poor animal had its face covered with both its front paws and was crying so bitterly that the tears coursed down its cheeks in two tiny streams and trickled across the road, where they formed a pool in a small hollow. the sawhorse stopped short at this pitiful sight, and dorothy cried out, with ready sympathy: "what's the matter, kangaroo?" "boo-hoo! boo-hoo!" wailed the kangaroo; "i've lost my mi--mi--mi--oh, boo-hoo! boo-hoo!"-- "poor thing," said the wizard, "she's lost her mister. it's probably her husband, and he's dead." "no, no, no!" sobbed the kangaroo. "it--it isn't that. i've lost my mi--mi--oh, boo, boo-hoo!" "i know," said the shaggy man; "she's lost her mirror." "no; it's my mi--mi--mi--boo-hoo! my mi--oh, boo-hoo!" and the kangaroo cried harder than ever. "it must be her mince-pie," suggested aunt em. "or her milk-toast," proposed uncle henry. "i've lost my mi--mi--mittens!" said the kangaroo, getting it out at last. "oh!" cried the yellow hen, with a cackle of relief. "why didn't you say so before?" "boo-hoo! i--i--couldn't," answered the kangaroo. "but, see here," said dorothy, "you don't need mittens in this warm weather." "yes, indeed i do," replied the animal, stopping her sobs and removing her paws from her face to look at the little girl reproachfully. "my hands will get all sunburned and tanned without my mittens, and i've worn them so long that i'll probably catch cold without them." "nonsense!" said dorothy. "i never heard of any kangaroo wearing mittens." "didn't you?" asked the animal, as if surprised. "never!" repeated the girl. "and you'll probably make yourself sick if you don't stop crying. where do you live?" "about two miles beyond fuddlecumjig," was the answer. "grandmother gnit made me the mittens, and she's one of the fuddles." "well, you'd better go home now, and perhaps the old lady will make you another pair," suggested dorothy. "we're on our way to fuddlecumjig, and you may hop along beside us." so they rode on, and the kangaroo hopped beside the red wagon and seemed quickly to have forgotten her loss. by and by the wizard said to the animal: "are the fuddles nice people?" "oh, very nice," answered the kangaroo; "that is, when they're properly put together. but they get dreadfully scattered and mixed up, at times, and then you can't do anything with them." "what do you mean by their getting scattered?" inquired dorothy. "why, they're made in a good many small pieces," explained the kangaroo; "and whenever any stranger comes near them they have a habit of falling apart and scattering themselves around. that's when they get so dreadfully mixed, and it's a hard puzzle to put them together again." "who usually puts them together?" asked omby amby. "any one who is able to match the pieces. i sometimes put grandmother gnit together myself, because i know her so well i can tell every piece that belongs to her. then, when she's all matched, she knits for me, and that's how she made my mittens. but it took a good many days hard knitting, and i had to put grandmother together a good many times, because every time i came near, she'd scatter herself." "i should think she would get used to your coming, and not be afraid," said dorothy. "it isn't that," replied the kangaroo. "they're not a bit afraid, when they're put together, and usually they're very jolly and pleasant. it's just a habit they have, to scatter themselves, and if they didn't do it they wouldn't be fuddles." the travelers thought upon this quite seriously for a time, while the sawhorse continued to carry them rapidly forward. then aunt em remarked: "i don't see much use our visitin' these fuddles. if we find them scattered, all we can do is to sweep 'em up, and then go about our business." "oh, i b'lieve we'd better go on," replied dorothy. "i'm getting hungry, and we must try to get some luncheon at fuddlecumjig. perhaps the food won't be scattered as badly as the people." "you'll find plenty to eat there," declared the kangaroo, hopping along in big bounds because the sawhorse was going so fast; "and they have a fine cook, too, if you can manage to put him together. there's the town now--just ahead of us!" they looked ahead and saw a group of very pretty houses standing in a green field a little apart from the main road. "some munchkins came here a few days ago and matched a lot of people together," said the kangaroo. "i think they are together yet, and if you go softly, without making any noise, perhaps they won't scatter." "let's try it," suggested the wizard. so they stopped the sawhorse and got out of the wagon, and, after bidding good bye to the kangaroo, who hopped away home, they entered the field and very cautiously approached the group of houses. so silently did they move that soon they saw through the windows of the houses, people moving around, while others were passing to and fro in the yards between the buildings. they seemed much like other people from a distance, and apparently they did not notice the little party so quietly approaching. they had almost reached the nearest house when toto saw a large beetle crossing the path and barked loudly at it. instantly a wild clatter was heard from the houses and yards. dorothy thought it sounded like a sudden hailstorm, and the visitors, knowing that caution was no longer necessary, hurried forward to see what had happened. after the clatter an intense stillness reigned in the town. the strangers entered the first house they came to, which was also the largest, and found the floor strewn with pieces of the people who lived there. they looked much like fragments of wood neatly painted, and were of all sorts of curious and fantastic shapes, no two pieces being in any way alike. they picked up some of these pieces and looked at them carefully. on one which dorothy held was an eye, which looked at her pleasantly but with an interested expression, as if it wondered what she was going to do with it. quite near by she discovered and picked up a nose, and by matching the two pieces together found that they were part of a face. "if i could find the mouth," she said, "this fuddle might be able to talk, and tell us what to do next." "then let us find it," replied the wizard, and so all got down on their hands and knees and began examining the scattered pieces. "i've found it!" cried the shaggy man, and ran to dorothy with a queer-shaped piece that had a mouth on it. but when they tried to fit it to the eye and nose they found the parts wouldn't match together. "that mouth belongs to some other person," said dorothy. "you see we need a curve here and a point there, to make it fit the face." "well, it must be here some place," declared the wizard; "so if we search long enough we shall find it." dorothy fitted an ear on next, and the ear had a little patch of red hair above it. so while the others were searching for the mouth she hunted for pieces with red hair, and found several of them which, when matched to the other pieces, formed the top of a man's head. she had also found the other eye and the ear by the time omby amby in a far corner discovered the mouth. when the face was thus completed, all the parts joined together with a nicety that was astonishing. "why, it's like a picture puzzle!" exclaimed the little girl. "let's find the rest of him, and get him all together." "what's the rest of him like?" asked the wizard. "here are some pieces of blue legs and green arms, but i don't know whether they are his or not." "look for a white shirt and a white apron," said the head which had been put together, speaking in a rather faint voice. "i'm the cook." "oh, thank you," said dorothy. "it's lucky we started you first, for i'm hungry, and you can be cooking something for us to eat while we match the other folks together." it was not so very difficult, now that they had a hint as to how the man was dressed, to find the other pieces belonging to him, and as all of them now worked on the cook, trying piece after piece to see if it would fit, they finally had the cook set up complete. when he was finished he made them a low bow and said: "i will go at once to the kitchen to prepare your dinner. you will find it something of a job to get all the fuddles together, so i advise you to begin on the lord high chigglewitz, whose first name is larry. he's a bald-headed fat man and is dressed in a blue coat with brass buttons, a pink vest and drab breeches. a piece of his left knee is missing, having been lost years ago when he scattered himself too carelessly. that makes him limp a little, but he gets along very well with half a knee. as he is the chief personage in this town of fuddlecumjig, he will be able to welcome you and assist you with the others. so it will be best to work on him while i'm getting your dinner." "we will," said the wizard; "and thank you very much, cook, for the suggestion." aunt em was the first to discover a piece of the lord high chigglewitz. "it seems to me like a fool business, this matching folks together," she remarked; "but as we haven't anything to do till dinner's ready, we may as well get rid of some of this rubbish. here, henry, get busy and look for larry's bald head. i've got his pink vest, all right." they worked with eager interest, and billina proved a great help to them. the yellow hen had sharp eyes and could put her head close to the various pieces that lay scattered around. she would examine the lord high chigglewitz and see which piece of him was next needed, and then hunt around until she found it. so before an hour had passed old larry was standing complete before them. "i congratulate you, my friends," he said, speaking in a cheerful voice. "you are certainly the cleverest people who ever visited us. i was never matched together so quickly in my life. i'm considered a great puzzle, usually." "well," said dorothy, "there used to be a picture puzzle craze in kansas, and so i've had some 'sperience matching puzzles. but the pictures were flat, while you are round, and that makes you harder to figure out." "thank you, my dear," replied old larry, greatly pleased. "i feel highly complimented. were i not a really good puzzle, there would be no object in my scattering myself." "why do you do it?" asked aunt em, severely. "why don't you behave yourself, and stay put together?" the lord high chigglewitz seemed annoyed by this speech; but he replied, politely: "madam, you have perhaps noticed that every person has some peculiarity. mine is to scatter myself. what your own peculiarity is i will not venture to say; but i shall never find fault with you, whatever you do." "now you've got your diploma, em," said uncle henry, with a laugh, "and i'm glad of it. this is a queer country, and we may as well take people as we find them." "if we did, we'd leave these folks scattered," she returned, and this retort made everybody laugh good-naturedly. just then omby amby found a hand with a knitting needle in it, and they decided to put grandmother gnit together. she proved an easier puzzle than old larry, and when she was completed they found her a pleasant old lady who welcomed them cordially. dorothy told her how the kangaroo had lost her mittens, and grandmother gnit promised to set to work at once and make the poor animal another pair. then the cook came to call them to dinner, and they found an inviting meal prepared for them. the lord high chigglewitz sat at the head of the table and grandmother gnit at the foot, and the guests had a merry time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. after dinner they went out into the yard and matched several other people together, and this work was so interesting that they might have spent the entire day at fuddlecumjig had not the wizard suggested that they resume their journey. "but i don't like to leave all these poor people scattered," said dorothy, undecided what to do. "oh, don't mind us, my dear," returned old larry. "every day or so some of the gillikins, or munchkins, or winkies come here to amuse themselves by matching us together, so there will be no harm in leaving these pieces where they are for a time. but i hope you will visit us again, and if you do you will always be welcome, i assure you." "don't you ever match each other?" she inquired. "never; for we are no puzzles to ourselves, and so there wouldn't be any fun in it." they now said goodbye to the queer fuddles and got into their wagon to continue their journey. "those are certainly strange people," remarked aunt em, thoughtfully, as they drove away from fuddlecumjig, "but i really can't see what use they are, at all." "why, they amused us all for several hours," replied the wizard. "that is being of use to us, i'm sure." "i think they're more fun than playing solitaire or mumbletypeg," declared uncle henry, soberly. "for my part, i'm glad we visited the fuddles." . how the general talked to the king when general guph returned to the cavern of the nome king his majesty asked: "well, what luck? will the whimsies join us?" "they will," answered the general. "they will fight for us with all their strength and cunning." "good!" exclaimed the king. "what reward did you promise them?" "your majesty is to use the magic belt to give each whimsie a large, fine head, in place of the small one he is now obliged to wear." "i agree to that," said the king. "this is good news, guph, and it makes me feel more certain of the conquest of oz." "but i have other news for you," announced the general. "good or bad?" "good, your majesty." "then i will hear it," said the king, with interest. "the growleywogs will join us." "no!" cried the astonished king. "yes, indeed," said the general. "i have their promise." "but what reward do they demand?" inquired the king, suspiciously, for he knew how greedy the growleywogs were. "they are to take a few of the oz people for their slaves," replied guph. he did not think it necessary to tell roquat that the growleywogs demanded twenty thousand slaves. it would be time enough for that when oz was conquered. "a very reasonable request, i'm sure," remarked the king. "i must congratulate you, guph, upon the wonderful success of your journey." "but that is not all," said the general, proudly. the king seemed astonished. "speak out, sir!" he commanded. "i have seen the first and foremost phanfasm of the mountain of phantastico, and he will bring his people to assist us." "what!" cried the king. "the phanfasms! you don't mean it, guph!" "it is true," declared the general, proudly. the king became thoughtful, and his brows wrinkled. "i'm afraid, guph," he said rather anxiously, "that the first and foremost may prove as dangerous to us as to the oz people. if he and his terrible band come down from the mountain they may take the notion to conquer the nomes!" "pah! that is a foolish idea," retorted guph, irritably, but he knew in his heart that the king was right. "the first and foremost is a particular friend of mine, and will do us no harm. why, when i was there, he even invited me into his house." the general neglected to tell the king how he had been jerked into the hut of the first and foremost by means of the brass hoop. so roquat the red looked at his general admiringly and said: "you are a wonderful nome, guph. i'm sorry i did not make you my general before. but what reward did the first and foremost demand?" "nothing at all," answered guph. "even the magic belt itself could not add to his powers of sorcery. all the phanfasms wish is to destroy the oz people, who are good and happy. this pleasure will amply repay them for assisting us." "when will they come?" asked roquat, half fearfully. "when the tunnel is completed," said the general. "we are nearly halfway under the desert now," announced the king; "and that is fast work, because the tunnel has to be drilled through solid rock. but after we have passed the desert it will not take us long to extend the tunnel to the walls of the emerald city." "well, whenever you are ready, we shall be joined by the whimsies, the growleywogs and the phanfasms," said guph; "so the conquest of oz is assured without a doubt." again, the king seemed thoughtful. "i'm almost sorry we did not undertake the conquest alone," said he. "all of these allies are dangerous people, and they may demand more than you have promised them. it might have been better to have conquered oz without any outside assistance." "we could not do it," said the general, positively. "why not, guph?" "you know very well. you have had one experience with the oz people, and they defeated you." "that was because they rolled eggs at us," replied the king, with a shudder. "my nomes cannot stand eggs, any more than i can myself. they are poison to all who live underground." "that is true enough," agreed guph. "but we might have taken the oz people by surprise, and conquered them before they had a chance to get any eggs. our former defeat was due to the fact that the girl dorothy had a yellow hen with her. i do not know what ever became of that hen, but i believe there are no hens at all in the land of oz, and so there could be no eggs there." "on the contrary," said guph, "there are now hundreds of chickens in oz, and they lay heaps of those dangerous eggs. i met a goshawk on my way home, and the bird informed me that he had lately been to oz to capture and devour some of the young chickens. but they are protected by magic, so the hawk did not get a single one of them." "that is a very bad report," said the king, nervously. "very bad, indeed. my nomes are willing to fight, but they simply can't face hen's eggs--and i don't blame them." "they won't need to face them," replied guph. "i'm afraid of eggs myself, and don't propose to take any chances of being poisoned by them. my plan is to send the whimsies through the tunnel first, and then the growleywogs and the phanfasms. by the time we nomes get there the eggs will all be used up, and we may then pursue and capture the inhabitants at our leisure." "perhaps you are right," returned the king, with a dismal sigh. "but i want it distinctly understood that i claim ozma and dorothy as my own prisoners. they are rather nice girls, and i do not intend to let any of those dreadful creatures hurt them, or make them their slaves. when i have captured them i will bring them here and transform them into china ornaments to stand on my mantle. they will look very pretty--dorothy on one end of the mantle and ozma on the other--and i shall take great care to see they are not broken when the maids dust them." "very well, your majesty. do what you will with the girls for all i care. now that our plans are arranged, and we have the three most powerful bands of evil spirits in the world to assist us, let us make haste to get the tunnel finished as soon as possible." "it will be ready in three days," promised the king, and hurried away to inspect the work and see that the nomes kept busy. . how the wizard practiced sorcery "where next?" asked the wizard when they had left the town of fuddlecumjig and the sawhorse had started back along the road. "why, ozma laid out this trip," replied dorothy, "and she 'vised us to see the rigmaroles next, and then visit the tin woodman." "that sounds good," said the wizard. "but what road do we take to get to the rigmaroles?" "i don't know, 'zactly," returned the little girl; "but it must be somewhere just southwest from here." "then why need we go way back to the crossroads?" asked the shaggy man. "we might save a lot of time by branching off here." "there isn't any path," asserted uncle henry. "then we'd better go back to the signposts, and make sure of our way," decided dorothy. but after they had gone a short distance farther the sawhorse, who had overheard their conversation, stopped and said: "here is a path." sure enough, a dim path seemed to branch off from the road they were on, and it led across pretty green meadows and past leafy groves, straight toward the southwest. "that looks like a good path," said omby amby. "why not try it?" "all right," answered dorothy. "i'm anxious to see what the rigmaroles are like, and this path ought to take us there the quickest way." no one made any objection to this plan, so the sawhorse turned into the path, which proved to be nearly as good as the one they had taken to get to the fuddles. as first they passed a few retired farm houses, but soon these scattered dwellings were left behind and only the meadows and the trees were before them. but they rode along in cheerful contentment, and aunt em got into an argument with billina about the proper way to raise chickens. "i do not care to contradict you," said the yellow hen, with dignity, "but i have an idea i know more about chickens than human beings do." "pshaw!" replied aunt em. "i've raised chickens for nearly forty years, billina, and i know you've got to starve 'em to make 'em lay lots of eggs, and stuff 'em if you want good broilers." "broilers!" exclaimed billina, in horror. "broil my chickens!" "why, that's what they're for, ain't it?" asked aunt em, astonished. "no, aunt, not in oz," said dorothy. "people do not eat chickens here. you see, billina was the first hen that was ever seen in this country, and i brought her here myself. everybody liked her an' respected her, so the oz people wouldn't any more eat her chickens than they would eat billina." "well, i declare," gasped aunt em. "how about the eggs?" "oh, if we have more eggs than we want to hatch, we allow people to eat them," said billina. "indeed, i am very glad the oz folks like our eggs, for otherwise they would spoil." "this certainly is a queer country," sighed aunt em. "excuse me," called the sawhorse, "the path has ended and i'd like to know which way to go." they looked around and sure enough there was no path to be seen. "well," said dorothy, "we're going southwest, and it seems just as easy to follow that direction without a path as with one." "certainly," answered the sawhorse. "it is not hard to draw the wagon over the meadow. i only want to know where to go." "there's a forest over there across the prairie," said the wizard, "and it lies in the direction we are going. make straight for the forest, sawhorse, and you're bound to go right." so the wooden animal trotted on again and the meadow grass was so soft under the wheels that it made easy riding. but dorothy was a little uneasy at losing the path, because now there was nothing to guide them. no houses were to be seen at all, so they could not ask their way of any farmer; and although the land of oz was always beautiful, wherever one might go, this part of the country was strange to all the party. "perhaps we're lost," suggested aunt em, after they had proceeded quite a way in silence. "never mind," said the shaggy man; "i've been lost many a time--and so has dorothy--and we've always been found again." "but we may get hungry," remarked omby amby. "that is the worst of getting lost in a place where there are no houses near." "we had a good dinner at the fuddle town," said uncle henry, "and that will keep us from starving to death for a long time." "no one ever starved to death in oz," declared dorothy, positively; "but people may get pretty hungry sometimes." the wizard said nothing, and he did not seem especially anxious. the sawhorse was trotting along briskly, yet the forest seemed farther away than they had thought when they first saw it. so it was nearly sundown when they finally came to the trees; but now they found themselves in a most beautiful spot, the wide-spreading trees being covered with flowering vines and having soft mosses underneath them. "this will be a good place to camp," said the wizard, as the sawhorse stopped for further instructions. "camp!" they all echoed. "certainly," asserted the wizard. "it will be dark before very long and we cannot travel through this forest at night. so let us make a camp here, and have some supper, and sleep until daylight comes again." they all looked at the little man in astonishment, and aunt em said, with a sniff: "a pretty camp we'll have, i must say! i suppose you intend us to sleep under the wagon." "and chew grass for our supper," added the shaggy man, laughing. but dorothy seemed to have no doubts and was quite cheerful "it's lucky we have the wonderful wizard with us," she said; "because he can do 'most anything he wants to." "oh, yes; i forgot we had a wizard," said uncle henry, looking at the little man curiously. "i didn't," chirped billina, contentedly. the wizard smiled and climbed out of the wagon, and all the others followed him. "in order to camp," said he, "the first thing we need is tents. will some one please lend me a handkerchief?" the shaggy man offered him one, and aunt em another. he took them both and laid them carefully upon the grass near to the edge of the forest. then he laid his own handkerchief down, too, and standing a little back from them he waved his left hand toward the handkerchiefs and said: "tents of canvas, white as snow, let me see how fast you grow!" then, lo and behold! the handkerchiefs became tiny tents, and as the travelers looked at them the tents grew bigger and bigger until in a few minutes each one was large enough to contain the entire party. "this," said the wizard, pointing to the first tent, "is for the accommodation of the ladies. dorothy, you and your aunt may step inside and take off your things." every one ran to look inside the tent, and they saw two pretty white beds, all ready for dorothy and aunt em, and a silver roost for billina. rugs were spread upon the grassy floor and some camp chairs and a table completed the furniture. "well, well, well! this beats anything i ever saw or heard of!" exclaimed aunt em, and she glanced at the wizard almost fearfully, as if he might be dangerous because of his great powers. "oh, mr. wizard! how did you manage to do it?" asked dorothy. "it's a trick glinda the sorceress taught me, and it is much better magic than i used to practice in omaha, or when i first came to oz," he answered. "when the good glinda found i was to live in the emerald city always, she promised to help me, because she said the wizard of oz ought really to be a clever wizard, and not a humbug. so we have been much together and i am learning so fast that i expect to be able to accomplish some really wonderful things in time." "you've done it now!" declared dorothy. "these tents are just wonderful!" "but come and see the men's tent," said the wizard. so they went to the second tent, which had shaggy edges because it has been made from the shaggy man's handkerchief, and found that completely furnished also. it contained four neat beds for uncle henry, omby amby, the shaggy man and the wizard. also there was a soft rug for toto to lie upon. "the third tent," explained the wizard, "is our dining room and kitchen." they visited that next, and found a table and dishes in the dining tent, with plenty of those things necessary to use in cooking. the wizard carried out a big kettle and set it swinging on a crossbar before the tent. while he was doing this omby amby and the shaggy man brought a supply of twigs from the forest and then they built a fire underneath the kettle. "now, dorothy," said the wizard, smiling, "i expect you to cook our supper." "but there is nothing in the kettle," she cried. "are you sure?" inquired the wizard. "i didn't see anything put in, and i'm almost sure it was empty when you brought it out," she replied. "nevertheless," said the little man, winking slyly at uncle henry, "you will do well to watch our supper, my dear, and see that it doesn't boil over." then the men took some pails and went into the forest to search for a spring of water, and while they were gone aunt em said to dorothy: "i believe the wizard is fooling us. i saw the kettle myself, and when he hung it over the fire there wasn't a thing in it but air." "don't worry," remarked billina, confidently, as she nestled in the grass before the fire. "you'll find something in the kettle when it's taken off--and it won't be poor, innocent chickens, either." "your hen has very bad manners, dorothy," said aunt em, looking somewhat disdainfully at billina. "it seems too bad she ever learned how to talk." there might have been another unpleasant quarrel between aunt em and billina had not the men returned just then with their pails filled with clear, sparkling water. the wizard told dorothy that she was a good cook and he believed their supper was ready. so uncle henry lifted the kettle from the fire and poured its contents into a big platter which the wizard held for him. the platter was fairly heaped with a fine stew, smoking hot, with many kinds of vegetables and dumplings and a rich, delicious gravy. the wizard triumphantly placed the platter upon the table in the dining tent and then they all sat down in camp chairs to the feast. there were several other dishes on the table, all carefully covered, and when the time came to remove these covers they found bread and butter, cakes, cheese, pickles and fruits--including some of the luscious strawberries of oz. no one ventured to ask a question as to how these things came there. they contented themselves by eating heartily the good things provided, and toto and billina had their full share, you may be sure. after the meal was over, aunt em whispered to dorothy: "that may have been magic food, my dear, and for that reason perhaps it won't be very nourishing; but i'm willing to say it tasted as good as anything i ever et." then she added, in a louder voice: "who's going to do the dishes?" "no one, madam," answered the wizard. "the dishes have 'done' themselves." "la sakes!" ejaculated the good lady, holding up her hands in amazement. for, sure enough, when she looked at the dishes they had a moment before left upon the table, she found them all washed and dried and piled up into neat stacks. . how dorothy happened to get lost it was a beautiful evening, so they drew their camp chairs in a circle before one of the tents and began to tell stories to amuse themselves and pass away the time before they went to bed. pretty soon a zebra was seen coming out of the forest, and he trotted straight up to them and said politely: "good evening, people." the zebra was a sleek little animal and had a slender head, a stubby mane and a paint-brush tail--very like a donkey's. his neatly shaped white body was covered with regular bars of dark brown, and his hoofs were delicate as those of a deer. "good evening, friend zebra," said omby amby, in reply to the creature's greeting. "can we do anything for you?" "yes," answered the zebra. "i should like you to settle a dispute that has long been a bother to me, as to whether there is more water or land in the world." "who are you disputing with?" asked the wizard. "with a soft-shell crab," said the zebra. "he lives in a pool where i go to drink every day, and he is a very impertinent crab, i assure you. i have told him many times that the land is much greater in extent than the water, but he will not be convinced. even this very evening, when i told him he was an insignificant creature who lived in a small pool, he asserted that the water was greater and more important than the land. so, seeing your camp, i decided to ask you to settle the dispute for once and all, that i may not be further annoyed by this ignorant crab." when they had listened to this explanation dorothy inquired: "where is the soft-shell crab?" "not far away," replied the zebra. "if you will agree to judge between us i will run and get him." "run along, then," said the little girl. so the animal pranced into the forest and soon came trotting back to them. when he drew near they found a soft-shell crab clinging fast to the stiff hair of the zebra's head, where it held on by one claw. "now then, mr. crab," said the zebra, "here are the people i told you about; and they know more than you do, who lives in a pool, and more than i do, who lives in a forest. for they have been travelers all over the world, and know every part of it." "there is more of the world than oz," declared the crab, in a stubborn voice. "that is true," said dorothy; "but i used to live in kansas, in the united states, and i've been to california and to australia and so has uncle henry." "for my part," added the shaggy man, "i've been to mexico and boston and many other foreign countries." "and i," said the wizard, "have been to europe and ireland." "so you see," continued the zebra, addressing the crab, "here are people of real consequence, who know what they are talking about." "then they know there's more water in the world than there is land," asserted the crab, in a shrill, petulant voice. "they know you are wrong to make such an absurd statement, and they will probably think you are a lobster instead of a crab," retorted the animal. at this taunt the crab reached out its other claw and seized the zebra's ear, and the creature gave a cry of pain and began prancing up and down, trying to shake off the crab, which clung fast. "stop pinching!" cried the zebra. "you promised not to pinch if i would carry you here!" "and you promised to treat me respectfully," said the crab, letting go the ear. "well, haven't i?" demanded the zebra. "no; you called me a lobster," said the crab. "ladies and gentlemen," continued the zebra, "please pardon my poor friend, because he is ignorant and stupid, and does not understand. also the pinch of his claw is very annoying. so pray tell him that the world contains more land than water, and when he has heard your judgment i will carry him back and dump him into his pool, where i hope he will be more modest in the future." "but we cannot tell him that," said dorothy, gravely, "because it would not be true." "what!" exclaimed the zebra, in astonishment; "do i hear you aright?" "the soft-shell crab is correct," declared the wizard. "there is considerably more water than there is land in the world." "impossible!" protested the zebra. "why, i can run for days upon the land, and find but little water." "did you ever see an ocean?" asked dorothy. "never," admitted the zebra. "there is no such thing as an ocean in the land of oz." "well, there are several oceans in the world," said dorothy, "and people sail in ships upon these oceans for weeks and weeks, and never see a bit of land at all. and the joggerfys will tell you that all the oceans put together are bigger than all the land put together." at this the crab began laughing in queer chuckles that reminded dorothy of the way billina sometimes cackled. "now will you give up, mr. zebra?" it cried, jeeringly; "now will you give up?" the zebra seemed much humbled. "of course i cannot read geographys," he said. "you could take one of the wizard's school pills," suggested billina, "and that would make you learned and wise without studying." the crab began laughing again, which so provoked the zebra that he tried to shake the little creature off. this resulted in more ear-pinching, and finally dorothy told them that if they could not behave they must go back to the forest. "i'm sorry i asked you to decide this question," said the zebra, crossly. "so long as neither of us could prove we were right we quite enjoyed the dispute; but now i can never drink at that pool again without the soft-shell crab laughing at me. so i must find another drinking place." "do! do, you ignoramus!" shouted the crab, as loudly as his little voice would carry. "rile some other pool with your clumsy hoofs, and let your betters alone after this!" then the zebra trotted back to the forest, bearing the crab with him, and disappeared amid the gloom of the trees. and as it was now getting dark the travelers said good night to one another and went to bed. dorothy awoke just as the light was beginning to get strong next morning, and not caring to sleep any later she quietly got out of bed, dressed herself, and left the tent where aunt em was yet peacefully slumbering. outside she noticed billina busily pecking around to secure bugs or other food for breakfast, but none of the men in the other tent seemed awake. so the little girl decided to take a walk in the woods and try to discover some path or road that they might follow when they again started upon their journey. she had reached the edge of the forest when the yellow hen came fluttering along and asked where she was going. "just to take a walk, billina; and maybe i'll find some path," said dorothy. "then i'll go along," decided billina, and scarcely had she spoken when toto ran up and joined them. toto and the yellow hen had become quite friendly by this time, although at first they did not get along well together. billina had been rather suspicious of dogs, and toto had had an idea that it was every dog's duty to chase a hen on sight. but dorothy had talked to them and scolded them for not being agreeable to one another until they grew better acquainted and became friends. i won't say they loved each other dearly, but at least they had stopped quarreling and now managed to get on together very well. the day was growing lighter every minute and driving the black shadows out of the forest; so dorothy found it very pleasant walking under the trees. she went some distance in one direction, but not finding a path, presently turned in a different direction. there was no path here, either, although she advanced quite a way into the forest, winding here and there among the trees and peering through the bushes in an endeavor to find some beaten track. "i think we'd better go back," suggested the yellow hen, after a time. "the people will all be up by this time and breakfast will be ready." "very well," agreed dorothy. "let's see--the camp must be over this way." she had probably made a mistake about that, for after they had gone far enough to have reached the camp they still found themselves in the thick of the woods. so the little girl stopped short and looked around her, and toto glanced up into her face with his bright little eyes and wagged his tail as if he knew something was wrong. he couldn't tell much about direction himself, because he had spent his time prowling among the bushes and running here and there; nor had billina paid much attention to where they were going, being interested in picking bugs from the moss as they passed along. the yellow hen now turned one eye up toward the little girl and asked: "have you forgotten where the camp is, dorothy?" "yes," she admitted; "have you, billina?" "i didn't try to remember," returned billina. "i'd no idea you would get lost, dorothy." "it's the thing we don't expect, billina, that usually happens," observed the girl, thoughtfully. "but it's no use standing here. let's go in that direction," pointing a finger at random. "it may be we'll get out of the forest over there." so on they went again, but this way the trees were closer together, and the vines were so tangled that often they tripped dorothy up. suddenly a voice cried sharply: "halt!" at first, dorothy could see nothing, although she looked around very carefully. but billina exclaimed: "well, i declare!" "what is it?" asked the little girl: for toto began barking at something, and following his gaze she discovered what it was. a row of spoons had surrounded the three, and these spoons stood straight up on their handles and carried swords and muskets. their faces were outlined in the polished bowls and they looked very stern and severe. dorothy laughed at the queer things. "who are you?" she asked. "we're the spoon brigade," said one. "in the service of his majesty king kleaver," said another. "and you are our prisoners," said a third. dorothy sat down on an old stump and looked at them, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "what would happen," she inquired, "if i should set my dog on your brigade?" "he would die," replied one of the spoons, sharply. "one shot from our deadly muskets would kill him, big as he is." "don't risk it, dorothy," advised the yellow hen. "remember this is a fairy country, yet none of us three happens to be a fairy." dorothy grew sober at this. "p'raps you're right, billina," she answered. "but how funny it is, to be captured by a lot of spoons!" "i do not see anything very funny about it," declared a spoon. "we're the regular military brigade of the kingdom." "what kingdom?" she asked. "utensia," said he. "i never heard of it before," asserted dorothy. then she added thoughtfully, "i don't believe ozma ever heard of utensia, either. tell me, are you not subjects of ozma of oz?" "we have never heard of her," retorted a spoon. "we are subjects of king kleaver, and obey only his orders, which are to bring all prisoners to him as soon as they are captured. so step lively, my girl, and march with us, or we may be tempted to cut off a few of your toes with our swords." this threat made dorothy laugh again. she did not believe she was in any danger; but here was a new and interesting adventure, so she was willing to be taken to utensia that she might see what king kleaver's kingdom was like. . how dorothy visited utensia there must have been from six to eight dozen spoons in the brigade, and they marched away in the shape of a hollow square, with dorothy, billina and toto in the center of the square. before they had gone very far toto knocked over one of the spoons by wagging his tail, and then the captain of the spoons told the little dog to be more careful, or he would be punished. so toto was careful, and the spoon brigade moved along with astonishing swiftness, while dorothy really had to walk fast to keep up with it. by and by they left the woods and entered a big clearing, in which was the kingdom of utensia. standing all around the clearing were a good many cookstoves, ranges and grills, of all sizes and shapes, and besides these there were several kitchen cabinets and cupboards and a few kitchen tables. these things were crowded with utensils of all sorts: frying pans, sauce pans, kettles, forks, knives, basting and soup spoons, nutmeg graters, sifters, colanders, meat saws, flat irons, rolling pins and many other things of a like nature. when the spoon brigade appeared with the prisoners a wild shout arose and many of the utensils hopped off their stoves or their benches and ran crowding around dorothy and the hen and the dog. "stand back!" cried the captain, sternly, and he led his captives through the curious throng until they came before a big range that stood in the center of the clearing. beside this range was a butcher block upon which lay a great cleaver with a keen edge. it rested upon the flat of its back, its legs were crossed and it was smoking a long pipe. "wake up, your majesty," said the captain. "here are prisoners." hearing this, king kleaver sat up and looked at dorothy sharply. "gristle and fat!" he cried. "where did this girl come from?" "i found her in the forest and brought her here a prisoner," replied the captain. "why did you do that?" inquired the king, puffing his pipe lazily. "to create some excitement," the captain answered. "it is so quiet here that we are all getting rusty for want of amusement. for my part, i prefer to see stirring times." "naturally," returned the cleaver, with a nod. "i have always said, captain, without a bit of irony, that you are a sterling officer and a solid citizen, bowled and polished to a degree. but what do you expect me to do with these prisoners?" "that is for you to decide," declared the captain. "you are the king." "to be sure; to be sure," muttered the cleaver, musingly. "as you say, we have had dull times since the steel and grindstone eloped and left us. command my counselors and the royal courtiers to attend me, as well as the high priest and the judge. we'll then decide what can be done." the captain saluted and retired and dorothy sat down on an overturned kettle and asked: "have you anything to eat in your kingdom?" "here! get up! get off from me!" cried a faint voice, at which his majesty the cleaver said: "excuse me, but you're sitting on my friend the ten-quart kettle." dorothy at once arose, and the kettle turned right side up and looked at her reproachfully. "i'm a friend of the king, so no one dares sit on me," said he. "i'd prefer a chair, anyway," she replied. "sit on that hearth," commanded the king. so dorothy sat on the hearth-shelf of the big range, and the subjects of utensia began to gather around in a large and inquisitive throng. toto lay at dorothy's feet and billina flew upon the range, which had no fire in it, and perched there as comfortably as she could. when all the counselors and courtiers had assembled--and these seemed to include most of the inhabitants of the kingdom--the king rapped on the block for order and said: "friends and fellow utensils! our worthy commander of the spoon brigade, captain dipp, has captured the three prisoners you see before you and brought them here for--for--i don't know what for. so i ask your advice how to act in this matter, and what fate i should mete out to these captives. judge sifter, stand on my right. it is your business to sift this affair to the bottom. high priest colender, stand on my left and see that no one testifies falsely in this matter." as these two officials took their places, dorothy asked: "why is the colander the high priest?" "he's the holiest thing we have in the kingdom," replied king kleaver. "except me," said a sieve. "i'm the whole thing when it comes to holes." "what we need," remarked the king, rebukingly, "is a wireless sieve. i must speak to marconi about it. these old-fashioned sieves talk too much. now, it is the duty of the king's counselors to counsel the king at all times of emergency, so i beg you to speak out and advise me what to do with these prisoners." "i demand that they be killed several times, until they are dead!" shouted a pepperbox, hopping around very excitedly. "compose yourself, mr. paprica," advised the king. "your remarks are piquant and highly-seasoned, but you need a scattering of commonsense. it is only necessary to kill a person once to make him dead; but i do not see that it is necessary to kill this little girl at all." "i don't, either," said dorothy. "pardon me, but you are not expected to advise me in this matter," replied king kleaver. "why not?" asked dorothy. "you might be prejudiced in your own favor, and so mislead us," he said. "now then, good subjects, who speaks next?" "i'd like to smooth this thing over, in some way," said a flatiron, earnestly. "we are supposed to be useful to mankind, you know." "but the girl isn't mankind! she's womankind!" yelled a corkscrew. "what do you know about it?" inquired the king. "i'm a lawyer," said the corkscrew, proudly. "i am accustomed to appear at the bar." "but you're crooked," retorted the king, "and that debars you. you may be a corking good lawyer, mr. popp, but i must ask you to withdraw your remarks." "very well," said the corkscrew, sadly; "i see i haven't any pull at this court." "permit me," continued the flatiron, "to press my suit, your majesty. i do not wish to gloss over any fault the prisoner may have committed, if such a fault exists; but we owe her some consideration, and that's flat!" "i'd like to hear from prince karver," said the king. at this a stately carvingknife stepped forward and bowed. "the captain was wrong to bring this girl here, and she was wrong to come," he said. "but now that the foolish deed is done let us all prove our mettle and have a slashing good time." "that's it! that's it!" screamed a fat choppingknife. "we'll make mincemeat of the girl and hash of the chicken and sausage of the dog!" there was a shout of approval at this and the king had to rap again for order. "gentlemen, gentlemen!" he said, "your remarks are somewhat cutting and rather disjointed, as might be expected from such acute intellects. but you give me no reasons for your demands." "see here, kleaver; you make me tired," said a saucepan, strutting before the king very impudently. "you're about the worst king that ever reigned in utensia, and that's saying a good deal. why don't you run things yourself, instead of asking everybody's advice, like the big, clumsy idiot you are?" the king sighed. "i wish there wasn't a saucepan in my kingdom," he said. "you fellows are always stewing, over something, and every once in a while you slop over and make a mess of it. go hang yourself, sir--by the handle--and don't let me hear from you again." dorothy was much shocked by the dreadful language the utensils employed, and she thought that they must have had very little proper training. so she said, addressing the king, who seemed very unfit to rule his turbulent subjects: "i wish you'd decide my fate right away. i can't stay here all day, trying to find out what you're going to do with me." "this thing is becoming a regular broil, and it's time i took part in it," observed a big gridiron, coming forward. "what i'd like to know," said a can-opener, in a shrill voice, "is why the little girl came to our forest anyhow and why she intruded upon captain dipp--who ought to be called dippy--and who she is, and where she came from, and where she is going, and why and wherefore and therefore and when." "i'm sorry to see, sir jabber," remarked the king to the can-opener, "that you have such a prying disposition. as a matter of fact, all the things you mention are none of our business." having said this the king relighted his pipe, which had gone out. "tell me, please, what is our business?" inquired a potato-masher, winking at dorothy somewhat impertinently. "i'm fond of little girls, myself, and it seems to me she has as much right to wander in the forest as we have." "who accuses the little girl, anyway?" inquired a rolling-pin. "what has she done?" "i don't know," said the king. "what has she done, captain dipp?" "that's the trouble, your majesty. she hasn't done anything," replied the captain. "what do you want me to do?" asked dorothy. this question seemed to puzzle them all. finally, a chafingdish, exclaimed irritably: "if no one can throw any light on this subject you must excuse me if i go out." at this, a big kitchen fork pricked up its ears and said in a tiny voice: "let's hear from judge sifter." "that's proper," returned the king. so judge sifter turned around slowly several times and then said: "we have nothing against the girl except the stove-hearth upon which she sits. therefore i order her instantly discharged." "discharged!" cried dorothy. "why, i never was discharged in my life, and i don't intend to be. if it's all the same to you, i'll resign." "it's all the same," declared the king. "you are free--you and your companions--and may go wherever you like." "thank you," said the little girl. "but haven't you anything to eat in your kingdom? i'm hungry." "go into the woods and pick blackberries," advised the king, lying down upon his back again and preparing to go to sleep. "there isn't a morsel to eat in all utensia, that i know of." so dorothy jumped up and said: "come on, toto and billina. if we can't find the camp, we may find some blackberries." the utensils drew back and allowed them to pass without protest, although captain dipp marched the spoon brigade in close order after them until they had reached the edge of the clearing. there the spoons halted; but dorothy and her companions entered the forest again and began searching diligently for a way back to the camp, that they might rejoin their party. . how they came to bunbury wandering through the woods, without knowing where you are going or what adventure you are about to meet next, is not as pleasant as one might think. the woods are always beautiful and impressive, and if you are not worried or hungry you may enjoy them immensely; but dorothy was worried and hungry that morning, so she paid little attention to the beauties of the forest, and hurried along as fast as she could go. she tried to keep in one direction and not circle around, but she was not at all sure that the direction she had chosen would lead her to the camp. by and by, to her great joy, she came upon a path. it ran to the right and to the left, being lost in the trees in both directions, and just before her, upon a big oak, were fastened two signs, with arms pointing both ways. one sign read: take the other road to bunbury and the second sign read: take the other road to bunnybury "well!" exclaimed billina, eyeing the signs, "this looks as if we were getting back to civilization again." "i'm not sure about the civil'zation, dear," replied the little girl; "but it looks as if we might get somewhere, and that's a big relief, anyhow." "which path shall we take?" inquired the yellow hen. dorothy stared at the signs thoughtfully. "bunbury sounds like something to eat," she said. "let's go there." "it's all the same to me," replied billina. she had picked up enough bugs and insects from the moss as she went along to satisfy her own hunger, but the hen knew dorothy could not eat bugs; nor could toto. the path to bunbury seemed little traveled, but it was distinct enough and ran through the trees in a zigzag course until it finally led them to an open space filled with the queerest houses dorothy had ever seen. they were all made of crackers laid out in tiny squares, and were of many pretty and ornamental shapes, having balconies and porches with posts of bread-sticks and roofs shingled with wafer-crackers. there were walks of bread-crusts leading from house to house and forming streets, and the place seemed to have many inhabitants. when dorothy, followed by billina and toto, entered the place, they found people walking the streets or assembled in groups talking together, or sitting upon the porches and balconies. and what funny people they were! men, women and children were all made of buns and bread. some were thin and others fat; some were white, some light brown and some very dark of complexion. a few of the buns, which seemed to form the more important class of the people, were neatly frosted. some had raisins for eyes and currant buttons on their clothes; others had eyes of cloves and legs of stick cinnamon, and many wore hats and bonnets frosted pink and green. there was something of a commotion in bunbury when the strangers suddenly appeared among them. women caught up their children and hurried into their houses, shutting the cracker doors carefully behind them. some men ran so hastily that they tumbled over one another, while others, more brave, assembled in a group and faced the intruders defiantly. dorothy at once realized that she must act with caution in order not to frighten these shy people, who were evidently unused to the presence of strangers. there was a delightful fragrant odor of fresh bread in the town, and this made the little girl more hungry than ever. she told toto and billina to stay back while she slowly advanced toward the group that stood silently awaiting her. "you must 'scuse me for coming unexpected," she said, softly, "but i really didn't know i was coming here until i arrived. i was lost in the woods, you know, and i'm as hungry as anything." "hungry!" they murmured, in a horrified chorus. "yes; i haven't had anything to eat since last night's supper," she exclaimed. "are there any eatables in bunbury?" they looked at one another undecidedly, and then one portly bun man, who seemed a person of consequence, stepped forward and said: "little girl, to be frank with you, we are all eatables. everything in bunbury is eatable to ravenous human creatures like you. but it is to escape being eaten and destroyed that we have secluded ourselves in this out-of-the-way place, and there is neither right nor justice in your coming here to feed upon us." dorothy looked at him longingly. "you're bread, aren't you?" she asked. "yes; bread and butter. the butter is inside me, so it won't melt and run. i do the running myself." at this joke all the others burst into a chorus of laughter, and dorothy thought they couldn't be much afraid if they could laugh like that. "couldn't i eat something besides people?" she asked. "couldn't i eat just one house, or a side-walk or something? i wouldn't mind much what it was, you know." "this is not a public bakery, child," replied the man, sternly. "it's private property." "i know mr.--mr.--" "my name is c. bunn, esquire," said the man. "'c' stands for cinnamon, and this place is called after my family, which is the most aristocratic in the town." "oh, i don't know about that," objected another of the queer people. "the grahams and the browns and whites are all excellent families, and there is none better of their kind. i'm a boston brown, myself." "i admit you are all desirable citizens," said mr. bunn rather stiffly; "but the fact remains that our town is called bunbury." "'scuse me," interrupted dorothy; "but i'm getting hungrier every minute. now, if you're polite and kind, as i'm sure you ought to be, you'll let me eat something. there's so much to eat here that you will never miss it." then a big, puffed-up man, of a delicate brown color, stepped forward and said: "i think it would be a shame to send this child away hungry, especially as she agrees to eat whatever we can spare and not touch our people." "so do i, pop," replied a roll who stood near. "what, then, do you suggest, mr. over?" inquired mr. bunn. "why, i'll let her eat my back fence, if she wants to. it's made of waffles, and they're very crisp and nice." "she may also eat my wheelbarrow," added a pleasant looking muffin. "it's made of nabiscos with a zuzu wheel." "very good; very good," remarked mr. bunn. "that is certainly very kind of you. go with pop over and mr. muffin, little girl, and they will feed you." "thank you very much," said dorothy, gratefully. "may i bring my dog toto, and the yellow hen? they're hungry, too." "will you make them behave?" asked the muffin. "of course," promised dorothy. "then come along," said pop over. so dorothy and billina and toto walked up the street and the people seemed no longer to be at all afraid of them. mr. muffin's house came first, and as his wheelbarrow stood in the front yard the little girl ate that first. it didn't seem very fresh, but she was so hungry that she was not particular. toto ate some, too, while billina picked up the crumbs. while the strangers were engaged in eating, many of the people came and stood in the street curiously watching them. dorothy noticed six roguish looking brown children standing all in a row, and she asked: "who are you, little ones?" "we're the graham gems," replied one; "and we're all twins." "i wonder if your mother could spare one or two of you?" asked billina, who decided that they were fresh baked; but at this dangerous question the six little gems ran away as fast as they could go. "you musn't say such things, billina," said dorothy, reprovingly. "now let's go into pop over's back yard and get the waffles." "i sort of hate to let that fence go," remarked mr. over, nervously, as they walked toward his house. "the neighbors back of us are soda biscuits, and i don't care to mix with them." "but i'm hungry yet," declared the girl. "that wheelbarrow wasn't very big." "i've got a shortcake piano, but none of my family can play on it," he said, reflectively. "suppose you eat that." "all right," said dorothy; "i don't mind. anything to be accommodating." so mr. over led her into the house, where she ate the piano, which was of an excellent flavor. "is there anything to drink here?" she asked. "yes; i've a milk pump and a water pump; which will you have?" he asked. "i guess i'll try 'em both," said dorothy. so mr. over called to his wife, who brought into the yard a pail made of some kind of baked dough, and dorothy pumped the pail full of cool, sweet milk and drank it eagerly. the wife of pop over was several shades darker than her husband. "aren't you overdone?" the little girl asked her. "no indeed," answered the woman. "i'm neither overdone nor done over; i'm just mrs. over, and i'm the president of the bunbury breakfast band." dorothy thanked them for their hospitality and went away. at the gate mr. cinnamon bunn met her and said he would show her around the town. "we have some very interesting inhabitants," he remarked, walking stiffly beside her on his stick-cinnamon legs; "and all of us who are in good health are well bred. if you are no longer hungry we will call upon a few of the most important citizens." toto and billina followed behind them, behaving very well, and a little way down the street they came to a handsome residence where aunt sally lunn lived. the old lady was glad to meet the little girl and gave her a slice of white bread and butter which had been used as a door-mat. it was almost fresh and tasted better than anything dorothy had eaten in the town. "where do you get the butter?" she inquired. "we dig it out of the ground, which, as you may have observed, is all flour and meal," replied mr. bunn. "there is a butter mine just at the opposite side of the village. the trees which you see here are all doughleanders and doughderas, and in the season we get quite a crop of dough-nuts off them." "i should think the flour would blow around and get into your eyes," said dorothy. "no," said he; "we are bothered with cracker dust sometimes, but never with flour." then he took her to see johnny cake, a cheerful old gentleman who lived near by. "i suppose you've heard of me," said old johnny, with an air of pride. "i'm a great favorite all over the world." "aren't you rather yellow?" asked dorothy, looking at him critically. "maybe, child. but don't think i'm bilious, for i was never in better health in my life," replied the old gentleman. "if anything ailed me, i'd willingly acknowledge the corn." "johnny's a trifle stale," said mr. bunn, as they went away; "but he's a good mixer and never gets cross-grained. i will now take you to call upon some of my own relatives." they visited the sugar bunns, the currant bunns and the spanish bunns, the latter having a decidedly foreign appearance. then they saw the french rolls, who were very polite to them, and made a brief call upon the parker h. rolls, who seemed a bit proud and overbearing. "but they're not as stuck up as the frosted jumbles," declared mr. bunn, "who are people i really can't abide. i don't like to be suspicious or talk scandal, but sometimes i think the jumbles have too much baking powder in them." just then a dreadful scream was heard, and dorothy turned hastily around to find a scene of great excitement a little way down the street. the people were crowding around toto and throwing at him everything they could find at hand. they pelted the little dog with hard-tack, crackers, and even articles of furniture which were hard baked and heavy enough for missiles. toto howeled a little as the assortment of bake stuff struck him; but he stood still, with head bowed and tail between his legs, until dorothy ran up and inquired what the matter was. "matter!" cried a rye loafer, indignantly, "why the horrid beast has eaten three of our dear crumpets, and is now devouring a salt-rising biscuit!" "oh, toto! how could you?" exclaimed dorothy, much distressed. toto's mouth was full of his salt-rising victim; so he only whined and wagged his tail. but billina, who had flown to the top of a cracker house to be in a safe place, called out: "don't blame him, dorothy; the crumpets dared him to do it." "yes, and you pecked out the eyes of a raisin bunn--one of our best citizens!" shouted a bread pudding, shaking its fist at the yellow hen. "what's that! what's that?" wailed mr. cinnamon bunn, who had now joined them. "oh, what a misfortune--what a terrible misfortune!" "see here," said dorothy, determined to defend her pets, "i think we've treated you all pretty well, seeing you're eatables an' reg'lar food for us. i've been kind to you and eaten your old wheelbarrows and pianos and rubbish, an' not said a word. but toto and billina can't be 'spected to go hungry when the town's full of good things they like to eat, 'cause they can't understand your stingy ways as i do." "you must leave here at once!" said mr. bunn, sternly. "suppose we won't go?" said dorothy, who was now much provoked. "then," said he, "we will put you into the great ovens where we are made, and bake you." dorothy gazed around and saw threatening looks upon the faces of all. she had not noticed any ovens in the town, but they might be there, nevertheless, for some of the inhabitants seemed very fresh. so she decided to go, and calling to toto and billina to follow her she marched up the street with as much dignity as possible, considering that she was followed by the hoots and cries of the buns and biscuits and other bake stuff. . how ozma looked into the magic picture princess ozma was a very busy little ruler, for she looked carefully after the comfort and welfare of her people and tried to make them happy. if any quarrels arose she decided them justly; if any one needed counsel or advice she was ready and willing to listen to them. for a day or two after dorothy and her companions had started on their trip, ozma was occupied with the affairs of her kingdom. then she began to think of some manner of occupation for uncle henry and aunt em that would be light and easy and yet give the old people something to do. she soon decided to make uncle henry the keeper of the jewels, for some one really was needed to count and look after the bins and barrels of emeralds, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones that were in the royal storehouses. that would keep uncle henry busy enough, but it was harder to find something for aunt em to do. the palace was full of servants, so there was no detail of housework that aunt em could look after. while ozma sat in her pretty room engaged in thought she happened to glance at her magic picture. this was one of the most important treasures in all the land of oz. it was a large picture, set in a beautiful gold frame, and it hung in a prominent place upon a wall of ozma's private room. usually this picture seemed merely a country scene, but whenever ozma looked at it and wished to know what any of her friends or acquaintances were doing, the magic of this wonderful picture was straightway disclosed. for the country scene would gradually fade away and in its place would appear the likeness of the person or persons ozma might wish to see, surrounded by the actual scenes in which they were then placed. in this way the princess could view any part of the world she wished, and watch the actions of any one in whom she was interested. ozma had often seen dorothy in her kansas home by this means, and now, having a little leisure, she expressed a desire to see her little friend again. it was while the travelers were at fuddlecumjig, and ozma laughed merrily as she watched in the picture her friends trying to match the pieces of grandmother gnit. "they seem happy and are doubtless having a good time," the girl ruler said to herself; and then she began to think of the many adventures she herself had encountered with dorothy. the image of her friends now faded from the magic picture and the old landscape slowly reappeared. ozma was thinking of the time when with dorothy and her army she marched to the nome king's underground cavern, beyond the land of ev, and forced the old monarch to liberate his captives, who belonged to the royal family of ev. that was the time when the scarecrow nearly frightened the nome king into fits by throwing one of billina's eggs at him, and dorothy had captured king roquat's magic belt and brought it away with her to the land of oz. the pretty princess smiled at the recollection of this adventure, and then she wondered what had become of the nome king since then. merely because she was curious and had nothing better to do, ozma glanced at the magic picture and wished to see in it the king of the nomes. roquat the red went every day into his tunnel to see how the work was getting along and to hurry his workmen as much as possible. he was there now, and ozma saw him plainly in the magic picture. she saw the underground tunnel, reaching far underneath the deadly desert which separated the land of oz from the mountains beneath which the nome king had his extensive caverns. she saw that the tunnel was being made in the direction of the emerald city, and knew at once it was being dug so that the army of nomes could march through it and attack her own beautiful and peaceful country. "i suppose king roquat is planning revenge against us," she said, musingly, "and thinks he can surprise us and make us his captives and slaves. how sad it is that any one can have such wicked thoughts! but i must not blame king roquat too severely, for he is a nome, and his nature is not so gentle as my own." then she dismissed from her mind further thought of the tunnel, for that time, and began to wonder if aunt em would not be happy as royal mender of the stockings of the ruler of oz. ozma wore few holes in her stockings; still, they sometimes needed mending. aunt em ought to be able to do that very nicely. next day, the princess watched the tunnel again in her magic picture, and every day afterward she devoted a few minutes to inspecting the work. it was not especially interesting, but she felt that it was her duty. slowly but surely the big, arched hole crept through the rocks underneath the deadly desert, and day by day it drew nearer and nearer to the emerald city. . how bunnybury welcomed the strangers dorothy left bunbury the same way she had entered it and when they were in the forest again she said to billina: "i never thought that things good to eat could be so dis'gree'ble." "often i've eaten things that tasted good but were disagreeable afterward," returned the yellow hen. "i think, dorothy, if eatables are going to act badly, it's better before than after you eat them." "p'raps you're right," said the little girl, with a sigh. "but what shall we do now?" "let us follow the path back to the signpost," suggested billina. "that will be better than getting lost again." "why, we're lost anyhow," declared dorothy; "but i guess you're right about going back to that signpost, billina." they returned along the path to the place where they had first found it, and at once took "the other road" to bunnybury. this road was a mere narrow strip, worn hard and smooth but not wide enough for dorothy's feet to tread. still, it was a guide, and the walking through the forest was not at all difficult. before long they reached a high wall of solid white marble, and the path came to an end at this wall. at first dorothy thought there was no opening at all in the marble, but on looking closely she discovered a small square door about on a level with her head, and underneath this closed door was a bell-push. near the bell-push a sign was painted in neat letters upon the marble, and the sign read: no admittance except on business this did not discourage dorothy, however, and she rang the bell. pretty soon a bolt was cautiously withdrawn and the marble door swung slowly open. then she saw it was not really a door, but a window, for several brass bars were placed across it, being set fast in the marble and so close together that the little girl's fingers might barely go between them. back of the bars appeared the face of a white rabbit--a very sober and sedate face--with an eye-glass held in his left eye and attached to a cord in his button-hole. "well! what is it?" asked the rabbit, sharply. "i'm dorothy," said the girl, "and i'm lost, and--" "state your business, please," interrupted the rabbit. "my business," she replied, "is to find out where i am, and to--" "no one is allowed in bunnybury without an order or a letter of introduction from either ozma of oz or glinda the good," announced the rabbit; "so that settles the matter," and he started to close the window. "wait a minute!" cried dorothy. "i've got a letter from ozma." "from the ruler of oz?" asked the rabbit, doubtingly. "of course. ozma's my best friend, you know; and i'm a princess myself," she announced, earnestly. "hum--ha! let me see your letter," returned the rabbit, as if he still doubted her. so she hunted in her pocket and found the letter ozma had given her. then she handed it through the bars to the rabbit, who took it in his paws and opened it. he read it aloud in a pompous voice, as if to let dorothy and billina see that he was educated and could read writing. the letter was as follows: "it will please me to have my subjects greet princess dorothy, the bearer of this royal missive, with the same courtesy and consideration they would extend to me." "ha--hum! it is signed 'ozma of oz,'" continued the rabbit, "and is sealed with the great seal of the emerald city. well, well, well! how strange! how remarkable!" "what are you going to do about it?" inquired dorothy, impatiently. "we must obey the royal mandate," replied the rabbit. "we are subjects of ozma of oz, and we live in her country. also we are under the protection of the great sorceress glinda the good, who made us promise to respect ozma's commands." "then may i come in?" she asked. "i'll open the door," said the rabbit. he shut the window and disappeared, but a moment afterward a big door in the wall opened and admitted dorothy to a small room, which seemed to be a part of the wall and built into it. here stood the rabbit she had been talking with, and now that she could see all of him, she gazed at the creature in surprise. he was a good sized white rabbit with pink eyes, much like all other white rabbits. but the astonishing thing about him was the manner in which he was dressed. he wore a white satin jacket embroidered with gold, and having diamond buttons. his vest was rose-colored satin, with tourmaline buttons. his trousers were white, to correspond with the jacket, and they were baggy at the knees--like those of a zouave--being tied with knots of rose ribbons. his shoes were of white plush with diamond buckles, and his stockings were rose silk. the richness and even magnificence of the rabbit's clothing made dorothy stare at the little creature wonderingly. toto and billina had followed her into the room and when he saw them the rabbit ran to a table and sprang upon it nimbly. then he looked at the three through his monocle and said: "these companions, princess, cannot enter bunnybury with you." "why not?" asked dorothy. "in the first place they would frighten our people, who dislike dogs above all things on earth; and, secondly, the letter of the royal ozma does not mention them." "but they're my friends," persisted dorothy, "and go wherever i go." "not this time," said the rabbit, decidedly. "you, yourself, princess, are a welcome visitor, since you come so highly recommended; but unless you consent to leave the dog and the hen in this room i cannot permit you to enter the town." "never mind us, dorothy," said billina. "go inside and see what the place is like. you can tell us about it afterward, and toto and i will rest comfortably here until you return." this seemed the best thing to do, for dorothy was curious to see how the rabbit people lived and she was aware of the fact that her friends might frighten the timid little creatures. she had not forgotten how toto and billina had misbehaved in bunbury, and perhaps the rabbit was wise to insist on their staying outside the town. "very well," she said, "i'll go in alone. i s'pose you're the king of this town, aren't you?" "no," answered the rabbit, "i'm merely the keeper of the wicket, and a person of little importance, although i try to do my duty. i must now inform you, princess, that before you enter our town you must consent to reduce." "reduce what?" asked dorothy. "your size. you must become the size of the rabbits, although you may retain your own form." "wouldn't my clothes be too big for me?" she inquired. "no; they will reduce when your body does." "can you make me smaller?" asked the girl. "easily," returned the rabbit. "and will you make me big again, when i'm ready to go away?" "i will," said he. "all right, then; i'm willing," she announced. the rabbit jumped from the table and ran--or rather hopped--to the further wall, where he opened a door so tiny that even toto could scarcely have crawled through it. "follow me," he said. now, almost any other little girl would have declared that she could not get through so small a door; but dorothy had already encountered so many fairy adventures that she believed nothing was impossible in the land of oz. so she quietly walked toward the door, and at every step she grew smaller and smaller until, by the time the opening was reached, she could pass through it with ease. indeed, as she stood beside the rabbit, who sat upon his hind legs and used his paws as hands, her head was just about as high as his own. then the keeper of the wicket passed through and she followed, after which the door swung shut and locked itself with a sharp click. dorothy now found herself in a city so strange and beautiful that she gave a gasp of surprise. the high marble wall extended all around the place and shut out all the rest of the world. and here were marble houses of curious forms, most of them resembling overturned kettles but with delicate slender spires and minarets running far up into the sky. the streets were paved with white marble and in front of each house was a lawn of rich green clover. everything was as neat as wax, the green and white contrasting prettily together. but the rabbit people were, after all, the most amazing things dorothy saw. the streets were full of them, and their costumes were so splendid that the rich dress of the keeper of the wicket was commonplace when compared with the others. silks and satins of delicate hues seemed always used for material, and nearly every costume sparkled with exquisite gems. but the lady rabbits outshone the gentlemen rabbits in splendor, and the cut of their gowns was really wonderful. they wore bonnets, too, with feathers and jewels in them, and some wheeled baby carriages in which the girl could see wee bunnies. some were lying asleep while others lay sucking their paws and looking around them with big pink eyes. as dorothy was no bigger in size than the grown-up rabbits she had a chance to observe them closely before they noticed her presence. then they did not seem at all alarmed, although the little girl naturally became the center of attraction and regarded her with great curiosity. "make way!" cried the keeper of the wicket, in a pompous voice; "make way for princess dorothy, who comes from ozma of oz." hearing this announcement, the throng of rabbits gave place to them on the walks, and as dorothy passed along they all bowed their heads respectfully. walking thus through several handsome streets they came to a square in the center of the city. in this square were some pretty trees and a statue in bronze of glinda the good, while beyond it were the portals of the royal palace--an extensive and imposing building of white marble covered with a filigree of frosted gold. . how dorothy lunched with a king a line of rabbit soldiers was drawn up before the palace entrance, and they wore green and gold uniforms with high shakos upon their heads and held tiny spears in their hands. the captain had a sword and a white plume in his shako. "salute!" called the keeper of the wicket. "salute princess dorothy, who comes from ozma of oz!" "salute!" yelled the captain, and all the soldiers promptly saluted. they now entered the great hall of the palace, where they met a gaily dressed attendant, from whom the keeper of the wicket inquired if the king were at leisure. "i think so," was the reply. "i heard his majesty blubbering and wailing as usual only a few minutes ago. if he doesn't stop acting like a cry-baby i'm going to resign my position here and go to work." "what's the matter with your king?" asked dorothy, surprised to hear the rabbit attendant speak so disrespectfully of his monarch. "oh, he doesn't want to be king, that's all; and he simply has to," was the reply. "come!" said the keeper of the wicket, sternly; "lead us to his majesty; and do not air our troubles before strangers, i beg of you." "why, if this girl is going to see the king, he'll air his own troubles," returned the attendant. "that is his royal privilege," declared the keeper. so the attendant led them into a room all draped with cloth-of-gold and furnished with satin-covered gold furniture. there was a throne in this room, set on a dais and having a big, cushioned seat, and on this seat reclined the rabbit king. he was lying on his back, with his paws in the air, and whining very like a puppy-dog. "your majesty! your majesty! get up. here's a visitor," called out the attendant. the king rolled over and looked at dorothy with one watery pink eye. then he sat up and wiped his eyes carefully with a silk handkerchief and put on his jeweled crown, which had fallen off. "excuse my grief, fair stranger," he said, in a sad voice. "you behold in me the most miserable monarch in all the world. what time is it, blinkem?" "one o'clock, your majesty," replied the attendant to whom the question was addressed. "serve luncheon at once!" commanded the king. "luncheon for two--that's for my visitor and me--and see that the human has some sort of food she's accustomed to." "yes, your majesty," answered the attendant, and went away. "tie my shoe, bristle," said the king to the keeper of the wicket. "ah me! how unhappy i am!" "what seems to be worrying your majesty?" asked dorothy. "why, it's this king business, of course," he returned, while the keeper tied his shoe. "i didn't want to be king of bunnybury at all, and the rabbits all knew it. so they elected me--to save themselves from such a dreadful fate, i suppose--and here i am, shut up in a palace, when i might be free and happy." "seems to me," said dorothy, "it's a great thing to be a king." "were you ever a king?" inquired the monarch. "no," she answered, laughing. "then you know nothing about it," he said. "i haven't inquired who you are, but it doesn't matter. while we're at luncheon, i'll tell you all my troubles. they're a great deal more interesting than anything you can say about yourself." "perhaps they are, to you," replied dorothy. "luncheon is served!" cried blinkem, throwing open the door, and in came a dozen rabbits in livery, all bearing trays which they placed upon the table, where they arranged the dishes in an orderly manner. "now clear out--all of you!" exclaimed the king. "bristle, you may wait outside, in case i want you." when they had gone and the king was alone with dorothy he came down from his throne, tossed his crown into a corner and kicked his ermine robe under the table. "sit down," he said, "and try to be happy. it's useless for me to try, because i'm always wretched and miserable. but i'm hungry, and i hope you are." "i am," said dorothy. "i've only eaten a wheelbarrow and a piano to-day--oh, yes! and a slice of bread and butter that used to be a door-mat." "that sounds like a square meal," remarked the king, seating himself opposite her; "but perhaps it wasn't a square piano. eh?" dorothy laughed. "you don't seem so very unhappy now," she said. "but i am," protested the king, fresh tears gathering in his eyes. "even my jokes are miserable. i'm wretched, woeful, afflicted, distressed and dismal as an individual can be. are you not sorry for me?" "no," answered dorothy, honestly, "i can't say i am. seems to me that for a rabbit you're right in clover. this is the prettiest little city i ever saw." "oh, the city is good enough," he admitted. "glinda, the good sorceress, made it for us because she was fond of rabbits. i don't mind the city so much, although i wouldn't live here if i had my choice. it is being king that has absolutely ruined my happiness." "why wouldn't you live here by choice?" she asked. "because it is all unnatural, my dear. rabbits are out of place in such luxury. when i was young i lived in a burrow in the forest. i was surrounded by enemies and often had to run for my life. it was hard getting enough to eat, at times, and when i found a bunch of clover i had to listen and look for danger while i ate it. wolves prowled around the hole in which i lived and sometimes i didn't dare stir out for days at a time. oh, how happy and contented i was then! i was a real rabbit, as nature made me--wild and free!--and i even enjoyed listening to the startled throbbing of my own heart!" "i've often thought," said dorothy, who was busily eating, "that it would be fun to be a rabbit." "it is fun--when you're the genuine article," agreed his majesty. "but look at me now! i live in a marble palace instead of a hole in the ground. i have all i want to eat, without the joy of hunting for it. every day i must dress in fine clothes and wear that horrible crown till it makes my head ache. rabbits come to me with all sorts of troubles, when my own troubles are the only ones i care about. when i walk out i can't hop and run; i must strut on my rear legs and wear an ermine robe! and the soldiers salute me and the band plays and the other rabbits laugh and clap their paws and cry out: 'hail to the king!' now let me ask you, as a friend and a young lady of good judgment: isn't all this pomp and foolishness enough to make a decent rabbit miserable?" "once," said dorothy, reflectively, "men were wild and unclothed and lived in caves and hunted for food as wild beasts do. but they got civ'lized, in time, and now they'd hate to go back to the old days." "that is an entirely different case," replied the king. "none of you humans were civilized in one lifetime. it came to you by degrees. but i have known the forest and the free life, and that is why i resent being civilized all at once, against my will, and being made a king with a crown and an ermine robe. pah!" "if you don't like it, why don't you resign?" she asked. "impossible!" wailed the rabbit, wiping his eyes again with his handkerchief. "there's a beastly law in this town that forbids it. when one is elected a king, there's no getting out of it." "who made the laws?" inquired dorothy. "the same sorceress who made the town--glinda the good. she built the wall, and fixed up the city, and gave us several valuable enchantments, and made the laws. then she invited all the pink-eyed white rabbits of the forest to come here, after which she left us to our fate." "what made you 'cept the invitation, and come here?" asked the child. "i didn't know how dreadful city life was, and i'd no idea i would be elected king," said he, sobbing bitterly. "and--and--now i'm it--with a capital i--and can't escape!" "i know glinda," remarked dorothy, eating for dessert a dish of charlotte russe, "and when i see her again, i'll ask her to put another king in your place." "will you? will you, indeed?" asked the king, joyfully. "i will if you want me to," she replied. "hurroo--huray!" shouted the king; and then he jumped up from the table and danced wildly about the room, waving his napkin like a flag and laughing with glee. after a time he managed to control his delight and returned to the table. "when are you likely to see glinda?" he inquired. "oh, p'raps in a few days," said dorothy. "and you won't forget to ask her?" "of course not." "princess," said the rabbit king, earnestly, "you have relieved me of a great unhappiness, and i am very grateful. therefore i propose to entertain you, since you are my guest and i am the king, as a slight mark of my appreciation. come with me to my reception hall." he then summoned bristle and said to him: "assemble all the nobility in the great reception hall, and also tell blinkem that i want him immediately." the keeper of the wicket bowed and hurried away, and his majesty turned to dorothy and continued: "we'll have time for a walk in the gardens before the people get here." the gardens were back of the palace and were filled with beautiful flowers and fragrant shrubs, with many shade and fruit trees and marble-paved walks running in every direction. as they entered this place blinkem came running to the king, who gave him several orders in a low voice. then his majesty rejoined dorothy and led her through the gardens, which she admired very much. "what lovely clothes your majesty wears!" she said, glancing at the rich blue satin costume, embroidered, with pearls in which the king was dressed. "yes," he returned, with an air of pride, "this is one of my favorite suits; but i have a good many that are even more elaborate. we have excellent tailors in bunnybury, and glinda supplies all the material. by the way, you might ask the sorceress, when you see her, to permit me to keep my wardrobe." "but if you go back to the forest you will not need clothes," she said. "n--o!" he faltered; "that may be so. but i've dressed up so long that i'm used to it, and i don't imagine i'd care to run around naked again. so perhaps the good glinda will let me keep the costumes." "i'll ask her," agreed dorothy. then they left the gardens and went into a fine, big reception hall, where rich rugs were spread upon the tiled floors and the furniture was exquisitely carved and studded with jewels. the king's chair was an especially pretty piece of furniture, being in the shape of a silver lily with one leaf bent over to form the seat. the silver was everywhere thickly encrusted with diamonds and the seat was upholstered in white satin. "oh, what a splendid chair!" cried dorothy, clasping her hands admiringly. "isn't it?" answered the king, proudly. "it is my favorite seat, and i think it especially becoming to my complexion. while i think of it, i wish you'd ask glinda to let me keep this lily chair when i go away." "it wouldn't look very well in a hole in the ground, would it?" she suggested. "maybe not; but i'm used to sitting in it and i'd like to take it with me," he answered. "but here come the ladies and gentlemen of the court; so please sit beside me and be presented." . how the king changed his mind just then a rabbit band of nearly fifty pieces marched in, playing upon golden instruments and dressed in neat uniforms. following the band came the nobility of bunnybury, all richly dressed and hopping along on their rear legs. both the ladies and the gentlemen wore white gloves upon their paws, with their rings on the outside of the gloves, as this seemed to be the fashion here. some of the lady rabbits carried lorgnettes, while many of the gentlemen rabbits wore monocles in their left eyes. the courtiers and their ladies paraded past the king, who introduced princess dorothy to each couple in a very graceful manner. then the company seated themselves in chairs and on sofas and looked expectantly at their monarch. "it is our royal duty, as well as our royal pleasure," he said, "to provide fitting entertainment for our distinguished guest. we will now present the royal band of whiskered friskers." as he spoke the musicians, who had arranged themselves in a corner, struck up a dance melody while into the room pranced the whiskered friskers. they were eight pretty rabbits dressed only in gauzy purple skirts fastened around their waists with diamond bands. their whiskers were colored a rich purple, but otherwise they were pure white. after bowing before the king and dorothy the friskers began their pranks, and these were so comical that dorothy laughed with real enjoyment. they not only danced together, whirling and gyrating around the room, but they leaped over one another, stood upon their heads and hopped and skipped here and there so nimbly that it was hard work to keep track of them. finally, they all made double somersaults and turned handsprings out of the room. the nobility enthusiastically applauded, and dorothy applauded with them. "they're fine!" she said to the king. "yes, the whiskered friskers are really very clever," he replied. "i shall hate to part with them when i go away, for they have often amused me when i was very miserable. i wonder if you would ask glinda--" "no, it wouldn't do at all," declared dorothy, positively. "there wouldn't be room in your hole in the ground for so many rabbits, 'spec'ly when you get the lily chair and your clothes there. don't think of such a thing, your majesty." the king sighed. then he stood up and announced to the company: "we will now hold a military drill by my picked bodyguard of royal pikemen." now the band played a march and a company of rabbit soldiers came in. they wore green and gold uniforms and marched very stiffly but in perfect time. their spears, or pikes, had slender shafts of polished silver with golden heads, and during the drill they handled these weapons with wonderful dexterity. "i should think you'd feel pretty safe with such a fine bodyguard," remarked dorothy. "i do," said the king. "they protect me from every harm. i suppose glinda wouldn't--" "no," interrupted the girl; "i'm sure she wouldn't. it's the king's own bodyguard, and when you are no longer king you can't have 'em." the king did not reply, but he looked rather sorrowful for a time. when the soldiers had marched out he said to the company: "the royal jugglers will now appear." dorothy had seen many jugglers in her lifetime, but never any so interesting as these. there were six of them, dressed in black satin embroidered with queer symbols in silver--a costume which contrasted strongly with their snow-white fur. first, they pushed in a big red ball and three of the rabbit jugglers stood upon its top and made it roll. then two of them caught up a third and tossed him into the air, all vanishing, until only the two were left. then one of these tossed the other upward and remained alone of all his fellows. this last juggler now touched the red ball, which fell apart, being hollow, and the five rabbits who had disappeared in the air scrambled out of the hollow ball. next they all clung together and rolled swiftly upon the floor. when they came to a stop only one fat rabbit juggler was seen, the others seeming to be inside him. this one leaped lightly into the air and when he came down he exploded and separated into the original six. then four of them rolled themselves into round balls and the other two tossed them around and played ball with them. these were but a few of the tricks the rabbit jugglers performed, and they were so skillful that all the nobility and even the king applauded as loudly as did dorothy. "i suppose there are no rabbit jugglers in all the world to compare with these," remarked the king. "and since i may not have the whiskers friskers or my bodyguard, you might ask glinda to let me take away just two or three of these jugglers. will you?" "i'll ask her," replied dorothy, doubtfully. "thank you," said the king; "thank you very much. and now you shall listen to the winsome waggish warblers, who have often cheered me in my moments of anguish." the winsome waggish warblers proved to be a quartette of rabbit singers, two gentlemen and two lady rabbits. the gentlemen warblers wore full-dress swallow-tailed suits of white satin, with pearls for buttons, while the lady warblers were gowned in white satin dresses with long trails. the first song they sang began in this way: "when a rabbit gets a habit of living in a city and wearing clothes and furbelows and jewels rare and pretty, he scorns the bun who has to run and burrow in the ground and pities those whose watchful foes are man and gun and hound." dorothy looked at the king when she heard this song and noticed that he seemed disturbed and ill at ease. "i don't like that song," he said to the warblers. "give us something jolly and rollicking." so they sang to a joyous, tinkling melody as follows: "bunnies gay delight to play in their fairy town secure; ev'ry frisker flirts his whisker at a pink-eyed girl demure. ev'ry maid in silk arrayed at her partner shyly glances, paws are grasped, waists are clasped as they whirl in giddy dances. then together through the heather 'neath the moonlight soft they stroll; each is very blithe and merry, gamboling with laughter droll. life is fun to ev'ry one guarded by our magic charm for to dangers we are strangers, safe from any thought of harm." "you see," said dorothy to the king, when the song ended, "the rabbits all seem to like bunnybury except you. and i guess you're the only one that ever has cried or was unhappy and wanted to get back to your muddy hole in the ground." his majesty seemed thoughtful, and while the servants passed around glasses of nectar and plates of frosted cakes their king was silent and a bit nervous. when the refreshments had been enjoyed by all and the servants had retired dorothy said: "i must go now, for it's getting late and i'm lost. i've got to find the wizard and aunt em and uncle henry and all the rest sometime before night comes, if i poss'bly can." "won't you stay with us?" asked the king. "you will be very welcome." "no, thank you," she replied. "i must get back to my friends. and i want to see glinda just as soon as i can, you know." so the king dismissed his court and said he would himself walk with dorothy to the gate. he did not weep nor groan any more, but his long face was quite solemn and his big ears hung dejectedly on each side of it. he still wore his crown and his ermine and walked with a handsome gold-headed cane. when they arrived at the room in the wall the little girl found toto and billina waiting for her very patiently. they had been liberally fed by some of the attendants and were in no hurry to leave such comfortable quarters. the keeper of the wicket was by this time back in his old place, but he kept a safe distance from toto. dorothy bade good bye to the king as they stood just inside the wall. "you've been good to me," she said, "and i thank you ever so much. as soon as poss'ble i'll see glinda and ask her to put another king in your place and send you back into the wild forest. and i'll ask her to let you keep some of your clothes and the lily chair and one or two jugglers to amuse you. i'm sure she will do it, 'cause she's so kind she doesn't like any one to be unhappy." "ahem!" said the king, looking rather downcast. "i don't like to trouble you with my misery; so you needn't see glinda." "oh, yes i will," she replied. "it won't be any trouble at all." "but, my dear," continued the king, in an embarrassed way, "i've been thinking the subject over carefully, and i find there are a lot of pleasant things here in bunnybury that i would miss if i went away. so perhaps i'd better stay." dorothy laughed. then she looked grave. "it won't do for you to be a king and a cry-baby at the same time," she said. "you've been making all the other rabbits unhappy and discontented with your howls about being so miserable. so i guess it's better to have another king." "oh, no indeed!" exclaimed the king, earnestly. "if you won't say anything to glinda i'll promise to be merry and gay all the time, and never cry or wail again." "honor bright?" she asked. "on the royal word of a king i promise it!" he answered. "all right," said dorothy. "you'd be a reg'lar lunatic to want to leave bunnybury for a wild life in the forest, and i'm sure any rabbit outside the city would be glad to take your place." "forget it, my dear; forget all my foolishness," pleaded the king, earnestly. "hereafter i'll try to enjoy myself and do my duty by my subjects." so then she left him and entered through the little door into the room in the wall, where she grew gradually bigger and bigger until she had resumed her natural size. the keeper of the wicket let them out into the forest and told dorothy that she had been of great service to bunnybury because she had brought their dismal king to a realization of the pleasure of ruling so beautiful a city. "i shall start a petition to have your statue erected beside glinda's in the public square," said the keeper. "i hope you will come again, some day, and see it." "perhaps i shall," she replied. then, followed by toto and billina, she walked away from the high marble wall and started back along the narrow path toward the sign-post. . how the wizard found dorothy when they came to the signpost, there, to their joy, were the tents of the wizard pitched beside the path and the kettle bubbling merrily over the fire. the shaggy man and omby amby were gathering firewood while uncle henry and aunt em sat in their camp chairs talking with the wizard. they all ran forward to greet dorothy, as she approached, and aunt em exclaimed: "goodness gracious, child! where have you been?" "you've played hookey the whole day," added the shaggy man, reproachfully. "well, you see, i've been lost," explained the little girl, "and i've tried awful hard to find the way back to you, but just couldn't do it." "did you wander in the forest all day?" asked uncle henry. "you must be a'most starved!" said aunt em. "no," said dorothy, "i'm not hungry. i had a wheelbarrow and a piano for breakfast, and lunched with a king." "ah!" exclaimed the wizard, nodding with a bright smile. "so you've been having adventures again." "she's stark crazy!" cried aunt em. "whoever heard of eating a wheelbarrow?" "it wasn't very big," said dorothy; "and it had a zuzu wheel." "and i ate the crumbs," said billina, soberly. "sit down and tell us about it," begged the wizard. "we've hunted for you all day, and at last i noticed your footsteps in this path--and the tracks of billina. we found the path by accident, and seeing it only led to two places i decided you were at either one or the other of those places. so we made camp and waited for you to return. and now, dorothy, tell us where you have been--to bunbury or to bunnybury?" "why, i've been to both," she replied; "but first i went to utensia, which isn't on any path at all." she then sat down and related the day's adventures, and you may be sure aunt em and uncle henry were much astonished at the story. "but after seeing the cuttenclips and the fuddles," remarked her uncle, "we ought not to wonder at anything in this strange country." "seems like the only common and ordinary folks here are ourselves," rejoined aunt em, diffidently. "now that we're together again, and one reunited party," observed the shaggy man, "what are we to do next?" "have some supper and a night's rest," answered the wizard promptly, "and then proceed upon our journey." "where to?" asked the captain general. "we haven't visited the rigmaroles or the flutterbudgets yet," said dorothy. "i'd like to see them--wouldn't you?" "they don't sound very interesting," objected aunt em. "but perhaps they are." "and then," continued the little wizard, "we will call upon the tin woodman and jack pumpkinhead and our old friend the scarecrow, on our way home." "that will be nice!" cried dorothy, eagerly. "can't say they sound very interesting, either," remarked aunt em. "why, they're the best friends i have!" asserted the little girl, "and you're sure to like them, aunt em, 'cause ever'body likes them." by this time twilight was approaching, so they ate the fine supper which the wizard magically produced from the kettle and then went to bed in the cozy tents. they were all up bright and early next morning, but dorothy didn't venture to wander from the camp again for fear of more accidents. "do you know where there's a road?" she asked the little man. "no, my dear," replied the wizard; "but i'll find one." after breakfast he waved his hand toward the tents and they became handkerchiefs again, which were at once returned to the pockets of their owners. then they all climbed into the red wagon and the sawhorse inquired: "which way?" "never mind which way," replied the wizard. "just go as you please and you're sure to be right. i've enchanted the wheels of the wagon, and they will roll in the right direction, never fear." as the sawhorse started away through the trees dorothy said: "if we had one of those new-fashioned airships we could float away over the top of the forest, and look down and find just the places we want." "airship? pah!" retorted the little man, scornfully. "i hate those things, dorothy, although they are nothing new to either you or me. i was a balloonist for many years, and once my balloon carried me to the land of oz, and once to the vegetable kingdom. and once ozma had a gump that flew all over this kingdom and had sense enough to go where it was told to--which airships won't do. the house which the cyclone brought to oz all the way from kansas, with you and toto in it--was a real airship at the time; so you see we've got plenty of experience flying with the birds." "airships are not so bad, after all," declared dorothy. "some day they'll fly all over the world, and perhaps bring people even to the land of oz." "i must speak to ozma about that," said the wizard, with a slight frown. "it wouldn't do at all, you know, for the emerald city to become a way-station on an airship line." "no," said dorothy, "i don't s'pose it would. but what can we do to prevent it?" "i'm working out a magic recipe to fuddle men's brains, so they'll never make an airship that will go where they want it to go," the wizard confided to her. "that won't keep the things from flying, now and then, but it'll keep them from flying to the land of oz." just then the sawhorse drew the wagon out of the forest and a beautiful landscape lay spread before the travelers' eyes. moreover, right before them was a good road that wound away through the hills and valleys. "now," said the wizard, with evident delight, "we are on the right track again, and there is nothing more to worry about." "it's a foolish thing to take chances in a strange country," observed the shaggy man. "had we kept to the roads we never would have been lost. roads always lead to some place, else they wouldn't be roads." "this road," added the wizard, "leads to rigmarole town. i'm sure of that because i enchanted the wagon wheels." sure enough, after riding along the road for an hour or two they entered a pretty valley where a village was nestled among the hills. the houses were munchkin shaped, for they were all domes, with windows wider than they were high, and pretty balconies over the front doors. aunt em was greatly relieved to find this town "neither paper nor patch-work," and the only surprising thing about it was that it was so far distant from all other towns. as the sawhorse drew the wagon into the main street the travelers noticed that the place was filled with people, standing in groups and seeming to be engaged in earnest conversation. so occupied with themselves were the inhabitants that they scarcely noticed the strangers at all. so the wizard stopped a boy and asked: "is this rigmarole town?" "sir," replied the boy, "if you have traveled very much you will have noticed that every town differs from every other town in one way or another and so by observing the methods of the people and the way they live as well as the style of their dwelling places it ought not to be a difficult thing to make up your mind without the trouble of asking questions whether the town bears the appearance of the one you intended to visit or whether perhaps having taken a different road from the one you should have taken you have made an error in your way and arrived at some point where--" "land sakes!" cried aunt em, impatiently; "what's all this rigmarole about?" "that's it!" said the wizard, laughing merrily. "it's a rigmarole because the boy is a rigmarole and we've come to rigmarole town." "do they all talk like that?" asked dorothy, wonderingly. "he might have said 'yes' or 'no' and settled the question," observed uncle henry. "not here," said omby amby. "i don't believe the rigmaroles know what 'yes' or 'no' means." while the boy had been talking several other people had approached the wagon and listened intently to his speech. then they began talking to one another in long, deliberate speeches, where many words were used but little was said. but when the strangers criticized them so frankly one of the women, who had no one else to talk to, began an address to them, saying: "it is the easiest thing in the world for a person to say 'yes' or 'no' when a question that is asked for the purpose of gaining information or satisfying the curiosity of the one who has given expression to the inquiry has attracted the attention of an individual who may be competent either from personal experience or the experience of others to answer it with more or less correctness or at least an attempt to satisfy the desire for information on the part of the one who has made the inquiry by--" "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy, interrupting the speech. "i've lost all track of what you are saying." "don't let her begin over again, for goodness sake!" cried aunt em. but the woman did not begin again. she did not even stop talking, but went right on as she had begun, the words flowing from her mouth in a stream. "i'm quite sure that if we waited long enough and listened carefully, some of these people might be able to tell us something, in time," said the wizard. "let's don't wait," returned dorothy. "i've heard of the rigmaroles, and wondered what they were like; but now i know, and i'm ready to move on." "so am i," declared uncle henry; "we're wasting time here." "why, we're all ready to go," said the shaggy man, putting his fingers to his ears to shut out the monotonous babble of those around the wagon. so the wizard spoke to the sawhorse, who trotted nimbly through the village and soon gained the open country on the other side of it. dorothy looked back, as they rode away, and noticed that the woman had not yet finished her speech but was talking as glibly as ever, although no one was near to hear her. "if those people wrote books," omby amby remarked with a smile, "it would take a whole library to say the cow jumped over the moon." "perhaps some of 'em do write books," asserted the little wizard. "i've read a few rigmaroles that might have come from this very town." "some of the college lecturers and ministers are certainly related to these people," observed the shaggy man; "and it seems to me the land of oz is a little ahead of the united states in some of its laws. for here, if one can't talk clearly, and straight to the point, they send him to rigmarole town; while uncle sam lets him roam around wild and free, to torture innocent people." dorothy was thoughtful. the rigmaroles had made a strong impression upon her. she decided that whenever she spoke, after this, she would use only enough words to express what she wanted to say. . how they encountered the flutterbudgets they were soon among the pretty hills and valleys again, and the sawhorse sped up hill and down at a fast and easy pace, the roads being hard and smooth. mile after mile was speedily covered, and before the ride had grown at all tiresome they sighted another village. the place seemed even larger than rigmarole town, but was not so attractive in appearance. "this must be flutterbudget center," declared the wizard. "you see, it's no trouble at all to find places if you keep to the right road." "what are the flutterbudgets like?" inquired dorothy. "i do not know, my dear. but ozma has given them a town all their own, and i've heard that whenever one of the people becomes a flutterbudget he is sent to this place to live." "that is true," omby amby added; "flutterbudget center and rigmarole town are called 'the defensive settlements of oz.'" the village they now approached was not built in a valley, but on top of a hill, and the road they followed wound around the hill, like a corkscrew, ascending the hill easily until it came to the town. "look out!" screamed a voice. "look out, or you'll run over my child!" they gazed around and saw a woman standing upon the sidewalk nervously wringing her hands as she gazed at them appealingly. "where is your child?" asked the sawhorse. "in the house," said the woman, bursting into tears; "but if it should happen to be in the road, and you ran over it, those great wheels would crush my darling to jelly. oh dear! oh dear! think of my darling child being crushed into jelly by those great wheels!" "gid-dap!" said the wizard sharply, and the sawhorse started on. they had not gone far before a man ran out of a house shouting wildly, "help! help!" the sawhorse stopped short and the wizard and uncle henry and the shaggy man and omby amby jumped out of the wagon and ran to the poor man's assistance. dorothy followed them as quickly as she could. "what's the matter?" asked the wizard. "help! help!" screamed the man; "my wife has cut her finger off and she's bleeding to death!" then he turned and rushed back to the house, and all the party went with him. they found a woman in the front dooryard moaning and groaning as if in great pain. "be brave, madam!" said the wizard, consolingly. "you won't die just because you have cut off a finger, you may be sure." "but i haven't cut off a finger!" she sobbed. "then what has happened?" asked dorothy. "i--i pricked my finger with a needle while i was sewing, and--and the blood came!" she replied. "and now i'll have blood-poisoning, and the doctors will cut off my finger, and that will give me a fever and i shall die!" "pshaw!" said dorothy; "i've pricked my finger many a time, and nothing happened." "really?" asked the woman, brightening and wiping her eyes upon her apron. "why, it's nothing at all," declared the girl. "you're more scared than hurt." "ah, that's because she's a flutterbudget," said the wizard, nodding wisely. "i think i know now what these people are like." "so do i," announced dorothy. "oh, boo-hoo-hoo!" sobbed the woman, giving way to a fresh burst of grief. "what's wrong now?" asked the shaggy man. "oh, suppose i had pricked my foot!" she wailed. "then the doctors would have cut my foot off, and i'd be lamed for life!" "surely, ma'am," replied the wizard, "and if you'd pricked your nose they might cut your head off. but you see you didn't." "but i might have!" she exclaimed, and began to cry again. so they left her and drove away in their wagon. and her husband came out and began calling "help!" as he had before; but no one seemed to pay any attention to him. as the travelers turned into another street they found a man walking excitedly up and down the pavement. he appeared to be in a very nervous condition and the wizard stopped him to ask: "is anything wrong, sir?" "everything is wrong," answered the man, dismally. "i can't sleep." "why not?" inquired omby amby. "if i go to sleep i'll have to shut my eyes," he explained; "and if i shut my eyes they may grow together, and then i'd be blind for life!" "did you ever hear of any one's eyes growing together?" asked dorothy. "no," said the man, "i never did. but it would be a dreadful thing, wouldn't it? and the thought of it makes me so nervous i'm afraid to go to sleep." "there's no help for this case," declared the wizard; and they went on. at the next street corner a woman rushed up to them crying: "save my baby! oh, good, kind people, save my baby!" "is it in danger?" asked dorothy, noticing that the child was clasped in her arms and seemed sleeping peacefully. "yes, indeed," said the woman, nervously. "if i should go into the house and throw my child out of the window, it would roll way down to the bottom of the hill; and then if there were a lot of tigers and bears down there, they would tear my darling babe to pieces and eat it up!" "are there any tigers and bears in this neighborhood?" the wizard asked. "i've never heard of any," admitted the woman, "but if there were--" "have you any idea of throwing your baby out of the window?" questioned the little man. "none at all," she said; "but if--" "all your troubles are due to those 'ifs'," declared the wizard. "if you were not a flutterbudget you wouldn't worry." "there's another 'if'," replied the woman. "are you a flutterbudget, too?" "i will be, if i stay here long," exclaimed the wizard, nervously. "another 'if'!" cried the woman. but the wizard did not stop to argue with her. he made the sawhorse canter all the way down the hill, and only breathed easily when they were miles away from the village. after they had ridden in silence for a while dorothy turned to the little man and asked: "do 'ifs' really make flutterbudgets?" "i think the 'ifs' help," he answered seriously. "foolish fears, and worries over nothing, with a mixture of nerves and ifs, will soon make a flutterbudget of any one." then there was another long silence, for all the travelers were thinking over this statement, and nearly all decided it must be true. the country they were now passing through was everywhere tinted purple, the prevailing color of the gillikin country; but as the sawhorse ascended a hill they found that upon the other side everything was of a rich yellow hue. "aha!" cried the captain general; "here is the country of the winkies. we are just crossing the boundary line." "then we may be able to lunch with the tin woodman," announced the wizard, joyfully. "must we lunch on tin?" asked aunt em. "oh, no;" replied dorothy. "nick chopper knows how to feed meat people, and he will give us plenty of good things to eat, never fear. i've been to his castle before." "is nick chopper the tin woodman's name?" asked uncle henry. "yes; that's one of his names," answered the little girl; "and another of his names is 'emp'ror of the winkies.' he's the king of this country, you know, but ozma rules over all the countries of oz." "does the tin woodman keep any flutterbudgets or rigmaroles at his castle?" inquired aunt em, uneasily. "no indeed," said dorothy, positively. "he lives in a new tin castle, all full of lovely things." "i should think it would rust," said uncle henry. "he has thousands of winkies to keep it polished for him," explained the wizard. "his people love to do anything in their power for their beloved emperor, so there isn't a particle of rust on all the big castle." "i suppose they polish their emperor, too," said aunt em. "why, some time ago he had himself nickel-plated," the wizard answered; "so he only needs rubbing up once in a while. he's the brightest man in all the world, is dear nick chopper; and the kindest-hearted." "i helped find him," said dorothy, reflectively. "once the scarecrow and i found the tin woodman in the woods, and he was just rusted still, that time, an' no mistake. but we oiled his joints an' got 'em good and slippery, and after that he went with us to visit the wizard at the em'rald city." "was that the time the wizard scared you?" asked aunt em. "he didn't treat us well, at first," acknowledged dorothy; "for he made us go away and destroy the wicked witch. but after we found out he was only a humbug wizard we were not afraid of him." the wizard sighed and looked a little ashamed. "when we try to deceive people we always make mistakes," he said. "but i'm getting to be a real wizard now, and glinda the good's magic, that i am trying to practice, can never harm any one." "you were always a good man," declared dorothy, "even when you were a bad wizard." "he's a good wizard now," asserted aunt em, looking at the little man admiringly. "the way he made those tents grow out of handkerchiefs was just wonderful! and didn't he enchant the wagon wheels so they'd find the road?" "all the people of oz," said the captain general, "are very proud of their wizard. he once made some soap-bubbles that astonished the world." the wizard blushed at this praise, yet it pleased him. he no longer looked sad, but seemed to have recovered his usual good humor. the country through which they now rode was thickly dotted with farmhouses, and yellow grain waved in all the fields. many of the winkies could be seen working on their farms and the wild and unsettled parts of oz were by this time left far behind. these winkies appeared to be happy, light-hearted folk, and all removed their caps and bowed low when the red wagon with its load of travelers passed by. it was not long before they saw something glittering in the sunshine far ahead. "see!" cried dorothy; "that's the tin castle, aunt em!" and the sawhorse, knowing his passengers were eager to arrive, broke into a swift trot that soon brought them to their destination. . how the tin woodman told the sad news the tin woodman received princess dorothy's party with much grace and cordiality, yet the little girl decided that something must be worrying with her old friend, because he was not so merry as usual. but at first she said nothing about this, for uncle henry and aunt em were fairly bubbling over with admiration for the beautiful tin castle and its polished tin owner. so her suspicion that something unpleasant had happened was for a time forgotten. "where is the scarecrow?" she asked, when they had all been ushered into the big tin drawing-room of the castle, the sawhorse being led around to the tin stable in the rear. "why, our old friend has just moved into his new mansion," explained the tin woodman. "it has been a long time in building, although my winkies and many other people from all parts of the country have been busily working upon it. at last, however, it is completed, and the scarecrow took possession of his new home just two days ago." "i hadn't heard that he wanted a home of his own," said dorothy. "why doesn't he live with ozma in the emerald city? he used to, you know; and i thought he was happy there." "it seems," said the tin woodman, "that our dear scarecrow cannot be contented with city life, however beautiful his surroundings might be. originally he was a farmer, for he passed his early life in a cornfield, where he was supposed to frighten away the crows." "i know," said dorothy, nodding. "i found him, and lifted him down from his pole." "so now, after a long residence in the emerald city, his tastes have turned to farm life again," continued the tin man. "he feels that he cannot be happy without a farm of his own, so ozma gave him some land and every one helped him build his mansion, and now he is settled there for good." "who designed his house?" asked the shaggy man. "i believe it was jack pumpkinhead, who is also a farmer," was the reply. they were now invited to enter the tin dining room, where luncheon was served. aunt em found, to her satisfaction, that dorothy's promise was more than fulfilled; for, although the tin woodman had no appetite of his own, he respected the appetites of his guests and saw that they were bountifully fed. they passed the afternoon in wandering through the beautiful gardens and grounds of the palace. the walks were all paved with sheets of tin, brightly polished, and there were tin fountains and tin statues here and there among the trees. the flowers were mostly natural flowers and grew in the regular way; but their host showed them one flower bed which was his especial pride. "you see, all common flowers fade and die in time," he explained, "and so there are seasons when the pretty blooms are scarce. therefore i decided to make one tin flower bed all of tin flowers, and my workmen have created them with rare skill. here you see tin camelias, tin marigolds, tin carnations, tin poppies and tin hollyhocks growing as naturally as if they were real." indeed, they were a pretty sight, and glistened under the sunlight like spun silver. "isn't this tin hollyhock going to seed?" asked the wizard, bending over the flowers. "why, i believe it is!" exclaimed the tin woodman, as if surprised. "i hadn't noticed that before. but i shall plant the tin seeds and raise another bed of tin hollyhocks." in one corner of the gardens nick chopper had established a fish-pond in which they saw swimming and disporting themselves many pretty tin fishes. "would they bite on hooks?" asked aunt em, curiously. the tin woodman seemed hurt at this question. "madam," said he, "do you suppose i would allow anyone to catch my beautiful fishes, even if they were foolish enough to bite on hooks? no, indeed! every created thing is safe from harm in my domain, and i would as soon think of killing my little friend dorothy as killing one of my tin fishes." "the emperor is very kind-hearted, ma'am," explained the wizard. "if a fly happens to light upon his tin body he doesn't rudely brush it off, as some people might do; he asks it politely to find some other resting place." "what does the fly do then?" enquired aunt em. "usually it begs his pardon and goes away," said the wizard, gravely. "flies like to be treated politely as well as other creatures, and here in oz they understand what we say to them, and behave very nicely." "well," said aunt em, "the flies in kansas, where i came from, don't understand anything but a swat. you have to smash 'em to make 'em behave; and it's the same way with 'skeeters. do you have 'skeeters in oz?" "we have some very large mosquitoes here, which sing as beautifully as song birds," replied the tin woodman. "but they never bite or annoy our people, because they are well fed and taken care of. the reason they bite people in your country is because they are hungry--poor things!" "yes," agreed aunt em; "they're hungry, all right. an' they ain't very particular who they feed on. i'm glad you've got the 'skeeters educated in oz." that evening after dinner they were entertained by the emperor's tin cornet band, which played for them several sweet melodies. also the wizard did a few sleight-of-hand tricks to amuse the company; after which they all retired to their cozy tin bedrooms and slept soundly until morning. after breakfast dorothy said to the tin woodman: "if you'll tell us which way to go we'll visit the scarecrow on our way home." "i will go with you, and show you the way," replied the emperor; "for i must journey to-day to the emerald city." he looked so anxious, as he said this, that the little girl asked: "there isn't anything wrong with ozma, is there?" "not yet," said he; "but i'm afraid the time has come when i must tell you some very bad news, little friend." "oh, what is it?" cried dorothy. "do you remember the nome king?" asked the tin woodman. "i remember him very well," she replied. "the nome king has not a kind heart," said the emperor, sadly, "and he has been harboring wicked thoughts of revenge, because we once defeated him and liberated his slaves and you took away his magic belt. so he has ordered his nomes to dig a long tunnel underneath the deadly desert, so that he may march his hosts right into the emerald city. when he gets there he intends to destroy our beautiful country." dorothy was much surprised to hear this. "how did ozma find out about the tunnel?" she asked. "she saw it in her magic picture." "of course," said dorothy; "i might have known that. and what is she going to do?" "i cannot tell," was the reply. "pooh!" cried the yellow hen. "we're not afraid of the nomes. if we roll a few of our eggs down the tunnel they'll run away back home as fast as they can go." "why, that's true enough!" exclaimed dorothy. "the scarecrow once conquered all the nome king's army with some of billina's eggs." "but you do not understand all of the dreadful plot," continued the tin woodman. "the nome king is clever, and he knows his nomes would run from eggs; so he has bargained with many terrible creatures to help him. these evil spirits are not afraid of eggs or anything else, and they are very powerful. so the nome king will send them through the tunnel first, to conquer and destroy, and then the nomes will follow after to get their share of the plunder and slaves." they were all startled to hear this, and every face wore a troubled look. "is the tunnel all ready?" asked dorothy. "ozma sent me word yesterday that the tunnel was all completed except for a thin crust of earth at the end. when our enemies break through this crust, they will be in the gardens of the royal palace, in the heart of the emerald city. i offered to arm all my winkies and march to ozma's assistance; but she said no." "i wonder why?" asked dorothy. "she answered that all the inhabitants of oz, gathered together, were not powerful enough to fight and overcome the evil forces of the nome king. therefore she refuses to fight at all." "but they will capture and enslave us, and plunder and ruin all our lovely land!" exclaimed the wizard, greatly disturbed by this statement. "i fear they will," said the tin woodman, sorrowfully. "and i also fear that those who are not fairies, such as the wizard, and dorothy, and her uncle and aunt, as well as toto and billina, will be speedily put to death by the conquerors." "what can be done?" asked dorothy, shuddering a little at the prospect of this awful fate. "nothing can be done!" gloomily replied the emperor of the winkies. "but since ozma refuses my army i will go myself to the emerald city. the least i may do is to perish beside my beloved ruler." . how the scarecrow displayed his wisdom this amazing news had saddened every heart and all were now anxious to return to the emerald city and share ozma's fate. so they started without loss of time, and as the road led past the scarecrow's new mansion they determined to make a brief halt there and confer with him. "the scarecrow is probably the wisest man in all oz," remarked the tin woodman, when they had started upon their journey. "his brains are plentiful and of excellent quality, and often he has told me things i might never have thought of myself. i must say i rely a great deal upon the scarecrow's brains in this emergency." the tin woodman rode on the front seat of the wagon, where dorothy sat between him and the wizard. "has the scarecrow heard of ozma's trouble?" asked the captain general. "i do not know, sir," was the reply. "when i was a private," said omby amby, "i was an excellent army, as i fully proved in our war against the nomes. but now there is not a single private left in our army, since ozma made me the captain general, so there is no one to fight and defend our lovely ruler." "true," said the wizard. "the present army is composed only of officers, and the business of an officer is to order his men to fight. since there are no men there can be no fighting." "poor ozma!" whispered dorothy, with tears in her sweet eyes. "it's dreadful to think of all her lovely fairy country being destroyed. i wonder if we couldn't manage to escape and get back to kansas by means of the magic belt? and we might take ozma with us and all work hard to get money for her, so she wouldn't be so very lonely and unhappy about the loss of her fairyland." "do you think there would be any work for me in kansas?" asked the tin woodman. "if you are hollow, they might use you in a canning factory," suggested uncle henry. "but i can't see the use of your working for a living. you never eat or sleep or need a new suit of clothes." "i was not thinking of myself," replied the emperor, with dignity. "i merely wondered if i could not help to support dorothy and ozma." as they indulged in these sad plans for the future they journeyed in sight of the scarecrow's new mansion, and even though filled with care and worry over the impending fate of oz, dorothy couldn't help a feeling of wonder at the sight she saw. the scarecrow's new house was shaped like an immense ear of corn. the rows of kernels were made of solid gold, and the green upon which the ear stood upright was a mass of sparkling emeralds. upon the very top of the structure was perched a figure representing the scarecrow himself, and upon his extended arms, as well as upon his head, were several crows carved out of ebony and having ruby eyes. you may imagine how big this ear of corn was when i tell you that a single gold kernel formed a window, swinging outward upon hinges, while a row of four kernels opened to make the front entrance. inside there were five stories, each story being a single room. the gardens around the mansion consisted of cornfields, and dorothy acknowledged that the place was in all respects a very appropriate home for her good friend the scarecrow. "he would have been very happy here, i'm sure," she said, "if only the nome king had left us alone. but if oz is destroyed of course this place will be destroyed too." "yes," replied the tin woodman, "and also my beautiful tin castle, that has been my joy and pride." "jack pumpkinhead's house will go too," remarked the wizard, "as well as professor wogglebug's athletic college, and ozma's royal palace, and all our other handsome buildings." "yes, oz will indeed become a desert when the nome king gets through with it," sighed omby amby. the scarecrow came out to meet them and gave them all a hearty welcome. "i hear you have decided always to live in the land of oz, after this," he said to dorothy; "and that will delight my heart, for i have greatly disliked our frequent partings. but why are you all so downcast?" "have you heard the news?" asked the tin woodman. "no news to make me sad," replied the scarecrow. then nick chopper told his friend of the nome king's tunnel, and how the evil creatures of the north had allied themselves with the underground monarch for the purpose of conquering and destroying oz. "well," said the scarecrow, "it certainly looks bad for ozma, and all of us. but i believe it is wrong to worry over anything before it happens. it is surely time enough to be sad when our country is despoiled and our people made slaves. so let us not deprive ourselves of the few happy hours remaining to us." "ah! that is real wisdom," declared the shaggy man, approvingly. "after we become really unhappy we shall regret these few hours that are left to us, unless we enjoy them to the utmost." "nevertheless," said the scarecrow, "i shall go with you to the emerald city and offer ozma my services." "she says we can do nothing to oppose our enemies," announced the tin woodman. "and doubtless she is right, sir," answered the scarecrow. "still, she will appreciate our sympathy, and it is the duty of ozma's friends to stand by her side when the final disaster occurs." he then led them into his queer mansion and showed them the beautiful rooms in all the five stories. the lower room was a grand reception hall, with a hand-organ in one corner. this instrument the scarecrow, when alone, could turn to amuse himself, as he was very fond of music. the walls were hung with white silk, upon which flocks of black crows were embroidered in black diamonds. some of the chairs were made in the shape of big crows and upholstered with cushions of corn-colored silk. the second story contained a fine banquet room, where the scarecrow might entertain his guests, and the three stories above that were bed-chambers exquisitely furnished and decorated. "from these rooms," said the scarecrow, proudly, "one may obtain fine views of the surrounding cornfields. the corn i grow is always husky, and i call the ears my regiments, because they have so many kernels. of course i cannot ride my cobs, but i really don't care shucks about that. taken altogether, my farm will stack up with any in the neighborhood." the visitors partook of some light refreshment and then hurried away to resume the road to the emerald city. the scarecrow found a seat in the wagon between omby amby and the shaggy man, and his weight did not add much to the load because he was stuffed with straw. "you will notice i have one oat-field on my property," he remarked, as they drove away. "oat-straw is, i have found, the best of all straws to re-stuff myself with when my interior gets musty or out of shape." "are you able to re-stuff yourself without help?" asked aunt em. "i should think that after the straw was taken out of you there wouldn't be anything left but your clothes." "you are almost correct, madam," he answered. "my servants do the stuffing, under my direction. for my head, in which are my excellent brains, is a bag tied at the bottom. my face is neatly painted upon one side of the bag, as you may see. my head does not need re-stuffing, as my body does, for all that it requires is to have the face touched up with fresh paint occasionally." it was not far from the scarecrow's mansion to the farm of jack pumpkinhead, and when they arrived there both uncle henry and aunt em were much impressed. the farm was one vast pumpkin field, and some of the pumpkins were of enormous size. in one of them, which had been neatly hollowed out, jack himself lived, and he declared that it was a very comfortable residence. the reason he grew so many pumpkins was in order that he might change his head as often as it became wrinkled or threatened to spoil. the pumpkin-headed man welcomed his visitors joyfully and offered them several delicious pumpkin pies to eat. "i don't indulge in pumpkin pies myself, for two reasons," he said. "one reason is that were i to eat pumpkins i would become a cannibal, and the other reason is that i never eat, not being hollow inside." "very good reasons," agreed the scarecrow. they told jack pumpkinhead of the dreadful news about the nome king, and he decided to go with them to the emerald city and help comfort ozma. "i had expected to live here in ease and comfort for many centuries," said jack, dolefully; "but of course if the nome king destroys everything in oz i shall be destroyed too. really, it seems too bad, doesn't it?" they were soon on their journey again, and so swiftly did the sawhorse draw the wagon over the smooth roads that before twilight fell they had reached the royal palace in the emerald city, and were at their journey's end. . how ozma refused to fight for her kingdom ozma was in her rose garden picking a bouquet when the party arrived, and she greeted all her old and new friends as smilingly and sweetly as ever. dorothy's eyes were full of tears as she kissed the lovely ruler of oz, and she whispered to her: "oh, ozma, ozma! i'm so sorry!" ozma seemed surprised. "sorry for what, dorothy?" she asked. "for all your trouble about the nome king," was the reply. ozma laughed with genuine amusement. "why, that has not troubled me a bit, dear princess," she replied. then, looking around at the sad faces of her friends, she added: "have you all been worrying about this tunnel?" "we have!" they exclaimed in a chorus. "well, perhaps it is more serious than i imagined," admitted the fair ruler; "but i haven't given the matter much thought. after dinner we will all meet together and talk it over." so they went to their rooms and prepared for dinner, and dorothy dressed herself in her prettiest gown and put on her coronet, for she thought that this might be the last time she would ever appear as a princess of oz. the scarecrow, the tin woodman and jack pumpkinhead all sat at the dinner table, although none of them was made so he could eat. usually they served to enliven the meal with their merry talk, but to-night all seemed strangely silent and uneasy. as soon as the dinner was finished ozma led the company to her own private room in which hung the magic picture. when they had seated themselves the scarecrow was the first to speak. "is the nome king's tunnel finished, ozma?" he asked. "it was completed to-day," she replied. "they have built it right under my palace grounds, and it ends in front of the forbidden fountain. nothing but a crust of earth remains to separate our enemies from us, and when they march here, they will easily break through this crust and rush upon us." "who will assist the nome king?" inquired the scarecrow. "the whimsies, the growleywogs and the phanfasms," she replied. "i watched to-day in my magic picture the messengers whom the nome king sent to all these people to summon them to assemble in his great caverns." "let us see what they are doing now," suggested the tin woodman. so ozma wished to see the nome king's cavern, and at once the landscape faded from the magic picture and was replaced by the scene then being enacted in the jeweled cavern of king roquat. a wild and startling scene it was which the oz people beheld. before the nome king stood the chief of the whimsies and the grand gallipoot of the growleywogs, surrounded by their most skillful generals. very fierce and powerful they looked, so that even the nome king and general guph, who stood beside his master, seemed a bit fearful in the presence of their allies. now a still more formidable creature entered the cavern. it was the first and foremost of the phanfasms and he proudly sat down in king roquat's own throne and demanded the right to lead his forces through the tunnel in advance of all the others. the first and foremost now appeared to all eyes in his hairy skin and the bear's head. what his real form was even roquat did not know. through the arches leading into the vast series of caverns that lay beyond the throne room of king roquat could be seen ranks upon ranks of the invaders--thousands of phanfasms, growleywogs and whimsies standing in serried lines, while behind them were massed the thousands upon thousands of general guph's own army of nomes. "listen!" whispered ozma. "i think we can hear what they are saying." so they kept still and listened. "is all ready?" demanded the first and foremost, haughtily. "the tunnel is finally completed," replied general guph. "how long will it take us to march to the emerald city?" asked the grand gallipoot of the growleywogs. "if we start at midnight," replied the nome king, "we shall arrive at the emerald city by daybreak. then, while all the oz people are sleeping, we will capture them and make them our slaves. after that we will destroy the city itself and march through the land of oz, burning and devastating as we go." "good!" cried the first and foremost. "when we get through with oz it will be a desert wilderness. ozma shall be my slave." "she shall be my slave!" shouted the grand gallipoot, angrily. "we'll decide that by and by," said king roquat hastily. "don't let us quarrel now, friends. first let us conquer oz, and then we will divide the spoils of war in a satisfactory manner." the first and foremost smiled wickedly; but he only said: "i and my phanfasms go first, for nothing on earth can oppose our power." they all agreed to that, knowing the phanfasms to be the mightiest of the combined forces. king roquat now invited them to attend a banquet he had prepared, where they might occupy themselves in eating and drinking until midnight arrived. as they had now seen and heard all of the plot against them that they cared to, ozma allowed her magic picture to fade away. then she turned to her friends and said: "our enemies will be here sooner than i expected. what do you advise me to do?" "it is now too late to assemble our people," said the tin woodman, despondently. "if you had allowed me to arm and drill my winkies, we might have put up a good fight and destroyed many of our enemies before we were conquered." "the munchkins are good fighters, too," said omby amby; "and so are the gillikins." "but i do not wish to fight," declared ozma, firmly. "no one has the right to destroy any living creatures, however evil they may be, or to hurt them or make them unhappy. i will not fight, even to save my kingdom." "the nome king is not so particular," remarked the scarecrow. "he intends to destroy us all and ruin our beautiful country." "because the nome king intends to do evil is no excuse for my doing the same," replied ozma. "self-preservation is the first law of nature," quoted the shaggy man. "true," she said, readily. "i would like to discover a plan to save ourselves without fighting." that seemed a hopeless task to them, but realizing that ozma was determined not to fight, they tried to think of some means that might promise escape. "couldn't we bribe our enemies, by giving them a lot of emeralds and gold?" asked jack pumpkinhead. "no, because they believe they are able to take everything we have," replied the ruler. "i have thought of something," said dorothy. "what is it, dear?" asked ozma. "let us use the magic belt to wish all of us in kansas. we will put some emeralds in our pockets, and can sell them in topeka for enough to pay off the mortgage on uncle henry's farm. then we can all live together and be happy." "a clever idea!" exclaimed the scarecrow. "kansas is a very good country. i've been there," said the shaggy man. "that seems to me an excellent plan," approved the tin woodman. "no!" said ozma, decidedly. "never will i desert my people and leave them to so cruel a fate. i will use the magic belt to send the rest of you to kansas, if you wish, but if my beloved country must be destroyed and my people enslaved i will remain and share their fate." "quite right," asserted the scarecrow, sighing. "i will remain with you." "and so will i," declared the tin woodman and the shaggy man and jack pumpkinhead, in turn. tiktok, the machine man, also said he intended to stand by ozma. "for," said he, "i should be of no use at all in kan-sas." "for my part," announced dorothy, gravely, "if the ruler of oz must not desert her people, a princess of oz has no right to run away, either. i'm willing to become a slave with the rest of you; so all we can do with the magic belt is to use it to send uncle henry and aunt em back to kansas." "i've been a slave all my life," aunt em replied, with considerable cheerfulness, "and so has henry. i guess we won't go back to kansas, anyway. i'd rather take my chances with the rest of you." ozma smiled upon them all gratefully. "there is no need to despair just yet," she said. "i'll get up early to-morrow morning and be at the forbidden fountain when the fierce warriors break through the crust of the earth. i will speak to them pleasantly and perhaps they won't be so very bad, after all." "why do they call it the forbidden fountain?" asked dorothy, thoughtfully. "don't you know, dear?" returned ozma, surprised. "no," said dorothy. "of course i've seen the fountain in the palace grounds, ever since i first came to oz; and i've read the sign which says: 'all persons are forbidden to drink at this fountain.' but i never knew why they were forbidden. the water seems clear and sparkling and it bubbles up in a golden basin all the time." "that water," declared ozma, gravely, "is the most dangerous thing in all the land of oz. it is the water of oblivion." "what does that mean?" asked dorothy. "whoever drinks at the forbidden fountain at once forgets everything he has ever known," ozma asserted. "it wouldn't be a bad way to forget our troubles," suggested uncle henry. "that is true; but you would forget everything else, and become as ignorant as a baby," returned ozma. "does it make one crazy?" asked dorothy. "no; it only makes one forget," replied the girl ruler. "it is said that once--long, long ago--a wicked king ruled oz, and made himself and all his people very miserable and unhappy. so glinda, the good sorceress, placed this fountain here, and the king drank of its water and forgot all his wickedness. his mind became innocent and vacant, and when he learned the things of life again they were all good things. but the people remembered how wicked their king had been, and were still afraid of him. therefore, he made them all drink of the water of oblivion and forget everything they had known, so that they became as simple and innocent as their king. after that, they all grew wise together, and their wisdom was good, so that peace and happiness reigned in the land. but for fear some one might drink of the water again, and in an instant forget all he had learned, the king put that sign upon the fountain, where it has remained for many centuries up to this very day." they had all listened intently to ozma's story, and when she finished speaking there was a long period of silence while all thought upon the curious magical power of the water of oblivion. finally the scarecrow's painted face took on a broad smile that stretched the cloth as far as it would go. "how thankful i am," he said, "that i have such an excellent assortment of brains!" "i gave you the best brains i ever mixed," declared the wizard, with an air of pride. "you did, indeed!" agreed the scarecrow, "and they work so splendidly that they have found a way to save oz--to save us all!" "i'm glad to hear that," said the wizard. "we never needed saving more than we do just now." "do you mean to say you can save us from those awful phanfasms, and growleywogs and whimsies?" asked dorothy eagerly. "i'm sure of it, my dear," asserted the scarecrow, still smiling genially. "tell us how!" cried the tin woodman. "not now," said the scarecrow. "you may all go to bed, and i advise you to forget your worries just as completely as if you had drunk of the water of oblivion in the forbidden fountain. i'm going to stay here and tell my plan to ozma alone, but if you will all be at the forbidden fountain at daybreak, you'll see how easily we will save the kingdom when our enemies break through the crust of earth and come from the tunnel." so they went away and let the scarecrow and ozma alone; but dorothy could not sleep a wink all night. "he is only a scarecrow," she said to herself, "and i'm not sure that his mixed brains are as clever as he thinks they are." but she knew that if the scarecrow's plan failed they were all lost; so she tried to have faith in him. . how the fierce warriors invaded oz the nome king and his terrible allies sat at the banquet table until midnight. there was much quarreling between the growleywogs and phanfasms, and one of the wee-headed whimsies got angry at general guph and choked him until he nearly stopped breathing. yet no one was seriously hurt, and the nome king felt much relieved when the clock struck twelve and they all sprang up and seized their weapons. "aha!" shouted the first and foremost. "now to conquer the land of oz!" he marshaled his phanfasms in battle array and at his word of command they marched into the tunnel and began the long journey through it to the emerald city. the first and foremost intended to take all the treasures of oz for himself; to kill all who could be killed and enslave the rest; to destroy and lay waste the whole country, and afterward to conquer and enslave the nomes, the growleywogs and the whimsies. and he knew his power was sufficient to enable him to do all these things easily. next marched into the tunnel the army of gigantic growleywogs, with their grand gallipoot at their head. they were dreadful beings, indeed, and longed to get to oz that they might begin to pilfer and destroy. the grand gallipoot was a little afraid of the first and foremost, but had a cunning plan to murder or destroy that powerful being and secure the wealth of oz for himself. mighty little of the plunder would the nome king get, thought the grand gallipoot. the chief of the whimsies now marched his false-headed forces into the tunnel. in his wicked little head was a plot to destroy both the first and foremost and the grand gallipoot. he intended to let them conquer oz, since they insisted on going first; but he would afterward treacherously destroy them, as well as king roquat, and keep all the slaves and treasure of ozma's kingdom for himself. after all his dangerous allies had marched into the tunnel the nome king and general guph started to follow them, at the head of fifty thousand nomes, all fully armed. "guph," said the king, "those creatures ahead of us mean mischief. they intend to get everything for themselves and leave us nothing." "i know," replied the general; "but they are not as clever as they think they are. when you get the magic belt you must at once wish the whimsies and growleywogs and phanfasms all back into their own countries--and the belt will surely take them there." "good!" cried the king. "an excellent plan, guph. i'll do it. while they are conquering oz i'll get the magic belt, and then only the nomes will remain to ravage the country." so you see there was only one thing that all were agreed upon--that oz should be destroyed. on, on, on the vast ranks of invaders marched, filling the tunnel from side to side. with a steady tramp, tramp, they advanced, every step taking them nearer to the beautiful emerald city. "nothing can save the land of oz!" thought the first and foremost, scowling until his bear face was as black as the tunnel. "the emerald city is as good as destroyed already!" muttered the grand gallipoot, shaking his war club fiercely. "in a few hours oz will be a desert!" said the chief of the whimsies, with an evil laugh. "my dear guph," remarked the nome king to his general, "at last my vengeance upon ozma of oz and her people is about to be accomplished." "you are right!" declared the general. "ozma is surely lost." and now the first and foremost, who was in advance and nearing the emerald city, began to cough and to sneeze. "this tunnel is terribly dusty," he growled, angrily. "i'll punish that nome king for not having it swept clean. my throat and eyes are getting full of dust and i'm as thirsty as a fish!" the grand gallipoot was coughing too, and his throat was parched and dry. "what a dusty place!" he cried. "i'll be glad when we reach oz, where we can get a drink." "who has any water?" asked the whimsie chief, gasping and choking. but none of his followers carried a drop of water, so he hastened on to get through the dusty tunnel to the land of oz. "where did all this dust come from?" demanded general guph, trying hard to swallow but finding his throat so dry he couldn't. "i don't know," answered the nome king. "i've been in the tunnel every day while it was being built, but i never noticed any dust before." "let's hurry!" cried the general. "i'd give half the gold in oz for a drink of water." the dust grew thicker and thicker, and the throats and eyes and noses of the invaders were filled with it. but not one halted or turned back. they hurried forward more fierce and vengeful than ever. . how they drank at the forbidden fountain the scarecrow had no need to sleep; neither had the tin woodman or tiktok or jack pumpkinhead. so they all wandered out into the palace grounds and stood beside the sparkling water of the forbidden fountain until daybreak. during this time they indulged in occasional conversation. "nothing could make me forget what i know," remarked the scarecrow, gazing into the fountain, "for i cannot drink the water of oblivion or water of any kind. and i am glad that this is so, for i consider my wisdom unexcelled." "you are cer-tain-ly ve-ry wise," agreed tiktok. "for my part, i can on-ly think by ma-chin-er-y, so i do not pre-tend to know as much as you do." "my tin brains are very bright, but that is all i claim for them," said nick chopper, modestly. "yet i do not aspire to being very wise, for i have noticed that the happiest people are those who do not let their brains oppress them." "mine never worry me," jack pumpkinhead acknowledged. "there are many seeds of thought in my head, but they do not sprout easily. i am glad that it is so, for if i occupied my days in thinking i should have no time for anything else." in this cheery mood they passed the hours until the first golden streaks of dawn appeared in the sky. then ozma joined them, as fresh and lovely as ever and robed in one of her prettiest gowns. "our enemies have not yet arrived," said the scarecrow, after greeting affectionately the sweet and girlish ruler. "they will soon be here," she said, "for i have just glanced at my magic picture, and have seen them coughing and choking with the dust in the tunnel." "oh, is there dust in the tunnel?" asked the tin woodman. "yes; ozma placed it there by means of the magic belt," explained the scarecrow, with one of his broad smiles. then dorothy came to them, uncle henry and aunt em following close after her. the little girl's eyes were heavy because she had had a sleepless and anxious night. toto walked by her side, but the little dog's spirits were very much subdued. billina, who was always up by daybreak, was not long in joining the group by the fountain. the wizard and the shaggy man next arrived, and soon after appeared omby amby, dressed in his best uniform. "there lies the tunnel," said ozma, pointing to a part of the ground just before the forbidden fountain, "and in a few moments the dreadful invaders will break through the earth and swarm over the land. let us all stand on the other side of the fountain and watch to see what happens." at once they followed her suggestion and moved around the fountain of the water of oblivion. there they stood silent and expectant until the earth beyond gave way with a sudden crash and up leaped the powerful form of the first and foremost, followed by all his grim warriors. as the leader sprang forward his gleaming eyes caught the play of the fountain and he rushed toward it and drank eagerly of the sparkling water. many of the other phanfasms drank, too, in order to clear their dry and dusty throats. then they stood around and looked at one another with simple, wondering smiles. the first and foremost saw ozma and her companions beyond the fountain, but instead of making an effort to capture her he merely stared at her in pleased admiration of her beauty--for he had forgotten where he was and why he had come there. but now the grand gallipoot arrived, rushing from the tunnel with a hoarse cry of mingled rage and thirst. he too saw the fountain and hastened to drink of its forbidden waters. the other growleywogs were not slow to follow suit, and even before they had finished drinking the chief of the whimsies and his people came to push them away, while they one and all cast off their false heads that they might slake their thirst at the fountain. when the nome king and general guph arrived they both made a dash to drink, but the general was so mad with thirst that he knocked his king over, and while roquat lay sprawling upon the ground the general drank heartily of the water of oblivion. this rude act of his general made the nome king so angry that for a moment he forgot he was thirsty and rose to his feet to glare upon the group of terrible warriors he had brought here to assist him. he saw ozma and her people, too, and yelled out: "why don't you capture them? why don't you conquer oz, you idiots? why do you stand there like a lot of dummies?" but the great warriors had become like little children. they had forgotten all their enmity against ozma and against oz. they had even forgotten who they themselves were, or why they were in this strange and beautiful country. as for the nome king, they did not recognize him, and wondered who he was. the sun came up and sent its flood of silver rays to light the faces of the invaders. the frowns and scowls and evil looks were all gone. even the most monstrous of the creatures there assembled smiled innocently and seemed light-hearted and content merely to be alive. not so with roquat, the nome king. he had not drunk from the forbidden fountain and all his former rage against ozma and dorothy now inflamed him as fiercely as ever. the sight of general guph babbling like a happy child and playing with his hands in the cool waters of the fountain astonished and maddened red roquat. seeing that his terrible allies and his own general refused to act, the nome king turned to order his great army of nomes to advance from the tunnel and seize the helpless oz people. but the scarecrow suspected what was in the king's mind and spoke a word to the tin woodman. together they ran at roquat and grabbing him up tossed him into the great basin of the fountain. the nome king's body was round as a ball, and it bobbed up and down in the water of oblivion while he spluttered and screamed with fear lest he should drown. and when he cried out, his mouth filled with water, which ran down his throat, so that straightway he forgot all he had formerly known just as completely as had all the other invaders. ozma and dorothy could not refrain from laughing to see their dreaded enemies become as harmless as babies. there was no danger now that oz would be destroyed. the only question remaining to solve was how to get rid of this horde of intruders. the shaggy man kindly pulled the nome king out of the fountain and set him upon his thin legs. roquat was dripping wet, but he chattered and laughed and wanted to drink more of the water. no thought of injuring any person was now in his mind. before he left the tunnel he had commanded his fifty thousand nomes to remain there until he ordered them to advance, as he wished to give his allies time to conquer oz before he appeared with his own army. ozma did not wish all these nomes to overrun her land, so she advanced to king roquat and taking his hand in her own said gently: "who are you? what is your name?" "i don't know," he replied, smiling at her. "who are you, my dear?" "my name is ozma," she said; "and your name is roquat." "oh, is it?" he replied, seeming pleased. "yes; you are king of the nomes," she said. "ah; i wonder what the nomes are!" returned the king, as if puzzled. "they are underground elves, and that tunnel over there is full of them," she answered. "you have a beautiful cavern at the other end of the tunnel, so you must go to your nomes and say: 'march home!' then follow after them and in time you will reach the pretty cavern where you live." the nome king was much pleased to learn this, for he had forgotten he had a cavern. so he went to the tunnel and said to his army: 'march home!' at once the nomes turned and marched back through the tunnel, and the king followed after them, laughing with delight to find his orders so readily obeyed. the wizard went to general guph, who was trying to count his fingers, and told him to follow the nome king, who was his master. guph meekly obeyed, and so all the nomes quitted the land of oz forever. but there were still the phanfasms and whimsies and growleywogs standing around in groups, and they were so many that they filled the gardens and trampled upon the flowers and grass because they did not know that the tender plants would be injured by their clumsy feet. but in all other respects they were perfectly harmless and played together like children or gazed with pleasure upon the pretty sights of the royal gardens. after counseling with the scarecrow ozma sent omby amby to the palace for the magic belt, and when the captain general returned with it the ruler of oz at once clasped the precious belt around her waist. "i wish all these strange people--the whimsies and the growleywogs and the phanfasms--safe back in their own homes!" she said. it all happened in a twinkling, for of course the wish was no sooner spoken than it was granted. all the hosts of the invaders were gone, and only the trampled grass showed that they had ever been in the land of oz. . how glinda worked a magic spell "that was better than fighting," said ozma, when all our friends were assembled in the palace after the exciting events of the morning; and each and every one agreed with her. "no one was hurt," said the wizard, delightedly. "and no one hurt us," added aunt em. "but, best of all," said dorothy, "the wicked people have all forgotten their wickedness, and will not wish to hurt any one after this." "true, princess," declared the shaggy man. "it seems to me that to have reformed all those evil characters is more important than to have saved oz." "nevertheless," remarked the scarecrow, "i am glad oz is saved. i can now go back to my new mansion and live happily." "and i am glad and grateful that my pumpkin farm is saved," said jack. "for my part," added the tin woodman, "i cannot express my joy that my lovely tin castle is not to be demolished by wicked enemies." "still," said tiktok, "o-ther en-e-mies may come to oz some day." "why do you allow your clock-work brains to interrupt our joy?" asked omby amby, frowning at the machine man. "i say what i am wound up to say," answered tiktok. "and you are right," declared ozma. "i myself have been thinking of this very idea, and it seems to me there are entirely too many ways for people to get to the land of oz. we used to think the deadly desert that surrounds us was enough protection; but that is no longer the case. the wizard and dorothy have both come here through the air, and i am told the earth people have invented airships that can fly anywhere they wish them to go." "why, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't," asserted dorothy. "but in time the airships may cause us trouble," continued ozma, "for if the earth folk learn how to manage them we would be overrun with visitors who would ruin our lovely, secluded fairyland." "that is true enough," agreed the wizard. "also the desert fails to protect us in other ways," ozma went on, thoughtfully. "johnny dooit once made a sand-boat that sailed across it, and the nome king made a tunnel under it. so i believe something ought to be done to cut us off from the rest of the world entirely, so that no one in the future will ever be able to intrude upon us." "how will you do that?" asked the scarecrow. "i do not know; but in some way i am sure it can be accomplished. to-morrow i will make a journey to the castle of glinda the good, and ask her advice." "may i go with you?" asked dorothy, eagerly. "of course, my dear princess; and i also invite any of our friends here who would like to undertake the journey." they all declared they wished to accompany their girl ruler, for this was indeed an important mission, since the future of the land of oz to a great extent depended upon it. so ozma gave orders to her servants to prepare for the journey on the morrow. that day she watched her magic picture, and when it showed her that all the nomes had returned through the tunnel to their underground caverns, ozma used the magic belt to close up the tunnel, so that the earth underneath the desert sands became as solid as it was before the nomes began to dig. early the following morning a gay cavalcade set out to visit the famous sorceress, glinda the good. ozma and dorothy rode in a chariot drawn by the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, while the sawhorse drew the red wagon in which rode the rest of the party. with hearts light and free from care they traveled merrily along through the lovely and fascinating land of oz, and in good season reached the stately castle in which resided the sorceress. glinda knew that they were coming. "i have been reading about you in my magic book," she said, as she greeted them in her gracious way. "what is your magic book like?" inquired aunt em, curiously. "it is a record of everything that happens," replied the sorceress. "as soon as an event takes place, anywhere in the world, it is immediately found printed in my magic book. so when i read its pages i am well informed." "did it tell you how our enemies drank the water of 'blivion?" asked dorothy. "yes, my dear; it told all about it. and also it told me you were all coming to my castle, and why." "then," said ozma, "i suppose you know what is in my mind, and that i am seeking a way to prevent any one in the future from discovering the land of oz." "yes; i know that. and while you were on your journey i have thought of a way to accomplish your desire. for it seems to me unwise to allow too many outside people to come here. dorothy, with her uncle and aunt, has now returned to oz to live always, and there is no reason why we should leave any way open for others to travel uninvited to our fairyland. let us make it impossible for any one ever to communicate with us in any way, after this. then we may live peacefully and contentedly." "your advice is wise," returned ozma. "i thank you, glinda, for your promise to assist me." "but how can you do it?" asked dorothy. "how can you keep every one from ever finding oz?" "by making our country invisible to all eyes but our own," replied the sorceress, smiling. "i have a magic charm powerful enough to accomplish that wonderful feat, and now that we have been warned of our danger by the nome king's invasion, i believe we must not hesitate to separate ourselves forever from all the rest of the world." "i agree with you," said the ruler of oz. "won't it make any difference to us?" asked dorothy, doubtfully. "no, my dear," glinda answered, assuringly. "we shall still be able to see each other and everything in the land of oz. it won't affect us at all; but those who fly through the air over our country will look down and see nothing at all. those who come to the edge of the desert, or try to cross it, will catch no glimpse of oz, or know in what direction it lies. no one will try to tunnel to us again because we cannot be seen and therefore cannot be found. in other words, the land of oz will entirely disappear from the knowledge of the rest of the world." "that's all right," said dorothy, cheerfully. "you may make oz invis'ble as soon as you please, for all i care." "it is already invisible," glinda stated. "i knew ozma's wishes, and performed the magic spell before you arrived." ozma seized the hand of the sorceress and pressed it gratefully. "thank you!" she said. . how the story of oz came to an end the writer of these oz stories has received a little note from princess dorothy of oz which, for a time, has made him feel rather disconcerted. the note was written on a broad, white feather from a stork's wing, and it said: "you will never hear anything more about oz, because we are now cut off forever from all the rest of the world. but toto and i will always love you and all the other children who love us. "dorothy gale." this seemed to me too bad, at first, for oz is a very interesting fairyland. still, we have no right to feel grieved, for we have had enough of the history of the land of oz to fill six story books, and from its quaint people and their strange adventures we have been able to learn many useful and amusing things. so good luck to little dorothy and her companions. may they live long in their invisible country and be very happy! the scarecrow of oz by l. frank baum dedicated to "the uplifters" of los angeles, california, in grateful appreciation of the pleasure i have derived from association with them, and in recognition of their sincere endeavor to uplift humanity through kindness, consideration and good-fellowship. they are big men--all of them--and all with the generous hearts of little children. l. frank baum 'twixt you and me the army of children which besieged the postoffice, conquered the postmen and delivered to me its imperious commands, insisted that trot and cap'n bill be admitted to the land of oz, where trot could enjoy the society of dorothy, betsy bobbin and ozma, while the one-legged sailor-man might become a comrade of the tin woodman, the shaggy man, tik-tok and all the other quaint people who inhabit this wonderful fairyland. it was no easy task to obey this order and land trot and cap'n bill safely in oz, as you will discover by reading this book. indeed, it required the best efforts of our dear old friend, the scarecrow, to save them from a dreadful fate on the journey; but the story leaves them happily located in ozma's splendid palace and dorothy has promised me that button-bright and the three girls are sure to encounter, in the near future, some marvelous adventures in the land of oz, which i hope to be permitted to relate to you in the next oz book. meantime, i am deeply grateful to my little readers for their continued enthusiasm over the oz stories, as evinced in the many letters they send me, all of which are lovingly cherished. it takes more and more oz books every year to satisfy the demands of old and new readers, and there have been formed many "oz reading societies," where the oz books owned by different members are read aloud. all this is very gratifying to me and encourages me to write more stories. when the children have had enough of them, i hope they will let me know, and then i'll try to write something different. l. frank baum "royal historian of oz." "ozcot" at hollywood in california, . list of chapters - the great whirlpool - the cavern under the sea - the ork - daylight at last - the little old man of the island - the flight of the midgets - the bumpy man - button-bright is lost, and found again - the kingdom of jinxland - pon, the gardener's boy - the wicked king and googly-goo - the wooden-legged grass-hopper - glinda the good and the scarecrow of oz - the frozen heart - trot meets the scarecrow - pon summons the king to surrender - the ork rescues button-bright - the scarecrow meets an enemy - the conquest of the witch - queen gloria - dorothy, betsy and ozma - the waterfall - the land of oz - the royal reception chapter one the great whirlpool "seems to me," said cap'n bill, as he sat beside trot under the big acacia tree, looking out over the blue ocean, "seems to me, trot, as how the more we know, the more we find we don't know." "i can't quite make that out, cap'n bill," answered the little girl in a serious voice, after a moment's thought, during which her eyes followed those of the old sailor-man across the glassy surface of the sea. "seems to me that all we learn is jus' so much gained." "i know; it looks that way at first sight," said the sailor, nodding his head; "but those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'ble big world this is. it's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain't long enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge." trot didn't answer. she was a very little girl, with big, solemn eyes and an earnest, simple manner. cap'n bill had been her faithful companion for years and had taught her almost everything she knew. he was a wonderful man, this cap'n bill. not so very old, although his hair was grizzled--what there was of it. most of his head was bald as an egg and as shiny as oilcloth, and this made his big ears stick out in a funny way. his eyes had a gentle look and were pale blue in color, and his round face was rugged and bronzed. cap'n bill's left leg was missing, from the knee down, and that was why the sailor no longer sailed the seas. the wooden leg he wore was good enough to stump around with on land, or even to take trot out for a row or a sail on the ocean, but when it came to "runnin' up aloft" or performing active duties on shipboard, the old sailor was not equal to the task. the loss of his leg had ruined his career and the old sailor found comfort in devoting himself to the education and companionship of the little girl. the accident to cap'n bill's leg bad happened at about the time trot was born, and ever since that he had lived with trot's mother as "a star boarder," having enough money saved up to pay for his weekly "keep." he loved the baby and often held her on his lap; her first ride was on cap'n bill's shoulders, for she had no baby-carriage; and when she began to toddle around, the child and the sailor became close comrades and enjoyed many strange adventures together. it is said the fairies had been present at trot's birth and had marked her forehead with their invisible mystic signs, so that she was able to see and do many wonderful things. the acacia tree was on top of a high bluff, but a path ran down the bank in a zigzag way to the water's edge, where cap'n bill's boat was moored to a rock by means of a stout cable. it had been a hot, sultry afternoon, with scarcely a breath of air stirring, so cap'n bill and trot had been quietly sitting beneath the shade of the tree, waiting for the sun to get low enough for them to take a row. they had decided to visit one of the great caves which the waves had washed out of the rocky coast during many years of steady effort. the caves were a source of continual delight to both the girl and the sailor, who loved to explore their awesome depths. "i b'lieve, cap'n," remarked trot, at last, "that it's time for us to start." the old man cast a shrewd glance at the sky, the sea and the motionless boat. then he shook his head. "mebbe it's time, trot," he answered, "but i don't jes' like the looks o' things this afternoon." "what's wrong?" she asked wonderingly. "can't say as to that. things is too quiet to suit me, that's all. no breeze, not a ripple a-top the water, nary a gull a-flyin' anywhere, an' the end o' the hottest day o' the year. i ain't no weather-prophet, trot, but any sailor would know the signs is ominous." "there's nothing wrong that i can see," said trot. "if there was a cloud in the sky even as big as my thumb, we might worry about it; but--look, cap'n!--the sky is as clear as can be." he looked again and nodded. "p'r'aps we can make the cave, all right," he agreed, not wishing to disappoint her. "it's only a little way out, an' we'll be on the watch; so come along, trot." together they descended the winding path to the beach. it was no trouble for the girl to keep her footing on the steep way, but cap'n bill, because of his wooden leg, had to hold on to rocks and roots now and then to save himself from tumbling. on a level path he was as spry as anyone, but to climb up hill or down required some care. they reached the boat safely and while trot was untying the rope cap'n bill reached into a crevice of the rock and drew out several tallow candles and a box of wax matches, which he thrust into the capacious pockets of his "sou'wester." this sou'wester was a short coat of oilskin which the old sailor wore on all occasions--when he wore a coat at all--and the pockets always contained a variety of objects, useful and ornamental, which made even trot wonder where they all came from and why cap'n bill should treasure them. the jackknives--a big one and a little one--the bits of cord, the fishhooks, the nails: these were handy to have on certain occasions. but bits of shell, and tin boxes with unknown contents, buttons, pincers, bottles of curious stones and the like, seemed quite unnecessary to carry around. that was cap'n bill's business, however, and now that he added the candles and the matches to his collection trot made no comment, for she knew these last were to light their way through the caves. the sailor always rowed the boat, for he handled the oars with strength and skill. trot sat in the stern and steered. the place where they embarked was a little bight or circular bay, and the boat cut across a much larger bay toward a distant headland where the caves were located, right at the water's edge. they were nearly a mile from shore and about halfway across the bay when trot suddenly sat up straight and exclaimed: "what's that, cap'n?" he stopped rowing and turned half around to look. "that, trot," he slowly replied, "looks to me mighty like a whirlpool." "what makes it, cap'n?" "a whirl in the air makes the whirl in the water. i was afraid as we'd meet with trouble, trot. things didn't look right. the air was too still." "it's coming closer," said the girl. the old man grabbed the oars and began rowing with all his strength. "'tain't comin' closer to us, trot," he gasped; "it's we that are comin' closer to the whirlpool. the thing is drawin' us to it like a magnet!" trot's sun-bronzed face was a little paler as she grasped the tiller firmly and tried to steer the boat away; but she said not a word to indicate fear. the swirl of the water as they came nearer made a roaring sound that was fearful to listen to. so fierce and powerful was the whirlpool that it drew the surface of the sea into the form of a great basin, slanting downward toward the center, where a big hole had been made in the ocean--a hole with walls of water that were kept in place by the rapid whirling of the air. the boat in which trot and cap'n bill were riding was just on the outer edge of this saucer-like slant, and the old sailor knew very well that unless he could quickly force the little craft away from the rushing current they would soon be drawn into the great black hole that yawned in the middle. so he exerted all his might and pulled as he had never pulled before. he pulled so hard that the left oar snapped in two and sent cap'n bill sprawling upon the bottom of the boat. he scrambled up quickly enough and glanced over the side. then he looked at trot, who sat quite still, with a serious, far-away look in her sweet eyes. the boat was now speeding swiftly of its own accord, following the line of the circular basin round and round and gradually drawing nearer to the great hole in the center. any further effort to escape the whirlpool was useless, and realizing this fact cap'n bill turned toward trot and put an arm around her, as if to shield her from the awful fate before them. he did not try to speak, because the roar of the waters would have drowned the sound of his voice. these two faithful comrades had faced dangers before, but nothing to equal that which now faced them. yet cap'n bill, noting the look in trot's eyes and remembering how often she had been protected by unseen powers, did not quite give way to despair. the great hole in the dark water--now growing nearer and nearer--looked very terrifying; but they were both brave enough to face it and await the result of the adventure. chapter two the cavern under the sea the circles were so much smaller at the bottom of the basin, and the boat moved so much more swiftly, that trot was beginning to get dizzy with the motion, when suddenly the boat made a leap and dived headlong into the murky depths of the hole. whirling like tops, but still clinging together, the sailor and the girl were separated from their boat and plunged down--down--down--into the farthermost recesses of the great ocean. at first their fall was swift as an arrow, but presently they seemed to be going more moderately and trot was almost sure that unseen arms were about her, supporting her and protecting her. she could see nothing, because the water filled her eyes and blurred her vision, but she clung fast to cap'n bill's sou'wester, while other arms clung fast to her, and so they gradually sank down and down until a full stop was made, when they began to ascend again. but it seemed to trot that they were not rising straight to the surface from where they had come. the water was no longer whirling them and they seemed to be drawn in a slanting direction through still, cool ocean depths. and then--in much quicker time than i have told it--up they popped to the surface and were cast at full length upon a sandy beach, where they lay choking and gasping for breath and wondering what had happened to them. trot was the first to recover. disengaging herself from cap'n bill's wet embrace and sitting up, she rubbed the water from her eyes and then looked around her. a soft, bluish-green glow lighted the place, which seemed to be a sort of cavern, for above and on either side of her were rugged rocks. they had been cast upon a beach of clear sand, which slanted upward from the pool of water at their feet--a pool which doubtless led into the big ocean that fed it. above the reach of the waves of the pool were more rocks, and still more and more, into the dim windings and recesses of which the glowing light from the water did not penetrate. the place looked grim and lonely, but trot was thankful that she was still alive and had suffered no severe injury during her trying adventure under water. at her side cap'n bill was sputtering and coughing, trying to get rid of the water he had swallowed. both of them were soaked through, yet the cavern was warm and comfortable and a wetting did not dismay the little girl in the least. she crawled up the slant of sand and gathered in her hand a bunch of dried seaweed, with which she mopped the face of cap'n bill and cleared the water from his eyes and ears. presently the old man sat up and stared at her intently. then he nodded his bald head three times and said in a gurgling voice: "mighty good, trot; mighty good! we didn't reach davy jones's locker that time, did we? though why we didn't, an' why we're here, is more'n i kin make out." "take it easy, cap'n," she replied. "we're safe enough, i guess, at least for the time being." he squeezed the water out of the bottoms of his loose trousers and felt of his wooden leg and arms and head, and finding he had brought all of his person with him he gathered courage to examine closely their surroundings. "where d'ye think we are, trot?" he presently asked. "can't say, cap'n. p'r'aps in one of our caves." he shook his head. "no," said he, "i don't think that, at all. the distance we came up didn't seem half as far as the distance we went down; an' you'll notice there ain't any outside entrance to this cavern whatever. it's a reg'lar dome over this pool o' water, and unless there's some passage at the back, up yonder, we're fast pris'ners." trot looked thoughtfully over her shoulder. "when we're rested," she said, "we will crawl up there and see if there's a way to get out." cap'n bill reached in the pocket of his oilskin coat and took out his pipe. it was still dry, for he kept it in an oilskin pouch with his tobacco. his matches were in a tight tin box, so in a few moments the old sailor was smoking contentedly. trot knew it helped him to think when he was in any difficulty. also, the pipe did much to restore the old sailor's composure, after his long ducking and his terrible fright--a fright that was more on trot's account than his own. the sand was dry where they sat, and soaked up the water that dripped from their clothing. when trot had squeezed the wet out of her hair she began to feel much like her old self again. by and by they got upon their feet and crept up the incline to the scattered boulders above. some of these were of huge size, but by passing between some and around others, they were able to reach the extreme rear of the cavern. "yes," said trot, with interest, "here's a round hole." "and it's black as night inside it," remarked cap'n bill. "just the same," answered the girl, "we ought to explore it, and see where it goes, 'cause it's the only poss'ble way we can get out of this place." cap'n bill eyed the hole doubtfully "it may be a way out o' here, trot," he said, "but it may be a way into a far worse place than this. i'm not sure but our best plan is to stay right here." trot wasn't sure, either, when she thought of it in that light. after awhile she made her way back to the sands again, and cap'n bill followed her. as they sat down, the child looked thoughtfully at the sailor's bulging pockets. "how much food have we got, cap'n?" she asked. "half a dozen ship's biscuits an' a hunk o' cheese," he replied. "want some now, trot?" she shook her head, saying: "that ought to keep us alive 'bout three days if we're careful of it." "longer'n that, trot," said cap'n bill, but his voice was a little troubled and unsteady. "but if we stay here we're bound to starve in time," continued the girl, "while if we go into the dark hole--" "some things are more hard to face than starvation," said the sailor-man, gravely. "we don't know what's inside that dark hole: trot, nor where it might lead us to." "there's a way to find that out," she persisted. instead of replying, cap'n bill began searching in his pockets. he soon drew out a little package of fish-hooks and a long line. trot watched him join them together. then he crept a little way up the slope and turned over a big rock. two or three small crabs began scurrying away over the sands and the old sailor caught them and put one on his hook and the others in his pocket. coming back to the pool he swung the hook over his shoulder and circled it around his head and cast it nearly into the center of the water, where he allowed it to sink gradually, paying out the line as far as it would go. when the end was reached, he began drawing it in again, until the crab bait was floating on the surface. trot watched him cast the line a second time, and a third. she decided that either there were no fishes in the pool or they would not bite the crab bait. but cap'n bill was an old fisherman and not easily discouraged. when the crab got away he put another on the hook. when the crabs were all gone he climbed up the rocks and found some more. meantime trot tired of watching him and lay down upon the sands, where she fell fast asleep. during the next two hours her clothing dried completely, as did that of the old sailor. they were both so used to salt water that there was no danger of taking cold. finally the little girl was wakened by a splash beside her and a grunt of satisfaction from cap'n bill. she opened her eyes to find that the cap'n had landed a silver-scaled fish weighing about two pounds. this cheered her considerably and she hurried to scrape together a heap of seaweed, while cap'n bill cut up the fish with his jackknife and got it ready for cooking. they had cooked fish with seaweed before. cap'n bill wrapped his fish in some of the weed and dipped it in the water to dampen it. then he lighted a match and set fire to trot's heap, which speedily burned down to a glowing bed of ashes. then they laid the wrapped fish on the ashes, covered it with more seaweed, and allowed this to catch fire and burn to embers. after feeding the fire with seaweed for some time, the sailor finally decided that their supper was ready, so he scattered the ashes and drew out the bits of fish, still encased in their smoking wrappings. when these wrappings were removed, the fish was found thoroughly cooked and both trot and cap'n bill ate of it freely. it had a slight flavor of seaweed and would have been better with a sprinkling of salt. the soft glow which until now had lighted the cavern, began to grow dim, but there was a great quantity of seaweed in the place, so after they had eaten their fish they kept the fire alive for a time by giving it a handful of fuel now and then. from an inner pocket the sailor drew a small flask of battered metal and unscrewing the cap handed it to trot. she took but one swallow of the water although she wanted more, and she noticed that cap'n bill merely wet his lips with it. "s'pose," said she, staring at the glowing seaweed fire and speaking slowly, "that we can catch all the fish we need; how 'bout the drinking-water, cap'n?" he moved uneasily but did not reply. both of them were thinking about the dark hole, but while trot had little fear of it the old man could not overcome his dislike to enter the place. he knew that trot was right, though. to remain in the cavern, where they now were, could only result in slow but sure death. it was nighttime up on the earth's surface, so the little girl became drowsy and soon fell asleep. after a time the old sailor slumbered on the sands beside her. it was very still and nothing disturbed them for hours. when at last they awoke the cavern was light again. they had divided one of the biscuits and were munching it for breakfast when they were startled by a sudden splash in the pool. looking toward it they saw emerging from the water the most curious creature either of them had ever beheld. it wasn't a fish, trot decided, nor was it a beast. it had wings, though, and queer wings they were: shaped like an inverted chopping-bowl and covered with tough skin instead of feathers. it had four legs--much like the legs of a stork, only double the number--and its head was shaped a good deal like that of a poll parrot, with a beak that curved downward in front and upward at the edges, and was half bill and half mouth. but to call it a bird was out of the question, because it had no feathers whatever except a crest of wavy plumes of a scarlet color on the very top of its head. the strange creature must have weighed as much as cap'n bill, and as it floundered and struggled to get out of the water to the sandy beach it was so big and unusual that both trot and her companion stared at it in wonder--in wonder that was not unmixed with fear. chapter three the ork the eyes that regarded them, as the creature stood dripping before them, were bright and mild in expression, and the queer addition to their party made no attempt to attack them and seemed quite as surprised by the meeting as they were. "i wonder," whispered trot, "what it is." "who, me?" exclaimed the creature in a shrill, high-pitched voice. "why, i'm an ork." "oh!" said the girl. "but what is an ork?" "i am," he repeated, a little proudly, as he shook the water from his funny wings; "and if ever an ork was glad to be out of the water and on dry land again, you can be mighty sure that i'm that especial, individual ork!" "have you been in the water long?" inquired cap'n bill, thinking it only polite to show an interest in the strange creature. "why, this last ducking was about ten minutes, i believe, and that's about nine minutes and sixty seconds too long for comfort," was the reply. "but last night i was in an awful pickle, i assure you. the whirlpool caught me, and--" "oh, were you in the whirlpool, too?" asked trot eagerly. he gave her a glance that was somewhat reproachful. "i believe i was mentioning the fact, young lady, when your desire to talk interrupted me," said the ork. "i am not usually careless in my actions, but that whirlpool was so busy yesterday that i thought i'd see what mischief it was up to. so i flew a little too near it and the suction of the air drew me down into the depths of the ocean. water and i are natural enemies, and it would have conquered me this time had not a bevy of pretty mermaids come to my assistance and dragged me away from the whirling water and far up into a cavern, where they deserted me." "why, that's about the same thing that happened to us," cried trot. "was your cavern like this one?" "i haven't examined this one yet," answered the ork; "but if they happen to be alike i shudder at our fate, for the other one was a prison, with no outlet except by means of the water. i stayed there all night, however, and this morning i plunged into the pool, as far down as i could go, and then swam as hard and as far as i could. the rocks scraped my back, now and then, and i barely escaped the clutches of an ugly sea-monster; but by and by i came to the surface to catch my breath, and found myself here. that's the whole story, and as i see you have something to eat i entreat you to give me a share of it. the truth is, i'm half starved." with these words the ork squatted down beside them. very reluctantly cap'n bill drew another biscuit from his pocket and held it out. the ork promptly seized it in one of its front claws and began to nibble the biscuit in much the same manner a parrot might have done. "we haven't much grub," said the sailor-man, "but we're willin' to share it with a comrade in distress." "that's right," returned the ork, cocking its head sidewise in a cheerful manner, and then for a few minutes there was silence while they all ate of the biscuits. after a while trot said: "i've never seen or heard of an ork before. are there many of you?" "we are rather few and exclusive, i believe," was the reply. "in the country where i was born we are the absolute rulers of all living things, from ants to elephants." "what country is that?" asked cap'n bill. "orkland." "where does it lie?" "i don't know, exactly. you see, i have a restless nature, for some reason, while all the rest of my race are quiet and contented orks and seldom stray far from home. from childhood days i loved to fly long distances away, although father often warned me that i would get into trouble by so doing. "'it's a big world, flipper, my son,' he would say, 'and i've heard that in parts of it live queer two-legged creatures called men, who war upon all other living things and would have little respect for even an ork.' "this naturally aroused my curiosity and after i had completed my education and left school i decided to fly out into the world and try to get a glimpse of the creatures called men. so i left home without saying good-bye, an act i shall always regret. adventures were many, i found. i sighted men several times, but have never before been so close to them as now. also i had to fight my way through the air, for i met gigantic birds, with fluffy feathers all over them, which attacked me fiercely. besides, it kept me busy escaping from floating airships. in my rambling i had lost all track of distance or direction, so that when i wanted to go home i had no idea where my country was located. i've now been trying to find it for several months and it was during one of my flights over the ocean that i met the whirlpool and became its victim." trot and cap'n bill listened to this recital with much interest, and from the friendly tone and harmless appearance of the ork they judged he was not likely to prove so disagreeable a companion as at first they had feared he might be. the ork sat upon its haunches much as a cat does, but used the finger-like claws of its front legs almost as cleverly as if they were hands. perhaps the most curious thing about the creature was its tail, or what ought to have been its tail. this queer arrangement of skin, bones and muscle was shaped like the propellers used on boats and airships, having fan-like surfaces and being pivoted to its body. cap'n bill knew something of mechanics, and observing the propeller-like tail of the ork he said: "i s'pose you're a pretty swift flyer?" "yes, indeed; the orks are admitted to be kings of the air." "your wings don't seem to amount to much," remarked trot. "well, they are not very big," admitted the ork, waving the four hollow skins gently to and fro, "but they serve to support my body in the air while i speed along by means of my tail. still, taken altogether, i'm very handsomely formed, don't you think?" trot did not like to reply, but cap'n bill nodded gravely. "for an ork," said he, "you're a wonder. i've never seen one afore, but i can imagine you're as good as any." that seemed to please the creature and it began walking around the cavern, making its way easily up the slope. while it was gone, trot and cap'n bill each took another sip from the water-flask, to wash down their breakfast. "why, here's a hole--an exit--an outlet!" exclaimed the ork from above. "we know," said trot. "we found it last night." "well, then, let's be off," continued the ork, after sticking its head into the black hole and sniffing once or twice. "the air seems fresh and sweet, and it can't lead us to any worse place than this." the girl and the sailor-man got up and climbed to the side of the ork. "we'd about decided to explore this hole before you came," explained cap'n bill; "but it's a dangerous place to navigate in the dark, so wait till i light a candle." "what is a candle?" inquired the ork. "you'll see in a minute," said trot. the old sailor drew one of the candles from his right-side pocket and the tin matchbox from his left-side pocket. when he lighted the match the ork gave a startled jump and eyed the flame suspiciously; but cap'n bill proceeded to light the candle and the action interested the ork very much. "light," it said, somewhat nervously, "is valuable in a hole of this sort. the candle is not dangerous, i hope?" "sometimes it burns your fingers," answered trot, "but that's about the worst it can do--'cept to blow out when you don't want it to." cap'n bill shielded the flame with his hand and crept into the hole. it wasn't any too big for a grown man, but after he had crawled a few feet it grew larger. trot came close behind him and then the ork followed. "seems like a reg'lar tunnel," muttered the sailor-man, who was creeping along awkwardly because of his wooden leg. the rocks, too, hurt his knees. for nearly half an hour the three moved slowly along the tunnel, which made many twists and turns and sometimes slanted downward and sometimes upward. finally cap'n bill stopped short, with an exclamation of disappointment, and held the flickering candle far ahead to light the scene. "what's wrong?" demanded trot, who could see nothing because the sailor's form completely filled the hole. "why, we've come to the end of our travels, i guess," he replied. "is the hole blocked?" inquired the ork. "no; it's wuss nor that," replied cap'n bill sadly. "i'm on the edge of a precipice. wait a minute an' i'll move along and let you see for yourselves. be careful, trot, not to fall." then he crept forward a little and moved to one side, holding the candle so that the girl could see to follow him. the ork came next and now all three knelt on a narrow ledge of rock which dropped straight away and left a huge black space which the tiny flame of the candle could not illuminate. "h-m!" said the ork, peering over the edge; "this doesn't look very promising, i'll admit. but let me take your candle, and i'll fly down and see what's below us." "aren't you afraid?" asked trot. "certainly i'm afraid," responded the ork. "but if we intend to escape we can't stay on this shelf forever. so, as i notice you poor creatures cannot fly, it is my duty to explore the place for you." cap'n bill handed the ork the candle, which had now burned to about half its length. the ork took it in one claw rather cautiously and then tipped its body forward and slipped over the edge. they heard a queer buzzing sound, as the tail revolved, and a brisk flapping of the peculiar wings, but they were more interested just then in following with their eyes the tiny speck of light which marked the location of the candle. this light first made a great circle, then dropped slowly downward and suddenly was extinguished, leaving everything before them black as ink. "hi, there! how did that happen?" cried the ork. "it blew out, i guess," shouted cap'n bill. "fetch it here." "i can't see where you are," said the ork. so cap'n bill got out another candle and lighted it, and its flame enabled the ork to fly back to them. it alighted on the edge and held out the bit of candle. "what made it stop burning?" asked the creature. "the wind," said trot. "you must be more careful, this time." "what's the place like?" inquired cap'n bill. "i don't know, yet; but there must be a bottom to it, so i'll try to find it." with this the ork started out again and this time sank downward more slowly. down, down, down it went, till the candle was a mere spark, and then it headed away to the left and trot and cap'n bill lost all sight of it. in a few minutes, however, they saw the spark of light again, and as the sailor still held the second lighted candle the ork made straight toward them. it was only a few yards distant when suddenly it dropped the candle with a cry of pain and next moment alighted, fluttering wildly, upon the rocky ledge. "what's the matter?" asked trot. "it bit me!" wailed the ork. "i don't like your candles. the thing began to disappear slowly as soon as i took it in my claw, and it grew smaller and smaller until just now it turned and bit me--a most unfriendly thing to do. oh--oh! ouch, what a bite!" "that's the nature of candles, i'm sorry to say," explained cap'n bill, with a grin. "you have to handle 'em mighty keerful. but tell us, what did you find down there?" "i found a way to continue our journey," said the ork, nursing tenderly the claw which had been burned. "just below us is a great lake of black water, which looked so cold and wicked that it made me shudder; but away at the left there's a big tunnel, which we can easily walk through. i don't know where it leads to, of course, but we must follow it and find out." "why, we can't get to it," protested the little girl. "we can't fly, as you do, you must remember." "no, that's true," replied the ork musingly. "your bodies are built very poorly, it seems to me, since all you can do is crawl upon the earth's surface. but you may ride upon my back, and in that way i can promise you a safe journey to the tunnel." "are you strong enough to carry us?" asked cap'n bill, doubtfully. "yes, indeed; i'm strong enough to carry a dozen of you, if you could find a place to sit," was the reply; "but there's only room between my wings for one at a time, so i'll have to make two trips." "all right; i'll go first," decided cap'n bill. he lit another candle for trot to hold while they were gone and to light the ork on his return to her, and then the old sailor got upon the ork's back, where he sat with his wooden leg sticking straight out sidewise. "if you start to fall, clasp your arms around my neck," advised the creature. "if i start to fall, it's good night an' pleasant dreams," said cap'n bill. "all ready?" asked the ork. "start the buzz-tail," said cap'n bill, with a tremble in his voice. but the ork flew away so gently that the old man never even tottered in his seat. trot watched the light of cap'n bill's candle till it disappeared in the far distance. she didn't like to be left alone on this dangerous ledge, with a lake of black water hundreds of feet below her; but she was a brave little girl and waited patiently for the return of the ork. it came even sooner than she had expected and the creature said to her: "your friend is safe in the tunnel. now, then, get aboard and i'll carry you to him in a jiffy." i'm sure not many little girls would have cared to take that awful ride through the huge black cavern on the back of a skinny ork. trot didn't care for it, herself, but it just had to be done and so she did it as courageously as possible. her heart beat fast and she was so nervous she could scarcely hold the candle in her fingers as the ork sped swiftly through the darkness. it seemed like a long ride to her, yet in reality the ork covered the distance in a wonderfully brief period of time and soon trot stood safely beside cap'n bill on the level floor of a big arched tunnel. the sailor-man was very glad to greet his little comrade again and both were grateful to the ork for his assistance. "i dunno where this tunnel leads to," remarked cap'n bill, "but it surely looks more promisin' than that other hole we crept through." "when the ork is rested," said trot, "we'll travel on and see what happens." "rested!" cried the ork, as scornfully as his shrill voice would allow. "that bit of flying didn't tire me at all. i'm used to flying days at a time, without ever once stopping." "then let's move on," proposed cap'n bill. he still held in his hand one lighted candle, so trot blew out the other flame and placed her candle in the sailor's big pocket. she knew it was not wise to burn two candles at once. the tunnel was straight and smooth and very easy to walk through, so they made good progress. trot thought that the tunnel began about two miles from the cavern where they had been cast by the whirlpool, but now it was impossible to guess the miles traveled, for they walked steadily for hours and hours without any change in their surroundings. finally cap'n bill stopped to rest. "there's somethin' queer about this 'ere tunnel, i'm certain," he declared, wagging his head dolefully. "here's three candles gone a'ready, an' only three more left us, yet the tunnel's the same as it was when we started. an' how long it's goin' to keep up, no one knows." "couldn't we walk without a light?" asked trot. "the way seems safe enough." "it does right now," was the reply, "but we can't tell when we are likely to come to another gulf, or somethin' jes' as dangerous. in that case we'd be killed afore we knew it." "suppose i go ahead?" suggested the ork. "i don't fear a fall, you know, and if anything happens i'll call out and warn you." "that's a good idea," declared trot, and cap'n bill thought so, too. so the ork started off ahead, quite in the dark, and hand in band the two followed him. when they had walked in this way for a good long time the ork halted and demanded food. cap'n bill had not mentioned food because there was so little left--only three biscuits and a lump of cheese about as big as his two fingers--but he gave the ork half of a biscuit, sighing as he did so. the creature didn't care for the cheese, so the sailor divided it between himself and trot. they lighted a candle and sat down in the tunnel while they ate. "my feet hurt me," grumbled the ork. "i'm not used to walking and this rocky passage is so uneven and lumpy that it hurts me to walk upon it." "can't you fly along?" asked trot. "no; the roof is too low," said the ork. after the meal they resumed their journey, which trot began to fear would never end. when cap'n bill noticed how tired the little girl was, he paused and lighted a match and looked at his big silver watch. "why, it's night!" he exclaimed. "we've tramped all day, an' still we're in this awful passage, which mebbe goes straight through the middle of the world, an' mebbe is a circle--in which case we can keep walkin' till doomsday. not knowin' what's before us so well as we know what's behind us, i propose we make a stop, now, an' try to sleep till mornin'." "that will suit me," asserted the ork, with a groan. "my feet are hurting me dreadfully and for the last few miles i've been limping with pain." "my foot hurts, too," said the sailor, looking for a smooth place on the rocky floor to sit down. "your foot!" cried the ork. "why, you've only one to hurt you, while i have four. so i suffer four times as much as you possibly can. here; hold the candle while i look at the bottoms of my claws. i declare," he said, examining them by the flickering light, "there are bunches of pain all over them!" "p'r'aps," said trot, who was very glad to sit down beside her companions, "you've got corns." "corns? nonsense! orks never have corns," protested the creature, rubbing its sore feet tenderly. "then mebbe they're--they're-- what do you call 'em, cap'n bill? something 'bout the pilgrim's progress, you know." "bunions," said cap'n bill. "oh, yes; mebbe you've got bunions." "it is possible," moaned the ork. "but whatever they are, another day of such walking on them would drive me crazy." "i'm sure they'll feel better by mornin'," said cap'n bill, encouragingly. "go to sleep an' try to forget your sore feet." the ork cast a reproachful look at the sailor-man, who didn't see it. then the creature asked plaintively: "do we eat now, or do we starve?" "there's only half a biscuit left for you," answered cap'n bill. "no one knows how long we'll have to stay in this dark tunnel, where there's nothing whatever to eat; so i advise you to save that morsel o' food till later." "give it me now!" demanded the ork. "if i'm going to starve, i'll do it all at once--not by degrees." cap'n bill produced the biscuit and the creature ate it in a trice. trot was rather hungry and whispered to cap'n bill that she'd take part of her share; but the old man secretly broke his own half-biscuit in two, saving trot's share for a time of greater need. he was beginning to be worried over the little girl's plight and long after she was asleep and the ork was snoring in a rather disagreeable manner, cap'n bill sat with his back to a rock and smoked his pipe and tried to think of some way to escape from this seemingly endless tunnel. but after a time he also slept, for hobbling on a wooden leg all day was tiresome, and there in the dark slumbered the three adventurers for many hours, until the ork roused itself and kicked the old sailor with one foot. "it must be another day," said he. chapter four daylight at last cap'n bill rubbed his eyes, lit a match and consulted his watch. "nine o'clock. yes, i guess it's another day, sure enough. shall we go on?" he asked. "of course," replied the ork. "unless this tunnel is different from everything else in the world, and has no end, we'll find a way out of it sooner or later." the sailor gently wakened trot. she felt much rested by her long sleep and sprang to her feet eagerly. "let's start, cap'n," was all she said. they resumed the journey and had only taken a few steps when the ork cried "wow!" and made a great fluttering of its wings and whirling of its tail. the others, who were following a short distance behind, stopped abruptly. "what's the matter?" asked cap'n bill. "give us a light," was the reply. "i think we've come to the end of the tunnel." then, while cap'n bill lighted a candle, the creature added: "if that is true, we needn't have wakened so soon, for we were almost at the end of this place when we went to sleep." the sailor-man and trot came forward with a light. a wall of rock really faced the tunnel, but now they saw that the opening made a sharp turn to the left. so they followed on, by a narrower passage, and then made another sharp turn this time to the right. "blow out the light, cap'n," said the ork, in a pleased voice. "we've struck daylight." daylight at last! a shaft of mellow light fell almost at their feet as trot and the sailor turned the corner of the passage, but it came from above, and raising their eyes they found they were at the bottom of a deep, rocky well, with the top far, far above their heads. and here the passage ended. for a while they gazed in silence, at least two of them being filled with dismay at the sight. but the ork merely whistled softly and said cheerfully: "that was the toughest journey i ever had the misfortune to undertake, and i'm glad it's over. yet, unless i can manage to fly to the top of this pit, we are entombed here forever." "do you think there is room enough for you to fly in?" asked the little girl anxiously; and cap'n bill added: "it's a straight-up shaft, so i don't see how you'll ever manage it." "were i an ordinary bird--one of those horrid feathered things--i wouldn't even make the attempt to fly out," said the ork. "but my mechanical propeller tail can accomplish wonders, and whenever you're ready i'll show you a trick that is worth while." "oh!" exclaimed trot; "do you intend to take us up, too?" "why not?" "i thought," said cap'n bill, "as you'd go first, an' then send somebody to help us by lettin' down a rope." "ropes are dangerous," replied the ork, "and i might not be able to find one to reach all this distance. besides, it stands to reason that if i can get out myself i can also carry you two with me." "well, i'm not afraid," said trot, who longed to be on the earth's surface again. "s'pose we fall?" suggested cap'n bill, doubtfully. "why, in that case we would all fall together," returned the ork. "get aboard, little girl; sit across my shoulders and put both your arms around my neck." trot obeyed and when she was seated on the ork, cap'n bill inquired: "how 'bout me, mr. ork?" "why, i think you'd best grab hold of my rear legs and let me carry you up in that manner," was the reply. cap'n bill looked way up at the top of the well, and then he looked at the ork's slender, skinny legs and heaved a deep sigh. "it's goin' to be some dangle, i guess; but if you don't waste too much time on the way up, i may be able to hang on," said he. "all ready, then!" cried the ork, and at once his whirling tail began to revolve. trot felt herself rising into the air; when the creature's legs left the ground cap'n bill grasped two of them firmly and held on for dear life. the ork's body was tipped straight upward, and trot had to embrace the neck very tightly to keep from sliding off. even in this position the ork had trouble in escaping the rough sides of the well. several times it exclaimed "wow!" as it bumped its back, or a wing hit against some jagged projection; but the tail kept whirling with remarkable swiftness and the daylight grew brighter and brighter. it was, indeed, a long journey from the bottom to the top, yet almost before trot realized they had come so far, they popped out of the hole into the clear air and sunshine and a moment later the ork alighted gently upon the ground. the release was so sudden that even with the creature's care for its passengers cap'n bill struck the earth with a shock that sent him rolling heel over head; but by the time trot had slid down from her seat the old sailor-man was sitting up and looking around him with much satisfaction. "it's sort o' pretty here," said he. "earth is a beautiful place!" cried trot. "i wonder where on earth we are?" pondered the ork, turning first one bright eye and then the other to this side and that. trees there were, in plenty, and shrubs and flowers and green turf. but there were no houses; there were no paths; there was no sign of civilization whatever. "just before i settled down on the ground i thought i caught a view of the ocean," said the ork. "let's see if i was right." then he flew to a little hill, near by, and trot and cap'n bill followed him more slowly. when they stood on the top of the hill they could see the blue waves of the ocean in front of them, to the right of them, and at the left of them. behind the hill was a forest that shut out the view. "i hope it ain't an island, trot," said cap'n bill gravely. "if it is, i s'pose we're prisoners," she replied. "ezzackly so, trot." "but, 'even so, it's better than those terr'ble underground tunnels and caverns," declared the girl. "you are right, little one," agreed the ork. "anything above ground is better than the best that lies under ground. so let's not quarrel with our fate but be thankful we've escaped." "we are, indeed!" she replied. "but i wonder if we can find something to eat in this place?" "let's explore an' find out," proposed cap'n bill. "those trees over at the left look like cherry-trees." on the way to them the explorers had to walk through a tangle of vines and cap'n bill, who went first, stumbled and pitched forward on his face. "why, it's a melon!" cried trot delightedly, as she saw what had caused the sailor to fall. cap'n bill rose to his foot, for he was not at all hurt, and examined the melon. then he took his big jackknife from his pocket and cut the melon open. it was quite ripe and looked delicious; but the old man tasted it before he permitted trot to eat any. deciding it was good he gave her a big slice and then offered the ork some. the creature looked at the fruit somewhat disdainfully, at first, but once he had tasted its flavor he ate of it as heartily as did the others. among the vines they discovered many other melons, and trot said gratefully: "well, there's no danger of our starving, even if this is an island." "melons," remarked cap'n bill, "are both food an' water. we couldn't have struck anything better." farther on they came to the cherry trees, where they obtained some of the fruit, and at the edge of the little forest were wild plums. the forest itself consisted entirely of nut trees--walnuts, filberts, almonds and chestnuts--so there would be plenty of wholesome food for them while they remained there. cap'n bill and trot decided to walk through the forest, to discover what was on the other side of it, but the ork's feet were still so sore and "lumpy" from walking on the rocks that the creature said he preferred to fly over the tree-tops and meet them on the other side. the forest was not large, so by walking briskly for fifteen minutes they reached its farthest edge and saw before them the shore of the ocean. "it's an island, all right," said trot, with a sigh. "yes, and a pretty island, too," said cap'n bill, trying to conceal his disappointment on trot's account. "i guess, partner, if the wuss comes to the wuss, i could build a raft--or even a boat--from those trees, so's we could sail away in it." the little girl brightened at this suggestion. "i don't see the ork anywhere," she remarked, looking around. then her eyes lighted upon something and she exclaimed: "oh, cap'n bill! isn't that a house, over there to the left?" cap'n bill, looking closely, saw a shed-like structure built at one edge of the forest. "seems like it, trot. not that i'd call it much of a house, but it's a buildin', all right. let's go over an' see if it's occypied." chapter five the little old man of the island a few steps brought them to the shed, which was merely a roof of boughs built over a square space, with some branches of trees fastened to the sides to keep off the wind. the front was quite open and faced the sea, and as our friends came nearer they observed a little man, with a long pointed beard, sitting motionless on a stool and staring thoughtfully out over the water. "get out of the way, please," he called in a fretful voice. "can't you see you are obstructing my view?" "good morning," said cap'n bill, politely. "it isn't a good morning!" snapped the little man. "i've seen plenty of mornings better than this. do you call it a good morning when i'm pestered with such a crowd as you?" trot was astonished to hear such words from a stranger whom they had greeted quite properly, and cap'n bill grew red at the little man's rudeness. but the sailor said, in a quiet tone of voice: "are you the only one as lives on this 'ere island?" "your grammar's bad," was the reply. "but this is my own exclusive island, and i'll thank you to get off it as soon as possible." "we'd like to do that," said trot, and then she and cap'n bill turned away and walked down to the shore, to see if any other land was in sight. the little man rose and followed them, although both were now too provoked to pay any attention to him. "nothin' in sight, partner," reported cap'n bill, shading his eyes with his hand; "so we'll have to stay here for a time, anyhow. it isn't a bad place, trot, by any means." "that's all you know about it!" broke in the little man. "the trees are altogether too green and the rocks are harder than they ought to be. i find the sand very grainy and the water dreadfully wet. every breeze makes a draught and the sun shines in the daytime, when there's no need of it, and disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark. if you remain here you'll find the island very unsatisfactory." trot turned to look at him, and her sweet face was grave and curious. "i wonder who you are," she said. "my name is pessim," said he, with an air of pride. "i'm called the observer." "oh. what do you observe?" asked the little girl. "everything i see," was the reply, in a more surly tone. then pessim drew back with a startled exclamation and looked at some footprints in the sand. "why, good gracious me!" he cried in distress. "what's the matter now?" asked cap'n bill. "someone has pushed the earth in! don't you see it? "it isn't pushed in far enough to hurt anything," said trot, examining the footprints. "everything hurts that isn't right," insisted the man. "if the earth were pushed in a mile, it would be a great calamity, wouldn't it?" "i s'pose so," admitted the little girl. "well, here it is pushed in a full inch! that's a twelfth of a foot, or a little more than a millionth part of a mile. therefore it is one-millionth part of a calamity--oh, dear! how dreadful!" said pessim in a wailing voice. "try to forget it, sir," advised cap'n bill, soothingly. "it's beginning to rain. let's get under your shed and keep dry." "raining! is it really raining?" asked pessim, beginning to weep. "it is," answered cap'n bill, as the drops began to descend, "and i don't see any way to stop it--although i'm some observer myself." "no; we can't stop it, i fear," said the man. "are you very busy just now?" "i won't be after i get to the shed," replied the sailor-man. "then do me a favor, please," begged pessim, walking briskly along behind them, for they were hastening to the shed. "depends on what it is," said cap'n bill. "i wish you would take my umbrella down to the shore and hold it over the poor fishes till it stops raining. i'm afraid they'll get wet," said pessim. trot laughed, but cap'n bill thought the little man was poking fun at him and so he scowled upon pessim in a way that showed he was angry. they reached the shed before getting very wet, although the rain was now coming down in big drops. the roof of the shed protected them and while they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and circled around pessim's head. at once the observer began beating it away with his hands, crying out: "a bumblebee! a bumblebee! the queerest bumblebee i ever saw!" cap'n bill and trot both looked at it and the little girl said in surprise: "dear me! it's a wee little ork!" "that's what it is, sure enough," exclaimed cap'n bill. really, it wasn't much bigger than a big bumblebee, and when it came toward trot she allowed it to alight on her shoulder. "it's me, all right," said a very small voice in her ear; "but i'm in an awful pickle, just the same!" "what, are you our ork, then?" demanded the girl, much amazed. "no, i'm my own ork. but i'm the only ork you know," replied the tiny creature. "what's happened to you?" asked the sailor, putting his head close to trot's shoulder in order to hear the reply better. pessim also put his head close, and the ork said: "you will remember that when i left you i started to fly over the trees, and just as i got to this side of the forest i saw a bush that was loaded down with the most luscious fruit you can imagine. the fruit was about the size of a gooseberry and of a lovely lavender color. so i swooped down and picked off one in my bill and ate it. at once i began to grow small. i could feel myself shrinking, shrinking away, and it frightened me terribly, so that i lighted on the ground to think over what was happening. in a few seconds i had shrunk to the size you now see me; but there i remained, getting no smaller, indeed, but no larger. it is certainly a dreadful affliction! after i had recovered somewhat from the shock i began to search for you. it is not so easy to find one's way when a creature is so small, but fortunately i spied you here in this shed and came to you at once." cap'n bill and trot were much astonished at this story and felt grieved for the poor ork, but the little man pessim seemed to think it a good joke. he began laughing when he heard the story and laughed until he choked, after which he lay down on the ground and rolled and laughed again, while the tears of merriment coursed down his wrinkled cheeks. "oh, dear! oh, dear!" he finally gasped, sitting up and wiping his eyes. "this is too rich! it's almost too joyful to be true." "i don't see anything funny about it," remarked trot indignantly. "you would if you'd had my experience," said pessim, getting upon his feet and gradually resuming his solemn and dissatisfied expression of countenance. "the same thing happened to me." "oh, did it? and how did you happen to come to this island?" asked the girl. "i didn't come; the neighbors brought me," replied the little man, with a frown at the recollection. "they said i was quarrelsome and fault-finding and blamed me because i told them all the things that went wrong, or never were right, and because i told them how things ought to be. so they brought me here and left me all alone, saying that if i quarreled with myself, no one else would be made unhappy. absurd, wasn't it?" "seems to me," said cap'n bill, "those neighbors did the proper thing." "well," resumed pessim, "when i found myself king of this island i was obliged to live upon fruits, and i found many fruits growing here that i had never seen before. i tasted several and found them good and wholesome. but one day i ate a lavender berry--as the ork did--and immediately i grew so small that i was scarcely two inches high. it was a very unpleasant condition and like the ork i became frightened. i could not walk very well nor very far, for every lump of earth in my way seemed a mountain, every blade of grass a tree and every grain of sand a rocky boulder. for several days i stumbled around in an agony of fear. once a tree toad nearly gobbled me up, and if i ran out from the shelter of the bushes the gulls and cormorants swooped down upon me. finally i decided to eat another berry and become nothing at all, since life, to one as small as i was, had become a dreary nightmare. "at last i found a small tree that i thought bore the same fruit as that i had eaten. the berry was dark purple instead of light lavender, but otherwise it was quite similar. being unable to climb the tree, i was obliged to wait underneath it until a sharp breeze arose and shook the limbs so that a berry fell. instantly i seized it and taking a last view of the world--as i then thought--i ate the berry in a twinkling. then, to my surprise, i began to grow big again, until i became of my former stature, and so i have since remained. needless to say, i have never eaten again of the lavender fruit, nor do any of the beasts or birds that live upon this island eat it." they had all three listened eagerly to this amazing tale, and when it was finished the ork exclaimed: "do you think, then, that the deep purple berry is the antidote for the lavender one?" "i'm sure of it," answered pessim. "then lead me to the tree at once!" begged the ork, "for this tiny form i now have terrifies me greatly." pessim examined the ork closely "you are ugly enough as you are," said he. "were you any larger you might be dangerous." "oh, no," trot assured him; "the ork has been our good friend. please take us to the tree." then pessim consented, although rather reluctantly. he led them to the right, which was the east side of the island, and in a few minutes brought them near to the edge of the grove which faced the shore of the ocean. here stood a small tree bearing berries of a deep purple color. the fruit looked very enticing and cap'n bill reached up and selected one that seemed especially plump and ripe. the ork had remained perched upon trot's shoulder but now it flew down to the ground. it was so difficult for cap'n bill to kneel down, with his wooden leg, that the little girl took the berry from him and held it close to the ork's head. "it's too big to go into my mouth," said the little creature, looking at the fruit sidewise. "you'll have to make sev'ral mouthfuls of it, i guess," said trot; and that is what the ork did. he pecked at the soft, ripe fruit with his bill and ate it up very quickly, because it was good. even before he had finished the berry they could see the ork begin to grow. in a few minutes he had regained his natural size and was strutting before them, quite delighted with his transformation. "well, well! what do you think of me now?" he asked proudly. "you are very skinny and remarkably ugly," declared pessim. "you are a poor judge of orks," was the reply. "anyone can see that i'm much handsomer than those dreadful things called birds, which are all fluff and feathers." "their feathers make soft beds," asserted pessim. "and my skin would make excellent drumheads," retorted the ork. "nevertheless, a plucked bird or a skinned ork would be of no value to himself, so we needn't brag of our usefulness after we are dead. but for the sake of argument, friend pessim, i'd like to know what good you would be, were you not alive?" "never mind that," said cap'n bill. "he isn't much good as he is." "i am king of this island, allow me to say, and you're intruding on my property," declared the little man, scowling upon them. "if you don't like me--and i'm sure you don't, for no one else does--why don't you go away and leave me to myself?" "well, the ork can fly, but we can't," explained trot, in answer. "we don't want to stay here a bit, but i don't see how we can get away." "you can go back into the hole you came from." cap'n bill shook his head; trot shuddered at the thought; the ork laughed aloud. "you may be king here," the creature said to pessim, "but we intend to run this island to suit ourselves, for we are three and you are one, and the balance of power lies with us." the little man made no reply to this, although as they walked back to the shed his face wore its fiercest scowl. cap'n bill gathered a lot of leaves and, assisted by trot, prepared two nice beds in opposite corners of the shed. pessim slept in a hammock which he swung between two trees. they required no dishes, as all their food consisted of fruits and nuts picked from the trees; they made no fire, for the weather was warm and there was nothing to cook; the shed had no furniture other than the rude stool which the little man was accustomed to sit upon. he called it his "throne" and they let him keep it. so they lived upon the island for three days, and rested and ate to their hearts' content. still, they were not at all happy in this life because of pessim. he continually found fault with them, and all that they did, and all their surroundings. he could see nothing good or admirable in all the world and trot soon came to understand why the little man's former neighbors had brought him to this island and left him there, all alone, so he could not annoy anyone. it was their misfortune that they had been led to this place by their adventures, for often they would have preferred the company of a wild beast to that of pessim. on the fourth day a happy thought came to the ork. they had all been racking their brains for a possible way to leave the island, and discussing this or that method, without finding a plan that was practical. cap'n bill had said he could make a raft of the trees, big enough to float them all, but he had no tools except those two pocketknives and it was not possible to chop down tree with such small blades. "and s'pose we got afloat on the ocean," said trot, "where would we drift to, and how long would it take us to get there?" cap'n bill was forced to admit he didn't know. the ork could fly away from the island any time it wished to, but the queer creature was loyal to his new friends and refused to leave them in such a lonely, forsaken place. it was when trot urged him to go, on this fourth morning, that the ork had his happy thought. "i will go," said he, "if you two will agree to ride upon my back." "we are too heavy; you might drop us," objected cap'n bill. "yes, you are rather heavy for a long journey," acknowledged the ork, "but you might eat of those lavender berries and become so small that i could carry you with ease." this quaint suggestion startled trot and she looked gravely at the speaker while she considered it, but cap'n bill gave a scornful snort and asked: "what would become of us afterward? we wouldn't be much good if we were some two or three inches high. no, mr. ork, i'd rather stay here, as i am, than be a hop-o'-my-thumb somewhere else." "why couldn't you take some of the dark purple berries along with you, to eat after we had reached our destination?" inquired the ork. "then you could grow big again whenever you pleased." trot clapped her hands with delight. "that's it!" she exclaimed. "let's do it, cap'n bill." the old sailor did not like the idea at first, but he thought it over carefully and the more he thought the better it seemed. "how could you manage to carry us, if we were so small?" he asked. "i could put you in a paper bag, and tie the bag around my neck." "but we haven't a paper bag," objected trot. the ork looked at her. "there's your sunbonnet," it said presently, "which is hollow in the middle and has two strings that you could tie around my neck." trot took off her sunbonnet and regarded it critically. yes, it might easily hold both her and cap'n bill, after they had eaten the lavender berries and been reduced in size. she tied the strings around the ork's neck and the sunbonnet made a bag in which two tiny people might ride without danger of falling out. so she said: "i b'lieve we'll do it that way, cap'n." cap'n bill groaned but could make no logical objection except that the plan seemed to him quite dangerous--and dangerous in more ways than one. "i think so, myself," said trot soberly. "but nobody can stay alive without getting into danger sometimes, and danger doesn't mean getting hurt, cap'n; it only means we might get hurt. so i guess we'll have to take the risk." "let's go and find the berries," said the ork. they said nothing to pessim, who was sitting on his stool and scowling dismally as he stared at the ocean, but started at once to seek the trees that bore the magic fruits. the ork remembered very well where the lavender berries grew and led his companions quickly to the spot. cap'n bill gathered two berries and placed them carefully in his pocket. then they went around to the east side of the island and found the tree that bore the dark purple berries. "i guess i'll take four of these," said the sailor-man, "so in case one doesn't make us grow big we can eat another." "better take six," advised the ork. "it's well to be on the safe side, and i'm sure these trees grow nowhere else in all the world." so cap'n bill gathered six of the purple berries and with their precious fruit they returned to the shed to big good-bye to pessim. perhaps they would not have granted the surly little man this courtesy had they not wished to use him to tie the sunbonnet around the ork's neck. when pessim learned they were about to leave him he at first looked greatly pleased, but he suddenly recollected that nothing ought to please him and so began to grumble about being left alone. "we knew it wouldn't suit you," remarked cap'n bill. "it didn't suit you to have us here, and it won't suit you to have us go away." "that is quite true," admitted pessim. "i haven't been suited since i can remember; so it doesn't matter to me in the least whether you go or stay." he was interested in their experiment, however, and willingly agreed to assist, although he prophesied they would fall out of the sunbonnet on their way and be either drowned in the ocean or crushed upon some rocky shore. this uncheerful prospect did not daunt trot, but it made cap'n bill quite nervous. "i will eat my berry first," said trot, as she placed her sunbonnet on the ground, in such manner that they could get into it. then she ate the lavender berry and in a few seconds became so small that cap'n bill picked her up gently with his thumb and one finger and placed her in the middle of the sunbonnet. then he placed beside her the six purple berries--each one being about as big as the tiny trot's head--and all preparations being now made the old sailor ate his lavender berry and became very small--wooden leg and all! cap'n bill stumbled sadly in trying to climb over the edge of the sunbonnet and pitched in beside trot headfirst, which caused the unhappy pessim to laugh with glee. then the king of the island picked up the sunbonnet--so rudely that he shook its occupants like peas in a pod--and tied it, by means of its strings, securely around the ork's neck. "i hope, trot, you sewed those strings on tight," said cap'n bill anxiously. "why, we are not very heavy, you know," she replied, "so i think the stitches will hold. but be careful and not crush the berries, cap'n." "one is jammed already," he said, looking at them. "all ready?" asked the ork. "yes!" they cried together, and pessim came close to the sunbonnet and called out to them: "you'll be smashed or drowned, i'm sure you will! but farewell, and good riddance to you." the ork was provoked by this unkind speech, so he turned his tail toward the little man and made it revolve so fast that the rush of air tumbled pessim over backward and he rolled several times upon the ground before he could stop himself and sit up. by that time the ork was high in the air and speeding swiftly over the ocean. chapter six the flight of the midgets cap'n bill and trot rode very comfortably in the sunbonnet. the motion was quite steady, for they weighed so little that the ork flew without effort. yet they were both somewhat nervous about their future fate and could not help wishing they were safe on land and their natural size again. "you're terr'ble small, trot," remarked cap'n bill, looking at his companion. "same to you, cap'n," she said with a laugh; "but as long as we have the purple berries we needn't worry about our size." "in a circus," mused the old man, "we'd be curiosities. but in a sunbonnet--high up in the air--sailin' over a big, unknown ocean--they ain't no word in any booktionary to describe us." "why, we're midgets, that's all," said the little girl. the ork flew silently for a long time. the slight swaying of the sunbonnet made cap'n bill drowsy, and he began to doze. trot, however, was wide awake, and after enduring the monotonous journey as long as she was able she called out: "don't you see land anywhere, mr. ork?" "not yet," he answered. "this is a big ocean and i've no idea in which direction the nearest land to that island lies; but if i keep flying in a straight line i'm sure to reach some place some time." that seemed reasonable, so the little people in the sunbonnet remained as patient as possible; that is, cap'n bill dozed and trot tried to remember her geography lessons so she could figure out what land they were likely to arrive at. for hours and hours the ork flew steadily, keeping to the straight line and searching with his eyes the horizon of the ocean for land. cap'n bill was fast asleep and snoring and trot had laid her head on his shoulder to rest it when suddenly the ork exclaimed: "there! i've caught a glimpse of land, at last." at this announcement they roused themselves. cap'n bill stood up and tried to peek over the edge of the sunbonnet. "what does it look like?" he inquired. "looks like another island," said the ork; "but i can judge it better in a minute or two." "i don't care much for islands, since we visited that other one," declared trot. soon the ork made another announcement. "it is surely an island, and a little one, too," said he. "but i won't stop, because i see a much bigger land straight ahead of it." "that's right," approved cap'n bill. "the bigger the land, the better it will suit us." "it's almost a continent," continued the ork after a brief silence, during which he did not decrease the speed of his flight. "i wonder if it can be orkland, the place i have been seeking so long?" "i hope not," whispered trot to cap'n bill--so softly that the ork could not hear her--"for i shouldn't like to be in a country where only orks live. this one ork isn't a bad companion, but a lot of him wouldn't be much fun." after a few more minutes of flying the ork called out in a sad voice: "no! this is not my country. it's a place i have never seen before, although i have wandered far and wide. it seems to be all mountains and deserts and green valleys and queer cities and lakes and rivers--mixed up in a very puzzling way." "most countries are like that," commented cap'n bill. "are you going to land?" "pretty soon," was the reply. "there is a mountain peak just ahead of me. what do you say to our landing on that?" "all right," agreed the sailor-man, for both he and trot were getting tired of riding in the sunbonnet and longed to set foot on solid ground again. so in a few minutes the ork slowed down his speed and then came to a stop so easily that they were scarcely jarred at all. then the creature squatted down until the sunbonnet rested on the ground, and began trying to unfasten with its claws the knotted strings. this proved a very clumsy task, because the strings were tied at the back of the ork's neck, just where his claws would not easily reach. after much fumbling he said: "i'm afraid i can't let you out, and there is no one near to help me." this was at first discouraging, but after a little thought cap'n bill said: "if you don't mind, trot, i can cut a slit in your sunbonnet with my knife." "do," she replied. "the slit won't matter, 'cause i can sew it up again afterward, when i am big." so cap'n bill got out his knife, which was just as small, in proportion, as he was, and after considerable trouble managed to cut a long slit in the sunbonnet. first he squeezed through the opening himself and then helped trot to get out. when they stood on firm ground again their first act was to begin eating the dark purple berries which they had brought with them. two of these trot had guarded carefully during the long journey, by holding them in her lap, for their safety meant much to the tiny people. "i'm not very hungry," said the little girl as she handed a berry to cap'n bill, "but hunger doesn't count, in this case. it's like taking medicine to make you well, so we must manage to eat 'em, somehow or other." but the berries proved quite pleasant to taste and as cap'n bill and trot nibbled at their edges their forms began to grow in size--slowly but steadily. the bigger they grew the easier it was for them to eat the berries, which of course became smaller to them, and by the time the fruit was eaten our friends had regained their natural size. the little girl was greatly relieved when she found herself as large as she had ever been, and cap'n bill shared her satisfaction; for, although they had seen the effect of the berries on the ork, they had not been sure the magic fruit would have the same effect on human beings, or that the magic would work in any other country than that in which the berries grew. "what shall we do with the other four berries?" asked trot, as she picked up her sunbonnet, marveling that she had ever been small enough to ride in it. "they're no good to us now, are they, cap'n?" "i'm not sure as to that," he replied. "if they were eaten by one who had never eaten the lavender berries, they might have no effect at all; but then, contrarywise, they might. one of 'em has got badly jammed, so i'll throw it away, but the other three i b'lieve i'll carry with me. they're magic things, you know, and may come handy to us some time." he now searched in his big pockets and drew out a small wooden box with a sliding cover. the sailor had kept an assortment of nails, of various sizes, in this box, but those he now dumped loosely into his pocket and in the box placed the three sound purple berries. when this important matter was attended to they found time to look about them and see what sort of place the ork had landed them in. chapter seven the bumpy man the mountain on which they had alighted was not a barren waste, but had on its sides patches of green grass, some bushes, a few slender trees and here and there masses of tumbled rocks. the sides of the slope seemed rather steep, but with care one could climb up or down them with ease and safety. the view from where they now stood showed pleasant valleys and fertile hills lying below the heights. trot thought she saw some houses of queer shapes scattered about the lower landscape, and there were moving dots that might be people or animals, yet were too far away for her to see them clearly. not far from the place where they stood was the top of the mountain, which seemed to be flat, so the ork proposed to his companions that he would fly up and see what was there. "that's a good idea," said trot, "'cause it's getting toward evening and we'll have to find a place to sleep." the ork had not been gone more than a few minutes when they saw him appear on the edge of the top which was nearest them. "come on up!" he called. so trot and cap'n bill began to ascend the steep slope and it did not take them long to reach the place where the ork awaited them. their first view of the mountain top pleased them very much. it was a level space of wider extent than they had guessed and upon it grew grass of a brilliant green color. in the very center stood a house built of stone and very neatly constructed. no one was in sight, but smoke was coming from the chimney, so with one accord all three began walking toward the house. "i wonder," said trot, "in what country we are, and if it's very far from my home in california." "can't say as to that, partner," answered cap'n bill, "but i'm mighty certain we've come a long way since we struck that whirlpool." "yes," she agreed, with a sigh, "it must be miles and miles!" "distance means nothing," said the ork. "i have flown pretty much all over the world, trying to find my home, and it is astonishing how many little countries there are, hidden away in the cracks and corners of this big globe of earth. if one travels, he may find some new country at every turn, and a good many of them have never yet been put upon the maps." "p'raps this is one of them," suggested trot. they reached the house after a brisk walk and cap'n bill knocked upon the door. it was at once opened by a rugged looking man who had "bumps all over him," as trot afterward declared. there were bumps on his head, bumps on his body and bumps on his arms and legs and hands. even his fingers had bumps on the ends of them. for dress he wore an old gray suit of fantastic design, which fitted him very badly because of the bumps it covered but could not conceal. but the bumpy man's eyes were kind and twinkling in expression and as soon as he saw his visitors he bowed low and said in a rather bumpy voice: "happy day! come in and shut the door, for it grows cool when the sun goes down. winter is now upon us." "why, it isn't cold a bit, outside," said trot, "so it can't be winter yet." "you will change your mind about that in a little while," declared the bumpy man. "my bumps always tell me the state of the weather, and they feel just now as if a snowstorm was coming this way. but make yourselves at home, strangers. supper is nearly ready and there is food enough for all." inside the house there was but one large room, simply but comfortably furnished. it had benches, a table and a fireplace, all made of stone. on the hearth a pot was bubbling and steaming, and trot thought it had a rather nice smell. the visitors seated themselves upon the benches--except the ork. which squatted by the fireplace--and the bumpy man began stirring the kettle briskly. "may i ask what country this is, sir?" inquired cap'n bill. "goodness me--fruit-cake and apple-sauce!--don't you know where you are?" asked the bumpy man, as he stopped stirring and looked at the speaker in surprise. "no," admitted cap'n bill. "we've just arrived." "lost your way?" questioned the bumpy man. "not exactly," said cap'n bill. "we didn't have any way to lose." "ah!" said the bumpy man, nodding his bumpy head. "this," he announced, in a solemn, impressive voice, "is the famous land of mo." "oh!" exclaimed the sailor and the girl, both in one breath. but, never having heard of the land of mo, they were no wiser than before. "i thought that would startle you," remarked the bumpy man, well pleased, as he resumed his stirring. the ork watched him a while in silence and then asked: "who may you be?" "me?" answered the bumpy man. "haven't you heard of me? gingerbread and lemon-juice! i'm known, far and wide, as the mountain ear." they all received this information in silence at first, for they were trying to think what he could mean. finally trot mustered up courage to ask: "what is a mountain ear, please?" for answer the man turned around and faced them, waving the spoon with which he had been stirring the kettle, as he recited the following verses in a singsong tone of voice: "here's a mountain, hard of hearing, that's sad-hearted and needs cheering, so my duty is to listen to all sounds that nature makes, so the hill won't get uneasy-- get to coughing, or get sneezy-- for this monster bump, when frightened, is quite liable to quakes. "you can hear a bell that's ringing; i can feel some people's singing; but a mountain isn't sensible of what goes on, and so when i hear a blizzard blowing or it's raining hard, or snowing, i tell it to the mountain and the mountain seems to know. "thus i benefit all people while i'm living on this steeple, for i keep the mountain steady so my neighbors all may thrive. with my list'ning and my shouting i prevent this mount from spouting, and that makes me so important that i'm glad that i'm alive." when he had finished these lines of verse the bumpy man turned again to resume his stirring. the ork laughed softly and cap'n bill whistled to himself and trot made up her mind that the mountain ear must be a little crazy. but the bumpy man seemed satisfied that he had explained his position fully and presently he placed four stone plates upon the table and then lifted the kettle from the fire and poured some of its contents on each of the plates. cap'n bill and trot at once approached the table, for they were hungry, but when she examined her plate the little girl exclaimed: "why, it's molasses candy!" "to be sure," returned the bumpy man, with a pleasant smile. "eat it quick, while it's hot, for it cools very quickly this winter weather." with this he seized a stone spoon and began putting the hot molasses candy into his mouth, while the others watched him in astonishment. "doesn't it burn you?" asked the girl. "no indeed," said he. "why don't you eat? aren't you hungry?" "yes," she replied, "i am hungry. but we usually eat our candy when it is cold and hard. we always pull molasses candy before we eat it." "ha, ha, ha!" laughed the mountain ear. "what a funny idea! where in the world did you come from?" "california," she said. "california! pooh! there isn't any such place. i've heard of every place in the land of mo, but i never before heard of california." "it isn't in the land of mo," she explained. "then it isn't worth talking about," declared the bumpy man, helping himself again from the steaming kettle, for he had been eating all the time he talked. "for my part," sighed cap'n bill, "i'd like a decent square meal, once more, just by way of variety. in the last place there was nothing but fruit to eat, and here it's worse, for there's nothing but candy." "molasses candy isn't so bad," said trot. "mine's nearly cool enough to pull, already. wait a bit, cap'n, and you can eat it." a little later she was able to gather the candy from the stone plate and begin to work it back and forth with her hands. the mountain ear was greatly amazed at this and watched her closely. it was really good candy and pulled beautifully, so that trot was soon ready to cut it into chunks for eating. cap'n bill condescended to eat one or two pieces and the ork ate several, but the bumpy man refused to try it. trot finished the plate of candy herself and then asked for a drink of water. "water?" said the mountain ear wonderingly. "what is that?" "something to drink. don't you have water in mo?" "none that ever i heard of," said he. "but i can give you some fresh lemonade. i caught it in a jar the last time it rained, which was only day before yesterday." "oh, does it rain lemonade here?" she inquired. "always; and it is very refreshing and healthful." with this he brought from a cupboard a stone jar and a dipper, and the girl found it very nice lemonade, indeed. cap'n bill liked it, too; but the ork would not touch it. "if there is no water in this country, i cannot stay here for long," the creature declared. "water means life to man and beast and bird." "there must be water in lemonade," said trot. "yes," answered the ork, "i suppose so; but there are other things in it, too, and they spoil the good water." the day's adventures had made our wanderers tired, so the bumpy man brought them some blankets in which they rolled themselves and then lay down before the fire, which their host kept alive with fuel all through the night. trot wakened several times and found the mountain ear always alert and listening intently for the slightest sound. but the little girl could hear no sound at all except the snores of cap'n bill. chapter eight button-bright is lost and found again "wake up--wake up!" called the voice of the bumpy man. "didn't i tell you winter was coming? i could hear it coming with my left ear, and the proof is that it is now snowing hard outside." "is it?" said trot, rubbing her eyes and creeping out of her blanket. "where i live, in california, i have never seen snow, except far away on the tops of high mountains." "well, this is the top of a high mountain," returned the bumpy one, "and for that reason we get our heaviest snowfalls right here." the little girl went to the window and looked out. the air was filled with falling white flakes, so large in size and so queer in form that she was puzzled. "are you certain this is snow?" she asked. "to be sure. i must get my snow-shovel and turn out to shovel a path. would you like to come with me?" "yes," she said, and followed the bumpy man out when he opened the door. then she exclaimed: "why, it isn't cold a bit!" "of course not," replied the man. "it was cold last night, before the snowstorm; but snow, when it falls, is always crisp and warm." trot gathered a handful of it. "why, it's popcorn?" she cried. "certainly; all snow is popcorn. what did you expect it to be?" "popcorn is not snow in my country." "well, it is the only snow we have in the land of mo, so you may as well make the best of it," said he, a little impatiently. "i'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in mo you must do as the momen do. eat some of our snow, and you will find it is good. the only fault i find with our snow is that we get too much of it at times." with this the bumpy man set to work shoveling a path and he was so quick and industrious that he piled up the popcorn in great banks on either side of the trail that led to the mountain-top from the plains below. while he worked, trot ate popcorn and found it crisp and slightly warm, as well as nicely salted and buttered. presently cap'n bill came out of the house and joined her. "what's this?" he asked. "mo snow," said she. "but it isn't real snow, although it falls from the sky. it's popcorn." cap'n bill tasted it; then he sat down in the path and began to eat. the ork came out and pecked away with its bill as fast as it could. they all liked popcorn and they all were hungry this morning. meantime the flakes of "mo snow" came down so fast that the number of them almost darkened the air. the bumpy man was now shoveling quite a distance down the mountain-side, while the path behind him rapidly filled up with fresh-fallen popcorn. suddenly trot heard him call out: "goodness gracious--mince pie and pancakes!--here is some one buried in the snow." she ran toward him at once and the others followed, wading through the corn and crunching it underneath their feet. the mo snow was pretty deep where the bumpy man was shoveling and from beneath a great bank of it he had uncovered a pair of feet. "dear me! someone has been lost in the storm," said cap'n bill. "i hope he is still alive. let's pull him out and see." he took hold of one foot and the bumpy man took hold of the other. then they both pulled and out from the heap of popcorn came a little boy. he was dressed in a brown velvet jacket and knickerbockers, with brown stockings, buckled shoes and a blue shirt-waist that had frills down its front. when drawn from the heap the boy was chewing a mouthful of popcorn and both his hands were full of it. so at first he couldn't speak to his rescuers but lay quite still and eyed them calmly until he had swallowed his mouthful. then he said: "get my cap," and stuffed more popcorn into his mouth. while the bumpy man began shoveling into the corn-bank to find the boy's cap, trot was laughing joyfully and cap'n bill had a broad grin on his face. the ork looked from one to another and asked: "who is this stranger?" "why, it's button-bright, of course," answered trot. "if anyone ever finds a lost boy, he can make up his mind it's button-bright. but how he ever came to be lost in this far-away country is more'n i can make out." "where does he belong?" inquired the ork. "his home used to be in philadelphia, i think; but i'm quite sure button-bright doesn't belong anywhere." "that's right," said the boy, nodding his head as he swallowed the second mouthful. "everyone belongs somewhere," remarked the ork. "not me," insisted button-bright. "i'm half way round the world from philadelphia, and i've lost my magic umbrella, that used to carry me anywhere. stands to reason that if i can't get back i haven't any home. but i don't care much. this is a pretty good country, trot. i've had lots of fun here." by this time the mountain ear had secured the boy's cap and was listening to the conversation with much interest. "it seems you know this poor, snow-covered cast-away," he said. "yes, indeed," answered trot. "we made a journey together to sky island, once, and were good friends." "well, then i'm glad i saved his life," said the bumpy man. "much obliged, mr. knobs," said button-bright, sitting up and staring at him, "but i don't believe you've saved anything except some popcorn that i might have eaten had you not disturbed me. it was nice and warm in that bank of popcorn, and there was plenty to eat. what made you dig me out? and what makes you so bumpy everywhere?" "as for the bumps," replied the man, looking at himself with much pride, "i was born with them and i suspect they were a gift from the fairies. they make me look rugged and big, like the mountain i serve." "all right," said button-bright and began eating popcorn again. it had stopped snowing, now, and great flocks of birds were gathering around the mountain-side, eating the popcorn with much eagerness and scarcely noticing the people at all. there were birds of every size and color, most of them having gorgeous feathers and plumes. "just look at them!" exclaimed the ork scornfully. "aren't they dreadful creatures, all covered with feathers?" "i think they're beautiful," said trot, and this made the ork so indignant that he went back into the house and sulked. button-bright reached out his hand and caught a big bird by the leg. at once it rose into the air and it was so strong that it nearly carried the little boy with it. he let go the leg in a hurry and the bird flew down again and began to eat of the popcorn, not being frightened in the least. this gave cap'n bill an idea. he felt in his pocket and drew out several pieces of stout string. moving very quietly, so as to not alarm the birds, he crept up to several of the biggest ones and tied cords around their legs, thus making them prisoners. the birds were so intent on their eating that they did not notice what had happened to them, and when about twenty had been captured in this manner cap'n bill tied the ends of all the strings together and fastened them to a huge stone, so they could not escape. the bumpy man watched the old sailor's actions with much curiosity. "the birds will be quiet until they've eaten up all the snow," he said, "but then they will want to fly away to their homes. tell me, sir, what will the poor things do when they find they can't fly?" "it may worry 'em a little," replied cap'n bill, "but they're not going to be hurt if they take it easy and behave themselves." our friends had all made a good breakfast of the delicious popcorn and now they walked toward the house again. button-bright walked beside trot and held her hand in his, because they were old friends and he liked the little girl very much. the boy was not so old as trot, and small as she was he was half a head shorter in height. the most remarkable thing about button-bright was that he was always quiet and composed, whatever happened, and nothing was ever able to astonish him. trot liked him because he was not rude and never tried to plague her. cap'n bill liked him because he had found the boy cheerful and brave at all times, and willing to do anything he was asked to do. when they came to the house trot sniffed the air and asked "don't i smell perfume?" "i think you do," said the bumpy man. "you smell violets, and that proves there is a breeze springing up from the south. all our winds and breezes are perfumed and for that reason we are glad to have them blow in our direction. the south breeze always has a violet odor; the north breeze has the fragrance of wild roses; the east breeze is perfumed with lilies-of-the-valley and the west wind with lilac blossoms. so we need no weathervane to tell us which way the wind is blowing. we have only to smell the perfume and it informs us at once." inside the house they found the ork, and button-bright regarded the strange, birdlike creature with curious interest. after examining it closely for a time he asked: "which way does your tail whirl?" "either way," said the ork. button-bright put out his hand and tried to spin it. "don't do that!" exclaimed the ork. "why not?" inquired the boy. "because it happens to be my tail, and i reserve the right to whirl it myself," explained the ork. "let's go out and fly somewhere," proposed button-bright. "i want to see how the tail works." "not now," said the ork. "i appreciate your interest in me, which i fully deserve; but i only fly when i am going somewhere, and if i got started i might not stop." "that reminds me," remarked cap'n bill, "to ask you, friend ork, how we are going to get away from here?" "get away!" exclaimed the bumpy man. "why don't you stay here? you won't find any nicer place than mo." "have you been anywhere else, sir?" "no; i can't say that i have," admitted the mountain ear. "then permit me to say you're no judge," declared cap'n bill. "but you haven't answered my question, friend ork. how are we to get away from this mountain?" the ork reflected a while before he answered. "i might carry one of you--the boy or the girl--upon my back," said he, "but three big people are more than i can manage, although i have carried two of you for a short distance. you ought not to have eaten those purple berries so soon." "p'r'aps we did make a mistake," cap'n bill acknowledged. "or we might have brought some of those lavender berries with us, instead of so many purple ones," suggested trot regretfully. cap'n bill made no reply to this statement, which showed he did not fully agree with the little girl; but he fell into deep thought, with wrinkled brows, and finally he said: "if those purple berries would make anything grow bigger, whether it'd eaten the lavender ones or not, i could find a way out of our troubles." they did not understand this speech and looked at the old sailor as if expecting him to explain what he meant. but just then a chorus of shrill cries rose from outside. "here! let me go--let me go!" the voices seemed to say. "why are we insulted in this way? mountain ear, come and help us!" trot ran to the window and looked out. "it's the birds you caught, cap'n," she said. "i didn't know they could talk." "oh, yes; all the birds in mo are educated to talk," said the bumpy man. then he looked at cap'n bill uneasily and added: "won't you let the poor things go?" "i'll see," replied the sailor, and walked out to where the birds were fluttering and complaining because the strings would not allow them to fly away. "listen to me!" he cried, and at once they became still. "we three people who are strangers in your land want to go to some other country, and we want three of you birds to carry us there. we know we are asking a great favor, but it's the only way we can think of--excep' walkin', an' i'm not much good at that because i've a wooden leg. besides, trot an' button-bright are too small to undertake a long and tiresome journey. now, tell me: which three of you birds will consent to carry us?" the birds looked at one another as if greatly astonished. then one of them replied: "you must be crazy, old man. not one of us is big enough to fly with even the smallest of your party." "i'll fix the matter of size," promised cap'n bill. "if three of you will agree to carry us, i'll make you big an' strong enough to do it, so it won't worry you a bit." the birds considered this gravely. living in a magic country, they had no doubt but that the strange one-legged man could do what he said. after a little, one of them asked: "if you make us big, would we stay big always?" "i think so," replied cap'n bill. they chattered a while among themselves and then the bird that had first spoken said: "i'll go, for one." "so will i," said another; and after a pause a third said: "i'll go, too." perhaps more would have volunteered, for it seemed that for some reason they all longed to be bigger than they were; but three were enough for cap'n bill's purpose and so he promptly released all the others, who immediately flew away. the three that remained were cousins, and all were of the same brilliant plumage and in size about as large as eagles. when trot questioned them she found they were quite young, having only abandoned their nests a few weeks before. they were strong young birds, with clear, brave eyes, and the little girl decided they were the most beautiful of all the feathered creatures she had ever seen. cap'n bill now took from his pocket the wooden box with the sliding cover and removed the three purple berries, which were still in good condition. "eat these," he said, and gave one to each of the birds. they obeyed, finding the fruit very pleasant to taste. in a few seconds they began to grow in size and grew so fast that trot feared they would never stop. but they finally did stop growing, and then they were much larger than the ork, and nearly the size of full-grown ostriches. cap'n bill was much pleased by this result. "you can carry us now, all right," said he. the birds strutted around with pride, highly pleased with their immense size. "i don't see, though," said trot doubtfully, "how we're going to ride on their backs without falling off." "we're not going to ride on their backs," answered cap'n bill. "i'm going to make swings for us to ride in." he then asked the bumpy man for some rope, but the man had no rope. he had, however, an old suit of gray clothes which he gladly presented to cap'n bill, who cut the cloth into strips and twisted it so that it was almost as strong as rope. with this material he attached to each bird a swing that dangled below its feet, and button-bright made a trial flight in one of them to prove that it was safe and comfortable. when all this had been arranged one of the birds asked: "where do you wish us to take you?" "why, just follow the ork," said cap'n bill. "he will be our leader, and wherever the ork flies you are to fly, and wherever the ork lands you are to land. is that satisfactory?" the birds declared it was quite satisfactory, so cap'n bill took counsel with the ork. "on our way here," said that peculiar creature, "i noticed a broad, sandy desert at the left of me, on which was no living thing." "then we'd better keep away from it," replied the sailor. "not so," insisted the ork. "i have found, on my travels, that the most pleasant countries often lie in the midst of deserts; so i think it would be wise for us to fly over this desert and discover what lies beyond it. for in the direction we came from lies the ocean, as we well know, and beyond here is this strange land of mo, which we do not care to explore. on one side, as we can see from this mountain, is a broad expanse of plain, and on the other the desert. for my part, i vote for the desert." "what do you say, trot?" inquired cap'n bill. "it's all the same to me," she replied. no one thought of asking button-bright's opinion, so it was decided to fly over the desert. they bade good-bye to the bumpy man and thanked him for his kindness and hospitality. then they seated themselves in the swings--one for each bird--and told the ork to start away and they would follow. the whirl of the ork's tail astonished the birds at first, but after he had gone a short distance they rose in the air, carrying their passengers easily, and flew with strong, regular strokes of their great wings in the wake of their leader. chapter nine the kingdom of jinxland trot rode with more comfort than she had expected, although the swing swayed so much that she had to hold on tight with both hands. cap'n bill's bird followed the ork, and trot came next, with button-bright trailing behind her. it was quite an imposing procession, but unfortunately there was no one to see it, for the ork had headed straight for the great sandy desert and in a few minutes after starting they were flying high over the broad waste, where no living thing could exist. the little girl thought this would be a bad place for the birds to lose strength, or for the cloth ropes to give way; but although she could not help feeling a trifle nervous and fidgety she had confidence in the huge and brilliantly plumaged bird that bore her, as well as in cap'n bill's knowledge of how to twist and fasten a rope so it would hold. that was a remarkably big desert. there was nothing to relieve the monotony of view and every minute seemed an hour and every hour a day. disagreeable fumes and gases rose from the sands, which would have been deadly to the travelers had they not been so high in the air. as it was, trot was beginning to feel sick, when a breath of fresher air filled her nostrils and on looking ahead she saw a great cloud of pink-tinted mist. even while she wondered what it could be, the ork plunged boldly into the mist and the other birds followed. she could see nothing for a time, nor could the bird which carried her see where the ork had gone, but it kept flying as sturdily as ever and in a few moments the mist was passed and the girl saw a most beautiful landscape spread out below her, extending as far as her eye could reach. she saw bits of forest, verdure clothed hills, fields of waving grain, fountains, rivers and lakes; and throughout the scene were scattered groups of pretty houses and a few grand castles and palaces. over all this delightful landscape--which from trot's high perch seemed like a magnificent painted picture--was a rosy glow such as we sometimes see in the west at sunset. in this case, however, it was not in the west only, but everywhere. no wonder the ork paused to circle slowly over this lovely country. the other birds followed his action, all eyeing the place with equal delight. then, as with one accord, the four formed a group and slowly sailed downward. this brought them to that part of the newly-discovered land which bordered on the desert's edge; but it was just as pretty here as anywhere, so the ork and the birds alighted and the three passengers at once got out of their swings. "oh, cap'n bill, isn't this fine an' dandy?" exclaimed trot rapturously. "how lucky we were to discover this beautiful country!" "the country seems rather high class, i'll admit, trot," replied the old sailor-man, looking around him, "but we don't know, as yet, what its people are like." "no one could live in such a country without being happy and good--i'm sure of that," she said earnestly. "don't you think so, button-bright?" "i'm not thinking, just now," answered the little boy. "it tires me to think, and i never seem to gain anything by it. when we see the people who live here we will know what they are like, and no 'mount of thinking will make them any different." "that's true enough," said the ork. "but now i want to make a proposal. while you are getting acquainted with this new country, which looks as if it contains everything to make one happy, i would like to fly along--all by myself--and see if i can find my home on the other side of the great desert. if i do, i will stay there, of course. but if i fail to find orkland i will return to you in a week, to see if i can do anything more to assist you." they were sorry to lose their queer companion, but could offer no objection to the plan; so the ork bade them good-bye and rising swiftly in the air, he flew over the country and was soon lost to view in the distance. the three birds which had carried our friends now begged permission to return by the way they had come, to their own homes, saying they were anxious to show their families how big they had become. so cap'n bill and trot and button-bright all thanked them gratefully for their assistance and soon the birds began their long flight toward the land of mo. being now left to themselves in this strange land, the three comrades selected a pretty pathway and began walking along it. they believed this path would lead them to a splendid castle which they espied in the distance, the turrets of which towered far above the tops of the trees which surrounded it. it did not seem very far away, so they sauntered on slowly, admiring the beautiful ferns and flowers that lined the pathway and listening to the singing of the birds and the soft chirping of the grasshoppers. presently the path wound over a little hill. in a valley that lay beyond the hill was a tiny cottage surrounded by flower beds and fruit trees. on the shady porch of the cottage they saw, as they approached, a pleasant faced woman sitting amidst a group of children, to whom she was telling stories. the children quickly discovered the strangers and ran toward them with exclamations of astonishment, so that trot and her friends became the center of a curious group, all chattering excitedly. cap'n bill's wooden leg seemed to arouse the wonder of the children, as they could not understand why he had not two meat legs. this attention seemed to please the old sailor, who patted the heads of the children kindly and then, raising his hat to the woman, he inquired: "can you tell us, madam, just what country this is?" she stared hard at all three of the strangers as she replied briefly: "jinxland." "oh!" exclaimed cap'n bill, with a puzzled look. "and where is jinxland, please?" "in the quadling country," said she. "what!" cried trot, in sudden excitement. "do you mean to say this is the quadling country of the land of oz?" "to be sure i do," the woman answered. "every bit of land that is surrounded by the great desert is the land of oz, as you ought to know as well as i do; but i'm sorry to say that jinxland is separated from the rest of the quadling country by that row of high mountains you see yonder, which have such steep sides that no one can cross them. so we live here all by ourselves, and are ruled by our own king, instead of by ozma of oz." "i've been to the land of oz before," said button-bright, "but i've never been here." "did you ever hear of jinxland before?" asked trot. "no," said button-bright. "it is on the map of oz, though," asserted the woman, "and it's a fine country, i assure you. if only," she added, and then paused to look around her with a frightened expression. "if only--" here she stopped again, as if not daring to go on with her speech. "if only what, ma'am?" asked cap'n bill. the woman sent the children into the house. then she came closer to the strangers and whispered: "if only we had a different king, we would be very happy and contented." "what's the matter with your king?" asked trot, curiously. but the woman seemed frightened to have said so much. she retreated to her porch, merely saying: "the king punishes severely any treason on the part of his subjects." "what's treason?" asked button-bright. "in this case," replied cap'n bill, "treason seems to consist of knockin' the king; but i guess we know his disposition now as well as if the lady had said more." "i wonder," said trot, going up to the woman, "if you could spare us something to eat. we haven't had anything but popcorn and lemonade for a long time." "bless your heart! of course i can spare you some food," the woman answered, and entering her cottage she soon returned with a tray loaded with sandwiches, cakes and cheese. one of the children drew a bucket of clear, cold water from a spring and the three wanderers ate heartily and enjoyed the good things immensely. when button-bright could eat no more he filled the pockets of his jacket with cakes and cheese, and not even the children objected to this. indeed they all seemed pleased to see the strangers eat, so cap'n bill decided that no matter what the king of jinxland was like, the people would prove friendly and hospitable. "whose castle is that, yonder, ma'am?" he asked, waving his hand toward the towers that rose above the trees. "it belongs to his majesty, king krewl." she said. "oh, indeed; and does he live there?" "when he is not out hunting with his fierce courtiers and war captains," she replied. "is he hunting now?" trot inquired. "i do not know, my dear. the less we know about the king's actions the safer we are." it was evident the woman did not like to talk about king krewl and so, having finished their meal, they said good-bye and continued along the pathway. "don't you think we'd better keep away from that king's castle, cap'n?" asked trot. "well," said he, "king krewl would find out, sooner or later, that we are in his country, so we may as well face the music now. perhaps he isn't quite so bad as that woman thinks he is. kings aren't always popular with their people, you know, even if they do the best they know how." "ozma is pop'lar," said button-bright. "ozma is diff'rent from any other ruler, from all i've heard," remarked trot musingly, as she walked beside the boy. "and, after all, we are really in the land of oz, where ozma rules ev'ry king and ev'rybody else. i never heard of anybody getting hurt in her dominions, did you, button-bright?" "not when she knows about it," he replied. "but those birds landed us in just the wrong place, seems to me. they might have carried us right on, over that row of mountains, to the em'rald city." "true enough," said cap'n bill; "but they didn't, an' so we must make the best of jinxland. let's try not to be afraid." "oh, i'm not very scared," said button-bright, pausing to look at a pink rabbit that popped its head out of a hole in the field near by. "nor am i," added trot. "really, cap'n, i'm so glad to be anywhere at all in the wonderful fairyland of oz that i think i'm the luckiest girl in all the world. dorothy lives in the em'rald city, you know, and so does the scarecrow and the tin woodman and tik-tok and the shaggy man--and all the rest of 'em that we've heard so much about--not to mention ozma, who must be the sweetest and loveliest girl in all the world!" "take your time, trot," advised button-bright. "you don't have to say it all in one breath, you know. and you haven't mentioned half of the curious people in the em'rald city." "that 'ere em'rald city," said cap'n bill impressively, "happens to be on the other side o' those mountains, that we're told no one is able to cross. i don't want to discourage of you, trot, but we're a'most as much separated from your ozma an' dorothy as we were when we lived in californy." there was so much truth in this statement that they all walked on in silence for some time. finally they reached the grove of stately trees that bordered the grounds of the king's castle. they had gone halfway through it when the sound of sobbing, as of someone in bitter distress, reached their ears and caused them to halt abruptly. chapter ten pon, the gardener's boy it was button-bright who first discovered, lying on his face beneath a broad spreading tree near the pathway, a young man whose body shook with the force of his sobs. he was dressed in a long brown smock and had sandals on his feet, betokening one in humble life. his head was bare and showed a shock of brown, curly hair. button-bright looked down on the young man and said: "who cares, anyhow?" "i do!" cried the young man, interrupting his sobs to roll over, face upward, that he might see who had spoken. "i care, for my heart is broken!" "can't you get another one?" asked the little boy. "i don't want another!" wailed the young man. by this time trot and cap'n bill arrived at the spot and the girl leaned over and said in a sympathetic voice: "tell us your troubles and perhaps we may help you." the youth sat up, then, and bowed politely. afterward he got upon his feet, but still kept wringing his hands as he tried to choke down his sobs. trot thought he was very brave to control such awful agony so well. "my name is pon," he began. "i'm the gardener's boy." "then the gardener of the king is your father, i suppose," said trot. "not my father, but my master," was the reply "i do the work and the gardener gives the orders. and it was not my fault, in the least, that the princess gloria fell in love with me." "did she, really?" asked the little girl. "i don't see why," remarked button-bright, staring at the youth. "and who may the princess gloria be?" inquired cap'n bill. "she is the niece of king krewl, who is her guardian. the princess lives in the castle and is the loveliest and sweetest maiden in all jinxland. she is fond of flowers and used to walk in the gardens with her attendants. at such times, if i was working at my tasks, i used to cast down my eyes as gloria passed me; but one day i glanced up and found her gazing at me with a very tender look in her eyes. the next day she dismissed her attendants and, coming to my side, began to talk with me. she said i had touched her heart as no other young man had ever done. i kissed her hand. just then the king came around a bend in the walk. he struck me with his fist and kicked me with his foot. then he seized the arm of the princess and rudely dragged her into the castle." "wasn't he awful!" gasped trot indignantly. "he is a very abrupt king," said pon, "so it was the least i could expect. up to that time i had not thought of loving princess gloria, but realizing it would be impolite not to return her love, i did so. we met at evening, now and then, and she told me the king wanted her to marry a rich courtier named googly-goo, who is old enough to be gloria's father. she has refused googly-goo thirty-nine times, but he still persists and has brought many rich presents to bribe the king. on that account king krewl has commanded his niece to marry the old man, but the princess has assured me, time and again, that she will wed only me. this morning we happened to meet in the grape arbor and as i was respectfully saluting the cheek of the princess, two of the king's guards seized me and beat me terribly before the very eyes of gloria, whom the king himself held back so she could not interfere." "why, this king must be a monster!" cried trot. "he is far worse than that," said pon, mournfully. "but, see here," interrupted cap'n bill, who had listened carefully to pon. "this king may not be so much to blame, after all. kings are proud folks, because they're so high an' mighty, an' it isn't reasonable for a royal princess to marry a common gardener's boy." "it isn't right," declared button-bright. "a princess should marry a prince." "i'm not a common gardener's boy," protested pon. "if i had my rights i would be the king instead of krewl. as it is, i'm a prince, and as royal as any man in jinxland." "how does that come?" asked cap'n bill. "my father used to be the king and krewl was his prime minister. but one day while out hunting, king phearse--that was my father's name--had a quarrel with krewl and tapped him gently on the nose with the knuckles of his closed hand. this so provoked the wicked krewl that he tripped my father backward, so that he fell into a deep pond. at once krewl threw in a mass of heavy stones, which so weighted down my poor father that his body could not rise again to the surface. it is impossible to kill anyone in this land, as perhaps you know, but when my father was pressed down into the mud at the bottom of the deep pool and the stones held him so he could never escape, he was of no more use to himself or the world than if he had died. knowing this, krewl proclaimed himself king, taking possession of the royal castle and driving all my father's people out. i was a small boy, then, but when i grew up i became a gardener. i have served king krewl without his knowing that i am the son of the same king phearse whom he so cruelly made away with." "my, but that's a terr'bly exciting story!" said trot, drawing a long breath. "but tell us, pon, who was gloria's father?" "oh, he was the king before my father," replied pon. "father was prime minister for king kynd, who was gloria's father. she was only a baby when king kynd fell into the great gulf that lies just this side of the mountains--the same mountains that separate jinxland from the rest of the land of oz. it is said the great gulf has no bottom; but, however that may be, king kynd has never been seen again and my father became king in his place." "seems to me," said trot, "that if gloria had her rights she would be queen of jinxland." "well, her father was a king," admitted pon, "and so was my father; so we are of equal rank, although she's a great lady and i'm a humble gardener's boy. i can't see why we should not marry if we want to except that king krewl won't let us." "it's a sort of mixed-up mess, taken altogether," remarked cap'n bill. "but we are on our way to visit king krewl, and if we get a chance, young man, we'll put in a good word for you." "do, please!" begged pon. "was it the flogging you got that broke your heart?" inquired button-bright. "why, it helped to break it, of course," said pon. "i'd get it fixed up, if i were you," advised the boy, tossing a pebble at a chipmunk in a tree. "you ought to give gloria just as good a heart as she gives you." "that's common sense," agreed cap'n bill. so they left the gardener's boy standing beside the path, and resumed their journey toward the castle. chapter eleven the wicked king and googly-goo when our friends approached the great doorway of the castle they found it guarded by several soldiers dressed in splendid uniforms. they were armed with swords and lances. cap'n bill walked straight up to them and asked: "does the king happen to be at home?" "his magnificent and glorious majesty, king krewl, is at present inhabiting his royal castle," was the stiff reply. "then i guess we'll go in an' say how-d'ye-do," continued cap'n bill, attempting to enter the doorway. but a soldier barred his way with a lance. "who are you, what are your names, and where do you come from?" demanded the soldier. "you wouldn't know if we told you," returned the sailor, "seein' as we're strangers in a strange land." "oh, if you are strangers you will be permitted to enter," said the soldier, lowering his lance. "his majesty is very fond of strangers." "do many strangers come here?" asked trot. "you are the first that ever came to our country," said the man. "but his majesty has often said that if strangers ever arrived in jinxland he would see that they had a very exciting time." cap'n bill scratched his chin thoughtfully. he wasn't very favorably impressed by this last remark. but he decided that as there was no way of escape from jinxland it would be wise to confront the king boldly and try to win his favor. so they entered the castle, escorted by one of the soldiers. it was certainly a fine castle, with many large rooms, all beautifully furnished. the passages were winding and handsomely decorated, and after following several of these the soldier led them into an open court that occupied the very center of the huge building. it was surrounded on every side by high turreted walls, and contained beds of flowers, fountains and walks of many colored marbles which were matched together in quaint designs. in an open space near the middle of the court they saw a group of courtiers and their ladies, who surrounded a lean man who wore upon his head a jeweled crown. his face was hard and sullen and through the slits of his half-closed eyelids the eyes glowed like coals of fire. he was dressed in brilliant satins and velvets and was seated in a golden throne-chair. this personage was king krewl, and as soon as cap'n bill saw him the old sailor knew at once that he was not going to like the king of jinxland. "hello! who's here?" said his majesty, with a deep scowl. "strangers, sire," answered the soldier, bowing so low that his forehead touched the marble tiles. "strangers, eh? well, well; what an unexpected visit! advance, strangers, and give an account of yourselves." the king's voice was as harsh as his features. trot shuddered a little but cap'n bill calmly replied: "there ain't much for us to say, 'cept as we've arrived to look over your country an' see how we like it. judgin' from the way you speak, you don't know who we are, or you'd be jumpin' up to shake hands an' offer us seats. kings usually treat us pretty well, in the great big outside world where we come from, but in this little kingdom--which don't amount to much, anyhow--folks don't seem to 'a' got much culchure." the king listened with amazement to this bold speech, first with a frown and then gazing at the two children and the old sailor with evident curiosity. the courtiers were dumb with fear, for no one had ever dared speak in such a manner to their self-willed, cruel king before. his majesty, however, was somewhat frightened, for cruel people are always cowards, and he feared these mysterious strangers might possess magic powers that would destroy him unless he treated them well. so he commanded his people to give the new arrivals seats, and they obeyed with trembling haste. after being seated, cap'n bill lighted his pipe and began puffing smoke from it, a sight so strange to them that it filled them all with wonder. presently the king asked: "how did you penetrate to this hidden country? did you cross the desert or the mountains?" "desert," answered cap'n bill, as if the task were too easy to be worth talking about. "indeed! no one has ever been able to do that before," said the king. "well, it's easy enough, if you know how," asserted cap'n bill, so carelessly that it greatly impressed his hearers. the king shifted in his throne uneasily. he was more afraid of these strangers than before. "do you intend to stay long in jinxland?" was his next anxious question. "depends on how we like it," said cap'n bill. "just now i might suggest to your majesty to order some rooms got ready for us in your dinky little castle here. and a royal banquet, with some fried onions an' pickled tripe, would set easy on our stomicks an' make us a bit happier than we are now." "your wishes shall be attended to," said king krewl, but his eyes flashed from between their slits in a wicked way that made trot hope the food wouldn't be poisoned. at the king's command several of his attendants hastened away to give the proper orders to the castle servants and no sooner were they gone than a skinny old man entered the courtyard and bowed before the king. this disagreeable person was dressed in rich velvets, with many furbelows and laces. he was covered with golden chains, finely wrought rings and jeweled ornaments. he walked with mincing steps and glared at all the courtiers as if he considered himself far superior to any or all of them. "well, well, your majesty; what news--what news?" he demanded, in a shrill, cracked voice. the king gave him a surly look. "no news, lord googly-goo, except that strangers have arrived," he said. googly-goo cast a contemptuous glance at cap'n bill and a disdainful one at trot and button-bright. then he said: "strangers do not interest me, your majesty. but the princess gloria is very interesting--very interesting, indeed! what does she say, sire? will she marry me?" "ask her," retorted the king. "i have, many times; and every time she has refused." "well?" said the king harshly. "well," said googly-goo in a jaunty tone, "a bird that can sing, and won't sing, must be made to sing." "huh!" sneered the king. "that's easy, with a bird; but a girl is harder to manage." "still," persisted googly-goo, "we must overcome difficulties. the chief trouble is that gloria fancies she loves that miserable gardener's boy, pon. suppose we throw pon into the great gulf, your majesty?" "it would do you no good," returned the king. "she would still love him." "too bad, too bad!" sighed googly-goo. "i have laid aside more than a bushel of precious gems--each worth a king's ransom--to present to your majesty on the day i wed gloria." the king's eyes sparkled, for he loved wealth above everything; but the next moment he frowned deeply again. "it won't help us to kill pon," he muttered. "what we must do is kill gloria's love for pon." "that is better, if you can find a way to do it," agreed googly-goo. "everything would come right if you could kill gloria's love for that gardener's boy. really, sire, now that i come to think of it, there must be fully a bushel and a half of those jewels!" just then a messenger entered the court to say that the banquet was prepared for the strangers. so cap'n bill, trot and button-bright entered the castle and were taken to a room where a fine feast was spread upon the table. "i don't like that lord googly-goo," remarked trot as she was busily eating. "nor i," said cap'n bill. "but from the talk we heard i guess the gardener's boy won't get the princess." "perhaps not," returned the girl; "but i hope old googly doesn't get her, either." "the king means to sell her for all those jewels," observed button-bright, his mouth half full of cake and jam. "poor princess!" sighed trot. "i'm sorry for her, although i've never seen her. but if she says no to googly-goo, and means it, what can they do?" "don't let us worry about a strange princess," advised cap'n bill. "i've a notion we're not too safe, ourselves, with this cruel king." the two children felt the same way and all three were rather solemn during the remainder of the meal. when they had eaten, the servants escorted them to their rooms. cap'n bill's room was way to one end of the castle, very high up, and trot's room was at the opposite end, rather low down. as for button-bright, they placed him in the middle, so that all were as far apart as they could possibly be. they didn't like this arrangement very well, but all the rooms were handsomely furnished and being guests of the king they dared not complain. after the strangers had left the courtyard the king and googly-goo had a long talk together, and the king said: "i cannot force gloria to marry you just now, because those strangers may interfere. i suspect that the wooden-legged man possesses great magical powers, or he would never have been able to carry himself and those children across the deadly desert." "i don't like him; he looks dangerous," answered googly-goo. "but perhaps you are mistaken about his being a wizard. why don't you test his powers?" "how?" asked the king. "send for the wicked witch. she will tell you in a moment whether that wooden-legged person is a common man or a magician." "ha! that's a good idea," cried the king. "why didn't i think of the wicked witch before? but the woman demands rich rewards for her services." "never mind; i will pay her," promised the wealthy googly-goo. so a servant was dispatched to summon the wicked witch, who lived but a few leagues from king krewl's castle. while they awaited her, the withered old courtier proposed that they pay a visit to princess gloria and see if she was not now in a more complaisant mood. so the two started away together and searched the castle over without finding gloria. at last googly-goo suggested she might be in the rear garden, which was a large park filled with bushes and trees and surrounded by a high wall. and what was their anger, when they turned a corner of the path, to find in a quiet nook the beautiful princess, and kneeling before her, pon, the gardener's boy! with a roar of rage the king dashed forward; but pon had scaled the wall by means of a ladder, which still stood in its place, and when he saw the king coming he ran up the ladder and made good his escape. but this left gloria confronted by her angry guardian, the king, and by old googly-goo, who was trembling with a fury he could not express in words. seizing the princess by her arm the king dragged her back to the castle. pushing her into a room on the lower floor he locked the door upon the unhappy girl. and at that moment the arrival of the wicked witch was announced. hearing this, the king smiled, as a tiger smiles, showing his teeth. and googly-goo smiled, as a serpent smiles, for he had no teeth except a couple of fangs. and having frightened each other with these smiles the two dreadful men went away to the royal council chamber to meet the wicked witch. chapter twelve the wooden-legged grass-hopper now it so happened that trot, from the window of her room, had witnessed the meeting of the lovers in the garden and had seen the king come and drag gloria away. the little girl's heart went out in sympathy for the poor princess, who seemed to her to be one of the sweetest and loveliest young ladies she had ever seen, so she crept along the passages and from a hidden niche saw gloria locked in her room. the key was still in the lock, so when the king had gone away, followed by googly-goo, trot stole up to the door, turned the key and entered. the princess lay prone upon a couch, sobbing bitterly. trot went up to her and smoothed her hair and tried to comfort her. "don't cry," she said. "i've unlocked the door, so you can go away any time you want to." "it isn't that," sobbed the princess. "i am unhappy because they will not let me love pon, the gardener's boy!" "well, never mind; pon isn't any great shakes, anyhow, seems to me," said trot soothingly. "there are lots of other people you can love." gloria rolled over on the couch and looked at the little girl reproachfully. "pon has won my heart, and i can't help loving him," she explained. then with sudden indignation she added: "but i'll never love googly-goo--never, as long as i live!" "i should say not!" replied trot. "pon may not be much good, but old googly is very, very bad. hunt around, and i'm sure you'll find someone worth your love. you're very pretty, you know, and almost anyone ought to love you." "you don't understand, my dear," said gloria, as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a dainty lace handkerchief bordered with pearls. "when you are older you will realize that a young lady cannot decide whom she will love, or choose the most worthy. her heart alone decides for her, and whomsoever her heart selects, she must love, whether he amounts to much or not." trot was a little puzzled by this speech, which seemed to her unreasonable; but she made no reply and presently gloria's grief softened and she began to question the little girl about herself and her adventures. trot told her how they had happened to come to jinxland, and all about cap'n bill and the ork and pessim and the bumpy man. while they were thus conversing together, getting more and more friendly as they became better acquainted, in the council chamber the king and googly-goo were talking with the wicked witch. this evil creature was old and ugly. she had lost one eye and wore a black patch over it, so the people of jinxland had named her "blinkie." of course witches are forbidden to exist in the land of oz, but jinxland was so far removed from the center of ozma's dominions, and so absolutely cut off from it by the steep mountains and the bottomless gulf, that the laws of oz were not obeyed very well in that country. so there were several witches in jinxland who were the terror of the people, but king krewl favored them and permitted them to exercise their evil sorcery. blinkie was the leader of all the other witches and therefore the most hated and feared. the king used her witchcraft at times to assist him in carrying out his cruelties and revenge, but he was always obliged to pay blinkie large sums of money or heaps of precious jewels before she would undertake an enchantment. this made him hate the old woman almost as much as his subjects did, but to-day lord googly-goo had agreed to pay the witch's price, so the king greeted her with gracious favor. "can you destroy the love of princess gloria for the gardener's boy?" inquired his majesty. the wicked witch thought about it before she replied: "that's a hard question to answer. i can do lots of clever magic, but love is a stubborn thing to conquer. when you think you've killed it, it's liable to bob up again as strong as ever. i believe love and cats have nine lives. in other words, killing love is a hard job, even for a skillful witch, but i believe i can do something that will answer your purpose just as well." "what is that?" asked the king. "i can freeze the girl's heart. i've got a special incantation for that, and when gloria's heart is thoroughly frozen she can no longer love pon." "just the thing!" exclaimed googly-goo, and the king was likewise much pleased. they bargained a long time as to the price, but finally the old courtier agreed to pay the wicked witch's demands. it was arranged that they should take gloria to blinkie's house the next day, to have her heart frozen. then king krewl mentioned to the old hag the strangers who had that day arrived in jinxland, and said to her: "i think the two children--the boy and the girl--are unable to harm me, but i have a suspicion that the wooden-legged man is a powerful wizard." the witch's face wore a troubled look when she heard this. "if you are right," she said, "this wizard might spoil my incantation and interfere with me in other ways. so it will be best for me to meet this stranger at once and match my magic against his, to decide which is the stronger." "all right," said the king. "come with me and i will lead you to the man's room." googly-goo did not accompany them, as he was obliged to go home to get the money and jewels he had promised to pay old blinkie, so the other two climbed several flights of stairs and went through many passages until they came to the room occupied by cap'n bill. the sailor-man, finding his bed soft and inviting, and being tired with the adventures he had experienced, had decided to take a nap. when the wicked witch and the king softly opened his door and entered, cap'n bill was snoring with such vigor that he did not hear them at all. blinkie approached the bed and with her one eye anxiously stared at the sleeping stranger. "ah," she said in a soft whisper, "i believe you are right, king krewl. the man looks to me like a very powerful wizard. but by good luck i have caught him asleep, so i shall transform him before he wakes up, giving him such a form that he will be unable to oppose me." "careful!" cautioned the king, also speaking low. "if he discovers what you are doing he may destroy you, and that would annoy me because i need you to attend to gloria." but the wicked witch realized as well as he did that she must be careful. she carried over her arm a black bag, from which she now drew several packets carefully wrapped in paper. three of these she selected, replacing the others in the bag. two of the packets she mixed together, and then she cautiously opened the third. "better stand back, your majesty," she advised, "for if this powder falls on you you might be transformed yourself." the king hastily retreated to the end of the room. as blinkie mixed the third powder with the others she waved her hands over it, mumbled a few words, and then backed away as quickly as she could. cap'n bill was slumbering peacefully, all unconscious of what was going on. puff! a great cloud of smoke rolled over the bed and completely hid him from view. when the smoke rolled away, both blinkie and the king saw that the body of the stranger had quite disappeared, while in his place, crouching in the middle of the bed, was a little gray grasshopper. one curious thing about this grasshopper was that the last joint of its left leg was made of wood. another curious thing--considering it was a grasshopper--was that it began talking, crying out in a tiny but sharp voice: "here--you people! what do you mean by treating me so? put me back where i belong, at once, or you'll be sorry!" the cruel king turned pale at hearing the grasshopper's threats, but the wicked witch merely laughed in derision. then she raised her stick and aimed a vicious blow at the grasshopper, but before the stick struck the bed the tiny hopper made a marvelous jump--marvelous, indeed, when we consider that it had a wooden leg. it rose in the air and sailed across the room and passed right through the open window, where it disappeared from their view. "good!" shouted the king. "we are well rid of this desperate wizard." and then they both laughed heartily at the success of the incantation, and went away to complete their horrid plans. after trot had visited a time with princess gloria, the little girl went to button-bright's room but did not find him there. then she went to cap'n bill's room, but he was not there because the witch and the king had been there before her. so she made her way downstairs and questioned the servants. they said they had seen the little boy go out into the garden, some time ago, but the old man with the wooden leg they had not seen at all. therefore trot, not knowing what else to do, rambled through the great gardens, seeking for button-bright or cap'n bill and not finding either of them. this part of the garden, which lay before the castle, was not walled in, but extended to the roadway, and the paths were open to the edge of the forest; so, after two hours of vain search for her friends, the little girl returned to the castle. but at the doorway a soldier stopped her. "i live here," said trot, "so it's all right to let me in. the king has given me a room." "well, he has taken it back again," was the soldier's reply. "his majesty's orders are to turn you away if you attempt to enter. i am also ordered to forbid the boy, your companion, to again enter the king's castle." "how 'bout cap'n bill?" she inquired. "why, it seems he has mysteriously disappeared," replied the soldier, shaking his head ominously. "where he has gone to, i can't make out, but i can assure you he is no longer in this castle. i'm sorry, little girl, to disappoint you. don't blame me; i must obey my master's orders." now, all her life trot had been accustomed to depend on cap'n bill, so when this good friend was suddenly taken from her she felt very miserable and forlorn indeed. she was brave enough not to cry before the soldier, or even to let him see her grief and anxiety, but after she was turned away from the castle she sought a quiet bench in the garden and for a time sobbed as if her heart would break. it was button-bright who found her, at last, just as the sun had set and the shades of evening were falling. he also had been turned away from the king's castle, when he tried to enter it, and in the park he came across trot. "never mind," said the boy. "we can find a place to sleep." "i want cap'n bill," wailed the girl. "well, so do i," was the reply. "but we haven't got him. where do you s'pose he is, trot? "i don't s'pose anything. he's gone, an' that's all i know 'bout it." button-bright sat on the bench beside her and thrust his hands in the pockets of his knickerbockers. then he reflected somewhat gravely for him. "cap'n bill isn't around here," he said, letting his eyes wander over the dim garden, "so we must go somewhere else if we want to find him. besides, it's fast getting dark, and if we want to find a place to sleep we must get busy while we can see where to go." he rose from the bench as he said this and trot also jumped up, drying her eyes on her apron. then she walked beside him out of the grounds of the king's castle. they did not go by the main path, but passed through an opening in a hedge and found themselves in a small but well-worn roadway. following this for some distance, along a winding way, they came upon no house or building that would afford them refuge for the night. it became so dark that they could scarcely see their way, and finally trot stopped and suggested that they camp under a tree. "all right," said button-bright, "i've often found that leaves make a good warm blanket. but--look there, trot!--isn't that a light flashing over yonder?" "it certainly is, button-bright. let's go over and see if it's a house. whoever lives there couldn't treat us worse than the king did." to reach the light they had to leave the road, so they stumbled over hillocks and brushwood, hand in hand, keeping the tiny speck of light always in sight. they were rather forlorn little waifs, outcasts in a strange country and forsaken by their only friend and guardian, cap'n bill. so they were very glad when finally they reached a small cottage and, looking in through its one window, saw pon, the gardener's boy, sitting by a fire of twigs. as trot opened the door and walked boldly in, pon sprang up to greet them. they told him of cap'n bill's disappearance and how they had been turned out of the king's castle. as they finished the story pon shook his head sadly. "king krewl is plotting mischief, i fear," said he, "for to-day he sent for old blinkie, the wicked witch, and with my own eyes i saw her come from the castle and hobble away toward her hut. she had been with the king and googly-goo, and i was afraid they were going to work some enchantment on gloria so she would no longer love me. but perhaps the witch was only called to the castle to enchant your friend, cap'n bill." "could she do that?" asked trot, horrified by the suggestion. "i suppose so, for old blinkie can do a lot of wicked magical things." "what sort of an enchantment could she put on cap'n bill?" "i don't know. but he has disappeared, so i'm pretty certain she has done something dreadful to him. but don't worry. if it has happened, it can't be helped, and if it hasn't happened we may be able to find him in the morning." with this pon went to the cupboard and brought food for them. trot was far too worried to eat, but button-bright made a good supper from the simple food and then lay down before the fire and went to sleep. the little girl and the gardener's boy, however, sat for a long time staring into the fire, busy with their thoughts. but at last trot, too, became sleepy and pon gently covered her with the one blanket he possessed. then he threw more wood on the fire and laid himself down before it, next to button-bright. soon all three were fast asleep. they were in a good deal of trouble; but they were young, and sleep was good to them because for a time it made them forget. chapter thirteen glinda the good and the scarecrow of oz that country south of the emerald city, in the land of oz, is known as the quadling country, and in the very southernmost part of it stands a splendid palace in which lives glinda the good. glinda is the royal sorceress of oz. she has wonderful magical powers and uses them only to benefit the subjects of ozma's kingdom. even the famous wizard of oz pays tribute to her, for glinda taught him all the real magic he knows, and she is his superior in all sorts of sorcery everyone loves glinda, from the dainty and exquisite ruler, ozma, down to the humblest inhabitant of oz, for she is always kindly and helpful and willing to listen to their troubles, however busy she may be. no one knows her age, but all can see how beautiful and stately she is. her hair is like red gold and finer than the finest silken strands. her eyes are blue as the sky and always frank and smiling. her cheeks are the envy of peach-blows and her mouth is enticing as a rosebud. glinda is tall and wears splendid gowns that trail behind her as she walks. she wears no jewels, for her beauty would shame them. for attendants glinda has half a hundred of the loveliest girls in oz. they are gathered from all over oz, from among the winkies, the munchkins, the gillikins and the quadlings, as well as from ozma's magnificent emerald city, and it is considered a great favor to be allowed to serve the royal sorceress. among the many wonderful things in glinda's palace is the great book of records. in this book is inscribed everything that takes place in all the world, just the instant it happens; so that by referring to its pages glinda knows what is taking place far and near, in every country that exists. in this way she learns when and where she can help any in distress or danger, and although her duties are confined to assisting those who inhabit the land of oz, she is always interested in what takes place in the unprotected outside world. so it was that on a certain evening glinda sat in her library, surrounded by a bevy of her maids, who were engaged in spinning, weaving and embroidery, when an attendant announced the arrival at the palace of the scarecrow. this personage was one of the most famous and popular in all the land of oz. his body was merely a suit of munchkin clothes stuffed with straw, but his head was a round sack filled with bran, with which the wizard of oz had mixed some magic brains of a very superior sort. the eyes, nose and mouth of the scarecrow were painted upon the front of the sack, as were his ears, and since this quaint being had been endowed with life, the expression of his face was very interesting, if somewhat comical. the scarecrow was good all through, even to his brains, and while he was naturally awkward in his movements and lacked the neat symmetry of other people, his disposition was so kind and considerate and he was so obliging and honest, that all who knew him loved him, and there were few people in oz who had not met our scarecrow and made his acquaintance. he lived part of the time in ozma's palace at the emerald city, part of the time in his own corncob castle in the winkie country, and part of the time he traveled over all oz, visiting with the people and playing with the children, whom he dearly loved. it was on one of his wandering journeys that the scarecrow had arrived at glinda's palace, and the sorceress at once made him welcome. as he sat beside her, talking of his adventures, he asked: "what's new in the way of news?" glinda opened her great book of records and read some of the last pages. "here is an item quite curious and interesting," she announced, an accent of surprise in her voice. "three people from the big outside world have arrived in jinxland." "where is jinxland?" inquired the scarecrow. "very near here, a little to the east of us," she said. "in fact, jinxland is a little slice taken off the quadling country, but separated from it by a range of high mountains, at the foot of which lies a wide, deep gulf that is supposed to be impassable." "then jinxland is really a part of the land of oz," said he. "yes," returned glinda, "but oz people know nothing of it, except what is recorded here in my book." "what does the book say about it?" asked the scarecrow. "it is ruled by a wicked man called king krewl, although he has no right to the title. most of the people are good, but they are very timid and live in constant fear of their fierce ruler. there are also several wicked witches who keep the inhabitants of jinxland in a state of terror." "do those witches have any magical powers?" inquired the scarecrow. "yes, they seem to understand witchcraft in its most evil form, for one of them has just transformed a respectable and honest old sailor--one of the strangers who arrived there--into a grasshopper. this same witch, blinkie by name, is also planning to freeze the heart of a beautiful jinxland girl named princess gloria." "why, that's a dreadful thing to do!" exclaimed the scarecrow. glinda's face was very grave. she read in her book how trot and button-bright were turned out of the king's castle, and how they found refuge in the hut of pon, the gardener's boy. "i'm afraid those helpless earth people will endure much suffering in jinxland, even if the wicked king and the witches permit them to live," said the good sorceress, thoughtfully. "i wish i might help them." "can i do anything?" asked the scarecrow, anxiously. "if so, tell me what to do, and i'll do it." for a few moments glinda did not reply, but sat musing over the records. then she said: "i am going to send you to jinxland, to protect trot and button-bright and cap'n bill." "all right," answered the scarecrow in a cheerful voice. "i know button-bright already, for he has been in the land of oz before. you remember he went away from the land of oz in one of our wizard's big bubbles." "yes," said glinda, "i remember that." then she carefully instructed the scarecrow what to do and gave him certain magical things which he placed in the pockets of his ragged munchkin coat. "as you have no need to sleep," said she, "you may as well start at once." "the night is the same as day to me," he replied, "except that i cannot see my way so well in the dark." "i will furnish a light to guide you," promised the sorceress. so the scarecrow bade her good-bye and at once started on his journey. by morning he had reached the mountains that separated the quadling country from jinxland. the sides of these mountains were too steep to climb, but the scarecrow took a small rope from his pocket and tossed one end upward, into the air. the rope unwound itself for hundreds of feet, until it caught upon a peak of rock at the very top of a mountain, for it was a magic rope furnished him by glinda. the scarecrow climbed the rope and, after pulling it up, let it down on the other side of the mountain range. when he descended the rope on this side he found himself in jinxland, but at his feet yawned the great gulf, which must be crossed before he could proceed any farther. the scarecrow knelt down and examined the ground carefully, and in a moment he discovered a fuzzy brown spider that had rolled itself into a ball. so he took two tiny pills from his pocket and laid them beside the spider, which unrolled itself and quickly ate up the pills. then the scarecrow said in a voice of command: "spin!" and the spider obeyed instantly. in a few moments the little creature had spun two slender but strong strands that reached way across the gulf, one being five or six feet above the other. when these were completed the scarecrow started across the tiny bridge, walking upon one strand as a person walks upon a rope, and holding to the upper strand with his hands to prevent him from losing his balance and toppling over into the gulf. the tiny threads held him safely, thanks to the strength given them by the magic pills. presently he was safe across and standing on the plains of jinxland. far away he could see the towers of the king's castle and toward this he at once began to walk. chapter fourteen the frozen heart in the hut of pon, the gardener's boy, button-bright was the first to waken in the morning. leaving his companions still asleep, he went out into the fresh morning air and saw some blackberries growing on bushes in a field not far away. going to the bushes he found the berries ripe and sweet, so he began eating them. more bushes were scattered over the fields, so the boy wandered on, from bush to bush, without paying any heed to where he was wandering. then a butterfly fluttered by. he gave chase to it and followed it a long way. when finally he paused to look around him, button-bright could see no sign of pon's house, nor had he the slightest idea in which direction it lay. "well, i'm lost again," he remarked to himself. "but never mind; i've been lost lots of times. someone is sure to find me." trot was a little worried about button-bright when she awoke and found him gone. knowing how careless he was, she believed that he had strayed away, but felt that he would come back in time, because he had a habit of not staying lost. pon got the little girl some food for her breakfast and then together they went out of the hut and stood in the sunshine. pon's house was some distance off the road, but they could see it from where they stood and both gave a start of surprise when they discovered two soldiers walking along the roadway and escorting princess gloria between them. the poor girl had her hands bound together, to prevent her from struggling, and the soldiers rudely dragged her forward when her steps seemed to lag. behind this group came king krewl, wearing his jeweled crown and swinging in his hand a slender golden staff with a ball of clustered gems at one end. "where are they going?" asked trot. "to the house of the wicked witch, i fear," pon replied. "come, let us follow them, for i am sure they intend to harm my dear gloria." "won't they see us?" she asked timidly. "we won't let them. i know a short cut through the trees to blinkie's house," said he. so they hurried away through the trees and reached the house of the witch ahead of the king and his soldiers. hiding themselves in the shrubbery, they watched the approach of poor gloria and her escort, all of whom passed so near to them that pon could have put out a hand and touched his sweetheart, had he dared to. blinkie's house had eight sides, with a door and a window in each side. smoke was coming out of the chimney and as the guards brought gloria to one of the doors it was opened by the old witch in person. she chuckled with evil glee and rubbed her skinny hands together to show the delight with which she greeted her victim, for blinkie was pleased to be able to perform her wicked rites on one so fair and sweet as the princess. gloria struggled to resist when they bade her enter the house, so the soldiers forced her through the doorway and even the king gave her a shove as he followed close behind. pon was so incensed at the cruelty shown gloria that he forgot all caution and rushed forward to enter the house also; but one of the soldiers prevented him, pushing the gardener's boy away with violence and slamming the door in his face. "never mind," said trot soothingly, as pon rose from where he had fallen. "you couldn't do much to help the poor princess if you were inside. how unfortunate it is that you are in love with her!" "true," he answered sadly, "it is indeed my misfortune. if i did not love her, it would be none of my business what the king did to his niece gloria; but the unlucky circumstance of my loving her makes it my duty to defend her." "i don't see how you can, duty or no duty," observed trot. "no; i am powerless, for they are stronger than i. but we might peek in through the window and see what they are doing." trot was somewhat curious, too, so they crept up to one of the windows and looked in, and it so happened that those inside the witch's house were so busy they did not notice that pon and trot were watching them. gloria had been tied to a stout post in the center of the room and the king was giving the wicked witch a quantity of money and jewels, which googly-goo had provided in payment. when this had been done the king said to her: "are you perfectly sure you can freeze this maiden's heart, so that she will no longer love that low gardener's boy?" "sure as witchcraft, your majesty," the creature replied. "then get to work," said the king. "there may be some unpleasant features about the ceremony that would annoy me, so i'll bid you good day and leave you to carry out your contract. one word, however: if you fail, i shall burn you at the stake!" then he beckoned to his soldiers to follow him, and throwing wide the door of the house walked out. this action was so sudden that king krewl almost caught trot and pon eavesdropping, but they managed to run around the house before he saw them. away he marched, up the road, followed by his men, heartlessly leaving gloria to the mercies of old blinkie. when they again crept up to the window, trot and pon saw blinkie gloating over her victim. although nearly fainting from fear, the proud princess gazed with haughty defiance into the face of the wicked creature; but she was bound so tightly to the post that she could do no more to express her loathing. pretty soon blinkie went to a kettle that was swinging by a chain over the fire and tossed into it several magical compounds. the kettle gave three flashes, and at every flash another witch appeared in the room. these hags were very ugly but when one-eyed blinkie whispered her orders to them they grinned with joy as they began dancing around gloria. first one and then another cast something into the kettle, when to the astonishment of the watchers at the window all three of the old women were instantly transformed into maidens of exquisite beauty, dressed in the daintiest costumes imaginable. only their eyes could not be disguised, and an evil glare still shone in their depths. but if the eyes were cast down or hidden, one could not help but admire these beautiful creatures, even with the knowledge that they were mere illusions of witchcraft. trot certainly admired them, for she had never seen anything so dainty and bewitching, but her attention was quickly drawn to their deeds instead of their persons, and then horror replaced admiration. into the kettle old blinkie poured another mess from a big brass bottle she took from a chest, and this made the kettle begin to bubble and smoke violently. one by one the beautiful witches approached to stir the contents of the kettle and to mutter a magic charm. their movements were graceful and rhythmic and the wicked witch who had called them to her aid watched them with an evil grin upon her wrinkled face. finally the incantation was complete. the kettle ceased bubbling and together the witches lifted it from the fire. then blinkie brought a wooden ladle and filled it from the contents of the kettle. going with the spoon to princess gloria she cried: "love no more! magic art now will freeze your mortal heart!" with this she dashed the contents of the ladle full upon gloria's breast. trot saw the body of the princess become transparent, so that her beating heart showed plainly. but now the heart turned from a vivid red to gray, and then to white. a layer of frost formed about it and tiny icicles clung to its surface. then slowly the body of the girl became visible again and the heart was hidden from view. gloria seemed to have fainted, but now she recovered and, opening her beautiful eyes, stared coldly and without emotion at the group of witches confronting her. blinkie and the others knew by that one cold look that their charm had been successful. they burst into a chorus of wild laughter and the three beautiful ones began dancing again, while blinkie unbound the princess and set her free. trot rubbed her eyes to prove that she was wide awake and seeing clearly, for her astonishment was great when the three lovely maidens turned into ugly, crooked hags again, leaning on broomsticks and canes. they jeered at gloria, but the princess regarded them with cold disdain. being now free, she walked to a door, opened it and passed out. and the witches let her go. trot and pon had been so intent upon this scene that in their eagerness they had pressed quite hard against the window. just as gloria went out of the house the window-sash broke loose from its fastenings and fell with a crash into the room. the witches uttered a chorus of screams and then, seeing that their magical incantation had been observed, they rushed for the open window with uplifted broomsticks and canes. but pon was off like the wind, and trot followed at his heels. fear lent them strength to run, to leap across ditches, to speed up the hills and to vault the low fences as a deer would. the band of witches had dashed through the window in pursuit; but blinkie was so old, and the others so crooked and awkward, that they soon realized they would be unable to overtake the fugitives. so the three who had been summoned by the wicked witch put their canes or broomsticks between their legs and flew away through the air, quickly disappearing against the blue sky. blinkie, however, was so enraged at pon and trot that she hobbled on in the direction they had taken, fully determined to catch them, in time, and to punish them terribly for spying upon her witchcraft. when pon and trot had run so far that they were confident they had made good their escape, they sat down near the edge of a forest to get their breath again, for both were panting hard from their exertions. trot was the first to recover speech, and she said to her companion: "my! wasn't it terr'ble?" "the most terrible thing i ever saw," pon agreed. "and they froze gloria's heart; so now she can't love you any more." "well, they froze her heart, to be sure," admitted pon, "but i'm in hopes i can melt it with my love." "where do you s'pose gloria is?" asked the girl, after a pause. "she left the witch's house just before we did. perhaps she has gone back to the king's castle," he said. "i'm pretty sure she started off in a diff'rent direction," declared trot. "i looked over my shoulder, as i ran, to see how close the witches were, and i'm sure i saw gloria walking slowly away toward the north." "then let us circle around that way," proposed pon, "and perhaps we shall meet her." trot agreed to this and they left the grove and began to circle around toward the north, thus drawing nearer and nearer to old blinkie's house again. the wicked witch did not suspect this change of direction, so when she came to the grove she passed through it and continued on. pon and trot had reached a place less than half a mile from the witch's house when they saw gloria walking toward them. the princess moved with great dignity and with no show of haste whatever, holding her head high and looking neither to right nor left. pon rushed forward, holding out his arms as if to embrace her and calling her sweet names. but gloria gazed upon him coldly and repelled him with a haughty gesture. at this the poor gardener's boy sank upon his knees and hid his face in his arms, weeping bitter tears; but the princess was not at all moved by his distress. passing him by, she drew her skirts aside, as if unwilling they should touch him, and then she walked up the path a way and hesitated, as if uncertain where to go next. trot was grieved by pon's sobs and indignant because gloria treated him so badly. but she remembered why. "i guess your heart is frozen, all right," she said to the princess. gloria nodded gravely, in reply, and then turned her back upon the little girl. "can't you like even me?" asked trot, half pleadingly. "no," said gloria. "your voice sounds like a refrig'rator," sighed the little girl. "i'm awful sorry for you, 'cause you were sweet an' nice to me before this happened. you can't help it, of course; but it's a dreadful thing, jus' the same." "my heart is frozen to all mortal loves," announced gloria, calmly. "i do not love even myself." "that's too bad," said trot, "for, if you can't love anybody, you can't expect anybody to love you." "i do!" cried pon. "i shall always love her." "well, you're just a gardener's boy," replied trot, "and i didn't think you 'mounted to much, from the first. i can love the old princess gloria, with a warm heart an' nice manners, but this one gives me the shivers." "it's her icy heart, that's all," said pon. "that's enough," insisted trot. "seeing her heart isn't big enough to skate on, i can't see that she's of any use to anyone. for my part, i'm goin' to try to find button-bright an' cap'n bill." "i will go with you," decided pon. "it is evident that gloria no longer loves me and that her heart is frozen too stiff for me to melt it with my own love; therefore i may as well help you to find your friends." as trot started off, pon cast one more imploring look at the princess, who returned it with a chilly stare. so he followed after the little girl. as for the princess, she hesitated a moment and then turned in the same direction the others had taken, but going far more slowly. soon she heard footsteps pattering behind her, and up came googly-goo, a little out of breath with running. "stop, gloria!" he cried. "i have come to take you back to my mansion, where we are to be married." she looked at him wonderingly a moment, then tossed her head disdainfully and walked on. but googly-goo kept beside her. "what does this mean?" he demanded. "haven't you discovered that you no longer love that gardener's boy, who stood in my way?" "yes; i have discovered it," she replied. "my heart is frozen to all mortal loves. i cannot love you, or pon, or the cruel king my uncle, or even myself. go your way, googly-goo, for i will wed no one at all." he stopped in dismay when he heard this, but in another minute he exclaimed angrily: "you must wed me, princess gloria, whether you want to or not! i paid to have your heart frozen; i also paid the king to permit our marriage. if you now refuse me it will mean that i have been robbed--robbed--robbed of my precious money and jewels!" he almost wept with despair, but she laughed a cold, bitter laugh and passed on. googly-goo caught at her arm, as if to restrain her, but she whirled and dealt him a blow that sent him reeling into a ditch beside the path. here he lay for a long time, half covered by muddy water, dazed with surprise. finally the old courtier arose, dripping, and climbed from the ditch. the princess had gone; so, muttering threats of vengeance upon her, upon the king and upon blinkie, old googly-goo hobbled back to his mansion to have the mud removed from his costly velvet clothes. chapter fifteen trot meets the scarecrow trot and pon covered many leagues of ground, searching through forests, in fields and in many of the little villages of jinxland, but could find no trace of either cap'n bill or button-bright. finally they paused beside a cornfield and sat upon a stile to rest. pon took some apples from his pocket and gave one to trot. then he began eating another himself, for this was their time for luncheon. when his apple was finished pon tossed the core into the field. "tchuk-tchuk!" said a strange voice. "what do you mean by hitting me in the eye with an apple-core?" then rose up the form of the scarecrow, who had hidden himself in the cornfield while he examined pon and trot and decided whether they were worthy to be helped. "excuse me," said pon. "i didn't know you were there." "how did you happen to be there, anyhow?" asked trot. the scarecrow came forward with awkward steps and stood beside them. "ah, you are the gardener's boy," he said to pon. then he turned to trot. "and you are the little girl who came to jinxland riding on a big bird, and who has had the misfortune to lose her friend, cap'n bill, and her chum, button-bright." "why, how did you know all that?" she inquired. "i know a lot of things," replied the scarecrow, winking at her comically. "my brains are the carefully-assorted, double-distilled, high-efficiency sort that the wizard of oz makes. he admits, himself, that my brains are the best he ever manufactured." "i think i've heard of you," said trot slowly, as she looked the scarecrow over with much interest; "but you used to live in the land of oz." "oh, i do now," he replied cheerfully. "i've just come over the mountains from the quadling country to see if i can be of any help to you." "who, me?" asked pon. "no, the strangers from the big world. it seems they need looking after." "i'm doing that myself," said pon, a little ungraciously. "if you will pardon me for saying so, i don't see how a scarecrow with painted eyes can look after anyone." "if you don't see that, you are more blind than the scarecrow," asserted trot. "he's a fairy man, pon, and comes from the fairyland of oz, so he can do 'most anything. i hope," she added, turning to the scarecrow, "you can find cap'n bill for me." "i will try, anyhow," he promised. "but who is that old woman who is running toward us and shaking her stick at us?" trot and pon turned around and both uttered an exclamation of fear. the next instant they took to their heels and ran fast up the path. for it was old blinkie, the wicked witch, who had at last traced them to this place. her anger was so great that she was determined not to abandon the chase of pon and trot until she had caught and punished them. the scarecrow understood at once that the old woman meant harm to his new friends, so as she drew near he stepped before her. his appearance was so sudden and unexpected that blinkie ran into him and toppled him over, but she tripped on his straw body and went rolling in the path beside him. the scarecrow sat up and said: "i beg your pardon!" but she whacked him with her stick and knocked him flat again. then, furious with rage, the old witch sprang upon her victim and began pulling the straw out of his body. the poor scarecrow was helpless to resist and in a few moments all that was left of him was an empty suit of clothes and a heap of straw beside it. fortunately, blinkie did not harm his head, for it rolled into a little hollow and escaped her notice. fearing that pon and trot would escape her, she quickly resumed the chase and disappeared over the brow of a hill, following the direction in which she had seen them go. only a short time elapsed before a gray grasshopper with a wooden leg came hopping along and lit directly on the upturned face of the scarecrow's head. "pardon me, but you are resting yourself upon my nose," remarked the scarecrow. "oh! are you alive?" asked the grasshopper. "that is a question i have never been able to decide," said the scarecrow's head. "when my body is properly stuffed i have animation and can move around as well as any live person. the brains in the head you are now occupying as a throne, are of very superior quality and do a lot of very clever thinking. but whether that is being alive, or not, i cannot prove to you; for one who lives is liable to death, while i am only liable to destruction." "seems to me," said the grasshopper, rubbing his nose with his front legs, "that in your case it doesn't matter--unless you're destroyed already." "i am not; all i need is re-stuffing," declared the scarecrow; "and if pon and trot escape the witch, and come back here, i am sure they will do me that favor." "tell me! are trot and pon around here?" inquired the grasshopper, its small voice trembling with excitement. the scarecrow did not answer at once, for both his eyes were staring straight upward at a beautiful face that was slightly bent over his head. it was, indeed, princess gloria, who had wandered to this spot, very much surprised when she heard the scarecrow's head talk and the tiny gray grasshopper answer it. "this," said the scarecrow, still staring at her, "must be the princess who loves pon, the gardener's boy." "oh, indeed!" exclaimed the grasshopper--who of course was cap'n bill--as he examined the young lady curiously. "no," said gloria frigidly, "i do not love pon, or anyone else, for the wicked witch has frozen my heart." "what a shame!" cried the scarecrow. "one so lovely should be able to love. but would you mind, my dear, stuffing that straw into my body again?" the dainty princess glanced at the straw and at the well-worn blue munchkin clothes and shrank back in disdain. but she was spared from refusing the scarecrow's request by the appearance of trot and pon, who had hidden in some bushes just over the brow of the hill and waited until old blinkie had passed them by. their hiding place was on the same side as the witch's blind eye, and she rushed on in the chase of the girl and the youth without being aware that they had tricked her. trot was shocked at the scarecrow's sad condition and at once began putting the straw back into his body. pon, at sight of gloria, again appealed to her to take pity on him, but the frozen-hearted princess turned coldly away and with a sigh the gardener's boy began to assist trot. neither of them at first noticed the small grasshopper, which at their appearance had skipped off the scarecrow's nose and was now clinging to a wisp of grass beside the path, where he was not likely to be stepped upon. not until the scarecrow had been neatly restuffed and set upon his feet again--when he bowed to his restorers and expressed his thanks--did the grasshopper move from his perch. then he leaped lightly into the path and called out: "trot--trot! look at me. i'm cap'n bill! see what the wicked witch has done to me." the voice was small, to be sure, but it reached trot's ears and startled her greatly. she looked intently at the grasshopper, her eyes wide with fear at first; then she knelt down and, noticing the wooden leg, she began to weep sorrowfully. "oh, cap'n bill--dear cap'n bill! what a cruel thing to do!" she sobbed. "don't cry, trot," begged the grasshopper. "it didn't hurt any, and it doesn't hurt now. but it's mighty inconvenient an' humiliatin', to say the least." "i wish," said the girl indignantly, while trying hard to restrain her tears, "that i was big 'nough an' strong 'nough to give that horrid witch a good beating. she ought to be turned into a toad for doing this to you, cap'n bill!" "never mind," urged the scarecrow, in a comforting voice, "such a transformation doesn't last always, and as a general thing there's some way to break the enchantment. i'm sure glinda could do it, in a jiffy." "who is glinda?" inquired cap'n bill. then the scarecrow told them all about glinda, not forgetting to mention her beauty and goodness and her wonderful powers of magic. he also explained how the royal sorceress had sent him to jinxland especially to help the strangers, whom she knew to be in danger because of the wiles of the cruel king and the wicked witch. chapter sixteen pon summons the king to surrender gloria had drawn near to the group to listen to their talk, and it seemed to interest her in spite of her frigid manner. they knew, of course, that the poor princess could not help being cold and reserved, so they tried not to blame her. "i ought to have come here a little sooner," said the scarecrow, regretfully; "but glinda sent me as soon as she discovered you were here and were likely to get into trouble. and now that we are all together--except button-bright, over whom it is useless to worry--i propose we hold a council of war, to decide what is best to be done." that seemed a wise thing to do, so they all sat down upon the grass, including gloria, and the grasshopper perched upon trot's shoulder and allowed her to stroke him gently with her hand. "in the first place," began the scarecrow, "this king krewl is a usurper and has no right to rule this kingdom of jinxland." "that is true," said pon, eagerly. "my father was king before him, and i--" "you are a gardener's boy," interrupted the scarecrow. "your father had no right to rule, either, for the rightful king of this land was the father of princess gloria, and only she is entitled to sit upon the throne of jinxland." "good!" exclaimed trot. "but what'll we do with king krewl? i s'pose he won't give up the throne unless he has to." "no, of course not," said the scarecrow. "therefore it will be our duty to make him give up the throne." "how?" asked trot. "give me time to think," was the reply. "that's what my brains are for. i don't know whether you people ever think, or not, but my brains are the best that the wizard of oz ever turned out, and if i give them plenty of time to work, the result usually surprises me." "take your time, then," suggested trot. "there's no hurry." "thank you," said the straw man, and sat perfectly still for half an hour. during this interval the grasshopper whispered in trot's ear, to which he was very close, and trot whispered back to the grasshopper sitting upon her shoulder. pon cast loving glances at gloria, who paid not the slightest heed to them. finally the scarecrow laughed aloud. "brains working?" inquired trot. "yes. they seem in fine order to-day. we will conquer king krewl and put gloria upon his throne as queen of jinxland." "fine!" cried the little girl, clapping her hands together gleefully. "but how?" "leave the how to me," said the scarecrow proudly. "as a conqueror i'm a wonder. we will, first of all, write a message to send to king krewl, asking him to surrender. if he refuses, then we will make him surrender." "why ask him, when we know he'll refuse?" inquired pon. "why, we must be polite, whatever we do," explained the scarecrow. "it would be very rude to conquer a king without proper notice." they found it difficult to write a message without paper, pen and ink, none of which was at hand; so it was decided to send pon as a messenger, with instructions to ask the king, politely but firmly, to surrender. pon was not anxious to be the messenger. indeed, he hinted that it might prove a dangerous mission. but the scarecrow was now the acknowledged head of the army of conquest, and he would listen to no refusal. so off pon started for the king's castle, and the others accompanied him as far as his hut, where they had decided to await the gardener's boy's return. i think it was because pon had known the scarecrow such a short time that he lacked confidence in the straw man's wisdom. it was easy to say: "we will conquer king krewl," but when pon drew near to the great castle he began to doubt the ability of a straw-stuffed man, a girl, a grasshopper and a frozen-hearted princess to do it. as for himself, he had never thought of defying the king before. that was why the gardener's boy was not very bold when he entered the castle and passed through to the enclosed court where the king was just then seated, with his favorite courtiers around him. none prevented pon's entrance, because he was known to be the gardener's boy, but when the king saw him he began to frown fiercely. he considered pon to be to blame for all his trouble with princess gloria, who since her heart had been frozen had escaped to some unknown place, instead of returning to the castle to wed googly-goo, as she had been expected to do. so the king bared his teeth angrily as he demanded: "what have you done with princess gloria?" "nothing, your majesty! i have done nothing at all," answered pon in a faltering voice. "she does not love me any more and even refuses to speak to me." "then why are you here, you rascal?" roared the king. pon looked first one way and then another, but saw no means of escape; so he plucked up courage. "i am here to summon your majesty to surrender." "what!" shouted the king. "surrender? surrender to whom?" pon's heart sank to his boots. "to the scarecrow," he replied. some of the courtiers began to titter, but king krewl was greatly annoyed. he sprang up and began to beat poor pon with the golden staff he carried. pon howled lustily and would have run away had not two of the soldiers held him until his majesty was exhausted with punishing the boy. then they let him go and he left the castle and returned along the road, sobbing at every step because his body was so sore and aching. "well," said the scarecrow, "did the king surrender?" "no; but he gave me a good drubbing!" sobbed poor pon. trot was very sorry for pon, but gloria did not seem affected in any way by her lover's anguish. the grasshopper leaped to the scarecrow's shoulder and asked him what he was going to do next. "conquer," was the reply. "but i will go alone, this time, for beatings cannot hurt me at all; nor can lance thrusts--or sword cuts--or arrow pricks." "why is that?" inquired trot. "because i have no nerves, such as you meat people possess. even grasshoppers have nerves, but straw doesn't; so whatever they do--except just one thing--they cannot injure me. therefore i expect to conquer king krewl with ease." "what is that one thing you excepted?" asked trot. "they will never think of it, so never mind. and now, if you will kindly excuse me for a time, i'll go over to the castle and do my conquering." "you have no weapons," pon reminded him. "true," said the scarecrow. "but if i carried weapons i might injure someone--perhaps seriously--and that would make me unhappy. i will just borrow that riding-whip, which i see in the corner of your hut, if you don't mind. it isn't exactly proper to walk with a riding-whip, but i trust you will excuse the inconsistency." pon handed him the whip and the scarecrow bowed to all the party and left the hut, proceeding leisurely along the way to the king's castle. chapter seventeen the ork rescues button-bright i must now tell you what had become of button-bright since he wandered away in the morning and got lost. this small boy, as perhaps you have discovered, was almost as destitute of nerves as the scarecrow. nothing ever astonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made him unhappy. good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a quiet smile, never complaining, whatever happened. this was one reason why button-bright was a favorite with all who knew him--and perhaps it was the reason why he so often got into difficulties, or found himself lost. to-day, as he wandered here and there, over hill and down dale, he missed trot and cap'n bill, of whom he was fond, but nevertheless he was not unhappy. the birds sang merrily and the wildflowers were beautiful and the breeze had a fragrance of new-mown hay. "the only bad thing about this country is its king," he reflected; "but the country isn't to blame for that." a prairie-dog stuck its round head out of a mound of earth and looked at the boy with bright eyes. "walk around my house, please," it said, "and then you won't harm it or disturb the babies." "all right," answered button-bright, and took care not to step on the mound. he went on, whistling merrily, until a petulant voice cried: "oh, stop it! please stop that noise. it gets on my nerves." button-bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotch of a tree, and he replied with a laugh: "all right, old fussy," and stopped whistling until he had passed out of the owl's hearing. at noon he came to a farmhouse where an aged couple lived. they gave him a good dinner and treated him kindly, but the man was deaf and the woman was dumb, so they could answer no questions to guide him on the way to pon's house. when he left them he was just as much lost as he had been before. every grove of trees he saw from a distance he visited, for he remembered that the king's castle was near a grove of trees and pon's hut was near the king's castle; but always he met with disappointment. finally, passing through one of these groves, he came out into the open and found himself face to face with the ork. "hello!" said button-bright. "where did you come from?" "from orkland," was the reply. "i've found my own country, at last, and it is not far from here, either. i would have come back to you sooner, to see how you are getting along, had not my family and friends welcomed my return so royally that a great celebration was held in my honor. so i couldn't very well leave orkland again until the excitement was over." "can you find your way back home again?" asked the boy. "yes, easily; for now i know exactly where it is. but where are trot and cap'n bill?" button-bright related to the ork their adventures since it had left them in jinxland, telling of trot's fear that the king had done something wicked to cap'n bill, and of pon's love for gloria, and how trot and button-bright had been turned out of the king's castle. that was all the news that the boy had, but it made the ork anxious for the safety of his friends. "we must go to them at once, for they may need us," he said. "i don't know where to go," confessed button-bright. "i'm lost." "well, i can take you back to the hut of the gardener's boy," promised the ork, "for when i fly high in the air i can look down and easily spy the king's castle. that was how i happened to spy you, just entering the grove; so i flew down and waited until you came out." "how can you carry me?" asked the boy. "you'll have to sit straddle my shoulders and put your arms around my neck. do you think you can keep from falling off?" "i'll try," said button-bright. so the ork squatted down and the boy took his seat and held on tight. then the skinny creature's tail began whirling and up they went, far above all the tree-tops. after the ork had circled around once or twice, its sharp eyes located the towers of the castle and away it flew, straight toward the place. as it hovered in the air, near by the castle, button-bright pointed out pon's hut, so they landed just before it and trot came running out to greet them. gloria was introduced to the ork, who was surprised to find cap'n bill transformed into a grasshopper. "how do you like it?" asked the creature. "why, it worries me good deal," answered cap'n bill, perched upon trot's shoulder. "i'm always afraid o' bein' stepped on, and i don't like the flavor of grass an' can't seem to get used to it. it's my nature to eat grass, you know, but i begin to suspect it's an acquired taste." "can you give molasses?" asked the ork. "i guess i'm not that kind of a grasshopper," replied cap'n bill. "but i can't say what i might do if i was squeezed--which i hope i won't be." "well," said the ork, "it's a great pity, and i'd like to meet that cruel king and his wicked witch and punish them both severely. you're awfully small, cap'n bill, but i think i would recognize you anywhere by your wooden leg." then the ork and button-bright were told all about gloria's frozen heart and how the scarecrow had come from the land of oz to help them. the ork seemed rather disturbed when it learned that the scarecrow had gone alone to conquer king krewl. "i'm afraid he'll make a fizzle of it," said the skinny creature, "and there's no telling what that terrible king might do to the poor scarecrow, who seems like a very interesting person. so i believe i'll take a hand in this conquest myself." "how?" asked trot. "wait and see," was the reply. "but, first of all, i must fly home again--back to my own country--so if you'll forgive my leaving you so soon, i'll be off at once. stand away from my tail, please, so that the wind from it, when it revolves, won't knock you over." they gave the creature plenty of room and away it went like a flash and soon disappeared in the sky. "i wonder," said button-bright, looking solemnly after the ork, "whether he'll ever come back again." "of course he will!" returned trot. "the ork's a pretty good fellow, and we can depend on him. an' mark my words, button-bright, whenever our ork does come back, there's one cruel king in jinxland that'll wish he hadn't." chapter eighteen the scarecrow meets an enemy the scarecrow was not a bit afraid of king krewl. indeed, he rather enjoyed the prospect of conquering the evil king and putting gloria on the throne of jinxland in his place. so he advanced boldly to the royal castle and demanded admittance. seeing that he was a stranger, the soldiers allowed him to enter. he made his way straight to the throne room, where at that time his majesty was settling the disputes among his subjects. "who are you?" demanded the king. "i'm the scarecrow of oz, and i command you to surrender yourself my prisoner." "why should i do that?" inquired the king, much astonished at the straw man's audacity. "because i've decided you are too cruel a king to rule so beautiful a country. you must remember that jinxland is a part of oz, and therefore you owe allegiance to ozma of oz, whose friend and servant i am." now, when he heard this, king krewl was much disturbed in mind, for he knew the scarecrow spoke the truth. but no one had ever before come to jinxland from the land of oz and the king did not intend to be put out of his throne if he could help it. therefore he gave a harsh, wicked laugh of derision and said: "i'm busy, now. stand out of my way, scarecrow, and i'll talk with you by and by." but the scarecrow turned to the assembled courtiers and people and called in a loud voice: "i hereby declare, in the name of ozma of oz, that this man is no longer ruler of jinxland. from this moment princess gloria is your rightful queen, and i ask all of you to be loyal to her and to obey her commands." the people looked fearfully at the king, whom they all hated in their hearts, but likewise feared. krewl was now in a terrible rage and he raised his golden sceptre and struck the scarecrow so heavy a blow that he fell to the floor. but he was up again, in an instant, and with pon's riding-whip he switched the king so hard that the wicked monarch roared with pain as much as with rage, calling on his soldiers to capture the scarecrow. they tried to do that, and thrust their lances and swords into the straw body, but without doing any damage except to make holes in the scarecrow's clothes. however, they were many against one and finally old googly-goo brought a rope which he wound around the scarecrow, binding his legs together and his arms to his sides, and after that the fight was over. the king stormed and danced around in a dreadful fury, for he had never been so switched since he was a boy--and perhaps not then. he ordered the scarecrow thrust into the castle prison, which was no task at all because one man could carry him easily, bound as he was. even after the prisoner was removed the king could not control his anger. he tried to figure out some way to be revenged upon the straw man, but could think of nothing that could hurt him. at last, when the terrified people and the frightened courtiers had all slunk away, old googly-goo approached the king with a malicious grin upon his face. "i'll tell you what to do," said he. "build a big bonfire and burn the scarecrow up, and that will be the end of him." the king was so delighted with this suggestion that he hugged old googly-goo in his joy. "of course!" he cried. "the very thing. why did i not think of it myself?" so he summoned his soldiers and retainers and bade them prepare a great bonfire in an open space in the castle park. also he sent word to all his people to assemble and witness the destruction of the scarecrow who had dared to defy his power. before long a vast throng gathered in the park and the servants had heaped up enough fuel to make a fire that might be seen for miles away--even in the daytime. when all was prepared, the king had his throne brought out for him to sit upon and enjoy the spectacle, and then he sent his soldiers to fetch the scarecrow. now the one thing in all the world that the straw man really feared was fire. he knew he would burn very easily and that his ashes wouldn't amount to much afterward. it wouldn't hurt him to be destroyed in such a manner, but he realized that many people in the land of oz, and especially dorothy and the royal ozma, would feel sad if they learned that their old friend the scarecrow was no longer in existence. in spite of this, the straw man was brave and faced his fiery fate like a hero. when they marched him out before the concourse of people he turned to the king with great calmness and said: "this wicked deed will cost you your throne, as well as much suffering, for my friends will avenge my destruction." "your friends are not here, nor will they know what i have done to you, when you are gone and can-not tell them," answered the king in a scornful voice. then he ordered the scarecrow bound to a stout stake that he had had driven into the ground, and the materials for the fire were heaped all around him. when this had been done, the king's brass band struck up a lively tune and old googly-goo came forward with a lighted match and set fire to the pile. at once the flames shot up and crept closer and closer toward the scarecrow. the king and all his people were so intent upon this terrible spectacle that none of them noticed how the sky grew suddenly dark. perhaps they thought that the loud buzzing sound--like the noise of a dozen moving railway trains--came from the blazing fagots; that the rush of wind was merely a breeze. but suddenly down swept a flock of orks, half a hundred of them at the least, and the powerful currents of air caused by their revolving tails sent the bonfire scattering in every direction, so that not one burning brand ever touched the scarecrow. but that was not the only effect of this sudden tornado. king krewl was blown out of his throne and went tumbling heels over head until he landed with a bump against the stone wall of his own castle, and before he could rise a big ork sat upon him and held him pressed flat to the ground. old googly-goo shot up into the air like a rocket and landed on a tree, where he hung by the middle on a high limb, kicking the air with his feet and clawing the air with his hands, and howling for mercy like the coward he was. the people pressed back until they were jammed close together, while all the soldiers were knocked over and sent sprawling to the earth. the excitement was great for a few minutes, and every frightened inhabitant of jinxland looked with awe and amazement at the great orks whose descent had served to rescue the scarecrow and conquer king krewl at one and the same time. the ork, who was the leader of the band, soon had the scarecrow free of his bonds. then he said: "well, we were just in time to save you, which is better than being a minute too late. you are now the master here, and we are determined to see your orders obeyed." with this the ork picked up krewl's golden crown, which had fallen off his head, and placed it upon the head of the scarecrow, who in his awkward way then shuffled over to the throne and sat down in it. seeing this, a rousing cheer broke from the crowd of people, who tossed their hats and waved their handkerchiefs and hailed the scarecrow as their king. the soldiers joined the people in the cheering, for now they fully realized that their hated master was conquered and it would be wise to show their good will to the conqueror. some of them bound krewl with ropes and dragged him forward, dumping his body on the ground before the scarecrow's throne. googly-goo struggled until he finally slid off the limb of the tree and came tumbling to the ground. he then tried to sneak away and escape, but the soldiers seized and bound him beside krewl. "the tables are turned," said the scarecrow, swelling out his chest until the straw within it crackled pleasantly, for he was highly pleased; "but it was you and your people who did it, friend ork, and from this time you may count me your humble servant." chapter nineteen the conquest of the witch now as soon as the conquest of king krewl had taken place, one of the orks had been dispatched to pon's house with the joyful news. at once gloria and pon and trot and button-bright hastened toward the castle. they were somewhat surprised by the sight that met their eyes, for there was the scarecrow, crowned king, and all the people kneeling humbly before him. so they likewise bowed low to the new ruler and then stood beside the throne. cap'n bill, as the gray grasshopper, was still perched upon trot's shoulder, but now he hopped to the shoulder of the scarecrow and whispered into the painted ear: "i thought gloria was to be queen of jinxland." the scarecrow shook his head. "not yet," he answered. "no queen with a frozen heart is fit to rule any country." then he turned to his new friend, the ork, who was strutting about, very proud of what he had done, and said: "do you suppose you, or your followers, could find old blinkie the witch?" "where is she?" asked the ork. "somewhere in jinxland, i'm sure." "then," said the ork, "we shall certainly be able to find her." "it will give me great pleasure," declared the scarecrow. "when you have found her, bring her here to me, and i will then decide what to do with her." the ork called his followers together and spoke a few words to them in a low tone. a moment after they rose into the air--so suddenly that the scarecrow, who was very light in weight, was blown quite out of his throne and into the arms of pon, who replaced him carefully upon his seat. there was an eddy of dust and ashes, too, and the grasshopper only saved himself from being whirled into the crowd of people by jumping into a tree, from where a series of hops soon brought him back to trot's shoulder again. the orks were quite out of sight by this time, so the scarecrow made a speech to the people and presented gloria to them, whom they knew well already and were fond of. but not all of them knew of her frozen heart, and when the scarecrow related the story of the wicked witch's misdeeds, which had been encouraged and paid for by krewl and googly-goo, the people were very indignant. meantime the fifty orks had scattered all over jinx land, which is not a very big country, and their sharp eyes were peering into every valley and grove and gully. finally one of them spied a pair of heels sticking out from underneath some bushes, and with a shrill whistle to warn his comrades that the witch was found the ork flew down and dragged old blinkie from her hiding-place. then two or three of the orks seized the clothing of the wicked woman in their strong claws and, lifting her high in the air, where she struggled and screamed to no avail, they flew with her straight to the royal castle and set her down before the throne of the scarecrow. "good!" exclaimed the straw man, nodding his stuffed head with satisfaction. "now we can proceed to business. mistress witch, i am obliged to request, gently but firmly, that you undo all the wrongs you have done by means of your witchcraft." "pah!" cried old blinkie in a scornful voice. "i defy you all! by my magic powers i can turn you all into pigs, rooting in the mud, and i'll do it if you are not careful." "i think you are mistaken about that," said the scarecrow, and rising from his throne he walked with wobbling steps to the side of the wicked witch. "before i left the land of oz, glinda the royal sorceress gave me a box, which i was not to open except in an emergency. but i feel pretty sure that this occasion is an emergency; don't you, trot?" he asked, turning toward the little girl. "why, we've got to do something," replied trot seriously. "things seem in an awful muddle here, jus' now, and they'll be worse if we don't stop this witch from doing more harm to people." "that is my idea, exactly," said the scarecrow, and taking a small box from his pocket he opened the cover and tossed the contents toward blinkie. the old woman shrank back, pale and trembling, as a fine white dust settled all about her. under its influence she seemed to the eyes of all observers to shrivel and grow smaller. "oh, dear--oh, dear!" she wailed, wringing her hands in fear. "haven't you the antidote, scarecrow? didn't the great sorceress give you another box?" "she did," answered the scarecrow. "then give it me--quick!" pleaded the witch. "give it me--and i'll do anything you ask me to!" "you will do what i ask first," declared the scarecrow, firmly. the witch was shriveling and growing smaller every moment. "be quick, then!" she cried. "tell me what i must do and let me do it, or it will be too late." "you made trot's friend, cap'n bill, a grasshopper. i command you to give him back his proper form again," said the scarecrow. "where is he? where's the grasshopper? quick--quick!" she screamed. cap'n bill, who had been deeply interested in this conversation, gave a great leap from trot's shoulder and landed on that of the scarecrow. blinkie saw him alight and at once began to make magic passes and to mumble magic incantations. she was in a desperate hurry, knowing that she had no time to waste, and the grasshopper was so suddenly transformed into the old sailor-man, cap'n bill, that he had no opportunity to jump off the scarecrow's shoulder; so his great weight bore the stuffed scarecrow to the ground. no harm was done, however, and the straw man got up and brushed the dust from his clothes while trot delightedly embraced cap'n bill. "the other box! quick! give me the other box," begged blinkie, who had now shrunk to half her former size. "not yet," said the scarecrow. "you must first melt princess gloria's frozen heart." "i can't; it's an awful job to do that! i can't," asserted the witch, in an agony of fear--for still she was growing smaller. "you must!" declared the scarecrow, firmly. the witch cast a shrewd look at him and saw that he meant it; so she began dancing around gloria in a frantic manner. the princess looked coldly on, as if not at all interested in the proceedings, while blinkie tore a handful of hair from her own head and ripped a strip of cloth from the bottom of her gown. then the witch sank upon her knees, took a purple powder from her black bag and sprinkled it over the hair and cloth. "i hate to do it--i hate to do it!" she wailed, "for there is no more of this magic compound in all the world. but i must sacrifice it to save my own life. a match! give me a match, quick!" and panting from lack of breath she gazed imploringly from one to another. cap'n bill was the only one who had a match, but he lost no time in handing it to blinkie, who quickly set fire to the hair and the cloth and the purple powder. at once a purple cloud enveloped gloria, and this gradually turned to a rosy pink color--brilliant and quite transparent. through the rosy cloud they could all see the beautiful princess, standing proud and erect. then her heart became visible, at first frosted with ice but slowly growing brighter and warmer until all the frost had disappeared and it was beating as softly and regularly as any other heart. and now the cloud dispersed and disclosed gloria, her face suffused with joy, smiling tenderly upon the friends who were grouped about her. poor pon stepped forward--timidly, fearing a repulse, but with pleading eyes and arms fondly outstretched toward his former sweetheart--and the princess saw him and her sweet face lighted with a radiant smile. without an instant's hesitation she threw herself into pon's arms and this reunion of two loving hearts was so affecting that the people turned away and lowered their eyes so as not to mar the sacred joy of the faithful lovers. but blinkie's small voice was shouting to the scarecrow for help. "the antidote!" she screamed. "give me the other box--quick!" the scarecrow looked at the witch with his quaint, painted eyes and saw that she was now no taller than his knee. so he took from his pocket the second box and scattered its contents on blinkie. she ceased to grow any smaller, but she could never regain her former size, and this the wicked old woman well knew. she did not know, however, that the second powder had destroyed all her power to work magic, and seeking to be revenged upon the scarecrow and his friends she at once began to mumble a charm so terrible in its effect that it would have destroyed half the population of jinxland--had it worked. but it did not work at all, to the amazement of old blinkie. and by this time the scarecrow noticed what the little witch was trying to do, and said to her: "go home, blinkie, and behave yourself. you are no longer a witch, but an ordinary old woman, and since you are powerless to do more evil i advise you to try to do some good in the world. believe me, it is more fun to accomplish a good act than an evil one, as you will discover when once you have tried it." but blinkie was at that moment filled with grief and chagrin at losing her magic powers. she started away toward her home, sobbing and bewailing her fate, and not one who saw her go was at all sorry for her. chapter twenty queen gloria next morning the scarecrow called upon all the courtiers and the people to assemble in the throne room of the castle, where there was room enough for all that were able to attend. they found the straw man seated upon the velvet cushions of the throne, with the king's glittering crown still upon his stuffed head. on one side of the throne, in a lower chair, sat gloria, looking radiantly beautiful and fresh as a new-blown rose. on the other side sat pon, the gardener's boy, still dressed in his old smock frock and looking sad and solemn; for pon could not make himself believe that so splendid a princess would condescend to love him when she had come to her own and was seated upon a throne. trot and cap'n bill sat at the feet of the scarecrow and were much interested in the proceedings. button-bright had lost himself before breakfast, but came into the throne room before the ceremonies were over. back of the throne stood a row of the great orks, with their leader in the center, and the entrance to the palace was guarded by more orks, who were regarded with wonder and awe. when all were assembled, the scarecrow stood up and made a speech. he told how gloria's father, the good king kynd, who had once ruled them and been loved by everyone, had been destroyed by king phearce, the father of pon, and how king phearce had been destroyed by king krewl. this last king had been a bad ruler, as they knew very well, and the scarecrow declared that the only one in all jinxland who had the right to sit upon the throne was princess gloria, the daughter of king kynd. "but," he added, "it is not for me, a stranger, to say who shall rule you. you must decide for yourselves, or you will not be content. so choose now who shall be your future ruler." and they all shouted: "the scarecrow! the scarecrow shall rule us!" which proved that the stuffed man had made himself very popular by his conquest of king krewl, and the people thought they would like him for their king. but the scarecrow shook his head so vigorously that it became loose, and trot had to pin it firmly to his body again. "no," said he, "i belong in the land of oz, where i am the humble servant of the lovely girl who rules us all--the royal ozma. you must choose one of your own inhabitants to rule over jinxland. who shall it be?" they hesitated for a moment, and some few cried: "pon!" but many more shouted: "gloria!" so the scarecrow took gloria's hand and led her to the throne, where he first seated her and then took the glittering crown off his own head and placed it upon that of the young lady, where it nestled prettily amongst her soft curls. the people cheered and shouted then, kneeling before their new queen; but gloria leaned down and took pon's hand in both her own and raised him to the seat beside her. "you shall have both a king and a queen to care for you and to protect you, my dear subjects," she said in a sweet voice, while her face glowed with happiness; "for pon was a king's son before he became a gardener's boy, and because i love him he is to be my royal consort." that pleased them all, especially pon, who realized that this was the most important moment of his life. trot and button-bright and cap'n will all congratulated him on winning the beautiful gloria; but the ork sneezed twice and said that in his opinion the young lady might have done better. then the scarecrow ordered the guards to bring in the wicked krewl, king no longer, and when he appeared, loaded with chains and dressed in fustian, the people hissed him and drew back as he passed so their garments would not touch him. krewl was not haughty or overbearing any more; on the contrary he seemed very meek and in great fear of the fate his conquerors had in store for him. but gloria and pon were too happy to be revengeful and so they offered to appoint krewl to the position of gardener's boy at the castle, pon having resigned to become king. but they said he must promise to reform his wicked ways and to do his duty faithfully, and he must change his name from krewl to grewl. all this the man eagerly promised to do, and so when pon retired to a room in the castle to put on princely raiment, the old brown smock he had formerly worn was given to grewl, who then went out into the garden to water the roses. the remainder of that famous day, which was long remembered in jinxland, was given over to feasting and merrymaking. in the evening there was a grand dance in the courtyard, where the brass band played a new piece of music called the "ork trot" which was dedicated to "our glorious gloria, the queen." while the queen and pon were leading this dance, and all the jinxland people were having a good time, the strangers were gathered in a group in the park outside the castle. cap'n bill, trot, button-bright and the scarecrow were there, and so was their old friend the ork; but of all the great flock of orks which had assisted in the conquest but three remained in jinxland, besides their leader, the others having returned to their own country as soon as gloria was crowned queen. to the young ork who had accompanied them in their adventures cap'n bill said: "you've surely been a friend in need, and we're mighty grateful to you for helping us. i might have been a grasshopper yet if it hadn't been for you, an' i might remark that bein' a grasshopper isn't much fun." "if it hadn't been for you, friend ork," said the scarecrow, "i fear i could not have conquered king krewl." "no," agreed trot, "you'd have been just a heap of ashes by this time." "and i might have been lost yet," added button-bright. "much obliged, mr. ork." "oh, that's all right," replied the ork. "friends must stand together, you know, or they wouldn't be friends. but now i must leave you and be off to my own country, where there's going to be a surprise party on my uncle, and i've promised to attend it." "dear me," said the scarecrow, regretfully. "that is very unfortunate." "why so?" asked the ork. "i hoped you would consent to carry us over those mountains, into the land of oz. my mission here is now finished and i want to get back to the emerald city." "how did you cross the mountains before?" inquired the ork. "i scaled the cliffs by means of a rope, and crossed the great gulf on a strand of spider web. of course i can return in the same manner, but it would be a hard journey--and perhaps an impossible one--for trot and button-bright and cap'n bill. so i thought that if you had the time you and your people would carry us over the mountains and land us all safely on the other side, in the land of oz." the ork thoughtfully considered the matter for a while. then he said: "i mustn't break my promise to be present at the surprise party; but, tell me, could you go to oz to-night?" "what, now?" exclaimed trot. "it is a fine moonlight night," said the ork, "and i've found in my experience that there's no time so good as right away. the fact is," he explained, "it's a long journey to orkland and i and my cousins here are all rather tired by our day's work. but if you will start now, and be content to allow us to carry you over the mountains and dump you on the other side, just say the word and--off we go!" cap'n bill and trot looked at one another questioningly. the little girl was eager to visit the famous fairyland of oz and the old sailor had endured such hardships in jinxland that he would be glad to be out of it. "it's rather impolite of us not to say good-bye to the new king and queen," remarked the scarecrow, "but i'm sure they're too happy to miss us, and i assure you it will be much easier to fly on the backs of the orks over those steep mountains than to climb them as i did." "all right; let's go!" trot decided. "but where's button-bright?" just at this important moment button-bright was lost again, and they all scattered in search of him. he had been standing beside them just a few minutes before, but his friends had an exciting hunt for him before they finally discovered the boy seated among the members of the band, beating the end of the bass drum with the bone of a turkey-leg that he had taken from the table in the banquet room. "hello, trot," he said, looking up at the little girl when she found him. "this is the first chance i ever had to pound a drum with a reg'lar drum stick. and i ate all the meat off the bone myself." "come quick. we're going to the land of oz." "oh, what's the hurry?" said button-bright; but she seized his arm and dragged him away to the park, where the others were waiting. trot climbed upon the back of her old friend, the ork leader, and the others took their seats on the backs of his three cousins. as soon as all were placed and clinging to the skinny necks of the creatures, the revolving tails began to whirl and up rose the four monster orks and sailed away toward the mountains. they were so high in the air that when they passed the crest of the highest peak it seemed far below them. no sooner were they well across the barrier than the orks swooped downward and landed their passengers upon the ground. "here we are, safe in the land of oz!" cried the scarecrow joyfully. "oh, are we?" asked trot, looking around her curiously. she could see the shadows of stately trees and the outlines of rolling hills; beneath her feet was soft turf, but otherwise the subdued light of the moon disclosed nothing clearly. "seems jus' like any other country," was cap'n bill's comment. "but it isn't," the scarecrow assured him. "you are now within the borders of the most glorious fairyland in all the world. this part of it is just a corner of the quadling country, and the least interesting portion of it. it's not very thickly settled, around here, i'll admit, but--" he was interrupted by a sudden whir and a rush of air as the four orks mounted into the sky. "good night!" called the shrill voices of the strange creatures, and although trot shouted "good night!" as loudly as she could, the little girl was almost ready to cry because the orks had not waited to be properly thanked for all their kindness to her and to cap'n bill. but the orks were gone, and thanks for good deeds do not amount to much except to prove one's politeness. "well, friends," said the scarecrow, "we mustn't stay here in the meadows all night, so let us find a pleasant place to sleep. not that it matters to me, in the least, for i never sleep; but i know that meat people like to shut their eyes and lie still during the dark hours." "i'm pretty tired," admitted trot, yawning as she followed the straw man along a tiny path, "so, if you don't find a house handy, cap'n bill and i will sleep under the trees, or even on this soft grass." but a house was not very far off, although when the scarecrow stumbled upon it there was no light in it whatever. cap'n bill knocked on the door several times, and there being no response the scarecrow boldly lifted the latch and walked in, followed by the others. and no sooner had they entered than a soft light filled the room. trot couldn't tell where it came from, for no lamp of any sort was visible, but she did not waste much time on this problem, because directly in the center of the room stood a table set for three, with lots of good food on it and several of the dishes smoking hot. the little girl and button-bright both uttered exclamations of pleasure, but they looked in vain for any cook stove or fireplace, or for any person who might have prepared for them this delicious feast. "it's fairyland," muttered the boy, tossing his cap in a corner and seating himself at the table. "this supper smells 'most as good as that turkey-leg i had in jinxland. please pass the muffins, cap'n bill." trot thought it was strange that no people but themselves were in the house, but on the wall opposite the door was a gold frame bearing in big letters the word: "welcome." so she had no further hesitation in eating of the food so mysteriously prepared for them. "but there are only places for three!" she exclaimed. "three are quite enough," said the scarecrow. "i never eat, because i am stuffed full already, and i like my nice clean straw better than i do food." trot and the sailor-man were hungry and made a hearty meal, for not since they had left home had they tasted such good food. it was surprising that button-bright could eat so soon after his feast in jinxland, but the boy always ate whenever there was an opportunity. "if i don't eat now," he said, "the next time i'm hungry i'll wish i had." "really, cap'n," remarked trot, when she found a dish of ice-cream appear beside her plate, "i b'lieve this is fairyland, sure enough." "there's no doubt of it, trot," he answered gravely "i've been here before," said button-bright, "so i know." after supper they discovered three tiny bedrooms adjoining the big living room of the house, and in each room was a comfortable white bed with downy pillows. you may be sure that the tired mortals were not long in bidding the scarecrow good night and creeping into their beds, where they slept soundly until morning. for the first time since they set eyes on the terrible whirlpool, trot and cap'n bill were free from anxiety and care. button-bright never worried about anything. the scarecrow, not being able to sleep, looked out of the window and tried to count the stars. chapter twenty-one dorothy, betsy and ozma i suppose many of my readers have read descriptions of the beautiful and magnificent emerald city of oz, so i need not describe it here, except to state that never has any city in any fairyland ever equalled this one in stately splendor. it lies almost exactly in the center of the land of oz, and in the center of the emerald city rises the wall of glistening emeralds that surrounds the palace of ozma. the palace is almost a city in itself and is inhabited by many of the ruler's especial friends and those who have won her confidence and favor. as for ozma herself, there are no words in any dictionary i can find that are fitted to describe this young girl's beauty of mind and person. merely to see her is to love her for her charming face and manners; to know her is to love her for her tender sympathy, her generous nature, her truth and honor. born of a long line of fairy queens, ozma is as nearly perfect as any fairy may be, and she is noted for her wisdom as well as for her other qualities. her happy subjects adore their girl ruler and each one considers her a comrade and protector. at the time of which i write, ozma's best friend and most constant companion was a little kansas girl named dorothy, a mortal who had come to the land of oz in a very curious manner and had been offered a home in ozma's palace. furthermore, dorothy had been made a princess of oz, and was as much at home in the royal palace as was the gentle ruler. she knew almost every part of the great country and almost all of its numerous inhabitants. next to ozma she was loved better than anyone in all oz, for dorothy was simple and sweet, seldom became angry and had such a friendly, chummy way that she made friends where-ever she wandered. it was she who first brought the scarecrow and the tin woodman and the cowardly lion to the emerald city. dorothy had also introduced to ozma the shaggy man and the hungry tiger, as well as billina the yellow hen, eureka the pink kitten, and many other delightful characters and creatures. coming as she did from our world, dorothy was much like many other girls we know; so there were times when she was not so wise as she might have been, and other times when she was obstinate and got herself into trouble. but life in a fairy-land had taught the little girl to accept all sorts of surprising things as matters-of-course, for while dorothy was no fairy--but just as mortal as we are--she had seen more wonders than most mortals ever do. another little girl from our outside world also lived in ozma's palace. this was betsy bobbin, whose strange adventures had brought her to the emerald city, where ozma had cordially welcomed her. betsy was a shy little thing and could never get used to the marvels that surrounded her, but she and dorothy were firm friends and thought themselves very fortunate in being together in this delightful country. one day dorothy and betsy were visiting ozma in the girl ruler's private apartment, and among the things that especially interested them was ozma's magic picture, set in a handsome frame and hung upon the wall of the room. this picture was a magic one because it constantly changed its scenes and showed events and adventures happening in all parts of the world. thus it was really a "moving picture" of life, and if the one who stood before it wished to know what any absent person was doing, the picture instantly showed that person, with his or her surroundings. the two girls were not wishing to see anyone in particular, on this occasion, but merely enjoyed watching the shifting scenes, some of which were exceedingly curious and remarkable. suddenly dorothy exclaimed: "why, there's button-bright!" and this drew ozma also to look at the picture, for she and dorothy knew the boy well. "who is button-bright?" asked betsy, who had never met him. "why, he's the little boy who is just getting off the back of that strange flying creature," exclaimed dorothy. then she turned to ozma and asked: "what is that thing, ozma? a bird? i've never seen anything like it before." "it is an ork," answered ozma, for they were watching the scene where the ork and the three big birds were first landing their passengers in jinxland after the long flight across the desert. "i wonder," added the girl ruler, musingly, "why those strangers dare venture into that unfortunate country, which is ruled by a wicked king." "that girl, and the one-legged man, seem to be mortals from the outside world," said dorothy. "the man isn't one-legged," corrected betsy; "he has one wooden leg." "it's almost as bad," declared dorothy, watching cap'n bill stump around. "they are three mortal adventurers," said ozma, "and they seem worthy and honest. but i fear they will be treated badly in jinxland, and if they meet with any misfortune there it will reflect upon me, for jinxland is a part of my dominions." "can't we help them in any way?" inquired dorothy. "that seems like a nice little girl. i'd be sorry if anything happened to her." "let us watch the picture for awhile," suggested ozma, and so they all drew chairs before the magic picture and followed the adventures of trot and cap'n bill and button-bright. presently the scene shifted and showed their friend the scarecrow crossing the mountains into jinxland, and that somewhat relieved ozma's anxiety, for she knew at once that glinda the good had sent the scarecrow to protect the strangers. the adventures in jinxland proved very interesting to the three girls in ozma's palace, who during the succeeding days spent much of their time in watching the picture. it was like a story to them. "that girl's a reg'lar trump!" exclaimed dorothy, referring to trot, and ozma answered: "she's a dear little thing, and i'm sure nothing very bad will happen to her. the old sailor is a fine character, too, for he has never once grumbled over being a grasshopper, as so many would have done." when the scarecrow was so nearly burned up the girls all shivered a little, and they clapped their hands in joy when the flock of orks came and saved him. so it was that when all the exciting adventures in jinxland were over and the four orks had begun their flight across the mountains to carry the mortals into the land of oz, ozma called the wizard to her and asked him to prepare a place for the strangers to sleep. the famous wizard of oz was a quaint little man who inhabited the royal palace and attended to all the magical things that ozma wanted done. he was not as powerful as glinda, to be sure, but he could do a great many wonderful things. he proved this by placing a house in the uninhabited part of the quadling country where the orks landed cap'n bill and trot and button-bright, and fitting it with all the comforts i have described in the last chapter. next morning dorothy said to ozma: "oughtn't we to go meet the strangers, so we can show them the way to the emerald city? i'm sure that little girl will feel shy in this beautiful land, and i know if 'twas me i'd like somebody to give me a welcome." ozma smiled at her little friend and answered: "you and betsy may go to meet them, if you wish, but i can not leave my palace just now, as i am to have a conference with jack pumpkinhead and professor wogglebug on important matters. you may take the sawhorse and the red wagon, and if you start soon you will be able to meet the scarecrow and the strangers at glinda's palace." "oh, thank you!" cried dorothy, and went away to tell betsy and to make preparations for the journey. chapter twenty-two the waterfall glinda's castle was a long way from the mountains, but the scarecrow began the journey cheerfully, since time was of no great importance in the land of oz and he had recently made the trip and knew the way. it never mattered much to button-bright where he was or what he was doing; the boy was content in being alive and having good companions to share his wanderings. as for trot and cap'n bill, they now found themselves so comfortable and free from danger, in this fine fairyland, and they were so awed and amazed by the adventures they were encountering, that the journey to glinda's castle was more like a pleasure trip than a hardship, so many wonderful things were there to see. button-bright had been in oz before, but never in this part of it, so the scarecrow was the only one who knew the paths and could lead them. they had eaten a hearty breakfast, which they found already prepared for them and awaiting them on the table when they arose from their refreshing sleep, so they left the magic house in a contented mood and with hearts lighter and more happy than they had known for many a day. as they marched along through the fields, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was laden with delicious fragrance, for it carried with it the breath of millions of wildflowers. at noon, when they stopped to rest by the bank of a pretty river, trot said with a long-drawn breath that was much like a sigh: "i wish we'd brought with us some of the food that was left from our breakfast, for i'm getting hungry again." scarcely had she spoken when a table rose up before them, as if from the ground itself, and it was loaded with fruits and nuts and cakes and many other good things to eat. the little girl's eyes opened wide at this display of magic, and cap'n bill was not sure that the things were actually there and fit to eat until he had taken them in his hand and tasted them. but the scarecrow said with a laugh: "someone is looking after your welfare, that is certain, and from the looks of this table i suspect my friend the wizard has taken us in his charge. i've known him to do things like this before, and if we are in the wizard's care you need not worry about your future." "who's worrying?" inquired button-bright, already at the table and busily eating. the scarecrow looked around the place while the others were feasting, and finding many things unfamiliar to him he shook his head and remarked: "i must have taken the wrong path, back in that last valley, for on my way to jinxland i remember that i passed around the foot of this river, where there was a great waterfall." "did the river make a bend, after the waterfall?" asked cap'n bill. "no, the river disappeared. only a pool of whirling water showed what had become of the river; but i suppose it is under ground, somewhere, and will come to the surface again in another part of the country." "well," suggested trot, as she finished her luncheon, "as there is no way to cross this river, i s'pose we'll have to find that waterfall, and go around it." "exactly," replied the scarecrow; so they soon renewed their journey, following the river for a long time until the roar of the waterfall sounded in their ears. by and by they came to the waterfall itself, a sheet of silver dropping far, far down into a tiny lake which seemed to have no outlet. from the top of the fall, where they stood, the banks gradually sloped away, so that the descent by land was quite easy, while the river could do nothing but glide over an edge of rock and tumble straight down to the depths below. "you see," said the scarecrow, leaning over the brink, "this is called by our oz people the great waterfall, because it is certainly the highest one in all the land; but i think--help!" he had lost his balance and pitched headforemost into the river. they saw a flash of straw and blue clothes, and the painted face looking upward in surprise. the next moment the scarecrow was swept over the waterfall and plunged into the basin below. the accident had happened so suddenly that for a moment they were all too horrified to speak or move. "quick! we must go to help him or he will be drowned," trot exclaimed. even while speaking she began to descend the bank to the pool below, and cap'n bill followed as swiftly as his wooden leg would let him. button-bright came more slowly, calling to the girl: "he can't drown, trot; he's a scarecrow." but she wasn't sure a scarecrow couldn't drown and never relaxed her speed until she stood on the edge of the pool, with the spray dashing in her face. cap'n bill, puffing and panting, had just voice enough to ask, as he reached her side: "see him, trot?" "not a speck of him. oh, cap'n, what do you s'pose has become of him?" "i s'pose," replied the sailor, "that he's in that water, more or less far down, and i'm 'fraid it'll make his straw pretty soggy. but as fer his bein' drowned, i agree with button-bright that it can't be done." there was small comfort in this assurance and trot stood for some time searching with her eyes the bubbling water, in the hope that the scarecrow would finally come to the surface. presently she heard button-bright calling: "come here, trot!" and looking around she saw that the boy had crept over the wet rocks to the edge of the waterfall and seemed to be peering behind it. making her way toward him, she asked: "what do you see?" "a cave," he answered. "let's go in. p'r'aps we'll find the scarecrow there." she was a little doubtful of that, but the cave interested her, and so did it cap'n bill. there was just space enough at the edge of the sheet of water for them to crowd in behind it, but after that dangerous entrance they found room enough to walk upright and after a time they came to an opening in the wall of rock. approaching this opening, they gazed within it and found a series of steps, cut so that they might easily descend into the cavern. trot turned to look inquiringly at her companions. the falling water made such din and roaring that her voice could not be heard. cap'n bill nodded his head, but before he could enter the cave, button-bright was before him, clambering down the steps without a particle of fear. so the others followed the boy. the first steps were wet with spray, and slippery, but the remainder were quite dry. a rosy light seemed to come from the interior of the cave, and this lighted their way. after the steps there was a short tunnel, high enough for them to walk erect in, and then they reached the cave itself and paused in wonder and admiration. they stood on the edge of a vast cavern, the walls and domed roof of which were lined with countless rubies, exquisitely cut and flashing sparkling rays from one to another. this caused a radiant light that permitted the entire cavern to be distinctly seen, and the effect was so marvelous that trot drew in her breath with a sort of a gasp, and stood quite still in wonder. but the walls and roof of the cavern were merely a setting for a more wonderful scene. in the center was a bubbling caldron of water, for here the river rose again, splashing and dashing till its spray rose high in the air, where it took the ruby color of the jewels and seemed like a seething mass of flame. and while they gazed into the tumbling, tossing water, the body of the scarecrow suddenly rose in the center, struggling and kicking, and the next instant wholly disappeared from view. "my, but he's wet!" exclaimed button-bright; but none of the others heard him. trot and cap'n bill discovered that a broad ledge--covered, like the walls, with glittering rubies--ran all around the cavern; so they followed this gorgeous path to the rear and found where the water made its final dive underground, before it disappeared entirely. where it plunged into this dim abyss the river was black and dreary looking, and they stood gazing in awe until just beside them the body of the scarecrow again popped up from the water. chapter twenty three the land of oz the straw man's appearance on the water was so sudden that it startled trot, but cap'n bill had the presence of mind to stick his wooden leg out over the water and the scarecrow made a desperate clutch and grabbed the leg with both hands. he managed to hold on until trot and button-bright knelt down and seized his clothing, but the children would have been powerless to drag the soaked scarecrow ashore had not cap'n bill now assisted them. when they laid him on the ledge of rubies he was the most useless looking scarecrow you can imagine--his straw sodden and dripping with water, his clothing wet and crumpled, while even the sack upon which his face was painted had become so wrinkled that the old jolly expression of their stuffed friend's features was entirely gone. but he could still speak, and when trot bent down her ear she heard him say: "get me out of here as soon as you can." that seemed a wise thing to do, so cap'n bill lifted his head and shoulders, and trot and button-bright each took a leg; among them they partly carried and partly dragged the damp scarecrow out of the ruby cavern, along the tunnel, and up the flight of rock steps. it was somewhat difficult to get him past the edge of the waterfall, but they succeeded, after much effort, and a few minutes later laid their poor comrade on a grassy bank where the sun shone upon him freely and he was beyond the reach of the spray. cap'n bill now knelt down and examined the straw that the scarecrow was stuffed with. "i don't believe it'll be of much use to him, any more," said he, "for it's full of polliwogs an' fish eggs, an' the water has took all the crinkle out o' the straw an ruined it. i guess, trot, that the best thing for us to do is to empty out all his body an' carry his head an' clothes along the road till we come to a field or a house where we can get some fresh straw." "yes, cap'n," she agreed, "there's nothing else to be done. but how shall we ever find the road to glinda's palace, without the scarecrow to guide us?" "that's easy," said the scarecrow, speaking in a rather feeble but distinct voice. "if cap'n bill will carry my head on his shoulders, eyes front, i can tell him which way to go." so they followed that plan and emptied all the old, wet straw out of the scarecrow's body. then the sailor-man wrung out the clothes and laid them in the sun till they were quite dry. trot took charge of the head and pressed the wrinkles out of the face as it dried, so that after a while the scarecrow's expression became natural again, and as jolly as before. this work consumed some time, but when it was completed they again started upon their journey, button-bright carrying the boots and hat, trot the bundle of clothes, and cap'n bill the head. the scarecrow, having regained his composure and being now in a good humor, despite his recent mishaps, beguiled their way with stories of the land of oz. it was not until the next morning, however, that they found straw with which to restuff the scarecrow. that evening they came to the same little house they had slept in before, only now it was magically transferred to a new place. the same bountiful supper as before was found smoking hot upon the table and the same cosy beds were ready for them to sleep in. they rose early and after breakfast went out of doors, and there, lying just beside the house, was a heap of clean, crisp straw. ozma had noticed the scarecrow's accident in her magic picture and had notified the wizard to provide the straw, for she knew the adventurers were not likely to find straw in the country through which they were now traveling. they lost no time in stuffing the scarecrow anew, and he was greatly delighted at being able to walk around again and to assume the leadership of the little party. "really," said trot, "i think you're better than you were before, for you are fresh and sweet all through and rustle beautifully when you move." "thank you, my dear," he replied gratefully. "i always feel like a new man when i'm freshly stuffed. no one likes to get musty, you know, and even good straw may be spoiled by age." "it was water that spoiled you, the last time," remarked button-bright, "which proves that too much bathing is as bad as too little. but, after all, scarecrow, water is not as dangerous for you as fire." "all things are good in moderation," declared the scarecrow. "but now, let us hurry on, or we shall not reach glinda's palace by nightfall." chapter twenty-four the royal reception at about four o'clock of that same day the red wagon drew up at the entrance to glinda's palace and dorothy and betsy jumped out. ozma's red wagon was almost a chariot, being inlaid with rubies and pearls, and it was drawn by ozma's favorite steed, the wooden sawhorse. "shall i unharness you," asked dorothy, "so you can come in and visit?" "no," replied the sawhorse. "i'll just stand here and think. take your time. thinking doesn't seem to bore me at all." "what will you think of?" inquired betsy. "of the acorn that grew the tree from which i was made." so they left the wooden animal and went in to see glinda, who welcomed the little girls in her most cordial manner. "i knew you were on your way," said the good sorceress when they were seated in her library, "for i learned from my record book that you intended to meet trot and button-bright on their arrival here." "is the strange little girl named trot?" asked dorothy. "yes; and her companion, the old sailor, is named cap'n bill. i think we shall like them very much, for they are just the kind of people to enjoy and appreciate our fairyland and i do not see any way, at present, for them to return again to the outside world." "well, there's room enough here for them, i'm sure," said dorothy. "betsy and i are already eager to welcome trot. it will keep us busy for a year, at least, showing her all the wonderful things in oz." glinda smiled. "i have lived here many years," said she, "and i have not seen all the wonders of oz yet." meantime the travelers were drawing near to the palace, and when they first caught sight of its towers trot realized that it was far more grand and imposing than was the king's castle in jinxland. the nearer they came, the more beautiful the palace appeared, and when finally the scarecrow led them up the great marble steps, even button-bright was filled with awe. "i don't see any soldiers to guard the place," said the little girl. "there is no need to guard glinda's palace," replied the scarecrow. "we have no wicked people in oz, that we know of, and even if there were any, glinda's magic would be powerful enough to protect her." button-bright was now standing on the top steps of the entrance, and he suddenly exclaimed: "why, there's the sawhorse and the red wagon! hip, hooray!" and next moment he was rushing down to throw his arms around the neck of the wooden horse, which good-naturedly permitted this familiarity when it recognized in the boy an old friend. button-bright's shout had been heard inside the palace, so now dorothy and betsy came running out to embrace their beloved friend, the scarecrow, and to welcome trot and cap'n bill to the land of oz. "we've been watching you for a long time, in ozma's magic picture," said dorothy, "and ozma has sent us to invite you to her own palace in the em'rald city. i don't know if you realize how lucky you are to get that invitation, but you'll understand it better after you've seen the royal palace and the em'rald city." glinda now appeared in person to lead all the party into her azure reception room. trot was a little afraid of the stately sorceress, but gained courage by holding fast to the hands of betsy and dorothy. cap'n bill had no one to help him feel at ease, so the old sailor sat stiffly on the edge of his chair and said: "yes, ma'am," or "no, ma'am," when he was spoken to, and was greatly embarrassed by so much splendor. the scarecrow had lived so much in palaces that he felt quite at home, and he chatted to glinda and the oz girls in a merry, light-hearted way. he told all about his adventures in jinxland, and at the great waterfall, and on the journey hither--most of which his hearers knew already--and then he asked dorothy and betsy what had happened in the emerald city since he had left there. they all passed the evening and the night at glinda's palace, and the sorceress was so gracious to cap'n bill that the old man by degrees regained his self-possession and began to enjoy himself. trot had already come to the conclusion that in dorothy and betsy she had found two delightful comrades, and button-bright was just as much at home here as he had been in the fields of jinxland or when he was buried in the popcorn snow of the land of mo. the next morning they arose bright and early and after breakfast bade good-bye to the kind sorceress, whom trot and cap'n bill thanked earnestly for sending the scarecrow to jinxland to rescue them. then they all climbed into the red wagon. there was room for all on the broad seats, and when all had taken their places--dorothy, trot and betsy on the rear seat and cap'n bill, button-bright and the scarecrow in front--they called "gid-dap!" to the sawhorse and the wooden steed moved briskly away, pulling the red wagon with ease. it was now that the strangers began to perceive the real beauties of the land of oz, for they were passing through a more thickly settled part of the country and the population grew more dense as they drew nearer to the emerald city. everyone they met had a cheery word or a smile for the scarecrow, dorothy and betsy bobbin, and some of them remembered button-bright and welcomed him back to their country. it was a happy party, indeed, that journeyed in the red wagon to the emerald city, and trot already began to hope that ozma would permit her and cap'n bill to live always in the land of oz. when they reached the great city they were more amazed than ever, both by the concourse of people in their quaint and picturesque costumes, and by the splendor of the city itself. but the magnificence of the royal palace quite took their breath away, until ozma received them in her own pretty apartment and by her charming manners and assuring smiles made them feel they were no longer strangers. trot was given a lovely little room next to that of dorothy, while cap'n bill had the cosiest sort of a room next to trot's and overlooking the gardens. and that evening ozma gave a grand banquet and reception in honor of the new arrivals. while trot had read of many of the people she then met, cap'n bill was less familiar with them and many of the unusual characters introduced to him that evening caused the old sailor to open his eyes wide in astonishment. he had thought the live scarecrow about as curious as anyone could be, but now he met the tin woodman, who was all made of tin, even to his heart, and carried a gleaming axe over his shoulder wherever he went. then there was jack pumpkinhead, whose head was a real pumpkin with the face carved upon it; and professor wogglebug, who had the shape of an enormous bug but was dressed in neat fitting garments. the professor was an interesting talker and had very polite manners, but his face was so comical that it made cap'n bill smile to look at it. a great friend of dorothy and ozma seemed to be a machine man called tik-tok, who ran down several times during the evening and had to be wound up again by someone before he could move or speak. at the reception appeared the shaggy man and his brother, both very popular in oz, as well as dorothy's uncle henry and aunt em, two happy old people who lived in a pretty cottage near the palace. but what perhaps seemed most surprising to both trot and cap'n bill was the number of peculiar animals admitted into ozma's parlors, where they not only conducted themselves quite properly but were able to talk as well as anyone. there was the cowardly lion, an immense beast with a beautiful mane; and the hungry tiger, who smiled continually; and eureka the pink kitten, who lay curled upon a cushion and had rather supercilious manners; and the wooden sawhorse; and nine tiny piglets that belonged to the wizard; and a mule named hank, who belonged to betsy bobbin. a fuzzy little terrier dog, named toto, lay at dorothy's feet but seldom took part in the conversation, although he listened to every word that was said. but the most wonderful of all to trot was a square beast with a winning smile, that squatted in a corner of the room and wagged his square head at everyone in quite a jolly way. betsy told trot that this unique beast was called the woozy, and there was no other like him in all the world. cap'n bill and trot had both looked around expectantly for the wizard of oz, but the evening was far advanced before the famous little man entered the room. but he went up to the strangers at once and said: "i know you, but you don't know me; so let's get acquainted." and they did get acquainted, in a very short time, and before the evening was over trot felt that she knew every person and animal present at the reception, and that they were all her good friends. suddenly they looked around for button-bright, but he was nowhere to be found. "dear me!" cried trot. "he's lost again." "never mind, my dear," said ozma, with her charming smile, "no one can go far astray in the land of oz, and if button-bright isn't lost occasionally, he isn't happy." the wonderful oz books by l. frank baum the wizard of oz the land of oz ozma of oz dorothy and the wizard in oz the road to oz the emerald city of oz the patchwork girl of oz tik-tok of oz the scarecrow of oz rinkitink in oz the lost princess of oz the tin woodman of oz the magic of oz glinda of oz 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-- . the way to butterfield . dorothy meets button-bright . a queer village . king dox . the rainbow's daughter . the city of beasts . the shaggy man's transformation . the musicker . facing the scoodlers . escaping the soup-kettle . johnny dooit does it . the deadly desert crossed . the truth pond . tik-tok and billina . the emperor's tin castle . visiting the pumpkin-field . the royal chariot arrives . the emerald city . the shaggy man's welcome . princess ozma of oz . dorothy receives the guests . important arrivals . the grand banquet . 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, . . 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. . 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." . 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." . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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." . 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. . 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." . 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. . 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 th. she then went to the next stone, which read: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled october nd. on the third stone were carved these words: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled january th. "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. . 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." . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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. . 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." . 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. . 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. [illustration: king penguins.] eccentricities of the animal creation. by john timbs. author of "things not generally known." with eight engravings. seeley, jackson, and halliday, , fleet-street. london. mdccclxix. _the right of translation is reserved._ contents. introductory.--curiosities of zoology. natural history in scripture, and egyptian records, .--origin of zoological gardens, .--the greeks and romans, .--montezuma's zoological gardens, .--menagerie in the tower of london, .--menagerie in st. james's park, .--john evelyn's notes, .--ornithological society, .--continental gardens, .--zoological society of london instituted, ; its most remarkable animals, .--cost of wild animals, .--sale of animals, .--surrey zoological gardens, .--wild-beast shows, . the rhinoceros in england. ancient history, , .--one-horned and two-horned, , .--tractability, .--bruce and sparmann, .--african rhinoceros in , .--description of, .--burchell's rhinoceros, .--horn of the rhinoceros, , . stories of mermaids. sirens of the ancients, .--classic pictures of mermaids, .--leyden's ballad, .--ancient evidence, , , .--mermaid in the west indies, .--mermaids, seals, and dugongs, .--mermaids and manatee, .--test for a mermaid, .--mermaid of , .--japanese mermaids, .--recent evidence, , . is the unicorn fabulous? ctesias and wild asses, .--aristotle, herodotus, and pliny, .--modern unicorns, .--ancient evidence, .--hunting the unicorn, .--antelopes, , .--cuvier and the oryx, .--tibetan animal, .--klaproth's evidence, .--rev. john campbell's evidence, .--baikie on, .--factitious horns in museums, .--unicorn in the royal arms, .--catching the unicorn, .--belief in unicorns, . the mole at home. economy of the mole, .--its structure, .--fairy rings; feeling of the mole, .--le court's experiments, , .--hunting-grounds, .--loves of the moles, , .--persecution of moles.--shrew mole, .--hogg, the ettrick shepherd, on moles, . the great ant-bear. the ant-bear of , , .--mr. wallace, on the amazon, describes the ant-bear, .--food of the ant-bear, .--his resorts, .--habits in captivity, by professor owen, - .--fossil ant-bear, , .--tamandua ant-bear, --von sack's ant-bear, .--porcupine ant-eater, .--ant-bears in the zoological gardens, . curiosities of bats. virgil's harpies, .--pliny on the bat, .--rere-mouse and flitter-mouse, .--bats, not birds but quadrupeds, .--sir charles bell on the wing of the bat, .--vampire bat from sumatra, .--lord byron and vampire, .--levant superstition, .--bat described by heber, waterton, and steadman, .--lesson on bats, .--bat fowling or folding, , .--sowerby's long-eared bat, , .--wing of the bat, .--_nycteris_ bat, .--_kalong_ bat of java, .--bats, various, , . the hedgehog. hedgehog described, .--habits, .--eating snakes, .--poisons, , .--battle with a viper, .--economy of the hedgehog, , . the hippopotamus in england. living hippopotamus brought to england in , .--capture and conveyance, .--professor owen's account, - .--described by naturalists and travellers, - .--utility to man, - .--ancient history, .--in scripture, .--alleged disappearance, .--fossil, . lion-talk. character, .--reputed generosity, .--burchell's account, .--lion-tree in the mantatee country, .--lion-hunting, .--disappearance of lions, , .--human prey, .--maneless lions of guzerat, .--a lion family in bengal, , .--prickle on the lion's tail, - .--nineveh lions, .--lions in the tower of london, , .--feats with lions, .--lion-hunting in algeria, by jules gerard, .--the prudhoe lions, . bird-life. rate at which birds fly, , .--air in the bones of birds, .--flight of the humming-bird, .--colour of birds, .--song of birds, .--beauty in animals, .--insectivorous birds, .--sea-fowl slaughter, .--hooded crow in zetland, .--brain of birds, .--danger-signals, .--addison's love of nature, , . birds' eggs and nests. colours of eggs, .--bird's-nesting, .--mr. wolley, the ornithologist, , .--european birds of prey, .--large eggs, , , .--baya's nest, .--oriole and tailor-bird, , .--australian bower-bird, .--cape swallows, .--"bird confinement," by dr. livingstone. the epicure's ortolan. origin of the ortolan, ; described, , ; fattening process, , .--prodigal epicurism, , . talk about toucans. toucan family, .--gould's grand monograph, .--toucans described, - ; food, ; habits, .--gould's toucanet, . eccentricities of penguins. penguins on dassent island, .--patagonian penguins, .--falkland islands, .--king penguins, , .--darwin's account, .--webster's account, .--swainson's account, . pelicans and cormorants. pelicans described by various naturalists, , .--the pelican island, .--popular error, - .--cormorants, and fishing with cormorants, - . talking birds, instincts, etc. sounds by various birds, .--umbrella bird, .--bittern, .--butcher-bird and parrots, .--wild swan, laughing goose, cuckoo, and nightingale, .--talking canaries, .--neighing snipe, .--trochilos and crocodiles, .--instinct. intelligence, and reason in birds, - .--songs of birds and seasons of the day, . owls. characteristics of the owl, .--owl in poetry, .--bischacho or coquimbo, .--waterton on owls, , .--owls. varieties of, - . weather-wise animals. atmospheric changes, .--stormy petrel, .--wild geese and ducks, .--frogs and snails, .--the mole, .--list of animals, by forster, the meteorologist, .--weatherproof nests, .--"signs of rain," by darwin, .--shepherd of banbury, . fish-talk. how fishes swim, .--fish changing colour, .--"fish noise," .--hearing of fish, .--the carp at fontainebleau, , .--affection of fishes, .--cat-fish, anecdote of, .--great number of fishes, .--little fishes eaten by medusæ, .--migration of fishes, .--enormous grampus, .--bonita and flying-fish, .--jaculator fish of java, .--port royal, jamaica fish, .--the shark, .--california. fish of, .--wonderful fish, .--vast sun-fish, .--double fish, .--the square-browed malthe, .--gold fish, .--the miller's thumb, .--sea-fish observatory, .--herring question, .--aristotle's history of animals, - . fish in british colombia. salmon-swarming, .--candle-fish, .--octopus, the, .--sturgeon and sturgeon fishing, - . the tree-climbing crab. locomotion of fishes, .--climbing perch, .--crabs in the west indies, .--crabs, varieties of, - .--robber and cocoa-nut crab, - .--fish of the china seas, . musical lizards. lizard from formosa isle, .--its habits, - . chameleons and their changes. the chameleon described by aristotle and calmet, , .--change of colour, .--reproduction of, , .--tongue, .--lives in trees, .--theory of colours, .--the puzzle solved, .--mrs. belzoni's chameleons, .--lady cust's chameleons, .--chameleon's antipathy to black, . running toads. dr. husenbeth's toads at cossey, .--frog and toad concerts, . song of the cicada. greeks' love for the song, .--cicada in british colombia, .--tennyson and keats on the grasshopper, . stories about the barnacle goose. baptista porta's account, .--max müller on, .--gerarde's account, .--giraldus cambrensis, .--professor rolleston. drayton's _poly-olbion_, .--sir kenelm digby and sir j. emerson tennent, .--finding the barnacle, . leaves about bookworms. bookworms, their destructiveness, , .--how to destroy, .--the death-watch, .--lines by swift, . boring marine animals, and human engineers. life and labours of the pholas, .--family of the pholas, .--curious controversy, .--boring apparatus, .--several observers, , .--boring annelids, . list of illustrations. page king penguins frontispiece the two-horned african rhinoceros seal and mermaid the great ant-bear (zoological society's) fraser's eagle owl, from fernando po square-browed malthe and double fish the tree-climbing crab chameleons eccentricities of the animal creation. introductory.--curiosities of zoology. curious creatures of animal life have been objects of interest to mankind in all ages and countries; the universality of which may be traced to that feeling which "makes the whole world kin." it has been remarked with emphatic truth by a popular writer, that "we have in the bible and in the engraven and pictorial records the earliest evidence of the attention paid to natural history in general. the 'navy of tarshish' contributed to the wisdom of him who not only 'spake of the trees from the cedar of lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall,' but 'also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes,'[ ] to say nothing of numerous other passages showing the progress that zoological knowledge had already made. the egyptian records bear testimony to a familiarity not only with the forms of a multitude of wild animals, but with their habits and geographical distribution." the collections of living animals, now popularly known as zoological gardens, are of considerable antiquity. we read of such gardens in china as far back as , years; but they consisted chiefly of some favourite animals, such as stags, fish, and tortoises. the greeks, under pericles, introduced peacocks in large numbers from india. the romans had their elephants; and the first giraffe in rome, under cæsar, was as great an event in the history of zoological gardens at its time as the arrival in of the hippopotamus was in london. the first zoological garden of which we have any detailed account is that in the reign of the chinese emperor, wen wang, founded by him about a.d., and named by him "the park of intelligence;" it contained mammalia, birds, fish, and amphibia. the zoological gardens of former times served their masters occasionally as hunting-grounds. this was constantly the case in persia; and in germany, so late as , the emperor maximilian ii. kept such a park for different animals near his castle, neugebah, in which he frequently chased. alexander the great possessed his zoological gardens. we find from pliny that alexander had given orders to the keepers to send all the rare and curious animals which died in the gardens to aristotle. splendid must have been the zoological gardens which the spaniards found connected with the palace of montezuma. the letters of ferdinand cortez and other writings of the time, as well as more recently "the history of the indians," by antonio herrera, give most interesting and detailed accounts of the menagerie in montezuma's park. the buildings belonging to these gardens were all gorgeous, as became the grandeur of the indian prince; they were supported by pillars, each of which was hewn out of a single piece of some precious stone. cool, arched galleries led into the different parts of the garden--to the marine and fresh-water basins, containing innumerable water-fowl,--to the birds of prey, falcons and eagles, which latter especially were represented in the greatest variety,--to the crocodiles, alligators, and serpents, some of them belonging to the most venomous species. the halls of a large square building contained the dens of the lions, tigers, leopards, bears, wolves, and other wild animals. three hundred slaves were employed in the gardens tending the animals, upon which great care was bestowed, and scrupulous attention paid to their cleanliness. to this south american zoological garden of the sixteenth century no other of its time could be compared.[ ] more than six centuries ago, our plantagenet kings kept in the tower of london exotic animals for their recreation. the lion tower was built here by henry iii., who commenced assembling here a menagerie with three leopards sent to him by the emperor frederic ii., "in token of his regal shield of arms, wherein those leopards were pictured." here, in , the sheriffs built a house "for the king's elephant," brought from france, and the first seen in england. our early sovereigns had a mews in the tower as well as a menagerie:-- "merry margaret, as midsomer flowre, gentyll as faucon and hawke of the towre."--_skelton._ in the reign of charles i., a sort of royal menagerie took the place of the deer with which st. james's park was stocked in the days of henry viii, and queen elizabeth. charles ii. greatly enlarged and improved the park; and here he might be seen playing with his dogs and feeding his ducks. the bird-cage walk, on the south side of the park, had in charles's time the cages of an aviary disposed among the trees. near the east end of a canal was the decoy, where water-fowl were kept; and here was duck island, with its salaried governor. evelyn, in , went to "the physique garden in st. james's," where he first saw "orange trees and other fine trees." he enumerates in the menagerie, "an ornocratylus, or pelican; a fowle between a storke and a swan; a melancholy water-fowl, brought from astracan by the russian ambassador; a milk-white raven; two balearian cranes," one of which, had a wooden leg "made by a soulder:" there were also "deere of severall countries, white, spotted like leopards; antelopes, an elk, red deer, roebucks, staggs, guinea goates, arabian sheepe, &c." there were "withy-potts, or nests, for the wild fowle to lay their eggs in, a little above y^e surface of y^e water." " feb. . this night i walk'd into st. james his parke, where i saw many strange creatures, as divers sorts of outlandish deer, guiny sheep, a white raven, a great parrot, a storke.... here are very stately walkes set with lime trees on both sides, and a fine pallmall."[ ] upon the eastern island is the swiss cottage of the ornithological society, built in with a grant of l. from the lords of the treasury: it contains a council-room, keepers' apartments, steam-hatching apparatus; contiguous are feeding-places and decoys; and the aquatic fowl breed on the island, making their own nests among the shrubs and grasses. the majority of zoological gardens now in existence have been founded in this century, with the exception of the jardin des plantes, which, although founded in , did not receive its first living animals until the year - . hitherto, it had been a garden of plants exclusively. we shall not be expected to enumerate the great continental gardens, of which that at berlin, half an hour's drive beyond the brandenburg gates, contains the royal menagerie; it is open upon the payment of an admission fee, and generally resembles our garden at the regent's park. berlin has also its zoological collection in its museum of natural history. this collection is one of the richest and most extensive in europe, especially in the department of ornithology: it includes the birds collected by pallas and wildenow, and the fishes of bloch. the best specimens are those from mexico, the red sea, and the cape. the whole is exceedingly well arranged, and _named_ for the convenience of students. still, our zoological collection in the british museum (to be hereafter removed to south kensington) is allowed to be the finest in europe. the zoological society of london was instituted in , and occupies now about seventeen acres of gardens in the regent's park. among the earliest tenants of the menagerie were a pair of emues from new holland; two arctic bears and a russian bear; a herd of kangaroos; cuban mastiffs and thibet watch-dogs; two llamas from peru; a splendid collection of eagles, falcons, and owls; a pair of beavers; cranes, spoonbills, and storks; zebras and indian cows; esquimaux dogs; armadilloes; and a collection of monkeys. to the menagerie have since been added an immense number of species of _mammalia_ and _birds_; in , a collection of _reptiles_; and in , a collection of _fish_, _mollusca_, _zoophytes_, and other _aquatic animals_. in , the menagerie collected by george iv. at sandpit-gate, windsor, was removed to the society's gardens; and the last of the tower menagerie was received here. it is now the finest public vivarium in europe. the following are some of the more remarkable animals which the society have possessed, or are now in the menagerie:-- _antelopes_, the great family of, finely represented. the beautiful _elands_ were bequeathed by the late earl of derby, and have bred freely since their arrival in . the leucoryx is the first of her race born out of africa. _ant-eater. giant_, brought to england from brazil in , was exhibited in broad-street, st. giles's, until purchased by the zoological society for l. _apteryx_, or _kiwi_ bird, from new zealand; the first living specimen brought to england of this rare bird. the _fish-house_, built of iron and glass, in , consisting of a series of glass tanks, in which fish spawn, zoophytes produce young, and algæ luxuriate; crustacea and mollusca live successfully, and ascidian polypes are illustrated, together with sea anemones, jelly-fishes, and star-fishes, rare shell-fishes, &c.: a new world of animal life is here seen as in the depths of the ocean, with masses of rock, sand, gravel, corallines, sea-weed, and sea-water; the animals are in a state of natural restlessness, now quiescent, now eating and being eaten. _aurochs_, or _european bisons_: a pair presented by the emperor of russia, in , from the forest of bialowitzca: the male died in , the female in , from pleuro-pneumonia. _bears_: the collection is one of the largest ever made. _elephants_: including an indian elephant calf and its mother. in died here the great indian elephant jack, having been in the gardens sixteen years. adjoining the stable is a tank of water, of a depth nearly equal to the height of a full-grown elephant. in the society possessed a _herd of four elephants_, besides a hippopotamus, a rhinoceros, and both species of tapir; being the largest collection of pachydermata ever exhibited in europe. _giraffes_: four received in cost the society upwards of , _l._, including , _l._ for steamboat passage: the female produced six male fawns here between and . _hippopotamus_, a young male (the first living specimen seen in england), received from egypt in may, , when ten months old, seven feet long, and six and a-half feet in girth; also a female hippopotamus, received . _humming-birds_: mr. gould's matchless collection of , examples was exhibited here in and . _iguanas_, two from cuba and carthagena, closely resembling, in everything but size, the fossil iguanodon. the _lions_ number generally from eight to ten, including a pair of cubs born in the gardens in . _orang-utan_ and _chimpanzee_: the purchase-money of the latter sometimes exceeds _l._ the orang "darby," brought from borneo in , is the finest yet seen in europe, very intelligent, and docile as a child. _parrot-houses_: they sometimes contain from sixty to seventy species. _rapacious birds_: so extensive a series of eagles and vultures has never yet been seen at one view. _the reptile-house_ was fitted up in ; the creatures are placed in large plate-glass cases: here are pythons and a rattle-snake, with a young one born here; here is also a case of the tree-frogs of europe: a yellow snake from jamaica has produced eight young in the gardens. _cobra de capello_, from india: in , a keeper in the gardens was killed by the bite of this serpent. _a large boa_ in swallowed a blanket, and disgorged it in thirty-three days. a _one-horned rhinoceros_, of continental india, was obtained in , when it was about four years old, and weighed cwt.; it died in : it was replaced by a female, about five years old. _satin bower-birds_, from sydney: a pair have built here a bower, or breeding-place. _tapir_ of the old world, from mount ophir; the nearest existing form the paleotherium. _tigers_: a pair of magnificent specimens, presented by the guicoway of baroda in ; a pair of clouded tigers, . _the wapiti deer_ breeds every year in the menagerie. the animals in the gardens, although reduced in number, are more valuable and interesting than when their number was higher. the mission of the society's head-keeper, to collect rare animals for the menagerie, has been very profitable. the additional houses from time to time, are very expensive: the new monkey house, fittings, and work cost , _l._; and in , the sum of , _l._ was laid out in permanent additions to the establishment. very rare, and consequently expensive, animals are generally purchased. thus, the first rhinoceros cost , _l._; the four giraffes, _l._, and their carriage an additional _l._ the elephant and calf were bought in for _l._; and the hippopotamus, although a gift, was not brought home and housed at less than , _l._--a sum which he more than realised in the famous exhibition season, when the receipts were , _l._ above the previous year. the lion albert was purchased for _l._; a tiger, in , for _l._ the value of some of the smaller birds will appear, however, more startling: thus, the pair of black-necked swans were purchased for _l._; a pair of crowned pigeons and two maleos, _l._; a pair of victoria pigeons, _l._; four mandarin ducks, _l._ most of these rare birds (now in the great aviary) came from the knowsley collection, at the sale of which, in , purchases were made to the extent of _l._ it would be impossible from these prices, however, to judge of the present value of the animals. take the rhinoceros, for example: the first specimen cost , _l._; the second, quite as fine a brute, only _l._ lions range again from _l._ to _l._, and tigers from _l._ to _l._ the ignorance displayed by some persons as to the value of well-known objects is something marvellous.--a sea-captain demanded _l._ for a pair of pythons, and at last took _l._! an american offered the society a grisly bear for , _l._, to be delivered in the united states; and, more laughable still, a moribund walrus, which had been fed for nine weeks on salt pork and meal, was offered for the trifling sum of _l._! there is a strange notion that the zoological society has proposed a large reward for a "tortoiseshell tom-cat," and one was accordingly offered to the society for _l._! but male tortoiseshell cats may be had in many quarters.[ ] the surrey zoological gardens were established in . thither cross removed his menagerie from the king's mews, where it had been transferred from exeter change. at walworth a glazed circular building, feet in diameter, was built for the cages of the carnivorous animals (lions, tigers, leopards, &c.); and other houses for mammalia, birds, &c. here, in , was first exhibited a young indian one-horned rhinoceros, for which cross paid _l._ it was the only specimen brought to england for twenty years. in were added three giraffes, one fifteen feet high. the menagerie was dispersed in . the menagerie at exeter change was a poor collection, though the admission-charge was, at one period, half-a-crown! the collections of animals exhibited at fairs have added little to zoological information; but we may mention that wombwell, one of the most noted of the showfolk, bought a pair of the first boa constrictors imported into england: for these he paid _l._, and in three weeks realised considerably more than that sum by their exhibition. at the time of his death, in , wombwell was possessed of three huge menageries, the cost of maintaining which averaged at least _l._ per day; and he used to estimate that, from mortality and disease, he had lost, from first to last, from , _l._ to , _l._ our object in the following succession of sketches of the habits and eccentricities of the more striking animals, and their principal claims upon our attention, is to present, in narrative, their leading characteristics, and thus to secure a willing audience from old and young. footnotes: [ ] kings iv. . [ ] "athenæum." [ ] journal of mr. e. browne, son of sir thomas browne. [ ] in april, , mr. batty's collection of animals was sold by auction, when the undermentioned animals brought--large red-faced monkey (clever), _l._ _s._; fine coatimondi, _l._ _s._; mandril (the only one in england), _l._ _s._; pair of java hares, _l._ _s._; a puma, _l._; handsome senegal lioness, _l._; a hyæna, _l._; splendid barbary lioness, _l._; handsome bengal tigress, _l._; brown bear, _l._; the largest polar bear in europe, _l._; pair of esquimaux sledge-dogs, _l._ _s._; pair of golden pheasants, _l._ _s._; a blue-and-buff macaw (clever talker), _l._ _s._; a horned owl, from north america, _l._ _s._; a magnificent barbary lion, trained for performance, guineas; a lioness, similarly trained, guineas; handsome senegal performing leopard, guineas; two others, guineas; ursine sloth, guineas; indian buffalo, guineas; sagacious male elephant, trained for theatrical performances, guineas. the above is stated to have been the first sale of the kind by public auction in this country. the rhinoceros in england. the intellectual helps to the study of zoology are nowhere more strikingly evident than in the finest collection of pachyderms (thick-skinned animals) in the world, now possessed by our zoological society. here we have a pair of indian elephants, a pair of african elephants, a pair of hippopotami, a pair of indian rhinoceroses, and an african or two-horned rhinoceros. the specimens of the rhinoceros which have been exhibited in europe since the revival of literature have been few and far between. the first was of the one-horned species, sent from india to emmanuel. king of portugal, in the year . the sovereign made a present of it to the pope; but the animal being seized during its passage with a fit of fury, occasioned the loss of the vessel in which it was transported. a second rhinoceros was brought to england in ; a third was exhibited over almost the whole of europe in ; and a fourth, a female, in . a fifth specimen arrived at versailles in , and it died in , at the age of about twenty-six years. the sixth was a very young rhinoceros, which died in this country in the year . the seventh, a young specimen, was in the possession of mr. cross, at exeter change, about ; and an eighth specimen was living about the same time in the garden of plants at paris. in mr. cross received at the surrey gardens, from the birman empire, a rhinoceros, a year and a-half old, as already stated at page . in the zoological society purchased a full-grown female rhinoceros; and in they received a male rhinoceros from calcutta. all these specimens were from india, and _one-horned_; so that the _two-horned_ rhinoceros had not been brought to england until the arrival of an african rhinoceros, _two-horned_, in september, .[ ] the ancient history of the rhinoceros is interesting, but intricate. it seems to be mentioned in several passages of the scriptures, in most of which the animal or animals intended to be designated was or were the _rhinoceros unicornis_, or great asiatic one-horned rhinoceros. m. lesson expresses a decided opinion to this effect: indeed, the description in job (chap. xxxix.) would almost forbid the conclusion that any animal was in the writer's mind except one of surpassing bulk and indomitable strength. the impotence of man is finely contrasted with the might of the rhinoceros in this description, which would be overcharged if it applied to the less powerful animals alluded to in the previous passages. it has also been doubted whether accounts of the indian wild ass, given by ctesias, were not highly coloured and exaggerated descriptions of this genus; and whether the indian ass of aristotle was not a rhinoceros. agatharchides describes the one-horned rhinoceros by name, and speaks of its ripping up the belly of the elephant. this is, probably, the earliest occurrence of the name _rhinoceros_. the rhinoceros which figured in the celebrated pomps of ptolemy philadelphus was an ethiopian, and seems to have marched last in the procession of wild animals, probably on account of its superior rarity, and immediately after the cameleopard. dion cassius speaks of the rhinoceros killed in the circus with a hippopotamus in the show given by augustus to celebrate his victory over cleopatra; he says that the hippopotamus and this animal were then first seen and killed at rome. the rhinoceros then slain is thought to have been african, and two-horned. the rhinoceros clearly described by strabo, as seen by him, was one-horned. that noticed by pausanias as "the bull of ethiopia," was two-horned, and he describes the relative position of the horns. wood, in his "zoography," gives an engraving of the coin of domitian (small roman brass), on the reverse of which is the distinct form of a two-horned rhinoceros: its exhibition to the roman people, probably of the very animal represented on the coin, is particularly described in one of the epigrams attributed to martial, who lived in the reigns of titus and domitian. by the description of the epigram it appears that a combat between a rhinoceros and a bear was intended, but that it was very difficult to irritate the more unwieldy animal so as to make him display his usual ferocity; at length, however, he tossed the bear from his double horn, with as much facility as a bull tosses to the sky the bundles placed for the purpose of enraging him. thus far the coin and the epigram perfectly agree as to the existence of the double horn; but, unfortunately, commentators and antiquaries were not to be convinced that a rhinoceros could have more than one horn, and have at once displayed their sagacity and incredulity in their explanations on the subject. two, at least, of the two-horned rhinoceroses were shown at rome in the reign of domitian. the emperors antoninus, heliogabalus, and gordian also exhibited rhinoceroses. cosmas speaks expressly of the ethiopian rhinoceros as having two horns, and of its power of moving them. the tractability of the asiatic rhinoceros has been confirmed by observers in the native country of the animal. bishop heber saw at lucknow five or six very large rhinoceroses, of which he found that prints and drawings had given him a very imperfect conception. they were more bulky animals, and of a darker colour than the bishop supposed; though the latter difference might be occasioned by oiling the skin. the folds of their skin also surpassed all which the bishop had expected. those at lucknow were quiet and gentle animals, except that one of them had a feud with horses. they had sometimes howdahs, or chaise-like seats, on their backs, and were once fastened in a carriage, but only as an experiment, which was not followed up. the bishop, however, subsequently saw a rhinoceros (the present of lord amherst to the guicwar), which was so tamed as to be ridden by a mohout quite as patiently as an elephant. no two-horned rhinoceros seems to have been brought alive to europe in modern times. indeed, up to a comparatively late period, their form was known only by the horns which were preserved in museums; nor did voyagers give any sufficient details to impart any clear idea of the form of the animal. the rude figure given by aldrovandus, in , leaves no doubt that, wretched as it is, it must have been taken from a two-horned rhinoceros. dr. parsons endeavoured to show that the one-horned rhinoceros always belonged to asia, and the two-horned rhinoceros to africa; but there are two-horned rhinoceroses in asia, as well as in africa. flacourt saw one in the bay of soldaque, near the cape of good hope, at a distance. kolbe and others always considered the rhinoceros of the cape as two-horned; but colonel gordon seems to be the first who entirely detailed the species with any exactness. sparrman described the cape rhinoceros, though his figure of the animal is stiff and ill-drawn. at this period it was well known that the cape species was not only distinguished by having two horns from the indian rhinoceros then known, but also by an absence of the folds of the skin so remarkable in the latter. we should here notice the carelessness, to call it by the mildest name, of bruce, who gave to the world a representation of a two-horned rhinoceros from abyssinia, with a strongly folded skin. the truth appears to be that the body of the animal figured by bruce was copied from that of the one-horned rhinoceros given by buffon, to which bruce added a second horn. salt proved that the abyssinian rhinoceros is two-horned, and that it resembles that of the cape. [illustration: the two-horned african rhinoceros.] sparmann exposes the errors and poetic fancies of buffon respecting the impenetrable nature of the skin. he ordered one of his hottentots to make a trial of this with his hassagai on a rhinoceros which had been shot. though this weapon was far from being in good order, and had no other sharpness than that which it had received from the forge, the hottentot, at the distance of five or six paces, not only pierced with it the thick hide of the animal, but buried it half a foot deep in its body. mr. tegetmeier has sufficiently described in the "field" journal the african rhinoceros just received at the zoological society's menagerie in the regent's-park, and which has been sketched by mr. t. w. wood expressly for the present volume. it was captured about a year ago in upper nubia by the native hunters in the employment of mr. casanova, at kassala; and was sent, by way of alexandria and trieste, to mr. karl hagenbeck, of hamburg, a dealer in wild beasts, who sold it to the zoological society. "this animal is very distinct from its asiatic congeners; it differs strikingly in the number of horns, as well as in the character of its skin, which is destitute of those large folds, which cause the indian species to remind the observer of a gigantic 'hog in armour.' "the arrival of this animal will tend to clear up the confusion that prevails respecting the number of distinct species of african rhinoceros. some writers--as sir w. c. harris--admit the existence of two species only, the dark and the light, or, as they are termed, the 'white' and the 'black.' others, as dr. a. smith, describe three; some, as the late mr. anderssen, write of four; and mr. chapman even speaks of a fifth species or hybrid. "three of these species are very distinctly defined--the ordinary dark animal, the _rhinoceros bicornis_, in which the posterior horn is much shorter than the anterior; the _rhinoceros keitloa_, in which the two horns are of equal length; and the 'white' species, _rhinoceros simus_. the last, among other characters, is, according to dr. smith, distinguished by the square character of the upper lip, which is not prehensile. "the young animal now (october, ) in the zoological society's garden, appears to belong to the first-named species, the largest specimens of which when full grown reach a height of ft., and a length of ft., the tail not included. its present height is - / ft., and length about ft. in general appearance the mature animal resembles a gigantic pig, the limbs being brought under the body. the feet are most singular in form, being very distinctly three-toed, and the remarkable trefoil-like _spoors_ that they make in the soil render the animal easy to track. the horns vary greatly in length in different animals; the first not unfrequently reaches a length of ft., the second being considerably shorter. these appendages differ very much from ordinary horns; they are, in fact, more of the nature of agglutinated hair, being attached to the skin only, and consequently they separate from the skull when the latter is preserved. "the head is not remarkable for comeliness, especially in the mature animal, in which the skin of the face is deeply wrinkled, and the small eyes are surrounded with many folds. the upper lip is elongated, and is used in gathering the food. the adult animals are described by sir w. c. harris, in his 'illustrations of the game animals of south africa,' as 'swinish, cross-grained, ill-tempered, wallowing brutes.'" mr. burchell, during his travels in africa, shot nine rhinoceroses, besides a smaller one. the latter he presented to the british museum. the animal is, however, becoming every day more and more scarce in southern africa; indeed, it is rarely to be met with in some parts. it appears that, in one day, two rhinoceroses were shot by speelman, the faithful hottentot who attended mr. burchell. he fired off his gun but twice, and each time he killed a rhinoceros! the animal's sense of hearing is very quick: should he be disturbed, he sometimes becomes furious, and pursues his enemy; and then, if once he gets sight of the hunter, it is scarcely possible for him to escape, unless he possesses extraordinary coolness and presence of mind. yet, if he will quietly wait till the enraged animal makes a run at him, and will then spring suddenly on one side, to let it pass, he may gain time enough for reloading his gun before the rhinoceros gets sight of him again, which, fortunately, owing to its imperfection of sight, it does slowly and with difficulty. speelman, in shooting a large male rhinoceros, used bullets cast with an admixture of tin, to render them harder. they were flattened and beat out of shape by striking against the bones, but those which were found lodged in the fleshy parts had preserved their proper form, a fact which shows how little the hardness of the creature's hide corresponds with the vulgar opinion of its being impenetrable to a musket-ball. mr. burchell found this rhinoceros nearly cut up. on each side of the carcase the hottentots had made a fire to warm themselves; and round a third fire were assembled at least twenty-four bushmen, most of whom were employed the whole night long in broiling, eating, and talking. their appetite seemed insatiable, for no sooner had they broiled and eaten one slice of meat than they turned to the carcase and cut another. the meat was excellent, and had much the taste of beef. "the tongue," says mr. burchell, "is a dainty treat, even for an epicure." the hide is cut into strips, three feet or more in length, rounded to the thickness of a man's finger, and tapering to the top. this is called a _shambok_, and is universally used in the colony of the cape for a horsewhip, and is much more durable than the whips of european manufacture. the natural food of the rhinoceros, till the animal fled before the colonists, was a pale, bushy shrub, called the rhinoceros-bush, which burns while green as freely as the driest fuel, so as readily to make a roadside fire. the horn of the rhinoceros, single or double, has its special history by the way of popular tradition. from the earliest times this horn has been supposed to possess preservative virtues and mysterious properties--to be capable of curing diseases and discovering the presence of poison; and in all countries where the rhinoceros exists, but especially in the east, such is still the opinion respecting it. in the details of the first voyage of the english to india, in , we find rhinoceros' horns monopolised by the native sovereigns on account of their reputed virtues in detecting the presence of poison. thunberg observes, in his "journey into caffraria," that "the horns of the rhinoceros were kept by some people, both in town and country, not only as rarities, but also as useful in diseases, and for the purpose of detecting poisons. as to the former of these intentions, the fine shavings were supposed to cure convulsions and spasms in children. with respect to the latter, it was generally believed that goblets made of these horns would discover a poisonous draught that was poured into them, by making the liquor ferment till it ran quite out of the goblet. of these horns goblets are made, which are set in gold and silver and presented to kings, persons of distinction, and particular friends, or else sold at a high price, sometimes at the rate of fifty rix-dollars each." thunberg adds:--"when i tried these horns, both wrought and unwrought, both old and young horns, with several sorts of poison, weak as well as strong, i observed not the least motion or effervescence; but when a solution of corrosive sublimate or other similar substance was poured into one of these horns, there arose only a few bubbles, produced by the air which had been enclosed in the pores of the horn and which were now disengaged." rankin (in his "wars and sports") states this mode of using it: a small quantity of water is put into the concave part of the root, then hold it with the point downwards and stir the water with the point of an iron nail till it is discoloured, when the patient is to drink it. footnote: [ ] the conveyance of a rhinoceros over sea is a labour of some risk. in a full-grown specimen on his voyage from calcutta to this country became so furious that he was fastened down to the ship's deck, with part of a chain-cable round his neck; and even then he succeeded in destroying a portion of the vessel, till, a heavy storm coming on, the rhinoceros was thrown overboard to prevent the serious consequence of his getting loose in the ship. stories of mermaids. less than half a century ago, a pretended mermaid was one of the sights of a london season; to see which credulous persons rushed to pay half-crowns and shillings with a readiness which seemed to rebuke the record--that the existence of a mermaid is an exploded fallacy of two centuries since. mermaids have had a legendary existence from very early ages, for the sirens of the ancients evidently belonged to the same remarkable family. shakspeare uses the term mermaid as synonymous with siren:-- "o train me not, sweet mermaid, with thy note, to drown me in thy sister's flood of tears; sing, syren, for thyself."--_comedy of errors_, iii. . elsewhere, shakspeare's use of the term is more applicable to the siren than to the common idea of a mermaid; as in the "midsummer night's dream," where the "mermaid on a dolphin's back" could not easily have been so placed. a merman, the male of this imaginary species, is mentioned by taylor, the water-poet:-- "a thing turmoyling in the sea we spide, like to a meareman." an old writer has this ingenious illustration:--"mermaids, in homer, were witches, and their songs enchantments;" which reminds us of the invitation in haydn's mermaid's song:-- "come with me, and we will go where the rocks of coral grow." the orthodox mermaid is half woman, half fish; and the fishy half is sometimes depicted as doubly tailed, such as we see in the heraldry of france and germany; and in the basle edition of ptolemy's "geography," dated , a double-tailed mermaid figures in one of the plates. in the arms of the fishmongers' company of london, the supporters are "a merman and maid, first, armed, the latter with a mirror in the left hand, proper." from this heraldic employment, the mermaid became a popular tavern sign; and there was an old dance called the mermaid. sir thomas browne refers to the _picture_ of mermaids, though he does not admit their existence. they "are conceived to answer the shape of the ancient sirens that attempted upon ulysses; which, notwithstanding, were of another description, containing no fishy composure, but made up of man and bird." sir thomas is inclined to refer the mermaid to dagon, the tutelary deity of the philistines, which, according to the common opinion, had a human female bust and a fish-like termination; though the details of this fish idolatry are entirely conjectural. leyden, the scottish poet, has left a charming ballad, entitled "the mermaid," the scene of which is laid at corrievreckin: the opening of this poem sir walter scott praised as exhibiting a power of numbers which, for mere melody of sound, has seldom been excelled in english poetry:-- "on jura's heath how sweetly swell the murmurs of the mountain bee! how softly mourns the writhèd shell of jura's shore its parent sea! "but softer floating, o'er the deep, the mermaid's sweet sea-soothing lay, that charmed the dancing waves to sleep before the bark of colonsay." the ballad thus describes the wooing of the gallant chieftain:-- "proud swells her heart! she deems at last to lure him with her silver tongue, and, as the shelving rocks she passed, she raised her voice, and sweetly sung. "in softer, sweeter strains she sung, slow gliding o'er the moonlight bay, when light to land the chieftain sprung, to hail the maid of colonsay. "o sad the mermaid's gay notes fell, and sadly sink remote at sea! o sadly mourns the writhèd shell of jura's shore, its parent sea "and ever as the year returns, the charm-bound sailors know the day; for sadly still the mermaid mourns the lovely chief of colonsay." curious evidences of the existence of mermaids are to be found in ancient authors. pliny says that "the ambassadors to augustine from gaul declared that sea-women were often seen in their neighbourhood." solinus and aulus gellius also speak of their existence. some stories are, however, past credence. it is related in the "histoire d'angleterre" that, in the year , a merman was "fished up" off the coast of suffolk, and kept for six months. it was like a man, but wanted speech, and at length escaped into the sea! in , in the great tempests which destroyed the dykes in holland, some women at edam, in west friesland, saw a mermaid who had been driven by the waters into the meadows, which were overflowed. "they took it, dressed it in female attire, and taught it to spin!" it was taken to haarlem, where it lived some years! then we read of ceylonese fishermen, in , catching, at one draught, seven mermen and mermaids, which were dissected! in , a mermaid, caught in the baltic, was sent to sigismund, king of poland, with whom she lived three days, and was seen by the whole court! in merollo's "voyage to congo," in , mermaids are said to be plentiful all along the river zaire. in the "aberdeen almanack" for , it is predicted that "near the place where the famous dee payeth his tribute to the german ocean," on the st, th, and th of may, and other specified times, curious observers may "undoubtedly see a pretty company of mar maids," and likewise hear their melodious voices. in another part of scotland, about the same time, brand, in his "description of orkney and shetland," tells us that two fishermen drew up with a hook a mermaid, "having face, arm, breast, shoulders, &c., of a woman, and long hair hanging down the neck, but the nether part, from below the waist, hidden in the water." one of the fishermen stabbed her with a knife, and she was seen no more! the evidence went thus:--brand was told by a lady and gentleman, who were told by a baillie to whom the fishing-boat belonged, who was told by the fishers! valentyn describes a mermaid he saw in , on his voyage from batavia to europe, "sitting on the surface of the water," &c. in , a mermaid is said to have been exhibited at the fair of st. germain, in france. it was about two feet long, and sported about in a vessel of water. it was fed with bread and fish. it was a female, with negro features. in appeared a very circumstantial account of a mermaid which was captured in the grecian archipelago in the preceding year, and exhibited in london. the account is ludicrously minute, and it ends with: "it is said to have an enchanting voice, which it never exerts except before a storm." this imposture was craftily made up out of the skin of the angle shark. in mr. morgan's "tour to milford haven in the year ," appears an equally circumstantial account of a mermaid, said to have been seen by one henry reynolds, a farmer, of ren-y-hold, in the parish of castlemartin, in . it resembled a youth of sixteen or eighteen years of age, with a very white skin: it was bathing. the evidence is very roundabout, so that there were abundant means for converting some peculiar kind of fish into a merman, without imputing intentional dishonesty to any one. "something akin to this kind of evidence is observable in the account of a mermaid seen in caithness in , which attracted much attention in england as well as in scotland, and induced the philosophical society of glasgow to investigate the matter. the editor of a newspaper, who inserted the statement, had been told by a gentleman, who had been shown a letter by sir john sinclair, who had obtained it from mr. innes, to whom it had been written by miss mackay, who had heard the story from the persons (two servant girls and a boy) who had seen the strange animal in the water." (chambers's "book of days.") then we read of a so-called mermaid, shown in the year at no. , broad-court, bow-street. covent-garden, said to have been taken in the north seas by captain foster. it was of the usual description. much evidence comes from scotland. thus, in the year , a schoolmaster of thurso affirmed that he had seen a mermaid, apparently in the act of combing her hair with her fingers! twelve years afterwards, several persons observed near the same place a like appearance. dr. chisholm, in his "essay on malignant fever in the west indies," in , relates that, in the year , happening to be at governor van battenburg's plantation, in berbice, "the conversation turned on a singular animal which had been repeatedly seen in berbice river, and some smaller rivers. this animal is the famous mermaid, hitherto considered as a mere creature of the imagination. it is called by the indians _méné_, mamma, or mother of the waters. the description given of it by the governor is as follows:--'the upper portion resembles the human figure, the head smaller in proportion, sometimes bare, but oftener covered with a copious quantity of long black hair. the shoulders are broad, and the breasts large and well-formed. the lower portion resembles the tail of a fish, is of great dimensions, the tail forked, and not unlike that of the dolphin, as it is usually represented. the colour of the skin is either black or tawny.' the animal is held in veneration by the indians, who imagine that killing it would be attended with calamitous consequences. it is from this circumstance that none of these animals have been shot, and consequently examined but at a distance. they have been generally observed in a sitting posture in the water, none of the lower extremity being seen until they are disturbed, when, by plunging, the tail agitates the water to a considerable distance round. they have been always seen employed in smoothing their hair, and have thus been frequently taken for indian women bathing." in , a young man, named john m'isaac, of corphine, in kintyre, in scotland, made oath, on examination at campbell-town, that he saw, on the th of october in the above year, on a rock on the sea-coast, an animal which generally corresponded with the form of the mermaid--the upper half human shape, the other brindled or reddish grey, apparently covered with scales; the extremity of the tail greenish red; head covered with long hair, at times put back on both sides of the head. this statement was attested by the minister of campbell-town and the chamberlain of mull. in august, , mr. toupin, of exmouth, in a sailing excursion, and when about a mile south-east of exmouth bar, heard a sound like that of the Æolian harp; and saw, at about one hundred yards distance, a creature, which was regarded as a mermaid. the head, from the crown to the chin, formed a long oval, and the face seemed to resemble that of the seal, though with more agreeable features. the presumed hair, the arms, and the hand, with four fingers connected by a membrane, are then described, and the tail with polished scales. the entire height of the animal was from five feet to five and a-half feet. in , a creature approached the coast of ireland. it was about the size of a child ten years of age, with prominent bosom, long dark hair, and dark eyes. it was shot at, when it plunged into the sea with a loud scream. [illustration: seal and mermaid.] in reviewing these stories of mermaids, it may be remarked that there is always a fish in each tale--either a living fish of a peculiar kind, which a fanciful person thinks to bear some resemblance in the upper part to a human being, or a fish which becomes marvellous in the progress of its description from mouth to mouth. it is commonly thought the seals may often have been mistaken for mermaids. but, of all the animals of the whale tribe that which approaches the nearest in form to man is, undoubtedly, the dugong, which, when its head and breast are raised above the water, and its pectoral fins, resembling hands, are visible, might easily be taken by superstitious seamen for a semi-human being, or a mermaid. of this deception a remarkable instance occurred in . the skeleton of a mermaid, as it was called, was brought to portsmouth, which had been shot in the vicinity of the island of mombass. this was submitted to the members of the philosophical society, when it proved to be the skeleton of a dugong. to those who came to the examination with preconceived notions of a fabulous mermaid, it presented, as it lay on the lecture-table, a singular appearance. it was about six feet long; the lower portion, with its broad tail-like extremity, suggested the idea of a powerful fish-like termination, whilst the fore-legs presented to the unskilful eye a resemblance to the bones of a small female arm; the cranium, however, had a brutal form, which could never have borne the lineaments of "the human face divine." the mermaid has been traced to the manatee as well as to the dugong: the former is an aquatic animal, externally resembling a whale, and named from its flipper, resembling the human hand, _manus_. again, the _mammæ_ (teats) of the manatees and dugongs are pectoral; and this conformation, joined to the adroit use of their flippers (whose five fingers can easily be distinguished through the inverting membranes, four of them being terminated by nails) in progression, nursing their young, &c., have caused them, when seen at a distance with the anterior part of their body out of the water, to be taken for some creature approaching to human shape so nearly (especially as their middle is thick set with hair, giving somewhat of the effect of human hair or a beard), that there can be little doubt that not a few of the tales of mermen and mermaids have had their origin with these animals as well as with seals and walruses. thus the portuguese and spaniards give the _manatee_ a denomination which signifies woman-fish; and the dutch call the dugong _baardanetjee_, or little-bearded man. a very little imagination and a memory for only the marvellous portion of the appearance sufficed, doubtless, to complete the metamorphosis of this half woman or man, half fish, into a siren, a mermaid, or a merman; and the wild recital of the voyager was treasured up by writers who, as cuvier well observes, have displayed more learning than judgment. the comb and the toilet-glass have already been incidentally mentioned as accessories in these mermaid stories; and these, with the origin of the creature. sir george head thus ingeniously attempts to explain:--"the resemblance of the seal, or sea-calf, to the calf consists only in the voice, and the voice of the calf is certainly not dissimilar to that of a man. but the claws of the seal, as well as the hand, are like a lady's back-hair comb; wherefore, altogether, supposing the resplendence of sea-water streaming down its polished neck, on a sunshiny day, the substitute for a looking-glass, we arrive at once at the fabulous history of the marine maiden or mermaid, and the appendages of her toilet." the progress of zoological science has long since destroyed the belief in the existence of the mermaid. if its upper structure be human, with lungs resembling our own, how could such a creature live and breathe at the bottom of the sea, where it is stated to be? for our most expert divers are unable to stay under water more than half an hour. suppose it to be of the cetaceous class, it could only remain under the water two or three minutes together without rising to the surface to take breath; and if this were the case with the mermaid, would it not be oftener seen? half a century has scarcely elapsed since a _manufactured_ mermaid was shown in london with all the confidence of its being a natural creature. in the winter of there was exhibited at the egyptian hall, in piccadilly, this pretended mermaid, which was visited by from to persons daily! the imposture, however, was too gross to last long; and it was ascertained to be the dried skin of the head and shoulders of a monkey attached very neatly to the dried skin of a fish of the salmon kind with the head cut off; the compound figure being stuffed and highly varnished, the better to deceive the eye. this grotesque object was taken by a dutch vessel from on board a native malacca boat; and from the reverence shown to it by the sailors it is supposed to have represented the incarnation of one of the idol gods of the malacca islands. a correspondent of the "magazine of natural history," , however, avers that the above "mermaid" was brought from the east indies; for being at st. helena in he saw it on board the ship which was bringing it to england. the impression on his mind was that it was an artificial compound of the upper part of a small ape with the lower half of a fish; and by aid of a powerful glass he ascertained the point of union between the two parts. he was somewhat staggered to find that this was so neatly effected that the precise line of junction was not satisfactorily apparent: the creature was then in its best state of preservation. in a volume of "manners and customs of the japanese," published in , we, however, find the following version of the history of the above mermaid:--"a japanese fisherman seems to have displayed ingenuity for the mere purpose of making money by his countrymen's passion for everything odd and strange. he contrived to unite the upper half of a monkey to the lower half of a fish so neatly as to defy ordinary inspection. he then gave out that he had caught the creature in his net, but that it had died shortly after being taken out of the water; and he derived considerable pecuniary profit from his cunning in more ways than one. the exhibition of the sea monster to japanese curiosity paid well; yet more productive was the assertion that the half-human fish, having spoken during the five minutes it existed out of its native element, had predicted a certain number of years of wonderful fertility and a fatal epidemic, the only remedy for which would be the possession of the marine prophet's likeness! the sale of these _pictured mermaids_ was immense. either the composite animal, or another, the offspring of the success of the first, was sold to the dutch factory and transmitted to batavia, where it fell into the hands of a speculating american, who brought it to europe; and here, in the year - , exhibited his purchase as a real mermaid to the admiration of the ignorant, the perplexity of the learned, and the filling of his own purse." the editor of the "literary gazette," mr. jerdan, was the first to expose the fabulous creature of the egyptian hall. he plainly said:--"our opinion is fixed that it is a _composition_; a most ingenious one, we grant, but still nothing beyond the admirably put-together members of various animals. the extraordinary skill of the chinese and japanese in executing such deceptions is notorious, and we have no doubt that the mermaid is a manufacture from the indian sea, where it has been pretended it was caught. we are not of those who because they happen not to have had direct proof of the existence of any extraordinary natural phenomenon, push scepticism to the extreme and deny its possibility. the depths of the sea, in all probability, from various chemical and philosophical causes, contain animals unknown to its surface-waters, rarely if ever seen by human eye. but when a creature is presented to us having no other organization but that which is suitable to a medium always open to our observation, it in the first instance excites suspicion that only one individual of the species should be discovered and obtained. when knowledge was more limited, the stories of mermaids seen in distant quarters might be credited by the many, and not entirely disbelieved by the few; but now, when european and especially british commerce fills every corner of the earth with men of observation and science, the unique becomes the incredible, and we receive with far greater doubt the apparition of such anomalies as the present. it is curious that though medical men seem in general to regard the creature as a possible production of nature, no naturalist of any ability credits it after five minutes' observation! this may, perhaps, be accounted for by their acquaintance with the parts of distinct animals, of which it appears the mermaid is composed. the cheeks of the blue-faced ape, the canine teeth, the _simia_ upper body, and the tail of the fish, are all familiar to them in less complex combinations, and they pronounce at once that the whole is an imposture. and such is our settled conviction." though naturalists and journalists fully exposed the imposture, this did not affect the exhibition, which for a considerable time continued as crowded as ever; but the notoriety had dwindled down to "a penny show," at bartholomew fair, by the year . after so many exposures of the absurd belief in mermaids, it could scarcely be expected that any person could be found in europe weak enough to report the existence of one of these creatures to an eminent scientific society. yet, on the d of june, , the first secretary of the ottoman embassy at paris addressed a note to the academy of sciences, stating that his father, who was in the admiralty department at constantinople, had recently seen a mermaid while crossing the bosphorus, which communication was received with much laughter. we have still another recorded instance--and in scotland. in the year two fishermen on the argyleshire coast declared that when on their way to the fishing-station, lochindale, in a boat, and when about four miles south-west from the village of port charlotte, about six o'clock in a june evening, they distinctly saw, at about six yards distance, an object in the form of a woman, with comely face and fine hair hanging in ringlets over the neck and shoulders. it was above the surface of the water gazing at the fishermen for three or four minutes--and then vanished! yet this declaration was officially attested! in mermaids were supposed to abound in the ponds and ditches of suffolk, where careful mothers used them as bugbears to prevent little children from going too near the water. children described them as "nasty things that crome you (hook you) into the water;" others as "a great big thing like a feesh," probably a pike basking in the shallow water. sometimes the mermaid has assumed a picturesqueness in fairy tale; and her impersonation has been described by dryden as "a fine woman, with a fish's tail." and, laying aside her scaly train, she has appeared as a lovely woman, with sea-green hair; and crofton croker relates, in his "fairy legends," a marriage between an irish fisherman and a "merrow," as the mermaid is called in ireland. is the unicorn fabulous? to this question we may reply, in the words of a writer of , "concerning the unicorn, different opinions prevail among authors: some doubt, others deny, and a third class affirm its existence." the question has lasted two thousand years, and is every now and then kept alive by fresh evidences. ctesias, a credulous greek physician, who appears to have resided at the court of persia, in the time of the younger cyrus, about years before the birth of christ, describes the wild asses of india as equal to the horse in size, and even larger, with white bodies, red heads, bluish eyes, and a horn on the forehead a cubit in length; the part from the forehead entirely white, the middle black, and the extremity red and pointed. drinking-vessels were made of it, and those who used them were subject neither to convulsions, epilepsy, nor poison, provided that before taking the poison, or after, they drank from these cups water, wine, or any other liquor. ctesias describes these animals as very swift and very strong. naturally they were not ferocious; but when they found themselves and their young surrounded by horsemen, they did not abandon their offspring, but defended themselves by striking with their horns, kicking, and biting, and so slew many men and horses. this animal was also shot with arrows and brought down with darts; for it was impossible to take it alive. its flesh was too bitter for food, but it was hunted for its horn and astragalus (ankle-bone), which last ctesias declares he saw. aristotle describes the indian ass with a single horn. herodotus mentions asses having horns; and strabo refers to unicorn horses, with the heads of deers. oppian notices the aonian bulls with undivided hoofs, and a single median horn between their temples. pliny notices it as a very ferocious beast, similar in its body to a horse, with the head of a deer, the feet of an elephant, the tail of a boar, a deep bellowing voice, and a single black horn standing out in the middle of its forehead. he adds, that it cannot be taken alive; and some such excuse may have been necessary in those days for not producing the living animal upon the arena of the amphitheatre. out of this passage most of the modern unicorns have been described and figured. the body of the horse and the head of the deer appear to be but vague sketches; the feet of the elephant and the tail of the boar point at once to a pachydermatous (thick-skinned) animal; and the single black horn, allowing for a little exaggeration as to its length, well fits the two last-mentioned conditions, and will apply to the indian rhinoceros, which, says the sound naturalist, ogilby, "affords a remarkable instance of the obstructions which the progress of knowledge may suffer, and the gross absurdities which not unfrequently result from the wrong application of a name." mr. ogilby then refers to the account of ctesias, which we have just quoted, and adds:--"his account, though mixed up with a great deal of credulous absurdity, contains a very valuable and perfectly recognisable description of the rhinoceros, under the ridiculous name, however, of the _indian ass_; and, as he attributed to it a whole hoof like the horse, and a single horn in the forehead, speculation required but one step further to produce the fabulous unicorn." the ancient writers who have treated of the unicorn are too numerous for us to specify. some of the moderns may be referred to. garcias describes this marvellous creature from one who alleges that he had seen it. the seer affirmed that it was endowed with a wonderful horn, which it would sometimes turn to the left and right, at others raise, and then again depress. ludovicus vartomanus writes, that he saw two sent to the sultan from ethiopia, and kept in a repository at mahomet's tomb in mecca. cardan describes the unicorn as a rare animal, the size of a horse, with hair very like that of a weasel, with the head of a deer, on which one horn grows three cubits in length (a story seldom loses anything in its progress) from the forehead, ample at its lowest part, and tapering to a point; with a short neck, a very thin mane, leaning to one side only, and less on the ear, as those of a young roe. in jonston's "historia naturalis," , we see the smooth-horned solipede, "wald esel;" and the digitated and clawed smooth-horned "meer wolff," the latter with his single horn erect in the foreground, but with it depressed in the background, where he is represented regaling on serpents. then there are varieties, with the head, mane, and tail of a horse; another smooth-horned, with a horse's head and mane, a pig's-tail and camel-like feet; the "meer stenbock, capricornus marinus," with hind webbed feet, and a kind of graduated horn, like an opera-glass pulled out, in the foreground, and charging the fish most valiantly in the water in the distance. then there is another, with a mule's head and two rhinoceros-like horns, one on his forehead and the other on his nose; and a horse's tail, with a collar round his neck; a neck entirely shaggy--and a twisted horn, a shaggy gorget, and curly tail, are among other peculiarities. the unicorn seems to have been a sad trouble to the hunters, who hardly knew how to come at so valuable a piece of game. some described the horn as moveable at the will of the animal--a kind of small sword, in short, with which no hunter who was not exceedingly cunning in fence could have a chance. others told the poor foresters that all the strength lay in its horn, and that when pressed by them it would throw itself from the pinnacle of the highest rock, horn foremost, so as to pitch upon it, and then quietly march off not a bit the worse! modern zoologists, disgusted as they well may be with fables, such as we have glanced at, disbelieve, generally, the existence of the unicorn, such, at least, as we have referred to; but there is still an opinion that some land animal bearing a horn on the anterior part of its head, exists besides the rhinoceros. the nearest approach to a horn in the middle of the forehead of any terrestrial mammiferous animal known to us is the bony protuberance on the forehead of the giraffe; and though it would be presumptuous to deny the existence of a one-horned quadruped other than the rhinoceros, it may be safely stated that the insertion of a long and solid horn in the living forehead of a horse-like or deer-like cranium is as near an impossibility as anything can be. rupell, after a long sojourn in the north-east of africa, stated that in kordofan the unicorn exists; stated to be the size of a small horse, of the slender make of the gazelle, and furnished with a long straight horn in the male, which was wanting in the female. according to the statements made by various persons, it inhabits the deserts to the south of koretofan, is uncommonly fleet, and comes only occasionally to the koldagi heive mountains on the borders of kordofan. other writers refer the unicorn to the antelope. the origin of the name of antelope is traced by cuvier to the greek _anthalops_, applied to a fabulous animal living on the banks of the euphrates, with long jagged horns, with which it sawed down trees of considerable thickness! others conjecture this animal to have been the _oryx_, a species of antelope, which is fabulously reported to have had only one horn, and to have been termed _panthalops_ in the old language of egypt. in his "revolutions on the surface of the globe." cuvier refers the idea of the unicorn to the coarse figures traced by savages on rocks. ignorant of perspective, and wishing to present in profile the horned antelope, they could only give it one horn; and thus originated the _oryx_. the oryx of the egyptian monuments is, most probably, but the production of a similarly crude style, which the religion of the country imposed on the artist. many of the profiles of quadrupeds have only one leg before and one behind: why, then, should they show two horns? it is possible that individual animals might be taken in the chase whom accident had despoiled of one horn, as it often happens to chamois and the scythian antelope; and that would suffice to confirm the error which these pictures originally produced. it is thus, probably, that we find anew the unicorn in the mountains of thibet. the _chiru antelope_ is the supposed unicorn of the bhotians. in form it approaches the deer; the horns are exceedingly long, are placed very forward in the head, and may be popularly described as erect and straight. it is usually found in herds, and is extremely wild, and unapproachable by man. it is much addicted to salt in summer, when vast herds are often seen at the rock-salt beds which abound in tibet. they are said to advance under the conduct of a leader, and to post sentinels around the beds before they attempt to feed. major salter is stated to have obtained information of the existence of an animal in tibet closely resembling the unicorn of the ancients, which revived the belief of naturalists by adducing testimonies from oriental writings. upon this statement, m. klaproth remarks, that previous to major salter's reports, the catholic missionaries, who returned to europe from china by way of tibet and nepal, in the seventeenth century, mentioned that the unicorn was found in that part of the great desert which bounds china to the west, where they crossed the great wall; that captain turner, when travelling in tibet, was informed by the raja of boutan that he had one of these animals alive; and that bell, in his "travels to peking," describes a unicorn which was found on the southern front of siberia. he adds:--"the great 'tibetan-mongol dictionary' mentions the unicorn; and the 'geographical dictionary of tibet and central asia,' printed at peking, where it describes a district in the province of kham, in tibet, named sera-zeong, explains this name by 'the river of unicorns,' because," adds the author, "many of these animals are found there." in the "history of the mongol-khans," published and translated at st. petersburg, we find the following statement:--genghiz khan, having subjected all tibet in , commenced his march for hindustan. as he ascended mount jadanarung, he beheld a beast approaching him of the deer kind, of the species called _seron_, which have a single horn at the top of the head. it fell on its knees thrice before the monarch, as if to pay respect to him. every one was astonished at this incident. the monarch exclaimed. "the empire of hindustan is, we are assured, the country where are born the majestic buddhas and bodhisatwas, as well as the potent bogdas and princes of antiquity: what can be the meaning, then, of this animal, incapable of speech, saluting me like a man?" upon this, he returned to his own country. "this story," continues m. klaproth, "is also related by mahommedan authors who have written the life of genghiz. something of the kind must, therefore, have taken place. possibly, some of the mongol conqueror's suite may have taken a unicorn, which genghiz thus employed, to gain a pretext for abstaining from an expedition which promised no success." upon this statement, it was observed in the "asiatic register," , that "when we consider that seventeen years have elapsed since the account of major salter was given, and that, notwithstanding our increased opportunities of intercourse with tibet, no fact has since transpired which supplies a confirmation of that account, except the obtaining of a supposed horn of the supposed unicorn, we cannot participate in these renewed hopes." the rev. john campbell, in his "travels in south africa," describes the head of another animal, which, as far as the horn is concerned, seems to approach nearer than the common rhinoceros to the unicorn of the ancients. while in the machow territory, the hottentots brought to mr. campbell a head differing from that of any rhinoceros that had been previously killed. "the common african rhinoceros has a crooked horn, resembling a cock's spur, which rises about nine or ten inches above the nose, and inclines backward; immediately behind which is a straight thick horn. but the head brought by the hottentots had a straight horn projecting three feet from the forehead, about ten inches above the tip of the nose. the projection of this great horn very much resembles that of the fanciful unicorn in the british arms. it has a small thick horny substance, eight inches long, immediately behind it, which can hardly be observed on the animal at the distance of a hundred yards; so that this species must look like an unicorn (in the sense 'one-horned') when running in the field." the author adds:--"this animal is considered by naturalists, since the arrival of the above skull in london, to be the unicorn of the ancients, and the same that is described in job xxxix. --'will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? . canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? . wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?' again, deuteronomy xxxiii. --'his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth.'" a fragment of the skull, with the horn, is deposited in the museum of the london missionary society. mr. w. b. baikie writes to the _athenæum_ from bida núpe, central africa, in , the following suggestions:--"when i ascended the niger, now nearly five years ago, i frequently heard allusions to an animal of this nature, but at that time i set it down as a myth. since then, however, the amount of testimony i have received, and the universal belief of the natives of all the countries which i have hitherto visited, have partly shaken my scepticism, and at present i simply hold that its non-existence is not proven. a skull of this animal is said to be preserved in a town in the country of bonú, through which i hope to pass in the course of a few weeks, when i shall make every possible inquiry. two among my informants have repeatedly declared to me that they have seen the bones of this animal, and each made particular mention of the long, straight, or nearly straight, black horn. in countries to the east, and south-east, as márgi and bagirmi, where the one-horned rhinoceros is found, the hunters carefully distinguished between it and the supposed unicorn, and give them different names. in the vast forests and boundless wastes which occur over central africa, especially towards the countries south and east of lake tsád, bórnú, bagirmi and adamáwa, are doubtless numerous zoological curiosities as yet unknown to the man of science, and among them possibly may exist this much-talked-of, strange, one-horned animal, even though it may not exactly correspond with our typical english unicorn." the factitious horn has been preserved in various museums. the "monocero horn," in tradescant's collection, was, probably, that which ordinarily has passed for the horn of the unicorn, namely, the tooth of a narwhal. old legends assert that the unicorn, when he goes to drink, first dips his horn in the water to purify it, and that other beasts delay to quench their thirst till the unicorn has thus sweetened the water. the narwhal's tooth makes a capital twisted unicorn's horn, as represented in the old figures. that in the repository of st. denis, at paris, was presented by thevet, and was declared to have been given to him by the king of monomotapa, who took him out to hunt unicorns, which are frequent in that country. some have thought that this horn was a carved elephant's tooth. there is one at strasburg, some seven or eight feet in length, and there are several in venice. great medical virtues were attributed to the so-called horn, and the price it once bore outdoes everything in the _tulipomania_. a florentine physician has recorded that a pound of it (sixteen ounces) was sold in the shops for fifteen hundred and thirty-six crowns, when the same weight in gold would only have brought one hundred and forty-eight crowns. from what source we derive the stories of the animosity between the lion and the unicorn is not clearly understood, although this is the principal medium through which the fabulous creature has been kept in remembrance by being constantly before us in the royal arms, which were settled at the accession of george i. we owe the introduction of the unicorn, however, to james i., who, as king of scotland, bore two unicorns, and coupled one with the english lion, when the two kingdoms were united. the position of the lion and unicorn in the arms of our country seems to have given rise (naturally enough in the mind of one who was ignorant of heraldic decoration) to a nursery rhyme which most of us remember:-- "the lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown; the lion beat the unicorn all round the town," &c. unless it alludes to a contest for dominion over the brute creation, which the "rebellious unicorn," as spenser calls it, seems to have waged with the tawny monarch. spenser, in his "faerie queen," gives the following curious way of catching the unicorn:-- "like as a lyon, whose imperiall powre, a prowd rebellious unicorn defyes, t'avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre of his fiers foe, him a tree applyes, and when him rousing in full course he spyes, he slips aside; the whiles that furious beast his precious home, sought of his enemyes, strikes in the stocke, ne thence can be releast. but to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast." shakspeare, also ("julius cæsar," act ii. scene ), speaks of the supposed mode of entrapping them:-- "for he loves to hear that unicorns may be betrayed with trees, and bears with glasses, elephants with holes, lions with toils, and men with flatterers." we have no satisfactory reason for believing that man ever coexisted with mastodons; otherwise professor owen's discovery of the retention of a single tusk only by the male gigantic mastodon, might have afforded another form of unicorn. whatever the zoologists may have done towards extirpating the belief in the existence of the unicorn, it is ever kept in sight by heraldry, which, with its animal absurdities, has contributed more to the propagation of error respecting the natural world than any other species of misrepresentation. the mole at home. the mole, though generally a despised and persecuted animal, is nevertheless useful to the husbandman in being the natural drainer of his land and destroyer of worms. to other inferior animals he is a sapper and miner, forming for them their safe retreats and well-secured dormitories. the economy of the mole has been much controverted among naturalists. it is found throughout the greater part of europe. we are overrun with it in most parts of england and wales; but it does not appear to have been found in the northern extremity of scotland, and there is no record of its having been seen in the orkney isles, zetland, or ireland. its most diligent and instructive historian is henri le court, who, flying from the terrors that came in the train of the french revolution, betook himself to the country, and from being the attendant on a court, became the biographer of this humble animal. m. geoffroy st. hilaire, the celebrated french naturalist, visited le court for the purpose of testing his observations, and appears to have been charmed by the facility and ingenuity with which le court traced and demonstrated the subterraneous labours of this obscure worker in the dark. we shall first briefly describe the adaptation of its structure to its habits. the bony framework is set in motion by very powerful muscles, those of the chest and neck being most vigorous. the wide hand, which is the great instrument of action, and performs the offices of a pickaxe and shovel, is sharp-edged on its lower margin, and when clothed with the integuments the fingers are hardly distinguishable. the muzzle of the mole is evidently a delicate organ of touch, as are also the large and broad hands and feet; and the tail has much sensitiveness to give notice to the animal of the approach of any attack from behind. its taste and smell, especially the latter, are very sensitive. its sight is almost rudimentary. the little eye is so hidden in the fur that its very existence was for a long time doubted. it appears to be designed for operating only as a warning to the animal on its emerging into the light; indeed, more acute vision would only have been an encumbrance. if the sight be imperfect, the sense of hearing is very acute, and the tympanum very large, though there is no external ear, perhaps because the earth assists considerably in vibration. the fore-feet are inclined sideways, so as to answer the use of hands, to scoop out the earth to form its habitation or pursue its prey, and to fling all the loose soil behind the animal. the breastbone in shape resembles a ploughshare. the skin is so tough as only to be cut by a very sharp knife. the hair is very short and close-set, and softer than the finest silk; colour black; some spotted and cream-coloured. this hair is yielding; had it been strong, as in the rat or mouse, it would doubly have retarded the progress of the creature; first by its resistance, and then acting as a brush, so as to choke up the galleries, by removing the loose earth from the sides and ceilings of the galleries. it is supposed that the verdant circles so often seen in grass ground, called by country people _fairy rings_, are owing to the operations of moles: at certain seasons they perform their burrowings in circles, which, loosening the soil, gives the surface a greater fertility and rankness of grass than the other parts within or without the ring. the larger mole-hills denote the nests or dens of the mole beneath. the feeling of the mole is so acute that when casting up the earth, it is sensible of very gentle pressure; hence mole-catchers tread lightly when in quest of moles; and unless this caution is used the mole ceases its operation, and instantly retires. again, so acute is the smell, that mole-catchers draw the body of a captured mole through their traps and the adjoining runs and passages to remove all suspicious odours which might arise from the touch of their fingers. during summer the mole runs in search of snails and worms in the night-time among the grass, which pursuit makes it the prey of owls. the mole shows great art in skinning a worm, which it always does before it eats it, by stripping the skin from end to end, and squeezing out the contents of the body. it is doubtful whether any other animal exists which is obliged to eat at such short intervals as the mole, ten or twelve hours appearing to be the maximum of its fasting; at the end of that time it dies. cuvier tells us that if two moles are shut up together without food, there will shortly be nothing left of the weakest but its skin, slit along the belly! buffon accuses moles of eating all the acorns of a newly-set soil. its voracity makes the mole a great drinker: a run is always formed to a pond or ditch as a reservoir; when it is too distant, the animal sinks little wells, which have sometimes been seen brimfull. we now return to le court's experiments with moles, which are very interesting. to afford proof of the rapidity with which the mole will travel along its passages, le court watched his opportunity, and when the animal was on its feed at one of the most distant points from its sanctuary or fortress, to which point the mole's high road leads. le court placed along the course of that road, between the animal and the fortress, several little camp colours, so to speak, the staff of each being a straw, and the flag a bit of paper, at certain distances, the straws penetrating down into the passage. near the end of this subterraneous road he inserted a horn, the mouthpiece of which stood out of the ground. when all was ready, le court blew a blast loud enough to frighten all the moles within hearing. down went the little flags in succession with astonishing velocity, as the terrified mole, rushing along towards his sanctuary, came in contact with the flag-straws; and the spectators affirmed that the mole's swiftness was equal to the speed of a horse at a good round trot. to test its amount of vision, le court took a spare water-pipe, or gutter, open at both ends. into this pipe he introduced several moles successively. geoffroy st. hilaire stood by to watch the result at the further end of the tube. as long as the spectators stood motionless the introduced mole made the best of his way through the pipe and escaped; but if they moved, or even raised a finger, the mole stopped, and then retreated. several repetitions of this experiment produced the same results. in the domain of the mole, the principal point is the habitation, or fortress, constructed under a considerable hillock raised in some secure place, often at the root of a tree, or under a bank. the dome of the fortress is of earth, beaten by the mole-architect into a compact and solid state. inside is formed a circular gallery at the base, which communicates with a smaller upper gallery by means of five passages. within the lower gallery is the chamber or dormitory, which has access to the upper gallery by three passages. from this habitation extends the high road by which the proprietor reaches the opposite end of the encampment; the galleries open into this road, which the mole is continually carrying out and extending in his search for food; this has been termed the _hunting-ground_. another road extends, first downwards, and then up into the open road of the territory. some eight or nine other passages open out from the external circular gallery. from the habitation a road is carried out, nearly straight, and connected with the encampment and the alleys leading to the hunting-ground which open into it on each side. in diameter the road exceeds the body of a mole, but its size will not admit of two moles passing each other. the walls, from the repeated pressure of the animal's sides, become smooth and compact. sometimes a mole will lay out a second or even a third road; or several individuals use one road in common, though they never trespass on each other's hunting-grounds. if two moles should happen to meet in the same road, one must retreat into the nearest alley, unless they fight, when the weakest is often slain. in forming this tunnel the mole's instinct drives it at a greater or less depth, according to the quality of the soil, or other circumstances. when it is carried under a road or stream, a foot and a-half of earth, or sometimes more, is left above it. then does the little engineering mole carry on the subterraneous works necessary for his support, travelling, and comfort; and his tunnels never fall in. the quality or humidity of the soils which regulates the abundance of earth-worms, determines the greater or less depth of the alleys; and when these are filled with stores of food the mole works out branch alleys. the main road communicating with the hunting-grounds is of necessity passed through in the course of the day; and here the mole-catcher sets his traps to intercept the mole between his habitation and the alley where he is carrying on his labours. some mole-catchers will tell you the hours when the moles move are nine and four; others that near the coast their movements are influenced by the tides. besides the various traps which are set for moles, they are sometimes taken by a man and a dog; when the latter indicates the presence of a mole, the man spears the animal out as it moves in its run. pointers will stop as steadily as at game, at the moles, when they are straying on the surface. the mole is a most voracious animal. earthworms and the larvæ of insects are its favourite food; and it will eat mice, lizards, frogs, and even birds; but it rejects toads, even when pressed by hunger, deterred, probably, by the acrid secretions of their skin. moles are essentially carnivorous; and when fed abundantly on vegetable substances they have died of hunger. during the season of love, at which time fierce battles are fought between the males, the male pursues the female with ardour through numerous runs wrought out with great rapidity. the attachment appears to be very strong in the moles. le court often found a female taken in his trap and a male lying dead close to her. from four to five is the general number of young. the nest is distinct, usually distant from the habitation. it is constructed by enlarging and excavating the point where three or four passages intersect each other; and the bed of the nest is formed of a mass of young grass, root fibres, and herbage. in one nest geoffroy st. hilaire and le court counted two hundred and four young wheat-blades. m. st. hilaire describes the pairings, or as he calls it, "the loves of the moles." as soon as the mole has finished the galleries he brings his mate along with him, and shuts her up in the bridal gallery, taking care to prevent the entrance of his rivals: in case of a fight they enlarge the part of the gallery where they are met; and the victory is decided in favour of him who first wounds his adversary before the ear. the female, during the fight, is shut up in the bridal gallery, so as to be unable to escape; for which purpose, however, she uses all her resources in digging, and attempts to get away by the side passages. should she succeed the conqueror hastens to rejoin his faithless mate, and to bring her back into his galleries. this manoeuvre is repeated as often as other males enter the lists. at length the conqueror is recognised, and his mate becomes more docile. the pair work together and finish the galleries; after which the female digs alone for food. as soon as the galleries are formed, the male conducts his mate to a certain point, and from this time the female no longer digs in the solid earth, but towards the surface, advancing by merely separating the roots of the grass. the mole is a great friend to the farmer; but there are places in which he is a public enemy. he is not a vegetable feeder, and he never roots up the growing corn in spring-time, except when he is after grubs, snails, and wire-worms. it has been calculated that two moles destroy , white worms in a year. he is very destructive to under drains; and where the land is low we are in danger of a deluge from his piercing holes in the drain-banks. thus it would be madness not to extirpate moles in those places where the waters, in drains or rivers, are above the level of the lands around, especially when the banks are made of sand or earth of loose texture. the persecution of moles in cultivated countries amounts almost to a war of extermination. the numbers annually slaughtered are enormous. a mole-catcher, who had followed the craft for thirty-five years, destroyed from forty to fifty thousand moles. but all mole exterminators must yield to le court, who, in no large district, took, in five months, six thousand of them. moles are good swimmers, and their bite is very sharp; their attacks are ferocious, and they keep their hold like a bull-dog. the shrew mole of north america resembles the european mole in its habits. dr. goodman describes it as most active early in the morning, at mid-day, and in the evening; and they are well known in the country to have the custom of coming daily to the surface _exactly at noon_. we read of a captive shrew mole which ate meat, cooked or raw, drank freely, and was lively and playful, following the hand of his feeder by the scent, burrowing for a short distance in the loose earth, and after making a small circle, returning for more food. in eating he employed his flexible snout to thrust the food into his mouth, doubling it so as to force it directly backwards, as described in dr. richardson's "north american zoology." james hogg, the ettrick shepherd, remarks, in his usual impressive manner:--"the most unnatural persecution that ever was raised in a country is that against the mole--that innocent and blessed little pioneer, who enriches our pastures annually with the first top-dressing, dug with great pains and labour from the fattest of the soil beneath. the advantages of this top-dressing are so apparent that it is really amazing how our countrymen should have persisted, for nearly half a century, in the most manly and valiant endeavours to exterminate the moles! if a hundred men and horses were employed on a pasture farm of from fifteen hundred to two thousand acres, in raising and driving manure for a top-dressing of that farm, they would not do it so effectually, so neatly, or so equally as the natural number of moles. in june, july, and august, the mole-hills are all spread by the crows and lambs--the former for food, and the latter in the evenings of warm days after a drought has set in. the late duke of buccleuch was the first who introduced mole-catching into scotland." the great ant-bear. a fine living specimen of this comparatively rare animal was first exhibited in the zoological society's gardens, in the regent's-park, . it is stated to be the first specimen brought alive to england, and accordingly excited considerable attention. it was one of a pair, captured near the rio negro, in the southern province of brazil, and shipped for england by some german travellers. the male died on the voyage; the female arrived in london in , and was exhibited in broad-street, st. giles's, until purchased by the zoological society for the sum of _l._ the advantage of this live specimen to naturalists has been very great. hitherto the examples engraved by buffon and shaw were both derived from stuffed specimens, and had the inevitable defects and shortcomings of such. sir john talbot dillon, in his "travels through spain," published in , states that a specimen of the ant-bear, from buenos ayres, was alive at madrid in : it is now stuffed and preserved in the royal cabinet of natural history at madrid. the persons who brought it from buenos ayres say it differs from the ant-eater, which only feeds on emmets and other insects, whereas this would eat flesh, when cut in small pieces, to the amount of four or five pounds. from the snout to the extremity of the tail this animal is two yards in length, and his height is about two feet; the head very narrow, the nose long and slender. the tongue is so singular that it looks like a worm, and extends above sixteen inches. the body is covered with long hair of a dark brown, with white stripes on the shoulders; and when he sleeps, he covers his body with his tail. this account, it will be seen hereafter, corresponds very accurately with that of the animal purchased by the zoological society. [illustration: the great ant-bear.] mr. wallace, who travelled on the amazon and rio negro, about the year , relates:--"the living specimen of this singular animal is a great rarity, even in its native country. in fact, there is not a city in brazil where it would not be considered almost as much a curiosity as it is here. in the extensive forests of the amazon the great ant-eater is, perhaps, as abundant as in any part of south america; yet, during a residence there of more than four years, i never had an opportunity of seeing one. once only i was nearly in at the death, finding a bunch of hairs from the tail of a specimen which had been killed (and eaten) a month previous to my arrival, at a village near the capiquiare. in its native forests the creature feeds almost entirely on white ants, tearing open their nests with its powerful claws, and thrusting in its long and slender tongue, which, being probably mistaken for a worm, is immediately seized by scores of the inhabitants, who thus become an easy prey. the indians, who also eat white ants, catch them in a somewhat similar manner, by pushing into the nest a grass-stalk, which the insects seize and hold on to most tenaciously. it may easily be conceived that such an animal must range over a considerable extent of country to obtain a plentiful supply of such food, which circumstance, as well as its extreme shyness and timidity, causes it to be but rarely met with, and still more rarely obtained alive." we have seen that the ant-bear lives exclusively upon ants, to procure which he tears open the hills, and when the ants flock out to defend their dwellings, draws over them his long, flexible tongue, covered with glutinous saliva, to which the ants consequently adhere; and he is said to repeat this operation twice in a second. "it seems almost incredible," says azara, "that so robust and powerful an animal can procure sufficient sustenance from ants alone; but this circumstance has nothing strange in it, for those who are acquainted with the tropical parts of america, and have seen the enormous multitude of these insects, which swarm in all parts of the country to that degree that their hills often almost touch one another for miles together." the same author informs us that domestic ant-bears were occasionally kept by different persons in paraguay, and that they had even been sent alive to spain, being fed upon bread-and-milk mixed with morsels of flesh minced very small. like all animals which live upon insects, the ant-eaters are capable of sustaining a total deprivation of nourishment for an almost incredible time. the great ant-bear's favourite resorts are low, swampy savannahs, along the banks of rivers and stagnant ponds; also frequenting humid forests, but never climbing trees, as falsely reported by buffon. his pace is slow and heavy, though, when hard pressed, he increases his rate, yet his greatest velocity never half equals the ordinary running of a man. when pressed too hard, or urged to extremity, he turns obstinate, sits upon his hind-quarters like a bear, and defends himself with his powerful claws. like that animal, his usual and only mode of assault is by seizing his adversary with his fore-paws, wrapping his arms round him, and endeavouring, by this means, to squeeze him to death. his great strength and powerful muscles would easily enable him to accomplish his purpose in this respect, even against the largest animals of his native forests, were it but guided by ordinary intelligence, or accompanied with a common degree of activity; but in these qualities there are few animals indeed who do not greatly surpass the ant-bear; so that the different stories handed down by writers on natural history from one to another, and copied, without question, into the histories and descriptions of this animal, may be regarded as pure fictions. "it is supposed," says don felix d'azara, "that the jaguar himself dares not attack the ant-bear, and that, if pressed by hunger, or under some other strong excitement, he does so, the ant-bear embraces and hugs him so tightly as very soon to deprive him of life, not even relaxing his hold for hours after life has been extinguished in his assailant. such is the manner in which the ant-eater defends himself; but it is not to be believed that his utmost efforts could prevail against the jaguar, who, by a single bite, or blow of his paw, could kill the ant-eater before he was prepared for resistance, so slow are his motions, even in an extreme case; and, being unable to leap or turn with ordinary rapidity, he is forced to act solely upon the defensive. the flesh of the ant-eater is esteemed a delicacy by the indians; and, though black, and of a strong musky flavour, is sometimes even met with at the tables of europeans." the habits of the great ant-bear in captivity have been described scientifically yet popularly, from the zoological society's specimen, by professor owen, who writes:--"when we were introduced to this, the latest novelty at the noble vivarium in the regent's-park, we found the animal busy sucking and licking up--for his feeding is a combination of the two actions--the contents of a basin of squashed eggs. the singularly long and slender head, which looks more like a slightly bent proboscis, or some such appendage to a head, was buried in the basin, and the end of the lithe or flexible tongue, like a rat's tail, or a writhing black worm, was ever and anon seen coiling up the sides of the basin, as it was rapidly protruded and withdrawn. the yellow yolk was dripping with the abundant ropy saliva secreted during the feeding process from the exceedingly small terminal mouth; for the jaws are not slit open, as in the ordinary construction of the mouths of quadrupeds, and the head, viewed sideways, seems devoid of mouth; but this important aperture--by some deemed the essential character of an animal--is a small orifice or slit at the end of the tubular muzzle, just being enough, apparently, to let the vermiform tongue slip easily in and out. the tongue, the keeper told us, was sometimes protruded as far as fourteen inches from the mouth." by the qjuarani indians the beast is known by a name which is, in spanish, "little mouth." the portuguese and spanish peons call it by a name equivalent to "ant-bear." in the zoological catalogue the animal is denominated _myrmocophaga jubata_, or the "maned ant-eater." this appellation would very well suit the animal if, as most spectators commonly imagine at first sight, its head was where its tail is, for the tail is that part of the animal on which the hair is most developed, after the fashion of a mane; whilst the actual head appears much more like a tail, of a slender, almost naked, stiff, rounded kind. the body is wholly covered by long, coarse hair, resembling hay, rapidly lengthening from the neck backwards to six or eight inches, and extending on the tail from ten to eighteen inches. the colour is greyish brown, with an oblique black band, bordered with white, on each shoulder. the animal measures about four feet from the snout to the root of the tail; and the tail, three feet long, resembles a large screen of coarse hair. when the animal lies down, it bends its head between its fore legs, slides these forward, and crosses them in front of the occiput, sinks its haunches by bending its hind legs and bringing them close to the fore feet; then, leaning against the wall of its den, on one side, it lays the broad tail over the other exposed side of the body, by the side bend of that part, like the movement of a door or screen. nothing is now visible of the animal but the long coarse hair of its _natural and portable blanket_. when it is enjoying its siesta, you cannot form any conception of its very peculiar shape and proportions; an oblong heap of a coarse, dry, _greyish thatch_ is all that is visible. when, however, the keeper enters the den with any new dainty, as cockroaches, crickets, maggots, or meal-worms, to tempt the huge insect-devourer, the quick-hearing animal unveils its form by a sweeping movement of the thatch outwards, the tail that supports it rotating, as if joined by a kind of door-hinge to the body; the head is drawn out from between the fore limbs; the limbs are extended, and the entire figure of this most grotesque of quadrupeds stalks forth. the limbs are short; the fore limbs grow rather thicker to their stumpy ends, which look as if the feet had been amputated. the four toes, with their claws, are bent inwards, and are of very unequal length. this is the most singular part of the animal: it is also the most formidable member, and, indeed, bears the sole weapon of defence the beast possesses. the innermost toe, answering to the thumb on the fore limb of the neighbouring chimpanzee, is the shortest. a fifth toe seems to be buried in the outside callosity, on which the animal rests its stumpy feet while walking. at the back part of the sole, or palm, of the fore foot, is a second large callosity, which receives the point of the great claw in its usual state of inward inflection. against this callosity the animal presses the claw when it seizes any object therewith; and azara, as we have seen, avers that nothing can make the ant-bear relax its grasp of an object so seized. with respect to the jaguar being sometimes found dead in the grasp of the great ant-eater, professor owen observes that its muscular force resembles that of the cold-blooded reptiles in the force and endurance of the contractile action; and, like the reptiles, the sloths and ant-bears can endure long fasts. woe to the unlucky or heedless aggressor whose arm or leg may be seized by the ant-bear. the strength of the grasp sometimes breaks the bone. the ant-bear never voluntarily lets go, and the limb so grasped can be with difficulty extricated, even after the animal has been killed. to put the beast, however, _hors de combat_, no other weapon is needed than a stout stick. "with this," says azara. "i have killed many by dealing them blows on the head, and with the same security as if i had struck the trunk of a tree. with a mouth so small, and formed as already described, the ant-bear cannot bite; and, if it could, it would be useless, for it has no teeth." "like a lawyer," says professor owen, "the tongue is the chief organ by which this animal obtains its livelihood in its natural habitat. the warmer latitudes of south america, to which part of the world the ant-bear is peculiar, abound in forests and luxuriant vegetation; the insects of the ant and termite tribes that subsist on wood, recent or decaying, equally abound. with one link in the chain of organic independencies is interlocked another; and as the surplus vegetation sustains the surplus insect population, so a peculiar form of mammalian life finds the requisite conditions of existence in the task of restraining the undue multiplication of the wood-consuming insects." the number of male ant-eaters is supposed to be considerably smaller than that of the females, which circumstance favours the inference that the extinction of the species, like those of the _edentata_ in general, is determined upon.[ ] large as the ant-bear is in comparison with the animals on which it naturally feeds, there appear to have been still larger ant-bears in the old times of south america. fossil remains of nearly allied quadrupeds have been detected in both the fresh-water deposits and bone-caves of the post-pliocene period in buenos ayres and brazil. in examining the fossil remains has been found evidence that the nervous matter destined to put in action the muscular part of the tongue was equal to half of that nervous matter which influences the whole muscular system of a man. no other known living animal offers any approximation to the peculiar proportions of the lingual nerves of the fossil animal in question except the great ant-eater; but the size of the animal indicated by the fossil was three times that of our ant-eater. for this strange monster, thus partially restored from the ruins of a former world, professor owen proposes the name of _glossotherium_, which signifies tongue-beast. evidence of such a creature has been given by dr. lund, the danish naturalist, resident in brazil: among the fossil remains here (limestone caves of the province minas) he discovered traces of the great ant-eater, which, however, are too imperfect to enable us to determine more accurately its relation to existing species. the fragments indicate an animal the size of an ox! were the insect prey of these antediluvian ant-eaters correspondingly gigantic? two circumstances very remarkable were observed in the zoological society's great ant-eater: the hinge-like manner in which the animal worked its tail when it had laid itself down, throwing it over the whole of its body and enveloping itself completely; and the peculiar vibratory motion of the long vermiform tongue when protruded from the mouth in search of food. the tongue is not shot forth and retracted, like that of the chameleon, but protruded gradually, _vibrating_ all the time, and in the same condition withdrawn into the mouth. another species of ant-eater is the _tamandua_, much inferior in size to the great ant-bear, being scarcely so large as a good sized cat, whilst the other exceeds the largest greyhound in length. the tamandua inhabits the thick primæval forests of tropical america, and is never found on the ground, but exclusively in trees, where it lives upon termites, honey, and, according to azara, even bees, which in those countries form their hives among the loftiest branches of the forest; and having no sting, they are more readily despoiled of their honey than their congeners of our own climate. when about to sleep it hides its muzzle in the fur of its breast, falls on its belly, letting its fore-feet hang down on each side, and wrapping the whole tightly round with its tail. the female, as in the great ant-eater, has but two pectoral mammæ, and produces but a single cub at a birth, which she carries about with her on her shoulders for the first three or four months. _tamandua_ is the portuguese name; the french and english call it _fourmiller_ and little ant-bear. the latter are the names of a still smaller species, which does not exceed the size of the european squirrel. its native country is guayana and brazil. it is called in surinam _kissing-hand_, as the inhabitants pretend it will never eat, at least when caught, but that it only licks its paws in the same manner as the bear; that all trials to make it eat have proved in vain, and that it soon dies in confinement. von sack, in a voyage to surinam, had two of these ant-eaters which would not eat eggs, honey, meat, or ants; but when a wasps'-nest was brought they pulled out the nymphæ and ate them eagerly, sitting in the posture of a squirrel. von sack showed this phenomenon to many of the inhabitants of surinam, who all assured him that it was the first time they had ever known that species of animal to take any nourishment. von sack describes his ant-eaters as often sleeping all the day long curled together, and fastened by their prehensile tails to one of the perches of the cage. when touched they raised themselves on their hind-legs, and struck with their fore-paws at the object which disturbed them, like the hammer of a clock striking a bell, with both paws at the same time, and with a great deal of force. they never attempted to run away, but were always ready for defence when attacked. the discovery of the true nature of the food of this species is particularly desirable, and may enable us to have the animal brought alive to this country, a thing which we believe has not been attempted; and which, if attempted, has certainly never succeeded. to procure or carry ants during a long sea-voyage is impracticable, but the larvæ of wasps can be obtained in any quantity, and will keep for months; so that the most serious difficulty to the introduction of the little ant-eater being thus removed, it would only require to be protected from the effects of a colder climate, which may be as easily done in its case as in that of other south america mammalia. the porcupine ant-eater of new holland, now very uncommon in new south wales, is regarded, of its size, the strongest quadruped in existence. it burrows readily. its mode of eating is very curious, the tongue being used sometimes in the manner of that of the chameleon, and at other times in that in which a mower uses his scythe, the tongue being curved laterally, and the food, as it were, swept into the mouth. the original great ant-bear, received at the gardens of the zoological society on the th of september, , died on the th of july, . there are now two of these animals living in the gardens, one of which is a remarkably fine specimen. footnote: [ ] proceedings of the zoological society. curiosities of bats. these harmless and interesting little animals have not only furnished objects of superstitious dread to the ignorant, but have proved to the poet and the painter a fertile source of images of gloom and terror. the strange combination of character of beast and bird, which they were believed to possess, is supposed to have given to virgil the idea of the harpies. aristotle says but little about the bat; and pliny is considered to have placed it among the birds, none of which, he observes, with the exception of the bat, have teeth. again, he notices it as the only winged animal that suckles its young, and remarks on its embracing its two little ones, and flying about with them. in this arrangement he was followed by the older of the more modern naturalists. belon, doubtingly, places it at the end of the night-birds; and the bat, _attaleph_ (bird of darkness), was one of the unclean animals of the hebrews; and in deuteronomy xxv. , it is placed among the forbidden birds. even up to a late period bats were considered as forming a link between quadrupeds and birds. the common language of our own ancestors, however, indicates a much nearer approach to the truth in the notions entertained by the people than can be found in the lucubrations of the learned. the words _rere-mouse_ and _flitter-mouse_, the old english names for the bat--the former derived from the anglo-saxon "aræan," to raise, or rear up, and mus; the latter from the belgic, signifying "flying or flittering mouse,"--show that in their minds these animals were always associated with the idea of quadrupeds. the first of these terms is still used in english heraldry; though it may have ceased to belong to the language of the country. "the word _flitter-mouse_," says mr. bell, "sometimes corrupted into _flintymouse_, is the common term for the bat in some parts of the kingdom, particularly in that part of the county of kent in which the language, as well as the aspect and names of the inhabitants, retain more of the saxon character than will be found, perhaps, in any other part of england. ben jonson has-- "once a bat, and ever a bat! a rere-mouse, and bird o'twilight, he has broken thrice. . . . come, i will see the flicker-mouse, my fly." _play._--_new inn._ the same author uses flitter-mouse also:-- "and giddy flitter-mice, with leather wings." _sad shepherd._ calmet describes the bat as an animal having the body of a mouse and the wings of a bird; but he erroneously adds, "it never grows tame." some persons are surprised at bats being classed by naturalists, not with birds, but quadrupeds. they have, in fact, no other claim to be considered as birds than that of their being able to suspend and move themselves in the air, like some species of fish, but to a greater degree. they suckle their young, are covered with hair, and have no wings, but arms and lengthened fingers or toes furnished with a membrane, by which they are enabled to fly. sir charles bell, in his valuable treatise on the "hand," considers the skeleton of the bat as one of the best examples of the moulding of the bones of the extremity to correspond with the condition of the animal. contemplating this extraordinary application of the bones of the extremity, and comparing them with those of the wing of a bird, we might say that this is an awkward attempt--"a failure." but, before giving expression to such an opinion, we must understand the objects required in this construction. it is not a wing intended merely for flight, but one which, while it raises the animal, is capable of receiving a new sensation, or sensations, in that exquisite degree, so as almost to constitute a new sense. on the fine web of the bat's wing nerves are distributed, which enable it to avoid objects in its flight during the night, when both eyes and ears fail. could the wing of a bird, covered with feathers, do this? here, then, we have another example of the necessity of taking every circumstance into consideration before we presume to criticise the ways of nature. it is a lesson of humility. in this animal the bones are light and delicate; and whilst they are all marvellously extended, the phalanges of the fingers are elongated so as hardly to be recognised, obviously for the purpose of sustaining a membranous web, and to form a wing. in there was received at the surrey zoological gardens, from sumatra, a specimen of the vampire bat. this was a young male; the body was black, and the membranous wing, in appearance, resembled fine black kid. he was rarely seen at the bottom of his cage, but suspended himself from the roof or bars of the cage, head downwards, his wings wrapped round his body; when spread, these wings extended nearly two feet. although this specimen was the vampire bat to which so many bloodthirsty feats have been attributed, his appearance was by no means ferocious; he was active, yet docile, and the only peculiarity to favour belief in his blood-sucking propensity was his long pointed tongue. the species has popularly been accused of destroying, not only the large mammiferous animals, but also men, when asleep, by sucking their blood. "the truth," says cuvier, in his "regne animal," "appears to be, that the vampire inflicts only small wounds, which may, probably, become inflammatory and gangrenous from the influence of climate." in this habit, however, may have originated the celebrated vampire superstition. lord byron, in his beautiful poem of "the giaour," thus symbolises the tortures that await the "false infidel:"-- "first, on earth as vampire sent, my corse shall from its tomb be rent; then ghastly haunt thy native place, and suck the blood of all thy race; there, from thy daughter, sister, wife, at midnight drain the stream of life; yet loathe the banquet which perforce must feed thy livid living corse. thy victims, ere they yet expire, shall know the demon for their sire, as cursing thee, thou cursing them, thy flowers are withered on the stem. but one that for thy crime must fall, the youngest, most beloved of all, shall bless thee with _a father's_ name-- that word shall wrap thy heart in flame! yet must thou end thy task, and mark her cheek's last tinge, her eye's last spark, and the last glassy glance must view which freezes o'er its lifeless blue; then with unhallowed hand shall tear the tresses of her yellow hair, of which in life a lock, when shorn, affection's fondest pledge was worn, but now is borne away by thee, memorial of thine agony! wet with thine one best blood shall drip thy gnashing tooth and haggard lip; then stalking to thy sullen grave, go, and with gouls and afrits rave; till there in horror shrink away from spectre more accursed than they!" in a note, the noble poet tells us:--"the vampire superstition is still general in the levant." honest tournefort tells a long story, which mr. southey, in the notes on "thalaba," quotes, about these vardoulacha, as he calls them. "i recollect a whole family being terrified by the screams of a child, which they imagined must proceed from such a visitation. the greeks never mention the word without horror." bishop heber describes the vampire bat of india as a very harmless creature, entirely different from the formidable idea entertained of it in england. "it only eats fruit and vegetables; indeed, its teeth are not indicative of carnivorous habits; and from blood it turns away when offered to it. during the daytime it is, of course, inert; but at night it is lively, affectionate, and playful, knows its keeper, but has no objection to the approach and touch of others." mr. westerton, the traveller, when speaking, in his "wanderings," of the vampire of south america, says:--"there are two species in demerara, both of which suck living animals; one is rather larger than the common bats, the other measures above two feet from wing to wing, extended. so gently does this nocturnal surgeon draw the blood, that instead of being roused, the patient is lulled into a profound sleep." the large vampire sucks men, commonly attacking the toes; the smaller seems to confine itself chiefly to birds. captain stedman, who states that he was bitten by a bat, thus describes the operation:--"knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where, while the creature continues fanning with its enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin would scarcely be received into the wound, which is, consequently, not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood until he is obliged to disgorge. he then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging until he is scarcely able to fly; and the sufferer has been often known to sleep from time into eternity. having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and my hammock, i observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place where i had lain upon the ground, on examining which the surgeon judged that i had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the night." lesson, in , says:--"the single american species of bat is celebrated by the fables with which they have accompanied its history. that bats suck the blood of animals as well as the juices of succulent fruits zoologists are agreed. the rough tongue of one genus was, i suppose, to be employed for abrading the skin, to enable the animal to suck the part abraded; but zoologists are now agreed that the supposition is groundless. it is more than probable that the celebrated vampire superstition and the blood-sucking qualities attributed to the bat have some connection with each other." bat-fowling is mentioned by shakspeare. this is the mode of taking bats in the night-time, while they are at roost, upon perches, trees, or hedges. they light torches or straw, and then beat the bushes, upon which the bats, flying to the flames, are caught, either with nets or otherwise. bat-fowling, or bat-folding, is effected by the use of a net, called a trammel-net, and is practised at night. the net should be made of the strongest and finest twine, and extended between two poles about ten feet high, tapering to a point at the top, and meeting at the top of the net. the larger ends are to be held by the persons who take the management of the net, and who, by stretching out the arms, keep the net extended to the utmost, opposite the hedge in which the bats or birds are supposed to be. another of the party carries a lantern upon a pole at a short distance behind the centre of the net. one or two others place themselves on the opposite side of the hedge, and by beating it with sticks disturb the bats or birds, which, being alarmed, fly towards the light, but are interrupted in their flight by the net which is immediately _folded_ upon them, often fifteen or twenty in number. this sport cannot be followed with much success except when the night is very dark, or until very late in the autumn, when the trees, having lost their leaves, the bats or birds are driven for shelter to the hollies, yews, hayricks, &c. we remember reading, in the "philosophical magazine," in , a curious account of the habits of a long-eared bat, a living specimen of which was given to the children of mr. de carle sowerby, the naturalist. "we constructed," says mr. sowerby, "a cage for him, by covering a box with gauze, and making a round hole in the side, fitted with a phial cork. when he was awake, we fed him with flies, introduced through this hole, and thus kept him for several weeks. the animal soon became familiar, and immediately a fly was presented alive at the hole, he would run or fly from any part of the cage, and seize it in our fingers; but a dead or quiet fly he would never touch. at other times, dozens of flies and grasshoppers were left in his cage, and, waking him by their noise, he dexterously caught them as they hopped or flew about, but uniformly disregarded them while they were at rest. the cockroach, hard beetles, and caterpillars he refused. "as we became still more familiar, our new friend was invited to join in our evening amusements, to which he contributed his full share by flitting round the room, at times settling upon our persons, and permitting us to handle and caress him. he announced his being awake by a shrill chirp, which was more acute than that of the cricket. now was the proper time for feeding him. i before stated that he only took his food alive. it was observed that not only was motion necessary, but that generally some noise on the part of the fly was required to induce him to accept it; and this fact was soon discovered by the children, who were entertained by his taking flies from their fingers as he flew by them, before he was bold enough to settle upon their hands to devour his victims. they quickly improved upon this discovery, and, by imitating the booming of a bee, induced the bat, directed by the sound, to settle upon their faces, wrapping his wings round their lips, and searching for the expected fly. we observed that, if he took a fly while on the wing, he frequently settled to masticate it; and, when he had been flying about a long time, he would rest upon a curtain, pricking his ears, and turning his head in all directions, when, if a fly were made to buzz, or the sound imitated, he would proceed directly to the spot, even on the opposite side of the room, guided, it would appear, entirely by the ear. sometimes he took his victim in his mouth, even though it was not flying; at other times he inclosed it in his wings, with which he formed a kind of bag-net. this was his general plan when in his cage, or when the fly was held in our fingers, or between our lips." from these observations mr. sowerby concludes that many of the movements of the bat upon the wing are directed by his exquisite sense of hearing. may not the sensibility of this organ be naturally greater in these animals, whose organs of vision are too susceptible to bear daylight, when those organs, from their nature, would necessarily be of most service?--such as the cat, who hunts by the ear, and the mole, who, feeding in the dark recesses of his subterranean abode, is very sensible of the approach of danger, and expert in avoiding it. in the latter case, large external ears are not required, because sound is well conveyed by solids, and along narrow cavities. in the cases of many bats, and of owls, the external ears are remarkably developed. cats combine a quickness of sight with acute hearing. they hunt by the ear, but they follow their prey by the eye. some bats are said to feed upon fruits: have they the same delicacy of hearing, feeling, &c., as others? mr. sowerby has further described the singular mode adopted by the long-eared bat in capturing his prey. the flying apparatus is extended from the hind legs to the tail, forming a large bag or net, not unlike two segments of an umbrella, the legs and tail being the ribs. the bat, having caught the fly, instead of eating it at once, generally covers it with his body, and, by the aid of his arms, &c., forces it into his bag. he then puts his head down under his body, withdraws the fly from his bag, and leisurely devours it. mr. sowerby once saw an unwary bluebottle walk beneath the body of the apparently sleeping bat into the sensitive bag, in which it was immediately imprisoned. white, of selborne, speaking of a tame bat, alludes to the above described action, which he compares to that of a beast of prey, but says nothing respecting the bag. bell, in his "british quadrupeds," says that the interfemoral membrane of bats "is probably intended to act as a sort of rudder, in rapidly changing the course of the animal in the pursuit of its insect food. in a large group of foreign bats, which feed on fruit or other vegetable substances, as well as in some of carnivorous habits, but whose prey is of a less active character, this part is either wholly wanting or much circumscribed in extent and power." may it not be, asks mr. sowerby, that they do not require an entomological bag-net? the wing of the bat is commonly spoken of as of leather; that it is an insensible piece of stuff--the leather of a glove or of a lady's shoe; but nothing can be further from the truth. if one were to select an organ of the most exquisite delicacy and sensibility, it would be the bat's wing. it is anything but leather, and is, perhaps, the most acute organ of touch that can be found. bats are supposed to perceive external objects without coming actually in contact with them, because in their rapid and irregular flight, amidst various surrounding bodies, they never fly against them; yet, to some naturalists, it does not appear that the senses of hearing, seeing, or smelling serve them on these occasions, for they avoid any obstacles with equal certainty when the eye, ear, and nose are closed: hence has been ascribed a _sixth sense_ to these animals. the nerves of the wing are large and numerous, and distributed in a minute network between the integuments. the impulse of the air against this part may possibly be so modified by the objects near which the animal passes as to indicate their situation and nature. the bat tribe fly by means of the fingers of the fore feet, the thumb excepted, being, in these animals, longer than the whole body; and between them is stretched a thin membrane, or web, for flying. it is probable that, in the action of flight, the air, when struck by this wing, or very sensitive hand, impresses a sensation of heat, cold, mobility, and resistance on that organ, which indicates to the animal the existence or absence of obstacles which would interrupt its progress. in this manner blind men discover by their hands, and even by the skin of their faces, the proximity of a wall, door of a house, or side of a street, even without the assistance of touch, and merely by the sensation which the difference in the resistance of the air occasions. hence they are as little capable of walking on the ground as apes with their hands, or sloths with their hooked claws, which are calculated for climbing. in a certain kind of bat, the _nycteris_, there exists a power of inflation to such a degree that, when inflated, the animal looks, according to geoffroy st. hilaire, like a _little balloon_ fitted with wings, a head, and feet. it is filled with air through the cheek-pouches, which are perforated at the bottom, so as to communicate with the spaces of the skin to be filled. when the bat wishes to inflate, it draws in its breath, closes its nostrils, and transmits the air through the perforations of the cheek-pouches to the spaces; and the air is prevented from returning by the action of a muscle which closes those openings, and by valves of considerable size on the neck and back. there was formerly a vulgar opinion that bats, when down on a flat surface, could not get on the wing again, by rising with great ease from the floor; but white saw a bat run, with more dispatch than he was aware of, though in a most ridiculous and grotesque manner. the adroitness with which this bat sheared off the wings of flies, which were always rejected, was very amusing. he did not refuse raw flesh when offered; so that the notion that bats go down chimneys, and gnaw men's bacon, seems no improbable story. mr. george daniell describes a female bat, who took her food with an action similar to that of a dog. the animal took considerable pains in cleaning herself, parting the hair on either side, from head to tail, and forming a straight line along the middle of the back. the membrane of the wings was cleaned by forcing the nose through the folds, and thereby expanding them. this bat fed freely, and at some times voraciously, the quantity exceeding half an ounce, although the weight of the animal itself was not more than ten drams. the _kalong_ bat of the javanese is extremely abundant in the lower parts of java, and uniformly lives in society. the more elevated districts are not visited by it. "numerous individuals," says dr. hornfield, "select a large tree, and, suspending themselves with the claws of their posterior extremities to the naked branches, often in companies of several hundreds, afford to a stranger a very singular spectacle. a species of ficus (fig-tree), resembling the _ficus religiosa_ of india, affords them a very favourite retreat, and the extended branches of one of these are sometimes covered by them. they pass the greater portion of the day in sleep, hanging motionless, ranged in succession, with the head downwards, the membrane contracted about the body, and often in close contact. they have little resemblance to living beings; and, by a person not accustomed to their economy, are readily mistaken for a part of the tree, or for a fruit of uncommon size suspended from its branches." in general, these societies are silent during the day; but if they are disturbed, or a contention arises among them, they emit sharp, piercing shrieks; and their awkward attempts to extricate themselves, when oppressed by the light of the sun, exhibit a ludicrous spectacle. soon after sunset they gradually quit their hold, and pursue their nocturnal flight in quest of food. they direct their course by an unerring instinct to the forests, villages, and plantations, attacking and devouring every kind of fruit, from the abundant and useful cocoa-nut, which surrounds the dwellings of the meanest peasantry, to the rare and most delicate productions which are cultivated by princes and chiefs of distinction. various methods are employed to protect the orchards and gardens. delicate fruits are secured by a loose net or basket, skilfully constructed of split bamboo, without which precaution little valuable fruit would escape the ravages of the _kalong_. there are few situations in the lower part of java in which this night wanderer is not constantly observed. as soon as the light of the sun has retired, one animal is seen to follow the other at a small but irregular distance, and this accession continues uninterrupted till dark:-- "the night came on apace, and falling dews bewet around the place; the bat takes airy rounds, on leathern wings, and the hoarse owl his woful dirges sings." gay's "_pastoral iii_." bats of the ordinary size are very numerous in jamaica. they are found in mills and old houses. they do great mischief in gardens, where they eat the green peas, opening the pod over each pea, and removing it very dexterously. gilbert white, of selborne, first noticed a large species of bat, which he named _altivolans_, from its manner of feeding high in the air. in the extent of its wings it measured - / inches; and it weighed, when entirely full, one ounce and one drachm. it is found in numbers together, so many as having been taken in one night from the eaves of queens' college, cambridge. in the northern zoological gallery of the british museum are representatives of the several species of bats, all bearing a family resemblance to each other. in england alone there are eighteen known species. here is the curious leaf-nosed bat, from brazil, supposed to excel in the sense of smell; also, the vampire, or large blood-sucking bat, from the same country; and the different kinds of fruit-eating bats, found in america and australia, and sometimes called flying foxes, on account of their great size. the bats of temperate climates remain torpid during the winter. gay has these lines:-- "where swallows in the winter season keep; and here the drowsy bat and dormouse sleep." young bats have been taken, when hovering near the ground, by throwing handfuls of sand, but they rarely live in confinement: they often die within a week after their capture. a bat, taken in elgin, gave birth to a young one, which was for two days suckled by its parent. before she reached the age of three days the young bat died, and the parent only survived another day to mourn her loss. sometimes females, when taken, have young ones clinging to their breast, in the act of sucking; and the female can fly with ease, though two little ones are attached to her, which weigh nearly as much as the parent. to return to an exaggeration of a famous old traveller. in "purchas his pilgrimage," the materials for which he borrowed from above thirteen hundred authors, when speaking of the island of madura, in the south of india, he says:--"in these partes are battes as big as hennes, which the people roast and eat." the hedgehog. of this animal some strange things are recorded. it is placed by cuvier at the head of the insect-devouring mammifera. it is found in europe, africa, and india. its body is covered with strong and sharp prickles, and by the help of a muscle it can contract itself into a ball, and so withdraw its whole underpart, head, belly, and legs, within this thicket of prickles: "like hedgehogs, which lie tumbling in my barefoot way, and mount their pricks at my foot-fall."--shakspeare's "_tempest_." sir thomas browne, in his "vulgar errors," has this odd conceit:--"few have belief to swallow, or hope enough to experience, the collyrium of albertus; that is, to make one see in the dark: yet thus much, according to his receipts, will the right eye of an hedgehog, boiled in oil, and preserved in a brazen vessel, effect." hedgehog was an old term of reproach; but we have heard a well-set argument compared to a hedgehog--all points. the food of the hedgehog, which is a nocturnal animal, consists principally of insects, worms, slugs, and snails. that it will eat vegetables is shown by white of selborne, who relates how it eats the root of the plantain by boring beneath it, leaving the tuft of leaves untouched. the hedgehog is reputed to supply itself with a winter covering of leaves. so far as we are aware, it has not been observed in the act of forming the covering of leaves, though it is supposed to roll itself about till its spines take up a sufficient number, in the same way as it is popularly believed (without proof) to do with apples. blumenbach states that he was assured, "by three credible witnesses," that hedgehogs so gather fruit; but buffon, who kept several hedgehogs for observation, declares they never practise any such habit. the voracity of the hedgehog is very great. a female, with a young one, was placed in a kitchen, having the run of the beetles at night, besides having always bread and milk within their reach. one day, however, the servants heard a mysterious crunching sound in the kitchen, and found, on examination, that nothing was left of the young hedgehog but the skin and prickles--the mother had devoured her little pig! a hedgehog has also been known to eat a couple of rabbits which had been confined with it, and killing others; it has likewise been known to kill hares. a hedgehog was placed in one hamper, a wood-pigeon in another, and two starlings in a third; the lid of each hamper was tied down with string, and the hampers were placed in a garden-house, which was fastened in the evening. next morning the strings to the hampers were found severed, the starlings and wood-pigeon dead and eaten, feathers alone remaining in their hampers, and the hedgehog alive in the wood-pigeon's hamper. as no other animal could have got into the garden-house it was concluded that the hedgehog had killed and eaten the birds. in the "zoological journal," vol. ii., is an account by mr. broderip of an experiment made by professor buckland proving that in captivity at least the hedgehog will devour snakes; but there is no good reason for supposing that it will not do the same in a state of nature, for frogs, toads, and other reptiles, and mice, have been recorded as its prey. from its fondness for insects it is often placed in the london kitchens to keep down the swarm of cockroaches with which they are infested; and there are generally hedgehogs on sale at covent garden market for this purpose. the idle story that the persecuted hedgehog sucks cows has been thus quaintly refuted:--"in the case of an animal giving suck, the teat is embraced round by the mouth of the young one, so that no air can pass between; a vacuum is made, or the air is exhausted from its throat, by a power in the lungs; nevertheless the pressure of the air remains still upon the outside of the dug of the mother, and by these two causes together the milk is forced in the mouth of the young one. but a hedgehog has no such mouth as to be able to contain the teat of a cow; therefore any vacuum which is caused in its own throat cannot be communicated to the milk in the dug. and if he is able to procure no other food but what he can get by sucking cows in the night, there is likely to be a vacuum in his stomach too." (_new catalogue of vulgar errors._ by stephen fovargue, a.m., .) yet, according to sir william jardine, the hedgehog is very fond of eggs; and is consequently very mischievous in the game-preserve and hen-house. one of the most interesting facts in the natural history of the hedgehog is that announced in by m. lenz, and subsequently confirmed by professor buckland: this is, that the most violent poisons have no effect upon it; a fact which renders it of peculiar value in forests, where it appears to destroy a great number of noxious reptiles. m. lenz says that he had in his house a female hedgehog, which he kept in a large box, and which soon became very mild and familiar. he often put into the box some adders, which it attacked with avidity, seizing them indifferently by the head, the body, and the tail, and not appearing alarmed or embarrassed when they coiled themselves around its body. on one occasion m. lenz witnessed a fight between a hedgehog and a viper. when the hedgehog came near and smelled the snake, for with these animals the sense of sight is very obtuse, she seized it by the head, and held it fast between her teeth, but without appearing to do it much harm; for having disengaged its head, it assumed a furious and menacing attitude, and, hissing vehemently, inflicted severe bites on the hedgehog. the animal did not, however, recoil from the bites of the viper, or indeed seem to care much about them. at last, when the reptile was fatigued by its efforts, she again seized it by the head, which she ground beneath her teeth, compressing the fangs and glands of poison, and then devouring every part of the body. m. lenz says that battles of this sort often occurred in the presence of many persons, and sometimes the hedgehog received eight or ten wounds on the ears, the snout, and even on the tongue, without seeming to experience any of the ordinary symptoms produced by the venom of the viper. neither herself nor the young which she was then suckling seemed to suffer from it. this observation agrees with that of pallas, who assures us that the hedgehog can eat about a hundred cantharides (spanish flies) without experiencing any of the effects which this insect, taken inwardly, produces on men, dogs, and cats. a german physician, who made the hedgehog a particular object of study, gave it strong doses of prussic acid, of arsenic, of opium, and of corrosive sublimate, none of which did it any harm. the hedgehog in its natural state only feeds on pears, apples, and other fruits when it can get nothing it likes better. the hedgehog hybernates regularly, and early in the summer brings forth from two to four young ones at a birth, which, at the time of their production, are blind, and have the spines white, soft, and flexible. the nest wherein they are cradled is said to be very artificially constructed, the roof being rain-proof. the flesh of the hedgehog, when it has been well fed, is sweet and well flavoured, and is eaten on the continent in many places. in britain a few besides gipsies partake of it. the prickly skin appears to have been used by the romans for hackling hemp. gilbert white notes that when the hedgehog is very young it can draw its skin down over its face, but is not able to contract itself into a ball, as the creature does, for the sake of defence when full grown. the reason, white supposes, is because the curious muscle that enables the hedgehog to roll itself up into a ball has not then arrived at its full tone and firmness. hedgehogs conceal themselves for the winter in their warm _hybernaculum_ of leaves and moss; but white could never find that they stored in any winter provision, as some quadrupeds certainly do. the hippopotamus in england. in the year there was exhibited in london a living hippopotamus, for many centuries the only instance of this extraordinary animal being seen in europe. there is something irresistibly striking in seeing a living animal, not one of whose species we have before seen, and especially when that animal is a large one, as in the instance before us. we had been wonderstruck at forms of this creature in the old british museum, where were two finely-preserved specimens. the rhinoceros alive was, until of late years, very rare in england. in mr. cross paid some , _l._ for a young indian one-horned rhinoceros, this being the only one brought to england for twenty years. he proved attractive, but slightly so in comparison with the expectation of a living hippopotamus, never witnessed before in this country. the circumstances of his acquisition were as follows:-- the zoological society of london had long been anxious to obtain a living hippopotamus for their menagerie, but without success. an american agent at alexandria had offered , _l._ for an animal of this species, but in vain; no speculator could be induced to encounter the risk and labour of an expedition to the white nile for the purpose of securing the animal. the desire of the zoological society was communicated to the viceroy of egypt, who saw the difficulty. hasselquist states it to have been impossible to bring the living animal to cairo; and the french _savans_, attached to the expedition to egypt, who ascended the nile above syene, did not meet with one hippopotamus. caillaud, however, asserts that he saw forty hippopotami in the upper nile, though their resort lay fifteen hundred miles or more from cairo. here they were often shot with rifle-balls, but to take one alive was another matter. however, by command of the viceroy, the proper parties were sent in search of the animal. in august, , the hunters having reached the island of fobaysch, on the white nile, about , miles above cairo, shot a large female hippopotamus in full chase up the river. the wounded creature turned aside and made towards some bushes on the island bank, but sank dead in the effort. the hunters, however, kept on towards the bushes, when a young hippopotamus, supposed to have been recently brought forth, not much bigger than a new-born calf, but stouter and lower, rushed down the bank of the river, was secured by a boatman and lifted into the boat. the captors started with their charge down the nile. the food of their young animal was their next anxiety; he liked neither fish, flesh, fruit, nor grass. the boat next stopped at a village; their cows were seized and milked, and the young charge lapped up the produce. a good milch cow was taken on board, and with this supply the hippopotamus reached cairo. the colour of his skin at this time was a dull reddish brown. he was shown to the pasha in due form; the present created intense wonder and interest in cairo; gaping crowds filled its narrow sandy streets, and a whale at london-bridge would scarcely excite half so much curiosity. it being thought safer for the animal to winter in cairo than to proceed forthwith on his journey, the consul had duly prepared to receive the young stranger, for whom he had engaged a sort of nurse. hamet safi cannana. an apartment was allotted to the hippopotamus in the court-yard of the consul's house, leading to a warm or tepid bath. his milk-diet, however, became a troublesome affair, for the new comer never drank less than from twenty to thirty quarts daily. by the next mail after the arrival of the hippopotamus, the consul despatched the glad tidings to the zoological society. the animal was shipped at alexandria, in the ripon steamer. on the main deck was built a house, from which were steps down into an iron tank in the hold, containing gallons of water, as a bath: it was filled with fresh water every other day. early in may, the hippopotamus was conveyed in the canal-boat, with hamet safi cannana, to alexandria, where the debarkation was witnessed by , spectators. the animal bore the voyage well. he lived exclusively on milk, of which he consumed daily about forty pints, yielded by the cows taken on board. he was very tame, and, like a faithful dog, followed his arab attendant hamet, who was seldom away more than five minutes without being summoned to return by a loud grunt. hamet slept in a berth with the hippopotamus. on may they were landed at southampton, and sent by railway to london. on arriving at the zoological society's gardens, hamet walked first out of the transport van, with a bag of dates over his shoulder, and the hippopotamus trotted after him. next morning he greatly enjoyed the bath which had been prepared for him. although scarcely twelve months old, his massive proportions indicated the enormous power to be developed in his maturer growth; while the grotesque expression of his physiognomy far exceeded all that could be imagined from the stuffed specimens in museums, and the figures which had hitherto been published from the reminiscences of travellers. among the earliest visitors was professor owen, who first saw the hippopotamus lying on its side in the straw, with its head resting against the chair in which sat the swarthy attendant. it now and then grunted softly, and, lazily opening its thick, smooth eyelids, leered at its keeper with a singular protruding movement of the eyeball from the prominent socket, showing an unusual proportion of the white. the retraction of the eyeball was accompanied by a simultaneous rolling obliquely downwards, or inwards, or forwards. the young animal, then ten months' old, was seven feet long, and six and a-half in girth at the middle of the barrel-shaped trunk, supported, clear of the ground, on very short and thick legs, each terminated by four spreading hoofs, the two middle ones being the largest, and answering to those in the hog. the naked hide, covering the broad back and sides, was of a dark, india-rubber colour, with numerous fine wrinkles crossing each other, but disposed almost transversely. the beast had just left its bath, when a glistening secretion gave the hide, in the sunshine, a very peculiar aspect. when the animal was younger, the secretion had a reddish colour, and the whole surface of the hide became painted over with it every time he quitted his bath. the ears, which were very short, conical, and fringed with hairs, it moved about with much vivacity. the skin around them was of a light reddish-brown colour, and almost flesh-coloured round the eyelids, which defended the prominent eyes, which had a few short hairs on the margin of the upper lid. the colour of the iris was of a dark brown. the nostrils, situated on prominences, which the animal had the power of raising on the upper part of the broad and massive muzzle, were short oblique slits, guarded by two valves, which were opened and closed spontaneously, like the eyelids. the movements of these apertures were most conspicuous when the beast was in the bath. the wide mouth was chiefly remarkable for the upward curve of its angles towards the eyes, giving a quaintly comic expression to the massive countenance. the short and small milk-tusks projected a little, and the minute incisors appeared to be sunk in pits of the thick gums; but the animal would not permit any close examination of the teeth, withdrawing his head from the attempt, and then threatening to bite. the muzzle was beset with short bristles, split into tufts or pencils of hairs; and fine and short hairs were scattered all over the back and sides. the tail was not long, rather flattened and tapering to an obtuse point. we may here observe that, at certain moments, the whole aspect of the head suggested to one the idea of what may have been the semblance of some of the gigantic extinct batrachians (as sirens), the relics of a former world, whose fossil bones in the galleries of palæontology in the british museum excite our special wonder. after lying about an hour, now and then raising its head, and swivelling its eyeballs towards the keeper, or playfully opening its huge mouth, and threatening to bite the leg of the chair on which the keeper sat, the hippopotamus rose, and walked very slowly about its room, and then uttered a loud and short harsh snort four or five times in quick succession, reminding one of the snort of a horse, and ending with an explosive sound, like a bark. the keeper understood the language--the animal desired to return to its bath. the hippopotamus carried its head rather depressed, reminding one of a large prize hog, but with a breadth of muzzle and other features peculiarly its own. the keeper opened the door leading into a paddock, and walked thence to the bath, the hippopotamus following, like a dog, close to his heels. on arriving at the bath-room, the animal descended with some deliberation the flight of low steps leading into the water, stooped and drank a little, dipped his head under, and then plunged forwards. the creature seemed inspired with new life and activity. sinking to the bottom of the bath, and moving about submerged for a while, it suddenly rose with a bound almost bodily out of the water. splashing back, it commenced swimming and plunging about, rolling from side to side, taking in mouthfuls of water and spirting them out again, raising every now and then its huge and grotesque head, and biting the woodwork of the margin of the bath. the broad rounded back of the animal being now chiefly in view, it seemed a much larger object than when out of the water. after half an hour spent in this amusement, the hippopotamus quitted the water at the call of its keeper, and followed him back to the sleeping-room, which was well bedded with straw, and where a stuffed sack was provided for its pillow, of which the animal, having a very short neck, thicker than the head, availed itself when it slept. when awake, it was very impatient of any absence of its favourite attendant. it would rise on its hind legs, and threaten to break down the wooden fence, by butting and pushing against it in a way very significant of its great muscular force. the animal appeared to be in perfect health, and breathed, when at rest, slowly and regularly, from three to four times in a minute. its food was now a kind of porridge, of milk and maize-meat, it being more than half weaned from milk diet. its appetite had been in no respect diminished by the confinement and inconvenience of the sea voyage, or by change of climate. all observers appear to have agreed that, to see the hippopotamus rightly, is to see him in the water. there his activity is only surpassed by that of the otter or the seal. such was one of the opportunities afforded to zoologists for "studying this most remarkable and interesting african mammal, of which no living specimen had been seen in europe since the period when hippopotami were last exhibited by the third gordian in the amphitheatre of imperial rome."[ ] it is now time to glance at the general economy of the hippopotamus, as he is seen in his native rivers and wilds. in early days, as his roman name imports, it was usual to consider him as a species of horse, inhabiting rivers and marshy grounds, and, in a more especial manner, the denizen of the nile. the genus is placed by linnæus among his _belluæ_, between _equus_ and _sus_. the skeleton approaches that of the ox and of the hog, but it presents differences from that of any other animal. the hippopotamus is found not only in the nile, but in the rivers of southern africa. in the former stream of marvels, hasselquist relates that "the oftener the river horse goes on shore, the better hope have the egyptians of a sufficient swelling or increase of the nile." again, they say that the river horse is an inveterate enemy to the crocodile, and kills it whenever he meets it; adding that he does much damage to the egyptians in those places he frequents. he goes on shore, and, in a short space of time, destroys an entire field of corn or clover, not leaving the least verdure, for he is very voracious. yet neither of these stories is so marvellous as that which a sailor related to dampier, the old traveller:--"i have seen," says the mariner, "one of these animals open its jaws, and, seizing a boat between its teeth, at one bite sink it to the bottom. i have seen it, on another occasion, place itself under one of our boats, and, rising under it, overset it with six men who were in it, but who, however, happily received no other injury." professor smith and captain tuckey, in exploring the congo river, in south africa, saw in a beautiful sandy cove, at the opening of a creek, behind a long projecting point, an immense number of hippopotami; and in the evening a number of alligators were also seen there; an association hardly consistent with the hostility related by hasselquist. captain tuckey observed hippopotami with their heads above the water, "snorting in the air." in another part of his narrative he says:--"many hippopotami were visible close to our tents at condo yanga. no use firing at these animals in the water; the only way is to wait till they come on shore to feed at night." le vaillant had an opportunity of watching the progress of a hippopotamus under water at great river, which contained many of these animals. on all sides he could hear them bellow and blow. anxious to observe them, he mounted on the top of an elevated rock which advanced into the river, and he saw one walking at the bottom of the water. le vaillant killed it at the moment when it came to the surface to breathe. it was a very old female, and many people, in their surprise, and to express its size, called it the grandmother of the river. the traveller lander tells us that, on the niger. hippopotami are termed water-elephants. one stormy night, as they were sailing up this unexplored current, they fell in with great numbers of hippopotami, who came plashing, snorting, and plunging all round the canoe. thinking to frighten them off, the travellers fired a shot or two at them, but the noise only called up from the water and out of the fens about as many more hippopotami, and they were more closely beset than before. lander's people, who had never, in all their lives, been exposed to such formidable beasts, trembled with fear, and absolutely wept aloud; whilst peals of thunder rattled over their heads, and the most vivid lightning showed the terrifying scene. hippopotami frequently upset canoes in the river. when the landers fired, every one of them came to the surface of the water, and pursued them over to the north bank. a second firing was followed by a loud roaring noise. however, the hippopotami did the travellers no kind of mischief whatever. captain gordon, when among the bakalahari, in south africa, bagged no fewer than fifteen first-rate hippopotami; the greater number of them being bulls. in , there was brought to england the head of a hippopotamus, with all the flesh about it, in high preservation. the animal was harpooned while in combat with a crocodile in a lake in the interior of africa. the head measured nearly four feet in length, and eight feet in circumference; the jaws opened two feet, and the cutting teeth, of which it had four in each jaw, were above a foot long, and four inches in circumference. the utility of this vast pachydermatous, or thick-skinned animal, to man is considerable. that he can be destructive has already been shown in his clearance of the cultivated banks of rivers. the enormous ripping, chisel-like teeth of the lower jaw fit him for uprooting. the ancient egyptians held the animal as an emblem of power, though this may have arisen from his reputed destruction of the crocodile. the flesh is much esteemed for food, both among the natives and colonists of south africa. the blood of the animal is said to have been used by the old indian painters in mixing their colours. the skin is extensively employed for making whips. but there is no part of the hippopotamus more in request than the great canine teeth, the ivory of which is so highly valued by dentists for making artificial teeth, on account of its keeping its colour better than any other kind. this superiority was not unknown to the ancients pausanias mentions the statue of dindymene, whose face was formed of the teeth of hippopotami, instead of elephants' ivory. the canine teeth are imported in great numbers into england, and sell at a very high price. from the closeness of the ivory, the weight of the teeth, a part only of which is available for the artificial purpose above mentioned, is great in proportion to its bulk; and the article has fetched about thirty shillings per pound. the ancient history of the hippopotamus is extremely curious, and we have many representations of him in coins, in sculpture, and in paintings, which prove, beyond question, that the artists, as well as the writers, had a distinct knowledge of what they intended to represent. the earliest notice which occurs in any author, and which has been considered by many to be a description of the hippopotamus, is the celebrated account in the fortieth and forty-first chapter of the book of job of behemoth and leviathan. many learned men have contended that "behemoth" really means "elephant," and thus the zurich version of the bible translates the hebrew by "elephas." in the edition of the english bible, printed by robert barker, in , for king james i., and since considered as the authorised version, the word "behemoth" is preserved in the text, and the following annotation is added:--"this beast is thought to bee the elephant, or some other which is unknowen." bochart, ludolph, and some others, have contended warmly in favour of the hippopotamus. cuvier thinks, that though this animal is probably intended, yet that the description is too vague for any one to hold a certain opinion on the subject. the theory started by bochart, and in the main supported by cuvier, is generally supposed the real one. the description in the book of job, though doubtless vague, and in the highest degree poetical, has yet sufficient marks to render the identification perfectly easy, while there are certain peculiarities mentioned, which even a poetical imagination could hardly apply to the elephant. thus, when it is said of him, "he lieth under the shady trees, in the desert of the reed and fens; ... the willows of the brook compass him round about," this would seem to be the description of an animal which frequented the water much more than elephants are accustomed to do. again, in the fuller description of "leviathan," in the forty-first chapter, we think it is quite clear that a water animal is intended, though what is there stated might be held to apply to the crocodile as well as the hippopotamus; both are animals remarkable for extreme toughness of skin, and both are almost equally difficult to kill or to take alive. of profane authors, herodotus is the first who notices this animal, but his account is far from accurate: the size he states as large as the biggest ox. that the animal was sacred, in some parts at least, appears from herodotus, who says:--"those which are found in the district of paprennis are sacred, but in other parts of egypt they are not considered in the same light." aristotle makes it no bigger than an ass; diodorus, an elephant; pliny ascribes to it the tail and teeth of a boar, adding, that helmets and bucklers are made of the skin. hippopotami figured in the triumphal processions of the roman conquerors on their return home. m. scaurus exhibited five crocodiles and an hippopotamus; and augustus one in his triumph over cleopatra. antoninus exhibited hippopotami, with lions and other animals; commodus no less than five, some of which he slew with his own hand. heliogabalus, and the third gordian, also exhibited hippopotami. the hippopotamus of the london zoological society was joined by his mate, the more juvenile "adhela," in . two hippopotami have lately been born in europe; one in the garden of plants, at paris, in ; and another in the zoological gardens at amsterdam, in . with regard to the alleged disappearance of the hippopotamus from lower egypt, cuvier remarks, that the french savans attached to the expedition to egypt, who ascended the nile above syene, did not meet with one. in some of the rivers of liberia, and other parts, perhaps, of western africa, a second species of hippopotamus exists, and is proved to be a very distinct animal. we have yet to glance at the hippopotami of a former world. many species are recognised in the fossil remains of europe and asia as formerly existing in england and in france. cuvier detected bones of the hippopotamus among the fossil wealth of the great kirkdale cavern in yorkshire, in . they have also been found in france, and especially in the sewatick hills in india. in the museum of the london zoological society are two skulls of hippopotami--one fossil. this measures two feet three inches, and allowing for skin and lip, two feet six inches. now, as the head is about one-fifth the length of the body, without the tail, the full-grown animal would be little, if any, short of fifteen feet from nose to tail--a size worthy the description of the behemoth. we may here add, that burckhardt, in his "travels in nubia," describes the voice of the hippopotamus as a hard and heavy sound, like the creaking or groaning of a large wooden door. this noise, he says, is made when the animal raises his huge head out of the water, and when he retires into it again. footnote: [ ] professor owen. lion-talk. the lion has, within the present century, lost caste, and fallen considerably from his high estate. he has been stripped of much of his conventional reputation by the spirit of inquiry into the validity of olden notions, which characterises the present age; and it appears that much of his celebrity is founded upon popular error. nor are these results the work of stay-at-home travellers; but they are derived from the observation and experience of those who, amidst scenes of perilous adventure, seek to enlarge and correct our views of the habit and character of the overrated lion. mr. bennett, in his admirable work, "the tower menagerie," has these very sensible remarks:--"in speaking of the lion we call up to our imaginations the splendid picture of might unmingled with ferocity, of courage undebased by guile, of dignity tempered by grace and ennobled by generosity. such is the lion of buffon; who, in describing this animal, as in too many other instances, has suffered himself to be borne along by the strong tide of popular opinion; but, as the lion appears in his native regions, according to the authentic accounts of those travellers and naturalists who have had the best means of correctly observing his habits, he is by no means so admirable a creature. where the timid antelope and powerless monkey fall his easy and unresisting prey--or where the elephant and buffalo find their unwieldy bulk and strength no adequate protection against his impetuous agility--he stalks boldly to and fro in fearless majesty. but in the neighbourhood of man--even in that of uncultivated savages--_he skulks in treacherous ambush for his prey_. of his forbearance and generosity it can merely be said, that when free, he destroys only what is sufficient to satiate his hunger or revenge; and when in captivity--his wants being provided for, and his feelings not irritated--he suffers smaller animals to live unmolested in his den, or submits to the control of a keeper by whom he is fed. but even this limited degree of docility is liable to fearful interruptions from the calls of hunger, the feelings of revenge--and these he frequently cherishes for a long period--with various other circumstances which render it dangerous to approach him in his most domesticated state, without ascertaining his immediate mood and temper. that an animal which seldom attacks by open force, but silently approaches his victim, and when he imagines his prey to be within his reach, bounds upon it with an overwhelming leap, should ever have been regarded as the type of courage and the emblem of magnanimity, is indeed most astonishing!" the generosity of disposition so liberally accorded to this powerful beast has been much and eloquently praised; and it seems hard to dissipate the glowing vision which buffon has raised; but, if there is any dependence to be placed on the observations of those travellers who have had the best opportunities of judging, and have the highest character for veracity, we must be compelled to acknowledge that buffon's lion is the lion of poetry and prejudice, and very unlike the cautious lurking savage that steals on its comparatively weak prey by surprise, overwhelms it at once by the terror, the weight, and the violence of the attack, and is intent only on the gratification of the appetite. "at the time," says mr. burchell, "when men first adopted the lion as the emblem of courage, it would seem that they regarded great size and strength as indicating it; but they were greatly mistaken in the character they had given of the indolent animal." indeed, mr. burchell calls the lion an "indolent skulking animal." the fact of the lion sparing the dog that was thrown to him, and making a friend of the little animal that was destined for his prey, has been much dwelt on; but these and other such acts of mercy, as they have been called, may be very easily accounted for. if not pressed by hunger, the lion will seldom be at the trouble of killing prey; and the desire for a companion has created much stronger friendships between animals in confinement than between a lion and a little dog. st. pierre touchingly describes the lion of versailles, who, in , lived most happily with a dog, and on whose death he became disconsolate and miserable; and in confinement the "lordly lion," as young calls him, has been known to be deeply afflicted with melancholy at similar losses. the lion is easily tamed, and capable of attachment to man. the story of androdas, frequently called androcles, is too well known to need more than allusion; but in this and other stories of lions licking men's hands without injuring them, there must be a stretch of fancy; for the lion's tongue has sharp thorn-points, inclining backwards, so as not to be able to lick the hand without tearing away the skin, which any one will understand who has _heard_ the lion tear the raw meat away from the bone of his food. still, very different accounts are given by travellers of the cruelty or generosity of the lion's nature; which results, in all probability, from a difference in time or circumstances, or the degree of hunger which the individual experienced when the respective observations were made upon him. meanwhile, there are many points in the history of the lion which are yet but imperfectly understood; the explanations of which, whilst they are interesting, add to our correct knowledge of this still extraordinary animal. the lion has been styled "the king of the forest," which is not very applicable to him, seeing that mr. burchell at least never met with but one lion on the plains; nor did he ever meet with one in any of the forests where he had been. the low cover that creeps along the sides of streams, the patches that mark the springs in the rank grass of the valley, seem to be the shelter which the african lion, for the most part, seeks. his strength is extraordinary. to carry off a man (and there are dismal accounts of this horrible fact, which there is no reason to doubt) appears a feat of no difficulty to this powerful brute. a cape lion, seizing a heifer in his mouth, has carried her off with the same ease as a cat does a rat; and has leaped with her over a broad dyke without the least difficulty. a young lion, too, has conveyed a horse about a mile from the spot where he had killed it. there seems to be an idea that the lion preserves human prey; but, be this as it may, the inhabitants of certain districts have been under the necessity of resorting to a curious expedient to get out of the lion's reach. Ælian, by the way, records the extinction of a libyan people by an invasion of lions. we read of a large tree, in the country of the mantatees, which has amidst its limbs fourteen conical huts. these are used as dormitories, being beyond the reach of the lions, which, since the incursions of the mantatees, when so many thousands of persons were massacred, have become very numerous in the neighbourhood, and destructive to human life. the branches of the above trees are supported by forked sticks or poles, and there are three tiers or platforms on which the huts are constructed. the lowest is nine feet from the ground, and holds ten huts; the second, about eight feet high, has three huts; and the upper story, if it may be so called, contains four. the ascent to these is made by notches cut in the poles; the huts are built with twigs, and thatched with straw, and will contain two persons conveniently. this tree stands at the base of a range of mountains due east of kurrichaine, in a place called "ongorutcie fountain," about , miles north-east of cape town. kurrichaine is the staffordshire as well as the birmingham of that part of south africa. there are likewise whole villages of huts erected on stakes, about eight feet from the ground; the inhabitants, it is stated, sit under the shade of these platforms during the day, and retire to the elevated huts at night. though mortal accidents frequently occur in lion-hunting, the cool sportsman seldom fails of using his rifle with effect. lions, when roused, it seems, walk off quietly at first, and if no cover is near, and they are not pursued, they gradually mend their pace to a trot, till they have reached a good distance, and then they bound away. their demeanour is careless, as if they did not want a fray, but if pressed, are ready to fight it out. if they are pursued closely, they turn and crouch, generally with their faces to the adversary: then the nerves of the sportsman are tried. if he is collected, and master of his craft, the well-directed rifle ends the scene at once; but if, in the flutter of the moment, the vital parts are missed, or the ball passes by, leaving the lion unhurt, the infuriated beast frequently charges on his enemies, dealing destruction around him. this, however, is not always the case; and a steady, unshrinking deportment has, in some instances, saved the life of the hunter. there is hardly a book of african travels which does not teem with the dangers and hair-breadth escapes of the lion-hunters; and hardly one that does not include a fatal issue to some engaged in this hazardous sport. the modes of destruction employed against the powerful beast are very various--from the poisonous arrow of the bushman to the rifle of the colonist. the lion may be safely attacked while sleeping, because of the dullness of his sense of hearing, the difficulty of awakening him, and his want of presence of mind if he be so awakened. thus the bushmen of africa are enabled to keep the country tolerably clear of lions, without encountering any great danger. the bone of the lion's fore-leg is of remarkable hardness, from its containing a greater quantity of phosphate of lime than is found in ordinary bones, so that it may resist the powerful contraction of the muscles. the texture of this bone is so compact that the substance will strike fire with steel. he has little sense of taste, his lingual or tongue-nerve not being larger than that of a middle-sized dog. the true lions belong to the old world exclusively, and they were formerly widely and abundantly diffused; but at present they are confined to asia and africa, and they are becoming every day more and more scarce in those quarters of the globe. that lions were once found in europe there can be no doubt. thus it is recorded by herodotus that the baggage-camels of the army of xerxes were attacked by lions in the country of the reonians and the crestonæi on their march from acanthus (near the peninsula of mount athos) to therma, afterwards thessalonica (now saloniki); the camels alone, it is stated, were attacked, other beasts remaining untouched, as well as men. pausanias copies the above story, and states, moreover, that lions often descended into the plains at the foot of olympus, which separate macedonia from thessaly, and that polydamas, a celebrated athlete, slew one of the lions, although he was unarmed. nor is europe the only part of the world from which the form of the lion has disappeared. lions are no longer to be found in egypt, palestine, or syria, where they once were evidently far from uncommon. the frequent allusions to the lion in the holy scriptures, and the various hebrew terms there used to distinguish the different ages and sex of the animal, prove a familiarity with the habits of the race. even in asia generally, with the exception of some countries between india and persia and some districts of arabia, these magnificent beasts have, as cuvier observes, become comparatively rare, and this is not to be wondered at. to say nothing of the immense draughts on the race for the roman arena,--and they were not inconsiderable, for, as zimmerman has shown, there were , lions killed at rome in the space of forty years,--population and civilization have gradually driven them within narrower limits, and their destruction has been rapidly worked in modern times, when firearms have been used against them instead of the bow and the spear. sylla gave a combat of one hundred lions at once in his ædileship; but this exhibition is insignificant when compared with those of pompey and cæsar, the former of whom exhibited a fight of six hundred, and the latter of four hundred lions. in pompey's show three hundred and fifteen of the six hundred were males. the early emperors consumed great numbers, frequently a hundred at a time, to gratify the people. the african lion is annually retiring before the persecution of man farther and farther from the cape. mr. bennett says of the lion:--"his true country is africa, in the vast and untrodden wilds of which, from the immense deserts of the north to the trackless forests of the south, he reigns supreme and uncontrolled. in the sandy deserts of arabia, in some of the wild districts of persia, and in the vast jungles of hindostan, he still maintains a precarious footing; but from the classic soil of greece, as well as from the whole of asia minor, both of which were once exposed to his ravages, he has been entirely dislodged and extirpated." niebuhr places lions among the animals of arabia; but their proper country is africa, where their size is the largest, their numbers are greatest, and their rage more tremendous, being inflamed by the influence of a burning sun upon a most arid soil. dr. fryer says that those of india are feeble and cowardly. in the interior parts, amidst the scorched and desolate deserts of zaara or biledugerid, they reign the masters; they lord it over every beast, and their courage never meets with a check where the climate keeps mankind at a distance. the nearer they approach the habitations of the human race the less their rage, or rather the greater is their timidity: they have often had experienced unequal combats, and finding that there exists a being superior to themselves, commit their ravages with more caution; a cooler climate, again, has the same effect, but in the burning deserts, where rivers and springs are denied, they live in a perpetual fever, a sort of madness fatal to every animal they meet with. the watchfulness and tenacity of the lion for human prey are very extraordinary. mr. barrow relates that a lion once pursued a hottentot from a pool of water, where he was driving his cattle to drink, to an olive-tree, in which the man remained for twenty-four hours, while the lion laid himself at the foot of the tree. the patience of the beast was at length worn out by his desire to drink, and while he satisfied his thirst the hottentot fled to his house, about a mile off. the lion, however, returned to the tree, and tracked the man within three hundred yards of his dwelling. dr. philip relates a horrible story of a very large lion recorded at cape town in the year . he was known to have seized a sentry at a tent, and was pursued and fired at by many persons without effect. next morning the lion walked up a hill _with the man in his mouth_, when about forty shots were fired at him without hitting him; and it was perceived by the blood, and a piece of the clothes of the sentry, that the lion had taken him away and carried him with him. he was pursued by a band of hottentots, one of whom he seized with his claws by the mantle, when the man stabbed him with an assagai. other hottentots adorned him with their assagais, so that he looked like a porcupine; he roared and leaped furiously, but was at length shot dead. he had a short time before carried off a hottentot and devoured him. the bengal or asiatic lion is distinguished from that of southern africa principally by the larger size, the more regular and graceful form, the generally darker colour, and the less extensive mane than the african. william harvey, the graceful artist, drew a portrait of a very fine bengal lion, little more than five years old, and then in the tower collection, and called by the keepers "the old lion;" the magnificent development of the mane is very striking in this figure. maneless lions have been found on the confines of arabia, and were known to aristotle and pliny; a maneless lion is also said to be represented on the monuments of upper egypt. the lion of arabia has neither the courage nor the stature, nor even the beauty, of the lion of africa. he uses cunning rather than force; he crouches among the reeds which border the tigris and euphrates, and springs upon all the feeble animals which come there to quench their thirst; but he dares not attack the boar, which is very common there, and flies as soon as he perceives a man, a woman, or even a child. if he catches a sheep he makes off with his prey; but he abandons it to save himself when an arab looks after him. if he is hunted by horsemen, which often happens, he does not defend himself unless he is wounded, and has no hope of safety by flight. in such a case he will fly on a man and tear him to pieces with his claws, for it is courage more than strength that he wants. achmed, pasha of bagdad from to , would have been torn by one, after breaking his lance in a hunt, if his slave suleiman, who succeeded him in the pashalik, had not come promptly to his succour and pierced with a blow of his yataghan the lion already wounded by his master. in december, , captain walter smee exhibited to the zoological society of london the skins of a lion and lioness killed by him in guzerat, and distinguished from those previously known by the absence of a mane; the tail was shorter than that of the ordinary lion, and furnished at its tip with a much larger brush or tuft; and in the tuft of the older lion was a short horny claw or nail. the colour is fulvous; which in darker specimens has a tinge of red. a male maneless lion, killed by captain smee, measured, including the tail, feet - / inches in length; the impression of his paw on the sand - / inches across, and his height was feet inches. these maneless lions are found in guzerat, along the banks of the sombermultee, in low, bushy-wooded plains, being driven out of the large adjoining tracts of high grass jungle by the natives annually setting fire to the grass. here captain smee killed his finest specimens: they were so common in this district that he killed no fewer than eleven during a residence of about a month, yet scarcely any of the natives had seen them previously to his coming amongst them. the cattle were frequently carried off by these lions: some natives attributed this to tigers, which, however, do not exist in this part of the country. captain smee could not learn that men had been attacked by these lions: when struck by a ball they exhibited great boldness, standing as if preparing to resist their pursuers, and then going off slowly, and in a very sullen manner. in captivity the lioness usually turns extremely savage when she becomes a mother; and, in a state of nature, both parents guard their young with the greatest jealousy. early in the year general watson, then on service in bengal, being out one morning on horseback, armed with a double-barrelled rifle, was suddenly surprised by a large male lion, which bounded out upon him from the thick jungle, at the distance of only a few yards. he instantly fired, and the shot taking complete effect, the animal fell almost dead at his feet. no sooner had the lion fallen than the lioness rushed out, which the general also shot at and wounded severely, so that she retired into the thicket. thinking that the den could not be far distant, he traced her to her retreat, and there despatched her; and in the den were found two beautiful cubs, a male and a female, apparently not more than three months old. this is a very touching narrative, even of the lion family. the general brought the cubs away; they were suckled by a goat and sent to england, where they arrived in september, , as a present to george iv., and were lodged in the tower. when young, lions mew like a cat; at the age of ten or twelve months the mane begins to appear in the male; at the age of eighteen months this appendage is considerably developed, and they begin to roar. the _roar_ of the adult lion is terrific, from the larynx or upper part of the wind-pipe being proportionately greater than in the whale or the elephant, or any other animal. mr. burchell describes the roar on some occasions to resemble the noise of an earthquake; and this terrific effect is produced by the lion laying his head upon the ground and uttering, as it were, a half-stifled roar or growl, which is conveyed along the earth. the natural period of the lion's life is generally supposed to be twenty or twenty-two years. such is buffon's limitation; but the animal will, it seems, live much longer. pompey, the great lion, which died in , was said to have been in the tower above seventy years; and a lion from the river gambia is stated to have since died in the tower menagerie at the age of sixty-three. there had been for ages a popular belief that the lion lashes his sides with his tail to stimulate himself into rage; when, in , there was exhibited to the zoological society a claw obtained from the tip of the tail of a barbary lion, presented to the society's menagerie by sir thomas reade. it was detected on the living animal by mr. bennett, and pointed out to the keeper, in whose hands it came off while he was examining it. blumenbach quotes homer, lucan, and pliny, among others who have described the lion (erroneously) as lashing himself with his tail, when angry, to provoke his rage. none of these writers, however, advert to any peculiarity in the lion's tail to which so extraordinary a function might, however incorrectly, be attributed. didymus alexandrinus, a commentator on the "iliad," cited by blumenbach, having found a black prickle, like a horn, among the hair of the tail, immediately conjectured that he had ascertained the true cause of the stimulus when the animal flourishes his tail in defiance of his enemies, remarking that, when punctured by this prickle, the lion became more irritable from the pain which it occasioned. the subject, however, appears to have slumbered till , when m. deshayes announced that he had found the prickle both of a lion and lioness, which had died in the french menagerie, and described it as a little nail, or horny production, adhering by its base only to the skin, and not to the last caudal vertebra. from that period mr. wood, the able zoologist, examined the tail of every lion, living or dead, to which he could gain access; but in no instance had he succeeded in finding the prickle till the above specimen, which was placed in his hands within half an hour after its removal from the living animal, and while yet soft at its base, where it had been attached to the skin. its shape was nearly straight, then slightly contracted, forming a very obtuse angle, and afterwards swelling out like the bulb of a bristle, to its termination. it was laterally flattened throughout its entire length, which did not amount to quite three-eighths of an inch, of horn colour, and nearly black at the tip. its connexion with the skin must have been very slight, which accounts for its usual absence in stuffed as well as living specimens. this does not depend upon age, as it was found alike in the paris lions, of considerable size, as well as in the zoological society's lions, very small and young; nor did it depend upon sex. it appears to be occasionally present in the leopard; and, in both lion and leopard, it is seated at the extreme tip of the tail, and is altogether unconnected with the terminal caudal vertebra; not fitted on like a cap, but rather inserted into the skin. the use of the prickle, however, it still remained difficult to conjecture; but that its existence was known to the ancients is proved by the nimroud sculptures in the british museum, in an exaggerated representation of the claw, in support of this curious fact in natural history. the existence of the claw has been proved by mr. bennett; and "it is no small gratification to be able now to quote in evidence of the statement of mr. bennett, and of his predecessor. didymus, of alexandria, the original and authentic document, on the authority of the veritable descendants of the renowned hunter nimroud; which any one may read who will take the trouble to examine the sculptured slab in the british museum."[ ] in the nineveh galleries of the british museum we also see pictured in stone the employment of the lion, in the life of assyria and babylonia, three thousand years since; in the events of a succession of dynasties, recording the sieges of cities, the combats of warriors, the triumphs of kings, the processions of victors, the chains and fetters of the vanquished. to the zoological observer these sculptures present drawings _ad naturam_ of tableaux of lions and lion-hunts; lions in combat, as well as in moveable dens and cages, and the ferocity of the chase; and lions transfixed with arrows or javelins in the arena. one of the finest of these sculptures is in the representation of a lion-hunt, on a long slab that lined the principal chamber of the most ancient palace at nimroud. the king is in his chariot, drawn by three horses, which the charioteer is urging forward to escape the attack of an infuriated lion that has already placed its fore-paws upon the back of the chariot. at this critical moment, the royal descendant of the mighty hunter aims a deadly shaft at the head of the roaring and wounded lion, the position of whose tail and limbs is finely indicative of rage and fury. behind the lion are two of the king's attendants, fully armed, and holding their daggers and shields, ready to defend themselves in case the prey should escape the arrow of the king. before the chariot is a wounded lion, crawling from under the horses' feet. the cringing agony conveyed in its entire action is well contrasted with the undaunted fury of the former. in another slab we have the continuation of the same lion-hunt, representing the triumphant return of the king from the chase. at his feet lies the lion subdued, but not dead. of the pageantry of the lion, we read, in bell's "travels," that the monarch of persia had, on days of audience, two great lions chained on each side of the passage to the state-room, led there by keepers in golden chains. our early english sovereigns had a menagerie in the tower from the reign of henry iii. ( .) in ( edward iii.) are entries of payments made to "the keeper of the king's lions and leopards" there, at the rate of _d._ a-day for his wages, and _d._ a-day for each beast. the number of beasts varied from four to seven. two young lions are specially mentioned; and "a lion lately sent by the lord the prince, from germany to england, to our lord the king." and we read, in lord burghley's "diary," , of the grant of the keeping of the lions in the tower, with "the fine of _d._ per diem, and _d._ for the meat of those lions." the first menagerie-building was the lion tower, to which was added a semicircular inclosure, where lions and bears were baited with dogs, with which james i. and his court were much delighted. a lion was named after the reigning king; and it was popularly believed that "when the king dies, the lion of that name dies after him." the last of the tower animals were transferred to the zoological society's menagerie, in the regent's-park, in . the tower menagerie is well described in a handsome volume, with woodcut portraits, by william harvey. the punishment of being _thrown to lions_ is stated as common among the romans of the first century; and numerous tales are extant, in which the fierce animals became meek and lamb-like before the holy virgins of the church. this, indeed, is the origin of the superstition, nowhere more beautifully expressed than in lord byron's "siege of corinth":-- "'tis said that a lion will turn and flee from a maid in the pride of her purity." every wild beast show almost has its tame lion, with which the keeper takes the greatest liberties; liberties which the beast will suffer, generally speaking, from none but him. major smith relates that he had seen the keeper of a lioness stand upon the beast, drag her round the cage by her tail, open her jaws, and thrust his head between her teeth. another keeper, at new york, had provided himself with a fur cap, the novelty of which attracted the notice of the lion, which, making a sudden grapple, tore the cap off his head as he passed the cage; but, perceiving that the keeper was the person whose head he had thus uncovered, he immediately laid the cap down. wombwell, in his menagerie, had a fine lion, nero, that allowed _strangers_ to enter his den, and even put their heads within his jaws. this tameness is not, however, to be trusted, since the natural ferocity of some lions is never safely subdued. lions which have been sometimes familiar, have, on other occasions, been known to kill their keepers, and dart at those who have incautiously approached too near their cage. all these exhibitions have been entirely eclipsed by the feats of van amburgh, in his exercise of complete control over lions. the melancholy fate of "the lion queen," however, tells of the fatal result of her confidence. the lion-killing feats of captain gordon cumming had a more legitimate object in view--to render us more familiar with the zoological character of the lion. colonization has scarcely yet extirpated the lion in algeria, where the french colonists make fine sport of "the king of the beasts." m. jules gerard, a nimroud in his way, has been noted for his lion-killing feats. we read of his tracking a large old lion in the smauls country, one hundred leagues in ten days, without catching a glimpse of anything but his foot-prints. at length, accompanied by a native of the country and a spahi, gerard took up his quarters at the foot of a tree upon the path which the old lion had taken. it was moonlight, and gerard made out two lions sitting about one hundred paces off, and exactly in the shadow of the tree. the arab lay snoring ten paces off, in the full light of the moon, and had, doubtless, attracted the attention of the lions. gerard expressly forbade the spahi to wake the arab. our lion-hunter then got up the hill to reconnoitre; the boldest of the lions came up to within ten paces of gerard, and fifteen of the arab: the lion's eye was fixed on the latter, and the second lion placed himself on a level with, and four or five paces from, the first. they proved to be both full-grown lionesses. gerard took aim at the first as she came rolling and roaring down to the foot of the tree. the arab was scarcely awakened, when a second ball stretched the lioness dead upon the spot. gerard then looked out for the second lioness, who was standing up within fifteen paces, looking around her. he fired, and she fell down roaring, and disappeared in a field of maize; she fell, but was still alive. next morning at daybreak, at the spot where the lioness had fallen, were blood marks, denoting her track in the direction of a wood. after sending off the dead lioness. gerard returned to his post of the preceding night. a little after sunset the lion roared in his lair, and continued roaring all night. convinced that the wounded lioness was there, gerard sent two arabs to explore the cover, but they durst not. he next evening reached the lair, taking with him a goat, which he left with the arabs: the lioness appeared. gerard fired, and she fell without a struggle; she was believed dead, but she got up again as though nothing was the matter, and showed all her teeth. one of the arabs, within six paces of her, seeing her get up, clung to the lower branches of a tree and disappeared like a squirrel. the lioness fell dead at the foot of the tree, a second bullet piercing her heart: the first had passed out of the nape of the neck without breaking the skull-bone. the lions presented by lord prudhoe to the british museum are the best sculptured representations of the animal in this country. although the lion is our national hieroglyphic, and there are many statues of him, yet not one among them all appears without a defect, which makes our representations of him belong to the class _canis_ instead of _felis_, a fault not found in any egyptian sculpture.[ ] footnotes: [ ] bonomi; "nineveh and its palaces," p. . [ ] bonomi; "proc. royal soc., literature." bird-life. "behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them."--matthew vi. . "free tenants of land, air, and ocean, their forms all symmetry, their motions grace; in plumage delicate and beautiful, thick without burthen, close as fishes' scales, or loose as full-blown poppies on the gales; with wings that seem as they'd a soul within them, they bear their owners with such sweet enchantment." _james montgomery._ birds, as regards structure, are perhaps the most perfectly endowed, as they are certainly the most beautiful and interesting, of all the lower animals. in birds there is an admirable mechanism and adaptation both for gliding in the air and swimming in the water. they surpass all other animals in the faculty of continuing their motion without resting, as well as in its rapidity. the fleetest courser can scarcely ever run more than a mile in a minute, nor support that speed beyond five or six such exertions. but the joyous swallow does this tenfold for pleasure. in his usual way he flies at the rate of one mile in a minute; and wilson, the ornithologist, ascertained that the swallow is so engaged for ten hours every day. so can the blue-bird of america, for a space of miles. our carrier-pigeons move with half that celerity: one flew from liskeard to london, miles, in six hours. the golden eagle is supposed to dart through the fiercest storm at the rate of miles an hour; but one of our smallest birds, the swift, can even quadruple the most excited quickness of the race-horse for a distance. spallanzani thought that the little swift travelled at the rate of miles an hour. inquiries into the phenomena of the flight of birds would lead us far beyond our limits. the subject is beset with error. thus, we read:--"every one has remarked the manner in which birds of prey float, as it were, without any effort, and with steady expanded wings, at great heights in the atmosphere. this they are enabled to do from the quantity of air contained in the air-cells of their bodies, which air being taken in at a low level in the atmosphere, of course rarefies and expands as the bird ascends into higher regions. their rapidity of descent must be accomplished by the sudden expulsion of this air, aided by their muscular efforts." now, dr. crisp has read to the zoological society a paper "on the presence or absence of air in the bones of birds," for the purpose of showing the prevailing error upon the subject--viz., "that the bones of the bird are filled with air." of fifty-two british birds recently dissected by him, only one, the sparrow-hawk, had the bones generally perforated for the admission of air. in thirteen others, the humeri only were hollow, and among these were several birds of short flight. in the remaining thirty-eight, neither the _humeri_ nor _femora_ contained air, although in this list were several birds of passage and of rapid flight--dr. crisp's conclusion being, that the majority of british birds have no air in their bones, and that, with the exception of the falcons, but very few british birds have hollow femora. mr. gould records a most remarkable instance of rapid and sustained flight, which he witnessed on his return from north america, whither he had proceeded for the purpose of studying the habits and manners of the species of _trochilus_ (humming bird), frequenting that portion of america. having remarked that he arrived just prior to the period of the migration of this bird from mexico to the north, and had ample opportunities for observing it in a state of nature, he noticed that its actions were very peculiar, and quite different from those of all other birds: the flight is performed by a motion of the wings so rapid as to be almost imperceptible; indeed, the muscular power of this little creature appears to be very great in every respect, as, independently of its rapid and sustained flight, it grasps the small twigs, flowers, &c., upon which it alights with the utmost tenacity. it appears to be most active in the morning and evening, and to pass the middle of the day in a state of sleepy torpor. occasionally it occurs in such numbers that fifty or sixty birds may be seen in a single tree. when captured it so speedily becomes tame that it will feed from the hand or mouth within half an hour. mr. gould having been successful in keeping a humming-bird alive in a gauze bag attached to his breast button for three days, during which it readily fed from a bottle filled with a syrup of brown sugar and water, he determined to make an attempt to bring some living examples to england, in which he succeeded; but unfortunately they did not long survive their arrival. the adaptation of colour in birds to their haunts strikingly tends to their preservation. the small birds which frequent hedges have backs of a brownish or brownish-green hue; and their bellies are generally whitish, or light-coloured, so as to harmonize with the sky. thus, they become less visible to the hawk or cat that passes above or below them. the wayfarer across the fields also treads upon the skylark before he sees it warbling to heaven's gate. the goldfinch or thistlefinch passes much of its time among flowers, and is vividly coloured accordingly. the partridge can hardly be distinguished from the fallow or stubble among which it crouches; and it is considered an accomplishment among sportsmen to have a good eye for finding a hare sitting. in northern countries the winter dress of the hares and ptarmigans is white, to prevent detection among the snows of those inclement regions. the song of birds is popularly explained by the author of a work, entitled, "the music of nature," in which he illustrates the vocal machinery of birds as follows:--"it is difficult to account for so small a creature as a bird making a tone as loud as some animal a thousand times its size; but a recent discovery shows that in birds the lungs have several openings communicating with corresponding air-bags or cells, which fill the whole cavity of the body from the neck downward, and into which the air passes and repasses in the progress of breathing. this is not all. the very bones are hollow, from which air-pipes are conveyed to the most solid parts of the body, even into the quills and feathers. the air being rarefied by the heat of their body, adds to their levity. by forcing the air out of their body, they can dart down from the greatest heights with astonishing velocity. no doubt the same machinery forms the basis of their vocal powers, and at once resolves the mystery into a natural ordering of parts." this is a very pretty story; but, unfortunately, it is not correct, as already shown. a correspondent of the "athenæum," writing in , says:--"he would be a bold man who should say that birds have no delight in their own songs. i have been led to conclude from experiments which i have made, and from other observations, that certain animals, especially birds, have not only an ear for fine sounds, but also a preference for the things they see out of respect to fine colours or other pleasing external features. it is chiefly among birds, when we consider the case of animals, that a taste for ornament and for glittering objects, often very startling and human-like, is to be found. the habits of the pheasant, peacock, turkey, bird of paradise, several birds of the pigeon and crow kind, and certain singing birds, are evidence. the australian satin bower-bird is the most remarkable of that class which exhibit taste for beauty or for glittering objects out of themselves--that is, beauty not directly personal; collecting, in fact, little museums of shells, gaudy feathers, shining glass, or bits of coloured cloth or pottery. it will be found with many birds that fine plumes, a mirror, and an admirer, are not altogether objects devoid of interest. "another consideration leading me to the same conclusion, is the fact, that beauty in animals is placed on prominent parts, or on parts which by erection or expansion are easily, and at the pairing season, frequently rendered prominent, such as a crest or tail. a spangle of ruby or emerald does not exist, for instance, on the side under the wing, which is seldom raised, of our domestic poultry. such jewels are hung where man himself wears his, on the face and forehead, or court attention, like our own crowns, trains, shoulder-knots, breast-knots, painted cheeks, or jewelled ears. i cannot account for the existence of these gaudy ornaments to please man, for nowhere are they more gorgeous than in birds which live in the depth of the tropical forest, where man is rarely a visitor; i cannot account for them on the principle that they do good to their possessors in the battle for life, because they rather render them conspicuous to their enemies, or coveted by man." but the beauty of these beings glows most brightly at the season of their pairing, and the selection of their mates. baron von tschudi, the swiss naturalist, has shown the important services of birds in the destruction of insects. without birds, no agriculture or vegetation would be possible. they accomplish in a few months the profitable work of destruction which millions of human hands could not do half so well in as many years; and the sage, therefore, blamed in very severe terms the foolish practice of shooting and destroying birds, which prevails more especially in italy, recommending, on the contrary, the process of alluring birds into gardens and corn-fields. among the most deserving birds he counts swallows, finches. titmice, redtails, &c. the naturalist then cites numerous instances in support of his assertion. in a flower-garden of one of his neighbours three rose-trees had been suddenly covered with about , tree-lice. at his recommendation a marsh-titmouse was located in the garden, which in a few hours consumed the whole brood, and left the roses perfectly clean. a redtail in a room was observed to catch about flies in an hour. a couple of night-swallows have been known to destroy a whole swarm of gnats in fifteen minutes. a pair of golden-crested wrens carry insects as food to their nestlings upon an average thirty-six times in an hour. for the protection of orchards and woods titmice are of invaluable service. they consume, in particular, the eggs of the dangerous pine-spiders. one single female of such spiders frequently lays from to eggs twice in the summer season, while a titmouse with her young ones consume daily several thousands of them. wrens, nuthatches, and woodpeckers often dexterously fetch from the crevices of tree-bark numbers of insects for their nestlings. yet, profitless and wanton bird-murder is common. the cliffs on the coasts of these islands are the resort of numerous kinds of sea-fowl, and these fowl, we are told, are slaughtered by thousands, not merely for the sake of their feathers, but actually for the mere savage pleasure of killing. what speculation can enter into such a proceeding it may puzzle the reader to imagine; but it seems that the wing feathers of the poor white gull are now inquired for in the plume-trade, and we are actually told of an order given by a single house for , of these unhappy birds. when these facts were stated at the meeting of the british association, in august, , at norwich, a lady stood up boldly in defence of her sex, and declared that they sinned only through ignorance, and would never willingly wear the feathers of a bird destroyed in the act of feeding its young. that part of the case, therefore, ought to be now in safe hands. in the isle of man a law has been passed, called the "seagull preservation act," protecting these birds by heavy penalties, on the ground of their utility in removing fish offal and guiding fishermen to shoals of fish. at a certain point of our shores a similar protection has been established. a visitor to the south stack lighthouse, on the coast of anglesey, may see prodigious numbers of sea-fowl as tame as complete safety can make them. it has been ascertained that in thick weather, when neither light can be distinguished nor signal seen, the incessant scream of these birds gives the best of all warnings to the mariner of the vicinity of the rock. the noise they make can be heard at a greater distance than the tolling of the great bell; and so valuable was this danger-signal considered, that an order from the trinity house forbad even the firing of the warning gun, lest the colony of the sea-fowl should be disturbed. the signals of the bell and the cannon might be neglected or overpowered, but the birds were always there and always audible. it is inferred that birds possess some notion of power, and of cause and effect, from the various actions which they perform. "thus," relates dr. fleming, "we have seen the hooded crow in zetland, when feeding on small shell-fish, able to break some of the tenderer kinds by means of its bill, aided in some cases by beating them against a stone; but, as some of the larger shells, such as the buckie and the welk, cannot be broken by such means, the crow employs another method, by which, in consequence of applying foreign power, it accomplishes its object. seizing the shell with its claws, it mounts up into the air, and then loosing its hold, causes the shell to fall among stones (in preference to the sand, the water, or the soil on the ground), that it may be broken, and give easier access to the contained animal. should the first attempt fail, a second or third is tried, with this difference, that the crow rises higher in the air, in order to increase the power of the fall, and more effectually remove the barrier to the contained morsel. on such occasions we have seen a strong bird remain an apparently inattentive spectator of the process of breaking the shell, but coming to the spot with astonishing keenness when the efforts of its neighbour had been successful, in order to share the spoil. pennant mentions similar operations performed by crows on mussels." the brain of birds is, in general, large in proportion to the size of the body, and the instinctive powers are very perfect. a few kinds are rather dull and stupid; but the parrot, magpie, raven, and many others, show great vivacity and quickness of intellect. the raven has a great deal of humour in him. one, a most amusing and mischievous creature, would get into a well-stocked flower-garden, go to the beds where the gardener had sowed a great variety of seeds, with sticks put in the ground with labels, and then he would amuse himself with pulling up every stick, and laying them in heaps of ten or twelve on the path. this used to irritate the old gardener, who drove him away. the raven knew that he ought not to do it, or he would not have done it. he would soon return to his mischief, and when the gardener again chased him (the old man could not run very fast), the raven would just keep clear of the rake or the hoe in his hand, dancing before him, and singing as plainly as a raven could. "tol de rol de rol! tol de rol de rol!" with all kinds of mimicking gestures. the signal of danger among birds seems to be of universal comprehension; because the instant it is uttered we hear the whole flock, though composed of various species, repeat a separate moan, and away they all scuttle into the bushes for safety. the sentinel birds give the signal, but in some cases they are deceived by false appearances. dr. edmonstone, in his "view of the zetland isles," relates a very striking illustration of the neglect of the sentinel, in his remarks on the shag. "great numbers of this species of the cormorant are sometimes taken during the night, while asleep on the rocks of easy access; but before they commit themselves to sleep, one or two of the number are appointed to watch. until these sentinels are secured, it is impossible to make a successful impression on the whole body; to surprise them is, therefore, the first object. with this view, the leader of the expedition creeps cautiously and imperceptibly along the rock, until he gets within a short distance of the watch. he then dips a worsted glove into the sea, and gently throws water in the face of the guard. the unsuspecting bird, either disliking the impression, or fancying, from what he considers to be a disagreeable state of the weather, that all is quiet and safe, puts his head under his wing and soon falls asleep. his neck is then immediately broken, and the party dispatch as many as they choose." addison was a true lover of nature, which he shows in two letters written by him to the earl of warwick (afterwards his son-in-law), when that nobleman was very young. "my dear lord," he writes, "i have employed the whole neighbourhood in looking after birds'-nests, and not altogether without success. my man found one last night, but it proved a hen's, with fifteen eggs in it, covered with an old broody duck, which may satisfy your lordship's curiosity a little; though i am afraid the eggs will be of little use to us. this morning i have news brought me of a nest that has abundance of little eggs, streaked with red and blue veins, that, by the description they give me, must make a very beautiful figure in a string. my neighbours are very much divided in their opinions upon them: some say they are a skylark's; others will have them to be a canary-bird's; but i am much mistaken in the colour and turn of the eggs if they are not full of tomtit's." again, addison writes:--"since i am so near your lordship, methinks, after having passed the day amid more severe studies, you may often take a trip hither and relax yourself with these little curiosities of nature. i assure you no less a man than cicero commends the two great friends of his age, scipio and lælius, for entertaining themselves at their country-house, which stood on the sea-shore, with picking up cockle-shells, and looking after birds'-nests." in another letter addison writes:--"the business of this is to invite you to a concert of music which i have found out in a neighbouring wood. it begins precisely at six in the evening, and consists of a blackbird, a thrush, a robin-redbreast, and a bullfinch. there is a lark, that, by way of overture, sings and mounts till she is almost out of hearing; and afterwards, falling down leisurely, drops to the ground as soon as she has ended her song. the whole is concluded by a nightingale, that has a much better voice than mrs. tofts, and something of the italian manner in her divisions. if your lordship will honour me with your company, i will promise to entertain you with much better music, and more agreeable scenes, than you ever met with at the opera; and will conclude with a charming description of a nightingale out of our friend virgil:-- "'so close, in poplar shades, her children gone, the mother nightingale laments alone; whose nest some prying churl had found, and thence by stealth convey'd the unfeathered innocence: but she supplies the night with mournful strains, and melancholy music fills the plains.'" birds' eggs and nests. the eggs of birds are variously tinted and mottled, and hence they become objects of interest to the collector. in this diversity of colour nature has, doubtless, some final object in view; and though not in every instance, yet in many, we can certainly see a design in the adaptation of the colours to the purpose of concealment, according to the habits of the various classes of birds. thus, as a general rule, the eggs of birds which have their nests in dark holes, or which construct nests that almost completely exclude the light, are white; as is also the case with those birds that constantly sit on their eggs, or leave them only for a short time during the night. eggs of a light blue or light green tint will also be found in nests that are otherwise well concealed; while, on the other hand, a great proportion of those nests that are in exposed situations have eggs varying in tints and spots in a remarkable degree, corresponding with the colours of external objects in their immediate neighbourhood. thus, a dull green colour is common in most gallinaceous birds that form their nests in grass, and in aquatic birds among green hedges; a bright green colour is prevalent among birds that nestle among trees and bushes; and a brown mottled colour is found in those eggs that are deposited among furze, heath, shingle, and grey rocks and stones. birds'-nesting, we need hardly remark, is a favourite pursuit of boyhood; but, in some cases, its attractions have induced young persons to take up more important branches of natural history, or the collection, systematic arrangement, and comparison of birds' eggs, which is, in scientific study, termed oology; and as the study of birds cannot be considered complete until they are known in every stage, it forms a branch of ornithology. in this case birds'-nesting has an useful object; but many persons are content to acquire collections of eggs without troubling themselves about the birds which have laid them. the late mr. john wolley, m.a., was one of the leading authorities upon the subject of european ornithology, and was one of a number of university men, who, about twelve years ago, established the ornithological journal called "the ibis," and who visited far-distant and unexplored regions, where they might hope to discover strange birds and unknown eggs. for several years algiers and tunis were their favourite resorts, and the meeting-places of many of our rarer birds were hunted up in these countries, even so far as the desert of the great sahara. others preferred the new world as the scene of their labours, and collected long series of specimens in the highland of guatemala, and the tropical forests of belize. mr. wolley, however, confined his attention principally to the northern parts of europe--that region being the breeding-quarters of a large number of birds which are only known in this country as winter visitants. in order to be at his collecting-station at muonioniska, on the frontier of finnish lapland, at the earliest commencement of the breeding-season, mr. wolley frequently passed the whole winter in that remote region. but the rigour of the climate under the arctic circle contributed to bring on a malady which terminated fatally in november, . upon the decease of mr. wolley, his large collection of birds' eggs, in accordance with his last wishes, became the property of his friend, mr. alfred newton, who is publishing a catalogue of mr. wolley's egg cabinet, with notes from the deceased naturalist's journals. the first part contains the eggs of birds of prey (_accipitres_), recognisable at once by their strongly-hooked bill, formed to assist them in tearing their prey, and their large feet and sharpened claws, which aid them to grasp it. they are divisible into two very distinct groups--the diurnal birds of prey, consisting of the hawks, vultures, and eagles; and the nocturnal birds of prey, or owls. in the latter the eggs are invariably colourless; in the former they are often strongly marked, and present some of the most beautiful objects in the whole series of birds' eggs. in the most recently published list of european birds fifty-two species of birds of prey are given as occurring more or less frequently within the limits of our continent. of the three generally-recognised species of european vultures two are well represented, as regards their eggs, in the wolleyan series. a few years ago the nesting of all these birds was utterly unknown to naturalists, and it was mainly through the exertions of mr. wolley and his friends that specimens first reached our collectors' cabinets. here were found both the egyptian vulture and the griffon breeding abundantly in the eastern atlas in ; and the eyries of these birds have since been visited by other collectors in the same country. the eggs of the former of these vultures are remarkable for their deep and rich coloration. the productions of the griffon are not nearly so handsome, and are occasionally altogether destitute of markings. of the eagles of europe the series of eggs is very full, especially of the two well-known british species--the golden eagle and sea eagle. the golden or mountain eagle is even now-a-days much more common in the remote parts of the british islands than is usually supposed to be the case. in mr. wolley was acquainted with five nests of this bird in various parts of scotland, and there were undoubtedly at least as many more of which he did not learn the particulars. the eyrie is usually placed in some mountainous district, on the ledge of some "warm-looking" rock, well clothed with vegetation, and often by no means wild or exposed. not unfrequently, under proper guidance, one can walk into the nest almost without climbing. mr. newton gives a very entertaining account of the taking of a pair of eggs from a nest in argyllshire in , where this seems to have been the case. in the whole ascent there was only one "ticklish place," where it was necessary to go sideways on a narrow ledge round some rocks. the sea eagle, on the other hand, generally breeds on the high cliffs upon the coast, often selecting the most inaccessible position for its eyrie. sometimes, however, it will choose an island in the middle of an inland loch, and in such case places its nest upon the ground or in a tree. mr. wolley's well-written notes of his adventures in quest of both these eagles, as also those relating to the other rapacious birds, will be read with much interest; as will also the details concerning the nesting-habits of many of the rarer species of european birds, several of which, such as the rough-legged buzzard and the lapp owl, were first tracked to their breeding-quarters in the remotest wilds of scandinavia by this indefatigable naturalist.[ ] of large eggs we are most familiar with those of the ostrich, of which mr. burchell, when in africa, found twenty-five eggs in a hollow scratched in the sand, six feet in diameter, surrounded by a trench, but without grass, leaves, or sticks, as in the nests of other birds. in the trench were nine more eggs, intended, as the hottentots observed, as the first food of the twenty-five young ostriches. between sixty and seventy eggs have been found in one nest; each is equal to twenty-four eggs of the domestic hen, and holds five pints and a quarter of liquid. the shells are dirty white. the hottentots string them together as belts, or garlands, and they are frequently mounted as cups. one ostrich egg is a sufficient meal for three persons. the egg is cooked over the fire without either pot or water, the shell answering the purpose of the first, and the liquid nature of its contents that of the other. less familiar to the reader are the gigantic eggs of the epyornis, a bird which formerly lived in madagascar. one of these eggs contains the substance of hens' eggs. mr. geoffroy st. hilaire describes some portions of an egg of the epyornis which show the egg to have been of such a size as to be capable of containing about ten english quarts; that in the museum of the jardin des plantes can only contain - / quarts. mr. strickland, in some notices of the dodo and its kindred, published in , says that in the previous year a mr. dumarele, a french merchant at bourbon, saw at port leven, madagascar, an enormous egg which held "_thirteen wine quart bottles of fluid_." the natives stated that the egg was found in the jungle, and "that such eggs were _very, very rarely_ met with." a word or two about the nests of such gigantic birds. captain cook found, on an island near the north-east coast of new holland, a nest "of a most enormous size. it was built with sticks upon the ground, and was no less than six-and-twenty feet in circumference, and two feet eight inches high." (kerr's "collection of voyages and travels," xiii., .) captain flinders found two similar nests on the south coast of new holland, in king george's bay. in his "voyage," &c., london, , he says, "they were built upon the ground, from which they rose above two feet, and were of vast circumference and great interior capacity; the branches of trees and other matter of which each nest was composed being enough to fill a cart." among the varieties of birds'-nests are some very curious homes, of which we have but space to notice a few. the pendulous nest of the indian baya-bird is usually formed of the fibres of the palmyra, the cocoa-nut palm, and wild date of india, sometimes mixed with grass, neatly interlaced, and very strongly made. it consists of only one circular chamber, with a long tubular passage leading to it, and is suspended from a tree, preferred if overhanging water. the natives of india say the baya lights up its nest with fire-flies. the bird lays from four to six white eggs. bayas are of a very social disposition: numbers build on the same tree, or neighbouring trees, and singing in concert during the breeding season. the baya is very docile, and taught to fly off the finger and return again; to dart after a ring or small coin, dropped into a deep well, and catch it before it reaches the water; to fetch and carry, and perform similar tricks. the nest of the brilliant golden-banded oriole is a hammock of twisted fibrous substances, and is suspended in a low shrub, so as to swing to the breeze. the twine-like fibres of which it is woven are the filaments of the gigantic palm. the threads break away from the leaf, and hang like fringe to the magnificent foliage. the tailor-birds are the best nest-builders of all the feathered tribes. they interweave their nests between the twigs and branches of shrubs, or suspend the nests from them; and some of these birds have exercised arts from the creation which man has found of the greatest benefit to him since he discovered them. these birds, indeed, may be called the inventors of the several arts of the weaver, the sempstress, and the tailor; whence some of them have been denominated weaver and tailor birds. the nests of the latter are, however, most remarkable. india produces several species of tailor-birds that sew together leaves for the protection of their eggs and nestlings from the voracity of serpents and apes. they generally select the end of a branch or twig, and sew with cotton, thread, and fibres. colonel sykes has seen some in which the thread was literally knotted at the end. the inside of these nests is lined usually with down and cotton. tailor-birds are not confined to india or tropical countries. italy can boast a species which exercises the same art. mr. gould has a specimen of this bird in his possession, and the zoological society have a nest in their museum. this little bird, a species of the genus _sylvia_, in summer and autumn frequents marshes; but in the spring it seeks the meadows and corn-fields, in which, at that season, the marshes being bare of the sedges which cover them in summer, it is compelled to construct its nest in tussocks of grass on the brinks of ditches; but the leaves of these being weak, easily split, so that it is difficult for our little sempstresses to unite them, and so form the skeleton of the fabric. from this and other circumstances, the spring nests of these birds differ so widely from those made in the autumn that it seems next to impossible that both should be the work of the same artisan. the latter are constructed in a thick bunch of sedge or reed: they are shaped like a pear, being dilated below and narrow above, so as to leave an aperture sufficient for the ingress and egress of the bird. the greatest horizontal diameter of the nest is about two inches and a half, and the vertical is five inches. the most wonderful thing in the construction of these nests is the method to which the little bird has recourse to keep united the living leaves of which it is composed. the sole in the weaving, more or less delicate, of the materials, forms the principle adopted by other birds to bind together the walls of their nests; but this sylvia is no weaver, for the leaves of the sedges or reeds are united by real stitches. in the edge of each leaf she makes, probably with her beak, minute apertures, through which she contrives to pass, perhaps by means of the same organ, one or more cords formed of spiders' web, particularly that of their egg-pouches. those threads are not very long, and are sufficient to pass two or three times from one leaf to another. they are of unequal thickness, and have knots here and there, which, in some places, divide into two or three branches. this is the manner in which the exterior of the nest is formed: the interior consists mainly of down, chiefly from plants, a little spiders' web being intermixed, which helps to keep the other substances together. the upper part and sides of the nest, that is, the external and internal, are in immediate contact; but in the lower part a greater space intervenes, filled with the slender foliage of grasses, and other materials, which render soft and warm the bed on which the eggs are to repose. this little bird feeds on insects. its flight is rectilinear, but consists of many curves, with the concavity upwards. these curves equal in number the strokes of the wing, and at every stroke its whistle is heard, the intervals of which correspond with the rapidity of its flight. the australian bower-bird, as its name implies, builds its nest like an arbour or bower, with twigs: in the british museum are two specimens, each decorated--one with bones and fresh-water shells, and the other with feathers and land-shells; remarkable instances of taste for ornament already referred to in a preceding page. the satin or bower-bird is described by settlers in australia as "a very troublesome rascal," which besets gardens; if once allowed to make a lodgment there it is very troublesome to get rid of him; he signalizes his arrival by pulling up, in his restless fussy way, everything in the garden that he can tug out of the ground, even to the little sticks to mark the site of seeds. a settler had formed a garden in the bush; there was no enclosure of the kind for miles in any direction: a flock of bower-birds came; he got his gun and shot two or three; the flock went off, and he never saw another bird of the kind. the cape swallows build nests which show extraordinary instinct allied to reason. a pair of these built their nest on the outside of a house at cape town against the angle formed by the wall and the board which supported the eaves. the whole of this nest was covered in, and it was furnished with a long neck or passage, through which the birds passed in and out. it resembled a longitudinal section of a florence oil flask. this nest having crumbled away after the young birds had quitted it, the same pair, or another of the same species, built on the old foundation again. but this time an improvement was observable in the plan of it that can hardly be referred to the dictates of mere instinct. the body of the nest was of the same shape as before, but instead of a single passage it was furnished with one at each side, running along the angle of the roof; and on watching the birds, they were seen invariably to go in at one passage and come out at the other. besides saving themselves the trouble of turning in the nest and disturbing, perhaps, its interior arrangement, they were guarded by this contrivance against a surprise by serpents, which frequently creep up along the wall, or descend from the thatch, and devour both the mother and her brood. dr. livingstone relates a very curious instance of "bird confinement" under very strange circumstances. in passing through mopane country, in south africa, his men caught a great number of the birds called _korwé_ in their breeding-places, which were holes in the mopane trees. they passed the nest of a korwé just ready for the female to enter; the orifice was plastered on both sides, but a space was left of a heart shape, and exactly the size of the bird's body. the hole in the tree was in every case found to be prolonged some distance upwards above the opening, and thither the korwé always fled to escape being caught. in another nest that was found, one white egg, much like that of a pigeon, was laid, and the bird dropped another when captured: she had four besides in the ovarium. dr. livingstone first saw this bird at kolenbeng in the forest: he saw a slit only, about half an inch wide and three or four inches long, in a slight hollow of a tree; a native broke the clay which surrounded the slit, put his arm into the hole, and brought out a red-beaked hornbill, which he killed. he told dr. livingstone that when the female enters her nest she submits to a real confinement. the male plasters up the entrance, leaving only a narrow slit by which to feed his mate, and which exactly suits the form of his beak. the female makes a nest of her own feathers, lays her eggs, hatches them, and remains with the young till they are fully fledged. during all this time, which is stated to be two or three months, the male continues to feed her and the young family. the prisoner generally becomes quite fat, and is esteemed a very dainty morsel by the natives; while the poor slave of a husband gets so lean that, on the sudden lowering of the temperature, which sometimes happens after a fall of rain, he is benumbed, falls down, and dies. dr. livingstone, on passing the same tree at kolenbeng about eight days afterwards, found the hole plastered up again, as if, in the short time that had elapsed, the disconsolate bird-husband had procured another wife. dr. l. saw a nest with the plastering not quite finished, and others completed; he also received elsewhere, besides kolobeng, the same account that the bird comes forth when the young are fully-fledged, at the period when the corn is ripe; indeed, her appearance abroad with her young is one of the signs they have for knowing when it ought to be so: the time is between two and three months. she is said sometimes to hatch two eggs, and, when the young of these are full-fledged, the other two are just out of the egg-shells: she then leaves the nest with the two elder, the orifice is again plastered up, and both male and female attend to the wants of the young. there is a specimen of a nest in the gardens of the zoological society, which merits description, besides that of the bower-bird. such is the nest of the brush turkey, which appears more like a small haystack than an ordinary nest, and the methodical manner in which it is constructed is thus described:--tracing a circle of considerable radius, the birds begin to travel round it, continually grasping with their huge feet the leaves and grasses and dead twigs which are lying about, and flinging them inwards towards the centre. each time that they complete their round, they narrow their circle, so that in a short time they clear away a circular belt, having in its centre a low irregular mass. by repeating the same process, however, they decrease the diameter of the mound as they increase its height, and at last a large and rudely conical mound is formed. in this nest as many as a bushel of eggs are deposited, at regular intervals, long end downwards. the leaves form a fermenting mass, which relieves the mother of the necessity of setting upon them. the male, however, has to regulate the temperature of the mass, which would otherwise get too hot. this he does by making a central ventilating shaft, which carries off the superfluous heat; and, lest the temperature should fall too low, he is constantly engaged in covering and uncovering the eggs in order to hit the exact temperature to be applied until the egg is warmed into life. footnote: [ ] abridged from the "saturday review." the epicure's ortolan. we have allotted this bird to the epicure, because it is rarely heard of but in association with his luxurious table. mr. beckford describes the ortolans among the delicacies which he saw in the kitchen of the monastery of batalha as "lumps of celestial fatness." ortolan is the french and english names for a species of _fringillidæ_ (finches). it is the _hortulanus_ of gesner and other naturalists; _miliaria pinguescens_ of frisch; _emberiza hortulana_ of linnæus; _ortolano_ of the italians generally; _tordino berluccio_ of the venetians; _garton ammer_ and _fetammer_ of the germans; and _gerste keneu_ of the netherlanders. this wide dispersion on the continent bespeaks the pet character of the bird. montagu terms it the green-headed bunting. the french have a fanciful derivation of the name: they say it is from the italian word for gardener, which is from the latin _hortus_, garden; because, according to menage, in italy, where the bird is common, it is quite at home in the hedges of gardens. the male bird has the throat, circle round the eyes, and a narrow band springing from the angle of the bill, yellow; head and neck grey, with a tinge of olive, and small brown spots; feathers black, edged with red; breast, belly, and abdomen, reddish grey, the feathers terminated with ash-colour; tail blackish, two external feathers, in part white; length rather more than six inches. there are, also, varieties marked white, green, blackish, and entirely black. the nest, which is constructed of fibres of plants and leaves, is frequently found on the ground in corn-fields, and sometimes in hedges and bushes. the ortolan is not famed for its song, which is, however, soft and sweet. like the nightingale, to which it has other points of resemblance, the ortolan sings after, as well as before sunset. it was this bird that varro, the lyric poet, called his companion by night and day. the south of europe may be considered the summer and autumnal head-quarters of the ortolan, though it is a summer visitor in the central and northern parts. in italy it is said to be common by temminck and others. the prince of musignano states it to be found in the sabine mountains; adding that it rarely flies in the plains of rome, but is frequent in tuscany. lapland, russia, denmark. sweden, and norway, are among the countries visited by it. in the british isles it seems only entitled to rank as an autumnal visitor, but it may occur more frequently than is generally supposed; for, especially to an unpractised eye, it might be mistaken for the yellow hammer, and in some states of plumage for other buntings. it has been taken in the neighbourhood of london. in there was a live specimen in an aviary of the zoological society in regent's-park; and many ortolans are sent alive to the london market from prussia. there is, however, some consolation for the rarity of the ortolan in england. it is approached in delicacy by our wheatear, which is termed the _english ortolan_. hence it has been pursued as a delicate morsel throughout all its island haunts. bewick captured it at sea, off the coast of yorkshire, in may, . every spring and autumn it may be observed at gibraltar, on its migration. mr. strickland saw it at smyrna in april. north africa is its winter residence. colonel sykes notes it in his catalogue of the birds of the deccan. ortolans are solitary birds; they fly in pairs, rarely three together, and never in flocks. they are taken in traps from march or april to september, when they are often poor and thin; but if fed with plenty of millet-seed and other grain, they become sheer lumps of fat, and delicious morsels. they are fattened thus in large establishments in the south of europe; mr. gould states this to be effected in italy, and the south of france, in dark rooms; and the prince of musignano, having described the process, adds the relishing words. "carne exquisita." the fattening process in italy is one of great refinement in the manner of feeding. it is the fat of the ortolan which is so delicious; but it has a peculiar habit of feeding which is opposed to the rapid fattening, this is, it feeds only at the rising of the sun. yet this peculiarity has not proved an insurmountable obstacle to the italian gourmands. the ortolans are placed in a dark chamber, perfectly dark, with only one aperture in the wall. the food is scattered over the floor of the chamber. at a certain hour in the morning the keeper of the birds places a lantern in the orifice of the wall; when the dim light thrown from the lantern on the floor of the apartment induces the ortolans to believe that the sun is about to rise, and they greedily consume the food upon the floor. more food is now scattered over it, and the lantern is withdrawn. the ortolans, rather surprised at the shortness of the day, think it their duty to fall asleep, as night has spread her sable mantle round them. during sleep, little of the food being expended in the production of force, most of it goes to the formation of muscle and fat. after they have been allowed to repose for one or two hours, in order to complete the digestion of the food taken, their keeper again exhibits the lantern through the aperture. the "rising sun" a second time illumines the apartment, and the birds, awaking from their slumber, apply themselves voraciously to the food on the floor; after having discussed which, they are again enveloped in darkness. thus the sun is made to shed its rising rays into the chamber floor four or five times every day, and as many nights following. the ortolans thus treated become like little balls of fat in a few days. this not uninteresting process has been detailed by dr. lyon playfair to the royal agricultural society. it may, probably, be applied to purposes with less luxurious objects than fattening ortolans. notwithstanding its delicacy, the ortolan fattens very fast; and it is this lump of fatness that is its merit, and has sometimes caused it to be preferred to the becafico. according to buffon, the greeks and romans understood fattening the ortolan upon millet. but a lively french commentator doubts this statement: he maintains that had the ancients known the ortolan, they would have deified it, and built altars to it upon mount hymettus and the saniculum; adding, did they not deify the horse of caligula, which was certainly not worth an ortolan? and caligula himself, who was not worth so much as his horse? however, this dispute belongs to the "classics of the table." the ortolan is considered sufficiently fat when it is a handful, and is judged by feeling it, and not by appearance. it should not be killed with violence, like other birds; this might crush and bruise the delicate flesh, and spoil the _coup-d'oeil_, to avoid which it is recommended to plunge the head of the ortolan into a glass of brandy. the culinary instruction is as follows: having picked the bird of its feathers, singe it with the flame of paper or spirits of wine; cut off the beak and ends of the feet; do not draw it; put it into a paper case soaked in olive oil, and broil it over a slow fire of slack cinders, like that required for a pigeon _à la crapaudine_; in a few minutes the ortolan will swim in its own fat, and will be cooked. some gourmands wrap each bird in a vine-leaf. a gourmand will take an ortolan by the legs and craunch it in delicious mouthfuls, so as absolutely to lose none of it. more delicate feeders cut the bird into quarters, and lay aside the gizzard; the rest may be eaten, even to the bones, which are sufficiently tender for the most delicate mouth to masticate without inconvenience. on the continent, ortolans are packed in tin boxes for exportation. they may be bought in london for half-a-crown a-piece. a few poulterers import ortolans in considerable numbers, and some have acquired the art of fattening these birds.[ ] alexis soyer put into the hundred guinea dish which he prepared for the royal table at the grand banquet at york, in , five pounds worth of ortolans, which were obtained from belgium. footnote: [ ] the ortolan figures in a curious anecdote of individual epicurism in the last century. a gentleman of gloucestershire had one son, whom he sent abroad to make the grand tour of the continent, where he paid more attention to the cookery of nations, and luxurious living, than anything else. before his return his father died and left him a large fortune. he now looked over his note-book to discover where the most exquisite dishes were to be had, and the best cooks obtained. every servant in his house was a cook; his butler, footman, coachman, and grooms--all were cooks. he had also three italian cooks--one from florence, another from vienna, and another from viterbo--for dressing one florentine dish. he had a messenger constantly on the road between brittany and london to bring the eggs of a certain kind of plover found in the former country. this prodigal was known to eat a single dinner at the expense of _l._, though there were but two dishes. in nine years he found himself getting poor, and this made him melancholy. when totally ruined, having spent , _l._, a friend one day gave him a guinea to keep him from starving, and he was found in a garret next day _broiling an ortolan_, for which he had paid a portion of the alms. talk about toucans. the toucans, a family of climbing-birds of tropical america, appear to have been known in europe by the length and great size of their bills, long before the birds themselves found their way to england. belon, in , described the bill of one of the family as half a foot long, large as a child's arm, pointed, and black at the tip, white elsewhere, notched on the edges, hollow within, and so finely delicate as to be transparent and thin as parchment; and its beauty caused it to be kept in the cabinets of the curious. for more than a century after belon's work, the birds themselves had not been seen in england; for, in the _museum tradescantianum_, the standard collection of the time, and which, from the list of contributors, appears to have been the great receptacle for all curiosities, we read of an "azacari (or toucan) of brazil; has his beak four inches long, almost two thick, like a turk's sword" (a.d. ). from this description tradescant knew the nature of the bird, if he had not seen it. mr. swainson states, that the enormous bills give to these birds a most singular and uncouth appearance. their feet are formed like those of the parrot, more for grasping than climbing; and as they live among trees, and proceed by hopping from branch to branch, their grasping feature is particularly adapted for such habits. they live retired in the deep forests, mostly in small companies. their flight is strait and laborious, but not graceful; while their movements, as they glide rather than hop from branch to branch, are elegant. mr. gould, in his grand monograph of the toucans, or _ramphastidæ_, remarks, that it was only within a few years of the time of linnæus that actual specimens of the toucan had been received in europe. the beaks, however, of these birds, regarded as curiosities, had occasionally found their way to our shores, and had occasioned some curious conjectures. the earliest shape resembled a turkish scimitar. the toucans (a word derived from their brazilian name, _taca, tucà_) received from linnæus the title of _ramphastos_, in allusion to the great volume of the beak ([greek: ramphos]--ramphos), a family (_ramphastidæ_). in some respects, indeed, they resemble the hornbills in the development of the beak. the toucans may be said to represent in america the hornbills in india and africa. large as is the beak of the toucan compared with the size of the body, it is in reality very light. its outer sheathing is somewhat elastic, very thin, smooth, and semi-transparent; and the interior consists of a maze of delicate cells, throughout which the olfactory nerves are multitudinously distributed. the nostrils are basal, the edges of each mandible are serrated, and the colouring of the whole beak is bright, rich, and often relieved by contrasted markings. but these tints begin to fade after death, and become ultimately dissipated. the eyes are surrounded by a considerable space of naked skin, often very richly tinted. the tongue is very long, slender, horizontally flattened, pointed, and, except at its base, horny; it is fringed or feathered along each side. the wings are short, concave, and comparatively feeble. the tail is variable, equal and squared; it is remarkable for the facility with which it can be retroverted or turned up, so as to lie upon the back. this peculiarity results from a modification of structure in the caudal vertebræ, which enables the tail to turn with a jerk by the action of certain muscles, as if it were fixed on a hinge put into action by means of a spring. when the retroversion is accomplished, the muscles which caused it become passive, and offer no resistance to their antagonists, which restore the tail to its ordinary direction. when they sleep they puff out their plumage, they retrovert the tail over the back, draw the head between the shoulders; the bill begins to turn over the right shoulder, and becomes at last buried in the plumage of the back; at the same time the pinions of the wings droop, and conceal the feet. the bird now resembles an oval ball of puffed-up feathers, and is well protected against the cold. toucans utter, from time to time, harsh, clattering, and discordant cries. "some," says mr. gould, "frequent the humid woods of the temperate regions, while others resort to comparatively colder districts, and dwell at an elevation of from six to ten thousand feet. those inhabiting the lofty regions are generically different from those residing in the low lands, and are clothed in a more thick and sombre-coloured plumage. all the members of the hill-toucans are distinguished by their bills being strong, heavy, and hard, when compared with those of the true toucans and araçaris, all of which have their bills of a more delicate structure, and in several species so thin and elastic on the sides as to be compressible between the fingers." their food in a state of nature consists of fruit, eggs, and nestling birds; to which, in domestication, are added small birds, mice, caterpillars, and raw flesh. they incubate in the hollows of gigantic trees. faber was told by fryer, alaysa, and other spaniards who had lived long in america, and also by the indians, that the toucan even hews out holes in trees, in which to nidify; and oviedo adds, that it is from this habit of chipping the trees that the bird is called by the spaniards _carpintero_, and by the brazilians _tacataca_, in imitation, apparently, of the sound it thus makes. the larger feed upon bananas and other succulent plants; the smaller upon the smaller fruits and berries. prince maximilian de wied states, that in brazil he found only the remains of fruits in their stomachs, and adds, that they make sad havoc among plantations of fruit-trees. he was informed, however, that they steal and eat birds, but never himself saw them in the act. they abound in the vast forests, and are killed in great number in the cooler season in the year for the purposes of the table. in their manners the toucans resemble the crow tribe, and especially the magpies: like them, they are very troublesome to the birds of prey, particularly to the owls, which they surround, making a great noise, all the while jerking their tails upwards and downwards. their feathers, especially from their yellow breasts, are used by the indians for personal decoration. azara states that they attack even the solid nests of the white ants, when the clay of which their nests are formed becomes moistened with the rain; they break them up with their beaks, so as to obtain the young ants and their eggs; and during the breeding season the toucan feeds upon nothing else; during the rest of the year he subsists upon fruit, insects, and the buds of trees. edwards, in his voyage up the amazon, observes, that when a party of toucans alight on a tree, one usually acts the part of a sentinel, uttering the loud cry of "tucano," whence they derive their name; the others disperse over the branches in search of fruit. while feeding they keep up a hoarse chattering, and at intervals unite with the noisy sentry, and scream a concert that may be heard a mile. having appeased their appetites, they seek the depths of a forest, and there quietly doze away the noon. in early morning a few of them may be seen sitting quietly upon the branches of some dead tree, apparently awaiting the coming sunlight before starting for their feeding-trees. some species of toucans have been seen quarrelling with monkeys over a nest of eggs. their carnivorous propensity has been strikingly shown in the specimens which have been kept in england. on the approach of any small bird the toucan becomes highly excited, raises itself up, erects its feathers, and utters a hollow clattering sound, the irides of the eyes expand, and the toucan is ready to dart on its prey. a toucan, exhibited in st. martin's-lane in , seized and devoured a canary-bird. next day mr. broderip tried him with a live goldfinch. the toucan seized it with the beak, and the poor little victim uttered a short weak cry, for within a second it was dead, killed by the powerful compression of the mandibles. the toucan now placed the dead bird firmly between its foot and the perch, stripped off the feathers with its bill, and then broke the bones of the wings and legs, by strongly wrenching them, the bird being still secured by the toucan's foot. he then continued to work with great dexterity till he had reduced the goldfinch to a shapeless mass. this he devoured piece by piece with great gusto, not even leaving the legs or the beak of his prey: to each morsel he applied his tongue as he masticated it, chattering and shivering with delight. he never used his foot, but his bill, for conveying his food to his mouth by the sides of the bill. mr. swainson remarks:--"the apparent disproportion of the bill is one of the innumerable instances of that beautiful adaptation of structure to use which the book of nature everywhere reveals. the food of these birds consists principally of the eggs and young of others, to discover which nature has given them the most exquisite powers of smell." again, the nests in which the toucan finds its food are often very deep and dark, and its bill, covered with branches of nerves, enables the bird to feel its way as accurately as the finest and most delicate finger could. from its feeding on eggs found in other birds' nests, it has been called the egg-sucker. probably there is no bird which secures her young offspring better from the monkeys, which are very noisome to the young of most birds. for when she perceives the approach of these enemies she so settles herself in her nest as to put her bill out at the hole, and give the monkeys such a welcome therewith that they presently break away, and are glad to escape. professor owen, in his minute examination of the mandibles, remarks that the principle of the cylinder is introduced into the elaborate structure; the smallest of the supporting pillars of the mandibles are seen to be hollow or tubular when examined with the microscope. light and almost diaphonous as is the bill of the toucan, its strength and the power of the muscles, which act upon the mandibles, are evident in the wrenching and masticatory processes. when taking fruit, the toucan generally holds it for a short time at the extremity of his bill, applying to it, with apparent delight, the pointed tip of the slender tongue: the bird then throws it, with a sudden upward jerk, to the throat, where it is caught and instantly swallowed. mr. gould divides the toucans into six genera. . the true toucans, with large and gaily-coloured bills, plumage black. . the araçaris, with smaller beaks, plumage green, yellow, and red. . the banded aracauris, an amazonian genus, proposed by prince c. l. bonaparte. . toucanets, small, with crescent of yellow on the back, and brilliant orange and yellow ear-coverts. . hill toucans of the andes. . groove-bills, grass-green plumage. a very fine true toucan, figured by mr. gould, is remarkable for the splendour and size of the bill, of a fine orange-red, with a large black patch on each side. powder-flasks are made of large and finely-coloured bills. the naked skin round the eye is bright orange. the chest is white, with a tinge of sulphur below, and a slight scarlet margin. upper tail-coverts, white; under tail-coverts, scarlet; the rest of the plumage, black. several specimens of this beautiful bird lived both in the menagerie of the late earl of derby, at knowsley, and in the gardens of the zoological society. it is a native of cayenne, paraguay, &c. toucans in their manners are gentle and confident, exhibiting no alarm at strangers, and are as playful as magpies or jackdaws; travellers assure us that they may be taught tricks and feats like parrots; and although they cannot imitate the human voice, they show considerable intelligence. one of the toucanets is named from mr. gould, the plates in whose _monograph_, from their size, beauty, and accuracy, have all the air of portraits. eccentricities of penguins. this group of amphibious birds, though powerless in the wing as an organ of flight, are assisted by it as a species of fin in their rapid divings and evolutions under water, and even as a kind of anterior of extremity when progressing on the land. their lot has been wisely cast on those desolate southern islands and shores where man rarely intrudes, and in many instances where a churlish climate or a barren soil offers no temptations to him to invade their territory. le vaillant, when on dassen island, found that the smaller crevices of the rocks served as places of retreat for penguins, which swarmed there. "this bird," says le vaillant, which is about two feet in length, "does not carry its body in the same manner as others: it stands perpendicularly on its two feet, which gives it an air of gravity, so much the more ridiculous as its wings, which have no feathers, hang carelessly down on each side; it never uses them but in swimming. as we advanced towards the middle of the island we met innumerable troops of them. standing firm and erect on their legs, these animals never deranged themselves in the least to let us pass; they more particularly surrounded the mausoleum, and seemed as if determined to prevent us from approaching it. all the environs were entirely beset with them. nature had done more for the plain tomb of the poor danish captain than what proceeds from the imaginations of poets or the chisels of our artists. the hideous owl, however well sculptured in our churches, has not half so dead and melancholy an air as the penguin. the mournful cries of this animal, mixed with those of the sea-calf, impressed on my mind a kind of gloom which much disposed me to tender sensations of sadness. my eyes were sometime fixed on the last abode of the unfortunate traveller, and i gave his manes the tribute of a sigh." sir john narborough says of the patagonian penguins that their erect attitude and bluish-black backs, contrasted with their white bellies, might cause them to be taken at a distance for young children with white pinafores on. a line of them is engraved in webster's "voyage of the chanticleer," and reminds us of one of the woodcuts in hood's "comic annual." the "towns, camps, and rookeries," as they have been called, of penguins have been often described. at the falkland islands are assemblies of penguins, which give a dreary desolation to the place, in the utter absence of the human race. in some of the towns voyagers describe a general stillness, and when the intruders walked among the feathered population to provide themselves with eggs, they were regarded with side-long glances, but they seemed to carry no terror with them. in many places the shores are covered with these birds, and three hundred have been taken within an hour; for they generally make no effort to escape, but stand quietly by whilst their companions are knocked down with sticks, till it comes to their turn. the rookeries are described as designed with the utmost order and regularity, though they are the resort of several different species. a regular camp, often covering three or four acres, is laid out and levelled, and the ground disposed in squares for the nests, as accurately as if a surveyor had been employed. their marchings and countermarchings are said to remind the observer of the manoeuvres of soldiers on parade. in the midst of this apparent order there appears to be not very good government, for the stronger species steal the eggs of the weaker if they are left unguarded; and the king penguin is the greatest thief of all. three species are found in the falkland islands. two, the _kings_ and the _macaroni_, deposit their eggs in these rookeries. the _jackass_, which is the third, obtained its english name from its brayings at night. it makes its nests in burrows on downs and sandy plains; and forster describes the ground as everywhere so much bored, that a person, in walking, often sinks up to the knees; and if the penguin chance to be in her hole, she revenges herself on the passenger by fastening on his legs, which she bites very hard. but these rookeries are insignificant when compared with a settlement of king penguins, which mr. g. bennett saw at the north end of macquarrie island, in the south pacific ocean--a colony of these birds, which covered some thirty or forty acres. here, during the whole of the day and night, , or , penguins are continually landing, and an equal number going to sea. they are ranged, when on shore, in as regular ranks as a regiment of soldiers, and are classed, the young birds in one situation, the moulting birds in another, the sitting hens in a third, the clean birds in a fourth, &c.; and so strictly do birds in a similar condition congregate, that, should a moulting bird intrude itself among those which are clean, it is immediately ejected from them. the females, if approached during incubation, move away, carrying their eggs with them. at this time the male bird goes to sea, and collects food for the female, which becomes very fat. captain fitzroy describes, at noir island, multitudes of penguins swarming among the bushes and tussac-grass near the shore, for moulting and rearing their young. they were very valiant in self-defence, and ran open-mouthed by dozens at any one who invaded their territory. the manner of feeding their young is amusing. the old bird gets on a little eminence and makes a loud noise, between quacking and braying, holding its head up as if haranguing the penguinnery, the young one standing close to it, but a little lower. the old bird then puts down its head, and opens its mouth widely, into which the young one thrusts its head, and then appears to suck from the throat of its mother; after which the clatter is repeated, and the young one is again fed: this continues for about ten minutes. mr. darwin, having placed himself between a penguin, on the falkland islands, and the water, was much amused by watching its habits. "it was a brown bird," says mr. darwin, "and, till reaching the sea, it regularly fought and drove me backwards. nothing less than heavy blows would have stopped him: every inch gained, he firmly kept standing close before me, erect and determined. when thus opposed, he continually rolled his head from side to side in a very odd manner. while at sea, and undisturbed, this bird's note is very deep and solemn, and is often heard in the night time. in diving, its little plumeless wings are used as fins, but on the land as front legs. when crawling (it may be said on four legs) through the tussacks, or on the side of a grassy cliff, it moved so very quickly that it might readily have been mistaken for a quadruped. when at sea, and fishing, it comes to the surface for the purpose of breathing with such a spring, and dives again so instantaneously, that i defy any one, at first sight, to be sure that it is not a fish leaping for sport." bougainville endeavoured to bring home a penguin alive. it became so tame that it followed the person who fed it; it ate bread, flesh, or fish; but it fell away and died. the four-footed duck of gesner might have owed its origin to an ill-preserved penguin. the notion of its being four-footed might have been fortified by some voyager who had seen the bird making progress as mr. darwin has above described. mr. webster describes the feathers of penguins as very different from those of other birds, being short, very rigid, and the roots deeply embedded in fat. they are, in general, flat, and bent backwards, those on the breast being of a satin or silky white, and those on the flippers so short and small as to approach the nature of scales, overlaying each other very closely. the skins are loaded with fat. their feet are not regularly webbed, but present a broad, fleshy surface, more adapted for walking than swimming. mr. webster saw great numbers of penguins on staten island. they are the only genus of the feathered race that are there, and live in the water, like seals. he saw them at the distance of miles from the land, swimming with the rapidity of the dolphin, the swiftest of fishes. when they come up to the surface for fresh breath, they make a croaking noise, dip their beaks frequently in the water, and play and dive about near the surface, like the bonita. penguins have great powers of abstinence, and are able to live four or five months without food. stones have been occasionally found in their stomachs, but they generally live on shrimps and crustacea, gorging themselves sometimes to excess. the sensations of these curious birds do not seem to be very acute. sparrman stumbled over a sleeping one, and kicked it some yards, without disturbing its rest; and forster left a number of penguins apparently lifeless, while he went in pursuit of others, but they afterwards got up and marched off with their usual gravity. the bird is named from the welsh word, _pengwyn_. white head (_pen_, head; _gwyn_, white), and is thought to have been given to the bird by some welsh sailors, on seeing its white breast. davis, who discovered, in , the straits which are named after him, was of welsh parents. might he not have given the name _pengwyn_ to the bird? swainson considers the penguins, on the whole, as the most singular of all aquatic birds; and he states that they clearly point out that nature is about to pass from the birds to the fishes. others consider penguins more satisfactorily to represent some of the aquatic reptiles, especially the marine _testudinata_. pelicans and cormorants. pelicans are described as a large, voracious, and wandering tribe of birds, living for the most part on the ocean, and seldom approaching land but at the season of incubation. they fly with ease, and even with swiftness. their bill is long, and armed at the end with an abrupt hook; the width of the gape is excessive; the face is generally bare of feathers, and the skin of the throat sometimes so extensible as to hang down like a bag; it will occasionally contain ten quarts. "by this curious organization," observes swainson, "the pelicans are able to swallow fish of a very large size; and the whole family may be termed _oceanic vultures_." the neighbourhood of rivers, lakes, and the sea-coast, is the haunt of the pelican, and they are rarely seen more than twenty leagues from the land. le vaillant, upon visiting dassen island, at the entrance of saldanha bay, beheld, as he says, after wading through the surf, and clambering up the rocks, such a spectacle as never, perhaps, appeared to the eye of mortal. "all of a sudden there arose from the whole surface of the island an impenetrable cloud, which formed, at the distance of forty feet above our heads, an immense canopy, or, rather, a sky, composed of birds of every species and of all colours--cormorants, sea-gulls, sand-swallows, and, i believe, the whole winged tribe of this part of africa, were here assembled." the same traveller found on the klein-brak river, whilst waiting for the ebb-tide, thousands of pelicans and flamingoes, the deep rose-colour of the one strongly contrasting with the white of the other. mr. gould says the bird is remarkable for longevity and the long period requisite for the completion of its plumage. the first year's dress is wholly brown, then fine white. the rosy tints are only acquired as the bird advances in age, and five years are required before the pelican becomes fully mature. the expanse of wings is from twelve to thirteen feet. although the bird perches on trees, it prefers rocky shores. it is found in the oriental countries of europe; and is common on the rivers and lakes of hungary and russia, and on the danube. that the species exists in asia there is no doubt. belon, who refers to leviticus xi. , where the bird is noted as unclean, says that it is frequent on the lakes of egypt and judæa. "when he was passing the plain of roma, which is only half a day's journey from jerusalem, he saw them flying in pairs, like swans, as well as in a large flock. hasselquist saw the pelican at damietta, in egypt. "in flying, they form an acute angle, like the common wild geese when they migrate. they appear in some of the egyptian drawings."--(_rossellini._) von siebold saw the pelican in japan. "pelicans," says dr. richardson, "are numerous in the interior of the fur countries, but they seldom come within two hundred miles of hudson's bay. they deposit their eggs usually on small rocky islands, on the brink of cascades, where they can scarcely be approached; but they are otherwise by no means shy birds. they haunt eddies under waterfalls, and devour great quantities of carp and other fish. when gorged with food they doze on the water, and may be easily captured, as they have great difficulty in taking wing at such times, particularly if their pouches be loaded with fish." the bird builds on rocky and desert shores: hence we read of "the pelican of the wilderness," alluded to in these beautiful lines:-- "like the pelicans on that lone island where they built their nests, nourish'd their young, and then lay down to die." the bird lives on fish, which it darts upon from a considerable height. james montgomery thus describes this mode of taking their prey:-- "eager for food, their searching eyes they fix'd on ocean's unroll'd volume, from a height that brought immensity within their scope; yet with such power of vision look'd they down, as though they watch'd the shell-fish slowly gliding o'er sunken rocks, or climbing trees of coral, on indefatigable wing upheld, breath, pulse, existence, seem'd suspended in them; they were as pictures painted on the sky; till suddenly, aslant, away they shot, like meteors chang'd from stars in gleams of lightning. and struck upon the deep; where, in wild play, their quarry flounder'd, unsuspecting harm. with terrible voracity they plunged their heads among the affrighted shoals, and beat a tempest on the surges with their wings, till flashing clouds of foam and spray conceal'd them. nimbly they seized and secreted their prey, alive and wriggling, in th' elastic net which nature hung beneath their grasping beaks; till, swoll'n with captures, th' unwieldy burthen clogg'd their slow flight, as heavily to land these mighty hunters of the deep return'd. there on the cragged cliffs they perched at ease, gorging their hapless victims one by one; then, full and weary, side by side they slept, till evening roused them to the chase again." _pelican island._ great numbers of pelicans are killed for their pouches, which are converted by the native americans into purses, &c. when carefully prepared, the membrane is as soft as silk, and sometimes embroidered by spanish ladies for work-bags, &c. it is used in egypt by the sailors, whilst attached to the two under chaps, for holding or baling water. with the pelican has been associated an old popular error, which has not long disappeared from books of information: it is that of the pelican feeding her young with her blood. in reference to the actual economy of the pelican, we find that, in feeding the nestlings--and the male is said to supply the wants of the female, when sitting, in the same manner--the under mandible is pressed against the neck and breast, to assist the bird in disgorging the contents of the capacious pouch; and during this action the red nail of the upper mandible would appear to come in contact with the breast, thus laying the foundation, in all probability, for the fable that the pelican nourishes her young with her blood, and for the attitude in which the imagination of painters has placed the bird in books of emblems, &c., with the blood spirting from the wounds made by the terminating nail of the upper mandible into the gaping mouths of her offspring. sir thomas browne, in his "vulgar errors," says:--"in every place we meet with the picture of the pelican opening her breast with her bill, and feeding her young ones with the blood distilling from her. thus it is set forth, not only in common signs, but in the crest and scutcheon of many noble families; hath been asserted by many holy writers, and was an hieroglyphic of piety and pity among the egyptians; on which consideration they spared them at their tables." sir thomas refers this popular error to an exaggerated description of the pelican's fondness for her young, and is inclined to accept it as an emblem "in coat-armour," though with great doubt. in "a choice of emblems and other devices," by geoffrey whitney, are these lines:-- "the pelican, for to revive her younge, doth pierce her breste, and geve them of her blood. then searche your breste, and as you have with tonge, with penne procede to do your countrie good: your zeal is great, your learning is profounde; then help our wantes with that you do abound." in george wither's "emblems," , we find:-- "our pelican, by bleeding thus, fulfill'd the law, and cured us." shakspeare, in "hamlet," thus alludes to the popular notion:-- "to his good friends thus wide i'll ope my arms; and like the kind, life-rendering pelican, repast them with my blood." in a holier light, this symbol signifies the saviour giving himself up for the redemption of mankind. in lord lindsay's "christian art," vols. i., xx., xxi., we find in the text, "god the son (is symbolized) by a pelican--'i am like a pelican of the wilderness.' (psalm cii. .)" to which is added the following note:--"the mediæval interpretation of this symbol is given by sir david lindsay, of the mount, lion king, nephew of the poet, in his ms. 'collectanea,' preserved in the advocates' library. edinburgh." sir thomas browne hints at the probability of the pelican occasionally nibbling or biting itself on the itching part of its breast, upon fulness or acrimony of blood, so as to tinge the feathers in that part. such an instance is recorded by mr. g. bennett of a pelican living at dulwich, which wounded itself just above the breast; but no such act has been observed among the pelicans kept in the menagerie of the zoological society or elsewhere; and the instance just recorded was probably caused by local irritation. of the same genus as the _pelican_ is the _cormorant_, an inhabitant of europe generally and of america. it swims very deep in the water; even in the sea very little more than the neck and head are visible above the surface. it is a most expert diver, pursuing the fish which forms its food with great activity under water; it is said to be very fond of eels. it perches on trees, where it occasionally builds its nests, but it mostly selects rocky shores and islands. upon the fern islands its nest is composed of a mass of sea-weed, frequently heaped up to the height of two feet. the species is easily domesticated; and its docility is shown by the use often made of cormorants in fishing. willughby, quoting faber, says:--"they are wont in england to train up cormorants to fishing. when they carry them out of the room where they are kept they take off their hoods, and having tied a leather thong round the lower part of their necks, that they may not swallow down the fish they catch, they throw them into the river. they presently dive under water, and there for a long time, with wonderful swiftness, pursue the fish, and when they have caught them they arise presently to the top of the water, and pressing the fish tightly with the bills, they swallow them, till each bird hath after this manner devoured five or six fishes. then their keepers call them to the fish, to which they readily fly, and little by little, one after another, vomit up all the fish, a little bruised with the nip they gave them with their bills." when they have done fishing they loosen the string from the birds' necks, and for their reward they throw them part of the prey they have caught, to each, perchance, one or two fishes, which they catch most dexterously in their mouths as they are falling in the air. pennant quotes whitelock, who said that he had a cast of them, manned like hawks, and which would come to hand. he took much pleasure in them, and relates that the best he had was one presented him by mr. wood, master of the corvorants (as the older name was) to charles i. pennant adds, it is well known that the chinese make great use of a congenerous sort in fishing, and that not for amusement but profit. sir george staunton, in his account of his embassy to china, describes the place where the _leu-tze_, or famed fishing-bird of china, is bred and instructed in the art and practice of supplying his owner with fish in great abundance. the bird, a cormorant, is figured in sir george's work, with two chinese fishermen carrying their light boat, around the gunnel of which their cormorants are perched by a pole resting on their shoulders between them. on a large lake are thousands of small boats and rafts built entirely for this species of fishery. on each boat or raft are ten or a dozen birds, which, on a signal from the owner, plunge into the water; and it is astonishing to see the enormous size of fish with which they return grasped between their bills. they appeared to be so well trained that it did not require either ring or cord about their throats to prevent them from swallowing any portion of their prey except what the master was pleased to return to them for encouragement and food. the boat used by these fishermen is remarkably light, and is often carried to the lake, together with the fishing-birds, by the men who are there to be supported by it. belon gives an amusing account of the chase of this bird during calms, especially in the neighbourhood of venice: the hunt is carried on in very light boats, each of which being rowed by five or six men, darts along the sea like the bolt from an arbalest, till the poor cormorant, who is shot at with bows as soon as he puts his head above water, and cannot take flight after diving to suffocation, is taken quite tired out by his pursuers. cormorant fishing has occasionally been reintroduced upon our rivers. in there were brought from holland four tame cormorants, which had been trained to the chinese mode of fishing. upon one occasion they fished three miles on a river, and caught a pannier-full of trout and eels. a ring placed round their necks to prevent them from swallowing large fish, but which leaves them at liberty to gulp down anything not exceeding the size of a gudgeon. the birds on these occasions are put into such parts of the river as are known to be favourite haunts of fish; and their activity under water in pursuit of fish can be compared to nothing so appropriate as a swallow darting after a fly. blumenbach tells us the cormorant occasionally increases in a few years to many thousands on coasts where it was previously unknown. it varies much both in size and colour. the late joshua brookes, the surgeon, possessed a cormorant, which he presented to the zoological society. the cormorant has a small sabre-shaped bone at the back of its vertex; which bone may serve as a lever in throwing back the head, when the animal tosses the fishes into the air and catches them in its open mouth. the same motion is, however, performed by some piscivorous birds, which are not provided with this particular bone. aubrey, in his "natural history of wilts," quotes the following weather presage from may's "virgil's georgics":-- "the seas are ill to sailors evermore when cormorants fly crying to the shore." talking birds, etc. certain birds are known to utter strange sounds, the origin of which has much puzzled the ornithologists. the brown owl which hoots, is hence called the screech owl: a musical friend of gilbert white tried all the owls that were his near neighbours with a pitch-pipe set at a concert pitch, and found they all hooted in b flat; and he subsequently found that neither owls nor cuckoos keep to one note. the whidah bird, one of the most costly of cage-birds, rattles its tail-feathers with a noise somewhat resembling that made by the rattle-snake. the chinese starling, in china called _longuoy_, in captivity is very teachable, imitating words, and even whistling tunes: we all remember sterne's starling. the piping crow, to be seen in troops in the blue mountains, is named from its ready mimicry of other birds: its imitation of the chucking and cackling of a hen and the crowing of a cock, as well as its whistling of tunes, are described as very perfect: its native note is said to be a loud whistle. the blue jay turns his imitative faculty to treacherous account: he so closely imitates the st. domingo falcon as to deceive even those acquainted with both birds; and the falcon no sooner appears in their neighbourhood than the jays swarm around him and insult him with their imitative cries; for which they frequently fall victims to his appetite. the bullfinch, according to blumenbach, learns to whistle tunes, to sing in parts, and even to pronounce words. the note of the crowned crane has been compared by buffon to the hoarseness of a trumpet; it also clucks like a hen. mr. wallace, in his "travels on the amazon," saw a bird about the size and colour of the raven, which uttered a loud, hoarse cry, like some deep musical instrument, whence its indian name, _ueramioube_, trumpet bird: it inhabits the flooded islands of the rio negro and the solimoes, never appearing on the mainland.[ ] the only sound produced by storks is by snapping their bills. the night heron is called the qua bird; from its note _qua_. the bittern, the english provincial names of which are the mire-drum, bull of the bog, &c., is so called for the bellowing or drumming noise or booming for which the bird is so famous. this deep note of the "hollow-sounding bittern" is exerted on the ground at the breeding season, about february or march. as the day declines he leaves his haunt, and, rising spirally, soars to a great height in the twilight. willughby says that it performs this last-mentioned feat in the autumn, "making a singular kind of noise, nothing like to lowing." bewick says that it soars as above described when it changes its haunts. ordinarily it flies heavily, like the heron, uttering from time to time a resounding cry, not bellowing; and then willughby, who well describes the bellowing noise of the breeding season, supposes it to be the night raven, at whose "deadly voice" the superstitious wayfarer of the night turned pale and trembled. "this, without doubt," writes willughby, "is that bird our common people call the night raven, and have such a dread of, imagining its cry portends no less than their death or the death of some of their near relations; for it flies in the night, answers their description of being like a flagging collar, and hath such a kind of hooping cry as they talk of." others, with some reason, consider the qua bird already mentioned (which utters a loud and most disagreeable noise when on the wing, conveying the idea of the agonies of a person attempting to vomit) to be the true night raven. the bittern was well known to the ancients, and aristotle mentions the fable of its origin from staves metamorphosed into birds. the long claw of the hind toe is much prized as a toothpick, and in the olden times it was thought to have the property of preserving the teeth. the greater-billed butcher bird, from new holland, has extraordinary powers of voice: it is trained for catching small birds, and it is said to imitate the notes of some other birds by way of decoying them to their destruction. the mere imitative sounds of parrots are of little interest compared with the instances of instinct, apparently allied to reason, which are related of individuals. of this tribe the distinguishing characteristics are a hooked bill, the upper mandible of which is moveable as well as the lower, and not in one piece with the skull, as in most other birds, but joined to the head by a strong membrane, with which the bird lifts it or lets it fall at pleasure. the bill is also round on the outside and hollow within, and has, in some degree, the capacity of a mouth, allowing the tongue, which is thick and fleshy, to play freely; while the sound, striking against the circular border of the lower mandible, reflects it like a palate: hence the animal does not utter a whistling sound, but a full articulation. the tongue, which modulates all sounds, is proportionally larger than in man. the wild swan has a very loud call, and utters a melancholy cry when one of the flock is killed; hence it was said by the poets to sing its own dying dirge. such was the popular belief in olden times; and, looking to the anatomical characteristics of the species, it was, in some degree, supported by the more inflated wind-pipe of the wild when compared with that of the tame species. the _song of the swan_ is, however, irreconcileable with sober belief, the only noise of the wild swan of our times being unmelodious, and an unpleasing monotony. the laughing goose is named from its note having some resemblance to the laugh of man; and not, as wilson supposes, from the grinning appearance of its mandibles. the indians imitate its cry by moving the hand quickly against the lips, whilst they repeat the syllable _wah_. the cuckoo may be said to have done much for musical science, because from that bird has been derived the _minor scale_, the origin of which has puzzled so many; the cuckoo's couplet being the _minor third_ sung downwards. the germans are the finest appreciators of the nightingale; and it is a fact, that when the prussian authorities, under pecuniary pressure, were about to cut down certain trees near cologne, which were frequented by nightingales, the alarmed citizens purchased the trees in order to save the birds and keep their music. yet one would think the music hardly worth having, if it really sounded as it looks upon paper, transcribed thus by bechstein, from whom it is quoted by broderip:-- zozozozozozozozozozozozo zirrhading hezezezezezezezezezezezezezezeze cowar ho dze hoi higaigaigaigaigaigaigaigaigaigai, guaiagai coricor dzio dzio pi.[ ] m. wichterich, of bonn, remarks:--"it is a vulgar error to suppose that the song of the nightingale is melancholy, and that it only sings by night. there are two varieties of the nightingale; one which sings both in the night and the day, and one which sings in the day only." in the year , mr. leigh sotheby, in a letter to dr. gray, of the british museum, described a marvellous little specimen of the feathered tribe--a talking canary. its parents had previously and successfully reared many young ones, but three years before they hatched only _one_ out of four eggs, the which they immediately neglected, by commencing the rebuilding of a nest on the top of it. upon this discovery, the unfledged and forsaken bird, all but dead, was taken away and placed in flannel by the fire, when, after much attention, it was restored, and then brought up by hand. thus treated, and away from all other birds, it became familiarised only with those who fed it; consequently, its first singing notes were of a character totally different to those usual with the canary. constantly being talked to, the bird, when about three months old, astonished its mistress by repeating the endearing terms used in talking to it, such as "kissie, kissie," with its significant sounds. this went on, and from time to time the little bird repeated other words; and then, for hours together, except during the moulting season, it astonished by _ringing the changes_, according to its own fancy, and as plainly as any human voice could articulate them, on the several words, "dear sweet titchie" (its name), "kiss minnie," "kiss me, then, dear minnie." "sweet pretty little titchie," "kissie, kissie, kissie." "dear titchie," "titchie wee, gee, gee, gee, titchie. titchie." the usual singing-notes of the bird were more of the character of the nightingale, mingled occasionally with the sound of the dog-whistle used about the house. it is hardly necessary to add, that the bird was by nature remarkably tame. in , a canary-bird, capable of distinct articulation, was exhibited in regent-street. the following were some of its sentences:--"sweet pretty dear," "sweet pretty dear dicky," "mary," "sweet pretty little dicky dear;" and often in the course of the day, "sweet pretty queen." the bird also imitated the jarring of a wire, the ringing of a bell; it was three years old, and was reared by a lady who never allowed it to be in the company of other birds. this canary died in october, ; it was, it is believed, the only other talking instance publicly known. we read of some experiments made in the rearing of birds at kendal by a bird-fancier, the result of which was, that upwards of birds--canaries. greenfinches, linnets, chaffinches, titlarks, and whitethroats--were reared in one cage by a pair of canaries. the experiments were continued until the extraordinary number of thirty-eight birds had been brought up within two months by the canaries. it may be worth while to enumerate them. in the month of june the canaries--the male green, and the female piebald--were caged for the purpose of breeding. the female laid five eggs, and while she was sitting a greenfinch egg was introduced into the nest. all of these were hatched, and the day after incubation was completed five grey linnets, also newly hatched, were put into the cage, in their own nest. next day a newly-hatched nest of four chaffinches was also introduced; and afterwards five different nests, consisting of six titlarks, six whitethroats, three skylarks, three winchars, and three blackcaps. while rearing the last of these nests, the female canary again laid and hatched four eggs, thus making thirty-eight young birds brought up by the pair of canaries. it will be noticed that most of these birds are soft-billed, whose natural food is small insects; but they took quite kindly to the seeds upon which they were fed by their step-parents. the pair of canaries fed at one time twenty-one young birds, and never had less than sixteen making demands upon their care; and while the female was hatching her second nest she continued to feed the birds that occupied the other nest. of the origin of the _neighing sound_ which accompanies the single snipe's play-flight during pairing-time, opinions are various. bechstein thought it was produced by means of the beak; naumann and others, again, that it originated in powerful strokes of the wing. pratt, in hanover, observing that the bird makes heard its well-known song or cry, which he expresses with the words, "gick jack, gick jack!" at the same time with the _neighing sound_, it seemed to be settled that the latter is not produced through the throat. in the meantime, m. meves, of stockholm, remarked with surprise, that the humming sound could never be observed whilst the bird was flying upwards, at which time the tail is closed; but only when it was casting itself downwards in a slanting direction, with the tail strongly spread out. m. meves has written for the zoological society a paper upon the origin of this sound, which all the field-naturalists and sportsmen of england and other countries had, for the previous century, been trying to make out, but had failed to discover. of this paper the following is an abstract:-- the peculiar form of the tail-feathers in some foreign species nearly allied to our snipe encouraged the notion that the tail conduced to the production of the sound. m. meves found the tail-feathers of our common snipe, in the first feather especially, very peculiarly constructed; the shaft uncommonly stiff and sabre-shaped; the rays of the web strongly bound together and very long, the longest reaching nearly three-fourths of the whole length of the web, these rays lying along or spanning from end to end of the curve of the shaft, _like the strings of a musical instrument_. if you blow from the outer side upon the broad web, it comes into vibration, and a sound is heard, which, though fainter, resembles very closely the well-known _neighing_. but to convince yourself fully that it is the first feather which produces the peculiar sound, it is only necessary carefully to pluck out such an one, to fasten its shaft with fine thread to a piece of steel wire a tenth of an inch in diameter, and a foot long, and then to fix this at the end of a four-foot stick. if now you draw the feather, with this outer side forward, sharply through the air, at the same time making some short movements or shakings of the arm, so as to represent the shivering motion of the wings during flight, you produce the neighing sound with the most astonishing exactness. if you wish to hear the humming of both feathers at once, as must be the case from the flying bird, this also can be managed by a simple contrivance. take a small stick, and fasten at the side of the smaller end a piece of burnt steel wire in the form of a fork; bind to each point a side tail-feather; bend the wire so that the feathers receive the same direction which they do in the spreading of the tail as the bird sinks itself in flight; and then, with this apparatus, draw the feathers through the air as before. such a sound, but in another tone, is produced when we experiment with the tail-feathers of other kinds of snipe. since in both sexes these feathers have the same form, it is clear that both can produce the same humming noise; but as the feathers of the hen are generally less than those of the cock-bird, the noise made by them is not so deep as in the other case. besides the significance which these tail-feathers have as a kind of musical instrument, their form may give a weighty character in the determination of a species standing very near one another, which have been looked upon as varieties. this interesting discovery was first announced by m. meves in an account of the birds observed by himself during a visit to the island of gottland, in the summer of the year , which narrative was published at stockholm in the following winter. in the succeeding summer, m. meves showed his experiments to mr. wolley, whose services to ornithology we have already noticed. the mysterious noise of the wilderness was reproduced in a little room in the middle of stockholm: first, the deep bleat, now shown to proceed from the male snipe, and then the fainter bleat of the female, both most strikingly true to nature, neither producible with any other feathers than the outer ones of the tail. mr. wolley inquired of mr. meves how, issuing forth from the town on a summer ramble, he came to discover what had puzzled the wits and strained the eyes of so many observers. he freely explained how, in a number of "naumannia," an accidental misprint of the word representing tail-feathers instead of wing-feathers,--a mistake which another author ridiculed--first led him to think on the subject. he subsequently examined in the museum at stockholm the tail-feathers of various species of snipe, remarked their structure, and reasoned upon it. then he blew upon them, and fixed them on levers that he might wave them with greater force through the air; and at the same time he made more careful observation than he had hitherto done in the living birds. in short, in him the obscure hint was thrown upon fruitful ground, whilst in a hundred other minds it had failed to come to light. dr. walsh saw at constantinople a woodpecker, about the size of a thrush, which was very active in devouring flies, and tapped woodwork with his bill with a noise _as loud as that of a hammer_, to disturb the insects concealed therein, so as to seize upon them when they appeared. among remarkable bird services should not be forgotten those of the trochilos to the crocodile. "when the crocodile," says herodotus, "feeds in the nile, the inside of his mouth is always covered with _bdella_ (a term which the translators have rendered by that of _leech_). all birds, _except one_, fly from the crocodile; but this one bird, the _trochilos_, on the contrary, flies towards him with the greatest eagerness, and renders him a very great service; for every time that the crocodile comes to the land to sleep, and when he lies stretched out with his jaws open, the trochilos enters and establishes himself in his mouth, and frees him from the bdella which he finds there. the crocodile is grateful, and never does any harm to the little bird who performs for him this office." this passage was long looked upon as a pleasant story, and nothing more; until m. geoffroy st. hilaire, during his long residence in egypt, ascertained the story of herodotus to be correct in substance, but inexact in details. it is perfectly true that a little bird does exist, which flies incessantly from place to place, searching everywhere, even in the crocodile's mouth, for the insects which form the principal part of its nourishment. this bird is seen everywhere on the banks of the nile, and m. geoffroy has proved it to be of a species already described by hasselquist, and very like the small winged plover. if the trochilos be in reality the little plover, the bdella cannot be leeches, (which do not exist in the running waters of the nile) but the small insects known as _gnats_ in europe. myriads of these insects dance upon the nile: they attack the crocodile upon the inner surface of his palate, and sting the orifice of the glands, which are numerous in the crocodile's mouth. then the little plover, who follows him everywhere, delivers him from these troublesome enemies; and that without any danger to himself, for the crocodile is always careful, when he is going to shut his mouth, to make some motion which warns the little bird to fly away. at st. domingo there is a crocodile which very nearly resembles that of egypt. this crocodile is attacked by gnats, from which he would have no means of delivering himself (his tongue, like that of the crocodile, being fixed) if a bird of a particular species did not give him the same assistance that the crocodile of the nile receives from the little plover. these facts explain the passage in herodotus, and demonstrate that the animal, there called bdella, is not a leech, but a flying insect similar to our gnat. exemplifications of instinct, intelligence, and reason in birds are by no means rare, but this distinction must be made: instinctive actions are dependent on the nerves, intelligence on the brain; but that which constitutes peculiar qualities of the mind in man has no material organ. the rev. mr. statham has referred to the theory of the facial angle as indicative of the amount of sagacity observable in the animal race, but has expressed his opinion that the theory is utterly at fault in the case of birds; many of these having a very acute facial angle being considerably more intelligent than others having scarcely any facial angle at all. size also seems to present another anomaly between the two races of beasts and birds; for while the elephant and the horse are among the most distinguished of quadrupeds for sagacity and instinct, the larger birds seem scarcely comparable to the smaller ones in the possession of these attributes. the writer instances this by comparing the ostrich and the goose with the wren, the robin, the canary, the pigeon, and the crow; and amusingly alludes to the holding of parliaments or convocations of birds of the last species, while the ostrich is characterised in scripture as the type of folly. the author then refers to the poisoning of two young blackbirds by the parent birds, when they found that they could neither liberate them nor permanently share their captivity. the two fledglings had been taken from a blackbirds' nest in surrey-square, and had been placed in a room looking over a garden, in a wicker cage. for some time the old birds attended to their wants, visited them regularly, and fed them with appropriate food; but, at last, getting wearied of the task, or despairing of effecting their liberation, they appear to have poisoned them. they were both found suddenly dead one morning, shortly after having been seen in good health; and on opening their bodies a small leaf, supposed to be that of _solanum nigrum_, was found in the stomach of each. the old birds immediately deserted the spot, as though aware of the nefarious deed befitting their name. as an exemplification of instinct dr. horner states that rooks built on the infirmary trees at hull, but never over the street. one year, however, a young couple ventured to build here: for eight mornings in succession the old rooks proceeded to destroy the nest, when at last the young ones chose a more fitting place. mr. a. strickland, having referred to the tendency of birds to build their nests of materials of a colour resembling that around such nests, relates an instance in which the fly-catcher built in a red brick wall, and used for the nest mahogany shavings. referring to the meeting of rooks for judicial purposes. mr. strickland states that he once saw a rook tried in this way, and ultimately killed by the rest. songs of birds and seasons of the day. although nearly half a century has elapsed since the following observations were communicated to the royal society by dr. jenner, their expressive character is as charming as ever, and their accuracy as valuable:-- "there is a beautiful propriety in the order in which singing birds fill up the day with their pleasing harmony. the accordance between their songs, and the aspect of nature at the successive periods of the day at which they sing, is so remarkable that one cannot but suppose it to be the result of benevolent design. "from the _robin_ (not the _lark_, as has been generally imagined), as soon as twilight has drawn its imperceptible line between night and day, begins his artless song. how sweetly does this harmonize with the soft dawning of the day! he goes on till the twinkling sunbeams begin to tell him that his notes no longer accord with the rising sun. up starts the _lark_, and with him a variety of sprightly songsters, whose lively notes are in perfect correspondence with the gaiety of the morning. the general warbling continues, with now and then an interruption by the transient croak of the _raven_, the scream of the _jay_, or the pert chattering of the _daw_. the _nightingale_, unwearied by the vocal exertions of the night, joins his inferiors in sound in the general harmony. the _thrush_ is wisely placed on the summit of some lofty tree, that its piercing notes may be softened by distance before it reaches the ear, while the mellow _blackbird_ seeks the lower branches. "should the sun, having been eclipsed by a cloud, shine forth with fresh effulgence, how frequently we see the _goldfinch_ perch on some blossomed bough, and hear his song poured forth in a strain peculiarly energetic; while the sun, full shining on his beautiful plumes, displays his golden wings and crimson crest to charming advantage. indeed, a burst of sunshine in a cloudy day, or after a heavy shower, seems always to wake up a new gladness in the little musicians, and invite them to an answering burst of minstrelsy. "as evening advances, the performers gradually retire, and the concert softly dies away. at sunset the _robin_ again sends up his twilight song, till the still more serene hour of night sends him to his bower of rest. and now, in unison with the darkened earth and sky, no sooner is the voice of the _robin_ hushed, than the _owl_ sends forth his slow and solemn tones, well adapted to the serious hour." footnotes: [ ] the popular name of this bird is the _umbrella bird_. on its head it bears a crest, different from that of any other bird. it is formed of feathers more than two inches long, very thickly set, and with hairy plumes curving over at the end. these can be laid back so as to be hardly visible, or can be erected and spread out on every side, forming a dome completely covering the head, and even reaching beyond the point of the beak; the individual feathers then stand out something like the down-bearing seeds of the dandelion. besides this, there is another ornamental appendage on the breast, formed by a fleshy tubercle, as thick as a quill and an inch and a-half long, which hangs down from the neck, and is thickly covered with glossy feathers, forming a large pendent plume or tassel. this, also, the bird can either press to its breast, so as to be scarcely visible, or can swell out so as almost to conceal the forepart of its body. [ ] "athenæum," no. . owls. these nocturnal birds of prey have large heads and great projecting eyes, directing forwards, and surrounded with a circle of loose and delicate feathers, more or less developed, according to the nocturnal or comparatively diurnal habits of the species. the position of the eyes, giving a particular fulness and breadth to the head, has gained for the owl the intellectual character so universally awarded to it. the concave facial disc of feathers with which they are surrounded materially aids vision by concentrating the rays of light to an intensity better suited to the opacity of the medium in which power is required to be exercised. "they may be compared," says mr. yarrell, "to a person near-sighted, who sees objects with superior magnitude and brilliancy when within the prescribed limits of his natural powers of vision, from the increased angle these objects subtend." their beaks are completely curved, or raptorial; they have the power of turning the outer toe either backwards or forwards; they fly weakly, and near the ground; but, from their soft plumage, stealthily, stretching out their hind legs that they may balance their large and heavy heads. their sense of hearing is very acute: they not only look, but listen for prey. the owl is a bird of mystery and gloom, and a special favourite with plaintive poets. we find him with ariel:-- "there i couch when owls do cry." he figures in the nursery rhyme of "cock robin." in reply to "who dug his grave?"-- "i, says the owl, with my little shovel-- i dug his grave." he hoots over graves, and his dismal note adds to the terror of darkness:-- "'tis the middle of night by the castle clock, and the owls have awakened the crowing cock; tu-whit! tu-whoo! and hark again the crowing cock, how drowsily it crew. . . . . . . . . . "when blood is nipt, and ways be foul, then nightly sings the staring owl, tu-whoo! tu-whit! tu-whoo! _a merry note_, while greasy joan doth keel the pot!" titania sings of "the clamorous owl, that nightly hoots and wonders at our quaint spirits." bishop hall has this "occasional meditation" upon the sight of an owl in the twilight:--"what a strange melancholic life doth this creature lead; to hide her head all the day long in an ivy-bush, and at night, when all other birds are at rest, to fly abroad and vent her harsh notes. i know not why the ancients have _sacred_ this bird to wisdom, except it be for her safe closeness and singular perspicuity; that when other domestrial and airy creatures are blind, she only hath insured light to discern the least objects for her own advantage." we may here note that linnæus, with many other naturalists and antiquaries, have supposed the horned owl to have been the bird of minerva; but blumenbach has shown, from the ancient works of grecian art, that it was not this, but rather some smooth-headed species, probably the _passerina_, or little owl. the divine has, in the above passage, overstated the melancholy of the owl; as has also the poet, who sings:-- "from yonder ivy-mantled tower the moping owl does to the moon complain of such as, wandering near her secret bower, molest her ancient solitary reign." shakspeare more accurately terms her "the mousing owl," for her nights are spent in barns, or in hunting and devouring sparrows in the churchyard elms. "moping, indeed!" says a pleasing observer. "so far from this, she is a sprightly, active ranger of the night, who had as lief sit on a grave as a rose-bush; who is as valiant a hunter as nimroud, chasing all sorts of game, from the dormouse to the hare and the young lamb, and devouring them, while her mate hoots to her from some picturesque ruin, and invites her, when supper is over, to return to him and her babes." but the tricks of the owl by night render her the terror of all other birds, great and small. in northern italy, persons in rustic districts which are well wooded, catch and tame an owl, put a light chain upon her legs, and then place her on a small cross-bar on the top of a high pole, which is fixed in the earth. half-blinded by the light, the defenceless captive has to endure patiently the jeers and insults of the dastardly tribes from the surrounding groves and thickets, who issue in clouds to scream, chirp, and flit about their enemy. some, trusting to the swiftness of their wings, sweep close by, and peck at her feathers as they pass, and are sometimes punished by the owl with her formidable beak for their audacity. meanwhile, from darkened windows, sportsmen, with fowling-pieces well charged with shot, fire at the hosts of birds, wheeling, shrieking, screaming, and thickening around the owl. all the guns are fired at once, and the grass is strewn for many yards round with the slain; while the owl, whom they have been careful not to hit, utters a joyous whoo! whoo! at the fate of her persecutors. major head thus describes the _biscacho_, or coquimbo, a curious species of owl, found all over the pampas of south america:--"like rabbits, they live in holes, which are in groups in every direction. these animals are never seen in the day, but as soon as the lower limb of the sun reaches the horizon, they are seen issuing from the holes. the biscachos, when full-grown, are nearly as big as badgers, but their head resembles a rabbit's, except that they have large bushy whiskers. in the evening they sit outside the holes, and they all appear to be moralizing. they are the most serious-looking animals i ever saw; and even the young ones are grey-headed, wear moustachios, and look thoughtful and grave. in the daytime their holes are guarded by two little owls, which are never an instant away from their posts. as one gallops by these owls, they always stand looking at the stranger, and then at each other, moving their old-fashioned heads in a manner which is quite ridiculous, until one rushes by them, when they get the better of their dignified looks, and they both run into the biscacho's hole." of all birds of prey, owls are the most useful to man, by protecting his corn-fields, or granaried provision, from mice and numberless vermin. yet, prejudice has perverted these birds into objects of superstition and consequent hate. the kind-hearted mr. waterton says:--"i wish that any little thing i could write or say might cause this bird to stand better with the world at large than it has hitherto done; but i have slender hope on this score, because old and deep-rooted prejudices are seldom overcome; and when i look back into annals of remote antiquity, i see too clearly that defamation has done its worst to ruin the whole family, in all its branches, of this poor, harmless, useful friend of mine." the barn owl is common throughout europe, known in tartary, and rare in the united states of america. in england it is called the barn owl, the church owl, gillihowlet, and screech owl; the last name is improperly applied, as it is believed not to hoot, though sir william jardine asserts that he has shot it in the act of hooting. to the screech superstition has annexed ideas of fatal portent; "but," says charlotte smith, "it has, of course, no more foreknowledge of approaching evil to man than the lark: its cry is a signal to its absent mate." "if," says mr. waterton, "this useful bird caught its food by day instead of hunting for it by night, mankind would have ocular demonstration of its utility in thinning the country of mice; and it would be protected and encouraged everywhere. it would be with us what the ibis was with the egyptians. when it has young, it will bring a mouse to the nest every twelve or fifteen minutes." mr. waterton saw his barn owl fly away with a rat which he had just shot; he also saw her drop perpendicularly into the water, and presently rise out of it with a fish in her claws, which she took to her nest. birds and quadrupeds, and even fish, are the food of owls, according to the size of the species. hares, partridges, grouse, and even the turkey, are attacked by the larger horned owls of europe and america; while mice, shrews, small birds, and crabs suffice for the inferior strength of the smaller owls. mr. yarrell states that the short-eared owl is the only bird of prey in which he ever found the remains of a bat. william bullock reports that a large snowy owl, wounded on the isle of baltoc, disgorged a young rabbit; and that one in his possession had in its stomach a sandpiper with its feathers entire. it preys on lemmings, hares, and birds, particularly the willow-grouse and ptarmigan. it is a dexterous fisher, grasping the fish with an instantaneous stroke of the foot as it sails along near the surface of the water, or sits on a stone in a shallow stream. it has been seen on the wing pursuing an american hare, making repeated strokes at the animal with its foot. in winter, when this owl is fat, the indians and white residents in the fur countries esteem it to be good eating; its flesh is delicately white. small snakes are the common prey of this owl during the daytime. and to show on what various kinds of food owls subsist, mr. darwin states that a species that was killed among the islets of the chonos archipelago had its stomach full of good-sized crabs. such are a few of the facts which attest the almost omnivorous appetite of the owl. the flight of the snowy owl is stronger and swifter than any other bird of the family; its ears are very large; its voice (says pennant) adds horror even to the regions of greenland by its hideous cries, resembling those of a man in deep distress. the eye is very curious, being immovably fixed in its socket, so that the bird, to view different objects, must always turn its head; and so excellently is the neck adapted to this purpose, that it can with ease turn the head round in almost a complete circle, without moving the body. the virginian eagle-owl, amidst the forests of indiana, utters a loud and sudden _wough o! wough o!_ sufficient to alarm a whole garrison; another of its nocturnal cries resembles the half-suppressed screams of a person being suffocated or throttled. the javanese owl is found in the closest forests, and occasionally near villages and dwellings. dr. horsfield says:--"it is not, however, a favourite with the natives; various superstitious notions are also in java associated with its visits; and it is considered in many parts of the island as portending evil." one of this species never visits the villages, but resides in the dense forests, which are the usual resort of the tiger. the natives even assert that the _wowo-wiwi_ approaches the animal with the same familiarity with which the jallack approaches the buffalo, and that it has no dread to alight on the tiger's back. dr. horsfield adds, that it has never been seen in confinement. the boobook owl has the native name of buck-buck, and it may be heard in australia every night during winter, uttering a cry corresponding with that word. the note is somewhat similar to that of the european _cuckoo_, and the colonists have given it that name. the lower order of settlers in new south wales are led away by the idea that everything is the reverse in that country to what it is in england; and the _cuckoo_, as they call this bird, singing by night, is one of the instances which they point out. tame owls are described as nearly as playful, and quite as affectionate, as kittens; they will perch upon your wrist, touch your lips with their beak, and hoot to order; and they are less inclined to leave their friends than other tame birds. a writer in "chambers's journal" relates, that a friend lost his favourite owl, which flew away, and was absent many days. in time, however, he came back, and resumed his habits and duties, which, for a while, went on uninterruptedly. at length, one severe autumn, he disappeared; weeks, months passed, and he returned not. one snowy night, however, as his master sat by the blazing fire, some heavy thing came bump against the shutters. "whoo, whoo, whoo." the window was opened, and in flew the owl, shaking the thick snow from his wings, and settling lovingly on his master's wrist, the bird's eyes dilating with delight. the owls at arundel castle have a sort of historic interest; they are kept within the circuit of the keep-tower, the most ancient and picturesque portion of the castle. among the australian owls here we read of one larger than a turkey, measuring four feet across the wings when expanded. the owl named "lord thurlow," from his resemblance to that judge, is a striking specimen. the accompanying illustration shows a fine specimen of fraser's eagle-owl, brought from fernando po. it is the size of an ordinary fowl; colour, very dark reddish-brown mottling; back and wings passing through all shades of the same colour into nearly white on the under parts, where the feathers are barred; bill, pale greenish; eyes, nearly black. [illustration: fraser's eagle-owl, from fernando po.] among the owls but recently described is the masked owl of new holland, named from the markings of the disk of the face, somewhat grotesque; the colours are brown variegated with white. a fine specimen of the abyssinian owl is possessed by mr. r. good, of yeovil: the bird, although quite young, is of immense size. lastly, the owl is thought to be of the same sympathy or kindred likings as the cat: a young owl will feed well, and thrive upon fish. cats, too, it is well known, like fish. both the cat and the owl, too, feed upon mice. the sight of owls, also, similar to that of cats, appears to serve them best in the dark. weather-wise animals. whatever may be the worth of weather prognostications, it is from the animal kingdom that we obtain the majority. how these creatures become so acutely sensible of the approach of particular kinds of weather is not at present well understood. that in many cases the appearance of the heavens is not the source from which their information is derived is proved by the signs of uneasiness frequently expressed by them when, as yet, the most attentive observer can detect no signs of change, and even when they are placed in such circumstances as preclude the possibility of any instruction from this quarter. for instance. dogs, closely confined in a room, often become very drowsy and stupid before rain; and a leech, confined in a glass of water, has been found, by its rapid motions or its quiescence, to indicate the approach of wet or the return of fair weather. probably the altered condition of the atmosphere with regard to its electricity, which generally accompanies change of weather, may so affect their constitution as to excite in them pleasurable or uneasy sensations; though man is far from insensible to atmospheric changes, as the feelings of utter listlessness which many persons experience before rain, and the aggravated severity of toothache, headache, and rheumatism abundantly testify. the cat licking itself is a special influence of the above electric influence, which denotes the approach of rain. birds, as "denizens of the air," are the surest indicators of weather changes. thus, when swallows fly high, fine weather is to be expected or continued; but when they fly low, or close to the ground, rain is almost surely approaching; for swallows follow the flies and gnats, which delight in warm strata of air. now, as warm air is lighter, and usually moister than cold air, when the warm strata of air are high there is less chance of moisture being thrown down from them by their mixture with cold air; but when the warm and moist air is close to the surface, it is almost certain that, as the cold air flows down into it, a deposition of water will take place. when seagulls assemble on the land, very stormy and rainy weather is approaching. the cause of this migration to the land is the security of these birds finding food; and they may be observed at this time feeding greedily on the earth-worms and larvæ driven out of the ground by severe floods; whilst the fish on which they prey in fine weather in the sea, leave the surface, and go deeper in storms. the search after food is the principal cause why animals change their places. the different tribes of the wading birds always migrate when rain is about to take place. there is a bird which takes its name from its apparent agency in tempests. such is the stormy petrel, which name hawkesworth, in his "voyages," mentions the sailors give to the bird, but explains no further. navigators meet with the little petrel, or storm finch, in every part of the ocean, diving, running on foot, or skimming over the highest waves. it seems to foresee the coming storm long ere the seamen can discover any signs of its approach. the petrels make this known by congregating together under the wake of the vessel, as if to shelter themselves, and they thus warn the mariner of the coming danger. at night they set up a piercing cry. this usefulness of the bird to the sailor is the obvious cause of the latter having such an objection to their being killed. mr. knapp, the naturalist, thus pictures gulls, describing the petrel's action:--"they seem to repose in a common breeze, but upon the approach or during the continuation of a gale, they surround the ship, and catch up the small animals which the agitated ocean brings near the surface, or any food that may be dropped from the vessel. whisking like an arrow through the deep valleys of the abyss, and darting away over the foaming crest of some mountain-wave, they attend the labouring barque in all her perilous course. when the storm subsides they retire to rest, and are seen no more." our sailors have, from very early times, called these birds "mother carey's chickens," originally bestowed on them, mr. yarrell tells us, by captain cartaret's sailors, probably from some celebrated ideal hag of the above name. mr. yarrell adds:--"as these birds are supposed to be seen only before stormy weather, they are not welcome visitors," a view at variance with that already suggested. the editor of "notes and queries" considers the petrels to have been called _chickens_ from their diminutive size. the largest sort, "the giant petrel," is "mother carey's _goose_;" its length is forty inches, and it expands seven feet. the common kind are about the size of a swallow, and weigh something over an ounce; length, six inches; expansion, thirteen inches; these are mother carey's _chickens_ (_latham_). it should be borne in mind that our language does not restrict the term chickens to young birds of the gallinaceous class. the missel-bird is another bird of this kind: in hampshire and sussex it is called the _storm cock_, because it sings early in the spring, in blowing, showery weather. petrels, by the way, are used by the inhabitants of the faroe islands as lamps: they pass a wick through their bodies which, when lighted, burns a long time from the quantity of fat they contain. the fulmar petrel, in boothia, follows the whale-ships, availing itself of the labours of the fishermen by feeding on the carcases of the whales when stripped of their blubber. in return the bird is exceedingly useful to the whalers by guiding them to the places where whales are most numerous, and crowding to the spots where they first appear on the surface of the water. wild geese and ducks are unquestionably weather-wise, for their early arrival from the north in the winter portends that a severe season is approaching; because their early appearance is most likely caused by severe frost having already set in at their usual summer residence. the rev. f. o. morris, the well-known writer on natural history, records from nunburnholme, yorkshire. december , :--"this season, for the first time i have lived here, i have missed seeing the flocks of wild geese which in the autumnal months have heretofore wended their way overhead, year after year, as regularly as the dusk of the evening came on. almost to the minute, and almost in the same exact course, they have flown over aloft from the feeding-places on the wolds to their resting-places for the night; some, perhaps, to extensive commons, while others have turned off to the mud-banks of the humber, whence they have returned with equal regularity in the morning. "but this year i have seen not only not a single flock, but not even a single bird. one evening one of my daughters did indeed see a small flock of six, but even that small number only once. whether it portends a very hard winter, or what the cause of it may be, i am utterly at a loss to know or even to guess. i quite miss this year the well-known cackle of the old gander as he has led the van of the flock that has followed him; now in a wide, now in a narrow, now in a short, now in a long wedge, over head, diverging just from the father of the family, or separating from time to time further back in the line. "i may add, as a possible prognostication of future weather, that fieldfares have, i think, been unusually numerous this year, as last year they were the contrary. i have also remarked that swallows took their departure this year more than ordinarily in a body, very few stragglers being subsequently seen." it will be sufficient to state that the mean temperature of january and february was below that of the same month in the preceding year, and that of march had not been so low for twenty years. the opinion that sea-birds come to land in order to avoid an approaching storm is stated to be erroneous; and the cause assigned is, that as the fish upon which the birds prey go deep into the water during storms, the birds come to land merely on account of the greater certainty of finding food there than out at sea. we add a few notes on bird naturalists. the redbreast has been called _the naturalist's barometer_. when on a summer evening, though it be unsettled and rainy, he sings cheerfully and sweetly on a lofty twig or housetop, it is an unerring promise of succeeding fine days. sometimes, though the atmosphere be dry and warm, he may be seen melancholy chirping and brooding in a bush or low in a hedge; this promises the reverse. in the luxuriant forests of brazil the toucan may be heard rattling with his large hollow beak, as he sits on the outermost branches, calling in plaintive notes for rain. when mr. loudon was at schwetzingen, rhenish bavaria, in , he witnessed in the post-house there for the first time what he afterwards frequently saw--an amusing application of zoological knowledge for the purpose of prognosticating the weather. two tree-frogs were kept in a crystal jar about eighteen inches high and six inches in diameter, with a depth of three or four inches of water at the bottom, and a small ladder reaching to the top of the jar. on the approach of dry weather the frogs mounted the ladder, but when moisture was expected they descended into the water. these animals are of a bright green, and in their wild state climb the trees in search of insects, and make a peculiar singing noise before rain. in the jar they got no other food than now and then a fly; one of which, mr. loudon was assured, would serve a frog for a week, though it would eat from six to twelve flies in a day if it could get them. in catching the flies put alive into the jar the frogs displayed great adroitness. snails are extraordinary indicators of changes in the weather. several years ago, mr. thomas, of cincinnati, known as an accredited observer of natural phenomena, published some interesting accounts of weather-wise snails. they do not drink (he observes), but imbibe moisture in their bodies during rain, and exude it at regular periods afterwards. then a certain snail first exudes the pure liquid; when this is exhausted, a light red succeeds, then a deep red, next yellow, and lastly a dark brown. the snail is very careful not to exude more of its moisture than is necessary. it is never seen abroad _except before rain_, when we find it ascending the bark of trees and getting on the leaves. the tree-snail is also seen ascending the stems of plants _two days before rain_: if it be a long and hard rain they get on the sheltered side of the leaf, but if a short rain the outside of the leaf. another snail has the same habits, but differs only in colour: before rain it is yellow, and after it blue. others show signs of rain, not only by means of exuding fluids, but by means of pores and protuberances; and the bodies of some snails have large tubercles rising from them _before rain_. these tubercles commence showing themselves ten days previous to the fall of rain they indicate; at the end of each of these tubercles is a pore; and at the time of the fall of rain these tubercles, with their pores opened, are stretched to their utmost to receive the water. in another kind of snail, a few days before rain appears a large and deep indentation, beginning at the head between the horns, and ending with the jointure at the shells. other snails, a few days before the rain, crawl to the most exposed hill-side, where, if they arrive before the rain descends, they seek some crevice in the rocks, and then close the aperture of the shell with glutinous substance; this, when the rain approaches, they dissolve, and are then seen crawling about. our cincinnati observer mentions three kinds of snails which move along at the rate of a mile in forty-four hours; they inhabit the most dense forests, and it is regarded as a sure indication of rain to observe them moving towards an exposed situation. others indicate the weather not only by exuding fluids, but by the colour of the animal. after rain the snail has a very dark appearance, but it grows of a bright colour as the water is expended; whilst just before rain it is of yellowish white colour, also just before rain streaks appear from the point of the head to the jointure of the shell. these snails move at the rate of a mile in fourteen days and sixteen hours. if they are observed ascending a cliff it is a sure indication of rain: they live in the cavities of the sides of cliffs. there is also a snail which is brown, tinged with blue on the edges before rain, but black after rain: a few days before appears an indentation, which grows deeper as the rain approaches. the leaves of trees are even good barometers: most of them for a short, light rain, will turn up so as to receive their fill of water; but for a long rain they are doubled, so as to conduct the water away. the frog and toad are sure indicators of rain; for, as they do not drink water but absorb it into their bodies, they are sure to be found out at the time they expect rain. the locust and grasshopper are also good indicators of a storm; a few hours before rain they are to be found under the leaves of trees and in the hollow trunks. the mole has long been recorded as a prognosticator of change of weather, before which it becomes very active. the temperature or dryness of the air governs its motions as to the depth at which it lives or works. this is partly from its inability to bear cold or thirst, but chiefly from its being necessitated to follow its natural food, the earth-worm, which always descends as the cold or drought increases. in frosty weather both worms and moles are deeper in the ground than at other times; and both seem to be sensible of an approaching change to warmer weather before there are any perceptible signs of it in the atmosphere. when it is observed, therefore, that moles are casting hills through openings in the frozen turf or through a thin covering of snow, a change to open weather may be shortly expected. the cause of this appears to be--the natural heat of the earth being for a time pent in by the frozen surface accumulates below it; first incites to action the animals, thaws the frozen surface, and at length escapes into the air, which is warm, and softens; and if not counterbalanced by a greater degree of cold in the atmosphere brings about a change, such as from frosty to mild weather. the mole is most active and casts up most earth immediately before rain, and in the winter before a thaw, because at those times the worms and insects begin to be in motion, and approach the surface. forster, the indefatigable meteorologist, has assembled some curious observations on certain animals, who, by some peculiar sensibility to electrical or other atmospheric influence, often indicate changes of the weather by their peculiar motions and habits. thus:-- _ants._--an universal bustle and activity observed in ant-hills may be generally regarded as a sign of rain: the ants frequently appear all in motion together, and carry their eggs about from place to place. this is remarked by virgil, pliny, and others. _asses._--when donkeys bray more than ordinarily, especially should they shake their ears, as if uneasy, it is said to predict rain, and particularly showers. forster noticed that in showery weather a donkey brayed before every shower, and generally some minutes before the rain fell, as if some electrical influence, produced by the concentrating power of the approaching rain-cloud, caused a tickling in the wind-pipe of the animal just before the shower came on. whatever this electric state of the air preceding a shower may be, it seems to be the same that causes in other animals some peculiar sensations, which makes the peacock squall, the pintado call "come back," &c. an expressive adage says:-- "when that the ass begins to bray, be sure we shall have rain that day." haymakers may derive useful admonitions from the braying of the ass: thus the proverb:-- "be sure to cock your hay and corn when the old donkey blows his horn." _bats_ flitting about late in the evening in spring and autumn foretel a fine day on the morrow; as do dorbeetles and some other insects. on the contrary, when bats return soon to their hiding-places, and send forth loud cries, bad weather may be expected. _beetles_ flying about late in the evening often foretel a fine day on the morrow. _butterflies_, when they appear early, are sometimes forerunners of fine weather. moths and sphinxes also foretel fine weather when they are common in the evening. _cats_, when they "wash their faces," or when they seem sleepy and dull, foretel rain. _chickens_, when they pick up small stones and pebbles, and are more noisy than usual, afford a sign of rain; as do fowls rubbing in the dust, and clapping their wings; but this applies to several kinds of fowls, as well as to the gallinaceous kinds. cocks, when they crow at unwonted hours, often foretel rain; when they crow all day, in summer particularly, a change to rain frequently follows. _cranes_ were said of old to foretel rain when they retreated to the valleys, and returned from their aërial flight. the high flight of cranes in silence indicates fine weather. _dolphins_ as well as _porpoises_, when they come about a ship, and sport and gambol on the surface of the water, betoken a storm. _dogs_, before rain, grow sleepy and dull, lie drowsily before the fire, and are not easily aroused. they also often eat grass, which indicates that their stomachs, like ours, are apt to be disturbed before change of weather. it is also said to be a sign of change of weather when dogs howl and bark much in the night. dogs also dig in the earth with their feet before rain, and often make deep holes in the ground. _ducks._--the loud and clamorous quacking of ducks, geese, and other water-fowl, is a sign of rain; as also when they wash themselves, and flutter about in the water more than usual. virgil has well described all these habits of aquatic birds. _fieldfares_, when they arrive early, and in great numbers, in autumn, foreshow a hard winter, which has probably set in in the regions from which they have come. _fishes_, when they bite more readily, and gambol near the surface of streams or pools, foreshow rain. _flies_, and various sorts of insects, become more troublesome, and sting and bite more than usual, before, as well as in the intervals of rainy weather, particularly in autumn. _frogs_, by their clamorous croaking, indicate rainy weather, as does likewise their coming about in great numbers in the evening; but this last sign applies more obviously to toads. _geese_ washing, or taking wing with a clamorous noise, and flying to the water, portend rain. _gnats_ afford several indications. when they fly in a vortex in the beams of the setting sun they forebode fair weather; when they frisk about more widely in the open air at eventide they foreshow heat; and when they assemble under trees, and bite more than usual, they indicate rain. _hogs_, when they shake the stalks of corn, and spoil them, often indicate rain. when they run squeaking about, and jerk up their heads, windy weather is about to commence; hence the wiltshire proverb, that "pigs can see the wind." _horses_ foretel the coming of rain by starting more than ordinarily, and by restlessness on the road. _jackdaws_ are unusually clamorous before rain, as are also _starlings_. sometimes before change of weather the daws make a great noise in the chamber wherein they build. _kine_ (cattle) are said to foreshow rain when they lick their fore-feet, or lie on their right side. some say oxen licking themselves against the hair is a sign of wet. _kites_, when they soar very high in the air, denote fair weather, as do also _larks_. _magpies_, in windy weather, often fly in small flocks of three or four together, uttering a strong harsh cry. _mice_ when they squeak much, and gambol in the house, foretel a change of weather, and often rain. _owls._--when an owl hoots or screeches, sitting on the top of a house, or by the side of a window, it is said to foretel death. "the fact," says forster, "seems to be this: the owl, as virgil justly observes, is more noisy at the change of weather, and as it often happens that patients with lingering diseases die at the change of weather, so the owl seems, by a mistaken association of ideas, to forebode the calamity." _peacocks_ squalling by night often foretel a rainy day. forster adds, "this prognostic does not often fail; and the indication is made more certain by the crowing of cocks all day, the braying of the donkey, the low flight of swallows, the aching of rheumatic persons, and by the frequent appearance of spiders on the walls of the house." _pigeons._--it is a sign of rain when pigeons return slowly to the dove-houses before the usual time of day. _ravens_, when observed early in the morning, at a great height in the air, soaring round and round, and uttering a hoarse, croaking sound, indicate that the day will be fine. on the contrary, this bird affords us a sign of coming rain by another sort of cry; the difference between these two voices being more easily learned from nature than described. the raven frequenting the shore and dipping himself in the water is also a sign of rain. _redbreasts_, when they, with more than usual familiarity, lodge on our window-frames, and peck against the glass with their bills, indicate severe weather, of which they have a presentiment, which brings them nearer to the habitations of man. _rooks_ gathering together, and returning home from their pastures early, and at unwonted hours, forebode rain. when rooks whirl round in the air rapidly, and come down in small flocks, making a roaring noise with their wings, rough weather invariably follows. on the contrary, when rooks are very noisy about their trees, and fly about as if rejoicing, virgil assures us they foresee a return of fine weather, and an end of the showers. _spiders_, when seen crawling on the walls more than usual, indicate rain. "this prognostic," says forster, "seldom fails, i have noticed it for many years, particularly in winter, but more or less at all times of the year. in summer the quantity of webs of the garden spiders denote fair weather." _swallows_, in fine and settled weather, fly higher in the air than they do just before or during a showery or rainy time. then, also, swallows flying low, and skimming over the surface of a meadow where there is tolerably long grass, frequently stop, and hang about the blades, as if they were gathering insects lodged there. _swans_, when they fly against the wind, portend rain, a sign frequently fulfilled. _toads_, when they come from their holes in an unusual number in the evening, although the ground be still dry, foreshow the coming rain, which will generally fall more or less during the night. _urchins of the sea_, a sort of fish, when they thrust themselves into the mud, and try to cover their bodies with sand, foreshow a storm. _vultures_, when they scent carrion at a great distance, indicate that state of the atmosphere which is favourable to the perception of smells, and this often forebodes rain. _willow wrens_ are frequently seen, in mild and still rainy weather, flitting about the willows, pines, and other trees, in quest of insects. _woodcocks_ appear in autumn earlier, and in greater numbers, previous to severe winters; as do snipes and other winter birds. _worms_ come forth more abundantly before rain, as do snails, slugs, and almost all limaceous animals. some birds build their nests weather-proof, as ascertained by careful observation of mr. m. w. b. thomas, of cincinnati, ohio. thus, when a pair of migratory birds have arrived in the spring, they prepare to build their nest, making a careful reconnaissance of the place, and observing the character of the season. if it be a windy one, they thatch the straw and leaves on the inside of the nest, between the twigs and the lining; if it be very windy, they get pliant twigs, and bind the nest firmly to the limb of the tree, securing all the small twigs with their saliva. if they fear the approach of a rainy season, they build their nests so as to be sheltered from the weather; but if a pleasant one, they build in a fair open place, without taking any of these extra precautions. of all writers, dr. darwin has given us the most correct account of the "signs of rain," in a poetical description of the approach of foul weather, as follows. this passage has been often quoted, but, perhaps, never exceeded in the accuracy of its phenomenal observation:-- "the hollow winds begin to blow; the clouds look black, the glass is low; the soot falls down, the spaniels sleep; and spiders from their cobwebs peep. last night the sun went pale to bed; the moon in haloes hid her head; the boding shepherd heaves a sigh, for, see, a rainbow spans the sky. the walls are damp, the ditches smell, clos'd is the light red pimpernel. hark! how the chairs and tables crack, old betty's joints are on the rack; her corns with shooting pains torment her, and to her bed untimely send her. loud quack the ducks, the sea-fowls cry, the distant hills are looking nigh. how restless are the snorting swine! the busy flies disturb the kine. low o'er the grass the swallow wings, the cricket, too, how sharp he sings! puss on the hearth, with velvet paws, sits wiping o'er her whisker'd jaws. the smoke from chimneys right ascends; then spreading back, to earth it bends. the wind unsteady veers around, or settling in the south is found. through the clear stream the fishes rise, and nimbly catch th' incautious flies. the glowworms num'rous, clear, and bright, illum'd the dewy hill last night. at dusk, the squalid toad was seen, like quadruped, stalk o'er the green. the whirling wind the dust obeys, and in the rapid eddy plays. the frog has chang'd his yellow vest, and in a russet coat is drest. the sky is green, the air is still, the mellow blackbird's voice is shrill. the dog, so altered is his taste, quits mutton-bones on grass to feast. behold the rooks, how odd their flight, they imitate the gliding kite, and seem precipitate to fall, as if they felt the piercing ball. the tender colts on banks do lie, nor heed the traveller passing by. in fiery red the sun doth rise, then wades through clouds to mount the skies. ''twill surely rain, we see 't with sorrow, no working in the fields to-morrow.'" the shepherd of banbury says:--"the surest and most certain sign of rain is taken from bees, which are more incommoded by rain than almost any other creatures; and, therefore, as soon as the air begins to grow heavy, and the vapours to condense, they will not fly from their hives, but either remain in them all day, or else fly but to a small distance." yet bees are not always right in their prognostics, for réaumur witnessed a swarm which, after leaving the hive at half-past one o'clock, were overtaken by a heavy shower at three. fish-talk. "man favours wonders;" and this delight is almost endlessly exemplified in the stories of strange fishes--of preternatural size and odd forms, which are to be found in their early history. in our present talk we do not aim at re-assembling these olden tales, but propose rather to glance at recent accessions to our acquaintance with the study of fish-life, and a few modern instances of the class of wonders. fishes, like all other animals, have a very delicate sense of the equilibrial position of their bodies. they endeavour to counteract all change in their position by means of movements partly voluntary and partly instinctive. these latter appear in a very remarkable manner in the eye; and they are so constant and evident in fishes while alive, that their absence is sufficient to indicate the death of the animal. the equilibrium of the fish, its horizontal position, with the back upwards, depends solely on the action of the fins, and principally that of the vertical fins. the swimming-bladder may enable a fish to increase or diminish its specific gravity. by compressing the air contained in it, the fish descends in the water; it rises by releasing the muscles which produced the compression. by compressing more or less the posterior or anterior portion of the bladder, the animal, at pleasure, can make the anterior or posterior half of its body lighter; it can also assume an oblique position, which permits an ascending or descending movement in the water. there is a small fish found in the rivers of the burmese empire, which, on being taken out of the water, has the power of blowing itself up to the shape of a small round ball, but its original shape is resumed as soon as it is returned to the river. mr. st. john, in his "tour in eastern lanarkshire," gives some curious instances of fish changing colour, which takes place with surprising rapidity. put a living black burn trout into a white basin of water, and it becomes, within half an hour, of a light colour. keep the fish living in a white jar for some days, and it becomes absolutely white; but put it into a dark-coloured or black vessel, and although on first being placed there the white-coloured fish shows most conspicuously on the black ground, in a quarter of an hour it becomes as dark-coloured as the bottom of the jar, and consequently difficult to be seen. no doubt this facility of adapting its colour to the bottom of the water in which it lives, is of the greatest service to the fish in protecting it from its numerous enemies. all anglers must have observed, that in every stream the trout are very much of the same colour as the gravel or sand on which they live: whether this change of colour is a voluntary or involuntary act on the part of the fish, the scientific must determine. anglers of our time have proved that tench croak like frogs; herrings cry like mice; gurnards grunt like hogs; and some say the gurnard makes a noise like a cuckoo, from which he takes one of his country names. the maigre, a large sea-fish, when swimming in shoals, utters a grunting or piercing noise, that may be heard from a depth of twenty fathoms. m. dufossé asserts that facts prove that nature has not refused to all fishes the power of expressing their instinctive sensations by sounds, but has not conferred on them the unity of mechanism in the formation of sonorous vibrations as in other classes of vertebrated animals. some fishes, he says, are able to emit musical tones, engendered by a mechanism in which the muscular vibration is the principal motive power; others possess the faculty of making blowing sounds, like those of certain reptiles; and others can produce the creaking noise resembling that of many insects. these phenomena m. dufossé has named "fish-noise." the river plate swarms with fish, and is the _habitat_ of one possessed of a very sonorous voice, like that found in the river borneo--the account of which is quoted by dr. buist from the journal of the samarang; and there is similar testimony of a loud piscatory chorus being heard on board h.m.s. eagle, anchored, in - , about three miles from monte video, during the night. that fishes hear has been doubted, although john hunter was of this opinion, and has been followed by many observers. when standing beside a person angling, how often is the request made not to make a noise, as that would _alarm_ the fish. on the other hand, the chinese drive the fish up to that part of the river where their nets are ready to capture them by loud yells and shouts, and the sound of gongs; but old Æsop writes of a fisherman who caught no fish because he alarmed them by playing on his flute while fishing. in germany the shad is taken by means of nets, to which bows of wood, hung with a number of little bells, are attached in such a manner as to chime in harmony when the nets are moved. the shad, when once attracted by the sound, will not attempt to escape while the bells continue to ring. Ælian says the shad is allured by castanets. macdiarmid, who declares that fishes hear as well as see, relates that an old codfish, the patriarch of the celebrated fish-pond at logan, "answered to his name; and not only drew near, but turned up his snout most beseechingly when he heard the monosyllable 'tom;' and that he evidently could distinguish the voice of the fisherman who superintended the pond, and fed the fish, from that of any other fisherman." in the "kaleidoscope" mention is made of three trout in a pond near the powder-mills at faversham, who were so tame as to come at the call of the person accustomed to feed them. izaak walton tells of a carp coming to a certain part of a pond to be fed "at the ringing of a bell, or the beating of a drum;" and sir john hawkins was assured by a clergyman, a friend of his, that at the abbey of st. bernard, near antwerp, he saw a carp come to the edge of the water to be fed, at the whistle of the person who fed it. the carp at fontainebleau, inhabiting the lake adjoining the imperial palace, are of great size, and manifest a curious instinct. a correspondent of the "athenæum" remarks:-- "enjoying entire immunity from all angling arts and lures, the fontainebleau carp live a life of great enjoyment, marred only, we imagine, by their immense numbers causing the supply of food to be somewhat below their requirements. it is not, however, very easy to define what a carp's requirements in the form of pabulum are, as he is a voracious member of the ichthyological family, eating whenever he has an opportunity until absolutely surfeited. his favourite food consists of vegetable substances masticated by means of flat striated teeth, which work with a millstone kind of motion against a singular process of the lower part of the skull covered with horny plates. when this fish obtains an abundant supply of food it grows to an enormous size. several continental rivers and lakes are very congenial to carp, and especially the oder, where this fish occasionally attains the enormous weight of lb. it is not probable that any carp in the lake at fontainebleau are so large as this; but there are certainly many weighing lb., patriarchs of their kind, which, though olive-hued in their tender years, are now white with age. that the great size of these fish is due to ample feeding is, we think, evident, and, as we shall see presently, it is the large fish that are the best fed. during many years the feeding of the carp at fontainebleau has been a favourite court pastime. but it is from the visitors who frequent fontainebleau during a great part of the year that the carp receive their most bountiful rations. for big carp have an enormous swallow, soft penny rolls being mere mouthfuls, bolted with ostrich-like celerity. so to prevent the immediate disappearance of these _bonnes bouches_, bread, in the form of larger balls than the most capacious carp can take into his gullet, is baked until it becomes as hard as biscuit, and with these balls the carp are regailed. throw one into the lake, and you will quickly have an idea of the enormous carp population it contains. for no sooner does the bread touch the water than it is surrounded by hundreds of these fish, which dart to it from all sides. and now, if you look attentively, you will witness a curious display of instinct, which might almost take a higher name. conscious, apparently, of their inability to crush these extremely hard balls, the carp combine with surprising unanimity to push them to that part of the lake with their noses where it is bounded by a wall, and when there they butt at them, until at last their repeated blows and the softening effect of the water causes them to yield and open. and now you will see another curious sight. while shoals of carp have been pounding away at the bread-balls, preparing them for being swallowed, some dozen monsters hover round, indifferent, apparently, to what is passing. but not so, for no sooner is the bread ready for eating, than two or three of these giants, but more generally one--the tyrant, probably, of the lake--rush to the prize, cleaving the shoals of smaller carp, and shouldering them to the right and left, seize the bread with open jaws, between which it quickly disappears." some of the finest and oldest carp are found in the windings of the spree, in the tavern-gardens of charlottenburg, the great resort of strollers from berlin. visitors are in the habit of feeding them with bread, and collect them together by ringing a bell, at the sound of which shoals of the fish may be seen popping their noses upwards from the water. the affection of fishes has only been properly understood of late years. it might be supposed that little natural affection existed in this cold-blooded race; and, in fact, fishes constantly devour their own eggs, and, at a later period, their own young, without compunction or discrimination. some few species bear their eggs about with them until hatched. this was long thought to be the utmost extent of care which fishes lavished on their young; but dr. hancock has stepped in to rescue at least one species from this unmerited charge. "it is asserted," he says, "by naturalists, that no fishes are known to take any care of their offspring. both species of _hassar_ mentioned below, however, make a regular nest, in which they lay their eggs in a flattened cluster, and cover them over most carefully. their care does not end here; they remain by the side of the nest till the spawn is hatched, with as much solicitude as a hen guards her eggs, both the male and female hassar, for they are monogamous, steadily watching the spawn and courageously attacking the assailant. hence the negroes frequently take them by putting their hands into the water close to the nest, on agitating which the male hassar springs furiously at them, and is thus captured. the _roundhead_ forms its nest of grass, the _flathead_ of leaves. both, at certain seasons, burrow in the bank. they lay their eggs only in wet weather. i have been surprised to observe the sudden appearance of numerous nests in a morning after rain occurs, the spot being indicated by a bunch of froth which appears on the surface of the water over the nest. below this are the eggs, placed on a bunch of fallen leaves or grass, which they cut and collect together. by what means this is effected seems rather mysterious, as the species are destitute of cutting-teeth. it may, possibly, be by the use of their arms, which form the first ray of the pectoral fin." there is another operation by fishes, which seems to require almost equal experience. professor agassiz, while collecting insects along the shores of lake sebago, in maine, observed a couple of cat-fish, which, at his approach, left the shore suddenly, and returned to the deeper water. examining the place which the fishes had left, he discovered a _nest_ among the water-plants, with a number of little tadpoles. in a few moments the two fishes returned, looking anxiously towards the nest, and approached within six or eight feet of where professor agassiz stood. they were evidently not in search of food, and he became convinced that they were seeking the protection of their young. large stones, thrown repeatedly into the middle of the nest after the fishes had returned to it, only frightened them away for a brief period, and they returned to the spot within ten or fifteen minutes. this was repeated four or five times with the same result. this negatives the assertion made by some naturalists--that no fishes are known to take any care of their offspring. but affection is scarcely to be looked for where the offspring is so very numerous as to put all attempts at even recognising them out of the question. how could the fondest mother love , little ones at once? yet the number is far exceeded by some of the matrons of the deep. petit found , eggs in a single carp; lenwenhoeck , , in a single cod; mr. harmer found in a sole , ; in a tench , ; in a mackerel , ; and in a flounder , , .[ ] m. rousseau disburthened a pike of , , and a sturgeon of , , , while from this latter class has been gotten pounds weight of eggs, which, at the rate of to a grain, would give a total amount of , , eggs! if all these came to maturity the world would be in a short time nothing but fish: means, however, amply sufficient to keep down this unwelcome superabundance have been provided. fish themselves, men, birds, other marine animals, to say nothing of the dispersions produced by storms and currents, the destruction consequent on their being thrown on the beach and left there to dry up, all combine to diminish this excessive supply over demand. yet, on the other hand (so wonderfully are all the contrivances of nature so harmonized and balanced), one of these apparent modes of destruction becomes an actual means of extending the species. the eggs of the pike, barbel, and many other fish, says m. virey, are rendered indigestible by an acid oil which they contain, and in consequence of which they are passed in the same condition as they were swallowed; the result of which is, that being taken in by ducks, grebes, or other water-fowls, they are thus transported to situations, such as inland lakes, which otherwise they could never have attained; and in this way only can we account for the fact, now well ascertained, that several lakes in the alps, formed by the thawing of the glaciers, are now abundantly stocked with excellent fish. little fishes are ordinarily the food of larger marine animals; but a remarkable exception occurs in the case of the larger medusæ, which are stated in various works to prey upon fishes for sustenance. mr. peach, the naturalist, has, however, by observations at peterhead, in aberdeenshire, thus corrected this statement. he observed several small fishes playing round the larger medusæ in the harbour and bay. when alarmed, they would rush under the umbrella, and remain sheltered in its large folds till the danger had passed, when they would emerge, and sport and play about their sheltering friend. when beneath the umbrella they lay so close that they were frequently taken into a bucket with the medusæ. they proved to be young whitings, varying from - / to inches long. these little creatures, so far from becoming the prey of the medusæ, experienced from them protection; and, moreover, they preferred the _stinging_ one. in no instance did mr. peach see a fish in the stomach of the medusæ, but all could liberate themselves when they pleased. in one case, mr. peach witnessed a small whiting, in the first instance chased by a single young pollack, whose assault the little fellow easily evaded by dodging about; but the chaser being joined by others, the whiting was driven from its imperfect shelter, and after being much bitten and dashed about by its assailants, became at length completely exhausted, and lay to all appearance dead. recovering, however, after action, it swam slowly to the medusæ, and took refuge as before; but its movements being soon observed, it was again attacked, after a very brief respite, driven into open water, and speedily despatched. fishes appear to execute annually two great migrations. by one of these shiftings they forsake the deep water for a time, and approach the shallow shores, and by the other they return to their more concealed haunts. these movements are connected with the purposes of spawning, the fry requiring to come into life, and to spend a certain portion of their youth in situations different from those which are suited to the period of maturity. it is in obedience to these arrangements that the cod and haddock, the mackerel, and others, annually leave the deeper and less accessible parts of the ocean, the region of the zoophytic tribes, and deposit their spawn within that zone of marine vegetation which fringes our coasts, extending from near the high-water mark of neap-tides to a short distance beyond the low-water mark of spring-tides. amidst the shelter in this region afforded by the groves of arborescent fuci, the young fish were wont in comfort to spend their infancy, but since these plants have been so frequently cut down to procure materials for the manufacture of kelp, and the requisite protection withdrawn, the fisheries have greatly suffered. many species of fish, as the salmon, smelt, and others, in forsaking the deep water, and approaching a suitable spawning station, leave the sea altogether for a time, ascend the rivers and their tributary streams, and, having deposited their eggs, return again to their usual haunts. even a certain species of fish, inhabiting lakes, as the roach, betake themselves to the tributary streams, as the most suitable places for spawning. the goramy, of india, are stated by general hardwicke to watch most actively the margins of the spot which they select and prepare for depositing their spawn, driving away with violence every other fish which approaches their cover. the general adds that from the time he first noticed this circumstance about one month had elapsed, when one day he saw numerous minute fishes close to the margin of the grass, on the outer side of which the parent fishes continued to pass to and fro. there is a species of grampus from two to three tons weight, and about sixteen feet in length, that amuses itself with jumping, or rather springing its ponderous body entirely out of the water, in a vertical position, and falling upon its back. this effort of so large a fish is almost incredible, and informs us how surprisingly great the power of muscle must be in this class of animal. a correspondent writes to the "united service journal":--"i have seen them spring out of the water within ten yards of the ship's side, generally in the evening, after having swam all the former part of the day in the ship's wake, or on either quarter. when several of these fish take it into their heads to 'dance a hornpipe,' as the sailors term their gambols, at the distance of half a mile, they, especially at or just after sundown, may easily be mistaken for the sharp points of rocks sticking up out of the water, and the splashing and foam they make and produce have the appearance of the action of waves upon rocks. an officer of the navy informed me that, after sunset, when near the equator, he was not a little alarmed and surprised at the cry of 'rocks on the starboard bow!' looking forward, he indistinctly saw objects which he and all on board took to be pinnacles of several rocks of a black and white colour. in a short time, however, he discovered this formidable danger to be nothing more than a company of dancing grampuses with white bellies. as one disappeared, another rose; so that there were at least five or six constantly above the surface." captain owen relates that "the bonita has the power of throwing itself out of the water to an almost incredible distance when in pursuit of its prey, the flying fish; and, the day previous to our arrival at mozambique, one of these fish rose close under our bow, and passed under the vessel's side, and struck with such force against the poop, that, had any one received the blow, it must have been fatal. stunned by the violence of the contact, it fell motionless at the helmsman's feet; but, soon recovering, its struggles were so furious that it became necessary to inflict several blows with an axe before it could be approached with safety. the greatest elevation it attained above the surface of water was eighteen feet, and the length of the leap, had no opposition occurred, would have exceeded ." of winged or flying fish we find this extravagant account in a philosophical romance, entitled, "telliamed," by m. maillet, an ingenious frenchman, of the days of louis xv.:-- he believed, like lamarck, that the whole family of birds had existed one time as fishes, which, on being thrown ashore by the waves, had got feathers by accident; and that men themselves are but the descendants of a tribe of sea-monsters, who, tiring of their proper element, crawled upon the beach one sunny morning, and, taking a fancy to the land, forgot to return. the account is as amusing as a fairy tale. "winged or flying fish," says maillet, "stimulated by the desire of prey, or the fear of death, or pushed near the shore by the billows, have fallen among the reeds or herbage, whence it was not possible for them to resume their flight to the sea, by means of which they had contracted their first facility of flying. then their fins, being no longer bathed in the sea-water, were split and became warped by their dryness. while they found among the reeds and herbage among which they fell many aliments to support them, the vessels of their fins being separated, were lengthened, or clothed with beards, or, to speak more justly, the membranes which before kept them adherent to each other were metamorphosed. the beard formed of these warped membranes was lengthened. the skin of these animals was insensibly covered with a down of the same colour with the skin, and this down gradually increased. the little wings they had under their belly, and which, like their wings, helped them to walk into the sea, became feet, and helped them to walk on the land. there were also other small changes in their figure. the beak and neck of some were lengthened, and of others shortened. the conformity, however, of the first figure subsists in the whole, and it will be always easy to know it. examine all the species of fowl, even those of the indies, those which are tufted or not, those whose feathers are reversed--such as we see at damietta, that is to say, whose plumage runs from the tail to the head--and you will see fine species of fish quite similar, scaly or without scales. all species of parrots, whose plumages are different, the rarest and most singular marked birds, are, conformable to fact, painted, like them, black, brown, grey, yellow, green, red, violet colour, and those of gold and azure; and all this precisely in the same parts, where the plumages of these birds are diversified in so curious a manner." the jaculator fish, of java, has been called "a sporting fish," from the precision with which it takes aim at its prey. in mr. mitchell saw several of these fishes in the possession of a javanese chief; and here is the account of the curious manner in which these jaculators were employed. they were placed in a small circular pond, from the centre of which projected a pole upwards of two feet in height. at the top of the pole were inserted small pieces of wood, sharp-pointed, and on each of these were placed insects of the beetle tribe. when the slaves had placed the beetles, the fish came out of their holes, and swam round the pond. one of them came to the surface of the water, rested there, and after steadily fixing its eyes for some time on an insect, it discharged from its mouth a small quantity of watery fluid, with such force, and precision of aim, as to strike it off the twig into the water, and in an instant swallowed it. after this, another fish came, and performed a similar feat, and was followed by the others, until they had secured all the insects. if a fish failed in bringing down its prey at the first shot, it swam round the pond till it came opposite the same object, and fired again. in one instance, a fish returned three times to the attack before it secured its prey; but in general the fish seemed very expert gunners, bringing down the beetle at the first shot. the fish, in a state of nature, frequents the shores and sides of the rivers in search of food. when it spies a fly sitting on the plants that grow on shallow water, it swims on to the distance of five or six feet from them, and then, with surprising dexterity, it ejects out of its tubular mouth a single drop of water, which rarely fails to strike the fly into the sea, where it soon becomes its prey. curious fish, in great numbers, may be seen in the harbour of port royal, jamaica, on the surface of the water, and are ranked among the peculiarities of the place. they are the guardo, or guard-fish; the jack (sword-fish); and the ballahou. the jack is the largest, and appears to be always at war with the two others; it is armed with formidable teeth; it basks on the surface of the water during the heat of the day, in a sort of indolent, unguarded state; but this is assumed, the better to ensnare the other fish, and to catch the floating bodies that may happen to pass near it; for the moment anything is thrown into the sea from the ship, the jack darts with the rapidity of lightning upon it, and seizing it as quickly, retreats. this warrior-fish possesses a foresight or instinctive quality which we see sometimes exemplified in different animals, almost amounting to second reason, such as the sagacity it displays in avoiding the hook when baited; although extremely voracious, it seems aware of the lure held out for its destruction, and avoids it with as much cunning as the generality of fishes show eagerness to devour it. the situation it takes, immediately in the wake of the ship at anchor, is another instance of its sagacity; as whatever is thrown overboard passes astern, where the fish is ever on the alert for the articles thrown over. no other fish of equal size dare approach. the jack is, however, sometimes enticed with the bait; but he is more frequently struck with a barbed lance, or entrapped in a net. the guardo has similar habits with the jack, but is generally beaten by him; yet the former tyrannizes with unrelenting rigour over the weaker associate, the ballahou. the tiger of the ocean, the shark, is often cruising about port royal, but rarely injures human life. at kingston, however, such distressing events often occur. there was a pet shark known as "old tom of port royal;" it was fed whenever it approached any of the ships, but was at last killed by the father of a child which it had devoured. whilst it remained here, no other of the shark tribe dare venture on his domain; he reigned lord paramount in his watery empire, and never committed any depredation but that for which he suffered. attending the shark is seen the beautiful little pilot fish, who, first approaching the bait, returns as if to give notice, when, immediately after, the shark approaches to seize it. it is a curious circumstance, that this elegant little fish is seen in attendance only upon the shark. after the shark is hooked, the pilot fish still swims about, and for some time after he has been hauled on deck; it then swims very near the surface of the water. when the shark has been hooked, and afterwards escapes, he generally returns, and renews the attack with increased ferocity, irritated often by the wound he has received. sharks appear to have become of late years much more numerous in faroe, as they have also in other parts of the north seas, especially on the coast of norway. the reader may, probably, have found on the sea-shore certain cases, which are fancifully called sea-purses, mermaids' purses, &c. now, some sharks bring forth their young alive, whilst others are enclosed in oblong semi-transparent, horny cases, at each extremity of which are two long tendrils. these cases are the above _purses_, which the parent shark deposits near the shore in the winter months. the twisting tendrils hang to sea-weed, or other fixed bodies, to prevent the cases being washed away into deep water. two fissures, one at each end, allow the admission of sea-water; and here the young shark remains until it has acquired the power of taking food by the mouth, when it leaves what resembles its cradle. the young fish ultimately escapes by an opening at the end, near which the head is situated. california has yielded an extraordinary novelty in fish history. in mr. jackson, while fishing in san salita bay, caught with a hook and line a fish of the perch family _containing living young_. these were supposed to be the prey which the fish had swallowed, but on opening the belly was found next to the back of the fish, and slightly attached to it, a long very light violet bag, so clear and transparent that there could already be distinguished through it the shape, colour, and formation of a multitude of small fish (all facsimiles of each other), with which the bag was filled. they were in all respects like the mother, and like each other; and there cannot remain a single doubt that these young were the offspring of the fish from whose body they were taken; and that this species of fish gives birth to her young alive and perfectly formed, and adapted to seek its own livelihood in the water. professor agassiz has confirmed the truth of this extraordinary statement by a careful examination of the specimens, and has ascertained that there are two very distinct species of this remarkable type of fishes. tales of "wonderful fish" are common in the works of the old naturalists, whence they are quoted from generation to generation. sir john richardson has lately demolished one queer fish, which was as certain to reappear whenever opportunity offered, as the elephant pricked with the tailor's needle does in books of stories of the animal world. we allude to that monstrous myth, the great manheim pike, with a collar round his neck, put into a lake by the emperor frederick ii. in the year ; and taken out in the th year of his age, the th foot of his length, and the th pound of his weight. m. valenciennes, a naturalist of repute, has entered into a critical history of this monster, and has found him to be apocryphal. the creature was, at any rate, taken in several places at once, the legends written on his brass collar do not agree, and his alleged skeleton has been found to be made up of various bones of various fishes; while the vertebræ are, unfortunately, so many, that professor owen would order him out of court in an instant as a rank impostor. probably some specimen of the _mecho_, the monstrous fish of the danube--which has even now been scarcely described, and which has only recently been identified as one of the salmon tribe--having been called a pike, may be at the bottom of the legend of the great manheim fish. but sir john richardson produces another big pike, killed by an intrepid "angler seventy years of age, with a single rod and bait"--an observation which leads to the inquiry of the possibility of catching a single fish with more than one rod and bait--"that weighed seventy-eight pounds." this is stated to have happened in the county of clare; the angler's name was o'flanagan. here is another wonderful story:--the bohemians have a proverb--"every fish has another for prey:" that named the wels has them all. this is the largest fresh-water fish found in the rivers of europe, except the sturgeon; it often reaches five or six feet in length. it destroys many aquatic birds, and we are assured that it does not spare the human species. on the d of july, , a peasant took one near thorn, that had an infant entire in its stomach! they tell in hungary of children and young girls being devoured on going to draw water; and they even relate that, on the frontiers of turkey, a poor fisherman took one that had in its stomach the body of a woman, her purse full of gold, and a _ring_! the fish is even reported to have been taken sixteen feet long. the old stories of rings found in the stomachs of fishes will be remembered; as well as here and there a _book_ found in the stomach of a fish! the sun-fish is exceedingly rare. a large specimen was captured off start point in . attention was first drawn to a huge dark object on the water. on a boat being sent out, it was soon discovered to be the back fin of a very large fish, apparently asleep. a very exciting chase commenced, extending over an hour, the crew meanwhile battling with harpoons, boat-hooks, &c.; the fish trying several times to upset the boat by getting his back under it. at length a line was thrown over its head, and the fish, being weakened by the struggle, was towed alongside the yacht, hoisted on board, and slaughtered. yarrell, in his work on british fishes, states the largest sun-fish to be about cwt., but the above specimen weighed nearly cwt. sun-fish are found occasionally in the tropical seas of large dimensions, but those found in the channel seldom if ever exceed from cwt. to cwt. the peculiarities in regard to this fish are, that it has no bones, but the whole of the formation is of cartilage, which can easily be cut with a knife. the skin is cartilage of about an inch and a-half thick, under which there is no backbone or ribs. this specimen was of extraordinary dimensions-- ft. in. in length, and ft. from the tip of the dorsal to the point of the anal fin. the "courrier de sagon" brings, as a contribution to natural history, the not very credible-sounding description of a fish called "ca-oug" in the anamite tongue, which is said to have saved the lives already of several anamites; for which reason the king of anam has invested it with the name of "nam hai dui bnong gnan" (great general of the south sea). this fish is said to swim round ships near the coast, and, when it sees a man in the water, to seize him with his mouth, and to carry him ashore. a skeleton of this singular inhabitant of the deep is to be seen at wung-tau, near cape st. james. it is reported to be thirty-five feet in length, to have tusks "almost like an elephant," very large eyes, a black and smooth skin, a tail like a lobster, and two "wings" on its back.[ ] the grouper must be a voracious fish, for we read of a specimen being caught off the coast of queensland, which is thus described:--"it was ft. long, ft. in circumference at its thickest part, and its head weighed lb. when opened, there were found in its stomach two broken bottles, a quart pot, a preserved milk tin, seven medium-sized crabs; a piece of earthenware, triangular in shape, and three inches in length, incrusted with oyster shells, a sheep's head, some mutton and beef bones, and some loose oyster shells. the spine of a skate was imbedded in the grouper's liver." the double-fish, here represented, is a pair of cat-fish, which were taken alive in a shrimp-net, at the mouth of cape fear river, near fort johnston. north carolina, in , and presented to professor silliman. one of them is three and a-half, and the other two and a-half inches long, including the tail--the smallest emaciated, and of sickly appearance. they are connected in the manner of the siamese twins, by the skin at the breast, which is marked by a dark streak at the line of union. the texture and colour otherwise of this skin is the same as that of the belly. the mouth, viscera, &c., were entire and perfect in each fish; but, on withdrawing the entrails, through an incision made on one side of the abdomen, the connecting integument was found to be hollow. a flexible probe was passed through from one to the other, with the tender and soft end of a spear of grass, drawn from a green plant. but there was no appearance of the entrails of one having come in contact with those of the other, for the integument was less than one-tenth of an inch in its whole thickness; in length, from the body or trunk of one fish to the other, it was three-tenths; and in the water, when the largest fish was in its natural position, the small one could, by the length and pliancy of this skin, swim in nearly the same position. when these fish came into existence it is probable they were of almost equal size and strength, but one "born to better fortune," or exercising more ingenuity and industry than the other, gained a trifling ascendency, which he improved to increase the disparity, and, by pushing his extended mouth in advance of the other, seized the choicest and most of the food for himself. from the northern parts of british america we have received extraordinary contributions to our fish collections. one of these is the square-browed malthe, obtained in one of the land expeditions under the command of captain sir john franklin. r.n. it was taken on the labrador coast, and then belonged to a species hitherto undescribed. its intestines were filled with small crabs and univalve shells. the extreme length of the fish is inches lines. the upper surface is greyish white, with brown blotches, and the fins are whitish. the head is much depressed and greatly widened; the eyes far forward; the snout projecting like a small horn. most of the fish of this family can live long out of water, in consequence of the smallness of their gill-openings; indeed, those of one of the genera are able, even in warm countries, to pass two or three days in creeping over the land. all the family conceal themselves in the mud or sand, and lie in wait to take their prey by surprise. the accompanying engraving is from the very able work of dr. richardson, f.r.s., published by the munificence of government. [illustration: square-browed malthe and double fish.] gold fish (of the carp family) have been made to distinguish a particular sound made by those from whom they receive their food; they recognise their footsteps at a distance, and come at their call. captain brown says gold fish, when kept in ponds, are "frequently taught to rise to the surface of the water at the sound of a bell to be fed;" and mr. jesse was assured that gold fish evince much pleasure on being whistled to. hakewill, in his "apology for god's power and providence," cites pliny to show that a certain emperor had ponds containing fish, which, when called by their respective _names_ that were bestowed upon them, came to the spot whence the voice proceeded. bernier, in his "history of hindustan," states a like circumstance of the fish belonging to the great mogul. the old poet, martial, also mentions fish coming at the call, as will be seen by the following translation from one of his epigrams:-- "angler! could'st thou be guiltless? then forbear: for these are sacred fishes that swim here; who know their sovereign, and will lick his hand. than which none's greater in the world's command; nay, more; they've names, and when they called are. do to their several owners' call repair." who, after reading so many instances, can doubt that fish hear? it has been found that the water from steam-engines, which is thrown into dams or ponds for the purpose of being cooled, conduces much to the nutriment of gold fish. in these dams, the average temperature of which is about eighty degrees, it is common to keep gold fish; in which situation they multiply much more rapidly than in ponds of lower temperature exposed to variations of the climate. three pair of fish were put into one of these dams, where they increased so rapidly that at the end of three years their progeny, which was accidentally poisoned by verdigris mixed with the refuse tallow from the engine, were taken out by wheel-barrow-fuls. gold fish are by no means useless inhabitants of these dams, as they consume the refuse grease which would otherwise impede the cooling of the water by accumulating on its surface. it is not improbable that this unusual supply of aliment may co-operate with increase of temperature in promoting the fecundity of the fishes. most of our readers have heard of the fish popularly known as the miller's thumb, the origin of the name of which mr. yarrell has thus explained:--"it is well known that all the science and tact of a miller is directed so to regulate the machinery of his mill that the meal produced shall be of the most valuable description that the operation of grinding will permit, when performed under the most advantageous circumstances. his ear is constantly directed to the note made by the running stone in its circular course over the bedstone, the exact parallelism of their two surfaces, indicated by a particular sound, being a matter of the first consequence; and his hand is constantly placed under the meal-spout to ascertain, by actual contact, the character and quality of the meal produced, which he does by a particular movement of his thumb in spreading the sample over his fingers. by this incessant action of the miller's thumb, a peculiarity in its shape is produced, which is said to resemble exactly the shape of the _river bull-head_, a fish constantly found in the mill-stream, and which has obtained for it the name of the miller's thumb." m. coste has constructed a kind of marine observatory at concarneau (finisterre) for the purpose of studying the habits and instincts of various sea-fish. a terrace has been formed on the top of a house on the quay, with reservoirs arranged like a flight of steps. the sea-water is pumped up to the topmost reservoir, and thence flows down slowly, after the manner of a rivulet. the length is divided into cells by wire net partitions, which, allowing free passage to the water, yet prevent the different species of fish from mingling together. by this ingenious contrivance each kind lives separate, enjoying its peculiar food and habits, unconscious of its state of captivity. some species, such as the mullet, the stickleback, &c., grow perfectly tame, will follow the hand that offers them food, and will even allow themselves to be taken out of the water. the goby and bull-head are less familiar. the turbot, which looks so unintelligent, will, nevertheless, take food from the hand; it changes colour when irritated, the spots with which it is covered growing pale or dark, according to the emotions excited in it. but the most curious circumstance concerning it is, that it swallows fish of a much larger size than would appear compatible with the apparent smallness of its mouth. thus, a young turbot, not more than ten inches in length, has been seen to swallow pilchards of the largest size. the pipe-fish has two peculiarities. these fish form groups, entwining their tails together, and remaining immoveable in a vertical position, with their heads upwards. when food is offered them, they perform a curious evolution--they turn round on their backs to receive it. this is owing to the peculiar position of the mouth, which is placed under a kind of beak, and perpendicular to its axis. the crustaceous tribes have also furnished much matter of observation. the prawn and crab, for instance, exercises the virtue of conjugal fidelity to the highest degree; for the male takes hold of his mate, and never lets her go; he swims with her, crawls about with her, and if she is forcibly taken away from him, he seizes hold of her again. the metamorphoses to which various crustaceous tribes are subject have also been studied with much attention.[ ] much as the nature and habits of fish have been studied of late years, the economy of some is to this day involved in obscurity. the herring is one of these fishes. the swedish herring fisheries were, at one time, the largest in europe, but at present, during the temporary disappearance of the fish, they have dwindled away. the causes which influence the movements of the herring--one of the most capricious of fish--are a puzzle which naturalists have as yet failed to solve. they are not migratory, as was at one time believed--that is, they seldom wander far from the place where they were bred; but they are influenced by certain hidden and unexplained causes at one time to remain for years in the deep sea, and at another to come close in to land in enormous numbers. during the first half of the sixteenth century, herrings entirely deserted the swedish coasts. in they reappeared, and remained for thirty-one years in the shallow waters. throughout this period they were taken in incalculable numbers; "thousands of ships came annually from denmark, germany, friesland, holland, england, and france, to purchase the fish, of which sufficient were always found for them to carry away to their own or other countries.... from the small town of marstrand alone some two million four hundred thousand bushels were yearly exported." in the herrings disappeared, and remained absent for seventy-three years, till . in they returned, and again in , remaining till , and during this last period the fisheries were prosecuted with extraordinary zeal, industry, and success. the government gave every encouragement to settlers, and it was computed that during some years as many as fifty thousand strangers took part in them. in the herrings once more disappeared, and have never returned since. the cause must still be considered as quite unknown; but we may fairly assume, according to historical precedents, that after a certain period of absence, the herrings will again return.[ ] aristotle, in his "history of animals," makes some extremely curious observations on fish and cetaceous animals, as might be expected from the variety of these animals in the grecian seas. in spratt and forbes's "travels in syria" the account of the habits and structure of the cuttle-fish in aristotle's work is ranked amongst the most admirable natural history essays ever written. it is, moreover, remarkable for its anticipation. dr. osborne, in , read to the royal society a short analysis of this work, in which he showed that aristotle anticipated dr. jenner's researches respecting the cuckoo; as also some discoveries respecting the incubated egg, which were published as new in the above year. aristotle describes the economy of bees as we have it at present; but mistakes the sex of the queen. the various organs are described as modified throughout the different classes of animals (beginning with man) in nearly the same order as that afterwards adopted by cuvier. the chief value of this body of knowledge, which has been buried for above , years, is, that it is a collection of facts observed under peculiar advantages, such as never since occurred, and that _it is at the present day to be consulted for new discoveries_. according to pliny, for the above work some thousands of men were placed at aristotle's disposal throughout greece and asia, comprising persons connected with hunting and fishing, or who had the care of cattle, fish-ponds, and apiaries, in order that he might obtain information from all quarters, _ne quid usquam gentium ignoretur ab eo_. according to athenæus, aristotle received from the prince, on account of the expenses of the work, talents, or upwards of , _l._ footnotes: [ ] a tench was brought to mr. harmer so full of spawn that the skin was burst by a slight knock, and many thousands of the eggs were lost; yet even after this misfortune he found the remainder to amount to , ! of other marine animals, which he includes under the general term fish, the fecundity, though sufficiently great, is by no means enormous. a lobster yielded , eggs; a prawn , ; and a shrimp , . see mr. harmer's paper, "philosophical transactions," . [ ] "athenæum." [ ] see "the tree-climbing crab," pp. - . [ ] "saturday review." fish in british colombia. in this bitterly cold country, where the snow lies deep six months out of the twelve, the natives subsist principally on fish, of which there is an extraordinary abundance generally, and of salmon particularly. salmon swarm in such numbers that the rivers cannot hold them. in june and july every rivulet, no matter how shallow, is so crammed with salmon that, from sheer want of room, they push one another high and dry upon the pebbles; and mr. lord[ ] tells us that each salmon, with its head up, struggles, fights, and scuffles for precedence. with one's hands only, or more easily by employing a gaff or a crook-stick, tons of salmon have been procured by the simple process of hooking them out. once started on their journey, the salmon never turn back. as fast as those in front die, fresh arrivals crowd on to take their places, and share their fate. "it is a strange and novel sight to see three moving lines of fish--the dead and dying in the eddies and slack water along the bank, the living breasting the current in the centre, blindly pressing on to perish like their kindred." for two months this great _salmon army_ proceeds on its way up stream, furnishing a supply of food without which the indians must perish miserably. the winters are too severe for them to venture out in search of food, even if there was any to be obtained. from being destitute of salt, they are unable to cure meat in the summer for winter provisions, and hence for six months in the year they depend upon salmon, which they preserve by drying in the sun. but the indian has another source of provision for the winter, fully as important as the salmon. the candle-fish supplies him at once with light, butter, and oil.[ ] when dried, and perforated with a rush, or strip of cypress-bark, it can be lighted, and burns steadily until consumed. strung up, and hung for a time in the smoke of a wood fire, it is preserved as a fatty morsel to warm him when pinched with cold; and, by heat and pressure, it is easily converted into liquid oil, and drunk with avidity. that nothing may be wanting, the hollow stalk of the sea-wrack, which at the root is expanded into a complete flask, makes an admirable bottle; and so, when the indian buries himself for long dreary months in his winter quarters, neither his larder nor his cellar are empty, and he has a lamp to lighten the darkness. the steamers have, however, frightened away the candle-fish and the indian from their old haunts, and they have both retreated to the north of the colombia river. amongst the other inhabitants of the salt and fresh waters of these regions are the halibut and the sturgeon, both of which attain to an immense size. the bays and inlets along the coast abound with marine wonders. there feasts and fattens the clam, a bivalve so gigantic that no oyster-knife can force an entrance, and only when his shell is almost red-hot will he be at last constrained to open his dwelling. and there lies in wait the awful octopus, a monster of insatiable voracity, of untameable ferocity, and of consummate craft; of sleepless vigilance, shrouded amidst the forest of sea-weed, and from the touch of whose terrible arms no living thing escapes. it attains to an enormous size in those seas, the arms being sometimes five feet in length, and as thick at the base as a man's wrist. no bather would have a chance if he once got within the grasp of such a monster, nor could a canoe resist the strength of its pull; but the indian, who devours the octopus with great relish, has all the cunning created by necessity, and takes care that none of the eight sucker-dotted arms ever gain a hold on his frail bark. professor owen has figured a species of octopus, the eight-armed cuttle of the european seas, representing it in the act of creeping on shore, its body being carried vertically in the reverse position, with its head downwards, and its back being turned towards the spectator, upon whom it is supposed to be advancing. this animal is said to be luminous in the dark. linnæus quotes bartholinus for the statement that one gave so much light that when the candle was taken away, it illuminated the room. the sturgeon is one of the finest fishes of the country, and mr. lord's account of the indian mode of taking them is a very graphic picture of this river sport. "the spearman stands in the bow, armed with a most formidable spear. the handle, from seventy to eighty feet long, is made of white pine-wood; fitted on the spear-haft is a barbed point, in shape very much like a shuttlecock, supposing each feather represented by a piece of bone, thickly barbed, and very sharp at the end. this is so contrived that it can be easily detached from the long handle by a sharp, dexterous jerk. to this barbed contrivance a long line is made fast, which is carefully coiled away close to the spearman, like a harpoon-line in a whale-boat. the four canoes, alike equipped, are paddled into the centre of the stream, and side by side drift slowly down with the current, each spearman carefully feeling along the bottom with his spear, constant practice having taught the crafty savages to know a sturgeon's back when the spear comes in contact with it. the spear-head touches the drowsy fish; a sharp plunge, and the redskin sends the notched points through armour and cartilage, deep into the leather-like muscles. a skilful jerk frees the long handle from the barbed end, which remains inextricably fixed in the fish; the handle is thrown aside, the line seized, and the struggle begins. the first impulse is to resist this objectionable intrusion, so the angry sturgeon comes up to see what it all means. this curiosity is generally repaid by having a second spear sent crashing into him. he then takes a header, seeking safety in flight, and the real excitement commences. with might and main the bowman plies the paddle, and the spearman pays out the line, the canoe flying through the water. the slightest tangle, the least hitch, and over it goes; it becomes, in fact, a sheer trial of paddle _versus_ fin. twist and turn as the sturgeon may, all the canoes are with him. he flings himself out of the water, dashes through it, under it, and skims along the surface; but all is in vain, the canoes and their dusky oarsmen follow all his efforts to escape, as a cat follows a mouse. gradually the sturgeon grows sulky and tired, obstinately floating on the surface. the savage knows he is not vanquished, but only biding a chance for revenge; so he shortens up the line, and gathers quietly on him to get another spear in. it is done,--and down viciously dives the sturgeon; but pain and weariness begin to tell, the struggles grow weaker and weaker as life ebbs slowly away, until the mighty armour-plated monarch of the river yields himself a captive to the dusky native in his frail canoe." there is a very rare spoonbill sturgeon found in the western waters of north america: its popular name is paddle-fish. one, five feet in length, weighed forty pounds; the nose, resembling a spatula, was thirteen inches in length. it was of a light slate colour, spotted with black; belly white; skin smooth, like an eel; the flesh compact and firm, and hard when boiled--not very enticing to the epicure. the jaws are without teeth, but the fauces are lined with several tissues of the most beautiful network, evidently for the purpose of collecting its food from the water by straining, or passing it through these membranes in the same manner as practised by the spermaceti whale. near the top of the head are two small holes, through which it is possible the sturgeon may discharge water in the manner practised by cetaceous animals. it is conjectured that the long "spoonbill" nose of this fish is for digging up or moving the soft mud in the bottom of the river, and when the water is fully saturated, draw it through the filamentory strainers in search of food. sturgeons resemble sharks in their general form, but their bodies are defended by bony shields, disposed in longitudinal rows; and their head is also well curiassed externally. the sturgeons of north america are of little benefit to the natives. a few speared in the summer-time suffice for the temporary support of some indian hordes; but none are preserved for winter use, and the roe and sounds are utterly wasted. the northern limit of the sturgeon in america is probably between the th and th parallels of latitude. dr. richardson did not meet with any account of its existence to the north of stewart's lake, on the west side of the rocky mountains; and on the east side it does not go higher than the saskatchewan and its tributaries. it is not found in churchill river, nor in any of the branches of the mackenzie or other streams that fall into the arctic seas--a remarkable circumstance when we consider that some species swarm in the asiatic rivers which flow into the icy sea. sturgeons occur in all the great lakes communicating with the st. lawrence, and also along the whole atlantic coast of the united states down to florida. peculiar species inhabit the mississippi; it is, therefore, probable that the range of the genus extends to the gulf of mexico. the great rapid which forms the discharge of the saskatchewan into lake winnipeg appears quite alive with these fish in the month of june; and some families of the natives resort thither at that time to spear them with a harpoon, or grapple them with a strong hook tied to a pole. notwithstanding the great muscular power of the sturgeon, it is timid; and dr. richardson saw one so frightened at the paddling of a canoe, that it ran its nose into a muddy bank, and was taken by a _voyageur_, who leaped upon its back. in colombia river, a small species of sturgeon attains eleven feet in length, and a weight of six hundred pounds.[ ] it is caught as high up as fort colville, notwithstanding the numerous intervening cataracts and rapids which seem to be insuperable barriers to a fish so sluggish in its movements. the sturgeon is styled a royal fish in england, because, by a statute of edward ii. it is enacted, "the king shall have sturgeon taken in the sea, or elsewhere, within the realm." footnotes: [ ] "the naturalist in vancouver island and british columbia." by john keast lord, f.z.s., naturalist to the british north american boundary commission. [ ] the petrel is similarly used in the faroe islands. (see _ante_, p. .) it may, therefore, be called the candle bird. [ ] dr. richardson. the _huro_ is reported by pallas to attain a weight of nearly three thousand pounds, and a length exceeding thirty feet. the tree-climbing crab. the transition from the ordinary mode of the locomotion of fishes by swimming to that of climbing has been ably illustrated by the rev. dr. buckland, who showed, in a communication to the ashmolean society, in , that the fins in certain genera perform the functions of feet and wings. thus, "fishing-frogs" have the fins converted into feet, or paddles, by means of which they have the power of crawling or hopping on sand and mud; and another species can live three days out of the water, and walk upon dry land. the climbing perch of the indian rivers is known to live a long time in the air, and to climb up the stems of palm-trees in pursuit of flies, by means of spinous projections on its gill-covers. fishes of the _silurus_ family have a bony enlargement of the first ray of the pectoral fin, which is also armed with spines; and this is not only an offensive and defensive weapon, but enables the fish to walk along the bottom of the fresh waters which it inhabits. the flying-fishes are notorious examples of the conversion of fins into an organ of movement in the air. m. deslongchamps has published, in the "transactions of the linnæan society of normandy," , a curious account of the movements of the gurnard at the bottom of the sea. in , he observed these movements in one of the artificial fishing-ponds, or fishing-traps, surrounded by nets, on the shore of normandy. he saw a score of gurnards closing their fins against their sides, like the wing of a fly in repose, and without any movement of their tails, walking along the bottom by means of six free rays, three on each pectoral fin, which they placed successively on the ground. they moved rapidly forwards, backwards, to the right and left, groping in all directions with these rays, as if in search of small crabs. their great heads and bodies seemed to throw hardly any weight on the slender rays, or feet, being suspended in water, and having their weight further diminished by their swimming-bladder. during these movements the gurnards resembled insects moving along the sand. when m. deslongchamps moved in the water, the fish swam away rapidly to the extremity of the pond; when he stood still, they resumed their ambulatory movement, and came between his legs. on dissection, we find these three anterior rays of the pectoral fins to be supported each with strong muscular apparatus to direct their movements, apart from the muscles that are connected with the smaller rays of the pectoral fin. dr. buckland states that miss potts, of chester, had sent to him a flagstone from a coalshaft at mostyn, bearing impressions which he supposed to be the trackway of some fish crawling along the bottom by means of the anterior rays of its pectoral fins. there were no indications of feet, but only scratches, symmetrically disposed on each side of a space that may have been covered by the body of the fish whilst making progress, by pressing its fin-bones on the bottom. as yet, no footsteps of reptiles, or of any animals more highly organized than fishes, have been found in strata older than those which belong to the new red sandstone. the abundant remains of fossil fishes, armed with strong bony spines, and of other fishes allied to the gurnard, in strata of the carboniferous and old red sandstone series, would lead us to expect the frequent occurrence of impressions made by their locomotive organs on the bottoms of the ancient waters in which they lived. dr. buckland proposed to designate these petrified traces or trackways of ancient fishes by the term of fish-tracks. crabs and lobsters are strange creatures: strange in their configurations; strange in the transmutations which they exhibit from the egg to maturity; strange in the process they undergo of casting off, not only their shell, but the covering of their eyes, of their long horns, and even the lining of their tooth-furnished stomach; strange, also, are they in their manners and habits. many a reader, in wandering along the sea-shore, may have disturbed little colonies of crabs quietly nestling in fancied security amidst banks of slimy sea-weed; and in the nooks and recesses of the coast, the shallows, and strips of land left dry at ebb-tide, may be seen numbers of little, or perchance large, crabs, some concealed in snug lurking-places, others tripping, with a quick _side-long_ movement, over the beach, alarmed by the advance of an unwelcome intruder. some are exclusively tenants of the water, have feet formed like paddles for swimming, and never venture on land; others seem to love the air and sunshine, and enjoy an excursion, not without hopes of finding an acceptable repast, over the oozy sands; some, equally fond of the shore and shallow water, appropriate to themselves the shells of periwinkles, whelks, &c., and there live in a sort of castle, which they drag about with them on their excursions, changing it for a larger as they increase in measure of growth. they vary in size from microscopic animalcules to the gigantic king crab:[ ] to the former, the luminosity of the ocean, or of the foam before the prows of vessels, is, to a great extent, attributable, each minute creature glowing with phosphoric light. the bernhard crab has been proved to have the power of dissolving shells, it not being unusual to find the long fusiform shells which are inhabited by these animals with the inner lip, and the greater part of the pillar on the inside of the mouth, destroyed, so as to render the aperture much larger than usual. dr. gray is quite convinced that these crabs have the above power, some to a much greater degree than others. certain crabs, especially in the west indies, are almost exclusively terrestrial, visiting the sea only at given periods, for the deposition of their eggs. these crabs carry in their gill-chambers sufficient water for the purpose of respiration; they live in burrows, and traverse considerable tracts of land in the performance of their migratory journeys. of these, some, as the violet crab, are exquisite delicacies. of a great crab migration we find these details in the "jamaica royal gazette:"--in there was a very extraordinary production of black crabs in the eastern part of jamaica. in june or july the whole district of manchidneed was covered with countless numbers, swarming from the sea to the mountains. of this the writer was an eye-witness. on ascending over hill from the vale of plantain garden river, the road appeared of a reddish colour, as if strewed with brick-dust. it was owing to myriads of young black crabs, about the size of the nail of a man's finger, moving at a pretty quick pace, direct for the mountains. "i rode along the coast," says the writer, "a distance of about fifteen miles, and found it nearly the same the whole way. returning the following day, i found the road still covered with them, the same as the day before. how have they been produced, and where do they come from? were questions everybody asked, and nobody could answer. it is well known that crabs deposit their eggs once a year, in may; but, except on this occasion, though living on the coast, i had never seen above a dozen young crabs together; and here were myriads. no unusual number of old crabs had been observed in that season; and it is worthy of note, that they were moving from a rock-bound coast of inaccessible cliffs, the abode of sea-birds, and exposed to the constant influence of the trade winds. no person, as far as i know, ever saw the like, except on that occasion; and i have understood that since black crabs have been more abundant further in to the interior of the island than they were ever known before." cuvier describes the burrowing crab as displaying wonderful instinct:--"the animal closes the entrance of its burrow, which is situated near the margin of the sea, or in marshy grounds, with its largest claw. these burrows are cylindrical, oblique, very deep, and very close to each other; but generally each burrow is the exclusive habitation of a single individual. the habit which these crabs have of holding their large claw elevated in advance of the body, as if making a sign of beckoning to some one, has obtained for them the name of calling crabs. there is a species observed by mr. bosc in south carolina, which passes the three months of the winter in its retreat without once quitting it, and which never goes to the sea except at the epoch of egg-laying." the same observations apply to the chevalier crabs (so called from the celerity with which they traverse the ground). these are found in africa, and along the borders of the mediterranean. some crabs, truly aquatic, as the vaulted crab of the moluccas, have the power of drawing back their limbs, and concealing them in a furrow, which they closely fit; and thus, in imitation of a tortoise, which retracts its feet and head within its shell, they secure themselves, when alarmed. other aquatic species have their limbs adapted for clinging to weeds and other marine objects. of these some have the two or four hind pairs of limbs so placed as to appear to spring from the back; they terminate in a sharp hook, by means of which the crab attaches itself to the valves of shells, fragments of coral, &c., which it draws over its body, and thus lurks in concealment. allied, in some respects, to the hermit or soldier crabs, which tenant empty shells, is one which, from its manners and habits, is one of the most extraordinary of its race. the hermit crabs are voracious, and feed on animal substances. the hermit, or bernhard crab, is so called from its habit of taking up its solitary residence in deserted shells, thus seeking a protection for its tail, which is long and naked. it is found in shells of different dimensions, and from time to time leaves its abode, as it feels a necessity, for a more commodious dwelling. it is said to present, on such occasions, an amusing instinct as it inserts the tail successively into several empty shells until one is found to fit. we learn from professor bell, however, that it does not always wait until the home is vacant, but occasionally rejects the rightful occupant with some violence. on the contrary, the crab, or rather lobster-crab (for it takes an intermediate place between them), is more delicate in its appetite, and feeds upon fruits, to obtain which it is said to climb up certain trees, at the feet of which it makes a burrow. this species is the purse crab, or robber crab, of amboyna and other islands in the south pacific ocean. "according to popular belief among the indians," says cuvier, "the robber crab feeds on the nuts of the cocoa-tree, and it makes its excursions during the night; its places of retreat are fissures in the rocks, or holes in the ground." the accounts of the early writers and travellers, as well as of the natives, were disbelieved; but their truth has since been abundantly confirmed. mm. quoy and guimard assure us that several robber crabs were fed by them for many months on cocoa-nuts alone; and a specimen of this crab was submitted to the zoological society, with additional information from mr. cuming, in whose fine collection from the islands of the south pacific several specimens were preserved. mr. cuming states these crabs to be found in great numbers in lord hood's island, in the pacific. he there frequently met with them on the road. on being disturbed, the crabs instantly assumed a defensive attitude, making a loud snapping with their powerful claws, or pincers, which continued as they retreated backwards. they climb a species of palm to gather a small kind of cocoa-nut that grows thereon. they live at the roots of trees, and not in the holes of rocks; and they form a favourite food among the natives. such is the substance of mr. cuming's account. mr. darwin, in his "researches in geology and natural history," saw several of these crabs in the keeling islands, or cocos islands, in the indian ocean, about miles distant from the coast of sumatra. in these islands, of coral formation, the cocoa-nut tree is so abundant as to appear, at first glance, to compose the whole wood of the islands. here the great purse crab is abundant. mr. darwin describes it as a crab which lives on the cocoa-nut, is common on all parts of the dry land, and grows to a monstrous size. this crab has its front pair of legs terminated by very strong and heavy pincers, and the last pair by others which are narrow and weak. it would at first be thought quite impossible for a crab to open a strong cocoa-nut, covered with the husk; but mr. liesk assures me that he has repeatedly seen the operation effected. the crab begins by tearing away the husk, fibre by fibre, and always from that end under which the three eye-holes are situated. when this is completed the crab commences hammering with its heavy claws on one of these eye-holes till an opening is made. then, turning its body, by the aid of its posterior and narrow pair of pincers, it extracts the white albuminous substance. i think this as curious a case as i ever heard of, and likewise of adaptation in structure between two objects apparently so remote from each other in the scheme of nature as a crab and a cocoa-nut tree. the crab is diurnal in its habits; but it is said to pay every night a visit to the sea for the purpose of moistening its gills. these gills are very peculiar, and scarcely fill up more than a tenth of the chamber in which they are placed: it doubtless acts as a reservoir for water, to serve the crab in its passage over the dry and heated land. the young are hatched and live for some time on the coast; at this period of existence we cannot suppose that cocoa-nuts form any part of their diet; most probably soft saccharine grasses, fruits, and certain animal matters, serve as their food until they attain a certain size and strength. the adult crabs, mr. darwin tells us, inhabit deep burrows, which they excavate beneath the roots of trees; and here they accumulate great quantities of the picked fibres of the cocoa-nut husk, on which they rest as on a bed. the malays sometimes take advantage of the labours of the crab by collecting the coarse fibrous substance, and using it as junk. these crabs are very good to eat; moreover, under the tail of the larger ones there is a great mass of fat, which, when melted, yields as much as a quart bottleful of limpid oil. the crab's means of obtaining the cocoa-nuts have, however, been much disputed. it is stated by some authors to crawl up the trees for the purpose of stealing the nuts. this is doubted; though in the kind of palm to which mr. cuming refers as being ascended by this crab, the task would be much easier. now, mr. darwin states, that in the keeling islands the crab lives only on the nuts which fall to the ground. it may thus appear that mr. cuming's and mr. darwin's respective accounts of the _non-climbing_ of this crab on the one side, and its _actually climbing trees_ on the other, are contradictory. the height of the stem of the cocoa-nut tree, its circumference, and comparative external smoothness, would prove insurmountable, or at least very serious obstacles, to the most greedy crab, however large and strong it might be. but these difficulties are by no means so formidable in the tree specified by mr. cuming: this is arborescent, or bushy, with long, thin, rigid, sword-shaped leaves, resembling those of the pineapple, usually arranged spirally, so that they are commonly called screw pines. they are of the genus _pandanus_, a word derived from the malay _pandang_. the ascent of these arborescent plants, having the stem furnished with a rigging of cord-like roots, and bearing a multitude of firm, long, and spirally-arranged leaves, would be by no means a work of difficulty, as would necessarily be that of the tall feathery-topped cocoa-tree, destitute of all available points of aid or support. hence the contradiction in the two accounts referred to is seeming, and not real, and the two statements are reconciled. to sum up, mr. cuming fully testifies to the crab climbing the screw pines; and he has told professor owen that he has actually seen the crab climbing the cocoa-nut tree. the crab has been kept on cocoa-nuts for months; and is universally reported by the natives to climb the trees at night. [illustration: the tree-climbing crab.] we may here, too, observe, that fine specimens of the climbing crab are to be seen in the british museum. here, too, arranged in cases, are spider crabs; crabs with oysters growing on their backs, thus showing that crabs do not shed their shells every year, or that the oyster increases very rapidly in bulk; oval-bodied crabs; and fin-footed or swimming crabs. here are also telescope, or long-eyed crabs, and land crabs, found in india , feet above the sea-level; another of similar habits in the plains of the deccan, that may be seen swarming in the fields, some cutting and nipping the green rice-stalks, and others waddling off backwards with sheaves bigger than themselves. to these may be added square-bodied crabs, crested crabs; porcelain crabs, with delicate, china-like shells; and death's-head crabs, which usually form cases for themselves from pieces of sponge and shells. certain species of crabs are remarkably tenacious of life, and have been known to live for weeks buried, and without food. it is in the crab tribe that the fact of the metamorphosis of _crustacea_ has been most distinctly perceived; a small, peculiar crustacean animal, that had long passed for a distinct species, under the name of _zoea_, having at length been identified with the young of the common crab before it had attained its full development. that among the crab tribes a tree-climbing species is to be found is certainly curious, but it is not without a parallel among fishes. many of the latter leave the water, some even for a long time, and perform overland journeys, aided in their progress by the structure of their fins. in these fishes the gills and gill-chambers are constructed for the retention of water for a considerable time, so as to suffice for the necessary degree of respiration. in our country, we may mention the eel, which often voluntarily quits the river or lake, and wanders during the night over the adjacent meadows, probably in quest of dew-worms. but the marshes of india and china present us with fishes much more decidedly terrestrial, and some of which were known to the ancients. among these are several fishes of a snake-like form: they have an elongated, cylindrical body, and creep on land to great distances from their native waters. the boatmen of india often keep these fishes for a long time out of water, for the sake of diverting themselves and others by their terrestrial movements, and children may often be seen enjoying this sport. of these land-haunting fishes, the most remarkable is the tree-climber, so called in tranquebar. this fish inhabits india, the indian islands, and various parts of china, as chusan, &c., living in marshes, and feeding on aquatic insects, worms, &c. according to daldorf, a danish gentleman, who, in , communicated an account of the habits of this fish to the linnæan society, it _mounts up_ the bushes or low palms to some elevation. this gentleman states that he had himself observed it in the act of ascending palm-trees near the marshes, and had taken it at a height of no less than five feet, measured from the level of the adjacent water. it effects its ascent by means of its pectoral and under fins, aided by the action of the tail and the spines which border the gill covers. it is by the same agency that it traverses the land. the statement of m. daldorf is corroborated by m. john, also a danish observer, to whom we are indebted for the knowledge of its name in tranquebar, which alludes to its arboreal proceedings. it is true that many other naturalists who have observed the habits of this fish in its native regions, while they concur in describing its terrestrial journeys, and its living for a long time out of water, either omit to mention, or mention with doubt, its reputed attempts at _tree-climbing_. the habits and instincts of certain crawfishes are very extraordinary. thus, the _astaci_ are migratory, and in their travels are capable of doing much damage to dams and embankments. on the little genesee river they have, within a few years, compelled the owner of a dam to rebuild it. the former dam was built after the manner of dykes, _i.e._, with upright posts, supporting sleepers, laid inclining up the stream. on these were laid planks, and the planks were covered with dirt. the _astacus_ proceeding up the stream would burrow under the planks where they rested on the bottom of the stream, removing bushels of dirt and gravel in the course of a night. they travel over the dam in their migrations, _often climbing posts_ two or three feet high to gain the pond above.[ ] we have to add a new and eccentric variety of nature--the pill-making crab, which abounds at labuan, singapore, and lahore, and is described in mr. collingwood's "rambles of a naturalist." when the tide is down, this little creature, if stealthily watched, may be seen creeping up a hole in the sandy shore, taking up rapidly particles of the loose powdery sand in its claws, and depositing them in a groove beneath the thorax. a little ball of sand, about the size of a filbert, is forthwith projected, though whether it passes actually through the mouth is not made clear. pill after pill is seized with one claw, and laid aside, until the beach is covered with these queer little pellets. this is evidently the creature's mode of extracting particles of food from the sand. mr. collingwood also describes, as met with on the shores and waters of the china seas, glass crabs, whose flat, transparent, leaf-like bodies seem made of fine plates of mica. the dredge brings up many a rich haul of sponges, corals, and gorgoniæ, of the most splendid colours, certain of the sponges harbouring within their cells minute crabs of a new genus. between aden and galle the sea is of a pinkish colour, owing to the immense accumulation of minute kinds of medusæ, in solid masses of red jelly. over fiery cross reef, the mirror-like sea reveals, at the depth of sixty or seventy feet, this wealth of natural treasures. "glorious masses of living coral strew the bottom: immense globular madrepores--vast overhanging mushroom-shaped expansions, complicated ramifications of interweaving branches, mingled with smaller and more delicate species--round, finger-shaped, horn-like and umbrella-form--lie in wondrous confusion. here and there is a large clam-shell, wedged in between masses of coral, the gaping, zigzag mouth covered with the projecting mantle of the deepest prussian blue; beds of dark purple, long-spined echini, and the thick black bodies of sea-cucumbers vary the aspect of the sea bottom."[ ] footnotes: [ ] this crab has an elongated spine-like tail, the use of which was long misunderstood. dr. j. gray was shown at the liverpool museum some living king crabs, and the use they made of the tail-like appendages. when turned over on their backs, he saw them bend down the tail until they could reach some point of resistance, and then employ it to elevate the body, and regain their normal position. dr. gray states that they never have been seen to use this tail for the purpose which has been often assigned to it--that is, for leaping from place to place by bending it under the body, like the toy called a "spring-jack," or "leaping frog." [ ] american journal of science and art. [ ] w. c. linnæus martin, f.l.s. musical lizards. a small lizard, lately brought home from the isle of formosa by mr. swinhoe, is decided to be a new species by dr. günther, of the british museum. mr. swinhoe found the eggs of this gecko, or lizard, in holes of walls or among mortar rubbish. they are round, and usually lie several together, resembling eggs of ordinary lizards. the young, when first hatched, keep much under stones in dark cellars, where they remain until they attain about two-thirds of the adult size, when they begin to appear in public to catch insects, but evincing great shyness of their seniors. mr. swinhoe states that on the plaster-washed sides of his bedroom, close to the angle of the roof, every evening when the lamp was placed on the table below, four little musical lizards used to make their appearance and watch patiently for insects attracted by the light. a sphinx or a beetle buzzing into the room would put them into great excitement, and they would run with celerity from one part of the wall to the other after the deluded insect as it fluttered in vain, buffeting its head, up and down the wall. two or three would run after the same insect, but as soon as one had succeeded in securing it, the rest would prudently draw aloof. in running over the perpendicular face of the wall they keep so close, and their movements are made so quickly, with one leg in advance of the other, that they have the appearance at a distance of gliding rather than running. the tail is somewhat writhed as the body is jerked along, and much so when the animal is alarmed and doing its utmost to escape; but its progress even then is in short runs, stopping at intervals and raising its head to look about. if a fly perch on the wall it cautiously approaches to within a short distance, then suddenly darts forwards, and with its quickly-protruded, glutinous tongue, fixes it. apart from watching its curious manoeuvres after its insect-food, the attention of the most listless would be attracted by the singular series of loud notes these creatures utter at all hours of the day and night, more especially during cloudy and rainy weather. these notes resemble the syllables "chuck-chuck," several times repeated; and, from their more frequent occurrence during july and august, they are thought to be the call notes of the male to the female. during the greater part of the day, the little creature lies quiescent in some cranny among the beams of the roof or in the wall of the house, where, however, it is ever watchful for the incautious fly that approaches its den, upon whom it darts forth with but little notice. but it is by no means confined to the habitations of men. every old wall, and almost every tree, possesses a tenant or two of this species. it is excessively lively, and even when found quietly ensconced in a hole, generally manages to escape--its glittering little eyes (black, with yellow ochre iris) appearing to know no sleep; and an attempt to capture the runaway seldom results in more than the seizure of an animated tail, wrenched off with a jerk by the little fellow as it slips away, without loss of blood. the younger individuals are much darker than the larger and older animals, which are sometimes almost albinoes. in ordinary fly-catching habits, as they stick to the sides of a lamp, there is much similarity between this gecko and the little papehoo, or wall-lizard of china; but this is decidedly a larger and much more active animal, and often engages in a struggle with insects of very large size. the chinese colonists of formosa greatly respect the geckos, in consequence of a legend which attributes to them the honour of having once poisoned the supplies of an invading rebellious army, which was thereby totally cut to pieces. the geckos were raised to the rank of generals by the grateful emperor of china; which honour, the legend states, they greatly appreciated, and henceforth devoted their energies to the extermination of mosquitoes and other injurious insects. chameleons, and their changes. "nil fuit unquam sic impar sibi."--_horat._ "sure such a various creature ne'er was seen." _francis, in imit._ the chameleon tribe is a well-defined family of lizard-like reptiles, whose characters may be summed up as existing in the form of their feet; the toes, which are joined together or bound up together in two packets or bundles, opposed to each other; in their shagreen-like skin; in their prehensile tail; and in their extensile and retractile vermiform tongue. that the chameleon was known to the ancients there is no doubt. its name we derive directly from the _chamelæo_ of the latins. aristotle's history of the animal proves the acute observation of that great zoologist--the absence of a sternum, the disposition of the ribs, the mechanism of the tail, the motion of the eyes, the toes bound up in opposable bundles, &c.--though he is not entirely correct on some points. pliny mentions it, but his account is for the most part a compilation from aristotle. calmet's description of the chameleon is curiously minute:--"it has four feet, and on each foot three claws. its tail is long: with this, as well as with his feet, it fastens itself to the branches of trees. its tail is flat, its nose long, ending in an obtuse point; its back is sharp, its skin plaited, and jagged like a saw, from the neck to the last joint of the tail, and upon its head it has something like a comb; like a fish, it has no neck. some have asserted that it lives only upon air, but it has been observed to feed on flies, catched with its tongue, which is about ten inches long and three thick, made of white flesh, round, but flat at the end, or hollow and open, resembling an elephant's trunk. it also shrinks, and grows longer. this animal is said to assume the colour of those things to which it is applied; but our modern observers assure us that its natural colour, when at rest, and in the shade, is a bluish-grey; though some are yellow, others green, but both of a smaller kind. when it is exposed to the sun, the grey changes into a darker grey, inclining to a dun colour, and its parts which have least of the light upon them are changed into spots of different colours. sometimes, when it is handled, it seems speckled with dark spots, inclining to green. if it be put upon a black hat, it appears to be of a violet colour; and sometimes, if it be wrapped up in linen, it is white; but it changes colour only in some parts of the body." its changes of colour have been commemorated by the poets. shakspeare has-- "i can add colours ev'n to the chameleon: change shapes with proteus, for advantage." dryden has-- "the thin chameleon, fed with air, receives the colour of the thing to which it cleaves." prior has-- "as the chameleon, which is known to have no colours of his own, but borrows from his neighbour's hue his white or black, his green or blue." gay, in his charming fable of the spaniel and the chameleon, "scarce distinguished from the green," makes the latter thus reply to the taunts of the pampered spaniel:-- "'sir,' says the sycophant, 'like you, of old, politer life i knew: like you, a courtier born and bred, kings lean'd their ear to what i said: my whisper always met success; the ladies prais'd me for address; i knew to hit each courtier's passion, and flatter'd every vice in fashion: but jove, who hates the liar's ways, at once cut short my prosperous days, and, sentenced to retain my nature, transform'd me to this crawling creature. doom'd to a life obscure and mean, i wander'd in the silvan scene: for jove the heart alone regards; he punishes what man rewards. how different is thy case and mine! with men at least you sup and dine; while i, condemned to thinnest fare, like those i flatter'd, fed on air.'" upon this fable a commentator acutely notes:--"the raillery at court sycophants naturally pervades our poet's writings, who had suffered so much from them. here, however, he intimates something more, namely, the apposite dispensations to man's acts, even in this world. the crafty is taken in by his own guile, the courtier falls by his own arts, and the ladder of ambition only prepares for the aspirant a further fall."[ ] with respect to the air-food of the chameleon. cuvier observes that its lung is so large that, when it is filled with air, it imparts a transparency to the body, which made the ancients say that it lived upon air; and he inclines to think that to its size the chameleon owes the property of changing its colour; but, with regard to this last speculation, he was wrong, as we shall presently see. it was long thought that the chameleon, like most of the lizard tribe, was produced from an egg. the little animal is, however, most clearly viviparous, and not oviparous, although the tales told of the lizard tribe in the story books are most perplexing. to name a few of them:-- . the crocodile, which is the largest of the lizard tribe, and has even attained the size of - / ft. in length, is confidently stated as laying eggs, which she covers with sand and leaves, to be hatched by the sun; and these have been met with in the rivers nile, niger, and ganges. . _lacerta gangetica_, unknown to linnæus, but brought to this country from bengal in by the late dr. mead, is said to be furnished with a false belly, like the opossum, where the young can be received for protection in time of danger. in this case the egg must have been hatched in the belly of the animal, like the viper. . the alligator, or american crocodile, lays a vast quantity of eggs in the sand, near the banks of lakes and rivers, and leaves them to be hatched by the sun; and the young are seldom seen. . the cayman, or antilles crocodile, has furnished its eggs to many collections. . a salamander was opened by m. maupertuis, and its belly was found full of eggs; but in "les mémoires de l'académie royale des sciences" it is stated that, after a similar operation of the kind, "fifty young ones, resembling the parent animal, were found in its womb all alive, and actively running about the room." the tongue is the chief organ for taking the insects on which the chameleon lives. by a curious mechanism, of which the tongue-bone is a principal agent, the chameleon can protrude this cylindrical tongue, which has its tip covered with a glutinous secretion from the sheath at the lower part of the mouth, to the length of six inches. when the chameleon is about to seize an insect, it rolls round its extraordinary eyeballs so as to bring them to bear on the doomed object; as soon as it arrives within the range of the tongue, that organ is projected with unerring precision, and returns into the mouth with the prey adhering to the viscous tip. the wonderful activity with which this feat is performed, forms a strong contrast to the almost ridiculously slow motions of the animal. their operation of taking meal-worms, of which they are fond, though comparatively rapid, is not remarkable for its quickness, but done with an act of deliberation, and so that the projection and retraction of the tongue can be very distinctly followed with the eye. the eyes of the chameleon are remarkable objects; large, projecting, and almost entirely covered with the shagreen-like skin, with the exception of a small aperture opposite the pupil; their motions are completely independent of each other. it adds to the strange and grotesque appearance of this creature to see it roll one of its eye-globes backwards, while the other is directed forwards, as if making two distinct surveys at one time. its sight must be acute, from the unerring certainty with which it marks and strikes its prey. the chameleons spend their lives in trees, for clinging to the branches of which their organization is admirably adapted. there they lie in wait for the insects which may come within their reach; and it has been thought that, in such situations, their faculty of changing colour becomes highly important in aiding them to conceal themselves. the powers of abstinence possessed by this singular race are very great; and hence, most probably, arose the old fable of their _living on air_, which was for a long time considered to be "the chameleon's dish." one has been known to fast upwards of six weeks without taking any sustenance, though meat-food and insects were procured for it. notwithstanding this fast, it did not appear to fall away much. it would fix itself by the feet and tail to the bars of the fender, and there remain motionless, enjoying the warmth of the fire for hours together. hasselquist describes one, that he kept for nearly a month, as climbing up and down the bars of its cage in a very lively manner. the power of the chameleon's changing colour long exercised the ingenuity of the old naturalists. hasselquist thought that the changes of colour depended on a kind of disease, more especially a sort of jaundice, to which the animal was subject, particularly when it was put in a rage. m. d'obsonville thought that he had discovered the secret in the blood, and that the change of colour depended upon a mixture of blue and yellow, whence the different shades of green were derived; and these colours he obtains from the blood and the blood-vessels. thus he says that the blood is of a violet hue, and will retain its colour on linen or paper for some minutes if previously steeped in a solution of alum, and that the coats of the vessels are yellow; consequently, he argues, that the mixture of the two will produce green. he further traces the change of colour to the passions of the animal. thus, when a healthy chameleon is provoked, the circulation is accelerated, the vessels that are spread over the skin are distended, and a superficial blue-green colour is produced. when, on the contrary, the animal is imprisoned, impoverished, and deprived of free air, the circulation becomes languid, the vessels are not filled, the colour of their coats prevails, and the chameleon changes to a yellow-green, which lasts during its confinement. barrow, in his "travels in africa," declares that previously to the chameleon's assuming a change of colour, it makes a long inspiration, the body swelling out to twice its usual size; and as the inflation subsides, the change of colour gradually takes place, the only permanent marks being two small dark lines passing along the sides. mr. wood conceives from this account that the animal is principally indebted for these varied tints to the influence of oxygen. mr. spittal also regards these changes as connected with the state of the lungs; and mr. houston considers this phenomenon as dependent on the turgescency of the skin. dr. weissenborn thinks it not unlikely that the nervous currents may directly co-operate in effecting the changes of colour in the chameleon. mr. h. n. turner, writing from personal observation of the phenomenon in a live chameleon in his possession, says:--"it has been generally imagined that the purpose of the singular faculty accorded to the chameleon is to enable it to accommodate its appearance to that of surrounding objects." mr. turner's observations do not, however, favour the idea, but seem rather to negative it. the box in which mr. turner's chameleon was kept was of deal, with glass at the top, and a piece of flannel laid at the bottom, a small branching stick being placed there by way of a perch. he introduced, at various times, pieces of coloured paper, covering the bottom of the box, of blue, yellow, and scarlet, but without the slightest effect upon the appearance of the animal. considering that these primary colours were not such as it would be likely to be placed in contact with in a state of nature, he next tried a piece of green calico, but equally without result. the animal went through all its usual changes without their being in any way modified by the colour placed underneath it. the general tint approximated, as may be readily observed, to those of the branches of trees, just as those of most animals do to the places in which they dwell; but mr. turner did not observe the faculty of changing called into play with any apparent object. it is only when the light is removed that the animal assumes a colour which absorbs but little of it. not to go further into the numerous treatises which have been published on this intricate subject without arriving at a just conclusion, we refer to the able and interesting paper of mr. milne edwards, for whose acuteness the solution of this puzzling phenomenon was reserved. the steps by which he first overthrew the received theories on the subject, and then arrived at the cause of the change of colour, is shown in the following results, derived from observing two chameleons living, and researches after the animals had died, on the structure of their skin, and the parts immediately beneath it. . that the change in the colour of the chameleon does not depend essentially either on the more or less considerable swelling of their bodies, or the changes which might hence result to the condition of their blood or circulation; nor does it depend on the greater or less distance which may exist between the several cutaneous tubercles; although it is not to be denied that these circumstances probably exercise some influence upon the phenomenon. . that there exist in the skin of these animals two layers of membranous pigment, placed the one above the other, but disposed in such a way as to appear simultaneously under the cuticle, and sometimes in such a manner that the one may hide the other. . that everything remarkable in the changes of colour in the chameleon may be explained by the appearance of the pigment of the deeper layer to an extent more or less considerable, in the midst of the pigment of the superficial layer, or from its disappearance beneath this layer. . that these displacements of the deeper pigment do in reality occur; and it is a probable consequence that the chameleon's colour changes during life, and may continue to change even after death. . that there exists a close analogy between the mechanism by the help of which the change of colour appears to take place in these reptiles, and that which determines the successive appearance and disappearance of coloured spots in the mantles of several of the cephalopods. chameleons are found in warm climates of the old world, south of spain, africa, east indies. isles of sechelles, bourbon, france, moluccas. madagascar (where it is said there are seven of the species which belong to africa), fernando po, and new south wales. in the year , a new and curiously formed species of chameleon was brought from the interior of the old calabar district of west africa, by one of the natives. it is characterised by three horny processes on the head. many lizards have singular spiny projections on all parts of the body; but this very well marked species had not been hitherto recorded. mrs. belzoni, the wife of the celebrated traveller in the east, made some careful observations upon the habits of chameleons, which are worth quoting. the arabs in lower egypt catch chameleons by jumping upon them, flinging stones at them, or striking them with sticks, which hurts them very much. the nubians lay them down gently on the ground, and when they come down from the date-trees, they catch hold of the tail of the animal, and fix a string to it; therefore the body does not get injured. mrs. belzoni had some chameleons for several months in her house, and her observations are as follows:-- "in the first place they are very inveterate towards each other, and must not be shut up together, else they will bite each other's tails and legs off. [illustration: chameleons.] "there are three species of chameleons, whose colours are peculiar to themselves: for instance, the commonest sort are those which are generally green, that is to say, the body all green, and, when content, beautifully marked on each side regularly on the green with black and yellow, not in a confused manner, but as if drawn. this kind is in great plenty; they never have any other colour except a light green when they sleep, and when ill, a very pale yellow. out of near forty i had the first year when in nubia, i had but one, and that a very small one of the second sort, which had red marks. one chameleon lived with me eight months, and most of that time i had it fixed to the button of my coat: it used to rest on my shoulder or on my head. i have observed, when i have kept it shut up in a room for some time, that on bringing it out in the air it would begin drawing the air in, and on putting it on some marjorum it has had a wonderful effect on it immediately: its colour became most brilliant. i believe it will puzzle a good many to say what cause it proceeds from. if they did not change when shut up in a house, but only on taking them in a garden, it might be supposed the change of the colours was in consequence of the smell of the plants; but when in a house, if it is watched, it will change every ten minutes: some moments a plain green, at others all its beautiful colours will come out, and when in a passion it becomes of a deep black, and will swell itself up like a balloon, and, from being one of the most beautiful animals, it becomes one of the most ugly. it is true that chameleons are extremely fond of the fresh air, and on taking them to a window when there is nothing to be seen, it is easy to observe the pleasure they certainly take in it: they begin to gulp down the air, and their colour becomes brighter. i think it proceeds, in a great degree, from the temper they are in: a little thing will put them in a bad humour: if in crossing a table, for instance, you stop them, and attempt to turn them another road, they will not stir, and are extremely obstinate: on opening the mouth at them, it will set them in a passion: they begin to arm themselves by swelling and turning black, and will sometimes hiss a little, but not much. "the third i brought from jerusalem was the most singular of all the chameleons i ever had: its temper, if it can be so called, was extremely sagacious and cunning. this one was not of the order of the green kind, but a disagreeable drab, and it never once varied in its colour in two months. on my arrival in cairo. i used to let it crawl about the room on the furniture. sometimes it would get down, if it could, and hide itself away from me, but in a place where it could see me; and sometimes, on my leaving the room and on entering it, would draw itself so thin as to make itself nearly on a level with whatever it might be on, so that i might not see it. it had often deceived me so. one day having missed it for some time, i concluded it was hid about the room; after looking for it in vain, i thought it had got out of the room and made its escape: in the course of the evening, after the candle was lighted, i went to a basket that had got a handle across it: i saw my chameleon, but its colour entirely changed, and different to any i ever had seen before: the whole body, head and tail, a brown with black spots, and beautiful deep orange-coloured spots round the black. i certainly was much gratified. on being disturbed, its colours vanished, unlike the others; but after this i used to observe it the first thing in the morning, when it would have the same colours. some time after, it made its escape out of my room, and i suppose got into the garden close by. i was much vexed, and would have given twenty dollars to have recovered it again, though it only cost me threepence, knowing i could not get another like it; for, afterwards being in rosetta, i had between fifty and sixty; but all those were green, yellow, and black; and the arabs, in catching them, had bruised them so much, that after a month or six weeks they died. it is an animal extremely hard to die. i had prepared two cages with separate divisions, with the intention of bringing them to england; but though i desired the arabs that used to get them for me to catch them by the tail, they used to hurt them much with their hands; and if once the body is squeezed, it will never live longer than two months. when they used to sleep at night, it was easy to see where they had been bruised; for being of a very light colour when sleeping, the part that had been bruised, either on the body or the head, which was bone, was extremely black, though when green it would not show itself so clear. their chief food was flies: the fly does not die immediately on being swallowed, for upon taking the chameleon up in my hands, it was easy to feel the fly buzzing, chiefly on account of the air they draw in their inside: they swell much, and particularly when they want to fling themselves off a great height, by filling themselves up like a balloon: on falling, they get no hurt, except on the mouth, which they bruise a little, as that comes first to the ground. sometimes they will not drink for three or four days, and when they begin they are about half an hour drinking. i have held a glass in one hand while the chameleon rested its two fore-paws on the edge of it, the two hind ones resting on my other hand. it stood upright while drinking, holding its head up like a fowl. by flinging its tongue out of its mouth the length of its body, and instantaneously catching the fly, it would go back like a spring. they will drink mutton broth: how i came to know this was, one day having a plate of broth and rice on the table where it was: it went to the plate and got half into it, and began drinking, and trying to take up some of the rice, by pushing it with its mouth towards the side of the plate, which kept it from moving, and in a very awkward way taking it into its mouth." in the autumn of , a pair of chameleons, in the possession of the hon. lady cust, of leasowe castle, cheshire, produced nine active young ones, like little alligators, less than an inch long. such a birth has been, it is believed, very rare in this country. it was remarked, in the above case, that the male and female appeared altogether indifferent about their progeny. whatever may be the cause, the fact seems to be certain, that the chameleon has an antipathy to objects of a black colour. one, which forbes kept, uniformly avoided a black board which was hung up in the chamber; and, what is most remarkable, when the chameleon was held forcibly before the black board, it trembled violently and assumed a _black colour_.[ ] it may be something of the same kind which makes bulls and turkey-cocks dislike the colour of scarlet, a fact of which there can be no doubt. footnotes: [ ] the fables of john gay. illustrated. with original memoir, introduction, and annotations. by octavius freire owen, m.a., f.s.a. . [ ] this, it will be seen by referring to page , does not correspond with calmet's statement. running toads. that the toad, by common repute "ugly and venomous," should be made a parlour pet, is passing strange; yet such is the case, and we find in a letter from dr. husenbeth, of cossey, the following curious instances. thus he describes a species, there often met with, the eyes of which have the pupil surrounded with bright golden-yellow, whereas in the common toad the circle is red or orange. this remarkable peculiarity dr. h. has not seen anywhere noticed. the head is like that of the common sort, but much more blunt, and rounded off at the nose and mouth, and the arches over the eyes are more prominent. the most remarkable difference is a line of yellow running all down the back. also down each side this toad has a row of red pimples, like small beads, which are tolerably regular, but appear more in some specimens than in others. the general colour is a yellowish-olive, but the animal is beautifully marked with black spots, very regularly disposed, and exactly corresponding on each side of the yellow line down the back. like all other toads, this one occasionally changes its colour, becoming more brown, or ash-colour, or reddish at times, probably in certain states of the weather. this species is much more active than the common toad. it never leaps, and very seldom crawls, but makes a short run, stops a little, and then runs on again. if frightened or pursued, it will run along much quicker than one would suppose. during the previous summer dr. h. kept three toads of this kind in succession. "the first (says dr. h.) i procured in july; but after a few days, when i let him have a run on the carpet of my parlour, he got into a hole in a corner of the floor, of which i was not aware, and fell, as i suppose, underneath the floor, into the hollow space below. i concluded that he could never get up again, and gave him up to his fate. i then began to keep another running toad, which fed well at first, but after three weeks refused food, and evidently wasted; so i turned him out into the garden, and have not met with him since. after more than three weeks, the former toad reappeared, but how he came up from beneath the floor i never could conceive, or how he had picked up a living in the meantime. he was, however, in good condition, and seemed to have lived well, probably on spiders and woodlice. he had been seen by a servant running about the carpet, but i knew nothing of his having come forth again, till in the evening, when he had got near the door, and it was suddenly opened so as to pass over the poor creature, and crush it terribly. i took it up apparently dead. it showed no sign of life; the eyes were closed, it did not breathe, and the backbone seemed quite broken, and the animal was crushed almost flat. i found a very curious milky secretion exuding from it, where it had been most injured and the skin was most broken. this was perfectly white, and had exactly the appearance of milk thrown over the toad. it did not bleed, though much lacerated; but instead of blood appeared this milky fluid, which had an odour of a most singular kind, different from anything i ever smelt. it is impossible to describe it. it was not fetid, but of a sickly, disgusting, and overpowering character, so that i could not endure to inhale it for a moment. i had read and seen a good deal of the extraordinary powers of revivification in toads, but was not prepared for what i witnessed on this occasion. i laid this poor animal, crushed, flattened, motionless, and to all appearance dead, upon a cold iron plate of the fireplace. he fell over on one side, and showed no sign of life for a full hour. after that he had slightly moved one leg, and so remained for about another half-hour. then he began to breathe feebly, and gathered up his legs, and his back began to rise up into its usual form. in about two hours from the time of the accident, he had so far recovered as to crawl about, though with difficulty. the milky liquor was reabsorbed, and gradually disappeared as the toad recovered. the next morning it was all gone, and no mark of injury could be seen, except a small hole in his back, which soon closed. he recovered so far as to move about pretty well, but his back appeared to have been broken, and one fore-leg crippled. i therefore thought it best to give him his liberty in the garden. but so wonderful and speedy a recovery i could never have believed without ocular testimony. "i then tried my third and last running toad. i began to keep him on sept. th. he was a very fine specimen, and larger than the two former. he fed well, and amused me exceedingly. he was very tame, and would sit on my hand quite quiet, and enjoy my stroking him gently down his head and back. soon after i got him he began to cast his skin. i helped him to get rid of it by stripping it down each side, which he seemed to like much, and sat very quiet during the operation. the new skin was quite beautiful, and shone as if varnished. this toad lived in a crystal palace, or glass jar, where i had kept all the others before him. he took food freely, and his appetite was so good that in one day he ate seven large flies and three bees without stings. he was particularly fond of woodlice and earwigs, but would take centipedes, moths, and even butterflies. being more active than common toads, he often made great efforts to get out of his glass jar. i used to let him run about the room nearly every day for a short time, and often treated him to a run in the garden. toads make a slight noise sometimes in the evenings, uttering a short sound like 'coo,' but i never heard them croak. before wet weather, and during its continuance, my toad was disinclined for food, and took no notice of flies even walking over his nose. he would then burrow and hide himself in the moss at the bottom of his glass palace. thus i kept him, and found him very tame and amusing. but after about two months he became more impatient of confinement, and refused to take any food. i did not perceive that he fell away, though his feet and toes turned of a dark colour, which i knew was a sign of being out of condition; and, on the th of november, i found him dead. i have now tried three of this sort, and have come to the conclusion that the running toad will not live in captivity. this i much regret, as its habits are interesting, and its ways very amusing. "f. c. husenbeth, d.d." * * * * * frog and toad concerts. it would be hard to believe the stories of the vocal powers of frogs and toads were they not related by trustworthy travellers, who tell of animal concerts, "wild as the marsh, and tuneful as the harp." mr. priest, the traveller in america, who was himself a musician, records:--"prepared as i was to hear something extraordinary from these animals, i confess the first _frog concert_ i heard in america was so much beyond anything i could conceive of the power of these musicians, that i was truly astonished. this performance was _al fresco_, and took place on the eighteenth of april, in a large swamp, where there were at least , performers; and i really believe not two exactly in the same pitch, if the octave can possibly admit of so many divisions, or shades of semitones." professor and mrs. louis agassiz, in their recent "journey in brazil," record:--"we must not leave parà without alluding to our evening concerts from the adjoining woods and swamps. when i first heard this strange confusion of sounds, i thought it came from a crowd of men shouting loudly, though at a little distance. to my surprise. i found that the rioters were the frogs and toads in the neighbourhood. i hardly know how to describe this babel of woodland noises; and, if i could do it justice, i am afraid my account would hardly be believed. at moments it seems like the barking of dogs, then like the calling of many voices on different keys; but all loud, rapid, excited, full of emphasis and variety. i think these frogs, like ours, must be silent at certain seasons of the year, for on our first visit to parà we were not struck by this singular music, with which the woods now resound at nightfall." song of the cicada. the greeks have been scoffed at for rendering in deathless verse the song of so insignificant an insect as the cicada; and hence it has been asserted that their love for such slender music must have been either exaggerated or simulated. it is pleasant, however, to hear an independent observer in the other hemisphere confirm their testimony. mr. lord tells us that in british colombia there is one sound or song which is clearer, shriller, and _more singularly tuneful than any other_. it never appears to cease, and it comes from everywhere--from the tops of the trees, from the trembling leaves of the cotton-wood, from the stunted under-brush, from the flowers, the grass, the rocks and boulders--nay, the very stream itself seems vocal with hidden minstrels, all chanting the same refrain. an especial feature of the cicada's song is, that it increases in intensity when the sun is hottest; and one of the later latin poets mentions the time when its music is at its highest, as an alternative expression for noon. mr. tennyson, inadvertently, speaks in "Ænone" of the grasshopper being silent in the grass, and of the cicada sleeping when the noonday quiet holds the hill. keats sings more truly:-- "when all the birds are faint with the hot sun, and hide in cooling trees, a voice will run from hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead: that is the grasshopper's." then the greek poets show us how intimately the song of the cicada is associated with the hottest hours of the day. aristophanes describes it as mad for the love of the sun; and theocritus, as scorched by the sun. when all things are parched with the heat (says alcæus), then from among the leaves issues the song of the sweet cicada. his shrill melody is heard in the full glow of noontide, and the vertical rays of a torrid sun fire him to sing. over and over again mr. lord met with allusions to the same peculiarity. cicadæ are regularly sold for food in the markets of south america. they are not eaten now, like they were at athens, as a whet to the appetite; but they are dried in the sun, powdered, and made into a cake. stories about the barnacle goose. "as barnacles turn poland geese in th' islands of the orcades."--_hudibras._ one of the earliest references to this popular error is in the "natural magic" of baptista porta, who says:--"late writers report that not only in scotland, but also in the river of thames by london, there is a kind of shell-fish in a two-leaved shell, that hath a foot full of plaits and wrinkles.... they commonly stick to the keel of some old ship. some say they come of worms, some of the boughs of trees which fall into the sea; if any of them be cast upon shore, they die; but they which are swallowed still into the sea, live and get out of their shells, and grow to be ducks, or such-like birds." professor max müller, in a learned lecture, enters fully into the origin of the different stories about the barnacle goose. he quotes from the "philosophical transactions" of a full account by sir robert moray, who declared that he had seen within the barnacle shell, as through a concave or diminishing glass, the bill, eyes, head, neck, breast, wings, tail, feet, and feathers of the barnacle goose. the next witness was john gerarde, master in chirurgerie, who, in , declared that he had seen the actual metamorphosis of the muscle into the bird, describing how-- "the shell gapeth open, and the first thing that appeareth is the fore said lace or string; next come the leg of the birde hanging out, and as it groweth greater, it openeth the shell by degrees, till at length it is all come forth, and hangeth only by the bill, and falleth into the sea, when it gathereth feathers and groweth to a foule, bigger than a mallart; for the truth hereof, if any doubt, may it please them to repair unto me, and i shall satisfie them by the testimonies of good witnesses." as far back as the thirteenth century, the same story is traced in the writings of giraldus cambrensis. this great divine does not deny the truth of the miraculous origin of the barnacle geese, but he warns the irish priests against dining off them during lent on the plea that they were not flesh, but fish. for, he writes, "if a man during lent were to dine off a leg of adam, who was not born of flesh either, we should not consider him innocent of having eaten what is flesh." this modern myth, which, in spite of the protests of such men as albertus magnus, Æneas sylvius, and others, maintained its ground for many centuries, and was defended, as late as , in a book by count maier, "de volucri arborea," with arguments, physical, metaphysical, and theological, owed its origin to a play of words. the muscle shells are called _bernaculæ_ from the latin _perna_, the mediæval latin _berna_; the birds are called _hibernicæ_ or _hiberniculæ_, abbreviated to _berniculæ_. as their names seem one, the creatures are supposed to be one, and everything conspires to confirm the first mistake, and to invest what was originally a good irish story--a mere _canard_--with all the dignity of scientific, and all the solemnity of theological truth. the myth continued to live until the age of newton. specimens of _lepadidæ_, prepared by professor rolleston of oxford, show how the outward appearance of the _anatifera_ could have supported the popular superstition which derived the _bernicla_, the goose, from the _bernicula_, the shell. drayton ( ), in his "poly-olbion," iii., in connexion with the river lee, speaks of "th' anatomised fish and fowls from planchers sprung;" to which a note is appended in southey's edition, p. , that such fowls were "barnacles, a bird breeding upon old ships." a bunch of the shells attached to the ship, or to a piece of floating timber, at a distance appears like flowers in bloom; the foot of the animal has a similitude to the stalk of a plant growing from the ship's sides, the shell resembles a calyx, and the flower consists of the tentacula, or fingers, of the shell-fish. the ancient error was to mistake the foot for the neck of a goose, the shell for its head, and the tentacula for feathers. as to the body, _non est inventus_. sir kenelm digby was soundly laughed at for relating to a party at the castle of the governor of calais, that "the barnacle, a bird in jersey, was first a shell-fish to appearance, and, from that striking upon old wood, became in time a bird." in , there was exhibited in spring-gardens, london, a "wonderful natural curiosity, called the goose tree, barnacle tree, or tree bearing geese," taken up at sea on january th, and more than twenty men could raise out of the water.[ ] sir j. emerson tennent asks whether the ready acceptance and general credence given to so obvious a fable may not have been derived from giving too literal a construction to the text of the passage in the first chapter of genesis:-- "and god said, let the _waters bring forth abundantly_ the moving creature that hath life, and the _fowl_ that may fly in the open firmament of heaven." the barnacle goose is a well-known bird, and is eaten on fast-days in france, by virtue of this old belief in its marine origin. the belief in the barnacle origin of the bird still prevails on the west coast of ireland, and in the western highlands of scotland. the finding of the barnacle is thus described by mr. sidebotham, to the microscopical and natural history section of the literary and philosophical society:--"in september, i was at lytham with my family. the day was very stormy, and the previous night there had been a strong south-west wind, and evidences of a very stormy sea outside the banks. two of my children came running to tell me of a very strange creature that had been washed up on the shore. they had seen it from the pier, and pointed it out to a sailor, thinking it was a large dog with long hair. on reaching the shore i found a fine mass of barnacles, _pentalasinus anatifera_, attached to some staves of a cask, the whole being between four and five feet long. several sailors had secured the prize, and were getting it on a truck to carry it away. the appearance was most remarkable, the hundreds of long tubes with their curious shells looking like what one would fancy the fabled gorgon's head with its snaky locks. the curiosity was carried to a yard where it was to be exhibited, and the bellman went round to announce it under the name of the sea-lioness, or the great sea-serpent. another mass of barnacles was washed up at lytham, and also one at blackpool, the same day or the day following. this mass of barnacles was evidently just such a one as that seen by gerard at the pile of foulders. it is rare to have such a specimen on our coasts. the sailors at lytham had never seen anything like it, although some of them were old men who had spent all their lives on the coast." footnote: [ ] "notes and queries," no. . leaves about bookworms. on paper, leather, and parchment are found various animals, popularly known as "bookworms." johnson describes it as a worm or mite that eats holes in books, chiefly when damp; and in the "guardian" we find this reference to its habits:--"my lion, like a moth or bookworm, feeds upon nothing but paper." many years ago an experienced keeper of the ashmolean museum at oxford collected these interesting details of bookworms:--"the larvæ of _crambus pinguinalis_ will establish themselves upon the binding of a book, and spinning a robe will do it little injury. a mite, _acarus eruditus_, eats the paste that fastens the paper over the edges of the binding and so loosens it. the caterpillar of another little moth takes its station in damp old books, between the leaves, and there commits great ravages. the little boring wood-beetle, who attacks books and will even bore through several volumes. an instance is mentioned of twenty-seven folio volumes being perforated in a straight line, by the same insect, in such a manner that by passing a cord through the perfect round hole made by it the twenty-seven volumes could be raised at once. the wood-beetle also destroys prints and drawings, whether framed or kept in a portfolio." there is another "bookworm," which is often confounded with the death-watch of the vulgar; but is smaller, and instead of beating at intervals, as does the death-watch, continues its noise for a considerable length of time without intermission. it is usually found in old wood, decayed furniture, museums, and neglected books. the female lays her eggs, which are exceedingly small, in dry, dusty places, where they are least likely to meet with disturbance. they are generally hatched about the beginning of march, a little sooner or later, according to the weather. after leaving the eggs, the insects are so small as to be scarcely discerned without the use of a glass. they remain in this state about two months, somewhat resembling in appearance the mites in cheese, after which they undergo their change into the perfect insect. they feed on dead flies and other insects; and often, from their numbers and voracity, very much deface cabinets of natural history. they subsist on various other substances, and may often be observed carefully hunting for nutritious particles amongst the dust in which they are found, turning it over with their heads, and searching about in the manner of swine. many live through the winter buried deep in the dust to avoid the frost. the best mode of destroying the insects which infest books and mss. has often occupied the attention of the possessors of valuable libraries. sir thomas phillips found the wood of his book-case attacked, particularly where beech had been introduced, and appeared to think that the insect was much attracted by the paste employed in binding. he recommended as preservatives against their attacks spirits of turpentine and a solution of corrosive sublimate, and also the latter substance mixed with paste. in some instances he found the produce of a single impregnated female sufficient to destroy a book. turpentine and spirit of tar are also recommended for their destruction; but the method pursued in the collections of the british museum is an abundant supply of camphor, with attention to keeping the rooms dry, warm, and ventilated. mr. macleay states it is the _acari_ only which feed on the paste employed in binding books, and the larvæ of the coleoptera only which pierce the boards and leaves. the ravages of the bookworm would be much more destructive had there not been a sort of guardian to the literary treasures in the shape of a spider, who, when examined through a microscope, resembles a knight in armour. this champion of the library follows the worm into the book-case, discovers the pit he has digged, rushes on his victim, which is about his own size, and devours him. his repast finished, he rests for about a fortnight, and when his digestion is completed, he sets out to break another lance with the enemy. the death-watch, already referred to, and which must be acquitted of destroying books, is chiefly known by the noise which he makes behind the wainscoting, where he ticks like a clock or watch. how so loud a noise is produced by so small an insect has never been properly explained; and the ticking has led to many legends. the naturalist degeer relates that one night, in the autumn of , during an entomological excursion in brittany, where travellers were scarce and accommodation bad, he sought hospitality at the house of a friend. he was from home, and degeer found a great deal of trouble in gaining admittance; but at last the peasant who had charge of the house told degeer that he would give him "the chamber of death," if he liked. as degeer was much fatigued, he accepted the offer. "the bed is there," said the man, "but no one has slept in it for some time. every night the spirit of the officer, who was surprised and killed in this room by some chouans, comes back. when the officer was dead, the peasants divided what he had about him, and the officer's watch fell to my uncle, who was delighted with the prize, and brought it home to examine it. however, he soon found out that the watch was broken, and would not go. he then placed it under his pillow, and went to sleep; he awoke in the night, and to his terror heard the ticking of a watch. in vain he sold the watch, and gave the money for masses to be said for the officer's soul, the ticking continued, and has never ceased." degeer said that he would exorcise the chamber, and the peasant left him, after making the sign of the cross. the naturalist at once guessed the riddle, and, accustomed to the pursuit of insects, soon had a couple of death-watches shut up in a tin case, and the ticking was reproduced. swift has prescribed this destructive remedy by way of ridicule:-- "a wood-worm that lies in old wood, like a hare in her form: with teeth or with claws it will bite, or will scratch; and chambermaids christen this worm a death-watch, because like a watch it always cries click: then woe be to those in the house that are sick! for, sure as a gun, they will give up the ghost if the maggot cries click when it scratches the post. but a kettle of scalding hot water ejected, infallibly cures the timber affected: the omen is broken, the danger is over; the maggot will die, the sick will recover." boring marine animals, and human engineers. were a young naturalist asked to exemplify what man has learned from the lower animals, he could scarcely adduce a more striking instance than that of a submarine shelly worker teaching him how to execute some of his noblest works. this we have learned from the life and labours of the _pholas_, of which it has been emphatically said:--"numerous accounts have been published during the last fourteen years in every civilized country and language of the boring process of the _pholas_; and machines formed on the model of its mechanism have for years been tunnelling mont cenis." in the eastern zoological gallery of the british museum, cases and , as well as in the museum of economic geology in piccadilly, may be seen specimens of the above very curious order of _conchifers_, most of the members of which are distinguished by their habits of boring or digging, a process in which they are assisted by the peculiar formation of the foot, from which they derive their name. of these ten families one of the most characteristic is that of the razor-shells, which, when the valves are shut, are of a long, flattened, cylindrical shape, and open at both ends. projecting its strong pointed foot at one of these ends, the _solen_ can work itself down into the sand with great rapidity, while at the upper end its respiratory tubes are shot out to bring the water to its gills. of the _pholadæ_, the shells of which are sometimes called multivalve, because, in addition to the two chief portions, they have a number of smaller accessory pieces, some bore in hard mud, others in wood, and others in rocks. they fix themselves firmly by the powerful foot, and then make the shell revolve; the sharp edges of this commence the perforation, which is afterwards enlarged by the rasp-like action of the rough exterior; and though the shell must be constantly worn down, yet it is replaced by a new formation from the animal, so as never to be unfit for its purpose. the typical bivalve of this family is the _pholas_, which bores into limestone-rock and other hard material, and commits ravages on the piers, breakwaters, &c., that it selects for a home. in the same family as the above dr. gray ranks the _teredo_,[ ] or wood-boring mollusc, whose ravages on ships, piles, wooden piers, &c., at sea resemble those of the white ant on furniture, joints of houses, &c., on shore. perforating the timber by exactly the same process as that by which the pholas perforates the stones, the teredo advances continually, eating out a contorted tube or gallery, which it lines behind it with calcareous matter, and through which it continues to breathe the water. the priority of the demonstration of the pholas and its "boring habits" has been much disputed. the evidence is full of curious details. it appears that mr. harper, of edinburgh, author of "the sea-side and aquarium," having claimed the lead. mr. robertson, of brighton, writes to dispute the originality; adding that he publicly exhibited pholades in the pavilion at brighton in july, , perforating chalk rocks by the raspings of their valves and squirtings of their syphons. professor flourens (says mr. robertson) taught my observations to his class in paris in ; i published them in , and again more fully in the "journal de conchyliologie," in ; and m. emile blanchard illustrated them in the same year in his "organisation du règne animal." i published a popular account of the perforating processes in "household words" in . after obtaining the suffrages of the french authorities, i have been recently honoured with those of the british naturalist. (see woodward's "recent and fossil shells," p. . family, pholadidæ.) on returning to england last autumn i exhibited perforating pholades to all the naturalists who cared to watch them. an intelligent lady whom i supplied with pholades has made a really new and original observation, which i may take this opportunity of communicating to the public. she observed two pholades whose perforations were bringing them nearer and nearer to each other. their mutual raspings were wearing away the thin partition which separated their crypts. she was curious to know what they would do when they met, and watched them closely. when the two perforating shell-fish met and found themselves in each other's way, the stronger just bored right through the weaker pholas.[ ] mr. robertson has communicated to "jameson's journal," no. , the results of his opportunities of studying the pholas, during six months, to discover how this mollusc makes its hole or crypt in the chalk: by a chemical solvent? by absorption? by ciliary currents? or by rotatory motions? between twenty and thirty of these creatures were at work in lumps of chalk, in sea-water, in a finger-glass, and open for three months; and by watching their operations. mr. robertson became convinced that the pholas makes its hole by grating the chalk with its rasp-like valves, licking it up when pulverized with its foot, forcing it up through its principal orbrambial syphon, and squirting it out in oblong nodules. the crypt protects the pholas from _confervæ_, which, when they get at it, grow not merely outside, but even with the lips of the valves, preventing the action of the syphons. in the foot there is a gelatinous spring or style, which, even when taken out, has great elasticity, and which seems the mainspring of the motions of the pholas. upon this dr. james stark, of edinburgh, writes: --"mr. robertson, of brighton, claims the merit of teaching that pholades perforate rocks by 'the rasping of their valves and the squirting of their syphons.' his observations only appear to reach back to . but the late mr. john stark, of edinburgh, author of the 'elements of natural history,' read a paper before the royal society of edinburgh, in , which was printed in the society's 'transactions' of that year, in which he demonstrated that the pholades perforate the shale rocks in which they occur on this coast, by means of the rasping of their valves, and not by acids or other secretions. from also finding that their shells scratched limestone without injury to the fine rasping rugosities, he inferred that it was by the same agency they perforated the hard limestone rocks." to this mr. robertson replies, that mr. osler also, in , demonstrated that the pholades "perforate the shale rocks by means of the rasping of their valves; and more, for he actually witnessed a rotatory movement. but réaumur and poli had done as much as this in the eighteenth and sibbald in the seventeenth century: and yet i found the solvent hypothesis in the ascendant among naturalists in , when i first interested myself in the controversy. what i did in was, i exhibited pholades at work perforating rocks, and explained how they did it. what i have done is, i have made future controversy impossible, by exhibiting the animals at work, and by discovering the anatomy and the physiology of the perforating instruments. in the words of m. flourens, 'i made the animals work before my eyes,' and i 'made known their mechanism.' the discovery of the function of the hyaline stylet is not merely a new discovery, it is the discovery of a kind of instrument as yet unique in physiology." mr. harper having termed the boring organ of the pholas the "hyaline stylet," found it to have puzzled some of the disputants, whereupon mr. harper writes:--"its use up to the present time has been a mystery, but the general opinion of authors seems to be, that it is the gizzard of the pholas. this i very much doubt, for it is my belief that the presence of such an important muscle is solely for the purpose of aiding the animal's boring operations. being situated in the centre of the foot, we can readily conceive the great increase of strength thus conveyed to the latter member, which is made to act as a powerful fulcrum, by the exercise of which the animal rotates--and at the same time presses its shell against and rasps the surface of the rock. the question being asked, 'how can the stylet be procured to satisfy curiosity?' i answer, by adopting the following extremely simple plan. having disentombed a specimen, with the point of a sharp instrument cut a slit in the base of its foot, and the object of your search will be distinctly visible in the shape of, if i may so term it, an opal cylinder. sometimes i have seen the point of this organ spring out beyond the incision, made as above described." lastly, mr. harper presented the editor of the "athenæum" with a piece of bored rock, of which he has several specimens. he adds, "on examination, you will perceive that the larger pholas must have bored through its smaller and weaker neighbour (how suggestive!), the shell of the latter, most fortunately, remaining in its own cavity." now, mr. robertson claimed for his observation of this phenomenon novelty and originality; but mr. harper stoutly maintained it to be "as common to the eye of the practised geologist as rain or sunshine." the details are curious; though some impatient, and not very grateful reader, may imagine himself in the condition of the shell of the smaller pholas, and will be, as he deserves to remain, in the minority.[ ] it may be interesting to sum up a few of the opinions of the mode by which these boring operations are performed. professor forbes states the mode by which molluscs bore into wood and other materials is as follows:--"some of the gauterspods have tongues covered with silica to enable them to bore, and it was probably by some process of this kind that all the molluscs bored." mr. peach never observed the species of pholas to turn round in their holes, as stated by some observers, although he had watched them with great attention. mr. charlesworth refers to the fact that, in one species of shell, not only does the hole in the rock which the animal occupies increase in size, but also the hole through which it projects its syphons. professor john phillips, alluding to the theories which have been given of the mode in which molluscs bore into the rocks in which they live, believes that an exclusively mechanical theory will not account for the phenomenon; and he is inclined to adopt the view of dr. t. williams--that the boring of the pholades can only be explained on the principle which involves a chemical as well as a mechanical agency. mr. e. ray lankester notices that the boring of annelids seems quite unknown; and he mentions two cases, one by a worm called leucadore, the other by a sabella. leucadore is very abundant on some shores, where boulders and pebbles may be found worm-eaten and riddled by them. only stones composed of carbonate of lime are bored by them. on coasts where such stones are rare, they are selected, and others are left. the worms are _quite soft_, and armed only with horny bristles. _how, then, do they bore?_ mr. lankester maintains that it is by carbonic acid and other acid excretions of their bodies, _aided_ by the mechanical action of their bristles. the selection of a material soluble in these acids is most noticeable, since the softest chalk and the hardest limestone are bored with the same facility. this can only be by chemical action. if, then, we have a case of chemical boring in these worms, is it not probable that many molluscs are similarly assisted in their excavations? footnotes: [ ] how brunel took his construction of the thames tunnel from observing the bore of the _teredo navalis_ in the keel of a ship, in , is well known. [ ] "athenæum," no. . [ ] see also "life in the sea," in "strange stories of the animal world," by the author of the present volume. second edition. . index. ancient zoological gardens, animals, rare, of london zoological society, , , annelids, boring, annelids and molluscs, boring habits of, ant-bear in captivity, ant-bear, the great, ant-bear at madrid, ant-bear described, ant-bear, domestic, in paraguay, ant-bear, economy of, ant-bear and its food, ant-bears, fossil, , ant-bear, muscular force of, ant-bear, wallace's account of, ant-bear, zoological society's, , , ant-eater, porcupine, ant-bear, professor owen on, ant-eaters, scarcity of, ant-eater, tamandua, ant-eaters, von saek's account of, aristotle's history of animals, , barnacle geese, finding of the, barnacle goose, gerarde on, barnacle goose, giraldus cambrensis on, barnacle goose, max müller on, barnacle goose, name of, barnacle goose, sir e. tennent on, barnacle goose, sir kenelm digby on, barnacle goose, sir r. moray on, barnacle goose, stories of the, - barnacles breeding upon old ships, barnacle geese in the thames, bat, altivolans, by gilbert white, bat, american, by lesson, bat, aristotle on, bat, mr. bell on, bats, curiosities of, bat, described by calmet, bat, flight and wing of, bats, in england, bat, heber, stedman, and waterton on, bats in jamaica, bat, kalong, of java, bat, long-eared, by sowerby, , - bat, nycteris, bat, rere-mouse and flitter-mouse, bat skeleton, sir c. bell on, bat in scripture, bat, vampire, from sumatra, bat, vampire, lines on, by byron, bat, vulgar errors respecting, bat-fowling or bat-folding, berlin zoological gardens and museum, bible natural history, birds, addison on their nests and music, , bird, australian bower, nest of, bird, baya, indian, nest of, birds and animals, beauty in, birds, brain of, birds, characteristics of, birds, colour of, bird confinement, dr. livingstone on, birds' eggs, large, birds' eggs, colours of, birds' eggs and nests, birds, european, list of, birds, flight of, , birds, insectivorous, ; instinct, intelligence, and reason, bird-life, bird-murder, wanton, birds' nesting, birds' nests--cape swallows, birds' nests--brush turkey, birds' nests, large, birds' eggs--ostrich and epyornis, , birds' nests--tailor birds, - birds, rapid flight of, birds, signal of danger among, birds, song of, birds, mr. wolley's collections, , bookworms, leaves about, bookworms and death-watch, boring marine animals, and human engineers, chameleon of the ancients, chameleon's antipathy to black, chameleons, mrs. belzoni's, - chameleons, birth of, in england, chameleon changing colour, , chameleon, cuvier on, chameleon, described by calmet, chameleon family, chameleon, air-food of, chameleon, milne edwards on its change of colour, - chameleons, native countries of, chameleon of the poets, chameleons, reproduction of, chameleon, tongue and eyes of, , chinese zoological gardens, cicada, song of the, cormorant's bone, curious, cormorants, chase of, cormorant fishery in china, cormorant, habits of the, cormorant trained for fishing, curiosities of zoology, eccentricities of penguins, : darwin, mr., his account of falkland islands penguin, ; dassent island penguins, ; death-watch and bookworm, , ; falkland islands penguins, ; king penguins, ; patagonian penguins, ; penguin, the name, ; webster, mr., his account of penguins, epicure's ortolan, the, epicurism extravagant, evelyn and st. james's physique garden, fish in british colombia, : candle-fish, ; octopus, ; salmon army, ; spoonbill sturgeon, ; sturgeons, and sturgeon fishing, - fish-talk, : affection of fishes, ; bohemian wels fish, ; bonita and flying fish, ; californian fish, ; carp at fontainebleau, ; cat-fish, curious account of, ; double fish, ; fish changing colour, ; fish noise, ; gold fish, ; grampus, gambols of, ; great general of the south sea, ; grouper, the, ; hassar, the, ; hearing of fishes, ; herring puzzle, ; jaculator fish of java, ; jamaica, curious fish at, ; little fishes the food of larger, ; marine observatory, ; mecho of the danube, ; migration of fishes, ; miller's thumb, ; numbers, vast, of fishes, ; pike, wonderful, ; pilot fish, ; sharks, ; singing fish, ; square-browed malthe, ; strange fishes, ; sun-fish, ; swimming of fishes, ; sword-fish, ; warrior fish, frog and toad concerts, hedgehog, the, hedgehog devouring snakes, hedgehog, food of, hedgehogs, gilbert white on, hedgehog and poisons, hedgehogs, sir t. browne on, hedgehog sucking cows, hedgehog and viper, fight between, , hedgehog, voracity of, hippopotamus, ancient history of, hippopotamus, described by aristotle and herodotus, hippopotamus, economy of the, hippopotamus, the, in england, hippopotami, fossil, hippopotami on the niger, hippopotamus, professor owen's description of, - hippopotamus and river horse, hippopotamus in scripture, hippopotamus, utility of, hippopotamus from the white nile, hippopotamus, zoological society's, in , - leaves about bookworms, lions in algeria, and jules gerard, lion, african, lion, bengal, lion described by bennett, lion described by buffon, - lion described by burchell, lion, disappearance of, lion and hottentots, , - lion-hunting feats, lion, "king of the forest," lion, longevity of, lion, maneless, - lion, niebuhr on, lion in the nineveh sculptures, , lions, the drudhoe, lions, popular errors respecting, lion, prickle or claw in the tail, - lion, roar of, lions in the tower of london, "lion tree" in the mantatee country, lion stories of the shows, lion-talk, lioness and her young, mermaid of , - mermaid in berbice, mermaid in the bosphorus, mermaid and dugong, mermaids, evidences of, mermaid at exmouth, mermaid, leyden's ballad, mermaid and manatee, mermaid at milford haven, mermaid, japanese, mermaid, scottish, , mermaids and sirens, mermaid's song, haydn's, mermaids, stories of, mermaid, structure of, mermaids in suffolk, mole, its economy controverted, mole, the ettrick shepherd on, mole, le court on, , mole and fairy rings, mole and farming, mole, feeling of, mole at home, mole, its hunting-ground, moles, loves of the, mole, structure of the, mole, st. hilaire on, mole, shrew, of north america, mole, voracity of, montezuma's zoological gardens, musical lizard, : climbing walls, , ; formosa isle, ; gecko ennobled, ornithological society, ortolan described, , ortolans, how fattened, ortolan, mr. gould on, , owls, : abyssinian owl, ; barn owl, ; bischaco, or coquimbo, ; boobook owl, ; cats and owls, ; fraser's eagle owl, from fernando po, ; food of owls, ; javanese owl, ; snowy owl, ; tricks by night, ; utility of, ; waterton on the owl, pelicans and cormorants, pelicans described by gould, pelican in japan, pelican popular error, , pelican pouches, pelican symbol, "pelican of the wilderness," pholas, life and labours of, pholades, charlesworth and peach on, pholades, harper on, pholades, robertson on, rhinoceros in england, : african rhinoceros in , ; ancient history, ; bruce and sparmann, ; burchell's shooting, ; horn of the rhinoceros, , ; indian wild ass, ; one-horned and two-horned, - ; scripture, rhinoceros of, ; speehnan's rhinoceros shooting, ; tegetmeir describes the african rhinoceros, ; tractability, ; varieties of rhinoceros, ; zoological society's rhinoceros, , sale of wild animals, sentinel birds, song of the cicada, songs of birds and seasons of the day, st. james's park menagerie, stories of the barnacle goose, - stories of mermaids, surrey zoological gardens, talking birds, : bittern and night raven, ; blue jay, ; canaries, talking, - ; chinese starling, ; crowned crane, ; cuckoo, ; laughing goose, ; nightingale, ; piping crow, ; snipe, neighing, ; trochilos and crocodile, ; umbrella bird, ; whidaw bird, ; wild swan, ; woodpecker at constantinople, talk about toucans, : bills of toucans, ; carnivorous propensity, ; economy of, ; food of, ; gould, mr., his grand monograph, , ; owen, professor, on the mandibles, ; swainson, mr., on toucans, toucan family, , ; white ants' nests, ; toucanet, gould's, toad and frog concerts, - toads, running, dr. husenbeth's, - tower of london menagerie, tree-climbing crab, the, : bernhard, hermit, and soldier crab, ; climbing perch, ; crab, burrowing, ; crab migration in jamaica, ; fishing-frogs, ; glass crabs, ; pill-making crabs, ; purse crab feeding on cocoa-nuts, ; robber crab, ; screw-pines, crab climbing, ; vaulted crab of the moluccas, unicorns, ancient, unicorn and antelope, unicorn in central africa, unicorn described by ctesias, , unicorn, cuvier on, unicorn, is it fabulous? unicorn, klaproth on, unicorn in kordofan, unicorn and its horn, , unicorn, modern, unicorn, ogilby on, unicorn, rev. j. campbell on, unicorn in the royal arms, weather-wise animals, : ants, asses, ; darwin's signs of rain, ; frogs and snails, - ; list of animals, - ; mole, ; mother carey's chickens and goose, ; redbreast, ; seagulls, ; signs of rain, ; stormy petrels, ; shepherd of banbury, ; toucans, ; weatherproof birds' nests, ; wild geese and ducks, wild animals, cost of, wild beast shows, zoological gardens, origin of, zoological society of london, zoology, curiosities of, c. a. macintosh, printer, great new-street, london. +----------------------------------------------------------------- + | transcriber's note: | | | | obvious punctuation and spelling errors repaired. | | word combinations that appeared with and without hyphens | | were changed to the predominant hyphenated form. | | original spelling and its variations were not standardized. | | | | corrections in the spelling of names were made when those | | could be verified. otherwise the variations were left as they | | were. | | | | page : "parrot-houses, the, sometimes...." changed to | | "parrot-houses: they sometimes contain...." | | | | page and others: kolobeng and kolenbeng. both spellings were | | retained. | | | | page and others: tussa, tussack and tussock. all spellings | | were retained. | | | | page : finisterre changed to finistère. | | | | page : cennexion changed to connexion "... in connexion with | | the river lee...." | | | | page : screw-pines, crab climbing, ; pagination changed | | to . | | | | the name of shakespeare appears with varying spellings. all | | variants were kept. | | | | some index entries are not in alphabetical order. they were not | | corrected. | | | | footnotes were moved to the ends of the chapters in which they | | belonged and numbered in one continuous sequence. the | | pagination in index entries which referred to these footnotes | | was not changed to match their new locations and is therefore | | incorrect. | +----------------------------------------------------------------- + [illustration: book end] [illustration: book cover] [illustration: this book belongs to] [illustration: the road to oz] [illustration: calling on jack pumpkinhead see chapter ] the road to oz by l. frank baum author of the land of oz, ozma of oz, dorothy and the wizard in oz, etc. [illustration] illustrated by john r. neill chicago the reilly & britton co. publishers [illustration: copyright by l frank baum all rights reserved] [illustration: _l'istesso tempo_ to my first grandson joslyn stanton baum] 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 in 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, ._ [illustration] list of chapters the way to butterfield dorothy meets button-bright a queer village king dox the rainbow's daughter the city of beasts the shaggy man's transformation the musicker facing the scoodlers escaping the soup-kettle johnny doit does it the deadly desert crossed the truth pond tik-tok and billina the emperor's tin castle visiting the pumpkin field the royal chariot arrives the emerald city the shaggy man's welcome princess ozma of oz dorothy receives the guests important arrivals the grand banquet the birthday celebration [illustration] the way to butterfield [illustration] "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. [illustration] 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 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 to, 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 now 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." [illustration: "this, my dear, is the wonderful love magnet."] "the love magnet! why, what's that?" "i'll show you, if you won't tell anyone," 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 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. [illustration] "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. dorothy meets button-bright [illustration] 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 foot-ball 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 you 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 mamma call you?" he paused in his digging and tried to think. "papa always said i was bright as a button; so mamma 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 mamma 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. [illustration] "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 any one 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 some one 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 some one 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 into 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." [illustration] a queer village [illustration] 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 travellers 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." [illustration] "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-bye 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 center 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. [illustration] 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. [illustration] "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." [illustration: his royal foxiness] "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." king dox [illustration] 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." [illustration] 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 merrymaking, 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. [illustration] "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. [illustration] "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. [illustration] the rainbow's daughter [illustration] 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 floated 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: [illustration: polychrome--the rainbow's daughter] "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. [illustration] "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?" [illustration] "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. the city of beasts [illustration] 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 cloud-buns?" 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. [illustration: polly sipped a little 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 mustn'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 sign-post 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. [illustration] 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 their 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." [illustration] "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. the shaggy man's transformation [illustration] 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 fit for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people." [illustration] "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. [illustration] "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 affection 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. [illustration: king kick-a-bray works magic on 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 _un_ do 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 tomorrow 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?" [illustration] "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. [illustration] "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 course 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. [illustration] 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. the musicker [illustration] 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 roadside. 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. [illustration] 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!_ [illustration] "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 alway, 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. [illustration] 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 hand 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. [illustration] "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. facing the scoodlers [illustration] 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 invisible," 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. [illustration] 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. [illustration] "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. [illustration: "you!" they yelled] "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. [illustration] escaping the soup-kettle [illustration] 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. [illustration] 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." [illustration] "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 meat-chopper 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." [illustration] 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. [illustration: the shaggy man caught the heads and tossed them into the gulf below] "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 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. [illustration] "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. johnny dooit does it [illustration] "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 grey 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 this 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 mustn'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?" [illustration] "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' squnshy 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 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. [illustration] 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. [illustration] "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. [illustration] "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. the deadly desert crossed [illustration] "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 modelled 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 grey 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." [illustration] 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. "if 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-bye 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. [illustration: "look out!" screamed polychrome] 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." [illustration] the truth pond [illustration] 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." [illustration] "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: [illustration: 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?" [illustration] "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. [illustration: the shaggy man's own head restored] "'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. [illustration] 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. tik-tok and billina [illustration] 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. [illustration] 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 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 cars 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 mustn'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-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-gobble 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. [illustration] "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 'is 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." [illustration] the emperor's tin castle [illustration] 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. [illustration] 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 others 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. [illustration: polychrome danced gracefully to the music] 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. [illustration] visiting the pumpkin-field [illustration] 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. [illustration] "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 th. she then went to the next stone, which read: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled october nd. on the third stone were carved these words: here lies the mortal part of jack pumpkinhead which spoiled january th. "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. [illustration] the royal chariot arrives [illustration] 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. [illustration] "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." [illustration] "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 cannot cause any more trouble." "perhaps you're right," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully. at noon they stopped at a farm-house, 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?" [illustration: dorothy threw her arms around the lion's neck] "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." [illustration] the emerald city [illustration] 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?" [illustration] "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. [illustration] 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 tik-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. [illustration: "o, jellia jamb! i'm so glad to see you"] "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. [illustration] 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. the shaggy man's welcome [illustration] 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." [illustration] 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. [illustration: the shaggy man admires his new clothes] 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. [illustration] princess ozma of oz [illustration] 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 can not 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. [illustration] "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. [illustration] "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." [illustration: in the royal palace of oz] "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 may 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 racehorses, 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. [illustration] "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. dorothy receives the guests [illustration] 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. [illustration] 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 glittered 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 straw man, 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 mamma always called me button-bright," announced the boy. "where is your mamma?" 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 mamma 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. [illustration] 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 clockwork 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. [illustration: king dough, the head booleywag, and para bruin] 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 booleywag 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." [illustration] 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. important arrivals [illustration] 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. [illustration: merry ryls and crooked knooks] "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 gentlemen, 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: [illustration] "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 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." [illustration] "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 had 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." [illustration: her majesty, queen zixi of ix] 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." [illustration] "tik-tok and i always wear 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 kika-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." [illustration] the grand banquet [illustration] 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. [illustration] 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 the members of the 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. [illustration: drinking the health of princess ozma of oz] 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. [illustration] the birthday celebration [illustration] 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 great 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. [illustration:] 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 thus 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. [illustration] 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 soap-suds, 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. [illustration: the wizard blew a bubble around santa claus] 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 the 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. [illustration: "good-bye, ozma! good-bye, dorothy!"] "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 farmhouse 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. [illustration: the end] the twinkle tales by laura bancroft _each volume, x inches, with full pages in colors, and other illustrations by_ maginel wright enright prince mud turtle in this story twinkle, a little girl, captures a mud turtle who turns out to be a fairy prince. mr. woodchuck twinkle is taken underground to visit mr. woodchuck's family and neighbors, and discovers what they think of traps and people who set them. bandit jim crow jim crow, twinkle's pet, escapes and becomes a robber among the birds. he gets his punishment from them. twinkle's enchantment twinkle becomes enchanted and meets a dancing bear, prince grasshopper, and others. sugar loaf mountain on entering a hole in the mountain twinkle and chubbins find themselves in a land where all the people are made of candy. prairie dog town twinkle and chubbins are made small by a magician and are escorted through prairie dog town by its mayor. _each volume with different cover design, cloth, stamped in colors, cents_ policeman bluejay by laura bancroft _with many beautiful pictures in color and line by_ maginel wright enright in this delightful fairy tale and nature story combined, twinkle and chubbins, two children, after having been transformed into little birds with human heads, become friends with a number of birds and learn many curious and true things about them. _size - / x inches. eight full-page colored illustrations and dozens of headings, tail pieces and decorations. cloth back, with decorated paper sides. price $ . ._ books by l. frank baum illustrated by john r. neill _uniform with this volume_ _each book, handsomely bound in artistic pictorial cover. $ . per volume._ the land of oz an account of the adventures of the scarecrow, the tin woodman, jack pumpkinhead, the animated saw-horse, the highly magnified woggle-bug, the gump and many other delightful characters. nearly black-and-white illustrations and sixteen full-page pictures in colors. ozma of oz the story tells "more about dorothy," as well as those famous characters, the scarecrow, the tin woodman and the cowardly lion, and something of several new creations equally delightful, including tik-tok the machine man, the yellow hen, the nome king and the hungry tiger. forty-one full-page colored pictures; twenty-two half pages in color and fifty black-and-white text pictures; special end sheets, title page, copyright page, book plate, etc, etc. dorothy and the wizard of oz in this book dorothy, with zeb, a little boy friend, and jim, the cab horse, are swallowed up in an earthquake and reach a strange vegetable land, whence they escape to the land of oz, and meet all their old friends. among the new characters are eureka, dorothy's pink kitten, and the nine tiny piglets. gorgeously illustrated with sixteen full color pages and numerous black-and-white pictures, besides head and tail pieces, ornaments, etc. john dough and the cherub a whimsical tale portraying the exciting adventures of the gingerbread man and his comrade chick the cherub in the "palace of romance," the "land of the mifkets," "highland and lowland," and other places. forty full-page colored pictures; twenty colored pictorial chapter headings; black-and-white text pictures, special end sheets, title page, etc. [illustration: endpiece] [illustration: endpiece] [illustration: back cover] images of public domain material from the google books project.) transcriber notes text emphasis id denoted as _italics_ and =bold=. +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | the | | | | scarecrow of oz | | | | | | | | by | | | | l. frank baum | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ [illustration] ===== the famous oz books ===== since , when l. frank baum introduced to the children of america the wonderful wizard of oz and all the other exciting characters who inhabit the land of oz, these delightful fairy tales have stimulated the imagination of millions of young readers. these are stories which are genuine fantasy creative, funny, tender, exciting and surprising. filled with the rarest and most absurd creatures, each of the volumes which now comprise the series, has been eagerly sought out by generation after generation until to-day they are known to all except the very young or those who were never young at all. when, in a recent survey, the =new york times= polled a group of teen agers on the books they liked best when they were young, the oz books topped the list. the famous oz books ------------------- by l. frank baum: the wizard of oz the land of oz ozma of oz dorothy and the wizard in oz the road to oz the emerald city of oz the patchwork girl of oz tik-tok of oz the scarecrow of oz rinkitink in oz the lost princess of oz the tin woodman of oz the magic of oz glinda of oz chicago the reilly & lee co. _publishers_ [illustration: the scarecrow _of_ oz] dedicated to "the uplifters" of los angeles, california, in grateful appreciation of the pleasure i have derived from association with them, and in recognition of their sincere endeavor to uplift humanity through kindness, consideration and good-fellowship. they are big men all of them and all with the generous hearts of little children. l. frank baum [illustration] +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | the | | | | =scarecrow of oz= | | | | | | by | | | | l. frank baum | | | | author of | | | | the road to oz, dorothy and the wizard in oz, the emerald | | city of oz, the land of oz, ozma of oz. the patchwork girl | | of oz, tik-tok of oz | | | | | | | | [illustration] | | | | | | | | illustrated by | | john r. neill | | | | | | =the reilly & lee co= | | chicago | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | copyright | | | | by | | | | l frank baum | | | | all | | | | rights reserved | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ [illustration] 'twixt you and me the army of children which besieged the postoffice, conquered the postmen and delivered to me its imperious commands, insisted that trot and cap'n bill be admitted to the land of oz, where trot could enjoy the society of dorothy, betsy bobbin and ozma, while the one-legged sailor-man might become a comrade of the tin woodman, the shaggy man, tik-tok and all the other quaint people who inhabit this wonderful fairyland. it was no easy task to obey this order and land trot and cap'n bill safely in oz, as you will discover by reading this book. indeed, it required the best efforts of our dear old friend, the scarecrow, to save them from a dreadful fate on the journey; but the story leaves them happily located in ozma's splendid palace and dorothy has promised me that button-bright and the three girls are sure to encounter, in the near future, some marvelous adventures in the land of oz, which i hope to be permitted to relate to you in the next oz book. meantime, i am deeply grateful to my little readers for their continued enthusiasm over the oz stories, as evinced in the many letters they send me, all of which are lovingly cherished. it takes more and more oz books every year to satisfy the demands of old and new readers, and there have been formed many "oz reading societies," where the oz books owned by different members are read aloud. all this is very gratifying to me and encourages me to write more oz stories. when the children have had enough of them, i hope they will let me know, and then i'll try to write something different. l. frank baum "royal historian of oz." "ozcot" at hollywood in california, . [illustration] list of chapters the great whirlpool cavern under the sea the ork daylight at last! the little old man of the island the flight of the midgets the bumpy man button-bright is lost, and found again the kingdom of jinxland pon, the gardener's boy the wicked king and googly-goo the wooden-legged grasshopper glinda the good and the scarecrow of oz the frozen heart trot meets the scarecrow pon summons the king to surrender the ork rescues button-bright the scarecrow meets an enemy the conquest of the witch queen gloria dorothy, betsy and ozma the waterfall the land of oz the royal reception [illustration] [illustration] [illustration: cap'n bill] chapter the great whirlpool "seems to me," said cap'n bill, as he sat beside trot under the big acacia tree, looking out over the blue ocean, "seems to me, trot, as how the more we know, the more we find we don't know." "i can't quite make that out, cap'n bill," answered the little girl in a serious voice, after a moment's thought, during which her eyes followed those of the old sailor-man across the glassy surface of the sea. "seems to me that all we learn is jus' so much gained." "i know; it looks that way at first sight," said the sailor, nodding his head; "but those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'ble big world this is. it's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain't long enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge." trot didn't answer. she was a very little girl, with big, solemn eyes and an earnest, simple manner. cap'n bill had been her faithful companion for years and had taught her almost everything she knew. he was a wonderful man, this cap'n bill. not so very old, although his hair was grizzled--what there was of it. most of his head was bald as an egg and as shiny as oilcloth, and this made his big ears stick out in a funny way. his eyes had a gentle look and were pale blue in color, and his round face was rugged and bronzed. cap'n bill's left leg was missing, from the knee down, and that was why the sailor no longer sailed the seas. the wooden leg he wore was good enough to stump around with on land, or even to take trot out for a row or a sail on the ocean, but when it came to "runnin' up aloft" or performing active duties on shipboard, the old sailor was not equal to the task. the loss of his leg had ruined his career and the old sailor found comfort in devoting himself to the education and companionship of the little girl. [illustration: the old sailor devoted himself to the education of the little girl.] the accident to cap'n bill's leg had happened at about the time trot was born, and ever since that he had lived with trot's mother as "a star boarder," having enough money saved up to pay for his weekly "keep." he loved the baby and often held her on his lap; her first ride was on cap'n bill's shoulders, for she had no baby-carriage; and when she began to toddle around, the child and the sailor became close comrades and enjoyed many strange adventures together. it is said the fairies had been present at trot's birth and had marked her forehead with their invisible mystic signs, so that she was able to see and do many wonderful things. the acacia tree was on top of a high bluff, but a path ran down the bank in a zigzag way to the water's edge, where cap'n bill's boat was moored to a rock by means of a stout cable. it had been a hot, sultry afternoon, with scarcely a breath of air stirring, so cap'n bill and trot had been quietly sitting beneath the shade of the tree, waiting for the sun to get low enough for them to take a row. they had decided to visit one of the great caves which the waves had washed out of the rocky coast during many years of steady effort. the caves were a source of continual delight to both the girl and the sailor, who loved to explore their awesome depths. "i b'lieve, cap'n," remarked trot, at last, "that it's time for us to start." the old man cast a shrewd glance at the sky, the sea and the motionless boat. then he shook his head. "mebbe it's time, trot," he answered, "but i don't jes' like the looks o' things this afternoon." "what's wrong?" she asked wonderingly. "can't say as to that. things is too quiet to suit me, that's all. no breeze, not a ripple a-top the water, nary a gull a-flyin' anywhere, an' the end o' the hottest day o' the year. i ain't no weather-prophet, trot, but any sailor would know the signs is ominous." "there's nothing wrong that i can see," said trot. "if there was a cloud in the sky even as big as my thumb, we might worry about it; but--look, cap'n!--the sky is as clear as can be." he looked again and nodded. "p'r'aps we can make the cave, all right," he agreed, not wishing to disappoint her. "it's only a little way out, an' we'll be on the watch; so come along, trot." together they descended the winding path to the beach. it was no trouble for the girl to keep her footing on the steep way, but cap'n bill, because of his wooden leg, had to hold on to rocks and roots now and then to save himself from tumbling. on a level path he was as spry as anyone, but to climb up hill or down required some care. they reached the boat safely and while trot was untying the rope cap'n bill reached into a crevice of the rock and drew out several tallow candles and a box of wax matches, which he thrust into the capacious pockets of his "sou'wester." this sou'wester was a short coat of oilskin which the old sailor wore on all occasions--when he wore a coat at all--and the pockets always contained a variety of objects, useful and ornamental, which made even trot wonder where they all came from and why cap'n bill should treasure them. the jackknives--a big one and a little one--the bits of cord, the fishhooks, the nails: these were handy to have on certain occasions. but bits of shell, and tin boxes with unknown contents, buttons, pincers, bottles of curious stones and the like, seemed quite unnecessary to carry around. that was cap'n bill's business, however, and now that he added the candles and the matches to his collection trot made no comment, for she knew these last were to light their way through the caves. the sailor always rowed the boat, for he handled the oars with strength and skill. trot sat in the stern and steered. the place where they embarked was a little bight or circular bay, and the boat cut across a much larger bay toward a distant headland where the caves were located, right at the water's edge. they were nearly a mile from shore and about half-way across the bay when trot suddenly sat up straight and exclaimed: "what's that, cap'n?" he stopped rowing and turned half around to look. [illustration] "that, trot," he slowly replied, "looks to me mighty like a whirlpool." "what makes it, cap'n?" "a whirl in the air makes the whirl in the water. i was afraid as we'd meet with trouble, trot. things didn't look right. the air was too still." "it's coming closer," said the girl. the old man grabbed the oars and began rowing with all his strength. "'tain't comin' closer to us, trot," he gasped; "it's we that are comin' closer to the whirlpool. the thing is drawin' us to it like a magnet!" trot's sun-bronzed face was a little paler as she grasped the tiller firmly and tried to steer the boat away; but she said not a word to indicate fear. the swirl of the water as they came nearer made a roaring sound that was fearful to listen to. so fierce and powerful was the whirlpool that it drew the surface of the sea into the form of a great basin, slanting downward toward the center, where a big hole had been made in the ocean--a hole with walls of water that were kept in place by the rapid whirling of the air. the boat in which trot and cap'n bill were riding was just on the outer edge of this saucer-like slant, and the old sailor knew very well that unless he could quickly force the little craft away from the rushing current they would soon be drawn into the great black hole that yawned in the middle. so he exerted all his might and pulled as he had never pulled before. he pulled so hard that the left oar snapped in two and sent cap'n bill sprawling upon the bottom of the boat. he scrambled up quickly enough and glanced over the side. then he looked at trot, who sat quite still, with a serious, far-away look in her sweet eyes. the boat was now speeding swiftly of its own accord, following the line of the circular basin round and round and gradually drawing nearer to the great hole in the center. any further effort to escape the whirlpool was useless, and realizing this fact cap'n bill turned toward trot and put an arm around her, as if to shield her from the awful fate before them. he did not try to speak, because the roar of the waters would have drowned the sound of his voice. these two faithful comrades had faced dangers before, but nothing to equal that which now faced them. yet cap'n bill, noting the look in trot's eyes and remembering how often she had been protected by unseen powers, did not quite give way to despair. the great hole in the dark water--now growing nearer and nearer--looked very terrifying; but they were both brave enough to face it and await the result of the adventure. [illustration] chapter the cavern under the sea the circles were so much smaller at the bottom of the basin, and the boat moved so much more swiftly, that trot was beginning to get dizzy with the motion, when suddenly the boat made a leap and dived headlong into the murky depths of the hole. whirling like tops, but still clinging together, the sailor and the girl were separated from their boat and plunged down--down--down--into the farthermost recesses of the great ocean. at first their fall was swift as an arrow, but presently they seemed to be going more moderately and trot was almost sure that unseen arms were about her, supporting her and protecting her. she could see nothing, because the water filled her eyes and blurred her vision, but she clung fast to cap'n bill's sou'wester, while other arms clung fast to her, and so they gradually sank down and down until a full stop was made, when they began to ascend again. but it seemed to trot that they were not rising straight to the surface from where they had come. the water was no longer whirling them and they seemed to be drawn in a slanting direction through still, cool ocean depths. and then--in much quicker time than i have told it--up they popped to the surface and were cast at full length upon a sandy beach, where they lay choking and gasping for breath and wondering what had happened to them. trot was the first to recover. disengaging herself from cap'n bill's wet embrace and sitting up, she rubbed the water from her eyes and then looked around her. a soft, bluish-green glow lighted the place, which seemed to be a sort of cavern, for above and on either side of her were rugged rocks. they had been cast upon a beach of clear sand, which slanted upward from the pool of water at their feet--a pool which doubtless led into the big ocean that fed it. above the reach of the waves of the pool were more rocks, and still more and more, into the dim windings and recesses of which the glowing light from the water did not penetrate. the place looked grim and lonely, but trot was thankful that she was still alive and had suffered no severe injury during her trying adventure under water. at her side cap'n bill was sputtering and coughing, trying to get rid of the water he had swallowed. both of them were soaked through, yet the cavern was warm and comfortable and a wetting did not dismay the little girl in the least. she crawled up the slant of sand and gathered in her hand a bunch of dried seaweed, with which she mopped the face of cap'n bill and cleared the water from his eyes and ears. presently the old man sat up and stared at her intently. then he nodded his bald head three times and said in a gurgling voice: "mighty good, trot; mighty good! we didn't reach davy jones's locker that time, did we? though why we didn't, an' why we're here, is more'n i kin make out." "take it easy, cap'n," she replied. "we're safe enough, i guess, at least for the time being." he squeezed the water out of the bottoms of his loose trousers and felt of his wooden leg and arms and head, and finding he had brought all of his person with him he gathered courage to examine closely their surroundings. "where d'ye think we are, trot?" he presently asked. "can't say, cap'n. p'r'aps in one of our caves." he shook his head. "no," said he, "i don't think that, at all. the distance we came up didn't seem half as far as the distance we went down; an' you'll notice there ain't any outside entrance to this cavern whatever. it's a reg'lar dome over this pool o' water, and unless there's some passage at the back, up yonder, we're fast pris'ners." trot looked thoughtfully over her shoulder. "when we're rested," she said, "we will crawl up there and see if there's a way to get out." cap'n bill reached in the pocket of his oilskin coat and took out his pipe. it was still dry, for he kept it in an oilskin pouch with his tobacco. his matches were in a tight tin box, so in a few moments the old sailor was smoking contentedly. trot knew it helped him to think when he was in any difficulty. also, the pipe did much to restore the old sailor's composure, after his long ducking and his terrible fright--a fright that was more on trot's account than his own. the sand was dry where they sat, and soaked up the water that dripped from their clothing. when trot had squeezed the wet out of her hair she began to feel much like her old self again. by and by they got upon their feet and crept up the incline to the scattered boulders above. some of these were of huge size, but by passing between some and around others, they were able to reach the extreme rear of the cavern. "yes," said trot, with interest, "here's a round hole." "and it's black as night inside it," remarked cap'n bill. "just the same," answered the girl, "we ought to explore it, and see where it goes, 'cause it's the only poss'ble way we can get out of this place." cap'n bill eyed the hole doubtfully. "it may be a way out o' here, trot," he said, "but it may be a way into a far worse place than this. i'm not sure but our best plan is to stay right here." trot wasn't sure, either, when she thought of it in that light.. after awhile she made her way back to the sands again, and cap'n bill followed her. as they sat down, the child looked thoughtfully at the sailor's bulging pockets. [illustration: trot] "how much food have we got, cap'n?" she asked. "half a dozen ship's biscuits an' a hunk o' cheese," he replied. "want some now, trot?" she shook her head, saying: "that ought to keep us alive 'bout three days if we're careful of it." "longer'n that, trot," said cap'n bill, but his voice was a little troubled and unsteady. "but if we stay here we're bound to starve in time," continued the girl, "while if we go into the dark hole--" "some things are more hard to face than starvation," said the sailor-man, gravely. "we don't know what's inside that dark hole. trot, nor where it might lead us to." "there's a way to find that out," she persisted. instead of replying, cap'n bill began searching in his pockets. he soon drew out a little package of fishhooks and a long line. trot watched him join them together. then he crept a little way up the slope and turned over a big rock. two or three small crabs began scurrying away over the sands and the old sailor caught them and put one on his hook and the others in his pocket. coming back to the pool he swung the hook over his shoulder and circled it around his head and cast it nearly into the center of the water, where he allowed it to sink gradually, paying out the line as far as it would go. when the end was reached, he began drawing it in again, until the crab bait was floating on the surface. trot watched him cast the line a second time, and a third. she decided that either there were no fishes in the pool or they would not bite the crab bait. but cap'n bill was an old fisherman and not easily discouraged. when the crab got away he put another on the hook. when the crabs were all gone he climbed up the rocks and found some more. meantime trot tired of watching him and lay down upon the sands, where she fell fast asleep. during the next two hours her clothing dried completely, as did that of the old sailor. they were both so used to salt water that there was no danger of taking cold. finally the little girl was wakened by a splash beside her and a grunt of satisfaction from cap'n bill. she opened her eyes to find that the cap'n had landed a silver-scaled fish weighing about two pounds. this cheered her considerably and she hurried to scrape together a heap of seaweed, while cap'n bill cut up the fish with his jackknife and got it ready for cooking. they had cooked fish with seaweed before. cap'n bill wrapped his fish in some of the weed and dipped it in the water to dampen it. then he lighted a match and set fire to trot's heap, which speedily burned down to a glowing bed of ashes. then they laid the wrapped fish on the ashes, covered it with more seaweed, and allowed this to catch fire and burn to embers. after feeding the fire with seaweed for some time, the sailor finally decided that their supper was ready, so he scattered the ashes and drew out the bits of fish, still encased in their smoking wrappings. when these wrappings were removed, the fish was found thoroughly cooked and both trot and cap'n bill ate of it freely. it had a slight flavor of seaweed and would have been better with a sprinkling of salt. the soft glow which until now had lighted the cavern, began to grow dim, but there was a great quantity of seaweed in the place, so after they had eaten their fish they kept the fire alive for a time by giving it a handful of fuel now and then. from an inner pocket the sailor drew a small flask of battered metal and unscrewing the cap handed it to trot. she took but one swallow of the water, although she wanted more, and she noticed that cap'n bill merely wet his lips with it. "s'pose," said she, staring at the glowing seaweed fire and speaking slowly, "that we can catch all the fish we need; how 'bout the drinking-water, cap'n?" he moved uneasily but did not reply. both of them were thinking about the dark hole, but while trot had little fear of it the old man could not overcome his dislike to enter the place. he knew that trot was right, though. to remain in the cavern, where they now were, could only result in slow but sure death. it was nighttime upon the earth's surface, so the little girl became drowsy and soon fell asleep. after a time the old sailor slumbered on the sands beside her. it was very still and nothing disturbed them for hours. when at last they awoke the cavern was light again. they had divided one of the biscuits and were munching it for breakfast when they were startled by a sudden splash in the pool. looking toward it they saw emerging from the water the most curious creature either of them had ever beheld. it wasn't a fish, trot decided, nor was it a beast. it had wings, though, and queer wings they were: shaped like an inverted chopping-bowl and covered with tough skin instead of feathers. it had four legs--much like the legs of a stork, only double the number--and its head was shaped a good deal like that of a poll parrot, with a beak that curved downward in front and upward at the edges, and was half bill and half mouth. but to call it a bird was out of the question, because it had feathers whatever except a crest of wavy plumes of a scarlet color on the very top of its head. the strange creature must have weighed as much as cap'n bill, and as it floundered and struggled to get out of the water to the sandy beach it was so big and unusual that both trot and her companion stared at it in wonder--in wonder that was not unmixed with fear. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the ork the eyes that regarded them, as the creature stood dripping before them, were bright and mild in expression, and the queer addition to their party made no attempt to attack them and seemed quite as surprised by the meeting as they were. "i wonder," whispered trot, "what it is." "who, me?" exclaimed the creature in a shrill, high-pitched voice. "why, i'm an ork." "oh!" said the girl. "but what is an ork?" "i am," he repeated, a little proudly, as he shook the water from his funny wings; "and if ever an ork was glad to be out of the water and on dry land again, you can be mighty sure that i'm that especial, individual ork!" "have you been in the water long?" inquired cap'n bill, thinking it only polite to show an interest in the strange creature.. "why, this last ducking was about ten minutes, i believe, and that's about nine minutes and sixty seconds too long for comfort," was the reply. "but last night i was in an awful pickle, i assure you. the whirlpool caught me, and--" "oh, were you in the whirlpool, too?" asked trot eagerly. he gave her a glance that was somewhat reproachful. "i believe i was mentioning the fact, young lady, when your desire to talk interrupted me," said the ork. "i am not usually careless in my actions, but that whirlpool was so busy yesterday that i thought i'd see what mischief it was up to. so i flew a little too near it and the suction of the air drew me down into the depths of the ocean. water and i are natural enemies, and it would have conquered me this time had not a bevy of pretty mermaids come to my assistance and dragged me away from the whirling water and far up into a cavern, where they deserted me." "why, that's about the same thing that happened to us," cried trot. "was your cavern like this one?" "i haven't examined this one yet," answered the ork; "but if they happen to be alike i shudder at our fate, for the other one was a prison, with no outlet except by means of the water. i stayed there all night, however, and this morning i plunged into the pool, as far down as i could go, and then swam as hard and as far as i could. the rocks scraped my back, now and then, and i barely escaped the clutches of an ugly sea-monster; but by and by i came to the surface to catch my breath, and found myself here. that's the whole story, and as i see you have something to eat i entreat you to give me a share of it. the truth is, i'm half starved." with these words the ork squatted down beside them. very reluctantly cap'n bill drew another biscuit from his pocket and held it out. the ork promptly seized it in one of its front claws and began to nibble the biscuit in much the same manner a parrot might have done. "we haven't much grub," said the sailor-man, "but we're willin' to share it with a comrade in distress." "that's right," returned the ork, cocking its head sidewise in a cheerful manner, and then for a few minutes there was silence while they all ate of the biscuits. after a while trot said: "i've never seen or heard of an ork before. are there many of you?" "we are rather few and exclusive, i believe," was the reply. "in the country where i was born we are the absolute rulers of all living things, from ants to elephants." "what country is that?" asked cap'n bill. "orkland." "where does it lie?" "i don't know, exactly. you see, i have a restless nature, for some reason, while all the rest of my race are quiet and contented orks and seldom stray far from home. from childhood days i loved to fly long distances away, although father often warned me that i would get into trouble by so doing. "'it's a big world, flipper, my son,' he would say, 'and i've heard that in parts of it live queer two-legged creatures called men, who war upon all other living things and would have little respect for even an ork.' "this naturally aroused my curiosity and after i had completed my education and left school i decided to fly out into the world and try to get a glimpse of the creatures called men. so i left home without saying good-bye, an act i shall always regret. adventures were many, i found. i sighted men several times, but have never before been so close to them as now. also i had to fight my way through the air, for i met gigantic birds, with fluffy feathers all over them, which attacked me fiercely. besides, it kept me busy escaping from floating airships. in my rambling i had lost all track of distance or direction, so that when i wanted to go home i had no idea where my country was located. i've now been trying to find it for several months and it was during one of my flights over the ocean that i met the whirlpool and became its victim." trot and cap'n bill listened to this recital with much interest, and from the friendly tone and harmless appearance of the ork they judged he was not likely to prove so disagreeable a companion as at first they had feared he might be. the ork sat upon its haunches much as a cat does, but used the finger-like claws of its front legs almost as cleverly as if they were hands. perhaps the most curious thing about the creature was its tail, or what ought to have been its tail. this queer arrangement of skin, bones and muscle was shaped like the propellers used on boats and airships, having fan-like surfaces and being pivoted to its body. cap'n bill knew something of mechanics, and observing the propeller-like tail of the ork he said: "i s'pose you're a pretty swift flyer?" "yes, indeed; the orks are admitted to be kings of the air." "your wings don't seem to amount to much," remarked trot. "well, they are not very big," admitted the ork, waving the four hollow skins gently to and fro, "but they serve to support my body in the air while i speed along by means of my tail. still, taken altogether, i'm very handsomely formed, don't you think?" trot did not like to reply, but cap'n bill nodded gravely. "for an ork," said he, "you're a wonder. i've never seen one afore, but i can imagine you're as good as any." that seemed to please the creature and it began walking around the cavern, making its way easily up the slope. while it was gone, trot and cap'n bill each took another sip from the water-flask, to wash down their breakfast. "why, here's a hole--an exit--an outlet!" exclaimed the ork from above. "we know," said trot. "we found it last night." "well, then, let's be off," continued the ork, after sticking its head into the black hole and sniffing once or twice. "the air seems fresh and sweet, and it can't lead us to any worse place than this." [illustration] the girl and the sailor-man got up and climbed to the side of the ork. "we'd about decided to explore this hole before you came," explained cap'n bill; "but it's a dangerous place to navigate in the dark, so wait till i light a candle." "what is a candle?" inquired the ork. "you'll see in a minute," said trot. the old sailor drew one of the candles from his right-side pocket and the tin matchbox from his left-side pocket. when he lighted the match the ork gave a startled jump and eyed the flame suspiciously; but cap'n bill proceeded to light the candle and the action interested the ork very much. "light," it said, somewhat nervously, "is valuable in a hole of this sort. the candle is not dangerous, i hope?" "sometimes it burns your fingers," answered trot, "but that's about the worst it can do--'cept to blow out when you don't want it to." cap'n bill shielded the flame with his hand and crept into the hole. it wasn't any too big for a grown man, but after he had crawled a few feet it grew larger. trot came close behind him and then the ork followed. "seems like a reg'lar tunnel," muttered the sailor-man, who was creeping along awkwardly because of his wooden leg. the rocks, too, hurt his knees. for nearly half an hour the three moved slowly along the tunnel, which made many twists and turns and sometimes slanted downward and sometimes upward. finally cap'n bill stopped short, with an exclamation of disappointment, and held the flickering candle far ahead to light the scene. "what's wrong?' demanded trot, who could see nothing because the sailor's form completely filled the hole. "why, we've come to the end of our travels, i guess," he replied. "is the hole blocked?" inquired the ork. "no; it's wuss nor that," replied cap'n bill sadly. "i'm on the edge of a precipice. wait a minute an' i'll move along and let you see for yourselves. be careful, trot, not to fall." then he crept forward a little and moved to one side, holding the candle so that the girl could see to follow him. the ork came next and now all three knelt on a narrow ledge of rock which dropped straight away and left a huge black space which the tiny flame of the candle could not illuminate. "h-m!" said the ork, peering over the edge; "this doesn't look very promising, i'll admit. but let me take your candle, and i'll fly down and see what's below us." "aren't you afraid?" asked trot. "certainly i'm afraid," responded the ork. "but if we intend to escape we can't stay on this shelf forever. so, as i notice you poor creatures cannot fly, it is my duty to explore the place for you." cap'n bill handed the ork the candle, which had now burned to about half its length. the ork took it in one claw rather cautiously and then tipped its body forward and slipped over the edge. they heard a queer buzzing sound, as the tail revolved, and a brisk flapping of the peculiar wings, but they were more interested just then in following with their eyes the tiny speck of light which marked the location of the candle. this light first made a great circle, then dropped slowly downward and suddenly was extinguished, leaving everything before them black as ink. "hi, there! how did that happen?" cried the ork. "it blew out, i guess," shouted cap'n bill. "fetch it here." "i can't see where you are," said the ork. so cap'n bill got out another candle and lighted it, and its flame enabled the ork to fly back to them. it alighted on the edge and held out the bit of candle. "what made it stop burning?" asked the creature. "the wind," said trot. "you must be more careful, this time." "what's the place like?" inquired cap'n bill. "i don't know, yet; but there must be a bottom to it, so i'll try to find it." with this the ork started out again and this time sank downward more slowly. down, down, down it went, till the candle was a mere spark, and then it headed away to the left and trot and cap'n bill lost all sight of it. [illustration] in a few minutes, however, they saw the spark of light again, and as the sailor still held the second lighted candle the ork made straight toward them. it was only a few yards distant when suddenly it dropped the candle with a cry of pain and next moment alighted, fluttering wildly, upon the rocky ledge. "what's the matter?" asked trot. "it bit me!" wailed the ork. "i don't like your candles. the thing began to disappear slowly as soon as i took it in my claw, and it grew smaller and smaller until just now it turned and bit me--a most unfriendly thing to do. oh--oh! ouch, what a bite!" "that's the nature of candles, i'm sorry to say," explained cap'n bill, with a grin. "you have to handle 'em mighty keerful. but tell us, what did you find down there?" "i found a way to continue our journey," said the ork, nursing tenderly the claw which had been burned. "just below us is a great lake of black water, which looked so cold and wicked that it made me shudder; but away at the left there's a big tunnel, which we can easily walk through. i don't know where it leads to, of course, but we must follow it and find out." "why, we can't get to it," protested the little girl. "we can't fly, as you do, you must remember." "no, that's true," replied the ork musingly. "your bodies are built very poorly, it seems to me, since all you can do is crawl upon the earth's surface. but you may ride upon my back, and in that way t can promise you a safe journey to the tunnel." "are you strong enough to carry us?" asked cap'n bill, doubtfully. "yes, indeed; i'm strong enough to carry a dozen of you, if you could find a place to sit," was the reply; "but there's only room between my wings for one at a time, so i'll have to make two trips." "all right; i'll go first," decided cap'n bill. he lit another candle for trot to hold while they were gone and to light the ork on his return to her, and then the old sailor got upon the ork's back, where he sat with his wooden leg sticking straight out sidewise. "if you start to fall, clasp your arms around my neck," advised the creature. "if i start to fall, it's good night an' pleasant dreams," said cap'n bill. "all ready?" asked the ork. "start the buzz-tail," said cap'n bill, with a tremble in his voice. but the ork flew away so gently that the old man never even tottered in his seat. trot watched the light of cap'n bill's candle till it disappeared in the far distance. she didn't like to be left alone on this dangerous ledge, with a lake of black water hundreds of feet below her; but she was a brave little girl and waited patiently for the return of the ork. it came even sooner than she had expected and the creature said to her: "your friend is safe in the tunnel. now, then, get aboard and i'll carry you to him in a jiffy." i'm sure not many little girls would have cared to take that awful ride through the huge black cavern on the back of a skinny ork. trot didn't care for it, herself, but it just had to be done and so she did it as courageously as possible. her heart beat fast and she was so nervous she could scarcely hold the candle in her fingers as the ork sped swiftly through the darkness. it seemed like a long ride to her, yet in reality the ork covered the distance in a wonderfully brief period of time and soon trot stood safely beside cap'n bill on the level floor of a big arched tunnel. the sailor-man was very glad to greet his little comrade again and both were grateful to the ork for his assistance. "i dunno where this tunnel leads to," remarked cap'n bill, "but it surely looks more promisin' than that other hole we crept through." "when the ork is rested," said trot, "we'll travel on and see what happens." "rested!" cried the ork, as scornfully as his shrill voice would allow. "that bit of flying didn't tire me at all. i'm used to flying days at a time, without ever once stopping." "then let's move on," proposed cap'n bill. he still held in his hand one lighted candle, so trot blew out the other flame and placed her candle in the sailor's big pocket. she knew it was not wise to burn two candles at once. the tunnel was straight and smooth and very easy to walk through, so they made good progress. trot thought that the tunnel began about two miles from the cavern where they had been cast by the whirlpool, but now it was impossible to guess the miles traveled, for they walked steadily for hours and hours without any change in their surroundings. finally cap'n bill stopped to rest. "there's somethin' queer about this 'ere tunnel, i'm certain," he declared, wagging his head dolefully. "here's three candles gone a'ready, an' only three more left us, yet the tunnel's the same as it was when we started. an' how long it's goin' to keep up, no one knows." "couldn't we walk without a light?" asked trot. "the way seems safe enough." "it does right now," was the reply, "but we can't tell when we are likely to come to another gulf, or somethin' jes' as dangerous. in that case we'd be killed afore we knew it." "suppose i go ahead?" suggested the ork. "i don't fear a fall, you know, and if anything happens i'll call out and warn you." "that's a good idea," declared trot, and cap'n bill thought so, too. so the ork started off ahead, quite in the dark, and hand in hand the two followed him. when they had walked in this way for a good long time the ork halted and demanded food. cap'n bill had not mentioned food because there was so little left--only three biscuits and a lump of cheese about as big as his two fingers--but he gave the ork half of a biscuit, sighing as he did so. the creature didn't care for the cheese, so the sailor divided it between himself and trot. they lighted a candle and sat down in the tunnel while they ate. "my feet hurt me," grumbled the ork. "i'm not used to walking and this rocky passage is so uneven and lumpy that it hurts me to walk upon it." "can't you fly along?" asked trot. "no; the roof is too low," said the ork. after the meal they resumed their journey, which trot began to fear would never end. when cap'n bill noticed how tired the little girl was, he paused and lighted a match and looked at his big silver watch. "why, it's night!" he exclaimed. "we've tramped all day, an' still we're in this awful passage, which mebbe goes straight through the middle of the world, an' mebbe is a circle--in which case we can keep walkin' till doomsday. not knowin' what's before us so well as we know what's behind us, i propose we make a stop, now, an' try to sleep till mornin'." "that will suit me," asserted the ork, with a groan. "my feet are hurting me dreadfully and for the last few miles i've been limping with pain." "my foot hurts, too," said the sailor, looking for a smooth place on the rocky floor to sit down. "_your_ foot!" cried the ork. "why, you've only one to hurt you, while i have four. so i suffer four times as much as you possibly can. here; hold the candle while i look at the bottoms of my claws. i declare," he said, examining them by the flickering light, "there are bunches of pain all over them!" "p'r'aps," said trot, who was very glad to sit down beside her companions, "you've got corns." "corns? nonsense! orks never have corns," protested the creature, rubbing its sore feet tenderly. "then mebbe they're--they're--what do you call 'em, cap'n bill? something 'bout the pilgrim's progress, you know." "bunions," said cap'n bill. "oh, yes; mebbe you've got bunions." "it is possible," moaned the ork. "but whatever they are, another day of such walking on them would drive me crazy." "i'm sure they'll feel better by mornin'," said cap'n bill, encouragingly. "go to sleep an' try to forget your sore feet." the ork cast a reproachful look at the sailor-man, who didn't see it. then the creature asked plaintively: "do we eat now, or do we starve?" "there's only half a biscuit left for you," answered cap'n bill. "no one knows how long we'll have to stay in this dark tunnel, where there's nothing whatever to eat; so i advise you to save that morsel o' food till later." "give it me now!" demanded the ork. "if i'm going to starve, i'll do it all at once--not by degrees." cap'n bill produced the biscuit and the creature ate it in a trice. trot was rather hungry and whispered to cap'n bill that she'd take part of her share; but the old man secretly broke his own half-biscuit in two, saving trot's share for a time of greater need. he was beginning to be worried over the little girl's plight and long after she was asleep and the ork was snoring in a rather disagreeable manner, cap'n bill sat with his back to a rock and smoked his pipe and tried to think of some way to escape from this seemingly endless tunnel. but after a time he also slept, for hobbling on a wooden leg all day was tiresome, and there in the dark slumbered the three adventurers for many hours, until the ork roused itself and kicked the old sailor with one foot. "it must be another day," said he. [illustration] [illustration] chapter daylight at last cap'n bill rubbed his eyes, lit a match and consulted his watch. "nine o'clock. yes, i guess it's another day, sure enough. shall we go on?' he asked. "of course," replied the ork. "unless this tunnel is different from everything else in the world, and has no end, we'll find a way out of it sooner or later." the sailor gently wakened trot. she felt much rested by her long sleep and sprang to her feet eagerly. "let's start, cap'n," was all she said. they resumed the journey and had only taken a few steps when the ork cried "wow!" and made a great fluttering of its wings and whirling of its tail. the others, who were following a short distance behind, stopped abruptly. "what's the matter?" asked cap'n bill. "give us a light," was the reply. "i think we've come to the end of the tunnel." then, while cap'n bill lighted a candle, the creature added: "if that is true, we needn't have wakened so soon, for we were almost at the end of this place when we went to sleep." the sailor-man and trot came forward with a light. a wall of rock really faced the tunnel, but now they saw that the opening made a sharp turn to the left. so they followed on, by a narrower passage, and then made another sharp turn--this time to the right. "blow out the light, cap'n," said the ork, in a pleased voice. "we've struck daylight." daylight at last! a shaft of mellow light fell almost at their feet as trot and the sailor turned the corner of the passage, but it came from above, and raising their eyes they found they were at the bottom of a deep, rocky well, with the top far, far above their heads. and here the passage ended. [illustration] for a while they gazed in silence, at least two of them being filled with dismay at the sight. but the ork merely whistled softly and said cheerfully: "that was the toughest journey i ever had the misfortune to undertake, and i'm glad it's over. yet, unless i can manage to fly to the top of this pit, we are entombed here forever." "do you think there is room enough for you to fly in?" asked the little girl anxiously; and cap'n bill added: "it's a straight-up shaft, so i don't see how you'll ever manage it." "were i an ordinary bird--one of those horrid feathered things--i wouldn't even make the attempt to fly out," said the ork. "but my mechanical propeller tail can accomplish wonders, and whenever you're ready i'll show you a trick that is worth while." "oh!" exclaimed trot; "do you intend to take us up, too?" "why not?" "i thought," said cap'n bill, "as you'd go first, an' then send somebody to help us by lettin' down a rope." "ropes are dangerous," replied the ork, "and i might not be able to find one to reach all this distance. besides, it stands to reason that if i can get out myself i can also carry you two with me." "well, i'm not afraid," said trot, who longed to be on the earth's surface again. "s'pose we fall?'' suggested cap'n bill, doubtfully. "why, in that case we would all fall together," returned the ork. "get aboard, little girl; sit across my shoulders and put both your arms around my neck." trot obeyed and when she was seated on the ork, cap'n bill inquired: "how 'bout me, mr. ork?" "why, i think you'd best grab hold of my rear legs and let me carry you up in that manner," was the reply. cap'n bill looked way up at the top of the well, and then he looked at the ork's slender, skinny legs and heaved a deep sigh. "it's goin' to be some dangle, i guess; but if you don't waste too much time on the way up, i may be able to hang on," said he. "all ready, then!" cried the ork, and at once his whirling tail began to revolve. trot felt herself rising into the air; when the creature's legs left the ground cap'n bill grasped two of them firmly and held on for dear life. the ork's body was tipped straight upward, and trot had to embrace the neck very tightly to keep from sliding off. even in this position the ork had trouble in escaping the rough sides of the well. several times it exclaimed "wow!" as it bumped its back, or a wing hit against some jagged projection; but the tail kept whirling with remarkable swiftness and the daylight grew brighter and brighter. it was, indeed, a long journey from the bottom to the top, yet almost before trot realized they had come so far, they popped out of the hole into the clear air and sunshine and a moment later the ork alighted gently upon the ground. [illustration] the release was so sudden that even with the creature's care for its passengers cap'n bill struck the earth with a shock that sent him rolling heel over head; but by the time trot had slid down from her seat the old sailor-man was sitting up and looking around him with much satisfaction. "it's sort o' pretty here," said he. "earth is a beautiful place!" cried trot. "i wonder where on earth we are?' pondered the ork, turning first one bright eye and then the other to this side and that. trees there were, in plenty, and shrubs and flowers and green turf. but there were no houses; there were no paths; there was no sign of civilization whatever. "just before i settled down on the ground i thought i caught a view of the ocean," said the ork. "let's see if i was right." then he flew to a little hill, near by, and trot and cap'n bill followed him more slowly. when they stood on the top of the hill they could see the blue waves of the ocean in front of them, to the right of them, and at the left of them. behind the hill was a forest that shut out the view. "i hope it ain't an island, trot," said cap'n bill gravely. "if it is, i s'pose we're prisoners," she replied. "ezzackly so, trot." "but, even so, it's better than those terr'ble underground tunnels and caverns," declared the girl. "you are right, little one," agreed the ork. "anything above ground is better than the best that lies under ground. so let's not quarrel with our fate but be thankful we've escaped." "we are, indeed!" she replied. "but i wonder if we can find something to eat in this place?" "let's explore an' find out," proposed cap'n bill. "those trees over at the left look like cherry-trees." on the way to them the explorers had to walk through a tangle of vines and cap'n bill, who went first, stumbled and pitched forward on his face. "why, it's a melon!" cried trot delightedly, as she saw what had caused the sailor to fall. [illustration] cap'n bill rose to his foot, for he was not at all hurt, and examined the melon. then he took his big jackknife from his pocket and cut the melon open. it was quite ripe and looked delicious; but the old man tasted it before he permitted trot to eat any. deciding it was good he gave her a big slice and then offered the ork some. the creature looked at the fruit somewhat disdainfully, at first, but once he had tasted its flavor he ate of it as heartily as did the others. among the vines they discovered many other melons, and trot said gratefully: "well, there's no danger of our starving, even if this _is_ an island." "melons," remarked cap'n bill, "are both food an' water. we couldn't have struck anything better." farther on they came to the cherry-trees, where they obtained some of the fruit, and at the edge of the little forest were wild plums. the forest itself consisted entirely of nut trees--walnuts, filberts, almonds and chestnuts--so there would be plenty of wholesome food for them while they remained there. cap'n bill and trot decided to walk through the forest, to discover what was on the other side of it, but the ork's feet were still so sore and "lumpy" from walking on the rocks that the creature said he preferred to fly over the tree-tops and meet them on the other side. the forest was not large, so by walking briskly for fifteen minutes they reached its farthest edge and saw before them the shore of the ocean. "it's an island, all right," said trot, with a sigh. "yes, and a pretty island, too," said cap'n bill, trying to conceal his disappointment on trot's account. "i guess, partner, if the wuss comes to the wuss, i could build a raft--or even a boat--from those trees, so's we could sail away in it." the little girl brightened at this suggestion. "i don't see the ork anywhere," she remarked, looking around. then her eyes lighted upon something and she exclaimed: "oh, cap'n bill! isn't that a house, over there to the left?" cap'n bill, looking closely, saw a shed-like structure built at one edge of the forest. "seems like it, trot. not that i'd call it much of a house, but it's a buildin', all right. let's go over an' see if it's occypied." [illustration] [illustration] chapter the little old man of the island a few steps brought them to the shed, which was merely a roof of boughs built over a square space, with some branches of trees fastened to the sides to keep off the wind. the front was quite open and faced the sea, and as our friends came nearer they observed a little man, with a long pointed beard, sitting motionless on a stool and staring thoughtfully out over the water. "get out of the way, please," he called in a fretful voice. "can't you see you are obstructing my view?" "good morning," said cap'n bill, politely. "it isn't a good morning!" snapped the little man. "i've seen plenty of mornings better than this. do you call it a good morning when i'm pestered with such a crowd as you?" trot was astonished to hear such words from a stranger whom they had greeted quite properly, and cap'n bill grew red at the little man's rudeness. but the sailor said, in a quiet tone of voice: "are you the only one as lives on this 'ere island?" "your grammar's bad," was the reply. "but this is my own exclusive island, and i'll thank you to get off it as soon as possible." "we'd like to do that," said trot, and then she and cap'n bill turned away and walked down to the shore, to see if any other land was in sight. the little man rose and followed them, although both were now too provoked to pay any attention to him. "nothin' in sight, partner," reported cap'n bill, shading his eyes with his hand; "so we'll have to stay here for a time, anyhow. it isn't a bad place, trot, by any means." "that's all you know about it!" broke in the little man. "the trees are altogether too green and the rocks are harder than they ought to be. i find the sand very grainy and the water dreadfully wet. every breeze makes a draught and the sun shines in the daytime, when there's no need of it, and disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark. if you remain here you'll find the island very unsatisfactory." trot turned to look at him, and her sweet face was grave and curious. "i wonder who you are," she said. "my name is pessim," said he, with an air of pride. "i'm called the observer." "oh. what do you observe?" asked the little girl. "everything i see," was the reply, in a more surly tone. then pessim drew back with a startled exclamation and looked at some footprints in the sand. "why, good gracious me!' he cried in distress. "what's the matter now?' asked cap'n bill. "someone has pushed the earth in! don't you see it?" "it isn't pushed in far enough to hurt anything," said trot, examining the footprints. "everything hurts that isn't right," insisted the man. "if the earth were pushed in a mile, it would be a great calamity, wouldn't it?" "i s'pose so," admitted the little girl. "well, here it is pushed in a full inch! that's a twelfth of a foot, or a little more than a millionth part of a mile. therefore it is one-millionth part of a calamity--oh, dear! how dreadful!" said pessim in a wailing voice. "try to forget it, sir," advised cap'n bill, soothingly. "it's beginning to rain. let's get under your shed and keep dry." "raining! is it really raining?' asked pessim, beginning to weep. "it is," answered cap'n bill, as the drops began to descend, "and i don't see any way to stop it--although i'm some observer myself." "no; we can't stop it, i fear," said the man. "are you very busy just now?" "i won't be after i get to the shed," replied the sailor-man. "then do me a favor, please," begged pessim, walking briskly along behind them, for they were hastening to the shed. "depends on what it is," said cap'n bill. "i wish you would take my umbrella down to the shore and hold it over the poor fishes till it stops raining. i'm afraid they'll get wet," said pessim. trot laughed, but cap'n bill thought the little man was poking fun at him and so he scowled upon pessim in a way that showed he was angry. they reached the shed before getting very wet, although the rain was now coming down in big drops. the roof of the shed protected them and while they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and circled around pessim's head. at once the observer began beating it away with his hands, crying out: "a bumblebee! a bumblebee! the queerest bumblebee i ever saw!" cap'n bill and trot both looked at it and the little girl said in surprise: "dear me! it's a wee little ork!" "that's what it is, sure enough," exclaimed cap'n bill. really, it wasn't much bigger than a big bumblebee, and when it came toward trot she allowed it to alight on her shoulder. "it's me, all right," said a very small voice in her ear; "but i'm in an awful pickle, just the same!" "what, are you _our_ ork, then?" demanded the girl, much amazed. "no, i'm my own ork. but i'm the only ork you know," replied the tiny creature. "what's happened to you?" asked the sailor, putting his head close to trot's shoulder in order to hear the reply better. pessim also put his head close, and the ork said: [illustration] "you will remember that when i left you i started to fly over the trees, and just as i got to this side of the forest i saw a bush that was loaded down with the most luscious fruit you can imagine. the fruit was about the size of a gooseberry and of a lovely lavender color. so i swooped down and picked off one in my bill and ate it. at once i began to grow small. i could feel myself shrinking, shrinking away, and it frightened me terribly, so that i alighted on the ground to think over what was happening. in a few seconds i had shrunk to the size you now see me; but there i remained, getting no smaller, indeed, but no larger. it is certainly a dreadful affliction! after i had recovered somewhat from the shock i began to search for you. it is not so easy to find one's way when a creature is so small, but fortunately i spied you here in this shed and came to you at once." cap'n bill and trot were much astonished at this story and felt grieved for the poor ork, but the little man pessim seemed to think it a good joke. he began laughing when he heard the story and laughed until he choked, after which he lay down on the ground and rolled and laughed again, while the tears of merriment coursed down his wrinkled cheeks. "oh, dear! oh, dear!" he finally gasped, sitting up and wiping his eyes. "this is too rich! it's almost too joyful to be true." "i don't see anything funny about it," remarked trot indignantly. "you would if you'd had my experience," said pessim, getting upon his feet and gradually resuming his solemn and dissatisfied expression of countenance. "the same thing happened to me." "oh, did it? and how did you happen to come to this island?" asked the girl. "i didn't come; the neighbors brought me," replied the little man, with a frown at the recollection. "they said i was quarrelsome and fault-finding and blamed me because i told them all the things that went wrong, or never were right, and because i told them how things ought to be. so they brought me here and left me all alone, saying that if i quarreled with myself, no one else would be made unhappy. absurd, wasn't it?" "seems to me," said cap'n bill, "those neighbors did the proper thing." "well," resumed pessim, "when i found myself king of this island i was obliged to live upon fruits, and i found many fruits growing here that i had never seen before. i tasted several and found them good and wholesome. but one day i ate a lavender berry--as the ork did--and immediately i grew so small that i was scarcely two inches high. it was a very unpleasant condition and like the ork i became frightened. i could not walk very well nor very far, for every lump of earth in my way seemed a mountain, every blade of grass a tree and every grain of sand a rocky boulder. for several days i stumbled around in an agony of fear. once a tree toad nearly gobbled me up, and if i ran out from the shelter of the bushes the gulls and cormorants swooped down upon me. finally i decided to eat another berry and become nothing at all, since life, to one as small as i was, had become a dreary nightmare. "at last i found a small tree that i thought bore the same fruit as that i had eaten. the berry was dark purple instead of light lavender, but otherwise it was quite similar. being unable to climb the tree, i was obliged to wait underneath it until a sharp breeze arose and shook the limbs so that a berry fell. instantly i seized it and taking a last view of the world--as i then thought--i ate the berry in a twinkling. then, to my surprise, i began to grow big again, until i became of my former stature, and so i have since remained. needless to say, i have never eaten again of the lavender fruit, nor do any of the beasts or birds that live upon this island eat it." they had all three listened eagerly to this amazing tale, and when it was finished the ork exclaimed: "do you think, then, that the deep purple berry is the antidote for the lavender one?" "i'm sure of it," answered pessim. "then lead me to the tree at once!" begged the ork, "for this tiny form i now have terrifies me greatly." pessim examined the ork closely. [illustration] "you are ugly enough as you are," said he. "were you any larger you might be dangerous." "oh, no," trot assured him; "the ork has been our good friend. please take us to the tree." then pessim consented, although rather reluctantly. he led them to the right, which was the east side of the island, and in a few minutes brought them near to the edge of the grove which faced the shore of the ocean. here stood a small tree bearing berries of a deep purple color. the fruit looked very enticing and cap'n bill reached up and selected one that seemed especially plump and ripe. the ork had remained perched upon trot's shoulder but now it flew down to the ground. it was so difficult for cap'n bill to kneel down, with his wooden leg, that the little girl took the berry from him and held it close to the ork's head. "it's too big to go into my mouth," said the little creature, looking at the fruit sidewise. "you'll have to make sev'ral mouthfuls of it, i guess," said trot; and that is what the ork did. he pecked at the soft, ripe fruit with his bill and ate it up very quickly, because it was good. even before he had finished the berry they could see the ork begin to grow. in a few minutes he had regained his natural size and was strutting before them, quite delighted with his transformation. "well, well! what do you think of me now?" he asked proudly. "you are very skinny and remarkably ugly," declared pessim. "you are a poor judge of orks," was the reply. "anyone can see that i'm much handsomer than those dreadful things called birds, which are all fluff and feathers." "their feathers make soft beds," asserted pessim. "and my skin would make excellent drumheads," retorted the ork. "nevertheless, a plucked bird or a skinned ork would be of no value to himself, so we needn't brag of our usefulness after we are dead. but for the sake of argument, friend pessim, i'd like to know what good _you_ would be, were you not alive?" "never mind that," said cap'n bill. "he isn't much good as he is." "i am king of this island, allow me to say, and you're intruding on my property," declared the little man, scowling upon them. "if you don't like me--and i'm sure you don't, for no one else does--why don't you go away and leave me to myself?" "well, the ork can fly, but we can't," explained trot, in answer. "we don't want to stay here a bit, but i don't see how we can get away." "you can go back into the hole you came from." cap'n bill shook his head; trot shuddered at the thought; the ork laughed aloud. "you may be king here," the creature said to pessim, "but we intend to run this island to suit ourselves, for we are three and you are one, and the balance of power lies with us." the little man made no reply to this, although as they walked back to the shed his face wore its fiercest scowl. cap'n bill gathered a lot of leaves and, assisted by trot, prepared two nice beds in opposite corners of the shed. pessim slept in a hammock which he swung between two trees. they required no dishes, as all their food consisted of fruits and nuts picked from the trees; they made no fire, for the weather was warm and there was nothing to cook; the shed had no furniture other than the rude stool which the little man was accustomed to sit upon. he called it his "throne" and they let him keep it. so they lived upon the island for three days, and rested and ate to their hearts' content. still, they were not at all happy in this life because of pessim. he continually found fault with them, and all that they did, and all their surroundings. he could see nothing good or admirable in all the world and trot soon came to understand why the little man's former neighbors had brought him to this island and left him there, all alone, so he could not annoy anyone. it was their misfortune that they had been led to this place by their adventures, for often they would have preferred the company of a wild beast to that of pessim. on the fourth day a happy thought came to the ork. they had all been racking their brains for a possible way to leave the island, and discussing this or that method, without finding a plan that was practical. cap'n bill had said he could make a raft of the trees, big enough to float them all, but he had no tools except those two pocketknives and it was not possible to chop down trees with such small blades. "and s'pose we got afloat on the ocean," said trot, "where would we drift to, and how long would it take us to get there?" cap'n bill was forced to admit he didn't know. the ork could fly away from the island any time it wished to, but the queer creature was loyal to his new friends and refused to leave them in such a lonely, forsaken place. it was when trot urged him to go, on this fourth morning, that the ork had his happy thought. "i will go," said he, "if you two will agree to ride upon my back." "we are too heavy; you might drop us," objected cap'n bill. "yes, you are rather heavy for a long journey," acknowledged the ork, "but you might eat of those lavender berries and become so small that i could carry you with ease." this quaint suggestion startled trot and she looked gravely at the speaker while she considered it, but cap'n bill gave a scornful snort and asked: "what would become of us afterward! we wouldn't be much good if we were some two or three inches high. no, mr. ork, i'd rather stay here, as i am, than be a hop-o'-my-thumb somewhere else." "why couldn't you take some of the dark purple berries along with you, to eat after we had reached our destination?" inquired the ork. "then you could grow big again whenever you pleased." trot clapped her hands with delight. "that's it!" she exclaimed. "let's do it, cap'n bill." the old sailor did not like the idea at first, but he thought it over carefully and the more he thought the better it seemed. "how could you manage to carry us, if we were so small?" he asked. "i could put you in a paper bag, and tie the bag around my neck." "but we haven't a paper bag," objected trot. the ork looked at her. "there's your sunbonnet," it said presently, "which is hollow in the middle and has two strings that you could tie around my neck." [illustration] trot took off her sunbonnet and regarded it critically. yes, it might easily hold both her and cap'n bill, after they had eaten the lavender berries and been reduced in size. she tied the strings around the ork's neck and the sunbonnet made a bag in which two tiny people might ride without danger of falling out. so she said: "i b'lieve we'll do it that way, cap'n." cap'n bill groaned but could make no logical objection except that the plan seemed to him quite dangerous--and dangerous in more ways than one. "i think so, myself," said trot soberly. "but nobody can stay alive without getting into danger sometimes, and danger doesn't mean getting hurt, cap'n; it only means we _might_ get hurt. so i guess we'll have to take the risk." "let's go and find the berries," said the ork. they said nothing to pessim, who was sitting on his stool and scowling dismally as he stared at the ocean, but started at once to seek the trees that bore the magic fruits. the ork remembered very well where the lavender berries grew and led his companions quickly to the spot. cap'n bill gathered two berries and placed them carefully in his pocket. then they went around to the east side of the island and found the tree that bore the dark purple berries. "i guess i'll take four of these," said the sailor-man, "so in case one doesn't make us grow big we can eat another." "better take six," advised the ork. "it's well to be on the safe side, and i'm sure these trees grow nowhere else in all the world." so cap'n bill gathered six of the purple berries and with their precious fruit they returned to the shed to bid good-bye to pessim. perhaps they would not have granted the surly little man this courtesy had they not wished to use him to tie the sunbonnet around the ork's neck. when pessim learned they were about to leave him he at first looked greatly pleased, but he suddenly recollected that nothing ought to please him and so began to grumble about being left alone. "we knew it wouldn't suit you," remarked cap'n bill. "it didn't suit you to have us here, and it won't suit you to have us go away." "that is quite true," admitted pessim. "i haven't been suited since i can remember; so it doesn't matter to me in the least whether you go or stay." he was interested in their experiment, however, and willingly agreed to assist, although he prophesied they would fall out of the sunbonnet on their way and be either drowned in the ocean or crushed upon some rocky shore. this uncheerful prospect did not daunt trot, but it made cap'n bill quite nervous. "i will eat my berry first," said trot, as she placed her sunbonnet on the ground, in such manner that they could get into it. then she ate the lavender berry and in a few seconds became so small that cap'n bill picked her up gently with his thumb and one finger and placed her in the middle of the sunbonnet. then he placed beside her the six purple berries--each one being about as big as the tiny trot's head--and all preparations being now made the old sailor ate his lavender berry and became very small--wooden leg and all! cap'n bill stumbled sadly in trying to climb over the edge of the sunbonnet and pitched in beside trot headfirst, which caused the unhappy pessim to laugh with glee. then the king of the island picked up the sunbonnet--so rudely that he shook its occupants like peas in a pod--and tied it, by means of its strings, securely around the ork's neck. "i hope, trot, you sewed those strings on tight," said cap'n bill anxiously. "why, we are not very heavy, you know," she replied, "so i think the stitches will hold. but be careful and not crush the berries, cap'n." "one is jammed already," he said, looking at them. "all ready?" asked the ork. "yes!" they cried together, and pessim came close to the sunbonnet and called out to them: "you'll be smashed or drowned, i'm sure you will! but farewell, and good riddance to you." the ork was provoked by this unkind speech, so he turned his tail toward the little man and made it revolve so fast that the rush of air tumbled pessim over backward and he rolled several times upon the ground before he could stop himself and sit up. by that time the ork was high in the air and speeding swiftly over the ocean. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the flight of the midgets cap'n bill and trot rode very comfortably in the sunbonnet. the motion was quite steady, for they weighed so little that the ork flew without effort. yet they were both somewhat nervous about their future fate and could not help wishing they were safe on land and their natural size again. "you're terr'ble small, trot," remarked cap'n bill, looking at his companion. "same to you, cap'n," she said with a laugh; "but as long as we have the purple berries we needn't worry about our size." "in a circus," mused the old man, "we'd be curiosities. but in a sunbonnet--high up in the air--sailin' over a big, unknown ocean--they ain't no word in any booktionary to describe us." "why, we're midgets, that's all," said the little girl. the ork flew silently for a long time. the slight swaying of the sunbonnet made cap'n bill drowsy, and he began to doze. trot, however, was wide awake, and after enduring the monotonous journey as long as she was able she called out: "don't you see land anywhere, mr. ork?" "not yet," he answered. "this is a big ocean and i've no idea in which direction the nearest land to that island lies; but if i keep flying in a straight line i'm sure to reach some place some time." that seemed reasonable, so the little people in the sunbonnet remained as patient as possible; that is, cap'n bill dozed and trot tried to remember her geography lessons so she could figure out what land they were likely to arrive at. for hours and hours the ork flew steadily, keeping to the straight line and searching with his eyes the horizon of the ocean for land. cap'n bill was fast asleep and snoring and trot had laid her head on his shoulder to rest it when suddenly the ork exclaimed: "there! i've caught a glimpse of land, at last." at this announcement they roused themselves. cap'n bill stood up and tried to peek over the edge of the sunbonnet. "what does it look like?" he inquired. "looks like another island," said the ork; "but i can judge it better in a minute or two." "i don't care much for islands, since we visited that other one," declared trot. soon the ork made another announcement. "it is surely an island, and a little one, too," said he. "but i won't stop, because i see a much bigger land straight ahead of it." "that's right," approved cap'n bill. "the bigger the land, the better it will suit us." "it's almost a continent," continued the ork after a brief silence, during which he did not decrease the speed of his flight. "i wonder if it can be orkland, the place i have been seeking so long?" "i hope not," whispered trot to cap'n bill--so softly that the ork could not hear her--"for i shouldn't like to be in a country where only orks live. this one ork isn't a bad companion, but a lot of him wouldn't be much fun." after a few more minutes of flying the ork called out in a sad voice: "no! this is not my country. it's a place i have never seen before, although i have wandered far and wide. it seems to be all mountains and deserts and green valleys and queer cities and lakes and rivers--mixed up in a very puzzling way." "most countries are like that," commented cap'n bill. "are you going to land?" "pretty soon," was the reply. "there is a mountain peak just ahead of me. what do you say to our landing on that?" "all right," agreed the sailor-man, for both he and trot were getting tired of riding in the sunbonnet and longed to set foot on solid ground again. so in a few minutes the ork slowed down his speed and then came to a stop so easily that they were scarcely jarred at all. then the creature squatted down until the sunbonnet rested on the ground, and began trying to unfasten with its claws the knotted strings. this proved a very clumsy task, because the strings were tied at the back of the ork's neck, just where his claws would not easily reach. after much fumbling he said: "i'm afraid i can't let you out, and there is no one near to help me." this was at first discouraging, but after a little thought cap'n bill said: "if you don't mind, trot, i can cut a slit in your sunbonnet with my knife." "do," she replied. "the slit won't matter, 'cause i can sew it up again afterward, when i am big." so cap'n bill got out his knife, which was just as small, in proportion, as he was, and after considerable trouble managed to cut a long slit in the sunbonnet. first he squeezed through the opening himself and then helped trot to get out. [illustration] when they stood on firm ground again their first act was to begin eating the dark purple berries which they had brought with them. two of these trot had guarded carefully during the long journey, by holding them in her lap, for their safety meant much to the tiny people. "i'm not very hungry," said the little girl as she handed a berry to cap'n bill, "but hunger doesn't count, in this case. it's like taking medicine to make you well, so we must manage to eat 'em, somehow or other." but the berries proved quite pleasant to taste and as cap'n bill and trot nibbled at their edges their forms began to grow in size--slowly but steadily. the bigger they grew the easier it was for them to eat the berries, which of course became smaller to them, and by the time the fruit was eaten our friends had regained their natural size. the little girl was greatly relieved when she found herself as large as she had ever been, and cap'n bill shared her satisfaction; for, although they had seen the effect of the berries on the ork, they had not been sure the magic fruit would have the same effect on human beings, or that the magic would work in any other country than that in which the berries grew. "what shall we do with the other four berries?" asked trot, as she picked up her sunbonnet, marveling that she had ever been small enough to ride in it. "they're no good to us now, are they, cap'n?" "i'm not sure as to that," he replied. "if they were eaten by one who had never eaten the lavender berries, they might have no effect at all; but then, contrarywise, they might. one of 'em has got badly jammed, so i'll throw it away, but the other three i b'lieve i'll carry with me. they're magic things, you know, and may come handy to us some time." he now searched in his big pockets and drew out a small wooden box with a sliding cover. the sailor had kept an assortment of nails, of various sizes, in this box, but those he now dumped loosely into his pocket and in the box placed the three sound purple berries. when this important matter was attended to they found time to look about them and see what sort of place the ork had landed them in. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the bumpy man the mountain on which they had alighted was not a barren waste, but had on its sides patches of green grass, some bushes, a few slender trees and here and there masses of tumbled rocks. the sides of the slope seemed rather steep, but with care one could climb up or down them with ease and safety. the view from where they now stood showed pleasant valleys and fertile hills lying below the heights. trot thought she saw some houses of queer shapes scattered about the lower landscape, and there were moving dots that might be people or animals, yet were too far away for her to see them clearly. not far from the place where they stood was the top of the mountain, which seemed to be flat, so the ork proposed to his companions that he would fly up and see what was there. "that's a good idea," said trot, "'cause it's getting toward evening and we'll have to find a place to sleep." the ork had not been gone more than a few minutes when they saw him appear on the edge of the top which was nearest them. "come on up!" he called. so trot and cap'n bill began to ascend the steep slope and it did not take them long to reach the place where the ork awaited them. their first view of the mountain-top pleased them very much. it was a level space of wider extent than they had guessed and upon it grew grass of a brilliant green color. in the very center stood a house built of stone and very neatly constructed. no one was in sight, but smoke was coming from the chimney, so with one accord all three began walking toward the house. "i wonder," said trot, "in what country we are, and if it's very far from my home in california." "can't say as to that, partner," answered cap'n bill, "but i'm mighty certain we've come a long way since we struck that whirlpool." "yes," she agreed, with a sigh, "it must be miles and miles!" "distance means nothing," said the ork. "i have flown pretty much all over the world, trying to find my home, and it is astonishing how many little countries there are, hidden away in the cracks and corners of this big globe of earth. if one travels, he may find some new country at every turn, and a good many of them have never yet been put upon the maps." "p'raps this is one of them," suggested trot. they reached the house after a brisk walk and cap'n bill knocked upon the door. it was at once opened by a rugged looking man who had "bumps all over him," as trot afterward declared. there were bumps on his head, bumps on his body and bumps on his arms and legs and hands. even his fingers had bumps on the ends of them. for dress he wore an old gray suit of fantastic design, which fitted him very badly because of the bumps it covered but could not conceal. but the bumpy man's eyes were kind and twinkling in expression and as soon as he saw his visitors he bowed low and said in a rather bumpy voice: "happy day! come in and shut the door, for it grows cool when the sun goes down. winter is now upon us." "why, it isn't cold a bit, outside," said trot, "so it can't be winter yet." "you will change your mind about that in a little while," declared the bumpy man. "my bumps always tell me the state of the weather, and they feel just now as if a snowstorm was coming this way. but make yourselves at home, strangers. supper is nearly ready and there is food enough for all." inside the house there was but one large room, simply but comfortably furnished. it had benches, a table and a fireplace, all made of stone. on the hearth a pot was bubbling and steaming, and trot thought it had a rather nice smell. the visitors seated themselves upon the benches--except the ork, which squatted by the fireplace--and the bumpy man began stirring the kettle briskly. "may i ask what country this is, sir?' inquired cap'n bill. "goodness me--fruit-cake and apple-sauce!--don't you know where you are?' asked the bumpy man, as he stopped stirring and looked at the speaker in surprise. "no," admitted cap'n bill. "we've just arrived." "lost your way?" questioned the bumpy man. "not exactly," said cap'n bill. "we didn't have any way to lose." "ah!" said the bumpy man, nodding his bumpy head. "this," he announced, in a solemn, impressive voice, "is the famous land of mo." "oh!" exclaimed the sailor and the girl, both in one breath. but, never having heard of the land of mo, they were no wiser than before. "i thought that would startle you," remarked the bumpy man, well pleased, as he resumed his stirring. the ork watched him a while in silence and then asked: "who may _you_ be?" "me?" answered the bumpy man. "haven't you heard of me? gingerbread and lemon-juice! i'm known, far and wide, as the mountain ear." they all received this information in silence at first, for they were trying to think what he could mean. finally trot mustered up courage to ask: "what is a mountain ear, please?" for answer the man turned around and faced them, waving the spoon with which he had been stirring the kettle, as he recited the following verses in a singsong tone of voice: "here's a mountain, hard of hearing, that's sad-hearted and needs cheering, so my duty is to listen to all sounds that nature makes, so the hill won't get uneasy-- get to coughing, or get sneezy-- for this monster bump, when frightened, is quite liable to quakes. "_you_ can hear a bell that's ringing; _i_ can feel some people's singing; but a mountain isn't sensible of what goes on, and so when i hear a blizzard blowing or it's raining hard, or snowing, i tell it to the mountain and the mountain seems to know. "thus i benefit all people while i'm living on this steeple, for i keep the mountain steady so my neighbors all may thrive. with my list'ning and my shouting i prevent this mount from spouting, and that makes me so important that i'm glad that i'm alive." when he had finished these lines of verse the bumpy man turned again to resume his stirring. the ork laughed softly and cap'n bill whistled to himself and trot made up her mind that the mountain ear must be a little crazy. but the bumpy man seemed satisfied that he had explained his position fully and presently he placed four stone plates upon the table and then lifted the kettle from the fire and poured some of its contents on each of the plates. cap'n bill and trot at once approached the table, for they were hungry, but when she examined her plate the little girl exclaimed: "why, it's molasses candy!" "to be sure," returned the bumpy man, with a pleasant smile. "eat it quick, while it's hot, for it cools very quickly this winter weather." with this he seized a stone spoon and began putting the hot molasses candy into his mouth, while the others watched him in astonishment. "doesn't it burn you?" asked the girl. "no indeed," said he. "why don't you eat? aren't you hungry?" "yes," she replied, "i am hungry. but we usually eat our candy when it is cold and hard. we always pull molasses candy before we eat it." "ha, ha, ha!" laughed the mountain ear. "what a funny idea! where in the world did you come from?" "california," she said. "california! pooh! there isn't any such place. i've heard of every place in the land of mo, but i never before heard of california." [illustration] "it isn't in the land of mo," she explained. "then it isn't worth talking about," declared the bumpy man, helping himself again from the steaming kettle, for he had been eating all the time he talked. "for my part," sighed cap'n bill, "i'd like a decent square meal, once more, just by way of variety. in the last place there was nothing but fruit to eat, and here it's worse, for there's nothing but candy." "molasses candy isn't so bad," said trot. "mine's nearly cool enough to pull, already. wait a bit, cap'n, and you can eat it." a little later she was able to gather the candy from the stone plate and begin to work it back and forth with her hands. the mountain ear was greatly amazed at this and watched her closely. it was really good candy and pulled beautifully, so that trot was soon ready to cut it into chunks for eating. cap'n bill condescended to eat one or two pieces and the ork ate several, but the bumpy man refused to try it. trot finished the plate of candy herself and then asked for a drink of water. "water?" said the mountain ear wonderingly. "what is that?" "something to drink. don't you have water in mo?" "none that ever i heard of," said he. "but i can give you some fresh lemonade. i caught it in a 'jar the last time it rained, which was only day before yesterday." "oh, does it rain lemonade here?" she inquired. "always; and it is very refreshing and healthful." [illustration ] with this he brought from a cupboard a stone jar and a dipper, and the girl found it very nice lemonade, indeed. cap'n bill liked it, too; but the ork would not touch it. "if there is no water in this country, i cannot stay here for long," the creature declared. "water means life to man and beast and bird." "there must be water in lemonade," said trot. "yes," answered the ork, "i suppose so; but there are other things in it, too, and they spoil the good water." the day's adventures had made our wanderers tired, so the bumpy man brought them some blankets in which they rolled themselves and then lay down before the fire, which their host kept alive with fuel all through the night. trot wakened several times and found the mountain ear always alert and listening intently for the slightest sound. but the little girl could hear no sound at all except the snores of cap'n bill. [illustration] chapter button-bright is lost and found again "wake up--wake up!" called the voice of the bumpy man. "didn't i tell you winter was coming? i could hear it coming with my left ear, and the proof is that it is now snowing hard outside." "is it?" said trot, rubbing her eyes and creeping out of her blanket. "where i live, in california, i have never seen snow, except far away on the tops of high mountains." "well, this is the top of a high mountain," returned the bumpy one, "and for that reason we get our heaviest snowfalls right here." the little girl went to the window and looked out. the air was filled with falling white flakes, so large in size and so queer in form that she was puzzled. "are you certain this is snow?" she asked. "to be sure. i must get my snow-shovel and turn out to shovel a path. would you like to come with me?" "yes," she said, and followed the bumpy man out when he opened the door. then she exclaimed: "why, it isn't cold a bit!" "of course not," replied the man. "it was cold last night, before the snowstorm; but snow, when it falls, is always crisp and warm." trot gathered a handful of it. "why, it's popcorn? she cried. "certainly; all snow is popcorn. what did you expect it to be?" "popcorn is not snow in my country." "well, it is the only snow we have in the land of mo, so you may as well make the best of it," said he, a little impatiently. "i'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in mo you must do as the momen do. eat some of our snow, and you will find it is good. the only fault i find with our snow is that we get too much of it at times." with this the bumpy man set to work shoveling a path and he was so quick and industrious that he piled up the popcorn in great banks on either side of the trail that led to the mountain-top from the plains below. while he worked, trot ate popcorn and found it crisp and slightly warm, as well as nicely salted and buttered. presently cap'n bill came out of the house and joined her. "what's this?" he asked. "mo snow," said she. "but it isn't real snow, although it falls from the sky. it's popcorn." cap'n bill tasted it; then he sat down in the path and began to eat. the ork came out and pecked away with its bill as fast as it could. they all liked popcorn and they all were hungry this morning. meantime the flakes of "mo snow" came down so fast that the number of them almost darkened the air. the bumpy man was now shoveling quite a distance down the mountain-side, while the path behind him rapidly filled up with fresh-fallen popcorn. suddenly trot heard him call out: "goodness gracious--mince pie and pancakes!--here is some one buried in the snow." she ran toward him at once and the others followed, wading through the corn and crunching it underneath their feet. the mo snow was pretty deep where the bumpy man was shoveling and from beneath a great bank of it he had uncovered a pair of feet. "dear me! someone has been lost in the storm," said cap'n bill. "i hope he is still alive. let's pull him out and see." he took hold of one foot and the bumpy man took hold of the other. then they both pulled and out from the heap of popcorn came a little boy. he was dressed in a brown velvet jacket and knickerbockers, with brown stockings, buckled shoes and a blue shirt-waist that had frills down its front. when drawn from the heap the boy was chewing a mouthful of popcorn and both his hands were full of it. so at first he couldn't speak to his rescuers but lay quite still and eyed them calmly until he had swallowed his mouthful. then he said: "get my cap," and stuffed more popcorn into his mouth. while the bumpy man began shoveling into the corn-bank to find the boy's cap, trot was laughing joyfully and cap'n bill had a broad grin on his face. the ork looked from one to another and asked: "who is this stranger?" "why, it's button-bright, of course," answered trot. "if anyone ever finds a lost boy, he can make up his mind it's button-bright. but how he ever came to be lost in this far-away country is more'n i can make out." "where does he belong?" inquired the ork. [illustration] "his home used to be in philadelphia, i think; but i'm quite sure button-bright doesn't belong anywhere." "that's right," said the boy, nodding his head as he swallowed the second mouthful. "everyone belongs somewhere," remarked the ork. "not me," insisted button-bright. "i'm half-way 'round the world from philadelphia, and i've lost my magic umbrella, that used to carry me anywhere. stands to reason that if i can't get back i haven't any home. but i don't care much. this is a pretty good country, trot. i've had lots of fun here." by this time the mountain ear had secured the boy's cap and was listening to the conversation with much interest. "it seems you know this poor, snow-covered castaway," he said. "yes, indeed," answered trot. "we made a journey together to sky island, once, and were good friends." "well, then i'm glad i saved his life," said the bumpy man. "much obliged, mr. knobs," said button-bright, sitting up and staring at him, "but i don't believe you've saved anything except some popcorn that i might have eaten had you not disturbed me. it was nice and warm in that bank of popcorn, and there was plenty to eat. what made you dig me out? and what makes you so bumpy everywhere?" "as for the bumps," replied the man, looking at himself with much pride, "i was born with them and i suspect they were a gift from the fairies. they make me look rugged and big, like the mountain i serve." "all right," said button-bright and began eating popcorn again. it had stopped snowing, now, and great flocks of birds were gathering around the mountain-side, eating the popcorn with much eagerness and scarcely noticing the people at all. there were birds of every size and color, most of them having gorgeous feathers and plumes. "just look at them!" exclaimed the ork scornfully. "aren't they dreadful creatures, all covered with feathers?" "i think they're beautiful," said trot, and this made the ork so indignant that he went back into the house and sulked. button-bright reached out his hand and caught a big bird by the leg. at once it rose into the air and it was so strong that it nearly carried the little boy with it. he let go the leg in a hurry and the bird flew down again and began to eat of the popcorn, not being frightened in the least. this gave cap'n bill an idea. he felt in his pocket and drew out several pieces of stout string. moving very quietly, so as to not alarm the birds, he crept up to several of the biggest ones and tied cords around their legs, thus making them prisoners. the birds were so intent on their eating that they did not notice what had happened to them, and when about twenty had been captured in this manner cap'n bill tied the ends of all the strings together and fastened them to a huge stone, so they could not escape. the bumpy man watched the old sailor's actions with much curiosity. "the birds will be quiet until they've eaten up all the snow," he said, "but then they will want to fly away to their homes. tell me, sir, what will the poor things do when they find they can't fly?" "it may worry 'em a little," replied cap'n bill, "but they're not going to be hurt if they take it easy and behave themselves." our friends had all made a good breakfast of the delicious popcorn and now they walked toward the house again. button-bright walked beside trot and held her hand in his, because they were old friends and he liked the little girl very much. the boy was not so old as trot, and small as she was he was half a head shorter in height. the most remarkable thing about button-bright was that he was always quiet and composed, whatever happened, and nothing was ever able to astonish him. trot liked him because he was not rude and never tried to plague her. cap'n bill liked him because he had found the boy cheerful and brave at all times, and willing to do anything he was asked to do. when they came to the house trot sniffed the air and asked: "don't i smell perfume?'" [illustration] "i think you do," said the bumpy man. "you smell violets, and that proves there is a breeze springing up from the south. all our winds and breezes are perfumed and for that reason we are glad to have them blow in our direction. the south breeze always has a violet odor; the north breeze has the fragrance of wild roses; the east breeze is perfumed with lilies-of-the-valley and the west wind with lilac blossoms. so we need no weather-vane to tell us which way the wind is blowing. we have only to smell the perfume and it informs us at once." inside the house they found the ork, and button-bright regarded the strange, bird-like creature with curious interest. after examining it closely for a time he asked: "which way does your tail whirl?" "either way," said the ork. button-bright put out his hand and tried to spin it. "don't do that!" exclaimed the ork. "why not?' inquired the boy. "because it happens to be my tail, and i reserve the right to whirl it myself," explained the ork. "let's go out and fly somewhere," proposed button-bright. "i want to see how the tail works." "not now," said the ork. "i appreciate your interest in me, which i fully deserve; but i only fly when i am going somewhere, and if i got started i might not stop." "that reminds me," remarked cap'n bill, "to ask you, friend ork, how we are going to get away from here?" "get away!" exclaimed the bumpy man. "why don't you stay here? you won't find any nicer place than mo." "have you been anywhere else, sir?" "no; i can't say that i have," admitted the mountain ear. "then permit me to say you're no judge," declared cap'n bill. "but you haven't answered my question, friend ork. how are we to get away from this mountain?" the ork reflected a while before he answered. "i might carry one of you--the boy or the girl--upon my back," said he, "but three big people are more than i can manage, although i have carried two of you for a short distance. you ought not to have eaten those purple berries so soon." "p'r'aps we did make a mistake," cap'n bill acknowledged. "or we might have brought some of those lavender berries with us, instead of so many purple ones," suggested trot regretfully. cap'n bill made no reply to this statement, which showed he did not fully agree with the little girl; but he fell into deep thought, with wrinkled brows, and finally he said: "if those purple berries would make anything grow bigger, whether it'd eaten the lavender ones or not, i could find a way out of our troubles." they did not understand this speech and looked at the old sailor as if expecting him to explain what he meant. but just then a chorus of shrill cries rose from outside. "here! let me go--let me go!" the voices seemed to say. "why are we insulted in this way? mountain ear, come and help us!" trot ran to the window and looked out. "it's the birds you caught, cap'n," she said. "i didn't know they could talk." "oh, yes; all the birds in mo are educated to talk," said the bumpy man. then he looked at cap'n bill uneasily and added: "won't you let the poor things go?" "i'll see," replied the sailor, and walked out to where the birds were fluttering and complaining because the strings would not allow them to fly away. "listen to me!" he cried, and at once they became still. "we three people who are strangers in your land want to go to some other country, and we want three of you birds to carry us there. we know we are asking a great favor, but it's the only way we can think of--excep' walkin', an' i'm not much good at that because i've a wooden leg. besides, trot an' button-bright are too small to undertake a long and tiresome journey. now, tell me: which three of you birds will consent to carry us?" [illustration] the birds looked at one another as if greatly astonished. then one of them replied: "you must be crazy, old man. not one of us is big enough to fly with even the smallest of your party." "i'll fix the matter of size," promised cap'n bill. "if three of you will agree to carry us, i'll make you big an' strong enough to do it, so it won't worry you a bit." the birds considered this gravely. living in a magic country, they had no doubt but that the strange one-legged man could do what he said. after a little, one of them asked: "if you make us big, would we stay big always?" "i think so," replied cap'n bill. they chattered a while among themselves and then the bird that had first spoken said: "til go, for one." "so will i," said another; and after a pause a third said: "i'll go, too." perhaps more would have volunteered, for it seemed that for some reason they all longed to be bigger than they were; but three were enough for cap'n bill's purpose and so he promptly released all the others, who immediately flew away. the three that remained were cousins, and all were of the same brilliant plumage and in size about as large as eagles. when trot questioned them she found they were quite young, having only abandoned their nests a few weeks before. they were strong young birds, with clear, brave eyes, and the little girl decided they were the most beautiful of all the feathered creatures she had ever seen. [illustration] cap'n bill now took from his pocket the wooden box with the sliding cover and removed the three purple berries, which were still in good condition. "eat these," he said, and gave one to each of the birds. they obeyed, finding the fruit very pleasant to taste. in a few seconds they began to grow in size and grew so fast that trot feared they would never stop. but they finally did stop growing, and then they were much larger than the ork, and nearly the size of full-grown ostriches. cap'n bill was much pleased by this result. "you can carry us now, all right," said he. the birds strutted around with pride, highly pleased with their immense size. "i don't see, though," said trot doubtfully, "how we're going to ride on their backs without falling off." "we're not going to ride on their backs," answered cap'n bill. "i'm going to make swings for us to ride in." he then asked the bumpy man for some rope, but the man had no rope. he had, however, an old suit of gray clothes which he gladly presented to cap'n bill, who cut the cloth into strips and twisted it so that it was almost as strong as rope. with this material he attached to each bird a swing that dangled below its feet, and button-bright made a trial flight in one of them to prove that it was safe and comfortable. when all this had been arranged one of the birds asked: "where do you wish us to take you?" "why, just follow the ork," said cap'n bill. "he will be our leader, and wherever the ork flies you are to fly, and wherever the ork lands you are to land. is that satisfactory?" [illustration] the birds declared it was quite satisfactory, so cap'n bill took counsel with the ork. "on our way here," said that peculiar creature, "i noticed a broad, sandy desert at the left of me, on which was no living thing." "then we'd better keep away from it," replied the sailor. "not so," insisted the ork. "i have found, on my travels, that the most pleasant countries often lie in the midst of deserts; so i think it would be wise for us to fly over this desert and discover what lies beyond it. for in the direction we came from lies the ocean, as we well know, and beyond here is this strange land of mo, which we do not care to explore. on one side, as we can see from this mountain, is a broad expanse of plain, and on the other the desert. for my part, i vote for the desert." "what do you say, trot?" inquired cap'n bill. "it's all the same to me," she replied. no one thought of asking button-bright's opinion, so it was decided to fly over the desert. they bade good-bye to the bumpy man and thanked him for his kindness and hospitality. then they seated themselves in the swings--one for each bird--and told the ork to start away and they would follow. the whirl of the ork's tail astonished the birds at first, but after he had gone a short distance they rose in the air, carrying their passengers easily, and flew with strong, regular strokes of their great wings in the wake of their leader. [illustration] chapter the kingdom of jinxland trot rode with more comfort than she had expected, although the swing swayed so much that she had to hold on tight with both hands. cap'n bill's bird followed the ork, and trot came next, with button-bright trailing behind her. it was quite an imposing procession, but unfortunately there was no one to see it, for the ork had headed straight for the great sandy desert and in a few minutes after starting they were flying high over the broad waste, where no living thing could exist. the little girl thought this would be a bad place for the birds to lose strength, or for the cloth ropes to give way; but although she could not help feeling a trifle nervous and fidgety she had confidence in the huge and brilliantly plumaged bird that bore her, as well as in cap'n bill's knowledge of how to twist and fasten a rope so it would hold. that was a remarkably big desert. there was nothing to relieve the monotony of view and every minute seemed an hour and every hour a day. disagreeable fumes and gases rose from the sands, which would have been deadly to the travelers had they not been so high in the air. as it was, trot was beginning to feel sick, when a breath of fresher air filled her nostrils and on looking ahead she saw a great cloud of pink-tinted mist. even while she wondered what it could be, the ork plunged boldly into the mist and the other birds followed. she could see nothing for a time, nor could the bird which carried her see where the ork had gone, but it kept flying as sturdily as ever and in a few moments the mist was passed and the girl saw a most beautiful landscape spread out below her, extending as far as her eye could reach. she saw bits of forest, verdure clothed hills, fields of waving grain, fountains, rivers and lakes; and throughout the scene were scattered groups of pretty houses and a few grand castles and palaces. over all this delightful landscape--which from trot's high perch seemed like a magnificent painted picture--was a rosy glow such as we sometimes see in the west at sunset. in this case, however, it was not in the west only, but everywhere. no wonder the ork paused to circle slowly over this lovely country. the other birds followed his action, all eyeing the place with equal delight. then, as with one accord, the four formed a group and slowly sailed downward. this brought them to that part of the newly-discovered land which bordered on the desert's edge; but it was just as pretty here as anywhere, so the ork and the birds alighted and the three passengers at once got out of their swings. "oh, cap'n bill, isn't this fine an' dandy?" exclaimed trot rapturously. "how lucky we were to discover this beautiful country!" "the country seems rather high class, i'll admit, trot," replied the old sailor-man, looking around him, "but we don't know, as yet, what its people are like." "no one could live in such a country without being happy and good--i'm sure of that," she said earnestly. "don't you think so, button-bright?" "i'm not thinking, just now," answered the little boy. "it tires me to think, and i never seem to gain anything by it. when we see the people who live here we will know what they are like, and no 'mount of thinking will make them any different." "that's true enough," said the ork. "but now i want to make a proposal. while you are getting acquainted with this new country, which looks as if it contains everything to make one happy, i would like to fly along--all by myself--and see if i can find my home on the other side of the great desert. if i do, i will stay there, of course. but if i fail to find orkland i will return to you in a week, to see if i can do anything more to assist you." they were sorry to lose their queer companion, but could offer no objection to the plan; so the ork bade them good-bye and rising swiftly in the air, he flew over the country and was soon lost to view in the distance. the three birds which had carried our friends now begged permission to return by the way they had come, to their own homes, saying they were anxious to show their families how big they had become. so cap'n bill and trot and button-bright all thanked them gratefully for their assistance and soon the birds began their long flight toward the land of mo. being now left to themselves in this strange land, the three comrades selected a pretty pathway and began walking along it. they believed this path would lead them to a splendid castle which they espied in the distance, the turrets of which towered far above the tops of the trees which surrounded it. it did not seem very far away, so they sauntered on slowly, admiring the beautiful ferns and flowers that lined the pathway and listening to the singing of the birds and the soft chirping of the grasshoppers. [illustration] presently the path wound over a little hill. in a valley that lay beyond the hill was a tiny cottage surrounded by flower beds and fruit trees. on the shady porch of the cottage they saw, as they approached, a pleasant faced woman sitting amidst a group of children, to whom she was telling stories. the children quickly discovered the strangers and ran toward them with exclamations of astonishment, so that trot and her friends became the center of a curious group, all chattering excitedly. cap'n bill's wooden leg seemed to arouse the wonder of the children, as they could not understand why he had not two meat legs. this attention seemed to please the old sailor, who patted the heads of the children kindly and then, raising his hat to the woman, he inquired: "can you tell us, madam, just what country this is?" she stared hard at all three of the strangers as she replied briefly: "jinxland." "oh!" exclaimed cap'n bill, with a puzzled look. "and where is jinxland, please?" "in the quadling country," said she. "what!" cried trot, in sudden excitement. "do you mean to say this is the quadling country of the land of oz?" "to be sure i do," the woman answered. "every bit of land that is surrounded by the great desert is the land of oz, as you ought to know as well as i do; but i'm sorry to say that jinxland is separated from the rest of the quadling country by that row of high mountains you see yonder, which have such steep sides that no one can cross them. so we live here all by ourselves, and are ruled by our own king, instead of by ozma of oz." "i've been to the land of oz before," said button-bright, "but i've never been here." "did you ever hear of jinxland before?' asked trot. "no," said button-bright. "it is on the map of oz, though," asserted the woman, "and it's a fine country, i assure you. if only," she added, and then paused to look around her with a frightened expression. "if only--" here she stopped again, as if not daring to go on with her speech. "if only what, ma'am?" asked cap'n bill. the woman sent the children into the house. then she came closer to the strangers and whispered: "if only we had a different king, we would be very happy and contented." "what's the matter with your king?" asked trot, curiously. but the woman seemed frightened to have said so much. she retreated to her porch, merely saying: "the king punishes severely any treason on the part of his subjects." "what's treason?" asked button-bright. "in this case," replied cap'n bill, "treason seems to consist of knockin' the king; but i guess we know his disposition now as well as if the lady had said more." "i wonder," said trot, going up to the woman, "if you could spare us something to eat. we haven't had anything but popcorn and lemonade for a long time." "bless your heart! of course i can spare you some food," the woman answered, and entering her cottage she soon returned with a tray loaded with sandwiches, cakes and cheese. one of the children drew a bucket of clear, cold water from a spring and the three wanderers ate heartily and enjoyed the good things immensely. when button-bright could eat no more he filled the pockets of his jacket with cakes and cheese, and not even the children objected to this. indeed they all seemed pleased to see the strangers eat, so cap'n bill decided that no matter what the king of jinxland was like, the people would prove friendly and hospitable. [illustration] "whose castle is that, yonder, ma'am?" he asked, waving his hand toward the towers that rose above the trees. "it belongs to his majesty, king krewl," she said. "oh, indeed; and does he live there?" "when he is not out hunting with his fierce courtiers and war captains," she replied. "is he hunting now?" trot inquired. "i do not know, my dear. the less we know about the king's actions the safer we are." it was evident the woman did not like to talk about king krewl and so, having finished their meal, they said good-bye and continued along the pathway. "don't you think we'd better keep away from that king's castle, cap'n?" asked trot. "well," said he, "king krewl would find out, sooner or later, that we are in his country, so we may as well face the music now. perhaps he isn't quite so bad as that woman thinks he is. kings aren't always popular with their people, you know, even if they do the best they know how." "ozma is pop'lar," said button-bright. "ozma is diff'rent from any other ruler, from all i've heard," remarked trot musingly, as she walked beside the boy. "and, after all, we are really in the land of oz, where ozma rules ev'ry king and ev'rybody else. i never heard of anybody getting hurt in her dominions, did you, button-bright?" "not when she knows about it," he replied. "but those birds landed us in just the wrong place, seems to me. they might have carried us right on, over that row of mountains, to the em'rald city." "true enough," said cap'n bill; "but they didn't, an' so we must make the best of jinxland. let's try not to be afraid." "oh, i'm not very scared," said button-bright, pausing to look at a pink rabbit that popped its head out of a hole in the field near by. "nor am i," added trot. "really, cap'n, i'm so glad to be anywhere at all in the wonderful fairyland of oz that i think i'm the luckiest girl in all the world. dorothy lives in the em'rald city, you know, and so does the scarecrow and the tin woodman and tik-tok and the shaggy man--and all the rest of 'em that we've heard so much about not to mention ozma, who must be the sweetest and loveliest girl in all the world!" "take your time, trot," advised button-bright. "you don't have to say it all in one breath, you know. and you haven't mentioned half of the curious people in the em'rald city." "that 'ere em'rald city," said cap'n bill impressively, "happens to be on the other side o' those mountains, that we're told no one is able to cross. i don't want to discourage of you, trot, but we're a'most as much separated from your ozma an' dorothy as we were when we lived in californy." there was so much truth in this statement that they all walked on in silence for some time. finally they reached the grove of stately trees that bordered the grounds of the king's castle. they had gone half-way through it when the sound of sobbing, as of someone in bitter distress, reached their ears and caused them to halt abruptly. [illustration] [illustration] chapter pon, the gardener's boy it was button-bright who first discovered, lying on his face beneath a broad spreading tree near the pathway, a young man whose body shook with the force of his sobs. he was dressed in a long brown smock and had sandals on his feet, betokening one in humble life. his head was bare and showed a shock of brown, curly hair. button-bright looked down on the young man and said: "who cares, anyhow?" "i do!" cried the young man, interrupting his sobs to roll over, face upward, that he might see who had spoken. "i care, for my heart is broken!" "can't you get another one?" asked the little boy. "i don't want another!" wailed the young man. by this time trot and cap'n bill arrived at the spot and the girl leaned over and said in a sympathetic voice: "tell us your troubles and perhaps we may help you." the youth sat up, then, and bowed politely. afterward he got upon his feet, but still kept wringing his hands as he tried to choke down his sobs. trot thought he was very brave to control such awful agony so well. "my name is pon," he began. "i'm the gardener's boy." "then the gardener of the king is your father, i suppose," said trot. "not my father, but my master," was the reply. "i do the work and the gardener gives the orders. and it was not my fault, in the least, that the princess gloria fell in love with me." "did she, really?" asked the little girl. "i don't see why," remarked button-bright, staring at the youth. "and who may the princess gloria be?" inquired cap'n bill. "she is the niece of king krewl, who is her guardian. the princess lives in the castle and is the loveliest and sweetest maiden in all jinxland. she is fond of flowers and used to walk in the gardens with her attendants. at such times, if i was working at my tasks, i used to cast down my eyes as gloria passed me; but one day i glanced up and found her gazing at me with a very tender look in her eyes. the next day she dismissed her attendants and, coming to my side, began to talk with me. she said i had touched her heart as no other young man had ever done. i kissed her hand. just then the king came around a bend in the walk. he struck me with his fist and kicked me with his foot. then he seized the arm of the princess and rudely dragged her into the castle." "wasn't he awful!" gasped trot indignantly. "he is a very abrupt king," said pon, "so it was the least i could expect. up to that time i had not thought of loving princess gloria, but realizing it would be impolite not to return her love, i did so. we met at evening, now and then, and she told me the king wanted her to marry a rich courtier named googly-goo, who is old enough to be gloria's father. she has refused googly-goo thirty-nine times, but he still persists and has brought many rich presents to bribe the king. on that account king krewl has commanded his niece to marry the old man, but the princess has assured me, time and again, that she will wed only me. this morning we happened to meet in the grape arbor and as i was respectfully saluting the cheek of the princess, two of the king's guards seized me and beat me terribly before the very eyes of gloria, whom the king himself held back so she could not interfere." [illustration] "why, this king must be a monster!" cried trot. "he is far worse than that," said pon, mournfully. "but, see here," interrupted cap'n bill, who had listened carefully to pon. "this king may not be so much to blame, after all. kings are proud folks, because they're so high an' mighty, an' it isn't reasonable for a royal princess to marry a common gardener's boy." "it isn't right," declared button-bright. "a princess should marry a prince." "i'm not a common gardener's boy," protested pon. "if i had my rights i would be the king instead of krewl. as it is, i'm a prince, and as royal as any man in jinxland." "how does that come?" asked cap'n bill. "my father used to be the king and krewl was his prime minister. but one day while out hunting, king phearse--that was my father's name--had a quarrel with krewl and tapped him gently on the nose with the knuckles of his closed hand. this so provoked the wicked krewl that he tripped my father backward, so that he fell into a deep pond. at once krewl threw in a mass of heavy stones, which so weighted down my poor father that his body could not rise again to the surface. it is impossible to kill anyone in this land, as perhaps you know, but when my father was pressed down into the mud at the bottom of the deep pool and the stones held him so he could never escape, he was of no more use to himself or the world than if he had died. knowing this, krewl proclaimed himself king, taking possession of the royal castle and driving all my father's people out. i was a small boy, then, but when i grew up i became a gardener. i have served king krewl without his knowing that i am the son of the same king phearse whom he so cruelly made away with." "my, but that's a terr'bly exciting story!" said trot, drawing a long breath. "but tell us, pon, who was gloria's father?" "oh, he was the king before my father," replied pon. "father was prime minister for king kynd, who was gloria's father. she was only a baby when king kynd fell into the great gulf that lies just this side of the mountains--the same mountains that separate jinxland from the rest of the land of oz. it is said the great gulf has no bottom; but, however that may be, king kynd has never been seen again and my father became king in his place." "seems to me," said trot, "that if gloria had her rights she would be queen of jinxland." "well, her father was a king," admitted pon, "and so was my father; so we are of equal rank, although she's a great lady and i'm a humble gardener's boy. i can't see why we should not marry if we want to--except that king krewl won't let us." "it's a sort of mixed-up mess, taken altogether," remarked cap'n bill. "but we are on our way to visit king krewl, and if we get a chance, young man, we'll put in a good word for you." "do, please!" begged pon. "was it the flogging you got that broke your heart?' inquired button-bright. "why, it helped to break it, of course," said pon. "i'd get it fixed up, if i were you," advised the boy, tossing a pebble at a chipmunk in a tree. "you ought to give gloria just as good a heart as she gives you." "that's common sense," agreed cap'n bill. so they left the gardener's boy standing beside the path, and resumed their journey toward the castle. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the wicked king and googly-goo when our friends approached the great doorway of the castle they found it guarded by several soldiers dressed in splendid uniforms. they were armed with swords and lances. cap'n bill walked straight up to them and asked: "does the king happen to be at home?" "his magnificent and glorious majesty, king krewl, is at present inhabiting his royal castle," was the stiff reply. "then i guess we'll go in an' say how-d'ye-do," continued cap'n bill, attempting to enter the doorway. but a soldier barred his way with a lance. "who are you, what are your names, and where do you come from? demanded the soldier. "you wouldn't know if we told you," returned the sailor, "seein' as we're strangers in a strange land." "oh, if you are strangers you will be permitted to enter," said the soldier, lowering his lance. "his majesty is very fond of strangers." "do many strangers come here?" asked trot. "you are the first that ever came to our country," said the man. "but his majesty has often said that if strangers ever arrived in jinxland he would see that they had a very exciting time." cap'n bill scratched his chin thoughtfully. he wasn't very favorably impressed by this last remark. but he decided that as there was no way of escape from jinxland it would be wise to confront--the king boldly and try to win his favor. so they entered the castle, escorted by one of the soldiers. it was certainly a fine castle, with many large rooms, all beautifully furnished. the passages were winding and handsomely decorated, and after following several of these the soldier led them into an open court that occupied the very center of the huge building. it was surrounded on every side by high turreted walls, and contained beds of flowers, fountains and walks of many colored marbles which were matched together in quaint designs. in an open space near the middle of the court they saw a group of courtiers and their ladies, who surrounded a lean man who wore upon his head a jeweled crown. his face was hard and sullen and through the slits of his half-closed eyelids the eyes glowed like coals of fire. he was dressed in brilliant satins and velvets and was seated in a golden throne-chair. this personage was king krewl, and as soon as cap'n bill saw him the old sailor knew at once that he was not going to like the king of jinxland. "hello! who's here?" said his majesty, with a deep scowl. "strangers, sire," answered the soldier, bowing so low that his forehead touched the marble tiles. "strangers, eh? well, well; what an unexpected visit! advance, strangers, and give an account of yourselves." the king's voice was as harsh as his features. trot shuddered a little but cap'n bill calmly replied: "there ain't much for us to say, 'cept as we've arrived to look over your country an' see how we like it. judgin' from the way you speak, you don't know who we are, or you'd be jumpin' up to shake hands an' offer us seats. kings usually treat us pretty well, in the great big outside world where we come from, but in this little kingdom which don't amount to much, anyhow folks don't seem to 'a' got much culchure." the king listened with amazement to this bold speech, first with a frown and then gazing at the two children and the old sailor with evident curiosity. the courtiers were dumb with fear, for no one had ever dared speak in such a manner to their self-willed, cruel king before. his majesty, however, was somewhat frightened, for cruel people are always cowards, and he feared these mysterious strangers might possess magic powers that would destroy him unless he treated them well. so he commanded his people to give the new arrivals seats, and they obeyed with trembling haste. after being seated, cap'n bill lighted his pipe and began puffing smoke from it, a sight so strange to them that it filled them all with wonder. presently the king asked: "how did you penetrate to this hidden country? did you cross the desert or the mountains?" "desert," answered cap'n bill, as if the task were too easy to be worth talking about. "indeed! no one has ever been able to do that before," said the king. "well, it's easy enough, if you know how," asserted cap'n bill, so carelessly that it greatly impressed his hearers. the king shifted in his throne uneasily. he was more afraid of these strangers than before. "do you intend to stay long in jinxland?" was his next anxious question. "depends on how we like it," said cap'n bill. "just now i might suggest to your majesty to order some rooms got ready for us in your dinky little castle here. and a royal banquet, with some fried onions an' pickled tripe, would set easy on our stomicks an' make us a bit happier than we are now." "your wishes shall be attended to," said king krewl, but his eyes flashed from between their slits in a wicked way that made trot hope the food wouldn't be poisoned. at the king's command several of his attendants hastened away to give the proper orders to the castle servants and no sooner were they gone than a skinny old man entered the courtyard and bowed before the king. this disagreeable person was dressed in rich velvets, with many furbelows and laces. he was covered with golden chains, finely wrought rings and jeweled ornaments. he walked with mincing steps and glared at all the courtiers as if he considered himself far superior to any or all of them. [illustration] "well, well, your majesty; what news--what news?" he demanded, in a shrill, cracked voice. the king gave him a surly look. "no news, lord googly-goo, except that strangers have arrived," he said. googly-goo cast a contemptuous glance at cap'n bill and a disdainful one at trot and button-bright. then he said: "strangers do not interest me, your majesty. but the princess gloria is very interesting--very interesting, indeed! what does she say, sire? will she marry me?" "ask her," retorted the king. "i have, many times; and every time she has refused." "well?" said the king harshly. "well," said googly-goo in a jaunty tone, "a bird that _can_ sing, and _won't_ sing, must be _made_ to sing." "huh!" sneered the king. "that's easy, with a bird; but a girl is harder to manage." "still," persisted googly-goo, "we must overcome difficulties. the chief trouble is that gloria fancies she loves that miserable gardener's boy, pon. suppose we throw pon into the great gulf, your majesty?" "it would do you no good," returned the king. "she would still love him." "too bad, too bad!" sighed googly-goo. "i have laid aside more than a bushel of precious gems--each worth a king's ransom--to present to your majesty on the day i wed gloria." the king's eyes sparkled, for he loved wealth above everything; but the next moment he frowned deeply again. "it won't help us to kill pon," he muttered. "what we must do is kill gloria's love for pon." "that is better, if you can find a way to do it," agreed googly-goo. "everything would come right if you could kill gloria's love for that gardener's boy. really, sire, now that i come to think of it, there must be fully a bushel and a half of those jewels!" just then a messenger entered the court to say that the banquet was prepared for the strangers. so cap'n bill, trot and button-bright entered the castle and were taken to a room where a fine feast was spread upon the table. "i don't like that lord googly-goo," remarked trot as she was busily eating. "nor i," said cap'n bill. "but from the talk we heard i guess the gardener's boy won't get the princess." "perhaps not," returned the girl; "but i hope old googly doesn't get her, either." "the king means to sell her for all those jewels," observed button-bright, his mouth half full of cake and jam. "poor princess!" sighed trot. "i'm sorry for her, although i've never seen her. but if she says no to googly-goo, and means it, what can they do?" "don't let us worry about a strange princess," advised cap'n bill. "i've a notion we're not too safe, ourselves, with this cruel king." the two children felt the same way and all three were rather solemn during the remainder of the meal. when they had eaten, the servants escorted them to their rooms. cap'n bill's room was way to one end of the castle, very high up, and trot's room was at the opposite end, rather low down. as for button-bright, they placed him in the middle, so that all were as far apart as they could possibly be. they didn't like this arrangement very well, but all the rooms were handsomely furnished and being guests of the king they dared not complain. after the strangers had left the courtyard the king and googly-goo had a long talk together, and the king said: [illustration] "i cannot force gloria to marry you just now, because those strangers may interfere. i suspect that the wooden-legged man possesses great magical powers, or he would never have been able to carry himself and those children across the deadly desert." "i don't like him; he looks dangerous," answered googly-goo. "but perhaps you are mistaken about his being a wizard. why don't you test his powers?" "how?" asked the king. "send for the wicked witch. she will tell you in a moment whether that wooden-legged person is a common man or a magician." "ha! that's a good idea," cried the king. "why didn't i think of the wicked witch before? but the woman demands rich rewards for her services." "never mind; i will pay her," promised the wealthy googly-goo. so a servant was dispatched to summon the wicked witch, who lived but a few leagues from king krewl's castle. while they awaited her, the withered old courtier proposed that they pay a visit to princess gloria and see if she was not now in a more complaisant mood. so the two started away together and searched the castle over without finding gloria. at last googly-goo suggested she might be in the rear garden, which was a large park filled with bushes and trees and surrounded by a high wall. and what was their anger, when they turned a corner of the path, to find in a quiet nook the beautiful princess, and kneeling before her, pon, the gardener's boy! with a roar of rage the king dashed forward; but pon had scaled the wall by means of a ladder, which still stood in its place, and when he saw the king coming he ran up the ladder and made good his escape. but this left gloria confronted by her angry guardian, the king, and by old googly-goo, who was trembling with a fury he could not express in words. seizing the princess by her arm the king dragged her back to the castle. pushing her into a room on the lower floor he locked the door upon the unhappy girl. and at that moment the arrival of the wicked witch was announced. [illustration] hearing this, the king smiled, as a tiger smiles, showing his teeth. and googly-goo smiled, as a serpent smiles, for he had no teeth except a couple of fangs. and having frightened each other with these smiles the two dreadful men went away to the royal council chamber to meet the wicked witch. [illustration: queen gloria] [illustration] chapter the wooden-legged grass-hopper now it so happened that trot, from the window of her room, had witnessed the meeting of the lovers in the garden and had seen the king come and drag gloria away. the little girl's heart went out in sympathy for the poor princess, who seemed to her to be one of the sweetest and loveliest young ladies she had ever seen, so she crept along the passages and from a hidden niche saw gloria locked in her room. the key was still in the lock, so when the king had gone away, followed by googly-goo, trot stole up to the door, turned the key and entered. the princess lay prone upon a couch, sobbing bitterly. trot went up to her and smoothed her hair and tried to comfort her. "don't cry," she said. "i've unlocked the door, so you can go away any time you want to." "it isn't that," sobbed the princess. "i am unhappy because they will not let me love pon, the gardener's boy!" "well, never mind; pon isn't any great shakes, anyhow, seems to me," said trot soothingly. "there are lots of other people you can love." gloria rolled over on the couch and looked at the little girl reproachfully. "pon has won my heart, and i can't help loving him," she explained. then with sudden indignation she added: "but i'll never love googly-goo--never, as long as i live!" "i should say not!" replied trot. "pon may not be much good, but old googly is very, very bad. hunt around, and i'm sure you'll find someone worth your love. you're very pretty, you know, and almost anyone ought to love you." "you don't understand, my dear," said gloria, as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a dainty lace handkerchief bordered with pearls. "when you are older you will realize that a young lady cannot decide whom she will love, or choose the most worthy. her heart alone decides for her, and whomsoever her heart selects, she must love, whether he amounts to much or not." trot was a little puzzled by this speech, which seemed to her unreasonable; but she made no reply and presently gloria's grief softened and she began to question the little girl about herself and her adventures. trot told her how they had happened to come to jinxland, and all about cap'n bill and the ork and pessim and the bumpy man. while they were thus conversing together, getting more and more friendly as they became better acquainted, in the council chamber the king and googly-goo were talking with the wicked witch. this evil creature was old and ugly. she had lost one eye and wore a black patch over it, so the people of jinxland had named her "blinkie." of course witches are forbidden to exist in the land of oz, but jinxland was so far removed from the center of ozma's dominions, and so absolutely cut off from it by the steep mountains and the bottomless gulf, that the laws of oz were not obeyed very well in that country. so there were several witches in jinxland who were the terror of the people, but king krewl favored them and permitted them to exercise their evil sorcery. blinkie was the leader of all the other witches and therefore the most hated and feared. the king used her witchcraft at times to assist him in carrying out his cruelties and revenge, but he was always obliged to pay blinkie large sums of money or heaps of precious jewels before she would undertake an enchantment. this made him hate the old woman almost as much as his subjects did, but to-day lord googly-goo had agreed to pay the witch's price, so the king greeted her with gracious favor. "can you destroy the love of princess gloria for the gardener's boy?" inquired his majesty. the wicked witch thought about it before she replied: "that's a hard question to answer. i can do lots of clever magic, but love is a stubborn thing to conquer. when you think you've killed it, it's liable to bob up again as strong as ever. i believe love and cats have nine lives. in other words, killing love is a hard job, even for a skillful witch, but i believe i can do something that will answer your purpose just as well." "what is that?" asked the king. [illustration] "i can freeze the girl's heart. i've got a special incantation for that, and when gloria's heart is thoroughly frozen she can no longer love pon." "just the thing!" exclaimed googly-goo, and the king was likewise much pleased. they bargained a long time as to the price, but finally the old courtier agreed to pay the wicked witch's demands. it was arranged that they should take gloria to blinkie's house the next day, to have her heart frozen. then king krewl mentioned to the old hag the strangers who had that day arrived in jinxland, and said to her: "i think the two children--the boy and the girl--are unable to harm me, but i have a suspicion that the wooden-legged man is a powerful wizard." the witch's face wore a troubled look when she heard this. "if you are right," she said, "this wizard might spoil my incantation and interfere with me in other ways. so it will be best for me to meet this stranger at once and match my magic against his, to decide which is the stronger." "all right," said the king. "come with me and i will lead you to the man's room." googly-goo did not accompany them, as he was obliged to go home to get the money and jewels he had promised to pay old blinkie, so the other two climbed several flights of stairs and went through many passages until they came to the room occupied by cap'n bill. the sailor-man, finding his bed soft and inviting, and being tired with the adventures he had experienced, had decided to take a nap. when the wicked witch and the king softly opened his door and entered, cap'n bill was snoring with such vigor that he did not hear them at all. blinkie approached the bed and with her one eye anxiously stared at the sleeping stranger. "ah," she said in a soft whisper, "i believe you are right, king krewl. the man looks to me like a very powerful wizard. but by good luck i have caught him asleep, so i shall transform him before he wakes up, giving him such a form that he will be unable to oppose me." "careful!" cautioned the king, also speaking low. "if he discovers what you are doing he may destroy you, and that would annoy me because i need you to attend to gloria." but the wicked witch realized as well as he did that she must be careful. she carried over her arm a black bag, from which she now drew several packets carefully wrapped in paper. three of these she selected, replacing the others in the bag. two of the packets she mixed together and then she cautiously opened the third. "better stand back, your majesty," she advised, "for if this powder falls on you you might be transformed yourself." the king hastily retreated to the end of the room. as blinkie mixed the third powder with the others she waved her hands over it, mumbled a few words, and then backed away as quickly as she could. cap'n bill was slumbering peacefully, all unconscious of what was going on. puff! a great cloud of smoke rolled over the bed and completely hid him from view. when the smoke rolled away, both blinkie and the king saw that the body of the stranger had quite disappeared, while in his place, crouching in the middle of the bed, was a little gray grasshopper. one curious thing about this grasshopper was that the last joint of its left leg was made of wood. another curious thing--considering it was a grasshopper--was that it began talking, crying out in a tiny but sharp voice: "here--you people! what do you mean by treating me so? put me back where i belong, at once, or you'll be sorry!" [illustration] the cruel king turned pale at hearing the grasshopper's threats, but the wicked witch merely laughed in derision. then she raised her stick and aimed a vicious blow at the grasshopper, but before the stick struck the bed the tiny hopper made a marvelous jump--marvelous, indeed, when we consider that it had a wooden leg. it rose in the air and sailed across the room and passed right through the open window, where it disappeared from their view. "good!" shouted the king. "we are well rid of this desperate wizard." and then they both laughed heartily at the success of the incantation, and went away to complete their horrid plans. after trot had visited a time with princess gloria, the little girl went to button-bright's room but did not find him there. then she went to cap'n bill's room, but he was not there because the witch and the king had been there before her. so she made her way downstairs and questioned the servants. they said they had seen the little boy go out into the garden, some time ago, but the old man with the wooden leg they had not seen at all. therefore trot, not knowing what else to do, rambled through the great gardens, seeking for button-bright or cap'n bill and not finding either of them. this part of the garden, which lay before the castle, was not walled in, but extended to the roadway, and the paths were open to the edge of the forest; so, after two hours of vain search for her friends, the little girl returned to the castle. but at the doorway a soldier stopped her. "i live here," said trot, "so it's all right to let me in. the king has given me a room." "well, he has taken it back again," was the soldier's reply. "his majesty's orders are to turn you away if you attempt to enter. i am also ordered to forbid the boy, your companion, to again enter the king's castle." "how 'bout cap'n bill'?' she inquired. "why, it seems he has mysteriously disappeared," replied the soldier, shaking his head ominously. "where he has gone to, i can't make out, but i can assure you he is no longer in this castle. i'm sorry, little girl, to disappoint you. don't blame me; i must obey my master's orders." now, all her life trot had been accustomed to depend on cap'n bill, so when this good friend was suddenly taken from her she felt very miserable and forlorn indeed. she was brave enough not to cry before the soldier, or even to let him see her grief and anxiety, but after she was turned away from the castle she sought a quiet bench in the garden and for a time sobbed as if her heart would break. it was button-bright who found her, at last, just as the sun had set and the shades of evening were falling. he also had been turned away from the king's castle, when he tried to enter it, and in the park he came across trot. "never mind," said the boy. "we can find a place to sleep." "i want cap'n bill," wailed the girl. "well, so do i," was the reply. "but we haven't got him. where do you s'pose he is, trot?" "i don't s'pose anything. he's gone, an' that's all i know 'bout it." button-bright sat on the bench beside her and thrust his hands in the pockets of his knickerbockers. then he reflected somewhat gravely for him. "cap'n bill isn't around here," he said, letting his eyes wander over the dim garden, "so we must go somewhere else if we want to find him. besides, it's fast getting dark, and if we want to find a place to sleep we must get busy while we can see where to go." he rose from the bench as he said this and trot also jumped up, drying her eyes on her apron. then she walked beside him out of the grounds of the king's castle. they did not go by the main path, but passed through an opening in a hedge and found themselves in a small but well-worn roadway. following this for some distance, along a winding way, they came upon no house or building that would afford them refuge for the night. it became so dark that they could scarcely see their way, and finally trot stopped and suggested that they camp under a tree. [illustration] "all right," said button-bright, "i've often found that leaves make a good warm blanket. but--look there, trot!--isn't that a light flashing over yonder?" "it certainly is, button-bright. let's go over and see if it's a house. whoever lives there couldn't treat us worse than the king did." to reach the light they had to leave the road, so they stumbled over hillocks and brushwood, hand in hand, keeping the tiny speck of light always in sight. they were rather forlorn little waifs, outcasts in a strange country and forsaken by their only friend and guardian, cap'n bill. so they were very glad when finally they reached a small cottage and, looking in through its one window, saw pon, the gardener's boy, sitting by a fire of twigs. as trot opened the door and walked boldly in, pon sprang up to greet them. they told him of cap'n bill's disappearance and how they had been turned out of the king's castle. as they finished the story pon shook his head sadly. "king krewl is plotting mischief, i fear," said he, "for to-day he sent for old blinkie, the wicked witch, and with my own eyes i saw her come from the castle and hobble away toward her hut. she had been with the king and googly-goo, and i was afraid they were going to work some enchantment on gloria so she would no longer love me. but perhaps the witch was only called to the castle to enchant your friend, cap'n bill." "could she do that?" asked trot, horrified by the suggestion. "i suppose so, for old blinkie can do a lot of wicked magical things." "what sort of an enchantment could she put on cap'n bill?" "i don't know. but he has disappeared, so i'm pretty certain she has done something dreadful to him. but don't worry. if it has happened, it can't be helped, and if it hasn't happened we may be able to find him in the morning." with this pon went to the cupboard and brought food for them. trot was far too worried to eat, but button-bright made a good supper from the simple food and then lay down before the fire and went to sleep. the little girl and the gardener's boy, however, sat for a long time staring into the fire, busy with their thoughts. but at last trot, too, became sleepy and pon gently covered her with the one blanket he possessed. then he threw more wood on the fire and laid himself down before it, next to button-bright. soon all three were fast asleep. they were in a good deal of trouble; but they were young, and sleep was good to them because for a time it made them forget. [illustration] [illustration] chapter glinda the good and the scarecrow of oz that country south of the emerald city, in the land of oz, is known as the quadling country, and in the very southernmost part of it stands a splendid palace in which lives glinda the good. glinda is the royal sorceress of oz. she has wonderful magical powers and uses them only to benefit the subjects of ozma's kingdom. even the famous wizard of oz pays tribute to her, for glinda taught him all the real magic he knows, and she is his superior in all sorts of sorcery. everyone loves glinda, from the dainty and exquisite ruler, ozma, down to the humblest inhabitant of oz, for she is always kindly and helpful and willing to listen to their troubles, however busy she may be. no one knows her age, but all can see how beautiful and stately she is. her hair is like red gold and finer than the finest silken strands. her eyes are blue as the sky and always frank and smiling. her cheeks are the envy of peach-blows and her mouth is enticing as a rosebud. glinda is tall and wears splendid gowns that trail behind her as she walks. she wears no jewels, for her beauty would shame them. for attendants glinda has half a hundred of the loveliest girls in oz. they are gathered from all over oz, from among the winkies, the munchkins, the gillikins and the quadlings, as well as from ozma's magnificent emerald city, and it is considered a great favor to be allowed to serve the royal sorceress. among the many wonderful things in glinda's palace is the great book of records. in this book is inscribed everything that takes place in all the world, just the instant it happens; so that by referring to its pages glinda knows what is taking place far and near, in every country that exists. in this way she learns when and where she can help any in distress or danger, and although her duties are confined to assisting those who inhabit the land of oz, she is always interested in what takes place in the unprotected outside world. [illustration: the most popular man in the land of oz] so it was that on a certain evening glinda sat in her library, surrounded by a bevy of her maids, who were engaged in spinning, weaving and embroidery, when an attendant announced the arrival at the palace of the scarecrow. this personage was one of the most famous and popular in all the land of oz. his body was merely a suit of munchkin clothes stuffed with straw, but his head was a round sack filled with bran, with which the wizard of oz had mixed some magic brains of a very superior sort. the eyes, nose and mouth of the scarecrow were painted upon the front of the sack, as were his ears, and since this quaint being had been endowed with life, the expression of his face was very interesting, if somewhat comical. the scarecrow was good all through, even to his brains, and while he was naturally awkward in his movements and lacked the neat symmetry of other people, his disposition was so kind and considerate and he was so obliging and honest, that all who knew him loved him, and there were few people in oz who had not met our scarecrow and made his acquaintance. he lived part of the time in ozma's palace at the emerald city, part of the time in his own corncob castle in the winkie country, and part of the time he traveled over all oz, visiting with the people and playing with the children, whom he dearly loved. it was on one of his wandering journeys that the scarecrow had arrived at glinda's palace, and the sorceress at once made him welcome. as he sat beside her, talking of his adventures, he asked: "what's new in the way of news?" glinda opened her great book of records and read some of the last pages. "here is an item quite curious and interesting," she announced, an accent of surprise in her voice. "three people from the big outside world have arrived in jinxland." "where is jinxland?' inquired the scarecrow. "very near here, a little to the east of us," she said. "in fact, jinxland is a little slice taken off the quadling country, but separated from it by a range of high mountains, at the foot of which lies a wide, deep gulf that is supposed to be impassable." "then jinxland is really a part of the land of oz," said he. "yes," returned glinda, "but oz people know nothing of it, except what is recorded here in my book." "what does the book say about it?' asked the scarecrow. "it is ruled by a wicked man called king krewl, although he has no right to the title. most of the people are good, but they are very timid and live in constant fear of their fierce ruler. there are also several wicked witches who keep the inhabitants of jinxland in a state of terror." "do those witches have any magical powers?" inquired the scarecrow. "yes, they seem to understand witchcraft in its most evil form, for one of them has just transformed a respectable and honest old sailor--one of the strangers who arrived there--into a grasshopper. this same witch, blinkie by name, is also planning to freeze the heart of a beautiful jinxland girl named princess gloria." "why, that's a dreadful thing to do!" exclaimed the scarecrow. glinda's face was very grave. she read in her book how trot and button-bright were turned out of the king's castle, and how they found refuge in the hut of pon, the gardener's boy. "i'm afraid those helpless earth people will endure much suffering in jinxland, even if the wicked king and the witches permit them to live," said the good sorceress, thoughtfully. "i wish i might help them." "can i do anything?" asked the scarecrow, anxiously. "if so, tell me what to do, and til do it." [illustration] for a few moments glinda did not reply, but sat musing over the records. then she said: "i am going to send you to jinxland, to protect trot and button-bright and cap'n bill." "all right," answered the scarecrow in a cheerful voice. "i know button-bright already, for he has been in the land of oz before. you remember he went away from the land of oz in one of our wizard's big bubbles." "yes," said glinda, "i remember that." then she carefully instructed the scarecrow what to do and gave him certain magical things which he placed in the pockets of his ragged munchkin coat. "as you have no need to sleep," said she, "you may as well start at once." "the night is the same as day to me," he replied, "except that i cannot see my way so well in the dark." "i will furnish a light to guide you," promised the sorceress. so the scarecrow bade her good-bye and at once started on his journey. by morning he had reached the mountains that separated the quadling country from jinxland. the sides of these mountains were too steep to climb, but the scarecrow took a small rope from his pocket and tossed one end upward, into the air. the rope unwound itself for hundreds of feet, until it caught upon a peak of rock at the very top of a mountain, for it was a magic rope furnished him by glinda. the scarecrow climbed the rope and, after pulling it up, let it down on the other side of the mountain range. when he descended the rope on this side he found himself in jinxland, but at his feet yawned the great gulf, which must be crossed before he could proceed any farther. [illustration] [illustration] the scarecrow knelt down and examined the ground carefully, and in a moment he discovered a fuzzy brown spider that had rolled itself into a ball. so he took two tiny pills from his pocket and laid them beside the spider, which unrolled itself and quickly ate up the pills. then the scarecrow said in a voice of command: "spin!" and the spider obeyed instantly. [illustration] in a few moments the little creature had spun two slender but strong strands that reached way across the gulf, one being five or six feet above the other. when these were completed the scarecrow started across the tiny bridge, walking upon one strand as a person walks upon a rope, and holding to the upper strand with his hands to prevent him from losing his balance and toppling over into the gulf. the tiny threads held him safely, thanks to the strength given them by the magic pills. presently he was safe across and standing on the plains of jinxland. far away he could see the towers of the king's castle and toward this he at once began to walk. [illustration] chapter the frozen heart in the hut of pon, the gardener's boy, button-bright was the first to waken in the morning. leaving his companions still asleep, he went out into the fresh morning air and saw some blackberries growing on bushes in a field not far away. going to the bushes he found the berries ripe and sweet, so he began eating them. more bushes were scattered over the fields, so the boy wandered on, from bush to bush, without paying any heed to where he was wandering. then a butterfly fluttered by. he gave chase to it and followed it a long way. when finally he paused to look around him, button-bright could see no sign of pon's house, nor had he the slightest idea in which direction it lay. "well, i'm lost again," he remarked to himself. "but never mind; i've been lost lots of times. someone is sure to find me." trot was a little worried about button-bright when she awoke and found him gone. knowing how careless he was, she believed that he had strayed away, but felt that he would come back in time, because he had a habit of not staying lost. pon got the little girl some food for her breakfast and then together they went out of the hut and stood in the sunshine. pon's house was some distance off the road, but they could see it from where they stood and both gave a start of surprise when they discovered two soldiers walking along the roadway and escorting princess gloria between them. the poor girl had her hands bound together, to prevent her from struggling, and the soldiers rudely dragged her forward when her steps seemed to lag. behind this group came king krewl, wearing his jeweled crown and swinging in his hand a slender golden staff with a ball of clustered gems at one end. "where are they going?'' asked trot. "to the house of the wicked witch, i fear," pon replied. "come, let us follow them, for i am sure they intend to harm my dear gloria." "won't they see us?" she asked timidly. "we won't let them. i know a short cut through the trees to blinkie's house," said he. so they hurried away through the trees and reached the house of the witch ahead of the king and his soldiers. hiding themselves in the shrubbery, they watched the approach of poor gloria and her escort, all of whom passed so near to them that pon could have put out a hand and touched his sweetheart, had he dared to. blinkie's house had eight sides, with a door and a window in each side. smoke was coming out of the chimney and as the guards brought gloria to one of the doors it was opened by the old witch in person. she chuckled with evil glee and rubbed her skinny hands together to show the delight with which she greeted her victim, for blinkie was pleased to be able to perform her wicked rites on one so fair and sweet as the princess. gloria struggled to resist when they bade her enter the house, so the soldiers forced her through the doorway and even the king gave her a shove as he followed close behind. pon was so incensed at the cruelty shown gloria that he forgot all caution and rushed forward to enter the house also; but one of the soldiers prevented him, pushing the gardener's boy away with violence and slamming the door in his face. "never mind," said trot soothingly, as pon rose from where he had fallen. "you couldn't do much to help the poor princess if you were inside. how unfortunate it is that you are in love with her!" "true," he answered sadly, "it is indeed my misfortune. if i did not love her, it would be none of my business what the king did to his niece gloria; but the unlucky circumstance of my loving her makes it my duty to defend her." "i don't see how you can, duty or no duty," observed trot. "no; i am powerless, for they are stronger than i. but we might peek in through the window and see what they are doing." trot was somewhat curious, too, so they crept up to one of the windows and looked in, and it so happened that those inside the witch's house were so busy they did not notice that pon and trot were watching them. gloria had been tied to a stout post in the center of the room and the king was giving the wicked witch a quantity of money and jewels, which googly-goo had provided in payment. when this had been done the king said to her: "are you perfectly sure you can freeze this maiden's heart, so that she will no longer love that low gardener's boy?" "sure as witchcraft, your majesty," the creature replied. "then get to work," said the king. "there may be some unpleasant features about the ceremony that would annoy me, so i'll bid you good day and leave you to carry out your contract. one word, however: if you fail, i shall burn you at the stake!" then he beckoned to his soldiers to follow him, and throwing wide the door of the house walked out. this action was so sudden that king krewl almost caught trot and pon eavesdropping, but they managed to run around the house before he saw them. away he marched, up the road, followed by his men, heartlessly leaving gloria to the mercies of old blinkie. [illustration] when they again crept up to the window, trot and pon saw blinkie gloating over her victim. although nearly fainting from fear, the proud princess gazed with haughty defiance into the face of the wicked creature; but she was bound so tightly to the post that she could do no more to express her loathing. pretty soon blinkie went to a kettle that was swinging by a chain over the fire and tossed into it several magical compounds. the kettle gave three flashes, and at every flash another witch appeared in the room. these hags were very ugly but when one-eyed blinkie whispered her orders to them they grinned with joy as they began dancing around gloria. first one and then another cast something into the kettle, when to the astonishment of the watchers at the window all three of the old women were instantly transformed into maidens of exquisite beauty, dressed in the daintiest costumes imaginable. only their eyes could not be disguised, and an evil glare still shone in their depths. but if the eyes were cast down or hidden, one could not help but admire these beautiful creatures, even with the knowledge that they were mere illusions of witchcraft. trot certainly admired them, for she had never seen anything so dainty and bewitching, but her attention was quickly drawn to their deeds instead of their persons, and then horror replaced admiration. into the kettle old blinkie poured another mess from a big brass bottle she took from a chest, and this made the kettle begin to bubble and smoke violently. one by one the beautiful witches approached to stir the contents of the kettle and to mutter a magic charm. their movements were graceful and rhythmic and the wicked witch who had called them to her aid watched them with an evil grin upon her wrinkled face. finally the incantation was complete. the kettle ceased bubbling and together the witches lifted it from the fire. then blinkie brought a wooden ladle and filled it from the contents of the kettle. going with the spoon to princess gloria she cried: "love no more! magic art now will freeze your mortal heart!" with this she dashed the contents of the ladle full upon gloria's breast. trot saw the body of the princess become transparent, so that her beating heart showed plainly. but now the heart turned from a vivid red to gray, and then to white. a layer of frost formed about it and tiny icicles clung to its surface. then slowly the body of the girl became visible again and the heart was hidden from view. gloria seemed to have fainted, but now she recovered and, opening her beautiful eyes, stared coldly and without emotion at the group of witches confronting her. blinkie and the others knew by that one cold look that their charm had been successful. they burst into a chorus of wild laughter and the three beautiful ones began dancing again, while blinkie unbound the princess and set her free. trot rubbed her eyes to prove that she was wide awake and seeing clearly, for her astonishment was great when the three lovely maidens turned into ugly, crooked hags again, leaning on broomsticks and canes. they jeered at gloria, but the princess regarded them with cold disdain. being now free, she walked to a door, opened it and passed out. and the witches let her go. trot and pon had been so intent upon this scene that in their eagerness they had pressed quite hard against the window. just as gloria went out of the house the window-sash broke loose from its fastenings and fell with a crash into the room. the witches uttered a chorus of screams and then, seeing that their magical incantation had been observed, they rushed for the open window with uplifted broomsticks and canes. but pon was off like the wind, and trot followed at his heels. fear lent them strength to run, to leap across ditches, to speed up the hills and to vault the low fences as a deer would. [illustration] the band of witches had dashed through the window in pursuit; but blinkie was so old, and the others so crooked and awkward, that they soon realized they would be unable to overtake the fugitives. so the three who had been summoned by the wicked witch put their canes or broomsticks between their legs and flew away through the air, quickly disappearing against the blue sky. blinkie, however, was so enraged at pon and trot that she hobbled on in the direction they had taken, fully determined to catch them, in time, and to punish them terribly for spying upon her witchcraft. when pon and trot had run so far that they were confident they had made good their escape, they sat down near the edge of a forest to get their breath again, for both were panting hard from their exertions. trot was the first to recover speech, and she said to her companion: "my! wasn't it tenable?" "the most terrible thing i ever saw," pon agreed. "and they froze gloria's heart; so now she can't love you any more." "well, they froze her heart, to be sure," admitted pon, "but i'm in hopes i can melt it with my love." "where do you s'pose gloria is?' asked the girl, after a pause. "she left the witch's house just before we did. perhaps she has gone back to the king's castle," he said. "i'm pretty sure she started off in a different direction," declared trot. "i looked over my shoulder, as i ran, to see how close the witches were, and i'm sure i saw gloria walking slowly away toward the north." "then let us circle around that way," proposed pon, "and perhaps we shall meet her." trot agreed to this and they left the grove and began to circle around toward the north, thus drawing nearer and nearer to old blinkie's house again. the wicked witch did not suspect this change of direction, so when she came to the grove she passed through it and continued on. pon and trot had reached a place less than half a mile from the witch's house when they saw gloria walking toward them. the princess moved with great dignity and with no show of haste whatever, holding her head high and looking neither to right nor left. pon rushed forward, holding out his arms as if to embrace her and calling her sweet names. but gloria gazed upon him coldly and repelled him with a haughty gesture. at this the poor gardener's boy sank upon his knees and hid his face in his arms, weeping bitter tears; but the princess was not at all moved by his distress. passing him by, she drew her skirts aside, as if unwilling they should touch him, and then she walked up the path a way and hesitated, as if uncertain where to go next. trot was grieved by pon's sobs and indignant because gloria treated him so badly. but she remembered why. "i guess your heart is frozen, all right," she said to the princess. gloria nodded gravely, in reply, and then turned her back upon the little girl. "can't you like even me?" asked trot, half pleadingly. "no," said gloria. "your voice sounds like a refrig'rator," sighed the little girl. "i'm awful sorry for you, 'cause you were sweet an' nice to me before this happened. you can't help it, of course; but it's a dreadful thing, jus' the same." "my heart is frozen to all mortal loves," announced gloria, calmly. "i do not love even myself." [illustration] "that's too bad," said trot, "for, if you can't love anybody, you can't expect anybody to love you." "i do!" cried pon. "i shall always love her." "well, you're just a gardener's boy," replied trot, "and i didn't think you 'mounted to much, from the first. i can love the old princess gloria, with a warm heart an' nice manners, but this one gives me the shivers." "it's her icy heart, that's all," said pon. "that's enough," insisted trot. "seeing her heart isn't big enough to skate on, i can't see that she's of any use to anyone. for my part, i'm goin' to try to find button-bright an' cap'n bill." "i will go with you," decided pon. "it is evident that gloria no longer loves me and that her heart is frozen too stiff for me to melt it with my own love; therefore i may as well help you to find your friends." as trot started off, pon cast one more imploring look at the princess, who returned it with a chilly stare. so he followed after the little girl. as for the princess, she hesitated a moment and then turned in the same direction the others had taken, but going far more slowly. soon she heard footsteps pattering behind her, and up came googly-goo, a little out of breath with running. "stop, gloria!" he cried. "i have come to take you back to my mansion, where we are to be married." she looked at him wonderingly a moment, then tossed her head disdainfully and walked on. but googly-goo kept beside her. "what does this mean?" he demanded. "haven't you discovered that you no longer love that gardener's boy, who stood in my way?" "yes; i have discovered it," she replied. "my heart is frozen to all mortal loves. i cannot love you, or pon, or the cruel king my uncle, or even myself. go your way, googly-goo, for i will wed no one at all." he stopped in dismay when he heard this, but in another minute he exclaimed angrily: "you _must_ wed me, princess gloria, whether you want to or not! i paid to have your heart frozen; i also paid the king to permit our marriage. if you now refuse me it will mean that i have been robbed--robbed--robbed of my precious money and jewels!" he almost wept with despair, but she laughed a cold, bitter laugh and passed on. googly-goo caught at her arm, as if to restrain her, but she whirled and dealt him a blow that sent him reeling into a ditch beside the path. here he lay for a long time, half covered by muddy water, dazed with surprise. finally the old courtier arose, dripping, and climbed from the ditch. the princess had gone; so, muttering threats of vengeance upon her, upon the king and upon blinkie, old googly-goo hobbled back to his mansion to have the mud removed from his costly velvet clothes. [illustration] [illustration] chapter trot meets the scarecrow trot and pon covered many leagues of ground, searching through forests, in fields and in many of the little villages of jinxland, but could find no trace of either cap'n bill or button-bright. finally they paused beside a cornfield and sat upon a stile to rest. pon took some apples from his pocket and gave one to trot. then he began eating another himself, for this was their time for luncheon. when his apple was finished pon tossed the core into the field. "tchuk-tchuk!" said a strange voice. "what do you mean by hitting me in the eye with an apple-core?" then rose up the form of the scarecrow, who had hidden himself in the cornfield while he examined pon and trot and decided whether they were worthy to be helped. "excuse me," said pon. "i didn't know you were there." "how did you happen to be there, anyhow?" asked trot. the scarecrow came forward with awkward steps and stood beside them. "ah, you are the gardener's boy," he said to pon. then he turned to trot. "and you are the little girl who came to jinxland riding on a big bird, and who has had the misfortune to lose her friend, cap'n bill, and her chum, button-bright." "why, how did you know all that?" she inquired. "i know a lot of things," replied the scarecrow, winking at her comically. "my brains are the carefully-assorted, double-distilled, high-efficiency sort that the wizard of oz makes. he admits, himself, that my brains are the best he ever manufactured." "i think i've heard of you," said trot slowly, as she looked the scarecrow over with much interest; "but you used to live in the land of oz." "oh, i do now," he replied cheerfully. "i've just come over the mountains from the quadling country to see if i can be of any help to you." "who, me?" asked pon. "no, the strangers from the big world. it seems they need looking after." "i'm doing that myself," said pon, a little ungraciously. "if you will pardon me for saying so, i don't see how a scarecrow with painted eyes can look after anyone." "if you don't see that, you are more blind than the scarecrow," asserted trot. "he's a fairy man, pon, and comes from the fairyland of oz, so he can do 'most anything. i hope," she added, turning to the scarecrow, "you can find cap'n bill for me." "i will try, anyhow," he promised. "but who is that old woman who is running toward us and shaking her stick at us?" trot and pon turned around and both uttered an exclamation of fear. the next instant they took to their heels and ran fast up the path. for it was old blinkie, the wicked witch, who had at last traced them to this place. her anger was so great that she was determined not to abandon the chase of pon and trot until she had caught and punished them. the scarecrow understood at once that the old woman meant harm to his new friends, so as she drew near he stepped before her. his appearance was so sudden and unexpected that blinkie ran into him and toppled him over, but she tripped on his straw body and went rolling in the path beside him. [illustration] the scarecrow sat up and said: "i beg your pardon!" but she whacked him with her stick and knocked him flat again. then, furious with rage, the old witch sprang upon her victim and began pulling the straw out of his body. the poor scarecrow was helpless to resist and in a few moments all that was left of him was an empty suit of clothes and a heap of straw beside it. fortunately, blinkie did not harm his head, for it rolled into a little hollow and escaped her notice. fearing that pon and trot would escape her, she quickly resumed the chase and disappeared over the brow of a hill, following the direction in which she had seen them go. only a short time elapsed before a gray grasshopper with a wooden leg came hopping along and lit directly on the upturned face of the scarecrow's head. "pardon me, but you are resting yourself upon my nose," remarked the scarecrow. [illustration] "oh! are you alive?" asked the grasshopper. "that is a question i have never been able to decide," said the scarecrow's head. "when my body is properly stuffed i have animation and can move around as well as any live person. the brains in the head you are now occupying as a throne, are of very superior quality and do a lot of very clever thinking. but whether that is being alive, or not, i cannot prove to you; for one who lives is liable to death, while i am only liable to destruction." "seems to me," said the grasshopper, rubbing his nose with his front legs, "that in your case it doesn't matter--unless you're destroyed already." "i am not; all i need is re-stuffing," declared the scarecrow; "and if pon and trot escape the witch, and come back here, i am sure they will do me that favor." "tell me! are trot and pon around here?" inquired the grasshopper, its small voice trembling with excitement. the scarecrow did not answer at once, for both his eyes were staring straight upward at a beautiful face that was slightly bent over his head. it was, indeed, princess gloria, who had wandered to this spot, very much surprised when she heard the scarecrow's head talk and the tiny gray grasshopper answer it. "this," said the scarecrow, still staring at her, "must be the princess who loves pon, the gardener's boy." "oh, indeed!" exclaimed the grasshopper--who of course was cap'n bill--as he examined the young lady curiously. "no," said gloria frigidly, "i do not love pon, or anyone else, for the wicked witch has frozen my heart." "what a shame!" cried the scarecrow. "one so lovely should be able to love. but would you mind, my dear, stuffing that straw into my body again?" the dainty princess glanced at the straw and at the well-worn blue munchkin clothes and shrank back in disdain. but she was spared from refusing the scarecrow's request by the appearance of trot and pon, who had hidden in some bushes just over the brow of the hill and waited until old blinkie had passed them by. their hiding place was on the same side as the witch's blind eye, and she rushed on in the chase of the girl and the youth without being aware that they had tricked her. [illustration] trot was shocked at the scarecrow's sad condition and at once began putting the straw back into his body. pon, at sight of gloria, again appealed to her to take pity on him, but the frozen-hearted princess turned coldly away and with a sigh the gardener's boy began to assist trot. neither of them at first noticed the small grasshopper, which at their appearance had skipped off the scarecrow's nose and was now clinging to a wisp of grass beside the path, where he was not likely to be stepped upon. not until the scarecrow had been neatly restuffed and set upon his feet again when he bowed to his restorers and expressed his thanks did the grasshopper move from his perch. then he leaped lightly into the path and called out: "trot--trot! look at me. i'm cap'n bill! see what the wicked witch has done to me." the voice was small, to be sure, but it reached trot's ears and startled her greatly. she looked intently at the grasshopper, her eyes wide with fear at first; then she knelt down and, noticing the wooden leg, she began to weep sorrowfully. "oh, cap'n bill--dear cap'n bill! what a cruel thing to do!'' she sobbed. "don't cry, trot," begged the grasshopper. "it didn't hurt any, and it doesn't hurt now. but it's mighty inconvenient an' humiliatin', to say the least." "i wish," said the girl indignantly, while trying hard to restrain her tears, "that i was big 'nough an' strong 'nough to give that horrid witch a good beating. she ought to be turned into a toad for doing this to you, cap'n bill!" "never mind," urged the scarecrow, in a comforting voice, "such a transformation doesn't last always, and as a general thing there's some way to break the enchantment. i'm sure glinda could do it, in a jiffy." "who is glinda?" inquired cap'n bill. then the scarecrow told them all about glinda, not forgetting to mention her beauty and goodness and her wonderful powers of magic. he also explained how the royal sorceress had sent him to jinxland especially to help the strangers, whom she knew to be in danger because of the wiles of the cruel king and the wicked witch. [illustration] [illustration] chapter pon summons the king to surrender gloria had drawn near to the group to listen to their talk, and it seemed to interest her in spite of her frigid manner. they knew, of course, that the poor princess could not help being cold and reserved, so they tried not to blame her. "i ought to have come here a little sooner," said the scarecrow, regretfully; "but glinda sent me as soon as she discovered you were here and were likely to get into trouble. and now that we are all together--except button-bright, over whom it is useless to worry--i propose we hold a council of war, to decide what is best to be done." that seemed a wise thing to do, so they all sat down upon the grass, including gloria, and the grasshopper perched upon trot's shoulder and allowed her to stroke him gently with her hand. "in the first place," began the scarecrow, "this king krewl is a usurper and has no right to rule this kingdom of jinxland." "that is true," said pon, eagerly. "my father was king before him, and i--" "you are a gardener's boy," interrupted the scarecrow. "your father had no right to rule, either, for the rightful king of this land was the father of princess gloria, and only she is entitled to sit upon the throne of jinxland." "good!" exclaimed trot. "but what'll we do with king krewl? i s'pose he won't give up the throne unless he has to." "no, of course not," said the scarecrow. "therefore it will be our duty to _make_ him give up the throne." "how?" asked trot. "give me time to think," was the reply. "that's what my brains are for. i don't know whether you people ever think, or not, but my brains are the best that the wizard of oz ever turned out, and if i give them plenty of time to work, the result usually surprises me." "take your time, then," suggested trot. "there's no hurry." "thank you," said the straw man, and sat perfectly still for half an hour. during this interval the grasshopper whispered in trot's ear, to which he was very close, and trot whispered back to the grasshopper sitting upon her shoulder. pon cast loving glances at gloria, who paid not the slightest heed to them. finally the scarecrow laughed aloud. "brains working?" inquired trot. "yes. they seem in fine order to-day. we will conquer king krewl and put gloria upon his throne as queen of jinxland." "fine!" cried the little girl, clapping her hands together gleefully. "but how?" "leave the _how_ to me," said the scarecrow proudly. "as a conqueror i'm a wonder. we will, first of all, write a message to send to king krewl, asking him to surrender. if he refuses, then we will make him surrender." "why ask him, when we _know_ he'll refuse?" inquired pon. "why, we must be polite, whatever we do," explained the scarecrow. "it would be very rude to conquer a king without proper notice." [illustration] they found it difficult to write a message without paper, pen and ink, none of which was at hand; so it was decided to send pon as a messenger, with instructions to ask the king, politely but firmly, to surrender. pon was not anxious to be the messenger. indeed, he hinted that it might prove a dangerous mission. but the scarecrow was now the acknowledged head of the army of conquest, and he would listen to no refusal. so off pon started for the king's castle, and the others accompanied him as far as his hut, where they had decided to await the gardener's boy's return. i think it was because pon had known the scarecrow such a short time that he lacked confidence in the straw man's wisdom. it was easy to say: "we will conquer king krewl," but when pon drew near to the great castle he began to doubt the ability of a straw-stuffed man, a girl, a grasshopper and a frozen-hearted princess to do it. as for himself, he had never thought of defying the king before. that was why the gardener's boy was not very bold when he entered the castle and passed through to the enclosed court where the king was just then seated, with his favorite courtiers around him. none prevented pon's entrance, because he was known to be the gardener's boy, but when the king saw him he began to frown fiercely. he considered pon to be to blame for all his trouble with princess gloria, who since her heart had been frozen had escaped to some unknown place, instead of returning to the castle to wed googly-goo, as she had been expected to do. so the king bared his teeth angrily as he demanded: [illustration] "what have you done with princess gloria?" "nothing, your majesty! i have done nothing at all," answered pon in a faltering voice. "she does not love me any more and even refuses to speak to me." "then why are you here, you rascal?" roared the king. pon looked first one way and then another, but saw no means of escape; so he plucked up courage. "i am here to summon your majesty to surrender." "what!" shouted the king. "surrender? surrender to whom?" pon's heart sank to his boots. "to the scarecrow," he replied. some of the courtiers began to titter, but king krewl was greatly annoyed. he sprang up and began to beat poor pon with the golden staff he carried. pon howled lustily and would have run away had not two of the soldiers held him until his majesty was exhausted with punishing the boy. then they let him go and he left the castle and returned along the road, sobbing at every step because his body was so sore and aching. "well," said the scarecrow, "did the king surrender?" "no; but he gave me a good drubbing!" sobbed poor pon. trot was very sorry for pon, but gloria did not seem affected in any way by her lover's anguish. the grasshopper leaped to the scarecrow's shoulder and asked him what he was going to do next. "conquer," was the reply. "but i will go alone, this time, for beatings cannot hurt me at all; nor can lance thrusts--or sword cuts--or arrow pricks." "why is that?" inquired trot. "because i have no nerves, such as you meat people possess. even grasshoppers have nerves, but straw doesn't; so whatever they do--except just one thing--they cannot injure me. therefore i expect to conquer king krewl with ease." "what is that one thing you excepted?" asked trot. "they will never think of it, so never mind. and now, if you will kindly excuse me for a time, i'll go over to the castle and do my conquering." "you have no weapons," pon reminded him. "true," said the scarecrow. "but if i carried weapons i might injure someone--perhaps seriously--and that would make me unhappy. i will just borrow that riding-whip, which i see in the corner of your hut, if you don't mind. it isn't exactly proper to walk with a riding-whip, but i trust you will excuse the inconsistency." pon handed him the whip and the scarecrow bowed to all the party and left the hut, proceeding leisurely along the way to the king's castle. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the ork rescues button-bright i must now tell you what had become of button-bright since he wandered away in the morning and got lost. this small boy, as perhaps you have discovered, was almost as destitute of nerves as the scarecrow. nothing ever astonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made him unhappy. good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a quiet smile, never complaining, whatever happened. this was one reason why button-bright was a favorite with all who knew him--and perhaps it was the reason why he so often got into difficulties, or found himself lost. to-day, as he wandered here and there, over hill and down dale, he missed trot and cap'n bill, of whom he was fond, but nevertheless he was not unhappy. the birds sang merrily and the wildflowers were beautiful and the breeze had a fragrance of new-mown hay. "the only bad thing about this country is its king," he reflected; "but the country isn't to blame for that." a prairie-dog stuck its round head out of a mound of earth and looked at the boy with bright eyes. "walk around my house, please," it said, "and then you won't harm it or disturb the babies." "all right," answered button-bright, and took care not to step on the mound. he went on, whistling merrily, until a petulant voice cried: "oh, stop it! please stop that noise. it gets on my nerves." button-bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotch of a tree, and he replied with a laugh: "all right, old fussy," and stopped whistling until he had passed out of the owl's hearing. at noon he came to a farmhouse where an aged couple lived. they gave him a good dinner and treated him kindly, but the man was deaf and the woman was dumb, so they could answer no questions to guide him on the way to port's house. when he left them he was just as much lost as he had been before. every grove of trees he saw from a distance he visited, for he remembered that the king's castle was near a grove of trees and pon's hut was near the king's castle; but always he met with disappointment. finally, passing through one of these groves, he came out into the open and found himself face to face with the ork. "hello!" said button-bright. "where did _you_ come from?" [illustration] "from orkland," was the reply. "i've found my own country, at last, and it is not far from here, either. i would have come back to you sooner, to see how you are getting along, had not my family and friends welcomed my return so royally that a great celebration was held in my honor. so i couldn't very well leave orkland again until the excitement was over." "can you find your way back home again?" asked the boy. "yes, easily; for now i know exactly where it is. but where are trot and cap'n bill?" button-bright related to the ork their adventures since it had left them in jinxland, telling of trot's fear that the king had done something wicked to cap'n bill, and of pon's love for gloria, and how trot and button-bright had been turned out of the king's castle. that was all the news that the boy had, but it made the ork anxious for the safety of his friends. "we must go to them at once, for they may need us," he said. "i don't know where to go," confessed button-bright. "i'm lost." "well, i can take you back to the hut of the gardener's boy," promised the ork, "for when i fly high in the air i can look down and easily spy the king's castle. that was how i happened to spy you, just entering the grove; so i flew down and waited until you came out." "how can you carry me?" asked the boy. "you'll have to sit straddle my shoulders and put your arms around my neck. do you think you can keep from falling off?" "til try," said button-bright. so the ork squatted down and the boy took his seat and held on tight. then the skinny creature's tail began whirling and up they went, far above all the tree-tops. after the ork had circled around once or twice, its sharp eyes located the towers of the castle and away it flew, straight toward the place. as it hovered in the air, near by the castle, button-bright pointed out pon's hut, so they landed just before it and trot came running out to greet them. gloria was introduced to the ork, who was surprised to find cap'n bill transformed into a grasshopper. "how do you like it?" asked the creature. "why, it worries me a good deal," answered cap'n bill, perched upon trot's shoulder. "i'm always afraid o' bein' stepped on, and i don't like the flavor of grass an' can't seem to get used to it. it's my nature to eat grass, you know, but i begin to suspect it's an acquired taste." "can you give molasses?" asked the ork. "i guess i'm not that kind of a grasshopper," replied cap'n bill. "but i can't say what i might do if i was squeezed--which i hope i won't be." "well," said the ork, "it's a great pity, and i'd like to meet that cruel king and his wicked witch and punish them both severely. you're awfully small, cap'n bill, but i think i would recognize you anywhere by your wooden leg." then the ork and button-bright were told all about gloria's frozen heart and how the scarecrow had come from the land of oz to help them. the ork seemed rather disturbed when it learned that the scarecrow had gone alone to conquer king krewl. "i'm afraid he'll make a fizzle of it," said the skinny creature, "and there's no telling what that terrible king might do to the poor scarecrow, who seems like a very interesting person. so i believe i'll take a hand in this conquest myself." "how?" asked trot. "wait and see," was the reply. "but, first of all, i must fly home again--back to my own country--so if you'll forgive my leaving you so soon, i'll be off at once. stand away from my tail, please, so that the wind from it, when it revolves, won't knock you over." they gave the creature plenty of room and away it went like a flash and soon disappeared in the sky. "i wonder," said button-bright, looking solemnly after the ork, "whether he'll ever come back again." "of course he will!" returned trot. "the ork's a pretty good fellow, and we can depend on him. an' mark my words, button-bright, whenever our ork does come back, there's one cruel king in jinxland that'll wish he hadn't." [illustration] [illustration] chapter the scarecrow meets an enemy the scarecrow was not a bit afraid of king krewl. indeed, he rather enjoyed the prospect of conquering the evil king and putting gloria on the throne of jinxland in his place. so he advanced boldly to the royal castle and demanded admittance. seeing that he was a stranger, the soldiers allowed him to enter. he made his way straight to the throne room, where at that time his majesty was settling the disputes among his subjects. "who are you?" demanded the king. "i'm the scarecrow of oz, and i command you to surrender yourself my prisoner." [illustration] "why should i do that?" inquired the king, much astonished at the straw man's audacity. "because i've decided you are too cruel a king to rule so beautiful a country. you must remember that jinxland is a part of oz, and therefore you owe allegiance to ozma of oz, whose friend and servant i am." now, when he heard this, king krewl was much disturbed in mind, for he knew the scarecrow spoke the truth. but no one had ever before come to jinxland from the land of oz and the king did not intend to be put out of his throne if he could help it. therefore he gave a harsh, wicked laugh of derision and said: "i'm busy, now. stand out of my way, scarecrow, and i'll talk with you by and by." but the scarecrow turned to the assembled courtiers and people and called in a loud voice: "i hereby declare, in the name of ozma of oz, that this man is no longer ruler of jinxland. from this moment princess gloria is your rightful queen, and i ask all of you to be loyal to her and to obey her commands." the people looked fearfully at the king, whom they all hated in their hearts, but likewise feared. krewl was now in a terrible rage and he raised his golden sceptre and struck the scarecrow so heavy a blow that he fell to the floor. but he was up again, in an instant, and with pon's riding-whip he switched the king so hard that the wicked monarch roared with pain as much as with rage, calling on his soldiers to capture the scarecrow. they tried to do that, and thrust their lances and swords into the straw body, but without doing any damage except to make holes in the scarecrow's clothes. however, they were many against one and finally old googly-goo brought a rope which he wound around the scarecrow, binding his legs together and his arms to his sides, and after that the fight was over. the king stormed and danced around in a dreadful fury, for he had never been so switched since he was a boy--and perhaps not then. he ordered the scarecrow thrust into the castle prison, which was no task at all because one man could carry him easily, bound as he was. even after the prisoner was removed the king could not control his anger. he tried to figure out some way to be revenged upon the straw man, but could think of nothing that could hurt him. at last, when the terrified people and the frightened courtiers had all slunk away, old googly-goo approached the king with a malicious grin upon his face. "i'll tell you what to do," said he. "build a big bonfire and burn the scarecrow up, and that will be the end of him." the king was so delighted with this suggestion that he hugged old googly-goo in his joy. "of course!" he cried. "the very thing. why did i not think of it my self?" so he summoned his soldiers and retainers and bade them prepare a great bonfire in an open space in the castle park. also he sent word to all his people to assemble and witness the destruction of the scarecrow who had dared to defy his power. before long a vast throng gathered in the park and the servants had heaped up enough fuel to make a fire that might be seen for miles away--even in the daytime. when all was prepared, the king had his throne brought out for him to sit upon and enjoy the spectacle, and then he sent his soldiers to fetch the scarecrow. [illustration] now the one thing in all the world that the straw man really feared was fire. he knew he would burn very easily and that his ashes wouldn't amount to much afterward. it wouldn't hurt him to be destroyed in such a manner, but he realized that many people in the land of oz, and especially dorothy and the royal ozma, would feel sad if they learned that their old friend the scarecrow was no longer in existence. in spite of this, the straw man was brave and faced his fiery fate like a hero. when they marched him out before the concourse of people he turned to the king with great calmness and said: "this wicked deed will cost you your throne, as well as much suffering, for my friends will avenge my destruction." "your friends are not here, nor will they know what i have done to you, when you are gone and cannot tell them," answered the king in a scornful voice. then he ordered the scarecrow bound to a stout stake that he had had driven into the ground, and the materials for the fire were heaped all around him. when this had been done, the king's brass band struck up a lively tune and old googly-goo came forward with a lighted match and set fire to the pile. [illustration] at once the flames shot up and crept closer and closer toward the scarecrow. the king and all his people were so intent upon this terrible spectacle that none of them noticed how the sky grew suddenly dark. perhaps they thought that the loud buzzing sound--like the noise of a dozen moving railway trains--came from the blazing fagots; that the rush of wind was merely a breeze. but suddenly down swept a flock of orks, half a hundred of them at the least, and the powerful currents of air caused by their revolving tails sent the bonfire scattering in every direction, so that not one burning brand ever touched the scarecrow. but that was not the only effect of this sudden tornado. king krewl was blown out of his throne and went tumbling heels over head until he landed with a bump against the stone wall of his own castle, and before he could rise a big ork sat upon him and held him pressed flat to the ground. old googly-goo shot up into the air like a rocket and landed on a tree, where he hung by the middle on a high limb, kicking the air with his feet and clawing the air with his hands, and howling for mercy like the coward he was. the people pressed back until they were jammed close together, while all the soldiers were knocked over and sent sprawling to the earth. the excitement was great for a few minutes, and every frightened inhabitant of jinxland looked with awe and amazement at the great orks whose descent had served to rescue the scarecrow and conquer king krewl at one and the same time. the ork, who was the leader of the band, soon had the scarecrow free of his bonds. then he said: "well, we were just in time to save you, which is better than being a minute too late. you are now the master here, and we are determined to see your orders obeyed." with this the ork picked up krewl's golden crown, which had fallen off his head, and placed it upon the head of the scarecrow, who in his awkward way then shuffled over to the throne and sat down in it. seeing this, a rousing cheer broke from the crowd of people, who tossed their hats and waved their handkerchiefs and hailed the scarecrow as their king. the soldiers joined the people in the cheering, for now they fully realized that their hated master was conquered and it would be wise to show their good will to the conqueror. some of them bound krewl with ropes and dragged him forward, dumping his body on the ground before the scarecrow's throne. googly-goo struggled until he finally slid off the limb of the tree and came tumbling to the ground. he then tried to sneak away and escape, but the soldiers seized and bound him beside krewl. "the tables are turned," said the scarecrow, swelling out his chest until the straw within it crackled pleasantly, for he was highly pleased; "but it was you and your people who did it, friend ork, and from this time you may count me your humble servant." [illustration] [illustration] chapter the conquest of the witch now as soon as the conquest of king krewl had taken place, one of the orks had been dispatched to pon's house with the joyful news. at once gloria and pon and trot and button-bright hastened toward the castle. they were somewhat surprised by the sight that met their eyes, for there was the scarecrow, crowned king, and all the people kneeling humbly before him. so they likewise bowed low to the new ruler and then stood beside the throne. cap'n bill, as the gray grasshopper, was still perched upon trot's shoulder, but now he hopped to the shoulder of the scarecrow and whispered into the painted ear: "i thought gloria was to be queen of jinxland." the scarecrow shook his head. "not yet," he answered. "no queen with a frozen heart is fit to rule any country." then he turned to his new friend, the ork, who was strutting about, very proud of what he had done, and said: "do you suppose you, or your followers, could find old blinkie the witch?" "where is she?" asked the ork. "somewhere in jinxland, i'm sure." "then," said the ork, "we shall certainly be able to find her." "it will give me great pleasure," declared the scarecrow. "when you have found her, bring her here to me, and i will then decide what to do with her." the ork called his followers together and spoke a few words to them in a low tone. a moment after they rose into the air--so suddenly that the scarecrow, who was very light in weight, was blown quite out of his throne and into the arms of pon, who replaced him carefully upon his seat. there was an eddy of dust and ashes, too, and the grasshopper only saved himself from being whirled into the crowd of people by jumping into a tree, from where a series of hops soon brought him back to trot's shoulder again. the orks were quite out of sight by this time, so the scarecrow made a speech to the people and presented gloria to them, whom they knew well already and were fond of. but not all of them knew of her frozen heart, and when the scarecrow related the story of the wicked witch's misdeeds, which had been encouraged and paid for by krewl and googly-goo, the people were very indignant. meantime the fifty orks had scattered all over jinxland, which is not a very big country, and their sharp eyes were peering into every valley and grove and gully. finally one of them spied a pair of heels sticking out from underneath some bushes, and with a shrill whistle to warn his comrades that the witch was found the ork flew down and dragged old blinkie from her hiding-place. then two or three of the orks seized the clothing of the wicked woman in their strong claws and, lifting her high in the air, where she struggled and screamed to no avail, they flew with her straight to the royal castle and set her down before the throne of the scarecrow. [illustration] [illustration] "good!" exclaimed the straw man, nodding his stuffed head with satisfaction. "now we can proceed to business. mistress witch, i am obliged to request, gently but firmly, that you undo all the wrongs you have done by means of your witchcraft." "pah!" cried old blinkie in a scornful voice. "i defy you all! by my magic powers i can turn you all into pigs, rooting in the mud, and i'll do it if you are not careful." "i think you are mistaken about that," said the scarecrow, and rising from his throne he walked with wobbling steps to the side of the wicked witch. "before i left the land of oz, glinda the royal sorceress gave me a box, which i was not to open except in an emergency. but i feel pretty sure that this occasion is an emergency; don't you, trot?' he asked, turning toward the little girl. "why, we've got to do _something_," replied trot seriously. "things seem in an awful muddle here, jus' now, and they'll be worse if we don't stop this witch from doing more harm to people." "that is my idea, exactly," said the scarecrow, and taking a small box from his pocket he opened the cover and tossed the contents toward blinkie. the old woman shrank back, pale and trembling, as a fine white dust settled all about her. under its influence she seemed to the eyes of all observers to shrivel and grow smaller. "oh, dear--oh, dear!" she wailed, wringing her hands in fear. "haven't you the antidote, scarecrow? didn't the great sorceress give you another box?" "she did," answered the scarecrow. "then give it me--quick!" pleaded the witch. "give it me--and i'll do anything you ask me to!" "you will do what i ask first," declared the scarecrow, firmly. the witch was shriveling and growing smaller every moment. "be quick, then!" she cried. "tell me what i must do and let me do it, or it will be too late." "you made trot's friend, cap'n bill, a grasshopper. i command you to give him back his proper form again," said the scarecrow. "where is he? where's the grasshopper? quick--quick!" she screamed. cap'n bill, who had been deeply interested in this conversation, gave a great leap from trot's shoulder and landed on that of the scarecrow. blinkie saw him alight and at once began to make magic passes and to mumble magic incantations. she was in a desperate hurry, knowing that she had no time to waste, and the grasshopper was so suddenly transformed into the old sailor-man, cap'n bill, that he had no opportunity to jump off the scarecrow's shoulder; so his great weight bore the stuffed scarecrow to the ground. no harm was done, however, and the straw man got up and brushed the dust from his clothes while trot delightedly embraced cap'n bill. "the other box! quick! give me the other box," begged blinkie, who had now shrunk to half her former size. "not yet," said the scarecrow. "you must first melt princess gloria's frozen heart." "i can't; it's an awful job to do that! i can't," asserted the witch, in an agony of fear--for still she was growing smaller. "you must!" declared the scarecrow, firmly. the witch cast a shrewd look at him and saw that he meant it; so she began dancing around gloria in a frantic manner. the princess looked coldly on, as if not at all interested in the proceedings, while blinkie tore a handful of hair from her own head and ripped a strip of cloth from the bottom of her gown. then the witch sank upon her knees, took a purple powder from her black bag and sprinkled it over the hair and cloth. "i hate to do it--i hate to do it!" she wailed, "for there is no more of this magic compound in all the world. but i must sacrifice it to save my own life. a match! give me a match, quick!" and panting from lack of breath she gazed imploringly from one to another. [illustration] cap'n bill was the only one who had a match, but he lost no time in handing it to blinkie, who quickly set fire to the hair and the cloth and the purple powder. at once a purple cloud enveloped gloria, and this gradually turned to a rosy pink color--brilliant and quite transparent. through the rosy cloud they could all see the beautiful princess, standing proud and erect. then her heart became visible, at first frosted with ice but slowly growing brighter and warmer until all the frost had disappeared and it was beating as softly and regularly as any other heart. and now the cloud dispersed and disclosed gloria, her face suffused with joy, smiling tenderly upon the friends who were grouped about her. poor pon stepped forward--timidly, fearing a repulse, but with pleading eyes and arms fondly outstretched toward his former sweetheart--and the princess saw him and her sweet face lighted with a radiant smile. without an instant's hesitation she threw herself into pon's arms and this reunion of two loving hearts was so affecting that the people turned away and lowered their eyes so as not to mar the sacred joy of the faithful lovers. but blinkie's small voice was shouting to the scarecrow for help. "the antidote!" she screamed. "give me the other box--quick!" the scarecrow looked at the witch with his quaint, painted eyes and saw that she was now no taller than his knee. so he took from his pocket the second box and scattered its contents on blinkie. she ceased to grow any smaller, but she could never regain her former size, and this the wicked old woman well knew. [illustration] she did not know, however, that the second powder had destroyed all her power to work magic, and seeking to be revenged upon the scarecrow and his friends she at once began to mumble a charm so terrible in its effect that it would have destroyed half the population of jinxland--had it worked. but it did not work at all, to the amazement of old blinkie. and by this time the scarecrow noticed what the little witch was trying to do, and said to her: "go home, blinkie, and behave yourself. you are no longer a witch, but an ordinary old woman, and since you are powerless to do more evil i advise you to try to do some good in the world. believe me, it is more fun to accomplish a good act than an evil one, as you will discover when once you have tried it." but blinkie was at that moment filled with grief and chagrin at losing her magic powers. she started away toward her home, sobbing and bewailing her fate, and not one who saw her go was at all sorry for her. [illustration] chapter queen gloria next morning the scarecrow called upon all the courtiers and the people to assemble in the throne room of the castle, where there was room enough for all that were able to attend. they found the straw man seated upon the velvet cushions of the throne, with the king's glittering crown still upon his stuffed head. on one side of the throne, in a lower chair, sat gloria, looking radiantly beautiful and fresh as a new-blown rose. on the other side sat pon, the gardener's boy, still dressed in his old smock frock and looking sad and solemn; for pon could not make himself believe that so splendid a princess would condescend to love him when she had come to her own and was seated upon a throne. trot and cap'n bill sat at the feet of the scarecrow and were much interested in the proceedings. button-bright had lost himself before breakfast, but came into the throne room before the ceremonies were over. back of the throne stood a row of the great orks, with their leader in the center, and the entrance to the palace was guarded by more orks, who were regarded with wonder and awe. when all were assembled, the scarecrow stood up and made a speech. he told how gloria's father, the good king kynd, who had once ruled them and been loved by everyone, had been destroyed by king phearse, the father of pon, and how king phearse had been destroyed by king krewl. this last king had been a bad ruler, as they knew very well, and the scarecrow declared that the only one in all jinxland who had the right to sit upon the throne was princess gloria, the daughter of king kynd. "but," he added, "it is not for me, a stranger, to say who shall rule you. you must decide for yourselves, or you will not be content. so choose now who shall be your future ruler." and they all shouted: "the scarecrow! the scarecrow shall rule us!" which proved that the stuffed man had made himself very popular by his conquest of king krewl, and the people thought they would like him for their king. but the scarecrow shook his head so vigorously that it became loose, and trot had to pin it firmly to his body again. "no," said he, "i belong in the land of oz, where i am the humble servant of the lovely girl who rules us all the royal ozma. you must choose one of your own inhabitants to rule over jinxland. who shall it be?" they hesitated for a moment, and some few cried: "pon!" but many more shouted: "gloria!" so the scarecrow took gloria's hand and led her to the throne, where he first seated her and then took the glittering crown off his own head and placed it upon that of the young lady, where it nestled prettily amongst her soft curls. the people cheered and shouted then, kneeling before their new queen; but gloria leaned down and took pon's hand in both her own and raised him to the seat beside her. "you shall have both a king and a queen to care for you and to protect you, my dear subjects," she said in a sweet voice, while her face glowed with happiness; "for pon was a king's son before he became a gardener's boy, and because i love him he is to be my royal consort." that pleased them all, especially pon, who realized that this was the most important moment of his life. trot and button-bright and cap'n bill all congratulated him on winning the beautiful gloria; but the ork sneezed twice and said that in his opinion the young lady might have done better. then the scarecrow ordered the guards to bring in the wicked krewl, king no longer, and when he appeared, loaded with chains and dressed in fustian, the people hissed him and drew back as he passed so their garments would not touch him. krewl was not haughty or overbearing any more; on the contrary he seemed very meek and in great fear of the fate his conquerors had in store for him. but gloria and pon were too happy to be revengeful and so they offered to appoint krewl to the position of gardener's boy at the castle, pon having resigned to become king. but they said he must promise to reform his wicked ways and to do his duty faithfully, and he must change his name from krewl to grewl. all this the man eagerly promised to do, and so when pon retired to a room in the castle to put on princely raiment, the old brown smock he had formerly worn was given to grewl, who then went out into the garden to water the roses. [illustration] the remainder of that famous day, which was long remembered in jinxland, was given over to feasting and merrymaking. in the evening there was a grand dance in the courtyard, where the brass band played a new piece of music called the "ork trot" which was dedicated to "our glorious gloria, the queen." while the queen and pon were leading this dance, and all the jinxland people were having a good time, the strangers were gathered in a group in the park outside the castle. cap'n bill, trot, button-bright and the scarecrow were there, and so was their old friend the ork; but of all the great flock of orks which had assisted in the conquest but three remained in jinxland, besides their leader, the others having returned to their own country as soon as gloria was crowned queen. to the young ork who had accompanied them in their adventures cap'n bill said: "you've surely been a friend in need, and we're mighty grateful to you for helping us. i might have been a grasshopper yet if it hadn't been for you, an' i might remark that bein' a grasshopper isn't much fun." "if it hadn't been for you, friend ork," said the scarecrow, "i fear i could not have conquered king krewl." "no," agreed trot, "you'd have been just a heap of ashes by this time." "and i might have been lost yet," added button-bright. "much obliged, mr. ork." "oh, that's all right," replied the ork. "friends must stand together, you know, or they wouldn't be friends. but now i must leave you and be off to my own country, where there's going to be a surprise party on my uncle, and i've promised to attend it." "dear me," said the scarecrow, regretfully. "that is very unfortunate." "why so?" asked the ork. "i hoped you would consent to carry us over those mountains, into the land of oz. my mission here is now finished and i want to get back to the emerald city." "how did you cross the mountains before?" inquired the ork. "i scaled the cliffs by means of a rope, and crossed the great gulf on a strand of spider web. of course i can return in the same manner, but it would be a hard journey and perhaps an impossible one for trot and button-bright and cap'n bill. so i thought that if you had the time you and your people would carry us over the mountains and land us all safely on the other side, in the land of oz." the ork thoughtfully considered the matter for a while. then he said: "i mustn't break my promise to be present at the surprise party; but, tell me, could you go to oz to-night?" "what, now?" exclaimed trot. "it is a fine moonlight night," said the ork, "and i've found in my experience that there's no time so good as right away. the fact is," he explained, "it's a long journey to orkland and i and my cousins here are all rather tired by our day's work. but if you will start now, and be content to allow us to carry you over the mountains and dump you on the other side, just say the word and--off we go!" cap'n bill and trot looked at one another questioningly. the little girl was eager to visit the famous fairyland of oz and the old sailor had endured such hardships in jinxland that he would be glad to be out of it. "it's rather impolite of us not to say good-bye to the new king and queen," remarked the scarecrow, "but i'm sure they're too happy to miss us, and i assure you it will be much easier to fly on the backs of the orks over those steep mountains than to climb them as i did." "all right; let's go!" trot decided. "but where's button-bright?" just at this important moment button-bright was lost again, and they all scattered in search of him. he had been standing beside them just a few minutes before, but his friends had an exciting hunt for him before they finally discovered the boy seated among the members of the band, beating the end of the bass drum with the bone of a turkey-leg that he had taken from the table in the banquet room. "hello, trot," he said, looking up at the little girl when she found him. "this is the first chance i ever had to pound a drum with a regular drum stick. and i ate all the meat off the bone myself." "come quick. we're going to the land of oz." "oh, what's the hurry?" said button-bright; but she seized his arm and dragged him away to the park, where the others were waiting. trot climbed upon the back of her old friend, the ork leader, and the others took their seats on the backs of his three cousins. as soon as all were placed and clinging to the skinny necks of the creatures, the revolving tails began to whirl and up rose the four monster orks and sailed away toward the mountains. they were so high in the air that when they passed the crest of the highest peak it seemed far below them. no sooner were they well across the barrier than the orks swooped downward and landed their passengers upon the ground. "here we are, safe in the land of oz!' cried the scarecrow joyfully. "oh, are we?" asked trot, looking around her curiously. she could see the shadows of stately trees and the outlines of rolling hills; beneath her feet was soft turf, but otherwise the subdued light of the moon disclosed nothing clearly. "seems jus' like any other country," was cap'n bill's comment. [illustration] "but it isn't," the scarecrow assured him. "you are now within the borders of the most glorious fairyland in all the world. this part of it is just a corner of the quadling country, and the least interesting portion of it. it's not very thickly settled, around here, i'll admit, but--" he was interrupted by a sudden whir and a rush of air as the four orks mounted into the sky. "good night!" called the shrill voices of the strange creatures, and although trot shouted "good night!" as loudly as she could, the little girl was almost ready to cry because the orks had not waited to be properly thanked for all their kindness to her and to cap'n bill. but the orks were gone, and thanks for good deeds do not amount to much except to prove one's politeness. "well, friends," said the scarecrow, "we mustn't stay here in the meadows all night, so let us find a pleasant place to sleep. not that it matters to me, in the least, for i never sleep; but i know that meat people like to shut their eyes and lie still during the dark hours." "i'm pretty tired," admitted trot, yawning as she followed the straw man along a tiny path, "so, if you don't find a house handy, cap'n bill and i will sleep under the trees, or even on this soft grass." but a house was not very far off, although when the scarecrow stumbled upon it there was no light in it whatever. cap'n bill knocked on the door several times, and there being no response the scarecrow boldly lifted the latch and walked in, followed by the others. and no sooner had they entered than a soft light filled the room. trot couldn't tell where it came from, for no lamp of any sort was visible, but she did not waste much time on this problem, because directly in the center of the room stood a table set for three, with lots of good food on it and several of the dishes smoking hot. [illustration] the little girl and button-bright both uttered exclamations of pleasure, but they looked in vain for any cook stove or fireplace, or for any person who might have prepared for them this delicious feast. "it's fairyland," muttered the boy, tossing his cap in a corner and seating himself at the table. "this supper smells 'most as good as that turkey-leg i had in jinxland. please pass the muffins, cap'n bill." trot thought it was strange that no people but themselves were in the house, but on the wall opposite the door was a gold frame bearing in big letters the word: "welcome." so she had no further hesitation in eating of the food so mysteriously prepared for them. "but there are only places for three!' she exclaimed. "three are quite enough," said the scarecrow. "i never eat, because i am stuffed full already, and i like my nice clean straw better than i do food." trot and the sailor-man were hungry and made a hearty meal, for not since they had left home had they tasted such good food. it was surprising that button-bright could eat so soon after his feast in jinxland, but the boy always ate whenever there was an opportunity. "if i don't eat now," he said, "the next time i'm hungry i'll wish i had." "really, cap'n," remarked trot, when she found a dish of ice-cream appear beside her plate, "i b'lieve this is fairyland, sure enough." "there's no doubt of it, trot," he answered gravely. "i've been here before," said button-bright, "so i know." after supper they discovered three tiny bedrooms adjoining the big living room of the house, and in each room was a comfortable white bed with downy pillows. you may be sure that the tired mortals were not long in bidding the scarecrow good night and creeping into their beds, where they slept soundly until morning. for the first time since they set eyes on the terrible whirlpool, trot and cap'n bill were free from anxiety and care. button-bright never worried about anything. the scarecrow, not being able to sleep, looked out of the window and tried to count the stars. [illustration] chapter dorothy, betsy and ozma i suppose many of my readers have read descriptions of the beautiful and magnificent emerald city of oz, so i need not describe it here, except to state that never has any city in any fairyland ever equalled this one in stately splendor. it lies almost exactly in the center of the land of oz, and in the center of the emerald city rises the wall of glistening emeralds that surrounds the palace of ozma. the palace is almost a city in itself and is inhabited by many of the ruler's especial friends and those who have won her confidence and favor. as for ozma herself, there are no words in any dictionary i can find that are fitted to describe this young girl's beauty of mind and person. merely to see her is to love her for her charming face and manners; to know her is to love her for her tender sympathy, her generous nature, her truth and honor. born of a long line of fairy queens, ozma is as nearly perfect as any fairy may be, and she is noted for her wisdom as well as for her other qualities. her happy subjects adore their girl ruler and each one considers her a comrade and protector. at the time of which i write, ozma's best friend and most constant companion was a little kansas girl named dorothy, a mortal who had come to the land of oz in a very curious manner and had been offered a home in ozma's palace. furthermore, dorothy had been made a princess of oz, and was as much at home in the royal palace as was the gentle ruler. she knew almost every part of the great country and almost all of its numerous inhabitants. next to ozma she was loved better than anyone in all oz, for dorothy was simple and sweet, seldom became angry and had such a friendly, chummy way that she made friends wherever she wandered. it was she who first brought the scarecrow and the tin woodman and the cowardly lion to the emerald city. dorothy had also introduced to ozma the shaggy man and the hungry tiger, as well as billina the yellow hen, eureka the pink kitten, and many other delightful characters and creatures. coming as she did from our world, dorothy was much like many other girls we know; so there were times when she was not so wise as she might have been, and other times when she was obstinate and got herself into trouble. but life in a fairyland had taught the little girl to accept all sorts of surprising things as matters-of-course, for while dorothy was no fairy--but just as mortal as we are--she had seen more wonders than most mortals ever do. another little girl from our outside world also lived in ozma's palace. this was betsy bobbin, whose strange adventures had brought her to the emerald city, where ozma had cordially welcomed her. betsy was a shy little thing and could never get used to the marvels that surrounded her, but she and dorothy were firm friends and thought themselves very fortunate in being together in this delightful country. one day dorothy and betsy were visiting ozma in the girl ruler's private apartment, and among the things that especially interested them was ozma's magic picture, set in a handsome frame and hung upon the wall of the room. this picture was a magic one because it constantly changed its scenes and showed events and adventures happening in all parts of the world. thus it was really a "moving picture" of life, and if the one who stood before it wished to know what any absent person was doing, the picture instantly showed that person, with his or her surroundings. the two girls were not wishing to see anyone in particular, on this occasion, but merely enjoyed watching the shifting scenes, some of which were exceedingly curious and remarkable. suddenly dorothy exclaimed: "why, there's button-bright!" and this drew ozma also to look at the picture, for she and dorothy knew the boy well. "who is button-bright?" asked betsy, who had never met him. "why, he's the little boy who is just getting off the back of that strange flying creature," exclaimed dorothy. then she turned to ozma and asked: "what is that thing, ozma? a bird? i've never seen anything like it before." [illustration] "it is an ork," answered ozma, for they were watching the scene where the ork and the three big birds were first landing their passengers in jinxland, after the long flight across the desert. "i wonder," added the girl ruler, musingly, "why those strangers dare venture into that unfortunate country, which is ruled by a wicked king." "that girl, and the one-legged man, seem to be mortals from the outside world," said dorothy. "the man isn't one-legged," corrected betsy; "he has one wooden leg." "it's almost as bad," declared dorothy, watching cap'n bill stump around. "they are three mortal adventurers," said ozma, "and they seem worthy and honest. but i fear they will be treated badly in jinxland, and if they meet with any misfortune there it will reflect upon me, for jinxland is a part of my dominions." "can't we help them in any way?" inquired dorothy. "that seems like a nice little girl. i'd be sorry if anything happened to her." "let us watch the picture for awhile," suggested ozma, and so they all drew chairs before the magic picture and followed the adventures of trot and cap'n bill and button-bright. presently the scene shifted and showed their friend the scarecrow crossing the mountains into jinxland, and that somewhat relieved ozma's anxiety, for she knew at once that glinda the good had sent the scarecrow to protect the strangers. the adventures in jinxland proved very interesting to the three girls in ozma's palace, who during the succeeding days spent much of their time in watching the picture. it was like a story to them. [illustration: dorothy] "that girl's a reg'lar trump!' exclaimed dorothy, referring to trot, and ozma answered: "she's a dear little thing, and i'm sure nothing very bad will happen to her. the old sailor is a fine character, too, for he has never once grumbled over being a grasshopper, as so many would have done." when the scarecrow was so nearly burned up the girls all shivered a little, and they clapped their hands in joy when the flock of orks came and saved him. so it was that when all the exciting adventures in jinxland were over and the four orks had begun their flight across the mountains to carry the mortals into the land of oz, ozma called the wizard to her and asked him to prepare a place for the strangers to sleep. the famous wizard of oz was a quaint little man who inhabited the royal palace and attended to all the magical things that ozma wanted done. he was not as powerful as glinda, to be sure, but he could do a great many wonderful things. he proved this by placing a house in the uninhabited part of the quadling country where the orks landed cap'n bill and trot and button-bright, and fitting it with all the comforts i have described in the last chapter. next morning dorothy said to ozma: "oughtn't we to go meet the strangers, so we can show them the way to the emerald city? i'm sure that little girl will feel shy in this beautiful land, and i know if 'twas me i'd like somebody to give me a welcome." ozma smiled at her little friend and answered: "you and betsy may go to meet them, if you wish, but i can not leave my palace just now, as i am to have a conference with jack pumpkinhead and professor wogglebug on important matters. you may take the sawhorse and the red wagon, and if you start soon you will be able to meet the scarecrow and the strangers at glinda's palace." "oh, thank you!" cried dorothy, and went away to tell betsy and to make preparations for the journey. [illustration: betsy] [illustration] chapter the waterfall glinda's castle was a long way from the mountains, but the scarecrow began the journey cheerfully, since time was of no great importance in the land of oz and he had recently made the trip and knew the way. it never mattered much to button-bright where he was or what he was doing; the boy was content in being alive and having good companions to share his wanderings. as for trot and cap'n bill, they now found themselves so comfortable and free from danger, in this fine fairyland, and they were so awed and amazed by the adventures they were encountering, that the journey to glinda's castle was more like a pleasure trip than a hardship, so many wonderful things were there to see. button-bright had been in oz before, but never in this part of it, so the scarecrow was the only one who knew the paths and could lead them. they had eaten a hearty breakfast, which they found already prepared for them and awaiting them on the table when they arose from their refreshing sleep, so they left the magic house in a contented mood and with hearts lighter and more happy than they had known for many a day. as they marched along through the fields, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was laden with delicious fragrance, for it carried with it the breath of millions of wildflowers. at noon, when they stopped to rest by the banks of a pretty river, trot said with a long-drawn breath that was much like a sigh: "i wish we'd brought with us some of the food that was left from our breakfast, for i'm getting hungry again." scarcely had she spoken when a table rose up before them, as if from the ground itself, and it was loaded with fruits and nuts and cakes and many other good things to eat. the little girl's eyes opened wide at this display of magic, and cap'n bill was not sure that the things were actually there and fit to eat until he had taken them in his hand and tasted them. but the scarecrow said with a laugh: "someone is looking after your welfare, that is certain, and from the looks of this table i suspect my friend the wizard has taken us in his charge. i've known him to do things like this before, and if we are in the wizard's care you need not worry about your future." "who's worrying?" inquired button-bright, already at the table and busily eating. the scarecrow looked around the place while the others were feasting, and finding many things unfamiliar to him he shook his head and remarked: "i must have taken the wrong path, back in that last valley, for on my way to jinxland i remember that i passed around the foot of this river, where there was a great waterfall." "did the river make a bend, after the waterfall?" asked cap'n bill. "no, the river disappeared. only a pool of whirling water showed what had become of the river; but i suppose it is under ground, somewhere, and will come to the surface again in another part of the country." "well," suggested trot, as she finished her luncheon, "as there is no way to cross this river, i s'pose we'll have to find that waterfall, and go around it." "exactly," replied the scarecrow; so they soon renewed their journey, following the river for a long time until the roar of the waterfall sounded in their ears. by and by they came to the waterfall itself, a sheet of silver dropping far, far down into a tiny lake which seemed to have no outlet. from the top of the fall, where they stood, the banks gradually sloped away, so that the descent by land was quite easy, while the river could do nothing but glide over an edge of rock and tumble straight down to the depths below. "you see," said the scarecrow, leaning over the brink, "this is called by our oz people the great waterfall, because it is certainly the highest one in all the land; but i think--help!" [illustration] he had lost his balance and pitched headforemost into the river. they saw a flash of straw and blue clothes, and the painted face looking upward in surprise. the next moment the scarecrow was swept over the waterfall and plunged into the basin below. the accident had happened so suddenly that for a moment they were all too horrified to speak or move. "quick! we must go to help him or he will be drowned," trot exclaimed. even while speaking she began to descend the bank to the pool below, and cap'n bill followed as swiftly as his wooden leg would let him. button-bright came more slowly, calling to the girl: "he can't drown, trot; he's a scarecrow." but she wasn't sure a scarecrow couldn't drown and never relaxed her speed until she stood on the edge of the pool, with the spray dashing in her face. cap'n bill, puffing and panting, had just voice enough to ask, as he reached her side: "see him, trot?" "not a speck of him. oh, cap'n, what do you s'pose has become of him?" "i s'pose," replied the sailor, "that he's in that water, more or less far down, and i'm 'fraid it'll make his straw pretty soggy. but as fer his bein' drowned, i agree with button-bright that it can't be done." [illustration] there was small comfort in this assurance and trot stood for some time searching with her eyes the bubbling water, in the hope that the scarecrow would finally come to the surface. presently she heard button-bright calling: "come here, trot!" and looking around she saw that the boy had crept over the wet rocks to the edge of the waterfall and seemed to be peering behind it. making her way toward him, she asked: "what do you see?" "a cave," he answered. "let's go in. perhaps we'll find the scarecrow there." she was a little doubtful of that, but the cave interested her, and so did it cap'n bill. there was just space enough at the edge of the sheet of water for them to crowd in behind it, but after that dangerous entrance they found room enough to walk upright and after a time they came to an opening in the w r all of rock. approaching this opening, they gazed within it and found a series of steps, cut so that they might easily descend into the cavern. trot turned to look inquiringly at her companions. the falling water made such din and roaring that her voice could not be heard. cap'n bill nodded his head, but before he could enter the cave, button-bright was before him, clambering down the steps without a particle of fear. so the others followed the boy. the first steps were wet with spray, and slippery, but the remainder were quite dry. a rosy light seemed to come from the interior of the cave, and this lighted their way. after the steps there was a short tunnel, high enough for them to walk erect in, and then they reached the cave itself and paused in wonder and admiration. they stood on the edge of a vast cavern, the walls and domed roof of which were lined with countless rubies, exquisitely cut and flashing sparkling rays from one to another. this caused a radiant light that permitted the entire cavern to be distinctly seen, and the effect was so marvelous that trot drew in her breath with a sort of a gasp, and stood quite still in wonder. but the walls and roof of the cavern were merely a setting for a more wonderful scene. in the center was a bubbling cauldron of water, for here the river rose again, splashing and dashing till its spray rose high in the air, where it took the ruby color of the jewels and seemed like a seething mass of flame. and while they gazed into the tumbling, tossing water, the body of the scarecrow suddenly rose in the center, struggling and kicking, and the next instant wholly disappeared from view. "my, but he's wet!" exclaimed button-bright; but none of the others heard him. trot and cap'n bill discovered that a broad ledge--covered, like the walls, with glittering rubies--ran all around the cavern; so they followed this gorgeous path to the rear and found where the water made its final dive underground, before it disappeared entirely. where it plunged into this dim abyss the river was black and dreary looking, and they stood gazing in awe until just beside them the body of the scarecrow again popped up from the water. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the land of oz the straw man's appearance on the water was so sudden that it startled trot, but cap'n bill had the presence of mind to stick his wooden leg out over the water and the scarecrow made a desperate clutch and grabbed the leg with both hands. he managed to hold on until trot and button-bright knelt down and seized his clothing, but the children would have been powerless to drag the soaked scarecrow ashore had not cap'n bill now assisted them. when they laid him on the ledge of rubies he was the most useless looking scarecrow you can imagine--his straw sodden and dripping with water, his clothing wet and crumpled, while even the sack upon which his face was painted had become so wrinkled that the old jolly expression of their stuffed friend's features was entirely gone. but he could still speak, and when trot bent down her ear she heard him say: "get me out of here as soon as you can." that seemed a wise thing to do, so cap'n bill lifted his head and shoulders, and trot and button-bright each took a leg; among them they partly carried and partly dragged the damp scarecrow out of the ruby cavern, along the tunnel, and up the flight of rock steps. it was somewhat difficult to get him past the edge of the waterfall, but they succeeded, after much effort, and a few minutes later laid their poor comrade on a grassy bank where the sun shone upon him freely and he was beyond the reach of the spray. cap'n bill now knelt down and examined the straw that the scarecrow was stuffed with. "i don't believe it'll be of much use to him, any more," said he, "for it's full of polliwogs an' fish eggs, an' the water has took all the crinkle out o' the straw an' ruined it. i guess, trot, that the best thing for us to do is to empty out all his body an' carry his head an' clothes along the road till we come to a field or a house where we can get some fresh straw." "yes, cap'n," she agreed, "there's nothing else to be done. but how shall we ever find the road to glinda's palace, without the scarecrow to guide us?" "that's easy," said the scarecrow, speaking in a rather feeble but distinct voice. "if cap'n bill will carry my head on his shoulders, eyes front, i can tell him which way to go." so they followed that plan and emptied all the old, wet straw out of the scarecrow's body. then the sailor-man wrung out the clothes and laid them in the sun till they were quite dry. trot took charge of the head and pressed the wrinkles out of the face as it dried, so that after a while the scarecrow's expression became natural again, and as jolly as before. this work consumed some time, but when it was completed they again started upon their journey, button-bright carrying the boots and hat, trot the bundle of clothes, and cap'n bill the head. the scarecrow, having regained his composure and being now in a good humor, despite his recent mishaps, beguiled their way with stories of the land of oz. [illustration] it was not until the next morning, however, that they found straw with which to restuff the scarecrow. that evening they came to the same little house they had slept in before, only now it was magically transferred to a new place. the same bountiful supper as before was found smoking hot upon the table and the same cosy beds were ready for them to sleep in. they rose early and after breakfast went out of doors, and there, lying just beside the house, was a heap of clean, crisp straw. ozma had noticed the scarecrow's accident in her magic picture and had notified the wizard to provide the straw, for she knew the adventurers were not likely to find straw in the country through which they were now traveling. they lost no time in stuffing the scarecrow anew, and he was greatly delighted at being able to walk around again and to assume the leadership of the little party. "really," said trot, "i think you're better than you were before, for you are fresh and sweet all through and rustle beautifully when you move." "thank you, my dear," he replied gratefully. "i always feel like a new man when i'm freshly stuffed. no one likes to get musty, you know, and even good straw may be spoiled by age." "it was water that spoiled you, the last time," remarked button-bright, "which proves that too much bathing is as bad as too little. but, after all, scarecrow, water is not as dangerous for you as fire." "all things are good in moderation," declared the scarecrow. "but now, let us hurry on, or we shall not reach glinda's palace by nightfall." [illustration] [illustration] chapter the royal reception at about four o'clock of that same day the red wagon drew up at the entrance to glinda's palace and dorothy and betsy jumped out. ozma's red wagon was almost a chariot, being inlaid with rubies and pearls, and it was drawn by ozma's favorite steed, the wooden sawhorse. "shall i unharness you," asked dorothy, "so you can come in and visit?" "no," replied the sawhorse. "til just stand here and think. take your time. thinking doesn't seem to bore me at all." "what will you think of?" inquired betsy. "of the acorn that grew the tree from which i was made." so they left the wooden animal and went in to see glinda, who welcomed the little girls in her most cordial manner. "i knew you were on your way," said the good sorceress when they were seated in her library, "for i learned from my record book that you intended to meet trot and button-bright on their arrival here." "is the strange little girl named trot?' asked dorothy. "yes; and her companion, the old sailor, is named cap'n bill. i think we shall like them very much, for they are just the kind of people to enjoy and appreciate our fairyland and i do not see any way, at present, for them to return again to the outside world." "well, there's room enough here for them, i'm sure," said dorothy. "betsy and i are already eager to welcome trot. it will keep us busy for a year, at least, showing her all the wonderful things in oz." glinda smiled. "i have lived here many years," said she, "and i have not seen all the wonders of oz vet." meantime the travelers were drawing near to the palace, and when they first caught sight of its towers trot realized that it was far more grand and imposing than was the king's castle in jinxland. the nearer they came, the more beautiful the palace appeared, and when finally the scarecrow led them up the great marble steps, even button-bright was filled with awe. "i don't see any soldiers to guard the place," said the little girl. "there is no need to guard glinda's palace," replied the scarecrow. "we have no wicked people in oz, that we know of, and even if there were any, glinda's magic would be powerful enough to protect her." button-bright was now standing on the top steps of the entrance, and he suddenly exclaimed: "why, there's the sawhorse and the red wagon! hip, hooray!" and next moment he was rushing down to throw his arms around the neck of the wooden horse, which good-naturedly permitted this familiarity when it recognized in the boy an old friend. button-bright's shout had been heard inside the palace, so now dorothy and betsy came running out to embrace their beloved friend, the scarecrow, and to welcome trot and cap'n bill to the land of oz. "we've been watching you for a long time, in ozma's magic picture," said dorothy, "and ozma has sent us to invite you to her own palace in the em'rald city. i don't know if you realize how lucky you are to get that invitation, but you'll understand it better after you've seen the royal palace and the em'rald city." glinda now appeared in person to lead all the party into her azure reception room. trot was a little afraid of the stately sorceress, but gained courage by holding fast to the hands of betsy and dorothy. cap'n bill had no one to help him feel at ease, so the old sailor sat stiffly on the edge of his chair and said: "yes, ma'am," or "no, ma'am," when he was spoken to, and was greatly embarrassed by so much splendor. the scarecrow had lived so much in palaces that he felt quite at home, and he chatted to glinda and the oz girls in a merry, light-hearted way. he told all about his adventures in jinxland, and at the great waterfall, and on the journey hither--most of which his hearers knew already--and then he asked dorothy and betsy what had happened in the emerald city since he had left there. they all passed the evening and the night at glinda's palace, and the sorceress was so gracious to cap'n bill that the old man by degrees regained his self-possession and began to enjoy himself. trot had already come to the conclusion that in dorothy and betsy she had found two delightful comrades, and button-bright was just as much at home here as he had been in the fields of jinxland or when he was buried in the popcorn snow of the land of mo. the next morning they arose bright and early and after breakfast bade good-bye to the kind sorceress, whom trot and cap'n bill thanked earnestly for sending the scarecrow to jinxland to rescue them. then they all climbed into the red wagon. there was room for all on the broad seats, and when all had taken their places--dorothy, trot and betsy on the rear seat and cap'n bill, button-bright and the scarecrow in front--they called "gid-dap!" to the sawhorse and the wooden steed moved briskly away, pulling the red wagon with ease. it was now that the strangers began to perceive the real beauties of the land of oz, for they were passing through a more thickly settled part of the country and the population grew more dense as they drew nearer to the emerald city. everyone they met had a cheery word or a smile for the scarecrow, dorothy and betsy bobbin, and some of them remembered button-bright and welcomed him back to their country. it was a happy party, indeed, that journeyed in the red wagon to the emerald city, and trot already began to hope that ozma would permit her and cap'n bill to live always in the land of oz. when they reached the great city they were more amazed than ever, both by the concourse of people in their quaint and picturesque costumes, and by the splendor of the city itself. but the magnificence of the royal palace quite took their breath away, until ozma received them in her own pretty apartment and by her charming manners and assuring smiles made them feel they were no longer strangers. trot was given a lovely little room next to that of dorothy, while cap'n bill had the cosiest sort of a room next to trot's and overlooking the gardens. and that evening ozma gave a grand banquet and reception in honor of the new arrivals. while trot had read of many of the people she then met, cap'n bill was less familiar with them and many of the unusual characters introduced to him that evening caused the old sailor to open his eyes wide in astonishment. [illustration] [illustration] he had thought the live scarecrow about as curious as anyone could be, but now he met the tin woodman, who was all made of tin, even to his heart, and carried a gleaming axe over his shoulder wherever he went. then there was jack pumpkinhead, whose head was a real pumpkin with the face carved upon it; and professor wogglebug, who had the shape of an enormous bug but was dressed in neat fitting garments. the professor was an interesting talker and had very polite manners, but his face was so comical that it made cap'n bill smile to look at it. a great friend of dorothy and ozma seemed to be a machine man called tik-tok, who ran down several times during the evening and had to be wound up again by someone before he could move or speak. at the reception appeared the shaggy man and his brother, both very popular in oz, as well as dorothy's uncle henry and aunt em, two happy old people who lived in a pretty cottage near the palace. but what perhaps seemed most surprising to both trot and cap'n bill was the number of peculiar animals admitted into ozma's parlors, where they not only conducted themselves quite properly but were able to talk as well as anyone. there was the cowardly lion, an immense beast with a beautiful mane; and the hungry tiger, who smiled continually; and eureka the pink kitten, who lay curled upon a cushion and had rather supercilious manners; and the wooden sawhorse; and nine tiny piglets that belonged to the wizard; and a mule named hank, who belonged to betsy bobbin. a fuzzy little terrier dog, named toto, lay at dorothy's feet but seldom took part in the conversation, although he listened to every word that was said. but the most wonderful of all to trot was a square beast with a winning smile, that squatted in a corner of the room and wagged his square head at everyone in quite a jolly way. betsy told trot that this unique beast was called the woozy, and there was no other like him in all the world. cap'n bill and trot had both looked around expectantly for the wizard of oz, but the evening was far advanced before the famous little man entered the room. but he went up to the strangers at once and said: "i know you, but you don't know me; so let's get acquainted." and they did get acquainted, in a very short time, and before the evening was over trot felt that she knew every person and animal present at the reception, and that they were all her good friends. suddenly they looked around for button-bright, but he was nowhere to be found. "dear me!" cried trot. "he's lost again." "never mind, my dear," said ozma, with her charming smile, "no one can go far astray in the land of oz, and if button-bright isn't lost occasionally, he isn't happy." [illustration] * * * * * transcriber notes all illustrations were placed so as to not split paragraphs. the color illustrations were grouped together (between pages and ) in the printed version; but have been moved to the relevent point within the story. minor typos corrected. available by internet archive (https://archive.org) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) images of the original pages are available through internet archive. see https://archive.org/details/tiktokofoz baum transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). [illustration] tik-tok of oz [illustration] tik-tok of oz by l. frank baum author of the road to oz, dorothy and the wizard in oz, the emerald city of oz, the land of oz, ozma of oz, the patchwork girl of oz [illustration] illustrated by john r. neill the reilly & lee co. chicago [illustration: copyright by l frank baum all rights reserved] [illustration: to louis f. gottschalk, whose sweet and dainty melodies breathe the true spirit of fairyland, this book is affectionately dedicated] [illustration] to my readers [illustration] the very marked success of my last year's fairy book, "the patchwork girl of oz," convinces me that my readers like the oz stories "best of all," as one little girl wrote me. so here, my dears, is a new oz story in which is introduced ann soforth, the queen of oogaboo, whom tik-tok assisted in conquering our old acquaintance, the nome king. it also tells of betsy bobbin and how, after many adventures, she finally reached the marvelous land of oz. there is a play called "the tik-tok man of oz," but it is not like this story of "tik-tok of oz," although some of the adventures recorded in this book, as well as those in several other oz books, are included in the play. those who have seen the play and those who have read the other oz books will find in this story a lot of strange characters and adventures that they have never heard of before. in the letters i receive from children there has been an urgent appeal for me to write a story that will take trot and cap'n bill to the land of oz, where they will meet dorothy and ozma. also they think button-bright ought to get acquainted with ojo the lucky. as you know, i am obliged to talk these matters over with dorothy by means of the "wireless," for that is the only way i can communicate with the land of oz. when i asked her about this idea, she replied: "why, haven't you heard?" i said "no." "well," came the message over the wireless, "i'll tell you all about it, by and by, and then you can make a book of that story for the children to read." so, if dorothy keeps her word and i am permitted to write another oz book, you will probably discover how all these characters came together in the famous emerald city. meantime, i want to tell all my little friends--whose numbers are increasing by many thousands every year--that i am very grateful for the favor they have shown my books and for the delightful little letters i am constantly receiving. i am almost sure that i have as many friends among the children of america as any story writer alive; and this, of course, makes me very proud and happy. l. frank baum. "ozcot" at hollywood in california, . [illustration] list of chapters chapter page --ann's army --out of oogaboo --magic mystifies the marchers --betsy braves the billows --the roses repulse the refugees --shaggy seeks his stray brother --polychrome's pitiful plight --tik-tok tackles a tough task --ruggedo's rage is rash and reckless --a terrible tumble through a tube --the famous fellowship of fairies --the lovely lady of light --the jinjin's just judgment --the long-eared hearer learns by listening --the dragon defies danger --the naughty nome --a tragic transformation --a clever conquest --king kaliko --quox quietly quits --a bashful brother --kindly kisses --ruggedo reforms --dorothy is delighted --the land of love [illustration] [illustration] [illustration] chapter ann's army "i won't!" cried ann; "i won't sweep the floor. it is beneath my dignity." "some one must sweep it," replied ann's younger sister, salye; "else we shall soon be wading in dust. and you are the eldest, and the head of the family." "i'm queen of oogaboo," said ann, proudly. "but," she added with a sigh, "my kingdom is the smallest and the poorest in all the land of oz." this was quite true. away up in the mountains, in a far corner of the beautiful fairyland of oz, lies a small valley which is named oogaboo, and in this valley lived a few people who were usually happy and contented and never cared to wander over the mountain pass into the more settled parts of the land. they knew that all of oz, including their own territory, was ruled by a beautiful princess named ozma, who lived in the splendid emerald city; yet the simple folk of oogaboo never visited ozma. they had a royal family of their own--not especially to rule over them, but just as a matter of pride. ozma permitted the various parts of her country to have their kings and queens and emperors and the like, but all were ruled over by the lovely girl queen of the emerald city. the king of oogaboo used to be a man named jol jemkiph soforth, who for many years did all the drudgery of deciding disputes and telling his people when to plant cabbages and pickle onions. but the king's wife had a sharp tongue and small respect for the king, her husband; therefore one night king jol crept over the pass into the land of oz and disappeared from oogaboo for good and all. the queen waited a few years for him to return and then started in search of him, leaving her eldest daughter, ann soforth, to act as queen. now, ann had not forgotten when her birthday came, for that meant a party and feasting and dancing, but she had quite forgotten how many years the birthdays marked. in a land where people live always, this is not considered a cause for regret, so we may justly say that queen ann of oogaboo was old enough to make jelly--and let it go at that. but she didn't make jelly, or do any more of the housework than she could help. she was an ambitious woman and constantly resented the fact that her kingdom was so tiny and her people so stupid and unenterprising. often she wondered what had become of her father and mother, out beyond the pass, in the wonderful land of oz, and the fact that they did not return to oogaboo led ann to suspect that they had found a better place to live. so, when salye refused to sweep the floor of the living room in the palace, and ann would not sweep it, either, she said to her sister: "i'm going away. this absurd kingdom of oogaboo tires me." "go, if you want to," answered salye; "but you are very foolish to leave this place." "why?" asked ann. "because in the land of oz, which is ozma's country, you will be a nobody, while here you are a queen." "oh, yes! queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven women and forty-four children!" returned ann bitterly. "well, there are certainly more people than that in the great land of oz," laughed salye. "why don't you raise an army and conquer them, and be queen of all oz?" she asked, trying to taunt ann and so to anger her. then she made a face at her sister and went into the back yard to swing in the hammock. her jeering words, however, had given queen ann an idea. she reflected that oz was reported to be a peaceful country and ozma a mere girl who ruled with gentleness to all and was obeyed because her people loved her. even in oogaboo the story was told that ozma's sole army consisted of twenty-seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms but carried no weapons, because there was no one to fight. once there had been a private soldier, besides the officers, but ozma had made him a captain-general and taken away his gun for fear it might accidentally hurt some one. the more ann thought about the matter the more she was convinced it would be easy to conquer the land of oz and set herself up as ruler in ozma's place, if she but had an army to do it with. afterward she could go out into the world and conquer other lands, and then perhaps she could find a way to the moon, and conquer that. she had a warlike spirit that preferred trouble to idleness. it all depended on an army, ann decided. she carefully counted in her mind all the men of her kingdom. yes; there were exactly eighteen of them, all told. that would not make a very big army, but by surprising ozma's unarmed officers her men might easily subdue them. "gentle people are always afraid of those that bluster," ann told herself. "i don't wish to shed any blood, for that would shock my nerves and i might faint; but if we threaten and flash our weapons i am sure the people of oz will fall upon their knees before me and surrender." this argument, which she repeated to herself more than once, finally determined the queen of oogaboo to undertake the audacious venture. "whatever happens," she reflected, "can make me no more unhappy than my staying shut up in this miserable valley and sweeping floors and quarreling with sister salye; so i will venture all, and win what i may." that very day she started out to organize her army. the first man she came to was jo apple, so called because he had an apple orchard. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and i want you to join my army." "don't ask me to do such a fool thing, for i must politely refuse your majesty," said jo apple. "i have no intention of asking you. i shall command you, as queen of oogaboo, to join," said ann. "in that case, i suppose i must obey," the man remarked, in a sad voice. "but i pray you to consider that i am a very important citizen, and for that reason am entitled to an office of high rank." "you shall be a general," promised ann. "with gold epaulets and a sword?" he asked. "of course," said the queen. then she went to the next man, whose name was jo bunn, as he owned an orchard where graham-buns and wheat-buns, in great variety, both hot and cold, grew on the trees. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and i command you to join my army." "impossible!" he exclaimed. "the bun crop has to be picked." "let your wife and children do the picking," said ann. "but i'm a man of great importance, your majesty," he protested. "for that reason you shall be one of my generals, and wear a cocked hat with gold braid, and curl your mustaches and clank a long sword," she promised. so he consented, although sorely against his will, and the queen walked on to the next cottage. here lived jo cone, so called because the trees in his orchard bore crops of excellent ice-cream cones. "jo," said ann, "i am going to conquer the world, and you must join my army." "excuse me, please," said jo cone. "i am a bad fighter. my good wife conquered me years ago, for she can fight better than i. take her, your majesty, instead of me, and i'll bless you for the favor." "this must be an army of men--fierce, ferocious warriors," declared ann, looking sternly upon the mild little man. "and you will leave my wife here in oogaboo?" he asked. "yes; and make you a general." "i'll go," said jo cone, and ann went on to the cottage of jo clock, who had an orchard of clock-trees. this man at first insisted that he would not join the army, but queen ann's promise to make him a general finally won his consent. "how many generals are there in your army?" he asked. "four, so far," replied ann. "and how big will the army be?" was his next question. "i intend to make every one of the eighteen men in oogaboo join it," she said. "then four generals are enough," announced jo clock. "i advise you to make the rest of them colonels." ann tried to follow his advice. the next four men she visited--who were jo plum, jo egg, jo banjo and jo cheese, named after the trees in their orchards--she made colonels of her army; but the fifth one, jo nails, said colonels and generals were getting to be altogether too common in the army of oogaboo and he preferred to be a major. so jo nails, jo cake, jo ham and jo stockings were all four made majors, while the next four--jo sandwich, jo padlocks, jo sundae and jo buttons--were appointed captains of the army. but now queen ann was in a quandary. there remained but two other men in all oogaboo, and if she made these two lieutenants, while there were four captains, four majors, four colonels and four generals, there was likely to be jealousy in her army, and perhaps mutiny and desertions. one of these men, however, was jo candy, and he would not go at all. no promises could tempt him, nor could threats move him. he said he must remain at home to harvest his crop of jackson-balls, lemon-drops, bonbons and chocolate-creams. also he had large fields of crackerjack and buttered pop corn to be mowed and threshed, and he was determined not to disappoint the children of oogaboo by going away to conquer the world and so let the candy crop spoil. finding jo candy so obstinate, queen ann let him have his own way and continued her journey to the house of the eighteenth and last man in oogaboo, who was a young fellow named jo files. this files had twelve trees which bore steel files of various sorts; but also he had nine book-trees, on which grew a choice selection of story-books. in case you have never seen books growing upon trees, i will explain that those in jo files' orchard were enclosed in broad green husks which, when fully ripe, turned to a deep red color. then the books were picked and husked and were ready to read. if they were picked too soon, the stories were found to be confused and uninteresting and the spelling bad. however, if allowed to ripen perfectly, the stories were fine reading and the spelling and grammar excellent. [illustration] files freely gave his books to all who wanted them, but the people of oogaboo cared little for books and so he had to read most of them himself, before they spoiled. for, as you probably know, as soon as the books were read the words disappeared and the leaves withered and faded--which is the worst fault of all books which grow upon trees. when queen ann spoke to this young man files, who was both intelligent and ambitious, he said he thought it would be great fun to conquer the world. but he called her attention to the fact that he was far superior to the other men of her army. therefore, he would not be one of her generals or colonels or majors or captains, but claimed the honor of being sole private. ann did not like this idea at all. "i hate to have a private soldier in my army," she said; "they're so common. i am told that princess ozma once had a private soldier, but she made him her captain-general, which is good evidence that the private was unnecessary." "ozma's army doesn't fight," returned files; "but your army must fight like fury in order to conquer the world. i have read in my books that it is always the private soldiers who do the fighting, for no officer is ever brave enough to face the foe. also, it stands to reason that your officers must have some one to command and to issue their orders to; therefore i'll be the one. i long to slash and slay the enemy and become a hero. then, when we return to oogaboo, i'll take all the marbles away from the children and melt them up and make a marble statue of myself for all to look upon and admire." ann was much pleased with private files. he seemed indeed to be such a warrior as she needed in her enterprise, and her hopes of success took a sudden bound when files told her he knew where a gun-tree grew and would go there at once and pick the ripest and biggest musket the tree bore. [illustration] [illustration] chapter out of oogaboo three days later the grand army of oogaboo assembled in the square in front of the royal palace. the sixteen officers were attired in gorgeous uniforms and carried sharp, glittering swords. the private had picked his gun and, although it was not a very big weapon, files tried to look fierce and succeeded so well that all his commanding officers were secretly afraid of him. the women were there, protesting that queen ann soforth had no right to take their husbands and fathers from them; but ann commanded them to keep silent, and that was the hardest order to obey they had ever received. [illustration: for--ward march!] the queen appeared before her army dressed in an imposing uniform of green, covered with gold braid. she wore a green soldier-cap with a purple plume in it and looked so royal and dignified that everyone in oogaboo except the army was glad she was going. the army was sorry she was not going alone. "form ranks!" she cried in her shrill voice. salye leaned out of the palace window and laughed. "i believe your army can run better than it can fight," she observed. "of course," replied general bunn, proudly. "we're not looking for trouble, you know, but for plunder. the more plunder and the less fighting we get, the better we shall like our work." "for my part," said files, "i prefer war and carnage to anything. the only way to become a hero is to conquer, and the story-books all say that the easiest way to conquer is to fight." "that's the idea, my brave man!" agreed ann. "to fight is to conquer and to conquer is to secure plunder and to secure plunder is to become a hero. with such noble determination to back me, the world is mine! good-bye, salye. when we return we shall be rich and famous. come, generals; let us march." at this the generals straightened up and threw out their chests. then they swung their glittering swords in rapid circles and cried to the colonels: "for--ward march!" then the colonels shouted to the majors: "for--ward march!" and the majors yelled to the captains: "for--ward march!" and the captains screamed to the private: "for--ward march!" so files shouldered his gun and began to march, and all the officers followed after him. queen ann came last of all, rejoicing in her noble army and wondering why she had not decided long ago to conquer the world. in this order the procession marched out of oogaboo and took the narrow mountain pass which led into the lovely fairyland of oz. [illustration] [illustration] chapter magic mystifies the marchers princess ozma was all unaware that the army of oogaboo, led by their ambitious queen, was determined to conquer her kingdom. the beautiful girl ruler of oz was busy with the welfare of her subjects and had no time to think of ann soforth and her disloyal plans. but there was one who constantly guarded the peace and happiness of the land of oz and this was the official sorceress of the kingdom, glinda the good. in her magnificent castle, which stands far north of the emerald city where ozma holds her court, glinda owns a wonderful magic record book, in which is printed every event that takes place anywhere, just as soon as it happens. the smallest things and the biggest things are all recorded in this book. if a child stamps its foot in anger, glinda reads about it; if a city burns down, glinda finds the fact noted in her book. the sorceress always reads her record book every day, and so it was she knew that ann soforth, queen of oogaboo, had foolishly assembled an army of sixteen officers and one private soldier, with which she intended to invade and conquer the land of oz. there was no danger but that ozma, supported by the magic arts of glinda the good and the powerful wizard of oz--both her firm friends--could easily defeat a far more imposing army than ann's; but it would be a shame to have the peace of oz interrupted by any sort of quarreling or fighting. so glinda did not even mention the matter to ozma, or to anyone else. she merely went into a great chamber of her castle, known as the magic room, where she performed a magical ceremony which caused the mountain pass that led from oogaboo to make several turns and twists. the result was that when ann and her army came to the end of the pass they were not in the land of oz at all, but in an adjoining territory that was quite distinct from ozma's domain and separated from oz by an invisible barrier. as the oogaboo people emerged into this country, the pass they had traversed disappeared behind them and it was not likely they would ever find their way back into the valley of oogaboo. they were greatly puzzled, indeed, by their surroundings and did not know which way to go. none of them had ever visited oz, so it took them some time to discover they were not in oz at all, but in an unknown country. "never mind," said ann, trying to conceal her disappointment; "we have started out to conquer the world, and here is part of it. in time, as we pursue our victorious journey, we will doubtless come to oz; but, until we get there, we may as well conquer whatever land we find ourselves in." "have we conquered this place, your majesty?" anxiously inquired major cake. "most certainly," said ann. "we have met no people, as yet, but when we do, we will inform them that they are our slaves." "and afterward we will plunder them of all their possessions," added general apple. "they may not possess anything," objected private files; "but i hope they will fight us, just the same. a peaceful conquest wouldn't be any fun at all." "don't worry," said the queen. "_we_ can fight, whether our foes do or not; and perhaps we would find it more comfortable to have the enemy surrender promptly." it was a barren country and not very pleasant to travel in. moreover, there was little for them to eat, and as the officers became hungry they became fretful. many would have deserted had they been able to find their way home, but as the oogaboo people were now hopelessly lost in a strange country they considered it more safe to keep together than to separate. queen ann's temper, never very agreeable, became sharp and irritable as she and her army tramped over the rocky roads without encountering either people or plunder. she scolded her officers until they became surly, and a few of them were disloyal enough to ask her to hold her tongue. others began to reproach her for leading them into difficulties and in the space of three unhappy days every man was mourning for his orchard in the pretty valley of oogaboo. files, however, proved a different sort. the more difficulties he encountered the more cheerful he became, and the sighs of the officers were answered by the merry whistle of the private. his pleasant disposition did much to encourage queen ann and before long she consulted the private soldier more often than she did his superiors. it was on the third day of their pilgrimage that they encountered their first adventure. toward evening the sky was suddenly darkened and major nails exclaimed: "a fog is coming toward us." "i do not think it is a fog," replied files, looking with interest at the approaching cloud. "it seems to me more like the breath of a rak." "what is a rak?" asked ann, looking about fearfully. "a terrible beast with a horrible appetite," answered the soldier, growing a little paler than usual. "i have never seen a rak, to be sure, but i have read of them in the story-books that grew in my orchard, and if this is indeed one of those fearful monsters, we are not likely to conquer the world." hearing this, the officers became quite worried and gathered closer about their soldier. "what is the thing like?" asked one. "the only picture of a rak that i ever saw in a book was rather blurred," said files, "because the book was not quite ripe when it was picked. but the creature can fly in the air and run like a deer and swim like a fish. inside its body is a glowing furnace of fire, and the rak breathes in air and breathes out smoke, which darkens the sky for miles around, wherever it goes. it is bigger than a hundred men and feeds on any living thing." the officers now began to groan and to tremble, but files tried to cheer them, saying: "it may not be a rak, after all, that we see approaching us, and you must not forget that we people of oogaboo, which is part of the fairyland of oz, cannot be killed." "nevertheless," said captain buttons, "if the rak catches us, and chews us up into small pieces, and swallows us--what will happen then?" "then each small piece will still be alive," declared files. "i cannot see how that would help us," wailed colonel banjo. "a hamburger steak is a hamburger steak, whether it is alive or not!" "i tell you, this may not be a rak," persisted files. "we will know, when the cloud gets nearer, whether it is the breath of a rak or not. if it has no smell at all, it is probably a fog; but if it has an odor of salt and pepper, it is a rak and we must prepare for a desperate fight." they all eyed the dark cloud fearfully. before long it reached the frightened group and began to envelop them. every nose sniffed the cloud--and every one detected in it the odor of salt and pepper. "the rak!" shouted private files, and with a howl of despair the sixteen officers fell to the ground, writhing and moaning in anguish. queen ann sat down upon a rock and faced the cloud more bravely, although her heart was beating fast. as for files, he calmly loaded his gun and stood ready to fight the foe, as a soldier should. they were now in absolute darkness, for the cloud which covered the sky and the setting sun was black as ink. then through the gloom appeared two round, glowing balls of red, and files at once decided these must be the monster's eyes. he raised his gun, took aim and fired. there were several bullets in the gun, all gathered from an excellent bullet-tree in oogaboo, and they were big and hard. they flew toward the monster and struck it, and with a wild, weird cry the rak came fluttering down and its huge body fell plump upon the forms of the sixteen officers, who thereupon screamed louder than before. "badness me!" moaned the rak. "see what you've done with that dangerous gun of yours!" "i can't see," replied files, "for the cloud formed by your breath darkens my sight!" "don't tell me it was an accident," continued the rak, reproachfully, as it still flapped its wings in a helpless manner. "don't claim you didn't know the gun was loaded, i beg of you!" "i don't intend to," replied files. "did the bullets hurt you very badly?" "one has broken my jaw, so that i can't open my mouth. you will notice that my voice sounds rather harsh and husky, because i have to talk with my teeth set close together. another bullet broke my left wing, so that i can't fly; and still another broke my right leg, so that i can't walk. it was the most careless shot i ever heard of!" "can't you manage to lift your body off from my commanding officers?" inquired files. "from their cries i'm afraid your great weight is crushing them." [illustration] "i hope it is," growled the rak. "i want to crush them, if possible, for i have a bad disposition. if only i could open my mouth, i'd eat all of you, although my appetite is poorly this warm weather." with this the rak began to roll its immense body sidewise, so as to crush the officers more easily; but in doing this it rolled completely off from them and the entire sixteen scrambled to their feet and made off as fast as they could run. private files could not see them go but he knew from the sound of their voices that they had escaped, so he ceased to worry about them. "pardon me if i now bid you good-bye," he said to the rak. "the parting is caused by our desire to continue our journey. if you die, do not blame me, for i was obliged to shoot you as a matter of self-protection." "i shall not die," answered the monster, "for i bear a charmed life. but i beg you not to leave me!" "why not?" asked files. "because my broken jaw will heal in about an hour, and then i shall be able to eat you. my wing will heal in a day and my leg will heal in a week, when i shall be as well as ever. having shot me, and so caused me all this annoyance, it is only fair and just that you remain here and allow me to eat you as soon as i can open my jaws." "i beg to differ with you," returned the soldier firmly. "i have made an engagement with queen ann of oogaboo to help her conquer the world, and i cannot break my word for the sake of being eaten by a rak." "oh; that's different," said the monster. "if you've an engagement, don't let me detain you." so files felt around in the dark and grasped the hand of the trembling queen, whom he led away from the flapping, sighing rak. they stumbled over the stones for a way but presently began to see dimly the path ahead of them, as they got farther and farther away from the dreadful spot where the wounded monster lay. by and by they reached a little hill and could see the last rays of the sun flooding a pretty valley beyond, for now they had passed beyond the cloudy breath of the rak. here were huddled the sixteen officers, still frightened and panting from their run. they had halted only because it was impossible for them to run any farther. queen ann gave them a severe scolding for their cowardice, at the same time praising files for his courage. "we are wiser than he, however," muttered general clock, "for by running away we are now able to assist your majesty in conquering the world; whereas, had files been eaten by the rak, he would have deserted your army." after a brief rest they descended into the valley, and as soon as they were out of sight of the rak the spirits of the entire party rose quickly. just at dusk they came to a brook, on the banks of which queen ann commanded them to make camp for the night. each officer carried in his pocket a tiny white tent. this, when placed upon the ground, quickly grew in size until it was large enough to permit the owner to enter it and sleep within its canvas walls. files was obliged to carry a knapsack, in which was not only his own tent but an elaborate pavilion for queen ann, besides a bed and chair and a magic table. this table, when set upon the ground in ann's pavilion, became of large size, and in a drawer of the table was contained the queen's supply of extra clothing, her manicure and toilet articles and other necessary things. the royal bed was the only one in the camp, the officers and private sleeping in hammocks attached to their tent poles. there was also in the knapsack a flag bearing the royal emblem of oogaboo, and this flag files flew upon its staff every night, to show that the country they were in had been conquered by the queen of oogaboo. so far, no one but themselves had seen the flag, but ann was pleased to see it flutter in the breeze and considered herself already a famous conqueror. [illustration] chapter betsy braves the billows the waves dashed and the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled and the ship struck a rock. betsy bobbin was running across the deck and the shock sent her flying through the air until she fell with a splash into the dark blue water. the same shock caught hank, a thin little, sad-faced mule, and tumbled him also into the sea, far from the ship's side. when betsy came up, gasping for breath because the wet plunge had surprised her, she reached out in the dark and grabbed a bunch of hair. at first she thought it was the end of a rope, but presently she heard a dismal "hee-haw!" and knew she was holding fast to the end of hank's tail. suddenly the sea was lighted up by a vivid glare. the ship, now in the far distance, caught fire, blew up and sank beneath the waves. betsy shuddered at the sight, but just then her eye caught a mass of wreckage floating near her and she let go the mule's tail and seized the rude raft, pulling herself up so that she rode upon it in safety. hank also saw the raft and swam to it, but he was so clumsy he never would have been able to climb upon it had not betsy helped him to get aboard. they had to crowd close together, for their support was only a hatch-cover torn from the ship's deck; but it floated them fairly well and both the girl and the mule knew it would keep them from drowning. the storm was not over, by any means, when the ship went down. blinding bolts of lightning shot from cloud to cloud and the clamor of deep thunderclaps echoed far over the sea. the waves tossed the little raft here and there as a child tosses a rubber ball and betsy had a solemn feeling that for hundreds of watery miles in every direction there was no living thing besides herself and the small donkey. perhaps hank had the same thought, for he gently rubbed his nose against the frightened girl and said "hee-haw!" in his softest voice, as if to comfort her. "you'll protect me, hank dear, won't you?" she cried helplessly, and the mule said "hee-haw!" again, in tones that meant a promise. on board the ship, during the days that preceded the wreck, when the sea was calm, betsy and hank had become good friends; so, while the girl might have preferred a more powerful protector in this dreadful emergency, she felt that the mule would do all in a mule's power to guard her safety. all night they floated, and when the storm had worn itself out and passed away with a few distant growls, and the waves had grown smaller and easier to ride, betsy stretched herself out on the wet raft and fell asleep. hank did not sleep a wink. perhaps he felt it his duty to guard betsy. anyhow, he crouched on the raft beside the tired sleeping girl and watched patiently until the first light of dawn swept over the sea. the light wakened betsy bobbin. she sat up, rubbed her eyes and stared across the water. "oh, hank; there's land ahead!" she exclaimed. "hee-haw!" answered hank in his plaintive voice. the raft was floating swiftly toward a very beautiful country and as they drew near betsy could see banks of lovely flowers showing brightly between leafy trees. but no people were to be seen at all. [illustration] chapter the roses repulse the refugees gently the raft grated on the sandy beach. then betsy easily waded ashore, the mule following closely behind her. the sun was now shining and the air was warm and laden with the fragrance of roses. "i'd like some breakfast, hank," remarked the girl, feeling more cheerful now that she was on dry land; "but we can't eat the flowers, although they do smell mighty good." "hee-haw!" replied hank and trotted up a little pathway to the top of the bank. betsy followed and from the eminence looked around her. a little way off stood a splendid big greenhouse, its thousands of crystal panes glittering in the sunlight. "there ought to be people somewhere 'round," observed betsy thoughtfully; "gardeners, or somebody. let's go and see, hank. i'm getting hungrier ev'ry minute." so they walked toward the great greenhouse and came to its entrance without meeting with anyone at all. a door stood ajar, so hank went in first, thinking if there was any danger he could back out and warn his companion. but betsy was close at his heels and the moment she entered was lost in amazement at the wonderful sight she saw. the greenhouse was filled with magnificent rosebushes, all growing in big pots. on the central stem of each bush bloomed a splendid rose, gorgeously colored and deliciously fragrant, and in the center of each rose was the face of a lovely girl. as betsy and hank entered, the heads of the roses were drooping and their eyelids were closed in slumber; but the mule was so amazed that he uttered a loud "hee-haw!" and at the sound of his harsh voice the rose leaves fluttered, the roses raised their heads and a hundred startled eyes were instantly fixed upon the intruders. "i--i beg your pardon!" stammered betsy, blushing and confused. "o-o-o-h!" cried the roses, in a sort of sighing chorus; and one of them added: "what a horrid noise!" "why, that was only hank," said betsy, and as if to prove the truth of her words the mule uttered another loud "hee-haw!" at this all the roses turned on their stems as far as they were able and trembled as if some one were shaking their bushes. a dainty moss rose gasped: "dear me! how dreadfully dreadful!" "it isn't dreadful at all," said betsy, somewhat indignant. "when you get used to hank's voice it will put you to sleep." the roses now looked at the mule less fearfully and one of them asked: "is that savage beast named hank?" "yes; hank's my comrade, faithful and true," answered the girl, twining her arms around the little mule's neck and hugging him tight. "aren't you, hank?" hank could only say in reply: "hee-haw!" and at his bray the roses shivered again. "please go away!" begged one. "can't you see you're frightening us out of a week's growth?" "go away!" echoed betsy. "why, we've no place to go. we've just been wrecked." "wrecked?" asked the roses in a surprised chorus. "yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came and wrecked it," explained the girl. "but hank and i caught hold of a raft and floated ashore to this place, and--we're tired and hungry. what country _is_ this, please?" [illustration] "this is the rose kingdom," replied the moss rose, haughtily, "and it is devoted to the culture of the rarest and fairest roses grown." "i believe it," said betsy, admiring the pretty blossoms. "but only roses are allowed here," continued a delicate tea rose, bending her brows in a frown; "therefore you must go away before the royal gardener finds you and casts you back into the sea." "oh! is there a royal gardener, then?" inquired betsy. "to be sure." "and is he a rose, also?" "of course not; he's a man--a wonderful man," was the reply. "well, i'm not afraid of a man," declared the girl, much relieved, and even as she spoke the royal gardener popped into the greenhouse--a spading fork in one hand and a watering pot in the other. he was a funny little man, dressed in a rose-colored costume, with ribbons at his knees and elbows, and a bunch of ribbons in his hair. his eyes were small and twinkling, his nose sharp and his face puckered and deeply lined. "o-ho!" he exclaimed, astonished to find strangers in his greenhouse, and when hank gave a loud bray the gardener threw the watering pot over the mule's head and danced around with his fork, in such agitation that presently he fell over the handle of the implement and sprawled at full length upon the ground. betsy laughed and pulled the watering pot off from hank's head. the little mule was angry at the treatment he had received and backed toward the gardener threateningly. "look out for his heels!" called betsy warningly and the gardener scrambled to his feet and hastily hid behind the roses. "you are breaking the law!" he shouted, sticking out his head to glare at the girl and the mule. "what law?" asked betsy. "the law of the rose kingdom. no strangers are allowed in these domains." "not when they're shipwrecked?" she inquired. "the law doesn't except shipwrecks," replied the royal gardener, and he was about to say more when suddenly there was a crash of glass and a man came tumbling through the roof of the greenhouse and fell plump to the ground. [illustration] chapter shaggy seeks his stray brother this sudden arrival was a queer looking man, dressed all in garments so shaggy that betsy at first thought he must be some animal. but the stranger ended his fall in a sitting position and then the girl saw it was really a man. he held an apple in his hand, which he had evidently been eating when he fell, and so little was he jarred or flustered by the accident that he continued to munch this apple as he calmly looked around him. "good gracious!" exclaimed betsy, approaching him. "who _are_ you, and where did you come from?" "me? oh, i'm shaggy man," said he, taking another bite of the apple. "just dropped in for a short call. excuse my seeming haste." "why, i s'pose you couldn't help the haste," said betsy. "no. i climbed an apple tree, outside; branch gave way and--here i am." as he spoke the shaggy man finished his apple, gave the core to hank--who ate it greedily--and then stood up to bow politely to betsy and the roses. the royal gardener had been frightened nearly into fits by the crash of glass and the fall of the shaggy stranger into the bower of roses, but now he peeped out from behind a bush and cried in his squeaky voice: "you're breaking the law! you're breaking the law!" shaggy stared at him solemnly. "is the glass the law in this country?" he asked. "breaking the glass is breaking the law," squeaked the gardener, angrily. "also, to intrude in any part of the rose kingdom is breaking the law." "how do you know?" asked shaggy. "why, it's printed in a book," said the gardener, coming forward and taking a small book from his pocket. "page thirteen. here it is: 'if any stranger enters the rose kingdom he shall at once be condemned by the ruler and put to death.' so you see, strangers," he continued triumphantly, "it's death for you all and your time has come!" but just here hank interposed. he had been stealthily backing toward the royal gardener, whom he disliked, and now the mule's heels shot out and struck the little man in the middle. he doubled up like the letter "u" and flew out of the door so swiftly--never touching the ground--that he was gone before betsy had time to wink. but the mule's attack frightened the girl. "come," she whispered, approaching the shaggy man and taking his hand; "let's go somewhere else. they'll surely kill us if we stay here!" "don't worry, my dear," replied shaggy, patting the child's head. "i'm not afraid of anything, so long as i have the love magnet." "the love magnet! why, what is that?" asked betsy. "it's a charming little enchantment that wins the heart of everyone who looks upon it," was the reply. "the love magnet used to hang over the gateway to the emerald city, in the land of oz; but when i started on this journey our beloved ruler, ozma of oz, allowed me to take it with me." "oh!" cried betsy, staring hard at him; "are you really from the wonderful land of oz?" "yes. ever been there, my dear?" "no; but i've heard about it. and do you know princess ozma?" "very well indeed." "and--and princess dorothy?" "dorothy's an old chum of mine," declared shaggy. "dear me!" exclaimed betsy. "and why did you ever leave such a beautiful land as oz?" "on an errand," said shaggy, looking sad and solemn. "i'm trying to find my dear little brother." "oh! is he lost?" questioned betsy, feeling very sorry for the poor man. "been lost these ten years," replied shaggy, taking out a handkerchief and wiping a tear from his eye. "i didn't know it until lately, when i saw it recorded in the magic record book of the sorceress glinda, in the land of oz. so now i'm trying to find him." "where was he lost?" asked the girl sympathetically. "back in colorado, where i used to live before i went to oz. brother was a miner, and dug gold out of a mine. one day he went into his mine and never came out. they searched for him, but he was not there. disappeared entirely," shaggy ended miserably. "for goodness sake! what do you s'pose became of him?" she asked. "there is only one explanation," replied shaggy, taking another apple from his pocket and eating it to relieve his misery. "the nome king probably got him." "the nome king! who is he?" "why, he's sometimes called the metal monarch, and his name is ruggedo. lives in some underground cavern. claims to own all the metals hidden in the earth. don't ask me why." "why?" "'cause i don't know. but this ruggedo gets wild with anger if anyone digs gold out of the earth, and my private opinion is that he captured brother and carried him off to his underground kingdom. no--don't ask me why. i see you're dying to ask me why. but i don't know." "but--dear me!--in that case you will never find your lost brother!" exclaimed the girl. "maybe not; but it's my duty to try," answered shaggy. "i've wandered so far without finding him, but that only proves he is not where i've been looking. what i seek now is the hidden passage to the underground cavern of the terrible metal monarch." "well," said betsy doubtfully, "it strikes me that if you ever manage to get there the metal monarch will make you, too, his prisoner." "nonsense!" answered shaggy, carelessly. "you mustn't forget the love magnet." "what about it?" she asked. "when the fierce metal monarch sees the love magnet, he will love me dearly and do anything i ask." "it must be wonderful," said betsy, with awe. "it is," the man assured her. "shall i show it to you?" "oh, do!" she cried; so shaggy searched in his shaggy pocket and drew out a small silver magnet, shaped like a horseshoe. the moment betsy saw it she began to like the shaggy man better than before. hank also saw the magnet and crept up to shaggy to rub his head lovingly against the man's knee. but they were interrupted by the royal gardener, who stuck his head into the greenhouse and shouted angrily: "you are all condemned to death! your only chance to escape is to leave here instantly." this startled little betsy, but the shaggy man merely waved the magnet toward the gardener, who, seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself at shaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words: "oh, you lovely, lovely man! how fond i am of you! every shag and bobtail that decorates you is dear to me--all i have is yours! but for goodness' sake get out of here before you die the death." "i'm not going to die," declared shaggy man. "you must. it's the law," exclaimed the gardener, beginning to weep real tears. "it breaks my heart to tell you this bad news, but the law says that all strangers must be condemned by the ruler to die the death." "no ruler has condemned us yet," said betsy. "of course not," added shaggy. "we haven't even seen the ruler of the rose kingdom." "well, to tell the truth," said the gardener, in a perplexed tone of voice, "we haven't any real ruler, just now. you see, all our rulers grow on bushes in the royal gardens, and the last one we had got mildewed and withered before his time. so we had to plant him, and at this time there is no one growing on the royal bushes who is ripe enough to pick." "how do you know?" asked betsy. "why, i'm the royal gardener. plenty of royalties are growing, i admit; but just now they are all green. until one ripens, i am supposed to rule the rose kingdom myself, and see that its laws are obeyed. therefore, much as i love you, shaggy, i must put you to death." "wait a minute," pleaded betsy. "i'd like to see those royal gardens before i die." "so would i," added shaggy man. "take us there, gardener." "oh, i can't do that," objected the gardener. but shaggy again showed him the love magnet and after one glance at it the gardener could no longer resist. he led shaggy, betsy and hank to the end of the great greenhouse and carefully unlocked a small door. passing through this they came into the splendid royal garden of the rose kingdom. it was all surrounded by a tall hedge and within the enclosure grew several enormous rosebushes having thick green leaves of the texture of velvet. upon these bushes grew the members of the royal family of the rose kingdom--men, women and children in all stages of maturity. they all seemed to have a light green hue, as if unripe or not fully developed, their flesh and clothing being alike green. they stood perfectly lifeless upon their branches, which swayed softly in the breeze, and their wide-open eyes stared straight ahead, unseeing and unintelligent. while examining these curious growing people, betsy passed behind a big central bush and at once uttered an exclamation of surprise and pleasure. for there, blooming in perfect color and shape, stood a royal princess, whose beauty was amazing. "why, she's ripe!" cried betsy, pushing aside some of the broad leaves to observe her more clearly. "well, perhaps so," admitted the gardener, who had come to the girl's side; "but she's a girl, and so we can't use her for a ruler." "no, indeed!" came a chorus of soft voices, and looking around betsy discovered that all the roses had followed them from the greenhouse and were now grouped before the entrance. "you see," explained the gardener, "the subjects of rose kingdom don't want a girl ruler. they want a king." [illustration] [illustration] "a king! we want a king!" repeated the chorus of roses. "isn't she royal?" inquired shaggy, admiring the lovely princess. "of course, for she grows on a royal bush. this princess is named ozga, as she is a distant cousin of ozma of oz; and, were she but a man, we would joyfully hail her as our ruler." the gardener then turned away to talk with his roses and betsy whispered to her companion: "let's pick her, shaggy." "all right," said he. "if she's royal, she has the right to rule this kingdom, and if we pick her she will surely protect us and prevent our being hurt, or driven away." so betsy and shaggy each took an arm of the beautiful rose princess and a little twist of her feet set her free of the branch upon which she grew. very gracefully she stepped down from the bush to the ground, where she bowed low to betsy and shaggy and said in a delightfully sweet voice: "i thank you." but at the sound of these words the gardener and the roses turned and discovered that the princess had been picked, and was now alive. over every face flashed an expression of resentment and anger, and one of the roses cried aloud: "audacious mortals! what have you done?" [illustration] "picked a princess for you, that's all," replied betsy, cheerfully. "but we won't have her! we want a king!" exclaimed a jacque rose, and another added with a voice of scorn: "no girl shall rule over us!" the newly-picked princess looked from one to another of her rebellious subjects in astonishment. a grieved look came over her exquisite features. "have i no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she asked gently. "have i not come from my royal bush to be your ruler?" "you were picked by mortals, without our consent," replied the moss rose, coldly; "so we refuse to allow you to rule us." "turn her out, gardener, with the others!" cried the tea rose. "just a second, please!" called shaggy, taking the love magnet from his pocket. "i guess this will win their love, princess. here--take it in your hand and let the roses see it." princess ozga took the magnet and held it poised before the eyes of her subjects; but the roses regarded it with calm disdain. "why, what's the matter?" demanded shaggy in surprise. "the magnet never failed to work before!" "i know," said betsy, nodding her head wisely. "these roses have no hearts." "that's it," agreed the gardener. "they're pretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they are roses. their stems have thorns, but no hearts." the princess sighed and handed the magnet to the shaggy man. "what shall i do?" she asked sorrowfully. "turn her out, gardener, with the others!" commanded the roses. "we will have no ruler until a man-rose--a king--is ripe enough to pick." "very well," said the gardener meekly. "you must excuse me, my dear shaggy, for opposing your wishes, but you and the others, including ozga, must get out of rose kingdom immediately, if not before." "don't you love me, gardy?" asked shaggy, carelessly displaying the magnet. "i do. i dote on thee!" answered the gardener earnestly; "but no true man will neglect his duty for the sake of love. my duty is to drive you out, so--out you go!" with this he seized a garden fork and began jabbing it at the strangers, in order to force them to leave. hank the mule was not afraid of the fork and when he got his heels near to the gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick. but now the roses crowded around the outcasts and it was soon discovered that beneath their draperies of green leaves were many sharp thorns which were more dangerous than hank's heels. neither betsy nor ozga nor shaggy nor the mule cared to brave those thorns and when they pressed away from them they found themselves slowly driven through the garden door into the greenhouse. from there they were forced out at the entrance and so through the territory of the flower-strewn rose kingdom, which was not of very great extent. the rose princess was sobbing bitterly; betsy was indignant and angry; hank uttered defiant "hee-haws" and the shaggy man whistled softly to himself. the boundary of the rose kingdom was a deep gulf, but there was a drawbridge in one place and this the royal gardener let down until the outcasts had passed over it. then he drew it up again and returned with his roses to the greenhouse, leaving the four queerly assorted comrades to wander into the bleak and unknown country that lay beyond. "i don't mind, much," remarked shaggy, as he led the way over the stony, barren ground. "i've got to search for my long-lost little brother, anyhow, so it won't matter where i go." "hank and i will help you find your brother," said betsy in her most cheerful voice. "i'm so far away from home now that i don't s'pose i'll ever find my way back; and, to tell the truth, it's more fun traveling around and having adventures than sticking at home. don't you think so, hank?" [illustration] "hee-haw!" said hank, and the shaggy man thanked them both. "for my part," said princess ozga of roseland, with a gentle sigh, "i must remain forever exiled from my kingdom. so i, too, will be glad to help the shaggy man find his lost brother." "that's very kind of you, ma'am," said shaggy. "but unless i can find the underground cavern of ruggedo,[a] the metal monarch, i shall never find poor brother." [footnote a: this king was formerly named "roquat," but after he drank of the "waters of oblivion" he forgot his own name and had to take another.] "doesn't anyone know where it is?" inquired betsy. "_some_ one must know, of course," was shaggy's reply. "but we are not the ones. the only way to succeed is for us to keep going until we find a person who can direct us to ruggedo's cavern." "we may find it ourselves, without any help," suggested betsy. "who knows?" "no one knows that, except the person who's writing this story," said shaggy. "but we won't find anything--not even supper--unless we travel on. here's a path. let's take it and see where it leads to." [illustration] chapter polychrome's pitiful plight the rain king got too much water in his basin and spilled some over the brim. that made it rain in a certain part of the country--a real hard shower, for a time--and sent the rainbow scampering to the place to show the gorgeous colors of his glorious bow as soon as the mist of rain had passed and the sky was clear. the coming of the rainbow is always a joyous event to earth folk, yet few have ever seen it close by. usually the rainbow is so far distant that you can observe its splendid hues but dimly, and that is why we seldom catch sight of the dancing daughters of the rainbow. in the barren country where the rain had just fallen there appeared to be no human beings at all; but the rainbow appeared, just the same, and dancing gayly upon its arch were the rainbow's daughters, led by the fairylike polychrome, who is so dainty and beautiful that no girl has ever quite equalled her in loveliness. polychrome was in a merry mood and danced down the arch of the bow to the ground, daring her sisters to follow her. laughing and gleeful, they also touched the ground with their twinkling feet; but all the daughters of the rainbow knew that this was a dangerous pastime, so they quickly climbed upon their bow again. all but polychrome. though the sweetest and merriest of them all, she was likewise the most reckless. moreover, it was an unusual sensation to pat the cold, damp earth with her rosy toes. before she realized it the bow had lifted and disappeared in the billowy blue sky, and here was polychrome standing helpless upon a rock, her gauzy draperies floating about her like brilliant cobwebs and not a soul--fairy or mortal--to help her regain her lost bow! "dear me!" she exclaimed, a frown passing across her pretty face, "i'm caught again. this is the second time my carelessness has left me on earth while my sisters returned to our sky palaces. the first time i enjoyed some pleasant adventures, but this is a lonely, forsaken country and i shall be very unhappy until my rainbow comes again and i can climb aboard. let me think what is best to be done." she crouched low upon the flat rock, drew her draperies about her and bowed her head. it was in this position that betsy bobbin spied polychrome as she came along the stony path, followed by hank, the princess and shaggy. at once the girl ran up to the radiant daughter of the rainbow and exclaimed: "oh, what a lovely, lovely creature!" polychrome raised her golden head. there were tears in her blue eyes. "i'm the most miserable girl in the whole world!" she sobbed. the others gathered around her. "tell us your troubles, pretty one," urged the princess. "i--i've lost my bow!" wailed polychrome. "take me, my dear," said shaggy man in a sympathetic tone, thinking she meant "beau" instead of "bow." "i don't want you!" cried polychrome, stamping her foot imperiously; "i want my _rain_bow." "oh; that's different," said shaggy. "but try to forget it. when i was young i used to cry for the rainbow myself, but i couldn't have it. looks as if _you_ couldn't have it, either; so please don't cry." polychrome looked at him reproachfully. "i don't like you," she said. "no?" replied shaggy, drawing the love magnet from his pocket; "not a little bit?--just a wee speck of a like?" "yes, yes!" said polychrome, clasping her hands in ecstasy as she gazed at the enchanted talisman; "i love you, shaggy man!" "of course you do," said he calmly; "but i don't take any credit for it. it's the love magnet's powerful charm. but you seem quite alone and friendless, little rainbow. don't you want to join our party until you find your father and sisters again?" "where are you going?" she asked. "we don't just know that," said betsy, taking her hand; "but we're trying to find shaggy's long-lost brother, who has been captured by the terrible metal monarch. won't you come with us, and help us?" polychrome looked from one to another of the queer party of travelers and a bewitching smile suddenly lighted her face. "a donkey, a mortal maid, a rose princess and a shaggy man!" she exclaimed. "surely you need help, if you intend to face ruggedo." "do you know him, then?" inquired betsy. "no, indeed. ruggedo's caverns are beneath the earth's surface, where no rainbow can ever penetrate. but i've heard of the metal monarch. he is also called the nome king, you know, and he has made trouble for a good many people--mortals and fairies--in his time," said polychrome. "do you fear him, then?" asked the princess, anxiously. "no one can harm a daughter of the rainbow," said polychrome proudly. "i'm a sky fairy." "then," said betsy, quickly, "you will be able to tell us the way to ruggedo's cavern." "no," returned polychrome, shaking her head, "that is one thing i cannot do. but i will gladly go with you and help you search for the place." this promise delighted all the wanderers and after the shaggy man had found the path again they began moving along it in a more happy mood. the rainbow's daughter danced lightly over the rocky trail, no longer sad, but with her beautiful features wreathed in smiles. shaggy came next, walking steadily and now and then supporting the rose princess, who followed him. betsy and hank brought up the rear, and if she tired with walking the girl got upon hank's back and let the stout little donkey carry her for awhile. at nightfall they came to some trees that grew beside a tiny brook and here they made camp and rested until morning. then away they tramped, finding berries and fruits here and there which satisfied the hunger of betsy, shaggy and hank, so that they were well content with their lot. it surprised betsy to see the rose princess partake of their food, for she considered her a fairy; but when she mentioned this to polychrome, the rainbow's daughter explained that when ozga was driven out of her rose kingdom she ceased to be a fairy and would never again be more than a mere mortal. polychrome, however, was a fairy wherever she happened to be, and if she sipped a few dewdrops by moonlight for refreshment no one ever saw her do it. as they continued their wandering journey, direction meant very little to them, for they were hopelessly lost in this strange country. shaggy said it would be best to go toward the mountains, as the natural entrance to ruggedo's underground cavern was likely to be hidden in some rocky, deserted place; but mountains seemed all around them except in the one direction that they had come from, which led to the rose kingdom and the sea. therefore it mattered little which way they traveled. by and by they espied a faint trail that looked like a path and after following this for some time they reached a cross-roads. here were many paths, leading in various directions, and there was a signpost so old that there were now no words upon the sign. at one side was an old well, with a chain windlass for drawing water, yet there was no house or other building anywhere in sight. while the party halted, puzzled which way to proceed, the mule approached the well and tried to look into it. "he's thirsty," said betsy. "it's a dry well," remarked shaggy. "probably there has been no water in it for many years. but, come; let us decide which way to travel." no one seemed able to decide that. they sat down in a group and tried to consider which road might be the best to take. hank, however, could not keep away from the well and finally he reared up on his hind legs, got his head over the edge and uttered a loud "hee-haw!" betsy watched her animal friend curiously. "i wonder if he sees anything down there?" she said. at this, shaggy rose and went over to the well to investigate, and betsy went with him. the princess and polychrome, who had become fast friends, linked arms and sauntered down one of the roads, to find an easy path. "really," said shaggy, "there does seem to be something at the bottom of this old well." "can't we pull it up, and see what it is?" asked the girl. there was no bucket at the end of the windlass chain, but there was a big hook that at one time was used to hold a bucket. shaggy let down this hook, dragged it around on the bottom and then pulled it up. an old hoopskirt came with it, and betsy laughed and threw it away. the thing frightened hank, who had never seen a hoopskirt before, and he kept a good distance away from it. several other objects the shaggy man captured with the hook and drew up, but none of these was important. "this well seems to have been the dump for all the old rubbish in the country," he said, letting down the hook once more. "i guess i've captured everything now. no--the hook has caught again. help me, betsy! whatever this thing is, it's heavy." she ran up and helped him turn the windlass and after much effort a confused mass of copper came in sight. "good gracious!" exclaimed shaggy. "here is a surprise, indeed!" "what is it?" inquired betsy, clinging to the windlass and panting for breath. for answer the shaggy man grasped the bundle of copper and dumped it upon the ground, free of the well. then he turned it over with his foot, spread it out, and to betsy's astonishment the thing proved to be a copper man. "just as i thought," said shaggy, looking hard at the object. "but unless there are two copper men in the world this is the most astonishing thing i ever came across." at this moment the rainbow's daughter and the rose princess approached them, and polychrome said: "what have you found, shaggy one?" "either an old friend, or a stranger," he replied. "oh, here's a sign on his back!" cried betsy, who had knelt down to examine the man. "dear me; how funny! listen to this." then she read the following words, engraved upon the copper plates of the man's body: smith & tinker's patent double-action, extra-responsive, thought-creating, perfect-talking _mechanical man_ fitted with our special clockwork attachment. thinks, speaks, acts, and does everything but live. "isn't he wonderful!" exclaimed the princess. "yes; but here's more," said betsy, reading from another engraved plate: directions for using: for thinking:--wind the clockwork man under his left arm, (marked no. ). for speaking:--wind the clockwork man under his right arm, (marked no. ). for walking and action:--wind clockwork man in the middle of his back, (marked no. ). n. b.--this mechanism is guaranteed to work perfectly for a thousand years. "if he's guaranteed for a thousand years," said polychrome, "he ought to work yet." "of course," replied shaggy. "let's wind him up." in order to do this they were obliged to set the copper man upon his feet, in an upright position, and this was no easy task. he was inclined to topple over, and had to be propped again and again. the girls assisted shaggy, and at last tik-tok seemed to be balanced and stood alone upon his broad feet. "yes," said shaggy, looking at the copper man carefully, "this must be, indeed, my old friend tik-tok, whom i left ticking merrily in the land of oz. but how he came to this lonely place, and got into that old well, is surely a mystery." "if we wind him, perhaps he will tell us," suggested betsy. "here's the key, hanging to a hook on his back. what part of him shall i wind up first?" "his thoughts, of course," said polychrome, "for it requires thought to speak or move intelligently." so betsy wound him under his left arm, and at once little flashes of light began to show in the top of his head, which was proof that he had begun to think. "now, then," said shaggy, "wind up his phonograph." "what's that?" she asked. "why, his talking-machine. his thoughts may be interesting, but they don't tell us anything." so betsy wound the copper man under his right arm, and then from the interior of his copper body came in jerky tones the words: "ma-ny thanks!" "hurrah!" cried shaggy, joyfully, and he slapped tik-tok upon the back in such a hearty manner that the copper man lost his balance and tumbled to the ground in a heap. but the clockwork that enabled him to speak had been wound up and he kept saying: "pick-me-up! pick-me-up! pick-me-up!" until they had again raised him and balanced him upon his feet, when he added politely: "ma-ny thanks!" "he won't be self-supporting until we wind up his action," remarked shaggy; so betsy wound it, as tight as she could--for the key turned rather hard--and then tik-tok lifted his feet, marched around in a circle and ended by stopping before the group and making them all a low bow. "how in the world did you happen to be in that well, when i left you safe in oz?" inquired shaggy. "it is a long sto-ry," replied tik-tok, "but i'll tell it in a few words. af-ter you had gone in search of your broth-er, oz-ma saw you wan-der-ing in strange lands when-ev-er she looked in her mag-ic pic-ture, and she also saw your broth-er in the nome king's cav-ern; so she sent me to tell you where to find your broth-er and told me to help you if i could. the sor-cer-ess, glin-da the good, trans-port-ed me to this place in the wink of an eye; but here i met the nome king himself--old rug-ge-do, who is called in these parts the met-al mon-arch. rug-ge-do knew what i had come for, and he was so an-gry that he threw me down the well. af-ter my works ran down i was help-less un-til you came a-long and pulled me out a-gain. ma-ny thanks." "this is, indeed, good news," said shaggy. "i suspected that my brother was the prisoner of ruggedo; but now i know it. tell us, tik-tok, how shall we get to the nome king's underground cavern?" "the best way is to walk," said tik-tok. "we might crawl, or jump, or roll o-ver and o-ver un-til we get there; but the best way is to walk." "i know; but which road shall we take?" "my ma-chin-er-y is-n't made to tell that," replied tik-tok. "there is more than one entrance to the underground cavern," said polychrome; "but old ruggedo has cleverly concealed every opening, so that earth dwellers can not intrude in his domain. if we find our way underground at all, it will be by chance." "then," said betsy, "let us select any road, haphazard, and see where it leads us." "that seems sensible," declared the princess. "it may require a lot of time for us to find ruggedo, but we have more time than anything else." "if you keep me wound up," said tik-tok, "i will last a thou-sand years." "then the only question to decide is which way to go," added shaggy, looking first at one road and then at another. but while they stood hesitating, a peculiar sound reached their ears--a sound like the tramping of many feet. "what's coming?" cried betsy; and then she ran to the left-hand road and glanced along the path. "why, it's an army!" she exclaimed. "what shall we do, hide or run?" "stand still," commanded shaggy. "i'm not afraid of an army. if they prove to be friendly, they can help us; if they are enemies, i'll show them the love magnet." [illustration] [illustration] chapter tik-tok tackles a tough task while shaggy and his companions stood huddled in a group at one side, the army of oogaboo was approaching along the pathway, the tramp of their feet being now and then accompanied by a dismal groan as one of the officers stepped on a sharp stone or knocked his funnybone against his neighbor's sword-handle. then out from among the trees marched private files, bearing the banner of oogaboo, which fluttered from a long pole. this pole he stuck in the ground just in front of the well and then he cried in a loud voice: "i hereby conquer this territory in the name of queen ann soforth of oogaboo, and all the inhabitants of the land i proclaim her slaves!" some of the officers now stuck their heads out of the bushes and asked: "is the coast clear, private files?" "there is no coast here," was the reply, "but all's well." "i hope there's water in it," said general cone, mustering courage to advance to the well; but just then he caught a glimpse of tik-tok and shaggy and at once fell upon his knees, trembling and frightened, and cried out: "mercy, kind enemies! mercy! spare us, and we will be your slaves forever!" the other officers, who had now advanced into the clearing, likewise fell upon their knees and begged for mercy. files turned around and, seeing the strangers for the first time, examined them with much curiosity. then, discovering that three of the party were girls, he lifted his cap and made a polite bow. "what's all this?" demanded a harsh voice, as queen ann reached the place and beheld her kneeling army. "permit us to introduce ourselves," replied shaggy, stepping forward. "this is tik-tok, the clockwork man--who works better than some meat people. and here is princess ozga of roseland, just now unfortunately exiled from her kingdom of roses. i next present polychrome, a sky fairy, who lost her bow by an accident and can't find her way home. the small girl here is betsy bobbin, from some unknown earthly paradise called oklahoma, and with her you see mr. hank, a mule with a long tail and a short temper." "puh!" said ann, scornfully; "a pretty lot of vagabonds you are, indeed; all lost or strayed, i suppose, and not worth a queen's plundering. i'm sorry i've conquered you." "but you haven't conquered us yet," called betsy indignantly. "no," agreed files, "that is a fact. but if my officers will kindly command me to conquer you, i will do so at once, after which we can stop arguing and converse more at our ease." the officers had by this time risen from their knees and brushed the dust from their trousers. to them the enemy did not look very fierce, so the generals and colonels and majors and captains gained courage to face them and began strutting in their most haughty manner. "you must understand," said ann, "that i am the queen of oogaboo, and this is my invincible army. we are busy conquering the world, and since you seem to be a part of the world, and are obstructing our journey, it is necessary for us to conquer you--unworthy though you may be of such high honor." "that's all right," replied shaggy. "conquer us as often as you like. we don't mind." "but we won't be anybody's slaves," added betsy, positively. [illustration] "we'll see about that," retorted the queen, angrily. "advance, private files, and bind the enemy hand and foot!" but private files looked at pretty betsy and fascinating polychrome and the beautiful rose princess and shook his head. "it would be impolite, and i won't do it," he asserted. "you must!" cried ann. "it is your duty to obey orders." "i haven't received any orders from my officers," objected the private. but the generals now shouted: "forward, and bind the prisoners!" and the colonels and majors and captains repeated the command, yelling it as loud as they could. all this noise annoyed hank, who had been eyeing the army of oogaboo with strong disfavor. the mule now dashed forward and began backing upon the officers and kicking fierce and dangerous heels at them. the attack was so sudden that the officers scattered like dust in a whirlwind, dropping their swords as they ran and trying to seek refuge behind the trees and bushes. betsy laughed joyously at the comical rout of the "noble army," and polychrome danced with glee. but ann was furious at this ignoble defeat of her gallant forces by one small mule. "private files, i command you to do your duty!" she cried again, and then she herself ducked to escape the mule's heels--for hank made no distinction in favor of a lady who was an open enemy. betsy grabbed her champion by the forelock, however, and so held him fast, and when the officers saw that the mule was restrained from further attacks they crept fearfully back and picked up their discarded swords. "private files, seize and bind these prisoners!" screamed the queen. "no," said files, throwing down his gun and removing the knapsack which was strapped to his back, "i resign my position as the army of oogaboo. i enlisted to fight the enemy and become a hero, but if you want some one to bind harmless girls you will have to hire another private." then he walked over to the others and shook hands with shaggy and tik-tok. "treason!" shrieked ann, and all the officers echoed her cry. "nonsense," said files. "i've the right to resign if i want to." "indeed you haven't!" retorted the queen. "if you resign it will break up my army, and then i cannot conquer the world." she now turned to the officers and said: "i must ask you to do me a favor. i know it is undignified in officers to fight, but unless you immediately capture private files and force him to obey my orders there will be no plunder for any of us. also it is likely you will all suffer the pangs of hunger, and when we meet a powerful foe you are liable to be captured and made slaves." the prospect of this awful fate so frightened the officers that they drew their swords and rushed upon files, who stood beside shaggy, in a truly ferocious manner. the next instant, however, they halted and again fell upon their knees; for there, before them, was the glistening love magnet, held in the hand of the smiling shaggy man, and the sight of this magic talisman at once won the heart of every oogabooite. even ann saw the love magnet, and forgetting all enmity and anger threw herself upon shaggy and embraced him lovingly. quite disconcerted by this unexpected effect of the magnet, shaggy disengaged himself from the queen's encircling arms and quickly hid the talisman in his pocket. the adventurers from oogaboo were now his firm friends, and there was no more talk about conquering and binding any of his party. "if you insist on conquering anyone," said shaggy, "you may march with me to the underground kingdom of ruggedo. to conquer the world, as you have set out to do, you must conquer everyone under its surface as well as those upon its surface, and no one in all the world needs conquering so much as ruggedo." "who is he?" asked ann. [illustration] "the metal monarch, king of the nomes." "is he rich?" inquired major stockings in an anxious voice. "of course," answered shaggy. "he owns all the metal that lies underground--gold, silver, copper, brass and tin. he has an idea he also owns all the metals above ground, for he says all metal was once a part of his kingdom. so, by conquering the metal monarch, you will win all the riches in the world." "ah!" exclaimed general apple, heaving a deep sigh, "that would be plunder worth our while. let's conquer him, your majesty." the queen looked reproachfully at files, who was sitting next to the lovely princess and whispering in her ear. "alas," said ann, "i have no longer an army. i have plenty of brave officers, indeed, but no private soldier for them to command. therefore i cannot conquer ruggedo and win all his wealth." "why don't you make one of your officers the private?" asked shaggy; but at once every officer began to protest and the queen of oogaboo shook her head as she replied: "that is impossible. a private soldier must be a terrible fighter, and my officers are unable to fight. they are exceptionally brave in commanding others to fight, but could not themselves meet the enemy and conquer." "very true, your majesty," said colonel plum, eagerly. "there are many kinds of bravery and one cannot be expected to possess them all. i myself am brave as a lion in all ways until it comes to fighting, but then my nature revolts. fighting is unkind and liable to be injurious to others; so, being a gentleman, i never fight." "nor i!" shouted each of the other officers. "you see," said ann, "how helpless i am. had not private files proved himself a traitor and a deserter, i would gladly have conquered this ruggedo; but an army without a private soldier is like a bee without a stinger." "i am not a traitor, your majesty," protested files. "i resigned in a proper manner, not liking the job. but there are plenty of people to take my place. why not make shaggy man the private soldier?" "he might be killed," said ann, looking tenderly at shaggy, "for he is mortal, and able to die. if anything happened to him, it would break my heart." "it would hurt me worse than that," declared shaggy. "you must admit, your majesty, that i am commander of this expedition, for it is my brother we are seeking, rather than plunder. but i and my companions would like the assistance of your army, and if you help us to conquer ruggedo and to rescue my brother from captivity we will allow you to keep all the gold and jewels and other plunder you may find." this prospect was so tempting that the officers began whispering together and presently colonel cheese said: "your majesty, by combining our brains we have just evolved a most brilliant idea. we will make the clockwork man the private soldier!" "who? me?" asked tik-tok. "not for a sin-gle sec-ond! i can-not fight, and you must not for-get that it was rug-ge-do who threw me in the well." "at that time you had no gun," said polychrome. "but if you join the army of oogaboo you will carry the gun that mr. files used." "a sol-dier must be a-ble to run as well as to fight," protested tik-tok, "and if my works run down, as they of-ten do, i could nei-ther run nor fight." "i'll keep you wound up, tik-tok," promised betsy. "why, it isn't a bad idea," said shaggy. "tik-tok will make an ideal soldier, for nothing can injure him except a sledge hammer. and, since a private soldier seems to be necessary to this army, tik-tok is the only one of our party fitted to undertake the job." "what must i do?" asked tik-tok. "obey orders," replied ann. "when the officers command you to do anything, you must do it; that is all." "and that's enough, too," said files. "do i get a salary?" inquired tik-tok. "you get your share of the plunder," answered the queen. "yes," remarked files, "one-half of the plunder goes to queen ann, the other half is divided among the officers, and the private gets the rest." "that will be sat-is-fac-tor-y," said tik-tok, picking up the gun and examining it wonderingly, for he had never before seen such a weapon. then ann strapped the knapsack to tik-tok's copper back and said: "now we are ready to march to ruggedo's kingdom and conquer it. officers, give the command to march." "fall--in!" yelled the generals, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" cried the colonels, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" shouted the majors, drawing their swords. "fall--in!" bawled the captains, drawing their swords. tik-tok looked at them and then around him in surprise. "fall in what? the well?" he asked. "no," said queen ann, "you must fall in marching order." "can-not i march with-out fall-ing in-to it?" asked the clockwork man. "shoulder your gun and stand ready to march," advised files; so tik-tok held the gun straight and stood still. "what next?" he asked. the queen turned to shaggy. "which road leads to the metal monarch's cavern?" "we don't know, your majesty," was the reply. "but this is absurd!" said ann with a frown. "if we can't get to ruggedo, it is certain that we can't conquer him." "you are right," admitted shaggy; "but i did not say we could not get to him. we have only to discover the way, and that was the matter we were considering when you and your magnificent army arrived here." "well, then, get busy and discover it," snapped the queen. that was no easy task. they all stood looking from one road to another in perplexity. the paths radiated from the little clearing like the rays of the midday sun, and each path seemed like all the others. files and the rose princess, who had by this time become good friends, advanced a little way along one of the roads and found that it was bordered by pretty wild flowers. "why don't you ask the flowers to tell you the way?" he said to his companion. "the flowers?" returned the princess, surprised at the question. "of course," said files. "the field-flowers must be second-cousins to a rose princess, and i believe if you ask them they will tell you." she looked more closely at the flowers. there were hundreds of white daisies, golden buttercups, bluebells and daffodils growing by the roadside, and each flower-head was firmly set upon its slender but stout stem. there were even a few wild roses scattered here and there and perhaps it was the sight of these that gave the princess courage to ask the important question. she dropped to her knees, facing the flowers, and extended both her arms pleadingly toward them. "tell me, pretty cousins," she said in her sweet, gentle voice, "which way will lead us to the kingdom of ruggedo, the nome king?" at once all the stems bent gracefully to the right and the flower heads nodded once--twice--thrice in that direction. "that's it!" cried files joyfully. "now we know the way." ozga rose to her feet and looked wonderingly at the field-flowers, which had now resumed their upright position. "was it the wind, do you think?" she asked in a low whisper. "no, indeed," replied files. "there is not a breath of wind stirring. but these lovely blossoms are indeed your cousins and answered your question at once, as i knew they would." [illustration] chapter ruggedo's rage is rash and reckless the way taken by the adventurers led up hill and down dale and wound here and there in a fashion that seemed aimless. but always it drew nearer to a range of low mountains and files said more than once that he was certain the entrance to ruggedo's cavern would be found among these rugged hills. in this he was quite correct. far underneath the nearest mountain was a gorgeous chamber hollowed from the solid rock, the walls and roof of which glittered with thousands of magnificent jewels. here, on a throne of virgin gold, sat the famous nome king, dressed in splendid robes and wearing a superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby. ruggedo, the monarch of all the metals and precious stones of the underground world, was a round little man with a flowing white beard, a red face, bright eyes and a scowl that covered all his forehead. one would think, to look at him, that he ought to be jolly; one might think, considering his enormous wealth, that he ought to be happy; but this was not the case. the metal monarch was surly and cross because mortals had dug so much treasure out of the earth and kept it above ground, where all the power of ruggedo and his nomes was unable to recover it. he hated not only the mortals but also the fairies who live upon the earth or above it, and instead of being content with the riches he still possessed he was unhappy because he did not own all the gold and jewels in the world. ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in his chair when suddenly he sat upright uttered a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge gong that stood beside him. the sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated to many caverns beyond, where countless thousands of nomes were working at their unending tasks, hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or melting ores in great furnaces, or polishing glittering gems. the nomes trembled at the sound of the king's gong and whispered fearfully to one another that something unpleasant was sure to happen; but none dared pause in his task. the heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside and kaliko, the king's high chamberlain, entered the royal presence. "what's up, your majesty?" he asked, with a wide yawn, for he had just wakened. "up?" roared ruggedo, stamping his foot viciously. "those foolish mortals are up, that's what! and they want to come down." "down here?" inquired kaliko. "yes!" "how do you know?" continued the chamberlain, yawning again. "i feel it in my bones," said ruggedo. "i can always feel it when those hateful earth-crawlers draw near to my kingdom. i am positive, kaliko, that mortals are this very minute on their way here to annoy me--and i hate mortals more than i do catnip tea!" "well, what's to be done?" demanded the nome. "look through your spyglass, and see where the invaders are," commanded the king. so kaliko went to a tube in the wall of rock and put his eye to it. the tube ran from the cavern up to the side of the mountain and turned several curves and corners, but as it was a magic spyglass kaliko was able to see through it just as easily as if it had been straight. "ho--hum," said he. "i see 'em, your majesty." "what do they look like?" inquired the monarch. "that's a hard question to answer, for a queerer assortment of creatures i never yet beheld," replied the nome. "however, such a collection of curiosities may prove dangerous. there's a copper man, worked by machinery--" "bah! that's only tik-tok," said ruggedo. "i'm not afraid of him. why, only the other day i met the fellow and threw him down a well." "then some one must have pulled him out again," said kaliko. "and there's a little girl--" "dorothy?" asked ruggedo, jumping up in fear. "no; some other girl. in fact, there are several girls, of various sizes; but dorothy is not with them, nor is ozma." "that's good!" exclaimed the king, sighing in relief. kaliko still had his eye to the spyglass. "i see," said he, "an army of men from oogaboo. they are all officers and carry swords. and there is a shaggy man--who seems very harmless--and a little donkey with big ears." "pooh!" cried ruggedo, snapping his fingers in scorn. "i've no fear of such a mob as that. a dozen of my nomes can destroy them all in a jiffy." "i'm not so sure of that," said kaliko. "the people of oogaboo are hard to destroy, and i believe the rose princess is a fairy. as for polychrome, you know very well that the rainbow's daughter cannot be injured by a nome." "polychrome! is she among them?" asked the king. "yes; i have just recognized her." "then these people are coming here on no peaceful errand," declared ruggedo, scowling fiercely. "in fact, no one ever comes here on a peaceful errand. i hate everybody, and everybody hates me!" "very true," said kaliko. "i must in some way prevent these people from reaching my dominions. where are they now?" "just now they are crossing the rubber country, your majesty." "good! are your magnetic rubber wires in working order?" "i think so," replied kaliko. "is it your royal will that we have some fun with these invaders?" "it is," answered ruggedo. "i want to teach them a lesson they will never forget." now, shaggy had no idea that he was in a rubber country, nor had any of his companions. they noticed that everything around them was of a dull gray color and that the path upon which they walked was soft and springy, yet they had no suspicion that the rocks and trees were rubber and even the path they trod was made of rubber. presently they came to a brook where sparkling water dashed through a deep channel and rushed away between high rocks far down the mountain-side. across the brook were stepping-stones, so placed that travelers might easily leap from one to another and in that manner cross the water to the farther bank. tik-tok was marching ahead, followed by his officers and queen ann. after them came betsy bobbin and hank, polychrome and shaggy, and last of all the rose princess with files. the clockwork man saw the stream and the stepping-stones and, without making a pause, placed his foot upon the first stone. the result was astonishing. first he sank down in the soft rubber, which then rebounded and sent tik-tok soaring high in the air, where he turned a succession of flip-flops and alighted upon a rubber rock far in the rear of the party. general apple did not see tik-tok bound, so quickly had he disappeared; therefore he also stepped upon the stone (which you will guess was connected with kaliko's magnetic rubber wire) and instantly shot upward like an arrow. general cone came next and met with a like fate, but the others now noticed that something was wrong and with one accord they halted the column and looked back along the path. there was tik-tok, still bounding from one rubber rock to another, each time rising a less distance from the ground. and there was general apple, bounding away in another direction, his three-cornered hat jammed over his eyes and his long sword thumping him upon the arms and head as it swung this way and that. and there, also, appeared general cone, who had struck a rubber rock headforemost and was so crumpled up that his round body looked more like a bouncing-ball than the form of a man. betsy laughed merrily at the strange sight and polychrome echoed her laughter. but ozga was grave and wondering, while queen ann became angry at seeing the chief officers of the army of oogaboo bounding around in so undignified a manner. she shouted to them to stop, but they were unable to obey, even though they would have been glad to do so. finally, however, they all ceased bounding and managed to get upon their feet and rejoin the army. "why did you do that?" demanded ann, who seemed greatly provoked. "don't ask them why," said shaggy earnestly. "i knew you would ask them why, but you ought not to do it. the reason is plain. those stones are rubber; therefore they are not stones. those rocks around us are rubber, and therefore they are not rocks. even this path is not a path; it's rubber. unless we are very careful, your majesty, we are all likely to get the bounce, just as your poor officers and tik-tok did." [illustration] "then let's be careful," remarked files, who was full of wisdom; but polychrome wanted to test the quality of the rubber, so she began dancing. every step sent her higher and higher into the air, so that she resembled a big butterfly fluttering lightly. presently she made a great bound and bounded way across the stream, landing lightly and steadily on the other side. "there is no rubber over here," she called to them. "suppose you all try to bound over the stream, without touching the stepping-stones." ann and her officers were reluctant to undertake such a risky adventure, but betsy at once grasped the value of the suggestion and began jumping up and down until she found herself bounding almost as high as polychrome had done. then she suddenly leaned forward and the next bound took her easily across the brook, where she alighted by the side of the rainbow's daughter. "come on, hank!" called the girl, and the donkey tried to obey. he managed to bound pretty high but when he tried to bound across the stream he misjudged the distance and fell with a splash into the middle of the water. "hee-haw!" he wailed, struggling toward the far bank. betsy rushed forward to help him out, but when the mule stood safely beside her she was amazed to find he was not wet at all. "it's dry water," said polychrome, dipping her hand into the stream and showing how the water fell from it and left it perfectly dry. "in that case," returned betsy, "they can all walk through the water." she called to ozga and shaggy to wade across, assuring them the water was shallow and would not wet them. at once they followed her advice, avoiding the rubber stepping-stones, and made the crossing with ease. this encouraged the entire party to wade through the dry water, and in a few minutes all had assembled on the bank and renewed their journey along the path that led to the nome king's dominions. when kaliko again looked through his magic spyglass he exclaimed: "bad luck, your majesty! all the invaders have passed the rubber country and now are fast approaching the entrance to your caverns." ruggedo raved and stormed at the news and his anger was so great that several times, as he strode up and down his jeweled cavern, he paused to kick kaliko upon his shins, which were so sensitive that the poor nome howled with pain. finally the king said: "there's no help for it; we must drop these audacious invaders down the hollow tube." kaliko gave a jump, at this, and looked at his master wonderingly. "if you do that, your majesty," he said, "you will make tititi-hoochoo very angry." "never mind that," retorted ruggedo. "tititi-hoochoo lives on the other side of the world, so what do i care for his anger?" kaliko shuddered and uttered a little groan. "remember his terrible powers," he pleaded, "and remember that he warned you, the last time you slid people through the hollow tube, that if you did it again he would take vengeance upon you." the metal monarch walked up and down in silence, thinking deeply. "of two dangers," said he, "it is wise to choose the least. what do you suppose these invaders want?" "let the long-eared hearer listen to them," suggested kaliko. "call him here at once!" commanded ruggedo eagerly. so in a few minutes there entered the cavern a nome with enormous ears, who bowed low before the king. "strangers are approaching," said ruggedo, "and i wish to know their errand. listen carefully to their talk and tell me why they are coming here, and what for." the nome bowed again and spread out his great ears, swaying them gently up and down and back and forth. for half an hour he stood silent, in an attitude of listening, while both the king and kaliko grew impatient at the delay. at last the long-eared hearer spoke: [illustration] "shaggy man is coming here to rescue his brother from captivity," said he. "ha, the ugly one!" exclaimed ruggedo. "well, shaggy man may have his ugly brother, for all i care. he's too lazy to work and is always getting in my way. where is the ugly one now, kaliko?" "the last time your majesty stumbled over the prisoner you commanded me to send him to the metal forest, which i did. i suppose he is still there." "very good. the invaders will have a hard time finding the metal forest," said the king, with a grin of malicious delight, "for half the time i can't find it myself. yet i created the forest and made every tree, out of gold and silver, so as to keep the precious metals in a safe place and out of the reach of mortals. but tell me, hearer, do the strangers want anything else?" "yes, indeed they do!" returned the nome. "the army of oogaboo is determined to capture all the rich metals and rare jewels in your kingdom, and the officers and their queen have arranged to divide the spoils and carry them away." when he heard this ruggedo uttered a bellow of rage and began dancing up and down, rolling his eyes, clicking his teeth together and swinging his arms furiously. then, in an ecstasy of anger he seized the long ears of the hearer and pulled and twisted them cruelly; but kaliko grabbed up the king's sceptre and rapped him over the knuckles with it, so that ruggedo let go the ears and began to chase his royal chamberlain around the throne. the hearer took advantage of this opportunity to slip away from the cavern and escape, and after the king had tired himself out chasing kaliko he threw himself into his throne and panted for breath, while he glared wickedly at his defiant subject. "you'd better save your strength to fight the enemy," suggested kaliko. "there will be a terrible battle when the army of oogaboo gets here." "the army won't get here," said the king, still coughing and panting. "i'll drop 'em down the hollow tube--every man jack and every girl jill of 'em!" "and defy tititi-hoochoo?" asked kaliko. "yes. go at once to my chief magician and order him to turn the path toward the hollow tube, and to make the top of the tube invisible, so they'll all fall into it." kaliko went away shaking his head, for he thought ruggedo was making a great mistake. he found the magician and had the path twisted so that it led directly to the opening of the hollow tube, and this opening he made invisible. having obeyed the orders of his master, the royal chamberlain went to his private room and began to write letters of recommendation of himself, stating that he was an honest man, a good servant and a small eater. "pretty soon," he said to himself, "i shall have to look for another job, for it is certain that ruggedo has ruined himself by this reckless defiance of the mighty tititi-hoochoo. and in seeking a job nothing is so effective as a letter of recommendation." [illustration] [illustration] chapter a terrible tumble through a tube i suppose that polychrome, and perhaps queen ann and her army, might have been able to dispel the enchantment of ruggedo's chief magician had they known that danger lay in their pathway; for the rainbow's daughter was a fairy and as oogaboo is a part of the land of oz its inhabitants cannot easily be deceived by such common magic as the nome king could command. but no one suspected any especial danger until after they had entered ruggedo's cavern, and so they were journeying along in quite a contented manner when tik-tok, who marched ahead, suddenly disappeared. the officers thought he must have turned a corner, so they kept on their way and all of them likewise disappeared--one after another. queen ann was rather surprised at this, and in hastening forward to learn the reason she also vanished from sight. betsy bobbin had tired her feet by walking, so she was now riding upon the back of the stout little mule, facing backward and talking to shaggy and polychrome, who were just behind. suddenly hank pitched forward and began falling and betsy would have tumbled over his head had she not grabbed the mule's shaggy neck with both arms and held on for dear life. all around was darkness, and they were not falling directly downward but seemed to be sliding along a steep incline. hank's hoofs were resting upon some smooth substance over which he slid with the swiftness of the wind. once betsy's heels flew up and struck a similar substance overhead. they were, indeed, descending the "hollow tube" that led to the other side of the world. "stop, hank--stop!" cried the girl; but hank only uttered a plaintive "hee-haw!" for it was impossible for him to obey. after several minutes had passed and no harm had befallen them, betsy gained courage. she could see nothing at all, nor could she hear anything except the rush of air past her ears as they plunged downward along the tube. whether she and hank were alone, or the others were with them, she could not tell. but had some one been able to take a flash-light photograph of the tube at that time a most curious picture would have resulted. there was tik-tok, flat upon his back and sliding headforemost down the incline. and there were the officers of the army of oogaboo, all tangled up in a confused crowd, flapping their arms and trying to shield their faces from the clanking swords, which swung back and forth during the swift journey and pommeled everyone within their reach. now followed queen ann, who had struck the tube in a sitting position and went flying along with a dash and abandon that thoroughly bewildered the poor lady, who had no idea what had happened to her. then, a little distance away, but unseen by the others in the inky darkness, slid betsy and hank, while behind them were shaggy and polychrome and finally files and the princess. when first they tumbled into the tube all were too dazed to think clearly, but the trip was a long one, because the cavity led straight through the earth to a place just opposite the nome king's dominions, and long before the adventurers got to the end they had begun to recover their wits. "this is awful, hank!" cried betsy in a loud voice, and queen ann heard her and called out: "are you safe, betsy?" "mercy, no!" answered the little girl. "how could anyone be safe when she's going about sixty miles a minute?" then, after a pause, she added: "but where do you s'pose we're going to, your maj'sty?" "don't ask her that, please don't!" said shaggy, who was not too far away to overhear them. "and please don't ask me why, either." "why?" said betsy. "no one can tell where we are going until we get there," replied shaggy, and then he yelled "ouch!" for polychrome had overtaken him and was now sitting on his head. the rainbow's daughter laughed merrily, and so infectious was this joyous laugh that betsy echoed it and hank said "hee-haw!" in a mild and sympathetic tone of voice. "i'd like to know where and when we'll arrive, just the same," exclaimed the little girl. "be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said polychrome. "but isn't this an odd experience? here am i, whose home is in the skies, making a journey through the center of the earth--where i never expected to be!" "how do you know we're in the center of the earth?" asked betsy, her voice trembling a little through nervousness. "why, we can't be anywhere else," replied polychrome. "i have often heard of this passage, which was once built by a magician who was a great traveler. he thought it would save him the bother of going around the earth's surface, but he tumbled through the tube so fast that he shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky, which at once exploded." "the star exploded?" asked betsy wonderingly. "yes; the magician hit it so hard." "and what became of the magician?" inquired the girl. "no one knows that," answered polychrome. "but i don't think it matters much." "it matters a good deal, if we also hit the stars when we come out," said queen ann, with a moan. "don't worry," advised polychrome. "i believe the magician was going the other way, and probably he went much faster than we are going." "it's fast enough to suit me," remarked shaggy, gently removing polychrome's heel from his left eye. "couldn't you manage to fall all by yourself, my dear?" "i'll try," laughed the rainbow's daughter. all this time they were swiftly falling through the tube, and it was not so easy for them to talk as you may imagine when you read their words. but although they were so helpless and altogether in the dark as to their fate, the fact that they were able to converse at all cheered them considerably. files and ozga were also conversing as they clung tightly to one another, and the young fellow bravely strove to reassure the princess, although he was terribly frightened, both on her account and on his own. an hour, under such trying circumstances, is a very long time, and for more than an hour they continued their fearful journey. then, just as they began to fear the tube would never end, tik-tok popped out into broad daylight and, after making a graceful circle in the air, fell with a splash into a great marble fountain. out came the officers, in quick succession, tumbling heels over head and striking the ground in many undignified attitudes. "for the love of sassafras!" exclaimed a peculiar person who was hoeing pink violets in a garden. "what can all this mean?" for answer, queen ann sailed up from the tube, took a ride through the air as high as the treetops, and alighted squarely on top of the peculiar person's head, smashing a jeweled crown over his eyes and tumbling him to the ground. the mule was heavier and had betsy clinging to his back, so he did not go so high up. fortunately for his little rider he struck the ground upon his four feet. betsy was jarred a trifle but not hurt and when she looked around her she saw the queen and the peculiar person struggling together upon the ground, where the man was trying to choke ann and she had both hands in his bushy hair and was pulling with all her might. some of the officers, when they got upon their feet, hastened to separate the combatants and sought to restrain the peculiar person so that he could not attack their queen again. [illustration] by this time, shaggy, polychrome, ozga and files had all arrived and were curiously examining the strange country in which they found themselves and which they knew to be exactly on the opposite side of the world from the place where they had fallen into the tube. it was a lovely place, indeed, and seemed to be the garden of some great prince, for through the vistas of trees and shrubbery could be seen the towers of an immense castle. but as yet the only inhabitant to greet them was the peculiar person just mentioned, who had shaken off the grasp of the officers without effort and was now trying to pull the battered crown from off his eyes. shaggy, who was always polite, helped him to do this and when the man was free and could see again he looked at his visitors with evident amazement. "well, well, well!" he exclaimed. "where did you come from and how did you get here?" betsy tried to answer him, for queen ann was surly and silent. "i can't say, exac'ly where we came from, 'cause i don't know the name of the place," said the girl, "but the way we got here was through the hollow tube." "don't call it a 'hollow' tube, please," exclaimed the peculiar person in an irritated tone of voice. "if it's a tube, it's sure to be hollow." "why?" asked betsy. "because all tubes are made that way. but this tube is private property and everyone is forbidden to fall into it." "we didn't do it on purpose," explained betsy, and polychrome added: "i am quite sure that ruggedo, the nome king, pushed us down that tube." "ha! ruggedo! did you say ruggedo?" cried the man, becoming much excited. "that is what she said," replied shaggy, "and i believe she is right. we were on our way to conquer the nome king when suddenly we fell into the tube." "then you are enemies of ruggedo?" inquired the peculiar person. "not exac'ly enemies," said betsy, a little puzzled by the question, "'cause we don't know him at all; but we started out to conquer him, which isn't as friendly as it might be." "true," agreed the man. he looked thoughtfully from one to another of them for a while and then he turned his head over his shoulder and said: "never mind the fire and pincers, my good brothers. it will be best to take these strangers to the private citizen." "very well, tubekins," responded a voice, deep and powerful, that seemed to come out of the air, for the speaker was invisible. all our friends gave a jump, at this. even polychrome was so startled that her gauze draperies fluttered like a banner in a breeze. shaggy shook his head and sighed; queen ann looked very unhappy; the officers clung to each other, trembling violently. but soon they gained courage to look more closely at the peculiar person. as he was a type of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land whom they afterward met, i will try to tell you what he looked like. his face was beautiful, but lacked expression. his eyes were large and blue in color and his teeth finely formed and white as snow. his hair was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at the ends. so far no one could find any fault with his appearance. he wore a robe of scarlet, which did not cover his arms and extended no lower than his bare knees. on the bosom of the robe was embroidered a terrible dragon's head, as horrible to look at as the man was beautiful. his arms and legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a vivid green. he had one blue leg and one pink one, while both his feet--which showed through the open sandals he wore--were jet black. betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin, but while she was thinking it over the man who had been called "tubekins" said: "follow me to the residence--all of you!" but just then a voice exclaimed: "here's another of them, tubekins, lying in the water of the fountain." [illustration] "gracious!" cried betsy; "it must be tik-tok, and he'll drown." "water is a bad thing for his clockworks, anyhow," agreed shaggy, as with one accord they all started for the fountain. but before they could reach it, invisible hands raised tik-tok from the marble basin and set him upon his feet beside it, water dripping from every joint of his copper body. "ma--ny tha--tha--tha--thanks!" he said; and then his copper jaws clicked together and he could say no more. he next made an attempt to walk but after several awkward trials found he could not move his joints. peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen greeted tik-tok's failure, and the new arrivals in this strange land found it very uncomfortable to realize that there were many creatures around them who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly. "shall i wind him up?" asked betsy, feeling very sorry for tik-tok. "i think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling," replied shaggy. at once an oil-can appeared before him, held on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand. shaggy took the can and tried to oil tik-tok's joints. as if to assist him, a strong current of warm air was directed against the copper man, which quickly dried him. soon he was able to say "ma-ny thanks!" quite smoothly and his joints worked fairly well. "come!" commanded tubekins, and turning his back upon them he walked up the path toward the castle. "shall we go?" asked queen ann, uncertainly; but just then she received a shove that almost pitched her forward on her head; so she decided to go. the officers who hesitated received several energetic kicks, but could not see who delivered them; therefore they also decided--very wisely--to go. the others followed willingly enough, for unless they ventured upon another terrible journey through the tube they must make the best of the unknown country they were in, and the best seemed to be to obey orders. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the famous fellowship of fairies after a short walk through very beautiful gardens they came to the castle and followed tubekins through the entrance and into a great domed chamber, where he commanded them to be seated. from the crown which he wore, betsy had thought this man must be the king of the country they were in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a high throne, tubekins bowed humbly before the vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and disappeared. the hall was an immense place, but there seemed to be no one in it beside themselves. presently, however, they heard a low cough near them, and here and there was the faint rustling of a robe and a slight patter as of footsteps. then suddenly there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the sound all was changed. gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw that it was filled with hundreds of men and women, all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon their heads. in fact, these people seemed exact duplicates of tubekins and it was difficult to find any mark by which to tell them apart. "my! what a lot of kings and queens!" whispered betsy to polychrome, who sat beside her and appeared much interested in the scene but not a bit worried. "it is certainly a strange sight," was polychrome's reply; "but i cannot see how there can be more than one king, or queen, in any one country, for were these all rulers, no one could tell who was master." one of the kings who stood near and overheard this remark turned to her and said: "one who is master of himself is always a king, if only to himself. in this favored land all kings and queens are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before one supreme ruler--the private citizen." "who's he?" inquired betsy. as if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell again rang out and instantly there appeared seated in the throne the man who was lord and master of all these royal ones. this fact was evident when with one accord they fell upon their knees and touched their foreheads to the floor. the private citizen was not unlike the others, except that his eyes were black instead of blue and in the centers of the black irises glowed red sparks that seemed like coals of fire. but his features were very beautiful and dignified and his manner composed and stately. instead of the prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white, and the same dragon's head that decorated the others was embroidered upon its bosom. "what charge lies against these people, tubekins?" he asked in quiet, even tones. "they came through the forbidden tube, o mighty citizen," was the reply. "you see, it was this way," said betsy. "we were marching to the nome king, to conquer him and set shaggy's brother free, when on a sudden--" "who are you?" demanded the private citizen sternly. "me? oh, i'm betsy bobbin, and--" "who is the leader of this party?" asked the citizen. "sir, i am queen ann of oogaboo, and--" "then keep quiet," said the citizen. "who is the leader?" no one answered for a moment. then general bunn stood up. "sit down!" commanded the citizen. "i can see that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no account." "but we have an army," said general clock, blusteringly, for he didn't like to be told he was of no account. "where is your army?" asked the citizen. "it's me," said tik-tok, his voice sounding a little rusty. "i'm the on-ly pri-vate sol-dier in the par-ty." hearing this, the citizen rose and bowed respectfully to the clockwork man. "pardon me for not realizing your importance before," said he. "will you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on my throne?" tik-tok rose and walked over to the throne, all the kings and queens making way for him. then with clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on the broad seat beside the citizen. ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor shown to the humble clockwork man, but shaggy seemed much pleased that his old friend's importance had been recognized by the ruler of this remarkable country. the citizen now began to question tik-tok, who told in his mechanical voice about shaggy's quest of his lost brother, and how ozma of oz had sent the clockwork man to assist him, and how they had fallen in with queen ann and her people from oogaboo. also he told how betsy and hank and polychrome and the rose princess had happened to join their party. "and you intended to conquer ruggedo, the metal monarch and king of the nomes?" asked the citizen. "yes. that seemed the on-ly thing for us to do," was tik-tok's reply. "but he was too clev-er for us. when we got close to his cav-ern he made our path lead to the tube, and made the op-en-ing in-vis-i-ble, so that we all fell in-to it be-fore we knew it was there. it was an eas-y way to get rid of us and now rug-ge-do is safe and we are far a-way in a strange land." the citizen was silent a moment and seemed to be thinking. then he said: "most noble private soldier, i must inform you that by the laws of our country anyone who comes through the forbidden tube must be tortured for nine days and ten nights and then thrown back into the tube. but it is wise to disregard laws when they conflict with justice, and it seems that you and your followers did not disobey our laws willingly, being forced into the tube by ruggedo. therefore the nome king is alone to blame, and he alone must be punished." "that suits me," said tik-tok. "but rug-ge-do is on the o-ther side of the world where he is a-way out of your reach." the citizen drew himself up proudly. "do you imagine anything in the world or upon it can be out of the reach of the great jinjin?" he asked. "oh! are you, then, the great jinjin?" inquired tik-tok. "i am." "then your name is ti-ti-ti-hoo-choo?" "it is." queen ann gave a scream and began to tremble. shaggy was so disturbed that he took out a handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his brow. polychrome looked sober and uneasy for the first time, while files put his arms around the rose princess as if to protect her. as for the officers, the name of the great jinjin set them moaning and weeping at a great rate and every one fell upon his knees before the throne, begging for mercy. betsy was worried at seeing her companions so disturbed, but did not know what it was all about. only tik-tok was unmoved at the discovery. "then," said he, "if you are ti-ti-ti-hoo-choo, and think rug-ge-do is to blame, i am sure that some-thing queer will hap-pen to the king of the nomes." "i wonder what 'twill be," said betsy. the private citizen--otherwise known as tititi-hoochoo, the great jinjin--looked at the little girl steadily. "i will presently decide what is to happen to ruggedo," said he in a hard, stern voice. then, turning to the throng of kings and queens, he continued: "tik-tok has spoken truly, for his machinery will not allow him to lie, nor will it allow his thoughts to think falsely. therefore these people are not our enemies and must be treated with consideration and justice. take them to your palaces and entertain them as guests until to-morrow, when i command that they be brought again to my residence. by then i shall have formed my plans." no sooner had tititi-hoochoo spoken than he disappeared from sight. immediately after, most of the kings and queens likewise disappeared. but several of them remained visible and approached the strangers with great respect. one of the lovely queens said to betsy: "i trust you will honor me by being my guest. i am erma, queen of light." "may hank come with me?" asked the girl. "the king of animals will care for your mule," was the reply. "but do not fear for him, for he will be treated royally. all of your party will be reunited on the morrow." "i--i'd like to have _some_ one with me," said betsy, pleadingly. queen erma looked around and smiled upon polychrome. "will the rainbow's daughter be an agreeable companion?" she asked. "oh, yes!" exclaimed the girl. so polychrome and betsy became guests of the queen of light, while other beautiful kings and queens took charge of the others of the party. [illustration] the two girls followed erma out of the hall and through the gardens of the residence to a village of pretty dwellings. none of these was so large or imposing as the castle of the private citizen, but all were handsome enough to be called palaces--as, in fact, they really were. [illustration: betsy] [illustration] chapter the lovely lady of light the palace of the queen of light stood on a little eminence and was a mass of crystal windows, surmounted by a vast crystal dome. when they entered the portals erma was greeted by six lovely maidens, evidently of high degree, who at once aroused betsy's admiration. each bore a wand in her hand, tipped with an emblem of light, and their costumes were also emblematic of the lights they represented. erma introduced them to her guests and each made a graceful and courteous acknowledgment. first was sunlight, radiantly beautiful and very fair; the second was moonlight, a soft, dreamy damsel with nut-brown hair; next came starlight, equally lovely but inclined to be retiring and shy. these three were dressed in shimmering robes of silvery white. the fourth was daylight, a brilliant damsel with laughing eyes and frank manners, who wore a variety of colors. then came firelight, clothed in a fleecy flame-colored robe that wavered around her shapely form in a very attractive manner. the sixth maiden, electra, was the most beautiful of all, and betsy thought from the first that both sunlight and daylight regarded electra with envy and were a little jealous of her. but all were cordial in their greetings to the strangers and seemed to regard the queen of light with much affection, for they fluttered around her in a flashing, radiant group as she led the way to her regal drawing-room. this apartment was richly and cosily furnished, the upholstery being of many tints, and both betsy and polychrome enjoyed resting themselves upon the downy divans after their strenuous adventures of the day. the queen sat down to chat with her guests, who noticed that daylight was the only maiden now seated beside erma. the others had retired to another part of the room, where they sat modestly with entwined arms and did not intrude themselves at all. the queen told the strangers all about this beautiful land, which is one of the chief residences of fairies who minister to the needs of mankind. so many important fairies lived there that, to avoid rivalry, they had elected as their ruler the only important personage in the country who had no duties to mankind to perform and was, in effect, a private citizen. this ruler, or jinjin, as was his title, bore the name of tititi-hoochoo, and the most singular thing about him was that he had no heart. but instead of this he possessed a high degree of reason and justice and while he showed no mercy in his judgments he never punished unjustly or without reason. to wrong-doers tititi-hoochoo was as terrible as he was heartless, but those who were innocent of evil had nothing to fear from him. all the kings and queens of this fairyland paid reverence to jinjin, for as they expected to be obeyed by others they were willing to obey the one in authority over them. the inhabitants of the land of oz had heard many tales of this fearfully just jinjin, whose punishments were always equal to the faults committed. polychrome also knew of him, although this was the first time she had ever seen him face to face. but to betsy the story was all new, and she was greatly interested in tititi-hoochoo, whom she no longer feared. time sped swiftly during their talk and suddenly betsy noticed that moonlight was sitting beside the queen of light, instead of daylight. "but tell me, please," she pleaded, "why do you all wear a dragon's head embroidered on your gowns?" erma's pleasant face became grave as she answered: "the dragon, as you must know, was the first living creature ever made; therefore the dragon is the oldest and wisest of living things. by good fortune the original dragon, who still lives, is a resident of this land and supplies us with wisdom whenever we are in need of it. he is old as the world and remembers everything that has happened since the world was created." "did he ever have any children?" inquired the girl. "yes, many of them. some wandered into other lands, where men, not understanding them, made war upon them; but many still reside in this country. none, however, is as wise as the original dragon, for whom we have great respect. as he was the first resident here, we wear the emblem of the dragon's head to show that we are the favored people who alone have the right to inhabit this fairyland, which in beauty almost equal the fairyland of oz, and in power quite surpasses it." "i understand about the dragon, now," said polychrome, nodding her lovely head. betsy did not quite understand, but she was at present interested in observing the changing lights. as daylight had given way to moonlight, so now starlight sat at the right hand of erma the queen, and with her coming a spirit of peace and content seemed to fill the room. polychrome, being herself a fairy, had many questions to ask about the various kings and queens who lived in this far-away, secluded place, and before erma had finished answering them a rosy glow filled the room and firelight took her place beside the queen. betsy liked firelight, but to gaze upon her warm and glowing features made the little girl sleepy, and presently she began to nod. thereupon erma rose and took betsy's hand gently in her own. "come," said she; "the feast time has arrived and the feast is spread." "that's nice," exclaimed the small mortal. "now that i think of it, i'm awful hungry. but p'raps i can't eat your fairy food." the queen smiled and led her to a doorway. as she pushed aside a heavy drapery a flood of silvery light greeted them, and betsy saw before her a splendid banquet hall, with a table spread with snowy linen and crystal and silver. at one side was a broad, throne-like seat for erma and beside her now sat the brilliant maid electra. polychrome was placed on the queen's right hand and betsy upon her left. the other five messengers of light now waited upon them, and each person was supplied with just the food she liked best. polychrome found her dish of dewdrops, all fresh and sparkling, while betsy was so lavishly served that she decided she had never in her life eaten a dinner half so good. "i s'pose," she said to the queen, "that miss electra is the youngest of all these girls." "why do you suppose that?" inquired erma, with a smile. "'cause electric'ty is the newest light we know of. didn't mr. edison discover it?" "perhaps he was the first mortal to discover it," replied the queen. "but electricity was a part of the world from its creation, and therefore my electra is as old as daylight or moonlight, and equally beneficent to mortals and fairies alike." betsy was thoughtful for a time. then she remarked, as she looked at the six messengers of light: "we couldn't very well do without any of 'em; could we?" erma laughed softly. "_i_ couldn't, i'm sure," she replied, "and i think mortals would miss any one of my maidens, as well. daylight cannot take the place of sunlight, which gives us strength and energy. moonlight is of value when daylight, worn out with her long watch, retires to rest. if the moon in its course is hidden behind the earth's rim, and my sweet moonlight cannot cheer us, starlight takes her place, for the skies always lend her power. without firelight we should miss much of our warmth and comfort, as well as much cheer when the walls of houses encompass us. but always, when other lights forsake us, our glorious electra is ready to flood us with bright rays. as queen of light, i love all my maidens, for i know them to be faithful and true." "i love 'em, too!" declared betsy. "but sometimes, when i'm _real_ sleepy, i can get along without any light at all." "are you sleepy now?" inquired erma, for the feast had ended. "a little," admitted the girl. so electra showed her to a pretty chamber where there was a soft, white bed, and waited patiently until betsy had undressed and put on a shimmery silken nightrobe that lay beside her pillow. then the light-maid bade her good night and opened the door. when she closed it after her betsy was in darkness. in six winks the little girl was fast asleep. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the jinjin's just judgment all the adventurers were reunited next morning when they were brought from various palaces to the residence of tititi-hoochoo and ushered into the great hall of state. as before, no one was visible except our friends and their escorts until the first bell sounded. then in a flash the room was seen to be filled with the beautiful kings and queens of the land. the second bell marked the appearance in the throne of the mighty jinjin, whose handsome countenance was as composed and expressionless as ever. all bowed low to the ruler. their voices softly murmured: "we greet the private citizen, mightiest of rulers, whose word is law and whose law is just." tititi-hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment. then, looking around the brilliant assemblage, and at the little group of adventurers before him, he said: "an unusual thing has happened. inhabitants of other lands than ours, who are different from ourselves in many ways, have been thrust upon us through the forbidden tube, which one of our people foolishly made years ago and was properly punished for his folly. but these strangers had no desire to come here and were wickedly thrust into the tube by a cruel king on the other side of the world, named ruggedo. this king is an immortal, but he is not good. his magic powers hurt mankind more than they benefit them. because he had unjustly kept the shaggy man's brother a prisoner, this little band of honest people, consisting of both mortals and immortals, determined to conquer ruggedo and to punish him. fearing they might succeed in this, the nome king misled them so that they fell into the tube. "now, this same ruggedo has been warned by me, many times, that if ever he used this forbidden tube in any way he would be severely punished. i find, by referring to the fairy records, that this king's servant, a nome named kaliko, begged his master not to do such a wrong act as to drop these people into the tube and send them tumbling into our country. but ruggedo defied me and my orders. "therefore these strangers are innocent of any wrong. it is only ruggedo who deserves punishment, and i will punish him." he paused a moment and then continued in the same cold, merciless voice: "these strangers must return through the tube to their own side of the world; but i will make their fall more easy and pleasant than it was before. also i shall send with them an instrument of vengeance, who in my name will drive ruggedo from his underground caverns, take away his magic powers and make him a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth--a place he detests." there was a little murmur of horror from the kings and queens at the severity of this punishment, but no one uttered a protest, for all realized that the sentence was just. "in selecting my instrument of vengeance," went on tititi-hoochoo, "i have realized that this will be an unpleasant mission. therefore no one of us who is blameless should be forced to undertake it. in this wonderful land it is seldom one is guilty of wrong, even in the slightest degree, and on examining the records i found no king or queen had erred. nor had any among their followers or servants done any wrong. but finally i came to the dragon family, which we highly respect, and then it was that i discovered the error of quox. "quox, as you well know, is a young dragon who has not yet acquired the wisdom of his race. because of this lack, he has been disrespectful toward his most ancient ancestor, the original dragon, telling him once to mind his own business and again saying that the ancient one had grown foolish with age. we are aware that dragons are not the same as fairies and cannot be altogether guided by our laws, yet such disrespect as quox has shown should not be unnoticed by us. therefore i have selected quox as my royal instrument of vengeance and he shall go through the tube with these people and inflict upon ruggedo the punishment i have decreed." all had listened quietly to this speech and now the kings and queens bowed gravely to signify their approval of the jinjin's judgment. tititi-hoochoo turned to tubekins. "i command you," said he, "to escort these strangers to the tube and see that they all enter it." the king of the tube, who had first discovered our friends and brought them to the private citizen, stepped forward and bowed. as he did so, the jinjin and all the kings and queens suddenly disappeared and only tubekins remained visible. "all right," said betsy, with a sigh; "i don't mind going back so _very_ much, 'cause the jinjin promised to make it easy for us." indeed, queen ann and her officers were the only ones who looked solemn and seemed to fear the return journey. one thing that bothered ann was her failure to conquer this land of tititi-hoochoo. as they followed their guide through the gardens to the mouth of the tube she said to shaggy: "how can i conquer the world, if i go away and leave this rich country unconquered?" "you can't," he replied. "don't ask me why, please, for if you don't know i can't inform you." "why not?" said ann; but shaggy paid no attention to the question. this end of the tube had a silver rim and around it was a gold railing to which was attached a sign that read: "if you are out, stay there. if you are in, don't come out." on a little silver plate just inside the tube was engraved the words: "_burrowed and built by hiergargo the magician, in the year of the world_ _for his own exclusive uses_." "he was some builder, i must say," remarked betsy, when she had read the inscription; "but if he had known about that star i guess he'd have spent his time playing solitaire." "well, what are we waiting for?" inquired shaggy, who was impatient to start. "quox," replied tubekins. "but i think i hear him coming." "is the young dragon invisible?" asked ann, who had never seen a live dragon and was a little fearful of meeting one. "no, indeed," replied the king of the tube. "you'll see him in a minute; but before you part company i'm sure you'll wish he _was_ invisible." "is he dangerous, then?" questioned files. "not at all. but quox tires me dreadfully," said tubekins, "and i prefer his room to his company." at that instant a scraping sound was heard, drawing nearer and nearer until from between two big bushes appeared a huge dragon, who approached the party, nodded his head and said: "good morning." had quox been at all bashful i am sure he would have felt uncomfortable at the astonished stare of every eye in the group-except tubekins, of course, who was not astonished because he had seen quox so often. betsy had thought a "young" dragon must be a small dragon, yet here was one so enormous that the girl decided he must be full grown, if not overgrown. his body was a lovely sky-blue in color and it was thickly set with glittering silver scales, each one as big as a serving-tray. around his neck was a pink ribbon with a bow just under his left ear, and below the ribbon appeared a chain of pearls to which was attached a golden locket about as large around as the end of a bass drum. this locket was set with many large and beautiful jewels. the head and face of quox were not especially ugly, when you consider that he was a dragon; but his eyes were so large that it took him a long time to wink and his teeth seemed very sharp and terrible when they showed, which they did whenever the beast smiled. also his nostrils were quite large and wide, and those who stood near him were liable to smell brimstone--especially when he breathed out fire, as it is the nature of dragons to do. to the end of his long tail was attached a big electric light. perhaps the most singular thing about the dragon's appearance at this time was the fact that he had a row of seats attached to his back, one seat for each member of the party. these seats were double, with curved backs, so that two could sit in them, and there were twelve of these double seats, all strapped firmly around the dragon's thick body and placed one behind the other, in a row that extended from his shoulders nearly to his tail. "aha!" exclaimed tubekins; "i see that tititi-hoochoo has transformed quox into a carryall." "i'm glad of that," said betsy. "i hope, mr. dragon, you won't mind our riding on your back." "not a bit," replied quox. "i'm in disgrace just now, you know, and the only way to redeem my good name is to obey the orders of the jinjin. if he makes me a beast of burden, it is only a part of my punishment, and i must bear it like a dragon. i don't blame you people at all, and i hope you'll enjoy the ride. hop on, please. all aboard for the other side of the world!" silently they took their places. hank sat in the front seat with betsy, so that he could rest his front hoofs upon the dragon's head. behind them were shaggy and polychrome, then files and the princess, and queen ann and tik-tok. the officers rode in the rear seats. when all had mounted to their places the dragon looked very like one of those sight-seeing wagons so common in big cities--only he had legs instead of wheels. "all ready?" asked quox, and when they said they were he crawled to the mouth of the tube and put his head in. "good-bye, and good luck to you!" called tubekins; but no one thought to reply, because just then the dragon slid his great body into the tube and the journey to the other side of the world had begun. at first they went so fast that they could scarcely catch their breaths, but presently quox slowed up and said with a sort of cackling laugh: "my scales! but that is some tumble. i think i shall take it easy and fall slower, or i'm likely to get dizzy. is it very far to the other side of the world?" "haven't you ever been through this tube before?" inquired shaggy. "never. nor has anyone else in our country; at least, not since i was born." "how long ago was that?" asked betsy. "that i was born? oh, not very long ago. i'm only a mere child. if i had not been sent on this journey, i would have celebrated my three thousand and fifty-sixth birthday next thursday. mother was going to make me a birthday cake with three thousand and fifty-six candles on it; but now, of course, there will be no celebration, for i fear i shall not get home in time for it." "three thousand and fifty-six years!" cried betsy. "why, i had no idea anything could live that long!" "my respected ancestor, whom i would call a stupid old humbug if i had not reformed, is so old that i am a mere baby compared with him," said quox. "he dates from the beginning of the world, and insists on telling us stories of things that happened fifty thousand years ago, which are of no interest at all to youngsters like me. in fact, grandpa isn't up to date. he lives altogether in the past, so i can't see any good reason for his being alive to-day.... are you people able to see your way, or shall i turn on more light?' "oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there's nothing to see but ourselves," answered betsy. this was true. the dragon's big eyes were like headlights on an automobile and illuminated the tube far ahead of them. also he curled his tail upward so that the electric light on the end of it enabled them to see one another quite clearly. but the tube itself was only dark metal, smooth as glass but exactly the same from one of its ends to the other. therefore there was no scenery of interest to beguile the journey. they were now falling so gently that the trip was proving entirely comfortable, as the jinjin had promised it would be; but this meant a longer journey and the only way they could make time pass was to engage in conversation. the dragon seemed a willing and persistent talker and he was of so much interest to them that they encouraged him to chatter. his voice was a little gruff but not unpleasant when one became used to it. "my only fear," said he presently, "is that this constant sliding over the surface of the tube will dull my claws. you see, this hole isn't straight down, but on a steep slant, and so instead of tumbling freely through the air i must skate along the tube. fortunately, there is a file in my tool-kit, and if my claws get dull they can be sharpened again." "why do you want sharp claws?" asked betsy. "they are my natural weapons, and you must not forget that i have been sent to conquer ruggedo." "oh, you needn't mind about that," remarked queen ann, in her most haughty manner; "for when we get to ruggedo i and my invincible army can conquer him without your assistance." "very good," returned the dragon, cheerfully. "that will save me a lot of bother--if you succeed. but i think i shall file my claws, just the same." he gave a long sigh, as he said this, and a sheet of flame, several feet in length, shot from his mouth. betsy shuddered and hank said "hee-haw!" while some of the officers screamed in terror. but the dragon did not notice that he had done anything unusual. "is there fire inside of you?" asked shaggy. "of course," answered quox. "what sort of a dragon would i be if my fire went out?" "what keeps it going?" betsy inquired. "i've no idea. i only know it's there," said quox. "the fire keeps me alive and enables me to move; also to think and speak." "ah! you are ver-y much like my-self," said tik-tok. "the on-ly dif-fer-ence is that i move by clock-work, while you move by fire." "i don't see a particle of likeness between us, i must confess," retorted quox, gruffly. "you are not a live thing; you're a dummy." "but i can do things, you must ad-mit," said tik-tok. "yes, when you are wound up," sneered the dragon. "but if you run down, you are helpless." "what would happen to you, quox, if you ran out of gasoline?" inquired shaggy, who did not like this attack upon his friend. "i don't use gasoline." "well, suppose you ran out of fire." "what's the use of supposing that?" asked quox. "my great-great-great-grandfather has lived since the world began, and he has never once run out of fire to keep him going. but i will confide to you that as he gets older he shows more smoke and less fire. as for tik-tok, he's well enough in his way, but he's merely copper. and the metal monarch knows copper through and through. i wouldn't be surprised if ruggedo melted tik-tok in one of his furnaces and made copper pennies of him." "in that case, i would still keep going," remarked tik-tok, calmly. "pennies do," said betsy regretfully. "this is all nonsense," said the queen, with irritation. "tik-tok is my great army--all but the officers--and i believe he will be able to conquer ruggedo with ease. what do you think, polychrome?" "you might let him try," answered the rainbow's daughter, with her sweet ringing laugh, that sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells. "and if tik-tok fails, you have still the big fire-breathing dragon to fall back on." "ah!" said the dragon, another sheet of flame gushing from his mouth and nostrils; "it's a wise little girl, this polychrome. anyone would know she is a fairy." [illustration] [illustration] chapter the long-eared hearer learns by listening during this time ruggedo, the metal monarch and king of the nomes, was trying to amuse himself in his splendid jeweled cavern. it was hard work for ruggedo to find amusement to-day, for all the nomes were behaving well and there was no one to scold or to punish. the king had thrown his sceptre at kaliko six times, without hitting him once. not that kaliko had done anything wrong. on the contrary, he had obeyed the king in every way but one: he would not stand still, when commanded to do so, and let the heavy sceptre strike him. we can hardly blame kaliko for this, and even the cruel ruggedo forgave him; for he knew very well that if he mashed his royal chamberlain he could never find another so intelligent and obedient. kaliko could make the nomes work when their king could not, for the nomes hated ruggedo and there were so many thousands of the quaint little underground people that they could easily have rebelled and defied the king had they dared to do so. sometimes, when ruggedo abused them worse than usual, they grew sullen and threw down their hammers and picks. then, however hard the king scolded or whipped them, they would not work until kaliko came and begged them to. for kaliko was one of themselves and was as much abused by the king as any nome in the vast series of caverns. but to-day all the little people were working industriously at their tasks and ruggedo, having nothing to do, was greatly bored. he sent for the long-eared hearer and asked him to listen carefully and report what was going on in the big world. "it seems," said the hearer, after listening for awhile, "that the women in america have clubs." "are there spikes in them?" asked ruggedo, yawning. "i cannot hear any spikes, your majesty," was the reply. "then their clubs are not as good as my sceptre. what else do you hear?" "there's a war." "bah! there's always a war. what else?" for a time the hearer was silent, bending forward and spreading out his big ears to catch the slightest sound. then suddenly he said: "here is an interesting thing, your majesty. these people are arguing as to who shall conquer the metal monarch, seize his treasure and drive him from his dominions." "what people?" demanded ruggedo, sitting up straight in his throne. "the ones you threw down the hollow tube." "where are they now?" "in the same tube, and coming back this way," said the hearer. ruggedo got out of his throne and began to pace up and down the cavern. "i wonder what can be done to stop them," he mused. "well," said the hearer, "if you could turn the tube upside down, they would be falling the other way, your majesty." ruggedo glared at him wickedly, for it was impossible to turn the tube upside down and he believed the hearer was slyly poking fun at him. presently he asked: "how far away are those people now?" "about nine thousand three hundred and six miles, seventeen furlongs, eight feet and four inches--as nearly as i can judge from the sound of their voices," replied the hearer. "aha! then it will be some time before they arrive," said ruggedo, "and when they get here i shall be ready to receive them." he rushed to his gong and pounded upon it so fiercely that kaliko came bounding into the cavern with one shoe off and one shoe on, for he was just dressing himself after a swim in the hot bubbling lake of the underground kingdom. "kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the tube are coming back again!" he exclaimed. "i thought they would," said the royal chamberlain, pulling on the other shoe. "tititi-hoochoo would not allow them to remain in his kingdom, of course, and so i've been expecting them back for some time. that was a very foolish action of yours, rug." "what, to throw them down the tube?" "yes. tititi-hoochoo has forbidden us to throw even rubbish into the tube." "pooh! what do i care for the jinjin?" asked ruggedo scornfully. "he never leaves his own kingdom, which is on the other side of the world." "true; but he might send some one through the tube to punish you," suggested kaliko. "i'd like to see him do it! who could conquer my thousands of nomes?" "why, they've been conquered before, if i remember aright," answered kaliko with a grin. "once i saw you running from a little girl named dorothy, and her friends, as if you were really afraid." "well, i _was_ afraid, that time," admitted the nome king, with a deep sigh, "for dorothy had a yellow hen that laid eggs!" the king shuddered as he said "eggs," and kaliko also shuddered, and so did the long-eared hearer; for eggs are the only things that the nomes greatly dread. the reason for this is that eggs belong on the earth's surface, where birds and fowl of all sorts live, and there is something about a hen's egg, especially, that fills a nome with horror. if by chance the inside of an egg touches one of these underground people, he withers up and blows away and that is the end of him--unless he manages quickly to speak a magical word which only a few of the nomes know. therefore ruggedo and his followers had very good cause to shudder at the mere mention of eggs. "but dorothy," said the king, "is not with this band of invaders; nor is the yellow hen. as for tititi-hoochoo, he has no means of knowing that we are afraid of eggs." "you mustn't be too sure of that," kaliko warned him. "tititi-hoochoo knows a great many things, being a fairy, and his powers are far superior to any we can boast." ruggedo shrugged impatiently and turned to the hearer. "listen," said he, "and tell me if you hear any eggs coming through the tube." the long-eared one listened and then shook his head. but kaliko laughed at the king. "no one can hear an egg, your majesty," said he. "the only way to discover the truth is to look through the magic spyglass." "that's it!" cried the king. "why didn't i think of it before? look at once, kaliko!" so kaliko went to the spyglass and by uttering a mumbled charm he caused the other end of it to twist around, so that it pointed down the opening of the tube. then he put his eye to the glass and was able to gaze along all the turns and windings of the magic spyglass and then deep into the tube, to where our friends were at that time falling. "dear me!" he exclaimed. "here comes a dragon." "a big one?" asked ruggedo. "a monster. he has an electric light on the end of his tail, so i can see him very plainly. and the other people are all riding upon his back." "how about the eggs?" inquired the king. kaliko looked again. [illustration] "i can see no eggs at all," said he; "but i imagine that the dragon is as dangerous as eggs. probably tititi-hoochoo has sent him here to punish you for dropping those strangers into the forbidden tube. i warned you not to do it, your majesty." this news made the nome king anxious. for a few minutes he paced up and down, stroking his long beard and thinking with all his might. after this he turned to kaliko and said: "all the harm a dragon can do is to scratch with his claws and bite with his teeth." "that is not all, but it's quite enough," returned kaliko earnestly. "on the other hand, no one can hurt a dragon, because he's the toughest creature alive. one flop of his huge tail could smash a hundred nomes to pancakes, and with teeth and claws he could tear even you or me into small bits, so that it would be almost impossible to put us together again. once, a few hundred years ago, while wandering through some deserted caverns, i came upon a small piece of a nome lying on the rocky floor. i asked the piece of nome what had happened to it. fortunately the mouth was a part of this piece--the mouth and the left eye--so it was able to tell me that a fierce dragon was the cause. it had attacked the poor nome and scattered him in every direction, and as there was no friend near to collect his pieces and put him together, they had been separated for a great many years. so you see, your majesty, it is not in good taste to sneer at a dragon." the king had listened attentively to kaliko. said he: "it will only be necessary to chain this dragon which tititi-hoochoo has sent here, in order to prevent his reaching us with his claws and teeth." "he also breathes flames," kaliko reminded him. "my nomes are not afraid of fire, nor am i," said ruggedo. "well, how about the army of oogaboo?" "sixteen cowardly officers and tik-tok! why, i could defeat them single-handed; but i won't try to. i'll summon my army of nomes to drive the invaders out of my territory, and if we catch any of them i intend to stick needles into them until they hop with pain." "i hope you won't hurt any of the girls," said kaliko. "i'll hurt 'em all!" roared the angry metal monarch. "and that braying mule i'll make into hoof-soup, and feed it to my nomes, that it may add to their strength." "why not be good to the strangers and release your prisoner, the shaggy man's brother?" suggested kaliko. "never!" "it may save you a lot of annoyance. and you don't want the ugly one." "i don't want him; that's true. but i won't allow anybody to order me around. i'm king of the nomes and i'm the metal monarch, and i shall do as i please and what i please and when i please!" with this speech ruggedo threw his sceptre at kaliko's head, aiming it so well that the royal chamberlain had to fall flat upon the floor in order to escape it. but the hearer did not see the sceptre coming and it swept past his head so closely that it broke off the tip of one of his long ears. he gave a dreadful yell that quite startled ruggedo, and the king was sorry for the accident because those long ears of the hearer were really valuable to him. so the nome king forgot to be angry with kaliko and ordered his chamberlain to summon general guph and the army of nomes and have them properly armed. they were then to march to the mouth of the tube, where they could seize the travelers as soon as they appeared. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the dragon defies danger although the journey through the tube was longer, this time, than before, it was so much more comfortable that none of our friends minded it at all. they talked together most of the time and as they found the dragon good-natured and fond of the sound of his own voice they soon became well acquainted with him and accepted him as a companion. "you see," said shaggy, in his frank way, "quox is on our side, and therefore the dragon is a good fellow. if he happened to be an enemy, instead of a friend, i am sure i should dislike him very much, for his breath smells of brimstone, he is very conceited and he is so strong and fierce that he would prove a dangerous foe." "yes, indeed," returned quox, who had listened to this speech with pleasure; "i suppose i am about as terrible as any living thing. i am glad you find me conceited, for that proves i know my good qualities. as for my breath smelling of brimstone, i really can't help it, and i once met a man whose breath smelled of onions, which i consider far worse." "i don't," said betsy; "i love onions." "and i love brimstone," declared the dragon, "so don't let us quarrel over one another's peculiarities." saying this, he breathed a long breath and shot a flame fifty feet from his mouth. the brimstone made betsy cough, but she remembered about the onions and said nothing. they had no idea how far they had gone through the center of the earth, nor when to expect the trip to end. at one time the little girl remarked: "i wonder when we'll reach the bottom of this hole. and isn't it funny, shaggy man, that what is the bottom to us now, was the top when we fell the other way?" "what puzzles me," said files, "is that we are able to fall both ways." "that," announced tik-tok, "is be-cause the world is round." "exactly," responded shaggy. "the machinery in your head is in fine working order, tik-tok. you know, betsy, that there is such a thing as the attraction of gravitation, which draws everything toward the center of the earth. that is why we fall out of bed, and why everything clings to the surface of the earth." "then why doesn't everything go on down to the center of the earth?" inquired the little girl. "i was afraid you were going to ask me that," replied shaggy in a sad tone. "the reason, my dear, is that the earth is so solid that other solid things can't get through it. but when there's a hole, as there is in this case, we drop right down to the center of the world." "why don't we stop there?" asked betsy. "because we go so fast that we acquire speed enough to carry us right up to the other end." "i don't understand that, and it makes my head ache to try to figure it out," she said after some thought. "one thing draws us to the center and another thing pushes us away from it. but--" "don't ask me why, please," interrupted the shaggy man. "if you can't understand it, let it go at that." "do _you_ understand it?" she inquired. "all the magic isn't in fairyland," he said gravely. "there's lots of magic in all nature, and you may see it as well in the united states, where you and i once lived, as you can here." "i never did," she replied. "because you were so used to it all that you didn't realize it was magic. is anything more wonderful than to see a flower grow and blossom, or to get light out of the electricity in the air? the cows that manufacture milk for us must have machinery fully as remarkable as that in tik-tok's copper body, and perhaps you've noticed that--" and then, before shaggy could finish his speech, the strong light of day suddenly broke upon them, grew brighter, and completely enveloped them. the dragon's claws no longer scraped against the metal tube, for he shot into the open air a hundred feet or more and sailed so far away from the slanting hole that when he landed it was on the peak of a mountain and just over the entrance to the many underground caverns of the nome king. some of the officers tumbled off their seats when quox struck the ground, but most of the dragon's passengers only felt a slight jar. all were glad to be on solid earth again and they at once dismounted and began to look about them. queerly enough, as soon as they had left the dragon, the seats that were strapped to the monster's back disappeared, and this probably happened because there was no further use for them and because quox looked far more dignified in just his silver scales. of course he still wore the forty yards of ribbon around his neck, as well as the great locket, but these only made him look "dressed up," as betsy remarked. [illustration] now the army of nomes had gathered thickly around the mouth of the tube, in order to be ready to capture the band of invaders as soon as they popped out. there were, indeed, hundreds of nomes assembled, and they were led by guph, their most famous general. but they did not expect the dragon to fly so high, and he shot out of the tube so suddenly that it took them by surprise. when the nomes had rubbed the astonishment out of their eyes and regained their wits, they discovered the dragon quietly seated on the mountain-side far above their heads, while the other strangers were standing in a group and calmly looking down upon them. general guph was very angry at the escape, which was no one's fault but his own. "come down here and be captured!" he shouted, waving his sword at them. "come up here and capture us--if you dare!" replied queen ann, who was winding up the clockwork of her private soldier, so he could fight more briskly. guph's first answer was a roar of rage at the defiance; then he turned and issued a command to his nomes. these were all armed with sharp spears and with one accord they raised these spears and threw them straight at their foes, so that they rushed through the air in a perfect cloud of flying weapons. some damage might have been done had not the dragon quickly crawled before the others, his body being so big that it shielded every one of them, including hank. the spears rattled against the silver scales of quox and then fell harmlessly to the ground. they were magic spears, of course, and all straightway bounded back into the hands of those who had thrown them, but even guph could see that it was useless to repeat the attack. it was now queen ann's turn to attack, so the generals yelled "for--ward march!" and the colonels and majors and captains repeated the command and the valiant army of oogaboo, which seemed to be composed mainly of tik-tok, marched forward in single column toward the nomes, while betsy and polychrome cheered and hank gave a loud "hee-haw!" and shaggy shouted "hooray!" and queen ann screamed: "at 'em, tik-tok--at 'em!" the nomes did not await the clockwork man's attack but in a twinkling disappeared into the underground caverns. they made a great mistake in being so hasty, for tik-tok had not taken a dozen steps before he stubbed his copper toe on a rock and fell flat to the ground, where he cried: "pick me up! pick me up! pick me up!" until shaggy and files ran forward and raised him to his feet again. the dragon chuckled softly to himself as he scratched his left ear with his hind claw, but no one was paying much attention to quox just then. it was evident to ann and her officers that there could be no fighting unless the enemy was present, and in order to find the enemy they must boldly enter the underground kingdom of the nomes. so bold a step demanded a council of war. "don't you think i'd better drop in on ruggedo and obey the orders of the jinjin?" asked quox. "by no means!" returned queen ann. "we have already put the army of nomes to flight and all that yet remains is to force our way into those caverns and conquer the nome king and all his people." "that seems to me something of a job," said the dragon, closing his eyes sleepily. "but go ahead, if you like, and i'll wait here for you. don't be in any hurry on my account. to one who lives thousands of years the delay of a few days means nothing at all, and i shall probably sleep until the time comes for me to act." ann was provoked at this speech. "you may as well go back to tititi-hoochoo now," she said, "for the nome king is as good as conquered already." but quox shook his head. "no," said he; "i'll wait." [illustration] [illustration] [illustration] chapter the naughty nome shaggy man had said nothing during the conversation between queen ann and quox, for the simple reason that he did not consider the matter worth an argument. safe within his pocket reposed the love magnet, which had never failed to win every heart. the nomes, he knew, were not like the heartless roses and therefore could be won to his side as soon as he exhibited the magic talisman. shaggy's chief anxiety had been to reach ruggedo's kingdom and now that the entrance lay before him he was confident he would be able to rescue his lost brother. let ann and the dragon quarrel as to who should conquer the nomes, if they liked; shaggy would let them try, and if they failed he had the means of conquest in his own pocket. but ann was positive she could not fail, for she thought her army could do anything. so she called the officers together and told them how to act, and she also instructed tik-tok what to do and what to say. "please do not shoot your gun except as a last resort," she added, "for i do not wish to be cruel or to shed any blood--unless it is absolutely necessary." "all right," replied tik-tok; "but i do not think rug-ge-do would bleed if i filled him full of holes and put him in a ci-der press." then the officers fell in line, the four generals abreast and then the four colonels and the four majors and the four captains. they drew their glittering swords and commanded tik-tok to march, which he did. twice he fell down, being tripped by the rough rocks, but when he struck the smooth path he got along better. into the gloomy mouth of the cavern entrance he stepped without hesitation, and after him proudly pranced the officers and queen ann. the others held back a little, waiting to see what would happen. of course the nome king knew they were coming and was prepared to receive them. just within the rocky passage that led to the jeweled throne-room was a deep pit, which was usually covered. ruggedo had ordered the cover removed and it now stood open, scarcely visible in the gloom. the pit was so large around that it nearly filled the passage and there was barely room for one to walk around it by pressing close to the rock walls. this tik-tok did, for his copper eyes saw the pit clearly and he avoided it; but the officers marched straight into the hole and tumbled in a heap on the bottom. an instant later queen ann also walked into the pit, for she had her chin in the air and was careless where she placed her feet. then one of the nomes pulled a lever which replaced the cover on the pit and made the officers of oogaboo and their queen fast prisoners. as for tik-tok, he kept straight on to the cavern where ruggedo sat in his throne and there he faced the nome king and said: "i here-by con-quer you in the name of queen ann so-forth of oo-ga-boo, whose ar-my i am, and i de-clare that you are her pris-on-er!" ruggedo laughed at him. "where is this famous queen?" he asked. "she'll be here in a min-ute," said tik-tok. "per-haps she stopped to tie her shoe-string." "now, see here, tik-tok," began the nome king, in a stern voice, "i've had enough of this nonsense. your queen and her officers are all prisoners, having fallen into my power, so perhaps you'll tell me what you mean to do." [illustration] "my or-ders were to con-quer you," replied tik-tok, "and my ma-chin-er-y has done the best it knows how to car-ry out those or-ders." ruggedo pounded on his gong and kaliko appeared, followed closely by general guph. "take this copper man into the shops and set him to work hammering gold," commanded the king. "being run by machinery he ought to be a steady worker. he ought never to have been made, but since he exists i shall hereafter put him to good use." "if you try to cap-ture me," said tik-tok, "i shall fight." "don't do that!" exclaimed general guph, earnestly, "for it will be useless to resist and you might hurt some one." but tik-tok raised his gun and took aim and not knowing what damage the gun might do the nomes were afraid to face it. while he was thus defying the nome king and his high officials, betsy bobbin rode calmly into the royal cavern, seated upon the back of hank the mule. the little girl had grown tired of waiting for "something to happen" and so had come to see if ruggedo had been conquered. "nails and nuggets!" roared the king; "how dare you bring that beast here and enter my presence unannounced?" "there wasn't anybody to announce me," replied betsy. "i guess your folks were all busy. are you conquered yet?" "no!" shouted the king, almost beside himself with rage. "then please give me something to eat, for i'm awful hungry," said the girl. "you see, this conquering business is a good deal like waiting for a circus parade; it takes a long time to get around and don't amount to much anyhow." the nomes were so much astonished at this speech that for a time they could only glare at her silently, not finding words to reply. the king finally recovered the use of his tongue and said: "earth-crawler! this insolence to my majesty shall be your death-warrant. you are an ordinary mortal, and to stop a mortal from living is so easy a thing to do that i will not keep you waiting half so long as you did for my conquest." "i'd rather you wouldn't stop me from living," remarked betsy, getting off hank's back and standing beside him. "and it would be a pretty cheap king who killed a visitor while she was hungry. if you'll give me something to eat, i'll talk this killing business over with you afterward; only, i warn you now that i don't approve of it, and never will." her coolness and lack of fear impressed the nome king, although he bore an intense hatred toward all mortals. "what do you wish to eat?" he asked gruffly. "oh, a ham-sandwich would do, or perhaps a couple of hard-boiled eggs--" "eggs!" shrieked the three nomes who were present, shuddering till their teeth chattered. "what's the matter?" asked betsy wonderingly. "are eggs as high here as they are at home?" "guph," said the king in an agitated voice, turning to his general, "let us destroy this rash mortal at once! seize her and take her to the slimy cave and lock her in." guph glanced at tik-tok, whose gun was still pointed, but just then kaliko stole softly behind the copper man and kicked his knee-joints so that they suddenly bent forward and tumbled tik-tok to the floor, his gun falling from his grasp. then guph, seeing tik-tok helpless, made a grab at betsy. at the same time hank's heels shot out and caught the general just where his belt was buckled. he rose into the air swift as a cannon-ball, struck the nome king fairly and flattened his majesty against the wall of rock on the opposite side of the cavern. together they fell to the floor in a dazed and crumpled condition, seeing which kaliko whispered to betsy: "come with me--quick!--and i will save you." she looked into kaliko's face inquiringly and thought he seemed honest and good-natured, so she decided to follow him. he led her and the mule through several passages and into a small cavern very nicely and comfortably furnished. "this is my own room," said he, "but you are quite welcome to use it. wait here a minute and i'll get you something to eat." when kaliko returned he brought a tray containing some broiled mushrooms, a loaf of mineral bread and some petroleum-butter. the butter betsy could not eat, but the bread was good and the mushrooms delicious. "here's the door key," said kaliko, "and you'd better lock yourself in." "won't you let polychrome and the rose princess come here, too?" she asked. "i'll see. where are they?" "i don't know. i left them outside," said betsy. "well, if you hear three raps on the door, open it," said kaliko; "but don't let anyone in unless they give the three raps." "all right," promised betsy, and when kaliko left the cosy cavern she closed and locked the door. in the meantime ann and her officers, finding themselves prisoners in the pit, had shouted and screamed until they were tired out, but no one had come to their assistance. it was very dark and damp in the pit and they could not climb out because the walls were higher than their heads and the cover was on. the queen was first angry and then annoyed and then discouraged; but the officers were only afraid. every one of the poor fellows heartily wished he was back in oogaboo caring for his orchard, and some were so unhappy that they began to reproach ann for causing them all this trouble and danger. finally the queen sat down on the bottom of the pit and leaned her back against the wall. by good luck her sharp elbow touched a secret spring in the wall and a big flat rock swung inward. ann fell over backward, but the next instant she jumped up and cried to the others: "a passage! a passage! follow me, my brave men, and we may yet escape." then she began to crawl through the passage, which was as dark and dank as the pit, and the officers followed her in single file. they crawled, and they crawled, and they kept on crawling, for the passage was not big enough to allow them to stand upright. it turned this way and twisted that, sometimes like a corkscrew and sometimes zigzag, but seldom ran for long in a straight line. "it will never end--never!" moaned the officers, who were rubbing all the skin off their knees on the rough rocks. "it _must_ end," retorted ann courageously, "or it never would have been made. we don't know where it will lead us to, but any place is better than that loathsome pit." so she crawled on, and the officers crawled on, and while they were crawling through this awful underground passage polychrome and shaggy and files and the rose princess, who were standing outside the entrance to ruggedo's domains, were wondering what had become of them. [illustration] chapter a tragic transformation "don't let us worry," said shaggy to his companions, "for it may take the queen some time to conquer the metal monarch, as tik-tok has to do everything in his slow, mechanical way." "do you suppose they are likely to fail?" asked the rose princess. "i do, indeed," replied shaggy. "this nome king is really a powerful fellow and has a legion of nomes to assist him, whereas our bold queen commands a clockwork man and a band of faint-hearted officers." "she ought to have let quox do the conquering," said polychrome, dancing lightly upon a point of rock and fluttering her beautiful draperies. "but perhaps the dragon was wise to let her go first, for when she fails to conquer ruggedo she may become more modest in her ambitions." "where is the dragon now?" inquired ozga. "up there on the rocks," replied files. "look, my dear; you may see him from here. he said he would take a little nap while we were mixing up with ruggedo, and he added that after we had gotten into trouble he would wake up and conquer the nome king in a jiffy, as his master the jinjin has ordered him to do." "quox means well," said shaggy, "but i do not think we shall need his services; for just as soon as i am satisfied that queen ann and her army have failed to conquer ruggedo, i shall enter the caverns and show the king my love magnet. that he cannot resist; therefore the conquest will be made with ease." this speech of shaggy man's was overheard by the long-eared hearer, who was at that moment standing by ruggedo's side. for when the king and guph had recovered from hank's kick and had picked themselves up, their first act was to turn tik-tok on his back and put a heavy diamond on top of him, so that he could not get up again. then they carefully put his gun in a corner of the cavern and the king sent guph to fetch the long-eared hearer. [illustration] the hearer was still angry at ruggedo for breaking his ear, but he acknowledged the nome king to be his master and was ready to obey his commands. therefore he repeated shaggy's speech to the king, who at once realized that his kingdom was in grave danger. for ruggedo knew of the love magnet and its powers and was horrified at the thought that shaggy might show him the magic talisman and turn all the hatred in his heart into love. ruggedo was proud of his hatred and abhorred love of any sort. "really," said he, "i'd rather be conquered and lose my wealth and my kingdom than gaze at that awful love magnet. what can i do to prevent the shaggy man from taking it out of his pocket?" kaliko returned to the cavern in time to overhear this question, and being a loyal nome and eager to serve his king, he answered by saying: "if we can manage to bind the shaggy man's arms, tight to his body, he could not get the love magnet out of his pocket. "true!" cried the king in delight at this easy solution of the problem. "get at once a dozen nomes, with ropes, and place them in the passage where they can seize and bind shaggy as soon as he enters." this kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the entrance were growing more and more uneasy about their friends. "i don't worry so much about the oogaboo people," said polychrome, who had grown sober with waiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for they could not be killed, even though ruggedo might cause them much suffering and perhaps destroy them utterly. but we should not have allowed betsy and hank to go alone into the caverns. the little girl is mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever, so if ruggedo captures her she will be wholly at his mercy." "that is indeed true," replied shaggy. "i wouldn't like to have anything happen to dear little betsy, so i believe i'll go in right away and put an end to all this worry." "we may as well go with you," asserted files, "for by means of the love magnet you can soon bring the nome king to reason." so it was decided to wait no longer. shaggy walked through the entrance first, and after him came the others. they had no thought of danger to themselves, and shaggy, who was going along with his hands thrust into his pockets, was much surprised when a rope shot out from the darkness and twined around his body, pinning down his arms so securely that he could not even withdraw his hands from the pockets. then appeared several grinning nomes, who speedily tied knots in the ropes and then led the prisoner along the passage to the cavern. no attention was paid to the others, but files and the princess followed on after shaggy, determined not to desert their friend and hoping that an opportunity might arise to rescue him. as for polychrome, as soon as she saw that trouble had overtaken shaggy she turned and ran lightly back through the passage and out of the entrance. then she easily leaped from rock to rock until she paused beside the great dragon, who lay fast asleep. "wake up, quox!" she cried. "it is time for you to act." but quox did not wake up. he lay as one in a trance, absolutely motionless, with his enormous eyes tight closed. the eyelids had big silver scales on them, like all the rest of his body. polychrome might have thought quox was dead had she not known that dragons do not die easily or had she not observed his huge body swelling as he breathed. she picked up a piece of rock and pounded against his eyelids with it, saying: "wake up, quox--wake up!" but he would not waken. "dear me, how unfortunate!" sighed the lovely rainbow's daughter. "i wonder what is the best and surest way to waken a dragon. all our friends may be captured and destroyed while this great beast lies asleep." [illustration] she walked around quox two or three times, trying to discover some tender place on his body where a thump or a punch might be felt; but he lay extended along the rocks with his chin flat upon the ground and his legs drawn underneath his body, and all that one could see was his thick sky-blue skin--thicker than that of a rhinoceros--and his silver scales. then, despairing at last of wakening the beast, and worried over the fate of her friends, polychrome again ran down to the entrance and hurried along the passage into the nome king's cavern. here she found ruggedo lolling in his throne and smoking a long pipe. beside him stood general guph and kaliko, and ranged before the king were the rose princess, files and the shaggy man. tik-tok still lay upon the floor weighted down by the big diamond. ruggedo was now in a more contented frame of mind. one by one he had met the invaders and easily captured them. the dreaded love magnet was indeed in shaggy's pocket, only a few feet away from the king, but shaggy was powerless to show it and unless ruggedo's eyes beheld the talisman it could not affect him. as for betsy bobbin and her mule, he believed kaliko had placed them in the slimy cave, while ann and her officers he thought safely imprisoned in the pit. ruggedo had no fear of files or ozga, but to be on the safe side he had ordered golden handcuffs placed upon their wrists. these did not cause them any great annoyance but prevented them from making an attack, had they been inclined to do so. the nome king, thinking himself wholly master of the situation, was laughing and jeering at his prisoners when polychrome, exquisitely beautiful and dancing like a ray of light, entered the cavern. "oho!" cried the king; "a rainbow under ground, eh?" and then he stared hard at polychrome, and still harder, and then he sat up and pulled the wrinkles out of his robe and arranged his whiskers. "on my word," said he, "you are a very captivating creature; moreover, i perceive you are a fairy." "i am polychrome, the rainbow's daughter," she said proudly. "well," replied ruggedo, "i like you. the others i hate. i hate everybody--but you! wouldn't you like to live always in this beautiful cavern, polychrome? see! the jewels that stud the walls have every tint and color of your rainbow--and they are not so elusive. i'll have fresh dewdrops gathered for your feasting every day and you shall be queen of all my nomes and pull kaliko's nose whenever you like." "no, thank you," laughed polychrome. "my home is in the sky, and i'm only on a visit to this solid, sordid earth. but tell me, ruggedo, why my friends have been wound with cords and bound with chains?" "they threatened me," answered ruggedo. "the fools did not know how powerful i am." "then, since they are now helpless, why not release them and send them back to the earth's surface?" "because i hate 'em and mean to make 'em suffer for their invasion. but i'll make a bargain with you, sweet polly. remain here and live with me and i'll set all these people free. you shall be my daughter or my wife or my aunt or grandmother--whichever you like--only stay here to brighten my gloomy kingdom and make me happy!" polychrome looked at him wonderingly. then she turned to shaggy and asked: "are you sure he hasn't seen the love magnet?" "i'm positive," answered shaggy. "but you seem to be something of a love magnet yourself, polychrome." she laughed again and said to ruggedo: "not even to rescue my friends would i live in your kingdom. nor could i endure for long the society of such a wicked monster as you." "you forget," retorted the king, scowling darkly, "that you also are in my power." "not so, ruggedo. the rainbow's daughter is beyond the reach of your spite or malice." "seize her!" suddenly shouted the king, and general guph sprang forward to obey. polychrome stood quite still, yet when guph attempted to clutch her his hands met in air, and now the rainbow's daughter was in another part of the room, as smiling and composed as before. [illustration] several times guph endeavored to capture her and ruggedo even came down from his throne to assist his general; but never could they lay hands upon the lovely sky fairy, who flitted here and there with the swiftness of light and constantly defied them with her merry laughter as she evaded their efforts. so after a time they abandoned the chase and ruggedo returned to his throne and wiped the perspiration from his face with a finely-woven handkerchief of cloth-of-gold. "well," said polychrome, "what do you intend to do now?" "i'm going to have some fun, to repay me for all my bother," replied the nome king. then he said to kaliko: "summon the executioners." kaliko at once withdrew and presently returned with a score of nomes, all of whom were nearly as evil looking as their hated master. they bore great golden pincers, and prods of silver, and clamps and chains and various wicked-looking instruments, all made of precious metals and set with diamonds and rubies. "now, pang," said ruggedo, addressing the leader of the executioners, "fetch the army of oogaboo and their queen from the pit and torture them here in my presence--as well as in the presence of their friends. it will be great sport." "i hear your majesty, and i obey your majesty," answered pang, and went with his nomes into the passage. in a few minutes he returned and bowed to ruggedo. "they're all gone," said he. "gone!" exclaimed the nome king. "gone where?" "they left no address, your majesty; but they are not in the pit." "picks and puddles!" roared the king; "who took the cover off?" "no one," said pang. "the cover was there, but the prisoners were not under it." "in that case," snarled the king, trying to control his disappointment, "go to the slimy cave and fetch hither the girl and the donkey. and while we are torturing them kaliko must take a hundred nomes and search for the escaped prisoners--the queen of oogaboo and her officers. if he does not find them, i will torture kaliko." kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for he knew the king was cruel and unjust enough to carry out this threat. pang and the executioners also went away, in another direction, but when they came back betsy bobbin was not with them, nor was hank. "there is no one in the slimy cave, your majesty," reported pang. "jumping jellycakes!" screamed the king. "another escape? are you sure you found the right cave?" "there is but one slimy cave, and there is no one in it," returned pang positively. ruggedo was beginning to be alarmed as well as angry. however, these disappointments but made him the more vindictive and he cast an evil look at the other prisoners and said: "never mind the girl and the donkey. here are four, at least, who cannot escape my vengeance. let me see; i believe i'll change my mind about tik-tok. have the gold crucible heated to a white, seething heat, and then we'll dump the copper man into it and melt him up." "but, your majesty," protested kaliko, who had returned to the room after sending a hundred nomes to search for the oogaboo people, "you must remember that tik-tok is a very curious and interesting machine. it would be a shame to deprive the world of such a clever contrivance." "say another word, and you'll go into the furnace with him!" roared the king. "i'm getting tired of you, kaliko, and the first thing you know i'll turn you into a potato and make saratoga-chips of you! the next to consider," he added more mildly, "is the shaggy man. as he owns the love magnet, i think i'll transform him into a dove, and then we can practice shooting at him with tik-tok's gun. now, this is a very interesting ceremony and i beg you all to watch me closely and see that i've nothing up my sleeve." he came out of his throne to stand before the shaggy man, and then he waved his hands, palms downward, in seven semicircles over his victim's head, saying in a low but clear tone of voice the magic wugwa: "adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo! idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!" the effect of this well-known sorcery was instantaneous. instead of the shaggy man, a pretty dove lay fluttering upon the floor, its wings confined by tiny cords wound around them. ruggedo gave an order to pang, who cut the cords with a pair of scissors. being freed, the dove quickly flew upward and alighted on the shoulder of the rose princess, who stroked it tenderly. "very good! very good!" cried ruggedo, rubbing his hands gleefully together. "one enemy is out of my way, and now for the others." (perhaps my readers should be warned not to attempt the above transformation; for, although the exact magical formula has been described, it is unlawful in all civilized countries for anyone to transform a person into a dove by muttering the words ruggedo used. there were no laws to prevent the nome king from performing this transformation, but if it should be attempted in any other country, and the magic worked, the magician would be severely punished.) when polychrome saw shaggy man transformed into a dove and realized that ruggedo was about to do something as dreadful to the princess and files, and that tik-tok would soon be melted in a crucible, she turned and ran from the cavern, through the passage and back to the place where quox lay asleep. [illustration] [illustration] chapter a clever conquest the great dragon still had his eyes closed and was even snoring in a manner that resembled distant thunder; but polychrome was now desperate, because any further delay meant the destruction of her friends. she seized the pearl necklace, to which was attached the great locket, and jerked it with all her strength. the result was encouraging. quox stopped snoring and his eyelids flickered. so polychrome jerked again--and again--till slowly the great lids raised and the dragon looked at her steadily. said he, in a sleepy tone: "what's the matter, little rainbow?" "come quick!" exclaimed polychrome. "ruggedo has captured all our friends and is about to destroy them." "well, well," said quox, "i suspected that would happen. step a little out of my path, my dear, and i'll make a rush for the nome king's cavern." she fell back a few steps and quox raised himself on his stout legs, whisked his long tail and in an instant had slid down the rocks and made a dive through the entrance. along the passage he swept, nearly filling it with his immense body, and now he poked his head into the jeweled cavern of ruggedo. but the king had long since made arrangements to capture the dragon, whenever he might appear. no sooner did quox stick his head into the room than a thick chain fell from above and encircled his neck. then the ends of the chain were drawn tight--for in an adjoining cavern a thousand nomes were pulling on them--and so the dragon could advance no further toward the king. he could not use his teeth or his claws and as his body was still in the passage he had not even room to strike his foes with his terrible tail. ruggedo was delighted with the success of his strategem. he had just transformed the rose princess into a fiddle and was about to transform files into a fiddle bow, when the dragon appeared to interrupt him. so he called out: "welcome, my dear quox, to my royal entertainment. since you are here, you shall witness some very neat magic, and after i have finished with files and tik-tok i mean to transform you into a tiny lizard--one of the chameleon sort--and you shall live in my cavern and amuse me." "pardon me for contradicting your majesty," returned quox in a quiet voice, "but i don't believe you'll perform any more magic." "eh? why not?" asked the king in surprise. "there's a reason," said quox. "do you see this ribbon around my neck?" "yes; and i'm astonished that a dignified dragon should wear such a silly thing." "do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon, with a little chuckle of amusement. "i do," declared ruggedo. "then you no longer possess any magical powers, and are as helpless as a clam," asserted quox. "my great master, tititi-hoochoo, the jinjin, enchanted this ribbon in such a way that whenever your majesty looked upon it all knowledge of magic would desert you instantly, nor will any magical formula you can remember ever perform your bidding." "pooh! i don't believe a word of it!" cried ruggedo, half frightened, nevertheless. then he turned toward files and tried to transform him into a fiddle bow. but he could not remember the right words or the right pass of the hands and after several trials he finally gave up the attempt. by this time the nome king was so alarmed that he was secretly shaking in his shoes. "i told you not to anger tititi-hoochoo," grumbled kaliko, "and now you see the result of your disobedience." ruggedo promptly threw his sceptre at his royal chamberlain, who dodged it with his usual cleverness, and then he said with an attempt to swagger: "never mind; i don't need magic to enable me to destroy these invaders; fire and the sword will do the business and i am still king of the nomes and lord and master of my underground kingdom!" "again i beg to differ with your majesty," said quox. "the great jinjin commands you to depart instantly from this kingdom and seek the earth's surface, where you will wander for all time to come, without a home or country, without a friend or follower, and without any more riches than you can carry with you in your pockets. the great jinjin is so generous that he will allow you to fill your pockets with jewels or gold, but you must take nothing more." ruggedo now stared at the dragon in amazement. "does tititi-hoochoo condemn me to such a fate?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "he does," said quox. "and just for throwing a few strangers down the forbidden tube?" "just for that," repeated quox in a stern, gruff voice. "well, i won't do it. and your crazy old jinjin can't make me do it, either!" declared ruggedo. "i intend to remain here, king of the nomes, until the end of the world, and i defy your tititi-hoochoo and all his fairies--as well as his clumsy messenger, whom i have been obliged to chain up!" the dragon smiled again, but it was not the sort of smile that made ruggedo feel very happy. instead, there was something so cold and merciless in the dragon's expression that the condemned nome king trembled and was sick at heart. there was little comfort for ruggedo in the fact that the dragon was now chained, although he had boasted of it. he glared at the immense head of quox as if fascinated and there was fear in the old king's eyes as he watched his enemy's movements. for the dragon was now moving; not abruptly, but as if he had something to do and was about to do it. very deliberately he raised one claw, touched the catch of the great jeweled locket that was suspended around his neck, and at once it opened wide. nothing much happened at first; half a dozen hen's eggs rolled out upon the floor and then the locket closed with a sharp click. but the effect upon the nomes of this simple thing was astounding. general guph, kaliko, pang and his band of executioners were all standing close to the door that led to the vast series of underground caverns which constituted the dominions of the nomes, and as soon as they saw the eggs they raised a chorus of frantic screams and rushed through the door, slamming it in ruggedo's face and placing a heavy bronze bar across it. ruggedo, dancing with terror and uttering loud cries, now leaped upon the seat of his throne to escape the eggs, which had rolled steadily toward him. perhaps these eggs, sent by the wise and crafty tititi-hoochoo, were in some way enchanted, for they all rolled directly after ruggedo and when they reached the throne where he had taken refuge they began rolling up the legs to the seat. this was too much for the king to bear. his horror of eggs was real and absolute and he made a leap from the throne to the center of the room and then ran to a far corner. the eggs followed, rolling slowly but steadily in his direction. ruggedo threw his sceptre at them, and then his ruby crown, and then he drew off his heavy golden sandals and hurled these at the advancing eggs. but the eggs dodged every missile and continued to draw nearer. the king stood trembling, his eyes staring in terror, until they were but half a yard distant; then with an agile leap he jumped clear over them and made a rush for the passage that led to the outer entrance. of course the dragon was in his way, being chained in the passage with his head in the cavern, but when he saw the king making toward him he crouched as low as he could and dropped his chin to the floor, leaving a small space between his body and the roof of the passage. ruggedo did not hesitate an instant. impelled by fear, he leaped to the dragon's nose and then scrambled to his back, where he succeeded in squeezing himself through the opening. after the head was passed there was more room and he slid along the dragon's scales to his tail and then ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the entrance. not pausing here, so great was his fright, the king dashed on down the mountain path, but before he had gone very far he stumbled and fell. when he picked himself up he observed that no one was following him, and while he recovered his breath he happened to think of the decree of the jinjin--that he should be driven from his kingdom and made a wanderer on the face of the earth. well, here he was, driven from his cavern in truth; driven by those dreadful eggs; but he would go back and defy them; he would not submit to losing his precious kingdom and his tyrannical powers, all because tititi-hoochoo had said he must. so, although still afraid, ruggedo nerved himself to creep back along the path to the entrance, and when he arrived there he saw the six eggs lying in a row just before the arched opening. at first he paused a safe distance away to consider the case, for the eggs were now motionless. while he was wondering what could be done, he remembered there was a magical charm which would destroy eggs and render them harmless to nomes. there were nine passes to be made and six verses of incantation to be recited; but ruggedo knew them all. now that he had ample time to be exact, he carefully went through the entire ceremony. but nothing happened. the eggs did not disappear, as he had expected; so he repeated the charm a second time. when that also failed, he remembered, with a moan of despair, that his magic power had been taken away from him and in the future he could do no more than any common mortal. and there were the eggs, forever barring him from the kingdom which he had ruled so long with absolute sway! he threw rocks at them, but could not hit a single egg. he raved and scolded and tore his hair and beard, and danced in helpless passion, but that did nothing to avert the just judgment of the jinjin, which ruggedo's own evil deeds had brought upon him. from this time on he was an outcast--a wanderer upon the face of the earth--and he had even forgotten to fill his pockets with gold and jewels before he fled from his former kingdom! [illustration] [illustration] chapter king kaliko after the king had made good his escape files said to the dragon, in a said voice: "alas! why did you not come before? because you were sleeping instead of conquering, the lovely rose princess has become a fiddle without a bow, while poor shaggy sits there a cooing dove!" "don't worry," replied quox. "tititi-hoochoo knows his business, and i had my orders from the great jinjin himself. bring the fiddle here and touch it lightly to my pink ribbon." files obeyed and at the moment of contact with the ribbon the nome king's charm was broken and the rose princess herself stood before them as sweet and smiling as ever. the dove, perched on the back of the throne, had seen and heard all this, so without being told what to do it flew straight to the dragon and alighted on the ribbon. next instant shaggy was himself again and quox said to him grumblingly: "please get off my left toe, shaggy man, and be more particular where you step." "i beg your pardon!" replied shaggy, very glad to resume his natural form. then he ran to lift the heavy diamond off tik-tok's chest and to assist the clockwork man to his feet. "ma-ny thanks!" said tik-tok. "where is the wick-ed king who want-ed to melt me in a cru-ci-ble?" "he has gone, and gone for good," answered polychrome, who had managed to squeeze into the room beside the dragon and had witnessed the occurrences with much interest. "but i wonder where betsy bobbin and hank can be, and if any harm has befallen them." "we must search the cavern until we find them," declared shaggy; but when he went to the door leading to the other caverns he found it shut and barred. "i've a pretty strong push in my forehead," said quox, "and i believe i can break down that door, even though it's made of solid gold." "but you are a prisoner, and the chains that hold you are fastened in some other room, so that we cannot release you," files said anxiously. "oh, never mind that," returned the dragon. "i have remained a prisoner only because i wished to be one," and with this he stepped forward and burst the stout chains as easily as if they had been threads. but when he tried to push in the heavy metal door, even his mighty strength failed, and after several attempts he gave it up and squatted himself in a corner to think of a better way. "i'll o-pen the door," asserted tik-tok, and going to the king's big gong he pounded upon it until the noise was almost deafening. kaliko, in the next cavern, was wondering what had happened to ruggedo and if he had escaped the eggs and outwitted the dragon. but when he heard the sound of the gong, which had so often called him into the king's presence, he decided that ruggedo had been victorious; so he took away the bar, threw open the door and entered the royal cavern. great was his astonishment to find the king gone and the enchantments removed from the princess and shaggy. but the eggs were also gone and so kaliko advanced to the dragon, whom he knew to be tititi-hoochoo's messenger, and bowed humbly before the beast. "what is your will?" he inquired. [illustration] "where is betsy?" demanded the dragon. "safe in my own private room," said kaliko. "go and get her!" commanded quox. so kaliko went to betsy's room and gave three raps upon the door. the little girl had been asleep, but she heard the raps and opened the door. "you may come out now," said kaliko. "the king has fled in disgrace and your friends are asking for you." so betsy and hank returned with the royal chamberlain to the throne cavern, where she was received with great joy by her friends. they told her what had happened to ruggedo and she told them how kind kaliko had been to her. quox did not have much to say until the conversation was ended, but then he turned to kaliko and asked: "do you suppose you could rule your nomes better than ruggedo has done?" "me?" stammered the chamberlain, greatly surprised by the question. "well, i couldn't be a worse king, i'm sure." "would the nomes obey you?" inquired the dragon. "of course," said kaliko. "they like me better than ever they did ruggedo." "then hereafter you shall be the metal monarch, king of the nomes, and tititi-hoochoo expects you to rule your kingdom wisely and well," said quox. "hooray!" cried betsy; "i'm glad of that. king kaliko, i salute your majesty and wish you joy in your gloomy old kingdom!" "we all wish him joy," said polychrome; and then the others made haste to congratulate the new king. "will you release my dear brother?" asked shaggy. "the ugly one? very willingly," replied kaliko. "i begged ruggedo long ago to send him away, but he would not do so. i also offered to help your brother to escape, but he would not go." "he's so conscientious!" said shaggy, highly pleased. "all of our family have noble natures. but is my dear brother well?" he added anxiously. "he eats and sleeps very steadily," replied the new king. "i hope he doesn't work too hard," said shaggy. "he doesn't work at all. in fact, there is nothing he can do in these dominions as well as our nomes, whose numbers are so great that it worries us to keep them all busy. so your brother has only to amuse himself." "why, it's more like visiting, than being a prisoner," asserted betsy. "not exactly," returned kaliko. "a prisoner cannot go where or when he pleases, and is not his own master." "where is my brother now?" inquired shaggy. "in the metal forest." "where is that?" "the metal forest is in the great domed cavern, the largest in all our dominions," replied kaliko. "it is almost like being out of doors, it is so big, and ruggedo made the wonderful forest to amuse himself, as well as to tire out his hard-working nomes. all the trees are gold and silver and the ground is strewn with precious stones, so it is a sort of treasury." "let us go there at once and rescue my dear brother," pleaded shaggy earnestly. kaliko hesitated. "i don't believe i can find the way," said he. "ruggedo made three secret passages to the metal forest, but he changes the location of these passages every week, so that no one can get to the metal forest without his permission. however, if we look sharp, we may be able to discover one of these secret ways." "that reminds me to ask what has become of queen ann and the officers of oogaboo," said files. "i'm sure i can't say," replied kaliko. "do you suppose ruggedo destroyed them?" "oh, no; i'm quite sure he didn't. they fell into the big pit in the passage, and we put the cover on to keep them there; but when the executioners went to look for them they had all disappeared from the pit and we could find no trace of them." "that's funny," remarked betsy thoughtfully. "i don't believe ann knew any magic, or she'd have worked it before. but to disappear like that _seems_ like magic; now, doesn't it?" they agreed that it did, but no one could explain the mystery. "however," said shaggy, "they are gone, that is certain, so we cannot help them or be helped by them. and the important thing just now is to rescue my dear brother from captivity." "why do they call him the ugly one?" asked betsy. "i do not know," confessed shaggy. "i cannot remember his looks very well, it is so long since i have seen him; but all of our family are noted for their handsome faces." betsy laughed and shaggy seemed rather hurt; but polychrome relieved his embarrassment by saying softly: "one can be ugly in looks, but lovely in disposition." "our first task," said shaggy, a little comforted by this remark, "is to find one of those secret passages to the metal forest." "true," agreed kaliko. "so i think i will assemble the chief nomes of my kingdom in this throne room and tell them that i am their new king. then i can ask them to assist us in searching for the secret passages." "that's a good idea," said the dragon, who seemed to be getting sleepy again. kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as ruggedo used to do; but no one answered the summons. "of course not," said he, jumping up from the throne, where he had seated himself. "that is my call, and i am still the royal chamberlain, and will be until i appoint another in my place." so he ran out of the room and found guph and told him to answer the summons of the king's gong. having returned to the royal cavern, kaliko first pounded the gong and then sat in the throne, wearing ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which ruggedo had so often thrown at his head. when guph entered he was amazed. "better get out of that throne before old ruggedo comes back," he said warningly. "he isn't coming back, and i am now the king of the nomes, in his stead," announced kaliko. "all of which is quite true," asserted the dragon, and all of those who stood around the throne bowed respectfully to the new king. seeing this, guph also bowed, for he was glad to be rid of such a hard master as ruggedo. then kaliko, in quite a kingly way, informed guph that he was appointed the royal chamberlain, and promised not to throw the sceptre at his head unless he deserved it. [illustration] all this being pleasantly arranged, the new chamberlain went away to tell the news to all the nomes of the underground kingdom, every one of whom would be delighted with the change in kings. [illustration] [illustration] chapter quox quietly quits when the chief nomes assembled before their new king they joyfully saluted him and promised to obey his commands. but, when kaliko questioned them, none knew the way to the metal forest, although all had assisted in its making. so the king instructed them to search carefully for one of the passages and to bring him the news as soon as they had found it. meantime quox had managed to back out of the rocky corridor and so regain the open air and his old station on the mountain-side, and there he lay upon the rocks, sound asleep, until the next day. the others of the party were all given as good rooms as the caverns of the nomes afforded, for king kaliko felt that he was indebted to them for his promotion and was anxious to be as hospitable as he could. much wonderment had been caused by the absolute disappearance of the sixteen officers of oogaboo and their queen. not a nome had seen them, nor were they discovered during the search for the passages leading to the metal forest. perhaps no one was unhappy over their loss, but all were curious to know what had become of them. on the next day, when our friends went to visit the dragon, quox said to them: "i must now bid you good-bye, for my mission here is finished and i must depart for the other side of the world, where i belong." "will you go through the tube again?" asked betsy. "to be sure. but it will be a lonely trip this time, with no one to talk to, and i cannot invite any of you to go with me. therefore, as soon as i slide into the hole i shall go to sleep, and when i pop out at the other end i will wake up at home." they thanked the dragon for befriending them and wished him a pleasant journey. also they sent their thanks to the great jinjin, whose just condemnation of ruggedo had served their interests so well. then quox yawned and stretched himself and ambled over to the tube, into which he slid headforemost and disappeared. they really felt as if they had lost a friend, for the dragon had been both kind and sociable during their brief acquaintance with him; but they knew it was his duty to return to his own country. so they went back to the caverns to renew the search for the hidden passages that led to the forest, but for three days all efforts to find them proved in vain. it was polychrome's custom to go every day to the mountain and watch for her father, the rainbow, for she was growing tired with wandering upon the earth and longed to rejoin her sisters in their sky palaces. and on the third day, while she sat motionless upon a point of rock, whom should she see slyly creeping up the mountain but ruggedo! the former king looked very forlorn. his clothes were soiled and torn and he had no sandals upon his feet or hat upon his head. having left his crown and sceptre behind when he fled, the old nome no longer seemed kingly, but more like a beggarman. several times had ruggedo crept up to the mouth of the caverns, only to find the six eggs still on guard. he knew quite well that he must accept his fate and become a homeless wanderer, but his chief regret now was that he had neglected to fill his pockets with gold and jewels. he was aware that a wanderer with wealth at his command would fare much better than one who was a pauper, so he still loitered around the caverns wherein he knew so much treasure was stored, hoping for a chance to fill his pockets. that was how he came to recollect the metal forest. "aha!" said he to himself, "i alone know the way to that forest, and once there i can fill my pockets with the finest jewels in all the world." he glanced at his pockets and was grieved to find them so small. perhaps they might be enlarged, so that they would hold more. he knew of a poor woman who lived in a cottage at the foot of the mountain, so he went to her and begged her to sew pockets all over his robe, paying her with the gift of a diamond ring which he had worn upon his finger. the woman was delighted to possess so valuable a ring and she sewed as many pockets on ruggedo's robe as she possibly could. then he returned up the mountain and, after gazing cautiously around to make sure he was not observed, he touched a spring in a rock and it swung slowly backward, disclosing a broad passageway. this he entered, swinging the rock in place behind him. however, ruggedo had failed to look as carefully as he might have done, for polychrome was seated only a little distance off and her clear eyes marked exactly the manner in which ruggedo had released the hidden spring. so she rose and hurried into the cavern, where she told kaliko and her friends of her discovery. "i've no doubt that that is a way to the metal forest," exclaimed shaggy. "come, let us follow ruggedo at once and rescue my poor brother!" they agreed to this and king kaliko called together a band of nomes to assist them by carrying torches to light their way. "the metal forest has a brilliant light of its own," said he, "but the passage across the valley is likely to be dark." polychrome easily found the rock and touched the spring, so in less than an hour after ruggedo had entered they were all in the passage and following swiftly after the former king. "he means to rob the forest, i'm sure," said kaliko; "but he will find he is no longer of any account in this kingdom and i will have my nomes throw him out." "then please throw him as hard as you can," said betsy, "for he deserves it. i don't mind an honest, out-an'-out enemy, who fights square; but changing girls into fiddles and ordering 'em put into slimy caves is mean and tricky, and ruggedo doesn't deserve any sympathy. but you'll have to let him take as much treasure as he can get in his pockets, kaliko." "yes, the jinjin said so; but we won't miss it much. there is more treasure in the metal forest than a million nomes could carry in their pockets." it was not difficult to walk through this passage, especially when the torches lighted the way, so they made good progress. but it proved to be a long distance and betsy had tired herself with walking and was seated upon the back of the mule when the passage made a sharp turn and a wonderful and glorious light burst upon them. the next moment they were all standing upon the edge of the marvelous metal forest. it lay under another mountain and occupied a great domed cavern, the roof of which was higher than a church steeple. in this space the industrious nomes had built, during many years of labor, the most beautiful forest in the world. the trees--trunks, branches and leaves--were all of solid gold, while the bushes and underbrush were formed of filigree silver, virgin pure. the trees towered as high as natural live oaks do and were of exquisite workmanship. on the ground were thickly strewn precious gems of every hue and size, while here and there among the trees were paths pebbled with cut diamonds of the clearest water. taken all together, more treasure was gathered in this metal forest than is contained in all the rest of the world--if we except the land of oz, where perhaps its value is equalled in the famous emerald city. our friends were so amazed at the sight that for a while they stood gazing in silent wonder. then shaggy exclaimed: "my brother! my dear lost brother! is he indeed a prisoner in this place?" [illustration] "yes," replied kaliko. "the ugly one has been here for two or three years, to my positive knowledge." "but what could he find to eat?" inquired betsy. "it's an awfully swell place to live in, but one can't breakfast on rubies and di'monds, or even gold." "one doesn't need to, my dear," kaliko assured her. "the metal forest does not fill all of this great cavern, by any means. beyond these gold and silver trees are other trees of the real sort, which bear foods very nice to eat. let us walk in that direction, for i am quite sure we will find shaggy's brother in that part of the cavern, rather than in this." so they began to tramp over the diamond-pebbled paths, and at every step they were more and more bewildered by the wondrous beauty of the golden trees with their glittering foliage. suddenly they heard a scream. jewels scattered in every direction as some one hidden among the bushes scampered away before them. then a loud voice cried: "halt!" and there was the sound of a struggle. [illustration] chapter a bashful brother with fast beating hearts they all rushed forward and, beyond a group of stately metal trees, came full upon a most astonishing scene. there was ruggedo in the hands of the officers of oogaboo, a dozen of whom were clinging to the old nome and holding him fast in spite of his efforts to escape. there also was queen ann, looking grimly upon the scene of strife; but when she observed her former companions approaching she turned away in a shamefaced manner. for ann and her officers were indeed a sight to behold. her majesty's clothing, once so rich and gorgeous, was now worn and torn into shreds by her long crawl through the tunnel, which, by the way, had led her directly into the metal forest. it was, indeed, one of the three secret passages, and by far the most difficult of the three. ann had not only torn her pretty skirt and jacket, but her crown had become bent and battered and even her shoes were so cut and slashed that they were ready to fall from her feet. the officers had fared somewhat worse than their leader, for holes were worn in the knees of their trousers, while sharp points of rock in the roof and sides of the tunnel had made rags of every inch of their once brilliant uniforms. a more tattered and woeful army never came out of a battle, than these harmless victims of the rocky passage. but it had seemed their only means of escape from the cruel nome king; so they had crawled on, regardless of their sufferings. when they reached the metal forest their eyes beheld more plunder than they had ever dreamed of; yet they were prisoners in this huge dome and could not escape with the riches heaped about them. perhaps a more unhappy and homesick lot of "conquerors" never existed than this band from oogaboo. after several days of wandering in their marvelous prison they were frightened by the discovery that ruggedo had come among them. rendered desperate by their sad condition, the officers exhibited courage for the first time since they left home and, ignorant of the fact that ruggedo was no longer king of the nomes, they threw themselves upon him and had just succeeded in capturing him when their fellow adventurers reached the spot. "goodness gracious!" cried betsy. "what has happened to you all?" ann came forward to greet them, sorrowful and indignant. "we were obliged to escape from the pit through a small tunnel, which was lined with sharp and jagged rocks," said she, "and not only was our clothing torn to rags but our flesh is so bruised and sore that we are stiff and lame in every joint. to add to our troubles we find we are still prisoners; but now that we have succeeded in capturing the wicked metal monarch we shall force him to grant us our liberty." "ruggedo is no longer metal monarch, or king of the nomes," files informed her. "he has been deposed and cast out of his kingdom by quox; but here is the new king, whose name is kaliko, and i am pleased to assure your majesty that he is our friend." "glad to meet your majesty, i'm sure," said kaliko, bowing as courteously as if the queen still wore splendid raiment. the officers, having heard this explanation, now set ruggedo free; but, as he had no place to go, he stood by and faced his former servant, who was now king in his place, in a humble and pleading manner. "what are you doing here?" asked kaliko sternly. "why, i was promised as much treasure as i could carry in my pockets," replied ruggedo; "so i came here to get it, not wishing to disturb your majesty." "you were commanded to leave the country of the nomes forever!" declared kaliko. "i know; and i'll go as soon as i have filled my pockets," said ruggedo, meekly. "then fill them, and be gone," returned the new king. ruggedo obeyed. stooping down, he began gathering up jewels by the handful and stuffing them into his many pockets. they were heavy things, these diamonds and rubies and emeralds and amethysts and the like, so before long ruggedo was staggering with the weight he bore, while the pockets were not yet filled. when he could no longer stoop over without falling, betsy and polychrome and the rose princess came to his assistance, picking up the finest gems and tucking them into his pockets. at last these were all filled and ruggedo presented a comical sight, for surely no man ever before had so many pockets, or any at all filled with such a choice collection of precious stones. he neglected to thank the young ladies for their kindness, but gave them a surly nod of farewell and staggered down the path by the way he had come. they let him depart in silence, for with all he had taken, the masses of jewels upon the ground seemed scarcely to have been disturbed, so numerous were they. also they hoped they had seen the last of the degraded king. [illustration] "i'm awful glad he's gone," said betsy, sighing deeply. "if he doesn't get reckless and spend his wealth foolishly, he's got enough to start a bank when he gets to oklahoma." "but my brother--my dear brother! where is he?" inquired shaggy anxiously. "have you seen him, queen ann?" "what does your brother look like?" asked the queen. shaggy hesitated to reply, but betsy said: "he's called the ugly one. perhaps you'll know him by that." "the only person we have seen in this cavern," said ann, "has run away from us whenever we approached him. he hides over yonder, among the trees that are not gold, and we have never been able to catch sight of his face. so i cannot tell whether he is ugly or not." "that must be my dear brother!" exclaimed shaggy. "yes, it must be," assented kaliko. "no one else inhabits this splendid dome, so there can be no mistake." "but why does he hide among those green trees, instead of enjoying all these glittery golden ones?" asked betsy. "because he finds food among the natural trees," replied kaliko, "and i remember that he has built a little house there, to sleep in. as for these glittery golden trees, i will admit they are very pretty at first sight. one cannot fail to admire them, as well as the rich jewels scattered beneath them; but if one has to look at them always, they become pretty tame." "i believe that is true," declared shaggy. "my dear brother is very wise to prefer real trees to the imitation ones. but come; let us go there and find him." shaggy started for the green grove at once, and the others followed him, being curious to witness the final rescue of his long-sought, long-lost brother. not far from the edge of the grove they came upon a small hut, cleverly made of twigs and golden branches woven together. as they approached the place they caught a glimpse of a form that darted into the hut and slammed the door tight shut after him. shaggy man ran to the door and cried aloud: "brother! brother!" "who calls," demanded a sad, hollow voice from within. "it is shaggy--your own loving brother--who has been searching for you a long time and has now come to rescue you." "too late!" replied the gloomy voice. "no one can rescue me now." "oh, but you are mistaken about that," said shaggy. "there is a new king of the nomes, named kaliko, in ruggedo's place, and he has promised you shall go free." "free! i dare not go free!" said the ugly one, in a voice of despair. "why not, brother?" asked shaggy, anxiously. "do you know what they have done to me?" came the answer through the closed door. "no. tell me, brother, what have they done?" "when ruggedo first captured me i was very handsome. don't you remember, shaggy?" "not very well, brother; you were so young when i left home. but i remember that mother thought you were beautiful." "she was right! i am sure she was right," wailed the prisoner. "but ruggedo wanted to injure me--to make me ugly in the eyes of all the world--so he performed a wicked enchantment. i went to bed beautiful--or you might say handsome--to be very modest i will merely claim that i was good-looking--and i wakened the next morning the homeliest man in all the world! i am so repulsive that when i look in a mirror i frighten myself." "poor brother!" said shaggy softly, and all the others were silent from sympathy. "i was so ashamed of my looks," continued the voice of shaggy's brother, "that i tried to hide; but the cruel king ruggedo forced me to appear before all the legion of nomes, to whom he said: 'behold the ugly one!' but when the nomes saw my face they all fell to laughing and jeering, which prevented them from working at their tasks. seeing this, ruggedo became angry and pushed me into a tunnel, closing the rock entrance so that i could not get out. i followed the length of the tunnel until i reached this huge dome, where the marvelous metal forest stands, and here i have remained ever since." "poor brother!" repeated shaggy. "but i beg you now to come forth and face us, who are your friends. none here will laugh or jeer, however unhandsome you may be." "no, indeed," they all added pleadingly. but the ugly one refused the invitation. "i cannot," said he; "indeed, i cannot face strangers, ugly as i am." shaggy man turned to the group surrounding him. "what shall i do?" he asked in sorrowful tones. "i cannot leave my dear brother here, and he refuses to come out of that house and face us." "i'll tell you," replied betsy. "let him put on a mask." "the very idea i was seeking!" exclaimed shaggy joyfully; and then he called out: "brother, put a mask over your face, and then none of us can see what your features are like." "i have no mask," answered the ugly one. "look here," said betsy; "he can use my handkerchief." shaggy looked at the little square of cloth and shook his head. "it isn't big enough," he objected; "i'm sure it isn't big enough to hide a man's face. but he can use mine." saying this he took from his pocket his own handkerchief and went to the door of the hut. "here, my brother," he called, "take this handkerchief and make a mask of it. i will also pass you my knife, so that you may cut holes for the eyes, and then you must tie it over your face." the door slowly opened, just far enough for the ugly one to thrust out his hand and take the handkerchief and the knife. then it closed again. "don't forget a hole for your nose," cried betsy. "you must breathe, you know." for a time there was silence. queen ann and her army sat down upon the ground to rest. betsy sat on hank's back. polychrome danced lightly up and down the jeweled paths while files and the princess wandered through the groves arm in arm. tik-tok, who never tired, stood motionless. by and by a noise sounded from within the hut. "are you ready?" asked shaggy. "yes, brother," came the reply, and the door was thrown open to allow the ugly one to step forth. betsy might have laughed aloud had she not remembered how sensitive to ridicule shaggy's brother was, for the handkerchief with which he had masked his features was a red one covered with big white polka dots. in this two holes had been cut--in front of the eyes--while two smaller ones before the nostrils allowed the man to breathe freely. the cloth was then tightly drawn over the ugly one's face and knotted at the back of his neck. he was dressed in clothes that had once been good, but now were sadly worn and frayed. his silk stockings had holes in them, and his shoes were stub-toed and needed blackening. "but what can you expect," whispered betsy, "when the poor man has been a prisoner for so many years?" shaggy had darted forward, and embraced his newly found brother with both his arms. the brother also embraced shaggy, who then led him forward and introduced him to all the assembled company. "this is the new nome king," he said when he came to kaliko. "he is our friend, and has granted you your freedom." "that is a kindly deed," replied ugly in a sad voice, "but i dread to go back to the world in this direful condition. unless i remain forever masked, my dreadful face would curdle all the milk and stop all the clocks." "can't the enchantment be broken in some way?" inquired betsy. shaggy looked anxiously at kaliko, who shook his head. "i am sure _i_ can't break the enchantment," he said. "ruggedo was fond of magic, and learned a good many enchantments that we nomes know nothing of." "perhaps ruggedo himself might break his own enchantment," suggested ann; "but unfortunately we have allowed the old king to escape." "never mind, my dear brother," said shaggy consolingly; "i am very happy to have found you again, although i may never see your face. so let us make the most of this joyful reunion." the ugly one was affected to tears by this tender speech, and the tears began to wet the red handkerchief; so shaggy gently wiped them away with his coat sleeve. [illustration] [illustration] chapter kindly kisses "won't you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovely place?" betsy asked the ugly one. "no, indeed," said he. "jewels and gold are cold and heartless things, and i am sure i would presently have died of loneliness had i not found this natural forest at the edge of the artificial one. anyhow, without these real trees i should soon have starved to death." betsy looked around at the quaint trees. "i don't just understand that," she admitted. "what could you find to eat here?" "the best food in the world," ugly answered. "do you see that grove at your left?" he added, pointing it out; "well, such trees as those do not grow in your country, or in any other place but this cavern. i have named them 'hotel trees,' because they bear a certain kind of table d'hote fruit called 'three-course nuts.'" "that's funny!" said betsy. "what are the 'three-course nuts' like?" "something like cocoanuts, to look at," explained the ugly one. "all you have to do is to pick one of them and then sit down and eat your dinner. you first unscrew the top part and find a cupfull of good soup. after you've eaten that, you unscrew the middle part and find a hollow filled with meat and potatoes, vegetables and a fine salad. eat that, and unscrew the next section, and you come to the dessert in the bottom of the nut. that is pie and cake, cheese and crackers, and nuts and raisins. the three-course nuts are not all exactly alike in flavor or in contents, but they are all good and in each one may be found a complete three-course dinner." "but how about breakfasts?" inquired betsy. "why, there are breakfast trees for that, which grow over there at the right. they bear nuts, like the others, only the nuts contain coffee or chocolate, instead of soup; oatmeal instead of meat-and-potatoes, and fruits instead of dessert. sad as has been my life in this wonderful prison, i must admit that no one could live more luxuriously in the best hotel in the world than i have lived here; but i will be glad to get into the open air again and see the good old sun and the silvery moon and the soft green grass and the flowers that are kissed by the morning dew. ah, how much more lovely are those blessed things than the glitter of gems or the cold gleam of gold!" "of course," said betsy. "i once knew a little boy who wanted to catch the measles, because all the little boys in his neighborhood but him had had 'em, and he was really unhappy 'cause he couldn't catch 'em, try as he would. so i'm pretty certain that the things we want, and can't have, are not good for us. isn't that true, shaggy?" "not always, my dear," he gravely replied. "if we didn't want anything, we would never get anything, good or bad. i think our longings are natural, and if we act as nature prompts us we can't go far wrong." "for my part," said queen ann, "i think the world would be a dreary place without the gold and jewels." "all things are good in their way," said shaggy; "but we may have too much of any good thing. and i have noticed that the value of anything depends upon how scarce it is, and how difficult it is to obtain." "pardon me for interrupting you," said king kaliko, coming to their side, "but now that we have rescued shaggy's brother i would like to return to my royal cavern. being the king of the nomes, it is my duty to look after my restless subjects and see that they behave themselves." so they all turned and began walking through the metal forest to the other side of the great domed cave, where they had first entered it. shaggy and his brother walked side by side and both seemed rejoiced that they were together after their long separation. betsy didn't dare look at the polka-dot handkerchief, for fear she would laugh aloud; so she walked behind the two brothers and led hank by holding fast to his left ear. when at last they reached the place where the passage led to the outer world, queen ann said, in a hesitating way that was unusual with her: "i have not conquered this nome country, nor do i expect to do so; but i would like to gather a few of these pretty jewels before i leave this place." "help yourself, ma'am," said king kaliko, and at once the officers of the army took advantage of his royal permission and began filling their pockets, while ann tied a lot of diamonds in a big handkerchief. this accomplished, they all entered the passage, the nomes going first to light the way with their torches. they had not proceeded far when betsy exclaimed: "why, there are jewels here, too!" all eyes were turned upon the ground and they found a regular trail of jewels strewn along the rock floor. "this is queer!" said kaliko, much surprised. "i must send some of my nomes to gather up these gems and replace them in the metal forest, where they belong. i wonder how they came to be here?" all the way along the passage they found this trail of jewels, but when they neared the end the mystery was explained. for there, squatted upon the floor with his back to the rock wall, sat old ruggedo, puffing and blowing as if he was all tired out. then they realized it was he who had scattered the jewels, from his many pockets, which one by one had burst with the weight of their contents as he had stumbled along the passage. "but i don't mind," said ruggedo, with a deep sigh. "i now realize that i could not have carried such a weighty load very far, even had i managed to escape from this passage with it. the woman who sewed the pockets on my robe used poor thread, for which i shall thank her." "have you any jewels left?" inquired betsy. he glanced into some of the remaining pockets. "a few," said he, "but they will be sufficient to supply my wants, and i no longer have any desire to be rich. if some of you will kindly help me to rise, i'll get out of here and leave you, for i know you all despise me and prefer my room to my company." shaggy and kaliko raised the old king to his feet, when he was confronted by shaggy's brother, whom he now noticed for the first time. the queer and unexpected appearance of the ugly one so startled ruggedo that he gave a wild cry and began to tremble, as if he had seen a ghost. "wh--wh--who is this?" he faltered. "i am that helpless prisoner whom your cruel magic transformed from a handsome man into an ugly one!" answered shaggy's brother, in a voice of stern reproach. "really, ruggedo," said betsy, "you ought to be ashamed of that mean trick." "i am, my dear," admitted ruggedo, who was now as meek and humble as formerly he had been cruel and vindictive. "then," returned the girl, "you'd better do some more magic and give the poor man his own face again." "i wish i could," answered the old king; "but you must remember that tititi-hoochoo has deprived me of all my magic powers. however, i never took the trouble to learn just how to break the charm i cast over shaggy's brother, for i intended he should always remain ugly." "every charm," remarked pretty polychrome, "has its antidote; and, if you knew this charm of ugliness, ruggedo, you must have known how to dispel it." he shook his head. [illustration] "if i did, i--i've forgotten," he stammered regretfully. "try to think!" pleaded shaggy, anxiously. "_please_ try to think!" ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands, sighed, slapped his chest, rubbed his ear, and stared stupidly around the group. "i've a faint recollection that there _was_ one thing that would break the charm," said he; "but misfortune has so addled my brain that i can't remember what it was." "see here, ruggedo," said betsy, sharply, "we've treated you pretty well, so far, but we won't stand for any nonsense, and if you know what's good for yourself you'll think of that charm!" "why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderingly at the little girl. "because it means so much to shaggy's brother. he's dreadfully ashamed of himself, the way he is now, and you're to blame for it. fact is, ruggedo, you've done so much wickedness in your life that it won't hurt you to do a kind act now." ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, and then tried very hard to think. "i seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that a certain kind of a kiss will break the charm of ugliness." "what kind of a kiss?" "what kind? why, it was--it was--it was either the kiss of a mortal maid; or--or--the kiss of a mortal maid who had once been a fairy; or--or the kiss of one who is still a fairy. i can't remember which. but of course no maid, mortal or fairy, would ever consent to kiss a person so ugly--so dreadfully, fearfully, terribly ugly--as shaggy's brother." "i'm not so sure of that," said betsy, with admirable courage; "i'm a mortal maid, and if it is _my_ kiss that will break this awful charm, i--i'll do it!" "oh, you really couldn't," protested ugly. "i would be obliged to remove my mask, and when you saw my face, nothing could induce you to kiss me, generous as you are." "well, as for that," said the little girl, "i needn't see your face at all. here's my plan: you stay in this dark passage, and we'll send away the nomes with their torches. then you'll take off the handkerchief, and i--i'll kiss you." "this is awfully kind of you, betsy!" said shaggy, gratefully. "well, it surely won't kill me," she replied; "and, if it makes you and your brother happy, i'm willing to take some chances." so kaliko ordered the torch-bearers to leave the passage, which they did by going through the rock opening. queen ann and her army also went out; but the others were so interested in betsy's experiment that they remained grouped at the mouth of the passageway. when the big rock swung into place, closing tight the opening, they were left in total darkness. "now, then," called betsy in a cheerful voice, "have you got that handkerchief off your face, ugly?" "yes," he replied. "well, where are you, then?" she asked, reaching out her arms. "here," said he. "you'll have to stoop down, you know." he found her hands and clasping them in his own stooped until his face was near to that of the little girl. the others heard a clear, smacking kiss, and then betsy exclaimed: "there! i've done it, and it didn't hurt a bit!" "tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?" asked shaggy. "i do not know," was the reply. "it may be, or it may not be. i cannot tell." "has anyone a match?" inquired betsy. "i have several," said shaggy. "then let ruggedo strike one of them and look at your brother's face, while we all turn our backs. ruggedo made your brother ugly, so i guess he can stand the horror of looking at him, if the charm isn't broken." agreeing to this, ruggedo took the match and lighted it. he gave one look and then blew out the match. "ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "so it wasn't the kiss of a mortal maid, after all." "let me try," proposed the rose princess, in her sweet voice. "i am a mortal maid who was once a fairy. perhaps my kiss will break the charm." files did not wholly approve of this, but he was too generous to interfere. so the rose princess felt her way through the darkness to shaggy's brother and kissed him. ruggedo struck another match, while they all turned away. "no," announced the former king; "that didn't break the charm, either. it must be the kiss of a fairy that is required--or else my memory has failed me altogether." "polly," said betsy, pleadingly, "won't _you_ try?" "of course i will!" answered polychrome, with a merry laugh. "i've never kissed a mortal man in all the thousands of years i have existed, but i'll do it to please our faithful shaggy man, whose unselfish affection for his ugly brother deserves to be rewarded." even as polychrome was speaking she tripped lightly to the side of the ugly one and quickly touched his cheek with her lips. "oh, thank you--thank you!" he fervently cried. "i've changed, this time, i know. i can feel it! i'm different. shaggy--dear shaggy--i am myself again!" files, who was near the opening, touched the spring that released the big rock and it suddenly swung backward and let in a flood of daylight. everyone stood motionless, staring hard at shaggy's brother, who, no longer masked by the polka-dot handkerchief, met their gaze with a glad smile. "well," said shaggy man, breaking the silence at last and drawing a long, deep breath of satisfaction, "you are no longer the ugly one, my dear brother; but, to be entirely frank with you, the face that belongs to you is no more handsome than it ought to be." "i think he's rather good looking," remarked betsy, gazing at the man critically. "in comparison with what he was," said king kaliko, "he is really beautiful. you, who never beheld his ugliness, may not understand that; but it was my misfortune to look at the ugly one many times, and i say again that, in comparison with what he was, the man is now beautiful." "all right," returned betsy, briskly, "we'll take your word for it, kaliko. and now let us get out of this tunnel and into the world again." [illustration] chapter ruggedo reforms it did not take them long to regain the royal cavern of the nome king, where kaliko ordered served to them the nicest refreshments the place afforded. ruggedo had come trailing along after the rest of the party and while no one paid any attention to the old king they did not offer any objection to his presence or command him to leave them. he looked fearfully to see if the eggs were still guarding the entrance, but they had now disappeared; so he crept into the cavern after the others and humbly squatted down in a corner of the room. there betsy discovered him. all of the little girl's companions were now so happy at the success of shaggy's quest for his brother, and the laughter and merriment seemed so general, that betsy's heart softened toward the friendless old man who had once been their bitter enemy, and she carried to him some of the food and drink. ruggedo's eyes filled with tears at this unexpected kindness. he took the child's hand in his own and pressed it gratefully. "look here, kaliko," said betsy, addressing the new king, "what's the use of being hard on ruggedo? all his magic power is gone, so he can't do any more harm, and i'm sure he's sorry he acted so badly to everybody." "are you?" asked kaliko, looking down at his former master. "i am," said ruggedo. "the girl speaks truly. i'm sorry and i'm harmless. i don't want to wander through the wide world, on top of the ground, for i'm a nome. no nome can ever be happy any place but underground." "that being the case," said kaliko, "i will let you stay here as long as you behave yourself; but, if you try to act badly again, i shall drive you out, as tititi-hoochoo has commanded, and you'll have to wander." "never fear. i'll behave," promised ruggedo. "it is hard work being a king, and harder still to be a good king. but now that i am a common nome i am sure i can lead a blameless life." they were all pleased to hear this and to know that ruggedo had really reformed. "i hope he'll keep his word," whispered betsy to shaggy; "but if he gets bad again we will be far away from the nome kingdom and kaliko will have to 'tend to the old nome himself." polychrome had been a little restless during the last hour or two. the lovely daughter of the rainbow knew that she had now done all in her power to assist her earth friends, and so she began to long for her sky home. "i think," she said, after listening intently, "that it is beginning to rain. the rain king is my uncle, you know, and perhaps he has read my thoughts and is going to help me. anyway, i must take a look at the sky and make sure." so she jumped up and ran through the passage to the outer entrance, and they all followed after her and grouped themselves on a ledge of the mountain-side. sure enough, dark clouds had filled the sky and a slow, drizzling rain had set in. "it can't last for long," said shaggy, looking upward, "and when it stops we shall lose the sweet little fairy we have learned to love. alas," he continued, after a moment, "the clouds are already breaking in the west, and--see!--isn't that the rainbow coming?" betsy didn't look at the sky; she looked at polychrome, whose happy, smiling face surely foretold the coming of her father to take her to the cloud palaces. a moment later a gleam of sunshine flooded the mountain and a gorgeous rainbow appeared. with a cry of gladness polychrome sprang upon a point of rock and held out her arms. straightway the rainbow descended until its end was at her very feet, when with a graceful leap she sprang upon it and was at once clasped in the arms of her radiant sisters, the daughters of the rainbow. but polychrome released herself to lean over the edge of the glowing arch and nod, and smile and throw a dozen kisses to her late comrades. "good-bye!" she called, and they all shouted "good-bye!" in return and waved their hands to their pretty friend. slowly the magnificent bow lifted and melted into the sky, until the eyes of the earnest watchers saw only fleecy clouds flitting across the blue. "i'm dreadful sorry to see polychrome go," said betsy, who felt like crying; "but i s'pose she'll be a good deal happier with her sisters in the sky palaces." "to be sure," returned shaggy, nodding gravely. "it's her home, you know, and those poor wanderers who, like ourselves, have no home, can realize what that means to her." "once," said betsy, "i, too, had a home. now, i've only--only--dear old hank!" [illustration] she twined her arms around her shaggy friend who was not human, and he said: "hee-haw!" in a tone that showed he understood her mood. and the shaggy friend who was human stroked the child's head tenderly and said: "you're wrong about that, betsy dear. i will never desert you." "nor i!" exclaimed shaggy's brother, in earnest tones. the little girl looked up at them gratefully, and her eyes smiled through their tears. "all right," she said. "it's raining again, so let's go back into the cavern." rather soberly, for all loved polychrome and would miss her, they reëntered the dominions of the nome king. [illustration] [illustration] chapter dorothy is delighted "well," said queen ann, when all were again seated in kaliko's royal cavern, "i wonder what we shall do next. if i could find my way back to oogaboo i'd take my army home at once, for i'm sick and tired of these dreadful hardships." "don't you want to conquer the world?" asked betsy. "no; i've changed my mind about that," admitted the queen. "the world is too big for one person to conquer and i was happier with my own people in oogaboo. i wish--oh, how earnestly i wish--that i was back there this minute!" "so do i!" yelled every officer in a fervent tone. now, it is time for the reader to know that in the far-away land of oz the lovely ruler, ozma, had been following the adventures of her shaggy man, and tik-tok, and all the others they had met. day by day ozma, with the wonderful wizard of oz seated beside her, had gazed upon a magic picture in a radium frame, which occupied one side of the ruler's cosy boudoir in the palace of the emerald city. the singular thing about this magic picture was that it showed whatever scene ozma wished to see, with the figures all in motion, just as it was taking place. so ozma and the wizard had watched every action of the adventurers from the time shaggy had met shipwrecked betsy and hank in the rose kingdom, at which time the rose princess, a distant cousin of ozma, had been exiled by her heartless subjects. when ann and her people so earnestly wished to return to oogaboo, ozma was sorry for them and remembered that oogaboo was a corner of the land of oz. she turned to her attendant and asked: "can not your magic take these unhappy people to their old home, wizard?" "it can, your highness," replied the little wizard. "i think the poor queen has suffered enough in her misguided effort to conquer the world," said ozma, smiling at the absurdity of the undertaking, "so no doubt she will hereafter be contented in her own little kingdom. please send her there, wizard, and with her the officers and files." "how about the rose princess?" asked the wizard. "send her to oogaboo with files," answered ozma. "they have become such good friends that i am sure it would make them unhappy to separate them." "very well," said the wizard, and without any fuss or mystery whatever he performed a magical rite that was simple and effective. therefore those seated in the nome king's cavern were both startled and amazed when all the people of oogaboo suddenly disappeared from the room, and with them the rose princess. at first they could not understand it at all; but presently shaggy suspected the truth, and believing that ozma was now taking an interest in the party he drew from his pocket a tiny instrument which he placed against his ear. ozma, observing this action in her magic picture, at once caught up a similar instrument from a table beside her and held it to her own ear. the two instruments recorded the same delicate vibrations of sound and formed a wireless telephone, an invention of the wizard. those separated by any distance were thus enabled to converse together with perfect ease and without any wire connection. "do you hear me, shaggy man?" asked ozma. "yes, your highness," he replied. "i have sent the people of oogaboo back to their own little valley," announced the ruler of oz; "so do not worry over their disappearance." "that was very kind of you," said shaggy. "but your highness must permit me to report that my own mission here is now ended. i have found my lost brother, and he is now beside me, freed from the enchantment of ugliness which ruggedo cast upon him. tik-tok has served me and my comrades faithfully, as you requested him to do, and i hope you will now transport the clockwork man back to your fairyland of oz." "i will do that," replied ozma. "but how about yourself, shaggy?" "i have been very happy in oz," he said, "but my duty to others forces me to exile myself from that delightful land. i must take care of my new-found brother, for one thing, and i have a new comrade in a dear little girl named betsy bobbin, who has no home to go to, and no other friends but me and a small donkey named hank. i have promised betsy never to desert her as long as she needs a friend, and so i must give up the delights of the land of oz forever." he said this with a sigh of regret, and ozma made no reply but laid the tiny instrument on her table, thus cutting off all further communication with the shaggy man. but the lovely ruler of oz still watched her magic picture, with a thoughtful expression upon her face, and the little wizard of oz watched ozma and smiled softly to himself. in the cavern of the nome king shaggy replaced the wireless telephone in his pocket and turning to betsy said in as cheerful a voice as he could muster: "well, little comrade, what shall we do next?" "i don't know, i'm sure," she answered with a puzzled face. "i'm kind of sorry our adventures are over, for i enjoyed them, and now that queen ann and her people are gone, and polychrome is gone, and--dear me!--where's tik-tok, shaggy?" "he also has disappeared," said shaggy, looking around the cavern and nodding wisely. "by this time he is in ozma's palace in the land of oz, which is his home." "isn't it your home, too?" asked betsy. "it used to be, my dear; but now my home is wherever you and my brother are. we are wanderers, you know, but if we stick together i am sure we shall have a good time." "then," said the girl, "let us get out of this stuffy, underground cavern and go in search of new adventures. i'm sure it has stopped raining." "i'm ready," said shaggy, and then they bade good-bye to king kaliko, and thanked him for his assistance, and went out to the mouth of the passage. the sky was now clear and a brilliant blue in color; the sun shone brightly and even this rugged, rocky country seemed delightful after their confinement underground. there were but four of them now--betsy and hank, and shaggy and his brother--and the little party made their way down the mountain and followed a faint path that led toward the southwest. during this time ozma had been holding a conference with the wizard, and later with tik-tok, whom the magic of the wizard had quickly transported to ozma's palace. tik-tok had only words of praise for betsy bobbin, "who," he said, "is al-most as nice as dor-o-thy her-self." "let us send for dorothy," said ozma, and summoning her favorite maid, who was named jellia jamb, she asked her to request princess dorothy to attend her at once. so a few moments later dorothy entered ozma's room and greeted her and the wizard and tik-tok with the same gentle smile and simple manner that had won for the little girl the love of everyone she met. "did you want to see me, ozma?" she asked. "yes, dear. i am puzzled how to act, and i want your advice." "i don't b'lieve it's worth much," replied dorothy, "but i'll do the best i can. what is it all about, ozma?" "you all know," said the girl ruler, addressing her three friends, "what a serious thing it is to admit any mortals into this fairyland of oz. it is true i have invited several mortals to make their home here, and all of them have proved true and loyal subjects. indeed, no one of you three was a native of oz. dorothy and the wizard came here from the united states, and tik-tok came from the land of ev. but of course he is not a mortal. shaggy is another american, and he is the cause of all my worry, for our dear shaggy will not return here and desert the new friends he has found in his recent adventures, because he believes they need his services." "shaggy man was always kind-hearted," remarked dorothy. "but who are these new friends he has found?" "one is his brother, who for many years has been a prisoner of the nome king, our old enemy ruggedo. this brother seems a kindly, honest fellow, but he has done nothing to entitle him to a home in the land of oz." "who else?" asked dorothy. "i have told you about betsy bobbin, the little girl who was shipwrecked--in much the same way you once were--and has since been following the shaggy man in his search for his lost brother. you remember her, do you not?" "oh, yes!" exclaimed dorothy. "i've often watched her and hank in the magic picture, you know. she's a dear little girl, and old hank is a darling! where are they now?" "look and see," replied ozma with a smile at her friend's enthusiasm. dorothy turned to the picture, which showed betsy and hank, with shaggy and his brother, trudging along the rocky paths of a barren country. "seems to me," she said, musingly, "that they're a good way from any place to sleep, or any nice things to eat." "you are right," said tik-tok. "i have been in that coun-try, and it is a wil-der-ness." "it is the country of the nomes," explained the wizard, "who are so mischievous that no one cares to live near them. i'm afraid shaggy and his friends will endure many hardships before they get out of that rocky place, unless--" he turned to ozma and smiled. "unless i ask you to transport them all here?" she asked. "yes, your highness." "could your magic do that?" inquired dorothy. "i think so," said the wizard. "well," said dorothy, "as far as betsy and hank are concerned, i'd like to have them here in oz. it would be such fun to have a girl playmate of my own age, you see. and hank is such a dear little mule!" ozma laughed at the wistful expression in the girl's eyes, and then she drew dorothy to her and kissed her. "am i not your friend and playmate?" she asked. dorothy flushed. "you know how dearly i love you, ozma!" she cried. "but you're so busy ruling all this land of oz that we can't always be together." "i know, dear. my first duty is to my subjects, and i think it would be a delight to us all to have betsy with us. there's a pretty suite of rooms just opposite your own where she can live, and i'll build a golden stall for hank in the stable where the sawhorse lives. then we'll introduce the mule to the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, and i'm sure they will soon become firm friends. but i cannot very well admit betsy and hank into oz unless i also admit shaggy's brother." "and, unless you admit shaggy's brother, you will keep out poor shaggy, whom we are all very fond of," said the wizard. "well, why not ad-mit him?" demanded tik-tok. "the land of oz is not a refuge for all mortals in distress," explained ozma. "i do not wish to be unkind to shaggy man, but his brother has no claim on me." "the land of oz isn't crowded," suggested dorothy. "then you advise me to admit shaggy's brother?" inquired ozma. "well, we can't afford to lose our shaggy man, can we?" "no, indeed!" returned ozma. "what do you say, wizard?" "i'm getting my magic ready to transport them all." "and you, tik-tok?" "shag-gy's broth-er is a good fel-low, and we can't spare shag-gy." "so, then, the question is settled," decided ozma. "perform your magic, wizard!" he did so, placing a silver plate upon a small standard and pouring upon the plate a small quantity of pink powder which was contained in a crystal vial. then he muttered a rather difficult incantation which the sorceress glinda the good had taught him, and it all ended in a puff of perfumed smoke from the silver plate. this smoke was so pungent that it made both ozma and dorothy rub their eyes for a moment. "you must pardon these disagreeable fumes," said the wizard. "i assure you the smoke is a very necessary part of my wizardry." "look!" cried dorothy, pointing to the magic picture; "they're gone! all of them are gone." indeed, the picture now showed the same rocky landscape as before, but the three people and the mule had disappeared from it. "they are gone," said the wizard, polishing the silver plate and wrapping it in a fine cloth, "because they are here." at that moment jellia jamb entered the room. "your highness," she said to ozma, "the shaggy man and another man are in the waiting room and ask to pay their respects to you. shaggy is crying like a baby, but he says they are tears of joy." [illustration] "send them here at once, jellia!" commanded ozma. "also," continued the maid, "a girl and a small-sized mule have mysteriously arrived, but they don't seem to know where they are or how they came here. shall i send them here, too?" "oh, no!" exclaimed dorothy, eagerly jumping up from her chair; "i'll go to meet betsy myself, for she'll feel awful strange in this big palace." and she ran down the stairs two at a time to greet her new friend, betsy bobbin. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the land of love "well, is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?" inquired the sawhorse, as he examined hank with his knot eyes and slowly wagged the branch that served him for a tail. they were in a beautiful stable in the rear of ozma's palace, where the wooden sawhorse--very much alive--lived in a gold-paneled stall, and where there were rooms for the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, which were filled with soft cushions for them to lie upon and golden troughs for them to eat from. beside the stall of the sawhorse had been placed another for hank, the mule. this was not quite so beautiful as the other, for the sawhorse was ozma's favorite steed; but hank had a supply of cushions for a bed (which the sawhorse did not need because he never slept) and all this luxury was so strange to the little mule that he could only stand still and regard his surroundings and his queer companions with wonder and amazement. the cowardly lion, looking very dignified, was stretched out upon the marble floor of the stable, eyeing hank with a calm and critical gaze, while near by crouched the huge hungry tiger, who seemed equally interested in the new animal that had just arrived. the sawhorse, standing stiffly before hank, repeated his question: "is 'hee-haw' all you are able to say?" hank moved his ears in an embarrassed manner. "i have never said anything else, until now," he replied; and then he began to tremble with fright to hear himself talk. "i can well understand that," remarked the lion, wagging his great head with a swaying motion. "strange things happen in this land of oz, as they do everywhere else. i believe you came here from the cold, civilized, outside world, did you not?" "i did," replied hank. "one minute i was outside of oz--and the next minute i was inside! that was enough to give me a nervous shock, as you may guess; but to find myself able to talk, as betsy does, is a marvel that staggers me." "that is because you are in the land of oz," said the sawhorse. "all animals talk, in this favored country, and you must admit it is more sociable than to bray your dreadful 'hee-haw,' which nobody can understand." "mules understand it very well," declared hank. "oh, indeed! then there must be other mules in your outside world," said the tiger, yawning sleepily. "there are a great many in america," said hank. "are you the only tiger in oz?" "no," acknowledged the tiger, "i have many relatives living in the jungle country; but i am the only tiger living in the emerald city." "there are other lions, too," said the sawhorse; "but i am the only horse, of any description, in this favored land." "that is why this land is favored," said the tiger. "you must understand, friend hank, that the sawhorse puts on airs because he is shod with plates of gold, and because our beloved ruler, ozma of oz, likes to ride upon his back." "betsy rides upon _my_ back," declared hank proudly. "who is betsy?" "the dearest, sweetest girl in all the world!" the sawhorse gave an angry snort and stamped his golden feet. the tiger crouched and growled. slowly the great lion rose to his feet, his mane bristling. "friend hank," said he, "either you are mistaken in judgment or you are willfully trying to deceive us. the dearest, sweetest girl in the world is our dorothy, and i will fight anyone--animal or human--who dares to deny it!" "so will i!" snarled the tiger, showing two rows of enormous white teeth. "you are all wrong!" asserted the sawhorse in a voice of scorn. "no girl living can compare with my mistress, ozma of oz!" hank slowly turned around until his heels were toward the others. then he said stubbornly: "i am not mistaken in my statement, nor will i admit there can be a sweeter girl alive than betsy bobbin. if you want to fight, come on--i'm ready for you!" while they hesitated, eyeing hank's heels doubtfully, a merry peal of laughter startled the animals and turning their heads they beheld three lovely girls standing just within the richly carved entrance to the stable. in the center was ozma, her arms encircling the waists of dorothy and betsy, who stood on either side of her. ozma was nearly half a head taller than the two other girls, who were almost of one size. unobserved, they had listened to the talk of the animals, which was a very strange experience indeed to little betsy bobbin. "you foolish beasts!" exclaimed the ruler of oz, in a gentle but chiding tone of voice. "why should you fight to defend us, who are all three loving friends and in no sense rivals? answer me!" she continued, as they bowed their heads sheepishly. "i have the right to express my opinion, your highness," pleaded the lion. "and so have the others," replied ozma. "i am glad you and the hungry tiger love dorothy best, for she was your first friend and companion. also i am pleased that my sawhorse loves me best, for together we have endured both joy and sorrow. hank has proved his faith and loyalty by defending his own little mistress; and so you are all right in one way, but wrong in another. our land of oz is a land of love, and here friendship outranks every other quality. unless you can all be friends, you cannot retain our love." they accepted this rebuke very meekly. "all right," said the sawhorse, quite cheerfully; "shake hoofs, friend mule." hank touched his hoof to that of the wooden horse. "let us be friends and rub noses," said the tiger. so hank modestly rubbed noses with the big beast. the lion merely nodded and said, as he crouched before the mule: "any friend of a friend of our beloved ruler is a friend of the cowardly lion. that seems to cover your case. if ever you need help or advice, friend hank, call on me." "why, this is as it should be," said ozma, highly pleased to see them so fully reconciled. then she turned to her companions: "come, my dears, let us resume our walk." as they turned away betsy said wonderingly: "do all the animals in oz talk as we do?" "almost all," answered dorothy. "there's a yellow hen here, and she can talk, and so can her chickens; and there's a pink kitten upstairs in my room who talks very nicely; but i've a little fuzzy black dog, named toto, who has been with me in oz a long time, and he's never said a single word but 'bow-wow!'" "do you know why?" asked ozma. "why, he's a kansas dog; so i s'pose he's different from these fairy animals," replied dorothy. "hank isn't a fairy animal, any more than toto," said ozma, "yet as soon as he came under the spell of our fairyland he found he could talk. it was the same way with billina, the yellow hen whom you brought here at one time. the same spell has affected toto, i assure you; but he's a wise little dog and while he knows everything that is said to him he prefers not to talk." "goodness me!" exclaimed dorothy. "i never s'pected toto was fooling me all this time." then she drew a small silver whistle from her pocket and blew a shrill note upon it. a moment later there was a sound of scurrying footsteps, and a shaggy black dog came running up the path. [illustration] dorothy knelt down before him and shaking her finger just above his nose she said: "toto, haven't i always been good to you?" toto looked up at her with his bright black eyes and wagged his tail. "bow-wow!" he said, and betsy knew at once that meant yes, as well as dorothy and ozma knew it, for there was no mistaking the tone of toto's voice. "that's a dog answer," said dorothy. "how would you like it, toto, if i said nothing to you but 'bow-wow'?" toto's tail was wagging furiously now, but otherwise he was silent. "really, dorothy," said betsy, "he can talk with his bark and his tail just as well as we can. don't you understand such dog language?" "of course i do," replied dorothy. "but toto's got to be more sociable. see here, sir!" she continued, addressing the dog, "i've just learned, for the first time, that you can say words--if you want to. don't you want to, toto?" "woof!" said toto, and that meant "no." "not just one word, toto, to prove you're as good as any other animal in oz?" "woof!" "just one word, toto--and then you may run away." he looked at her steadily a moment. "all right. here i go!" he said, and darted away as swift as an arrow. dorothy clapped her hands in delight, while betsy and ozma both laughed heartily at her pleasure and the success of her experiment. arm in arm they sauntered away through the beautiful gardens of the palace, where magnificent flowers bloomed in abundance and fountains shot their silvery sprays far into the air. and by and by, as they turned a corner, they came upon shaggy man and his brother, who were seated together upon a golden bench. the two arose to bow respectfully as the ruler of oz approached them. "how are you enjoying our land of oz?" ozma asked the stranger. "i am very happy here, your highness," replied shaggy's brother. "also i am very grateful to you for permitting me to live in this delightful place." "you must thank shaggy for that," said ozma. "being his brother, i have made you welcome here." "when you know brother better," said shaggy earnestly, "you will be glad he has become one of your loyal subjects. i am just getting acquainted with him myself, and i find much in his character to admire." leaving the brothers, ozma and the girls continued their walk. presently betsy exclaimed: "shaggy's brother can't ever be as happy in oz as _i_ am. do you know, dorothy, i didn't believe any girl could ever have such a good time--_anywhere_--as i'm having now?" "i know," answered dorothy. "i've felt that way myself, lots of times." "i wish," continued betsy, dreamily, "that every little girl in the world could live in the land of oz; and every little boy, too!" ozma laughed at this. "it is quite fortunate for us, betsy, that your wish cannot be granted," said she, "for all that army of girls and boys would crowd us so that we would have to move away." "yes," agreed betsy, after a little thought, "i guess that's true." [illustration] * * * * * transcriber's note: all illustrations were placed so as to not split paragraphs. three presumed typographical errors were corrected: p. , rooks to rocks ("on the rough =rocks=."); p. , any to my ("... get off =my= left toe ..."); and p. , comma to question mark ("what could you find to eat here=?="). all usage of "every one" and "everyone" were both retained. transcriber's note illustration captions in {braces} have been added by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader. myth-land. by f. edward hulme, f.l.s., f.s.a. author of "familiar wild flowers," etc. etc. "far away in the twilight time of every people, in every clime, dragons and griffins and monsters dire. born of water, or air, or fire, or nursed, like the python, in the mud and ooze of the old deucalion flood, crawl, and wriggle, and foam with rage, through dark tradition and ballad age." whittier. london sampson low, marston, searle, & rivington, crown buildings, fleet street. . [_all rights reserved._] [decoration] preface. the nucleus of the following pages was originally written in the form of two short papers to be read at the meetings of a public school natural history society. since then, finding materials rapidly growing on our hands, we have been gradually amplifying our notes on the subject until they have grown to the present dimensions; for, to quote the quaint words of thomas fuller, "when there is no recreation or business for thee abroad, thou may'st then have a company of honest old fellows in leathern jackets in thy study, which may find thee excellent divertisement at home." our researches in pursuit of the marvellous, through the works of divers and sundry old writers, have been so far entertaining and interesting to us that we would fain hope that they may not be altogether received without favour by others. our subject naturally divides itself into two very obvious sections--the one dealing with wholly untrue and impossible creatures of the fancy, the other with the strange beliefs and fancies that have clustered round the real creatures we see around us. it will readily be discovered that we have confined ourselves in the present volume almost entirely to the first of these sections. should our present labours prove acceptable they may readily be followed by a companion volume, at least as entertaining, dealing with the second section of our subject. [decoration] [decoration] contents. chapter i. introduction--"a description of animals"--unicorn--the bible unicorn--the heraldic unicorn--the horn as a poison test--the unicorn of mediæval legend--wolf causing dumbness--the rompo or man-eater--the manticora--the lamia--stag antipathies--dragons-- dragon-slaying--legends of the saints--the "legenda aurea"--st. george--mediæval recipes--the "historia monstrorum" of aldrovandus-- the dragon in heraldry--the dragon of wantley--dragons' teeth--the dragonnades--the dragons of shakespeare--guardians of treasure--the feud between the dragon and the elephant--the "bestiare divin" of guillaume--the cockatrice--the basilisk--the phoenix: its literary existence from herodotus to shakespeare--the dun-cow of warwick--sir guy, and percie's "reliques of antient poetry"--old ribs and other bones in churches--the salamander--breydenbach's travels--the "bestiary" of de thaun--the ylio--the griffin--the arimaspians-- burton's "miracles of art and nature"--the lomie--the tartarian vegetable lamb--the sea-elephant--pegasus--the vampyre--the chameleon - chapter ii. the sphinx--the chimæra--the centaurs--the origin of the myth--the onocentaur--sagittarius--satyrs and fauns--the harpys, described by homer, virgil, shakespeare, milton, and others--the echidna--the gorgon--the hydra--the sirens--the lurlei--mermaids--the manatee-- dog-headed men of brazil--the one-eyed cyclops and briaræus of the hundred arms--the headless men or anthropophagi--sir walter raleigh's el dorado--claw-footed men--the marvels of hackluyt and mandeville-- the long-eared fanesii--the fairies--the "discoverie of witchcraft"-- the little good people--fairy-rings--elf-music--changelings-- elf-possession--spirits of the mine, or knockers--robin goodfellow-- queen mab--the phoca or storm-spirit--the kelpie--jack-o'-lantern-- the pigmies--giants--early sculptures--gigantic men of antiquity - chapter iii. comparatively small number of mythical bird-forms--the martlet--the bird of paradise--the humma--the huppe--the ibis--the roc--the hameh bird--reptiles, fish, &c.--the sea-serpent--the adissechen of hindu mythology--the iormungandur of scandinavian mythology-- the egg talisman--fire-drake--aspis--amphisbena--kraken--cetus-- leviathan--behemoth--nautilus--dolphin--the acipenser--the remora-- the fish nun--the chilon--the dies--sea-bishops and sea-monks--davy jones and his locker--ojibiway legend of the great serpent--fabledom in the vegetable kingdom--the barnacle tree--the kalpa-tarou--the lote tree--the tree of life--lotus-eating--amaranth--lotus wreaths at kew from the egyptian tombs--asphodel--mediæval herbals-- ambrosia--the upas tree--the umdhlebi tree of zululand--the kerzereh flower--the mandrake--"miracles of art and nature"--travellers' tales--the dead sea apple--alimos--the meto--the herb viva--cockeram on herb-lore--the pseudodoxia of dr. browne--herb basil--the "eikon basilike"--fitzherbert's "boke of husbandry" - appendix index [decoration] list of illustrations. page the unicorn (from a "description of animals," a.d. ) the manticora (from a "description of animals," a.d. ) the lamia (from a "description of animals," a.d. ) dragons (from a "description of animals," a.d. ) the sea-elephant dragon, from a piece of italian decoration the sea-lion the harpy (from the "historia monstrorum" of aldrovandus, a.d. ) the barnacle tree, from gerarde's "herbal," a.d. the barnacle tree (from the "theatrum botanicum" of parkinson, a.d. ) the barnacle tree (from "munster's cosmography," a.d. ) the palm (from the "eikon basilike," a.d. ) [decoration] [decoration] myth-land. chapter i. introduction--"a description of animals"--unicorn--the bible unicorn--the heraldic unicorn--the horn as a poison test--the unicorn of mediæval legend--wolf causing dumbness--the rompo or man-eater--the manticora--the lamia--stag antipathies--dragons--dragon-slaying-- legends of the saints--the "legenda aurea"--st. george--mediæval recipes--the "historia monstrorum" of aldrovandus--the dragon in heraldry--the dragon of wantley--dragons' teeth--the dragonnades--the dragons of shakespeare--guardians of treasure--the feud between the dragon and the elephant--the "bestiare divin" of guillaume--the cockatrice--the basilisk--the phoenix--its literary existence from herodotus to shakespeare--the dun-cow of warwick--sir guy, and percie's "reliques of antient poetry"--old ribs and other bones in churches--the salamander--breydenbach's travels--the "bestiary" of de thaun--the ylio--the griffin--the arimaspians--burton's "miracles of art and nature"--the lomie--the tartarian vegetable lamb--the sea-elephant--pegasus--the vampyre--the chameleon. all science is a gradual growth. travellers as they toil up a long ascent turn round from time to time, and mark with satisfaction the ever-lengthening way that stretches between them and their distant starting-place, and derive a further encouragement from the sight to press onward to the yet unknown. so may we in this our day compare ourselves, in no offensive and vainglorious way, with the men of the past, and gain renewed courage in the future as we leave their ancient landmarks far behind us. shame, indeed, would it be to us had we not thus advanced, for our opportunities of gaining knowledge are immeasurably greater than those of any preceding generation. the old herbals and books of travels abound in curious examples of the quaint beliefs of our forefathers, while their treatises on natural history are a still richer storehouse. many of the old tomes, again, on the science of heraldry give other curious notions respecting the different animals introduced. some of these animals, as the dragon or the griffin, are undoubtedly of the most mythical nature, yet we find them described in the most perfect good faith, and without the slightest suspicion as to their real existence. we shall have occasion to refer to several of the works of these old writers, and we will, without further preface, take down from our book-shelf a little book entitled "a description of animals."[ ] [ ] the name of thomas bewick is to all book-collectors "familiar in their mouths as household words," and we rarely read the account of the dispersal of any large library or the choice collection of some bibliophile without finding that it contained a choice edition of bewick's "quadrupeds" or "birds"--a "lot" that always calls for a keen competition. it is interesting to know that the book we have named above considerably influenced him, and in no slight degree led to the production of the works that will always remain his monument, for we find him writing to a friend of his--"from my first reading, when a boy at school, a sixpenny history of birds and beasts, and then a wretched composition called the 'history of three hundred animals,' to the time i became acquainted with works of natural history written for the perusal of men, i was never without the design of attempting something of this kind myself." no one person appears on the title-page as author, but it is stated that it is extracted from the best authorities and adapted to the use of all capacities. it is also illustrated with copper-plates "whereon is curiously engraven every beast, bird, fish, serpent, and insect, described in the whole book." the word "curiously" is very happily chosen, and most happily describes the extraordinary nature of the illustrations. the preface shows us that the primary intention of the book was the instruction and entertainment of the young, and after wading painfully through the cumbrous roman figures, the long array of c's, x's, and the like, we find that the date of the treatise was , or just a hundred years ago. let us, then, dip here and there into it and see what "the best authorities" could teach our grandfathers when their youthful minds would know something of the wonders of creation. the lion, as the king of beasts, heads the list. "he is generally of a dun colour, but not without some exceptions, as black, white, and red, in ethiopia and some other parts of africa." the red lion, then, it would appear, is no mere creation of the licensed victualler or garter king-at-arms, no mere fancy to deck a signboard withal or emblazon on a shield of honour, but a living verity; and we may pause to remark that almost all the most wonderful things in the book have their home in africa, not as now the playground of the royal geographical society, but an unknown land full of wonder and mystery, of which nothing is too marvellous to be impossible. we are told, too, that the lion sleeps with his eyes open, and many other curious details follow. on the next page the unicorn is in all sober seriousness described. "his head resembles a hart's, his feet an elephant's, his tail a boar's, and the rest of his body a horse's. the horn is about a foot and a half in length, his voice is like the lowing of an ox, his horn is as hard as iron and as rough as any file." burton in his "miracles of art and nature," published in , says that in ethiopia "some kine there are which have horns like stags; other but one horn only, and that in the forehead, about a foot and a half long, but bending backward." it will be seen that burton does not identify these with the so-called unicorn, but the passage is in some degree suggestive. any one who has noticed the fine series of antelopes in the collection of the zoological society of london will scarcely have failed to observe the length and straightness of the horns of some of the species, while they are often so close together and so nearly parallel in direction, that any one seeing the animals at a little distance away, and so standing that one of their horns covers the other, might well be excused for starting the idea of single-horned animals. great virtues are attributed to the horn of the unicorn, as the expelling of poison and the curing of many diseases. the unicorn is very familiar to us as one of the supporters of the royal arms, but the form we know so well does not altogether agree with that described. the heraldic unicorn is in all respects a horse save and except the horn, while our old author tells us of the head of a stag and the feet of an elephant. the creature is sometimes referred to in our english version of the bible, and has thus become one of the animals introduced in symbolic and religious art. in some of the passages it would clearly seem to indicate that in the very early days dealt with in some of the books of the bible there was a general belief in some such creature, while in others probably the word is rather introduced in error by our translators--an error that may very well be pardoned when we find the animal gravely described in the much more recent book before us. in the book of job, the earliest in point of time in the whole bible, the belief in some such animal seems very distinctly indicated in the words, "will the unicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy crib? canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow, or will he harrow the valleys after thee?" in the d psalm the peculiar feature that gives the creature its name is especially referred to in the words, "my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn." the reference is always to some wild and powerful animal; thus in exodus we read, "his horns are like the horns of unicorns;" and again in one of the psalms we find david crying, "save me from the lion's mouth, for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." other passages might be quoted, but these will amply suffice to indicate the very early belief in some such creature. the form is frequently seen in the earliest christian art, as in the catacombs of rome, the havens of refuge for the living and the resting-places of the dead followers of the new faith. our illustration is a facsimile of that in the "description of animals." [illustration: {the unicorn}] for some reason that we cannot now discover, the unicorn was an especial favourite with the scotch heralds, and it is from them that we derive it in our royal arms. before the union of the two monarchies the supporters of the arms of the english monarchs had been very various, though in almost every case a lion had been one of the two employed,[ ] while in scotland for several reigns before the amalgamation of the two countries the supporters had been two unicorns. it was very naturally arranged, therefore, when the two kingdoms were fused together on the death of elizabeth, that the joint shield should be supported by the lion of england and the unicorn of scotland. the creature freely occurs as a device on the scottish coinage; one piece especially is by collectors called the unicorn, from the conspicuous introduction of the national device. [ ] as for example:--henry vi., lion and antelope; edward iv., lion and bull; edward v., two lions; richard iii., lion and boar; henry vii., lion and dragon; henry viii., lion and dragon; mary, lion and greyhound; elizabeth, lion and greyhound. we have already indicated that potent virtues were believed to reside in the horn of the unicorn. in the comptes royaux of france in we find a golden cup with a slice of this horn in it for testing the food of the dauphin, and again in the inventory of charles v.--"une touche de licorne, garnie d'or, pour faire essay." decker, again, in speaks of "the unicorn, whose horn is worth a city." in mrs. bury palliser's most interesting work of "historic badges and devices" we find an illustration of the standard of bartolomeo d'alviano. he was a great champion of the orsini family, and took a leading part in all the feuds that devastated central europe during his lifetime. his standard bears the unicorn, surrounded by snakes, toads, and other reptiles then rightly or wrongly held poisonous; these he is moving aside with his horn, and above is the motto, "i expel poisons"--he, d'alviano, of course, being the lordly and potent unicorn, his foes the creeping things to be driven from his face.[ ] [ ] the english cyclopædia of natural history gives a description by ctesias of the indian ass. he says that these animals are as large as horses, and larger, having a horn on the forehead, one cubit long, which for the extent of two palms from the forehead is entirely white; above, it is pointed and red, being black in the middle. of this horn drinking-cups are formed, and those who use them are said not to be subject to spasm or epilepsy, nor to the effects of poison, provided, either before or after taking the poison, they drink out of the cup wine, water, or any other liquid. one of the arabian annalists, el kazwini, has much to say about the magical and curative properties of these cups; and a yet fuller notice of them appears in lane's "arabian nights," chap. xx. note . it is also stated that most of the eastern potentates possessed one of these cups. in hyder ali's treasury at tanjore was found a specimen. in "uganda and the egyptian soudan," by the rev. c. t. wilson and r. w. felkin, vol. ii. p. , we read:-- "cups made of rhinoceros horn are supposed to have the peculiar virtue of detecting poison in coffee and sherbet. often, when drinking for the first time in a strange house, one of these cups is offered to assure the visitor that no foul play is contemplated. these are considered most valuable presents and a mark of lasting friendship and esteem." in the "display of heraldry" published by john guillim in the year we read--"it hath been much questioned amongst naturalists, which it is that is properly called the unicorn; and some have made doubt whether there be any such beast as this or no. but the great esteem of his horn (in many places to be seen) may take away that needless scruple." having thus satisfactorily established the existence of such a creature he naturally feels at full liberty to group around the central fact divers details, as, for instance, that "the wild beasts of the wilderness use not to drink of the pools, for fear of venomous serpents there breeding, before the unicorn hath stirred it with its horn." it seems to have been a debateable point whether the unicorn had ever been taken alive, but guillim decisively negatives the idea, and naturally avails himself of it for the greater glorification of the creature and of its service in his beloved science of heraldry. he lays down the broad fact that the unicorn is never taken alive, and here surely we can thoroughly go with him; but "the reason being demanded, it is answered that the greatness of his mind is such that he chuseth rather to die, wherein the unicorn and the valiant-minded soldier are alike, which both contemn death, and rather than they will be compelled to undergo any base servitude and bondage they will lose their lives." philip de thaun, on the other hand, not only admits the idea that the unicorn may be captured alive, but gives the full receipt for doing so. it would appear that, like una's lion, the animal is of a particularly impressionable nature, and is always prepared to do homage to maiden beauty and innocence, and this amiable trait in its character is basely taken advantage of. "when a man intends to hunt and take and ensnare it he goes to the forest where is its repair, and there places a virgin. then it comes to the virgin, falls asleep on her lap, and so comes to its death. the man arrives immediately and kills it in its sleep, or takes it alive and does as he will with it." the young ladies of that very indefinite date must have possessed considerably more courage and nerve than some of their sisters of the present day, who show symptoms of hysteria if they find themselves in the same room with a spider--a considerably less severe test than an interview in the dark shades of the forest with an amorous unicorn. one cannot, however, help feeling that the victim of misplaced confidence comes out of the transaction most creditably, and that both man and maiden must have felt what schoolboys call "sneaks." the unicorn, alive or dead, seems to have eluded observation in a wonderful way, and the men of science were left to extract their facts from the slightest hints, in the same way that distinguished anatomists and geologists of these later days are enabled to build up an entire animal from one or two isolated bones. the process, however, does not seem, in the case of the earlier men, to have been a very successful one, and there is consequently a great clashing amongst the authorities, and one of the mediæval writers, feeling the difficulty of drawing any very definite result from the chaos before him, adopts the plan, in which we humbly follow him, of simply putting it all down just as it comes to hand, and leaving his readers to make the best they can of it. he writes as follows:-- "pliny affirmeth it is a fierce and terrible creature, vartomannus a tame animal: those which garcias ab horto described about the cape of good hope were beheld with heads like horses, those which vartomannus beheld he described with the head of a deere: pliny, Ælian, solinus, and paulus venetus affirm the feet of the unicorn are undivided and like the elephant's, but those two which vartomannus beheld at mecha were, as he described, footed like a goate. as Ælian describeth it, it is in the bignesse of an horse, that which thevet speaketh of was not so big as an heifer, but paulus venetus affirmeth that they are but little lesse than elephants." on turning to the records of a distinguished french society established in we come across many strange items. these records are entitled "a general collection of the discourses of the virtuosi of france, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy and other natural knowledge, made in the assembly of the beaux esprits at paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation." their meetings were termed conferences, and there are notes of two hundred and forty of these. the subjects discussed covered a very wide field, the following being some few amongst them--of the end of all things, of perpetual motion, of the echo, of how long a man may continue without eating, whether is to be preferred a great stature or a small, of the loadstone, of the origin of mountains, and who are the most happy in this world, wise men or fools. some of these subjects are now definitely settled, while others are as open to discussion as ever, as, for example, the questions whether it be expedient for women to be learned, and whether it be better to bury or to burn the bodies of the dead. in this great accumulation of the notions of the seventeenth century we find, amongst other items that more especially concern our present purpose, discussions on genii, on the phoenix, and on the unicorn. in the early days of a similar institution, our own royal society--a body which is now so staid, and which focuses all the most important scientific results of the day to itself--many points were discussed in perfect good faith that are now consigned to oblivion--the trees that grow diamonds, the rivers that run precious gems, and the seeds that fell from heaven being amongst these; while at another meeting we find the duke of buckingham presenting the society with a piece of the horn of the unicorn. the old writers had no very definite system, and though the author of the "book of the animals" may seem to have exercised a certain fitness in discussing the unicorn directly after the lion, the conjunction is probably wholly accidental, as the creatures dwelt on succeed each other in all such books in the most arbitrary way. the next animal to which we would refer is the wolf. he is not absolutely the next in the series, but we manifestly cannot deal with the whole three hundred, so we pick out here and there divers quaint examples of what we may be allowed to term this unnatural history. we are told that "the wolf is a very ravenous creature, and as dangerous to meet with, when hungry, as any beast whatever, but when his stomach is full, he is to men and beasts as meek as a lamb. when he falls upon a hog or a goat, or such small beasts, he does not immediately kill them, but leads them by the ear, with all the speed he can, to a crew of ravenous wolves, who instantly tear them to pieces." we should have thought that the reverse had been more probable, that the wolves that had nothing would have come with all the speed they could upon their more successful companion; but if the old writer's story be true, it opens out a fine trait of unselfishness in the character of this maligned communard. it was an old belief, a fancy that we find in the pages of pliny, theocritus, virgil, and others, that a man becomes dumb if he meets a wolf and the wolf sees him first. a mediæval writer explains this as follows:--"the ground or occasionall originall hereof was probably the amazement and sudden silence the unexpected appearance of wolves doe often put upon travellers, not by a supposed vapour or venemous emanation, but a vehement fear which naturally produceth obmutescence and sometimes irrecoverable silence. thus birds are silent in presence of an hawk, and pliny saith that dogges are mute in the shadow of an hyæna, but thus could not the mouths of worthy martyrs be stopped, who being exposed not only unto the eyes but the mercilesse teeth of wolves, gave loud expressions of their faith, and their holy clamours were heard as high as heaven." scott refers to the old belief in his "quentin durward." in the eighteenth chapter our readers will find as follows:--"'our young companion has seen a wolf,' said lady hameline, 'and has lost his tongue in consequence.'" the thirteenth animal is the "rompo" or man-eater; he is "so called because he feeds upon dead men, to come at which he greedily grubs up the earth off their graves, as if he had notice of somebody there hid. he keeps in the woods; his body is long and slender, being about three feet in length, with a long tail. the negroes say that he does not immediately fall on as soon as he has found the body, but goes round and round it several times as if afraid to seize it. its head and mouth are like a hare's, his ears like a man's, his fore feet like a badger's, and his hinder feet like a bear's. it has likewise a mane. this creature is bred in india and africa." concerning the buffalo we read, "it is reported of this creature that when he is hunted or put into a fright he'll change his colour to the colour of everything he sees; as amongst trees he is green, &c." the manticora is one of the strange imaginings of our forefathers. in the illustration in the book (of which our figure is a reproduction) it has a human head and face and a body like that of a lion; a thick mane covers the neck; its tail is much longer in proportion than that of a lion, and has at its extremity a most formidable collection of spiky-looking objects; these in the description are said to be stinging and sharply-pointed quills. he is as big as a lion. "his voice is like a small trumpet. he is so wild that it is very difficult to catch him, and as swift as an hart. with his tail he wounds the hunters, whether they come before him or behind him. when the indians take a whelp of this beast they bruise its tail to prevent it bearing the sharp quills; then it is tamed without danger." [illustration: the manticora] [illustration: the lamia] the lamia, too, is an extraordinary creature, and one that our not remote forefathers seem to have thoroughly believed in, for though the author says that there are many fictitious stories respecting it, he goes on to describe it, and gives an illustration. it is thought to be the swiftest of all four-footed creatures, so that its prey can seldom or never escape it. it is said to be bred in libya, and to have a face like a beautiful woman, while its voice is the hiss of a serpent. the body is covered with scales. the old author tells us that they sometimes devour their own young, and we may fairly hope that this cannibal propensity of theirs is the cause of their disappearance. in earlier times men believed in a monstrous spectre called an empusa. it could assume various forms, and it was believed to feed on human flesh. the lamiæ, who took the forms of handsome and graceful women for the purpose of beguiling poor humanity, and then sucked their blood like vampyres and devoured their flesh, were one form of empusa. the belief in some such creature seems to have been widespread; the myth of the sirens is, for example, very similar in conception. in mansfield parkyns' "life in abyssinia" we read--"there is an animal which i know not where to class, as no european has hitherto succeeded in obtaining a specimen of it. it is supposed by the natives to be far more active, powerful, and dangerous than the lion, and consequently held by them in the greatest possible dread. they look upon it more in the light of an evil spirit, with an animal's form, than a wild beast; they assert that its face is human." we learn, however, from the rest of the description, that this creature possesses itself of its prey by force alone; the human face is one further feature of terror, but does not, as in the previous case, serve to beguile mankind and lure them by its beauty to their fate. the stag is said to be "a great enemy to all kinds of serpents, which he labours to destroy whenever he finds any, but he is afraid of almost all other creatures." many of these old beliefs were simply handed down from generation to generation without question, or the opinions of the ancients accepted without experiment or inquiry. this belief of the natural enmity of the stag to the serpent is at least as old as pliny, and may be found duly set forth in the thirty-third chapter of his eighth book:--"this kind of deere make fight with serpents, and are their natural and mortal enemies; they will follow them to their verie holes, and then by the strength of drawing and snuffing up their wind of their nostrils, force them out whether they will or no. the serpent sometimes climbs upon its back and bites it cruelly, when the stag rushes to some river or fountain and throws itself into the water to rid itself of its enemy." this old belief made the stag a favourite in the mediæval days of exaggerated symbolism, its ruthless antipathy to the serpent rendering it not inaptly an emblem of the christian fighting to the death against sin, and finding an antidote to its wounds in the fountain of living water. it was also believed that stags "passe the seas swimming by flockes and whole heards in a long row, each one resting his head upon his fellow next before him; and this they do in course, so as the foremost retireth behind to the hindmost by turnes, one after another." in this supposed fact the seekers after symbol and hidden meaning found no difficulty in recognising that comfort and support in all their trials that all good men should at all times be ready to afford their fellows. the tusks of the wild boar, we are told, cut like sharp knives when the animal is alive, but lose their keenness at his death. it is said when this creature is hunted down his tusks are so inflamed that they will burn and singe the hair of the dogs. the wild ox has a tongue so hard and rough that it can draw a man to him, "whom by licking he can wound to death." the elephant, we are told on the same authority, has two tusks. "one of them it keeps always sharp to revenge injuries, and with the other it roots up trees and plants for its meat. these they lose once in ten years, which, falling off, they very carefully bury in the earth on purpose that men may not find them." the liver of a mouse our forefathers believed to increase and decrease with the waxing and waning of the moon. "for every day of the moon's age there is a fibre increase in their liver." this rash and random assertion it would be manifestly impossible either to prove or disprove, though one may have one's own strong opinion on the matter. it would be necessary to kill the mouse to count the aforesaid fibres, and having killed it, the morrow's extra age of the moon would bring no added fibres to the victim of our credulity. presently we come to the potto, a creature that is probably the same as we now call the sloth. the illustration shows us a most hopelessly helpless-looking animal, and in the description that accompanies it we are told that a whole day is little enough for it to advance ten steps forward. we are also informed that when he does climb a tree he does not leave it until he has eaten up not only the fruit but all the foliage, when "he descends fat and in good case, but before he can get up another tree he loses all the advantages of his previous good quarters and often perishes of hunger." eighty-seven quadrupeds are dealt with, so it will be readily seen how little we have drawn upon the wealth of information the book affords. [illustration: {dragons}] book iv. of the treatise is devoted to the consideration of serpents and insects. amongst serpents and insects the dragon naturally takes the place of honour. the writer evidently has his doubts, and carefully qualifies his description by a free use of the responsibility evading formula "it is said." he gives three illustrations. one of them represents a biped monster, crested and winged; the second has lost his legs, though he retains crest and wings; while the third creature is of serpentine nature, has neither wings nor legs, and only differs from the serpent forms in the book by the addition of his crest. the description runs as follows:--"the dragon, as described in the numerous fables and stories of several writers, may be justly questioned whether he really exists. i have read of serpents bred in arabia, called sirenas, which have wings, being very swift, running and flying at pleasure; and when they wound a man he dieth instantly. these are supposed to be a kind of dragons. it is said there are divers sorts of dragons or serpents that are so called, which are distinguished partly by their countries, partly by their magnitude, and partly by the different form of their external parts. they are said to be bred in india and africa; those of india are much the largest, being of an incredible length; and of these there are also said to be two kinds, one of them living in the marshes, which are slow of pace and without combs on their heads; the other in the mountains, which are bigger and have combs, their backs being somewhat brown and their bodies less scaled. some of them are of a yellow fiery colour, having sharp backs like saws. these also have beards. when they set up their scales they shine like silver. the apples of their eyes are (it is said) precious stones, and as bright as fire, in which it is affirmed there is a great virtue against many diseases. their aspect is very fierce and terrible. some dragons are said to have wings and no feet; some, again, have both feet and wings; and others neither feet nor wings, and are only distinguished from the common sort of serpents by the combs growing upon their heads and by their beards. some do affirm that the dragon is of a black colour, somewhat green beneath and very beautiful, that it has a triple row of teeth in each jaw, that it has also two dewlaps growing under the chin, which hang down like a beard of a red colour; and the body is set all over with sharp scales, and on the neck with thick hair, much like the bristles of a wild boar." it will be seen by the foregoing that the imagination of our ancestors was allowed free play, abundant variety of form, magnitude, colour, and so forth being possible. the dragon or winged serpent has formed a part in many creeds, and the dragon-slayer has been the hero of countless legends. the legend varies with climate and country, and with the development of the race in which it is found; and yet the prophecies of the bible of the ultimate bruising of the serpent's head and the final victory over the dragon ("that old serpent, which is the devil and satan" rev. xx. ); the legends of classic days, such as that of perseus and andromeda; the still older struggles recorded in the slabs of nineveh and persepolis; the stories narrated to awed rings of listeners in the stillness of the eastern night, or listened to by our children with eager eyes and rapt attention in the homes of england; the mass of legend that in mediæval times clustered around the names of god's faithful ones; and the local traditions of every land, from the equator to the poles, all dwell on the mischievous presence of some evil principle and record the ultimate triumph of good. beneath the mass of ever-varying fable stands the like foundation, the strife between the two antagonistic principles; and thus the wide world over, in every age and in every clime, the mind of man, in broken accents, it may be, and with faltering tongue, records with joy its upward struggle, feels the need of help in the sore conflict, registers its belief in final triumph. though the dragon-conflict occurs in many literatures, the same incidents occur over and over again, and we find in almost all the power and subtlety of the monster, the innocence and helplessness of his victims, the suddenness of his attack on them, and the completeness of his final overthrow, the dragon-slayers being the conquerors over tyranny and wrong, over paganism and every form of godless evil. in egypt he was typhon, in greece, python. in india he is kalli naga, the thousand-headed, the foe and the vanquished of vishnu. in anglo-saxon chronicles he is lig-draca, the fire-drake or godes-andsacan, the denier of god--always unsleeping, poison-fanged, relentless, the terrible enemy of man, full of subtlety and full of power. on the advent of christianity these ancient legends were not wholly discarded, but suggested others of a like character, and a slight alteration transferred to saint or martyr those feats and victories which had formerly been ascribed to gods and demigods. it only remained for the new religion to point out the analogy, and to incorporate into itself the lessons they taught, the conflict won, the abnegation of self for the good of others. it would take up far too much space if we were to endeavour to give many of these legends in detail. in some cases they were doubtless intended as descriptions of an actual conflict, by force of arms, with some real monster; but in others the conflict is allegorical; thus st. loup, st. martin of tours, st. hilary, and st. donatus are all notable dragon-slayers, though the conflict was a mythical one, and their claim to regard on this score is based really on their gallant fight with either the heathenism of those amongst whom they laboured or the heresy of false brethren. the popular saint, too, receives often more than his due at the hands of his admirers, and legends gather thickly round his name, and his so-called biography is often romance and hero-worship from beginning to end. st. romanus at rouen, st. veran at arles, and st. victor of marseilles are all accredited with feats of dragon-slaying; but leaving them, st. martial, st. marcel, and many others to other chroniclers, we content ourselves with referring to two illustrious saints alone--the first because she is a lady, and may therefore well claim our courtesy, the second because he is our own patron saint. it may not be generally known that the sister of lazarus, the st. martha of our legend, together with mary magdalene and two companions, maxime and marcellus, wandered so far away from palestine as the shores of france. how much farther they may have intended to go the history does not tell us, but the untoward accident that stranded them on the shores of languedoc was a most fortunate circumstance for the people of the district. the inhabitants of that region had been for some time tormented by a monster who fed on human flesh and had a most draconic appetite, and they at once appealed to these strangers to help them. this alone would seem to indicate the extremity in which they found themselves, or they would scarcely have applied to four shipwrecked strangers, half of them women, for aid in the hour of their necessity. st. martha, however, in pitying consideration for their sad plight, at once agreed to help them. she had hardly entered the wood where the monster dwelt before the most frightful bellowings were heard, at which all the people sorely trembled and naturally concluded that this unarmed woman had fallen a victim to her temerity; but this alarming bellowing shortly ceased, and soon after st. martha reappeared, holding in one hand a little wooden cross, and in the other a ribbon, with which she led forth her interesting captive. she then advanced into the middle of the town and presented the people with the dragon, as embarrassing a present as the proverbial white elephant; but they seem to have risen to the occasion, for we find afterwards an annual festival held in honour of the saint, while good king réné of anjou instituted an order of the dragon for the more effectual keeping alive of the memory of the event. as st. martha is more especially set down in the "lives of the saints" as the patron saint of good housewives, she might well have been excused had she declined a service in itself so dangerous and so far removed from the daily round, the trivial task; but the overthrowing of the mighty by an instrument so weak gives additional point to the story, and vindicates triumphantly the power of faith over evil. the "legenda aurea," written by jacobus de voraigne, archbishop of genoa, in the year , is what warton termed "an inexhaustible repository of religious fable." for some centuries it was considered to have an almost sacred character, and its popularity was so great that it passed through an immense number of editions in the latin, dutch, german, and french languages. it should have the more interest to us, too, from the fact that it was one of the earliest of english printed books, caxton publishing the first english edition in . this was followed by other editions by wynkyn de worde in the years , , and . the following account of our patron saint is taken from this source, a much less favourable history being found in gibbon's "decline and fall of the roman empire."[ ] [ ] appendix a. once upon a time the neighbourhood of the city of sylene was infested with an enormous dragon, who, making a "ponde, lyke a sea," which skirted the walls, his usual residence, was accustomed to envenom the miserable citizens with his pestiferous breath, and therefore they gave him every day two sheep for his dinner, and when these were spent they chose by lot a male and female, daily, whom they exposed to the monster. at length, after many of the rich had been compelled to sacrifice their offspring, the lot fell upon the king's daughter, a lovely maiden, and the idol of a fond father, who, in the bitterness of his grief, entreated his subjects for the love of the gods to take his gold and silver, and all that he had, and spare his child; but they replied that he had himself made the law, and that they had suffered in obeying it, and concluded by telling him that unless he complied with his own mandate, they would take off his head. this answer only increased the king's affliction; but being anxious to defer, if he could not avert, his daughter's death, he craved that a respite of eight days might be given her; and his people, moved, apparently, by the groans and tears of the sorrowful old man, granted his request. when the stipulated time had elapsed, they came and said to him, "ye see how the city perisheth!" so the monarch bade his child array herself in her richest apparel, and led her forth to "the place where the dragon was, and left her there." it chanced that st. george, who, like a true knight-errant, was travelling in quest of dangerous adventures, arrived at the spot not long after the king's departure, and was much astonished when he beheld so fair a lady lingering there alone and weeping bitterly, and riding up he asked the cause of her sorrow. but she, unwilling to detain him in a place so perilous, entreated him to leave her to her fate. "go on your way, young man," she said, "lest ye perish also." but st. george would know the truth, so the maiden told him. then was the knight's heart merry within him, and he rejoined, "fayre doughter, doubte ye no thynge hereof, for i shall helpe thee in the name of jesu christe." she said, "for goddes sake, good knyght, goo your waye, and abyde not wyth me, for ye may not deliver me." st. george, however, was of a different opinion, and indeed, had he resolved, upon second thoughts, to escape, he could not have done so, for the dragon, smelling human flesh from afar, emerged from the lake while the lady was speaking, and now came running towards his victim. not a moment was to be lost, so st. george crossed himself, drew his sword, and placing his lance in the rest, rushed to meet the monster, who, little expecting such a rough greeting, received the weapon "in his bosom," and rolled over in the dust. then said the victor to the rescued virgin, "take thy girdle, and bind it round the dragon's neck;" and when the lady had obeyed her champion, the monster followed her as if it had been "a meek beeste and debonayre." and so she led him into the city; and when the people saw her coming they fled with affright, expecting to perish all of them; but st. george shouted, "doubt nothing, believe in god jesus christ, consent to be baptized, and i will slay the dragon before your eyes." the citizens immediately consented, so the saint attacked the monster, and smote off his head, and commanded that he should be thrown into the green fields, and they took four carts with oxen, and drew him out of the city. then were fifteen thousand men baptized (without reckoning the women and children), and the king erected a church, and dedicated it to our lady and st. george, in which floweth "a founteyne of lyuying water which heleth seeke people that drynke therof." after this the prince offered the champion incalculable riches, but he refused them all, and enjoining the king to take care of the church, to honour the priests, and pity the poor, he kissed him and departed. some time after this marvellous event the emperor diocletian so cruelly persecuted the christians, that "twenty-two thousand were martyred in the course of one month," and many others forsook god and sacrificed to idols. when st. george heard this he laid aside his arms, and sold his possessions, and took the habit of a "crysten-man," and went into the midst of the "paynims," and began to denounce their gods as devils. "my god," cried he, "made heaven and earth, he only is the true god." then said they to him, "how dare ye defame our deities? who art thou?--what is thy name?"--"my name is george; i am a gentleman and knight of cappadocia, and i have left all to serve my lord," replied the saint. seeing that the stranger was no common man, the ruler of that district endeavoured to gain him over with fair words, but finding the knight inflexible, he tied him aloft on a gibbet, and caused him to be cruelly beaten; and then, having rubbed salt into his wounds, he bound him with heavy chains and thrust him into a dark dungeon. but our lord appeared to him that same night and comforted him, "moche swetely," so that the warrior took good heart and feared no torment which he might have to suffer. the chief magistrate, whose name was dacien, finding he could not shake his prisoner's faith by the infliction of torture, consulted with an enchanter, who agreed to lose his head should his "crafts" fail; and taking strong poison, the wizard mingled it with wine and invoked his gods and gave it to the saint, who, making the sign of the cross, thanked him kindly, and drank it off without injury. astonished at the failure of his plan, the magician made a draught still more venomous, and finding that this also had no ill effect on the charmed warrior, he himself acknowledged the might of christ, embraced st. george's knees, and entreated to be made a christian,--and his request was immediately granted. the provost's fury knew no bounds when he witnessed these marvels. he stretched the champion on the rack, but the engine broke in pieces; he plunged him into boiling lead, and lo! the saint came out "refreshed and strengthened." when dacien saw this he began to moderate his anger, and again had recourse to flattery, praying the saint to renounce his faith and sacrifice to the idols, and, much to his surprise, the knight questioned him with a smiling countenance why he had not asked him before, and promised to do his bidding. then the provost was glad indeed, and assembled all the people to see the champion sacrifice. so they thronged the temple where the saint was kneeling before the shrine of jupiter, but he earnestly prayed a while to the true god, entreating him to destroy those accursed images and convert the deluded romans,--"and anone the fyre descended from heuens and brente the temple and the ydolles and theyr prestes;" and immediately after the earth opened and swallowed up all the ashes. this last marvel only hardened the ruler's heart and strengthened him in his infidelity; he caused the warrior to be brought before him, and sternly reproved him for his duplicity. "thenne sayd to him saynt george, 'syr, beleue it not, but come wyth me and see how i shall sacrefise.' thenne said dacyan to him, 'i see wel thy frawde and thy treachery; thou wylt make the erthe to swalowe me lyke as thou hast the temple and my goddes.'" then said st. george, "o catiff, tell me how thy gods help thee when they cannot help themselves?" then was the provost so enraged that he ran to his wife, and, telling her that he should die of anger if he could not master his prisoner, requested her counsel. "cruel tyrant," replied his loving spouse, "instead of plotting against this heaven-protected knight, i too am resolved to become a christian!" "thou wilt!" returned her husband furiously, and taking her by her flowing tresses, he dashed her against the pavement, when, feeling herself in the agonies of death, she craved of st. george to know her future lot, seeing she had not been christened. then answered the blessed saint, "doubt thee nothing, fair daughter, for thou shalt be baptized in thine own blood." then began she to worship our lord jesus christ, and so died and went to heaven. thither the martyr followed her very shortly, for dacien caused st. george to be beheaded, and "so he perished." but the cruel persecutor did not long survive his victim, for as he was returning to his palace, says the legend, from the place of execution, "fire came down from heaven and destroyed him and all his followers."[ ] [ ] appendix b. in the middle ages the dragon gave a title in hungary to an order of knighthood, that of "the dragon overthrown." this was established in the year , to perpetuate the memory of the condemnation of john huss and jerome of prague by the council of constance for heresy, and to denote the overthrow of the doctrines these men propagated in hungary, bohemia, and elsewhere in germany, and for which they were ultimately burnt at the stake. the badge of the order was a dragon prostrate. in china the dragon is the symbol of the imperial power, and all our readers who are familiar with the appearance of the celestial pottery, bronzes, and so forth, will readily recall how commonly the form is introduced. some little time ago the chinese government permitted coal-mines to be opened at kai-ping, but they were speedily closed again, as it was supposed that their continued working would release the earth-dragon, disturb the manes of the empress, and generally bring trouble upon the imperial house and upon the nation. uncharitable people, however, have been found to declare that the fear of the earth-dragon is all an excuse, and that, as the government set its face against the introduction of railways, so it was equally prepared, in its rigid conservatism and hatred of innovations, to forswear the mining operations. the dragon of the chinese designers is of the weirdest forms, and conceived with a freedom and wildness of fancy that puts to shame our western attempts, powerful as they often are. as a symbol and attribute the dragon is constantly appearing in mediæval work, as carvings, illuminations, and the like, and we may remind our readers that in the term gargoyle, used in speaking of the strange and monstrous forms often found in our old cathedrals and abbeys doing duty as water-shoots, we get the dragon idea again, as the word is derived from an old french word signifying some such draconic monster. while, however, we find ourselves thus classing the dragon amongst the mythical and arbitrary forms of the stone-carver or the herald, we must be careful to remember that its terror had not thus in earlier days lost its sting, for the workman who sculptured it on a capital or thrust its hideous form into any other noticeable position not only regarded it as a symbol, but believed very really and truly in its veritable existence. albertus magnus gives a long account of the creature, an account altogether too elaborate for us to here transcribe; but its capture, according to him, is an easy matter enough if one only goes the right way to work. it was fortunately ascertained that dragons are "greatly afraid of thunder, and the magicians who require dragons for their enchantments get drums, on which they roll heavily, so that the noise is mistaken for thunder by the dragons, and they are vanquished." the thing is simplicity itself, and rather detracts from the halo of heroism that has hitherto surrounded dragon vanquishers. a man is scarcely justified in blowing his trumpet when he has previously so cowed his antagonist by beating his drum and deluding its dull brains with his fictitious thunder. pliny says that the eyes of a dragon, preserved dry, pulverised and then made up with honey, cause those who are anointed therewith to sleep securely from all dread of spirits of the darkness. in a mediæval work we are told that "the turning joint in the chine of a dragon doth promise an easy and favourable access into the presence of great lords." one can only wonder why this should be, all clue and thread of connection between the two things being now so hopelessly lost. we must not however forget that, smile now as we may at this, there was a time when our ancestors accepted the statement with the fullest faith, and many a man who would fain have pleaded his cause before king or noble bewailed with hearty regret his want of draconic chine, the "turning-point" of the dragon and of his own fortunes. another valuable receipt--"take the taile and head of a dragon, the haire growing upon the forehead of a lion, with a little of his marrow also, the froth moreover that a horse fomethe at the mouth who hath woon the victorie and prize in running a race, and the nailes besides of a dogs-feete: bind all these together with a piece of leather made of a red deers skin, with the sinewes partly of a stag, partly of a fallow deere, one with another: carry this about with you and it will work wonders." it seems almost a pity that the actual benefits to be derived from the possession of this compound are not more clearly defined, as there is no doubt that a considerable amount of trouble would be involved in getting the various materials together, and the zeal and ardour of the seeker after this wonder-working composition would be somewhat damped by the troublesome and recurring question, wherefore? mediæval medicine-men surely must have been somewhat chary of adopting the now familiar legend "prescriptions accurately dispensed," when the onus of making up such a mixture could be laid upon them. john leo, in his "history of africa" says that the dragon is the progeny of the eagle and wolf. after describing its appearance, he says--"this monster, albeit i myself have not seen it yet, the common report of all africa affirmeth that there is such a one." other writers affirm that the dragon is generated by the great heat of india or springs from the volcanoes of ethiopia; and one is tempted to take the prosaic view that this dragon rearing and slaying is but a more poetic way of dwelling on some miasmatic exhalation reduced to harmlessness by judicious drainage; that the monster that had slain its thousands was at last subdued by no glittering spear wielded by knightly or saintly arm, but by the spade of the navvy and the drain-pipes of the sanitary engineer. father pigafetta in his book declares that "mont atlas hath plenty of dragons, grosse of body, slow of motion, and in byting or touching incurably venomous. in congo is a kind of dragons like in biggnesse to rammes with wings, having long tayles and divers jawes of teeth of blue and greene, painted like scales, with two feete, and feede on rawe fleshe." we cannot ourselves help feeling that if we saw a dragon like in bigness to a ram we should so far be disappointed in him. after having had our imagination filled by legend after legend we should look for something decidedly bulkier than that, and should feel that he really was not living up to his reputation. abundant illustrations of the most unnatural history may be found in the works of aldrovandus: his voluminous works on animals are very curious and interesting, and richly illustrated with engravings at least as quaint in character as the text. his "monstrorum historia," published in folio at bologna in , is a perfect treasure-house; the various volumes range in date from to , and are, with one exception (venice), published at either bologna or frankfort. if any of our readers can get an opportunity of looking through them they will find themselves well repaid. amongst the lansdowne mss. in the british museum will be found aubrey's "gentilisme and judaisme." his remarks on st. george and the dragon are sufficiently quaint and interesting to justify insertion here. "dr. peter heylin," he says, "did write the historie of st. george of cappadocia, which is a very blind business. when i was of trin. coll. there was a sale of mr. william cartright's (poet) books, many whereof i had: amongst others (i know not how) was dr. daniel featley's handmayd to religion, which was printed shortly after dr. heylin's hist. aforesaid. in the holyday devotions he speaks of st. george, and asserts the story to be fabulous, and that there never was any such man. william cartright writes in the margent--for this assertion was dr. featley brought upon his knees before william laud, abp. of canterbury. see sir thomas browne's 'vulgar errors' concerning st. george, where are good remarks. he is of opinion that ye picture of st. george was only emblematical. methinks ye picture of st. george fighting with ye dragon hath some resemblance of st. michael fighting with the devil, who is pourtrayed like a dragon. ned bagshaw of chr. ch. , shewed me somewhere in nicophorus gregoras that ye picture of st. george's horse on a wall neighed on some occasion." a vast amount of learning upon the subject of our patron saint may be found in selden's "titles of honour," in which he treats of "the chiefest testimonies concerning st. george in the western church, and a consideration how he came to be taken for the patron saint of the english nation." selden originally inclined to the idea that the saint first stepped into this exalted position in the reign of edward iii., but in "a most ancient martyrologie" that he afterwards came across--one of saxon date in the library of one of the cambridge colleges--he found a sufficient testimony that the position of the saint as patron of britain dated from a much earlier time. peter suchenwirt, a german poet of the fourteenth century, gives in one of his poems a very curious and striking illustration of the esteem in which at the battle of poictiers the english soldiers held their patron saint:-- "di frantzois schrienn 'nater dam!' das spricht unser fraw mit nam; der chrey erhal; 'sand jors! sand jors!'" "the french shout forth 'notre dame,' thus calling on our lady's name; to which the english host reply, 'st. george! st. george!' their battle cry." the celtic use of the word dragon for a chieftain is curious: in time of danger a sort of dictator was appointed under the title of pen-dragon. hence any of the english knights who slew a chieftain in battle were dragon vanquishers, and it has been suggested that the military title was at times confused with that of the fabulous monster, and that a man thus got an added credit that did not belong to him. the theory is not, however, really tenable, as all the veritable dragon-slayers had the great advantage of living a long time ago, and no such halo of romance could well have attached itself to men of comparatively modern times. in any case, too, the use of the celtic word is very local, and does not meet the case of a tithe of the histories of such deeds of valour. the red dragon was the ensign of cadwallader, the last of the british kings. the tudors claimed descent from this ancient monarch, and henry vii. adopted this device for his standard at the battle of bosworth field. there is a place in berkshire called dragon hill, near uffington, and the more famous white horse hill, that is in local legend the scene of the encounter between st. george and the dragon; and for full confirmation a bare place is shown on the hillside where nothing will grow, because there the poisonous blood of the creature was shed. we learn, however, in the saxon annals that cedric, the west-saxon monarch, overthrew and slew here the pen-dragon naud, with five thousand of his men. the name of the hill, therefore, commemorates this ancient victory; but the common folk of the district, who know nothing of pen-dragons, erroneously ascribe the battle won there to the more familiar st. george. the dragon of wantley deserves a passing word, since he supplies a good illustration of how the mythical and the material are often mixed up. wantley is merely a corruption of wharncliffe, a delightful spot[ ] near sheffield, and here, of all places in the world, this very objectionable dragon took up his abode. one ordinarily expects to hear of such creatures uncoiling their monstrous forms in some dense morass or lurking in the dark recesses of some wide-stretching and gloomy forest; possibly he may have found the choice of such an attractive locality may have helped him to an occasional tourist. on the opposite side of the don to the crag that held the cave of the dragon stood the desirable residence of more hall; and its owner, doubtless feeling that the presence of such an objectionable neighbour was a great depreciation of his property, determined one day to bring matters to a crisis; so he walked up to the mouth of the cave clad in a suit of armour thickly covered with spikes, and administered such a vigorous kick in the dragon's mouth, the only place where he was vulnerable, that the whole transaction was over almost at once, and he was back again in ample time for lunch. dr. percy, the editor of "reliques of antient english poetry," holds that we must not accept this story too seriously; that, in fact, the old ballad in which it is set forth is a burlesque, and that the real facts are as follows:--that the dragon was an overbearing and rascally lawyer who had long availed himself of his position and influence to oppress his poorer neighbours, but he capped a long series of dishonest and disreputable actions by depriving three orphan children of an estate to which they were entitled. a mr. more generously took up their cause, brought all the armoury of the law to bear upon the spoiler, and completely defeated him, and the thievish attorney shortly afterwards died of chagrin and vexation. [ ] lady mary wortley montagu lived here for some time. writing afterwards from avignon, and dwelling on the exquisite landscape there spread out before her when standing on the castle height, she exclaims that "it is the most beautiful land prospect i ever saw, except wharncliffe." "old stories tell how hercules a dragon slew at lerna, with seven heads and fourteen eyes, to see and well discern-a; but he had a club this dragon to drub, or he had ne'er done it, i warrant ye; but more of more hall, with nothing at all, he slew the dragon of wantley. this dragon had two furious wings, each one upon each shoulder; with a sting in his tayl, as long as a flayl, which made him bolder and bolder. he had long claws, and in his jaws four-and-forty teeth of iron; with a hide as tough as any buff, which did him round environ. have you not heard how the trojan horse held seventy men in his belly? this dragon was not quite as big, but very near, i tell ye. devouréd he poor children three, that could not with him grapple; and at one sup, he eat them up, as one would eat an apple. all sorts of cattle this dragon did eat, some say he did eat up trees, and that the forests sure he could devour up by degrees: for houses and churches were to him geese and turkeys: he eat all, and left none behind, but some stones, dear jack, that he could not crack, which on the hills you will find. in yorkshire, near fair rotherham, the place i know it well; some two or three miles, or thereabouts, i vow i cannot tell; but there is a hedge, just on the hill edge, and matthew's house hard by it; o there and then was this dragon's den, you could not chuse but spy it. hard by a furious knight there dwelt, of whom all towns did ring; for he could wrestle, play quarterstaff, kick and cuff, and any such kind of a thing; by the tail and the main with his hands twain he swung a horse till he was dead, and that which is stranger, he in his anger eat him all up but his head. these children, as i told, being eat; men, women, girls and boys, sighing and sobbing, came to his lodging, and made a hideous noise: 'o save us all, more of more hall, thou peerless knight of these woods; do but slay this dragon, who won't leave us a rag on, we'll give thee all our goods.' 'tut, tut,' quoth he, 'no goods i want; but i want, i want, in sooth, a fair maid of sixteen that's brisk and keen, and smiles about the mouth: hair black as sloe, skin white as snow, with blushes her cheeks adorning; to anoynt me o'er night, ere i go out to fight, and to gird me in the morning.' this being done, he did engage to hew the dragon down; but first he went, new armour to bespeak at sheffield town; with spikes all about, not within but without, of steel so sharp and strong; both behind and before, arms, legs, and all o'er, some five or six inches long. had you but seen him in this dress, how fierce he looked and how big, you would have thought him for to be some egyptian porcupig: he frighted all, cats, dogs, and all, each cow, each horse, and each hog; for fear they did flee, for they took him to be some strange outlandish hedge-hog. it is not strength that always wins, for wit doth strength excell; which made our cunning champion creep down into a well, where he did think this dragon would drink, and so he did in truth; and as he stooped low he rose up and cried 'boh!' and hit him in the mouth. our politick knight, on the other side crept out upon the brink, and gave the dragon such a crack, he knew not what to think. 'aha,' quoth he, 'say you so, do you see?' and then at him he let fly with hand and with foot, and so they both went to't, and the word it was, hey, boys, hey! 'oh,' quoth the dragon with a deep sigh, and turned six times together, sobbing and tearing, cursing and swearing, out of his throat of leather; 'more of more hall! o thou rascàl! would i had seen thee never; with that thing at thy foot thou hast pricked me sore, and i'm quite undone for ever.' 'murder, murder,' the dragon cried, 'alack, alack, for grief; had you but missed that place, you could have done me no mischief.' then his head he shaked, he trembled and quaked, and down he laid and cried; first on one knee, then on back tumbled he, and groaned, and kicked, and died." we sometimes see allusions in poetry and the press to the sowing of dragons' teeth. the reference is always to some subject of civil strife, to some burning question that rouses the people of a state to take up arms against each other. the incident is derived from the old classic legend of the founding of thebes by kadmos. arriving on the site of the future city, he proposed to make a sacrifice to the protecting goddess athene, but on sending his men to a not far distant fountain for water, they were attacked and slain by a terrible dragon. kadmos thereupon went himself and slew the monster, and at the command of athene sowed its teeth in the ground, from whence immediately sprang a host of armed giants. these on the instant all turned their arms against each other, and that too with such fury that all were presently slain save five. kadmos invoked the aid of these giants in the building of the new city, and from these five the noblest families of thebes hereafter traced their lineage. the myth has been the cause of much perplexity to scholars and antiquaries, but it has been fairly generally accepted that the slaying of the dragon after it had destroyed many of the followers of kadmos indicates the final reduction of some great natural obstacle, after some few or more had been first vanquished by it. we may imagine such an obstacle to colonisation as a river hastily rising and sweeping all before it in its headlong flood, or an aguish and fever-breeding morass. the springing-up of the armed men from the soil has been construed as signifying that the thebans in after times regarded themselves as the original inhabitants of the country--no mere interlopers, but sons of the soil from time immemorial; while their conflicts amongst themselves, as their city rose to fame, have been too frequently reflected time after time elsewhere to need any very special exposition. another literary allusion in which the dragon bears its part is seen in the dragonnades, those religious persecutions which drove so many thousands of protestants out of france during the middle ages. their object was to root heresy out of the land. those who were willing to recant were left in peaceable possession of their goods, while the others were handed over to the tender mercies of the soldiery let loose upon them. these were chiefly dragoons; hence the origin of the term dragonnade; and these dragoons were so called because they were armed with a short musket or carbine called a dragon, while the gun in turn was so called because it spouted out fire like the dreadful monsters of the legends were held to do. on many of the early muskets this idea was emphasised by having the head of a dragon wrought on the muzzle, the actual flash of the piece on its discharge issuing from its mouth. one naturally turns to shakespeare for an apt illustration of any conceivable point that may arise. the lover finds in him his tender sonnets, the lawyer his quillets of the law, the soldier the glorification of arms, and the philosopher rich mines of wisdom. the antiquary finds in him no less a golden wealth of allusion to all the customs and beliefs of his day. in "midsummer night's dream" we find the lines-- "night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast, and yonder comes aurora's harbinger." we get much the same idea again in the line in "cymbeline"--"swift, swift you dragons of the night," and in "troilus and cressida"--"the dragon wing of night o'erspreads the earth." "scale of dragon, tooth of wolf," and many other horrible ingredients are found in the witches' caldron in "macbeth," while in "king lear" we are advised not to come "between the dragon and his wrath." king richard iii. rushes to his fate with the words, "our ancient word of courage, fair st. george, inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons." in "coriolanus" we find another admirable allusion-- "though i go alone, like to a lonely dragon that his fen makes feared and talked of more than seen." in the play of "pericles" we have the lines-- "golden fruit, but dangerous to be touched, for death-like dragons here affright thee hard." and there are other references in "romeo and juliet" and other plays--references that it is needless here to give, as enough has been quoted to show our great poet's realisation of this scaly monster of the marsh and forest. in the last extract we have given, that from "pericles," the golden fruit are the apples of the hesperides, guarded by the dragon ladon, foul offspring of typhon and echidna. allusions to this golden fruit are very common amongst the poets, so we content ourselves with quoting as an illustration one that is less well known than many, from a poem by robert greene in the year :-- "shew thee the tree, leafed with refinèd gold, whereon the fearful dragon held his seat, that watched the garden called hesperides." the dragon, like the griffin, is oftentimes the fabled guardian of treasure: we see this not only in the classic story of the garden of the hesperides, but more especially in the tales of eastern origin. any of our readers who have duly gone through much of the "arabian nights' entertainments" will scarcely have failed to notice the employment of the dragon as a defender of gold and other hoarded wealth. guillim, in his quaint book on heraldry, says that these treasures are committed to their charge "because of their admirable sharpness of sight, and for that they are supposed of all other living things to be the most valiant." he goes on to add that "they are naturally so hot that they cannot be cooled by drinking of water, but still gape for the air to refresh them, as appeareth in jeremiah xiv. , where it saith that the 'wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons.'" any one who has been in any mountainous district in hot weather will no doubt have noticed the cattle fringing the ridges of the hills like a row of sentinels. when we first observed this, and wondered at it, in north wales, we were at once told that it was a regular habit of the creatures, that they did it partly to avoid the plague of flies that haunted the lower levels and the woodlands, but more especially to get the benefit of any breeze that might be stirring. while guillim is willing to admit that even a dragon can render valuable service to those who are so fortunate as to be able to procure his kind offices, and induce him to play the part of watchdog, he very properly regards him, and such like monsters, as something decidedly uncanny. "another sort there is," he says, "of exorbitant animals much more prodigious than all the former. such are those creatures formed, or rather deformed, with the confused shapes of creatures of different kinds and qualities. these monsters (saith st. augustine) cannot be reckoned amongst those good creatures that god created before the transgression of adam, for those did god, when he took the survey of them, pronounce to be _valde bona_, for they had in them neither excess nor defect, but were the perfect workmanship of god's creation. if man had not transgressed the law of his maker this dreadful deformity (in likelihood) had not happened in the creation of animals which some philosophers do call _peccata naturæ_." the dragon, though, as we have seen, at times induced to mount guard over other people's property, is ordinarily a very ishmaelite; his hand is against everybody, and everybody's hand against him; yet would he appear, if we may credit pliny, to bear an excess and maximum of ill-will against the elephant. the elephant always strikes one as being such a great good-natured beast, as one who could do so much mischief if he would, yet spends his strength instead for the good of others, that it is difficult to understand how he should in so pre-eminent a degree have earned the ill-will of so potent an enemy. the dragon would appear to be always the aggressor, and the elephant has to defend himself as well as he can against the uncalled-for attack: it is satisfactory in this case to know that the scaly assailant sometimes fully meets his match. in book viii. of pliny's history we read that "india bringeth forth the biggest elephants, as also the dragons, that are continually at variance with them, and evermore fighting, and those of such greatnesse that they can easily clasp and wind them round the elephants, and withall tie them fast with a knot. in this conflict they die, both the one and the other; the elephant hee falls downe dead as conquered, and with his great and heavie weight crusheth and squeaseth the dragon that is wound and wreathed about him. also the dragon assaileth him from an high tree, and launceth himselfe upon him, but the elephant knowing well enough he is not able to withstand his windings and knottings about him, seeketh to come close to some trees or hard rocks, and so for to crush and squeese the dragon between him and them. the dragons ware hereof, entangle and snare his feet and legs first with their taile; the elephants on the other side undoe those knots with their trunke as with a hand, but to prevent that againe, the dragons put in their heads into their snout, and so stop their wind, and withall fret and gnaw the tenderest parts that they find there." one does not quite understand how this last counter-plan of the dragon is effected, but it is evidently to be understood as equivalent to "checkmate." in the "bestiare divin" of guillaume this antagonism of the elephant and dragon is again referred to, and indeed we find it an accepted belief throughout the middle ages. pliny's work was held for centuries in the greatest admiration, and to add "as pliny saith" to any statement, no matter how wild, was considered amply sufficient. guillaume's description of the dragon is as follows--"c'est le plus grand des animaux rampants. il nait en Éthiopie: il a la gueule petit, le corps long et reluisant comme or fin. c'est l'ennemie de l'éléphant; c'est avec sa queue qu'il triomphe de lui: là est, en effet, le principe de sa force; sa gueule ne porte point venin de mort." the book of guillaume is a fair type of several books of the sort written by ecclesiastics during the middle ages. such books were an attempt to show that all the works of nature were symbols and teachers of great scriptural truths; hence, while much that they give is interesting, their statements always require to be received with great caution. if the facts of the case got at all in the way of a good moral, so much the worse for the facts; and if a little or a great modification of the true state of the case could turn a good moral into one much better, the goodness of the intention was held to amply justify the departure from the hampering influence of the real facts. the ms. of guillaume dates from the thirteenth century, and is at present preserved in the national library in paris. the writer was a norman priest. the work has been very well reproduced in a french dress by hippeau, a compatriot of the writer.[ ] as we simply wish in our extract to bring out the belief in the antagonism between the elephant and the dragon, we forbear to add any moral teachings that a more or less morbid symbolism was able to deduct from the supposititious fact; but we shall have occasion to quote again more than once from the "bestiare," and doubtless the peculiar connection between scientific error and religious truth will have an opportunity of making itself felt in one or more of these extracts. [ ] appendix c. referring back to the " animals," the natural history that was considered good enough for the people living in the year of grace , we find, after the account of the dart, "so called from his flying like an arrow from the tops of trees and hedges upon men, by which means he stings and wounds them to death," the following description:--"the cockatrice is called the king of serpents, not from his bigness--for he is much inferior in this respect to many serpents--but because of his majestic pace, for he does not creep upon the ground, like other serpents, but goes half upright, for which cause all other serpents avoid him; and it seems nature designed him that pre-eminence, by the crown or coronet upon his head. writers differ concerning the production of this animal. some are of opinion that it is brought forth of a cock's egg sat upon by a snake or toad, and so becomes a cockatrice. it is said to be half a foot in length, the hinder part like a serpent, the fore part like a cock. others are of opinion that the cock that lays the egg sits upon and hatches it himself. these monsters are bred in africa and some parts of the world." in england it would appear, so far as we have observed the matter, that the hens have entirely usurped the egg-laying department, and we are therefore spared the mortification of finding that our hoped-for chick has assumed the less welcome form of a cockatrice, for we shall see that the advent of a cockatrice is no laughing matter. the book goes on to tell us that authors differ about the bigness of it, for some say it is a span in compass and half a foot long, while others, with a truer sense of the marvellous, realise more fully that bulk is a potent element in all such matters, and at once make it four feet long. its poison is so strong that there is no cure for it, and the air is in such a degree affected by its presence that no creature can live near it. it kills, we are assured, not only by its touch, but even the sight of the cockatrice, like that of the basilisk, is death. we read, for instance, in "romeo and juliet" of "the death-darting eye of cockatrice;" and again in "king richard iii."--"a cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world whose unavoided eye is murtherous;" while in "twelfth night" we find the passage, "this will so fright them both, that they will kill one another by the look, like cockatrices." after this we can scarcely wonder at a certain vagueness of description, as those who never saw the animal have full licence of description, while those, less fortunate, who have had an opportunity of studying from the life have forfeited their own in doing so. the only hope of getting an idea of it would be the discovery of a dead specimen, for we read that "as all other serpents are afraid of the sight and hissing of a cockatrice, so is the cockatrice itself very fearful of a weasel, which after it has eaten rue will set upon and destroy the cockatrice. besides this little creature, it is said there is no other animal in the world able to contend with it." we can well imagine the indignant astonishment of the cockatrice, after being for years the monarch of all it surveyed, when the gallant little weasel, strong in the triple armour which makes a quarrel just, and duly fortified by the internal application of rue, charges boldly home and takes him, _monstrorum rex_, by the throat. at the time that our authorised version of the old testament was made there was a sufficient belief in the creature to make the translation of some hebrew word seem correctly rendered by the word cockatrice, for we read in the book of isaiah that one sign of the millennial peace shall be that the child shall put his hand, unharmed, upon the den of the cockatrice; and a little farther on we find the passage, "for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." in the fifty-ninth chapter the workers of iniquity are described as hatching the cockatrice egg, and amongst the judgments pronounced upon the impenitent jews by the prophet jeremiah we find the verse, "behold, i will send serpents, cockatrices, amongst you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you." the heraldic cockatrice is represented as having the head and legs of a cock, a scaly and serpent-like body, and the wings of a dragon. guillim[ ] in his "heraldry" says that "the cockatrice is called in latin regulus, for that he seemeth to be a little king among serpents: not in regard of his quantity, but in respect of the infection of his pestiferous and poisonous aspect wherewith he poisoneth the air. not unlike those devillish witches that do work the destruction of silly infants, as also of the cattel of such their neighbours whose prosperous estate is to them a most grievous eye-sore. of such virgil in his bucolicks makes mention, saying, i know not what wicked eye hath bewitched my tender lambs." the belief in the evil eye has been almost universal, and may be found in tribes the most remote from each other either in distance or in time. if it were not that guillim is so ostentatiously loyal, and, like all heralds, a zealous upholder of rank and state, one might suspect him almost of a touch of bitter sarcasm in ascribing royal rank to the cockatrice, not from his magnanimity, not from his noble bearing, not from his beauty, but from the power of inflicting injuries that he so especially displays. when we consider what sort of a sovereign politically, socially, and every way the second charles was, guillim's dedication of his book to him errs somewhat, perhaps, on the side of fulsome and sickening adulation:--"to the most august charles the second, king of great britain, france, and ireland, defender of the faith, &c. dread sovereign, here is a firmament of stars that shine not without your benign beam; you are the sun of our hemisphere that sets a splendour on the nobility: for as they are jewels and ornaments to your crown, so they derive their lustre and value from thence. from your breast, as from a fountain, the young plants of honour are cherisht and nurst up. your vertuous atcheivements are their warrant and example, and your bounty the guerdon of their merit. and as all the roman emperors after julius cæsar, were desirous to be called imperatores and cæsares after him, so shall all succeeding princes in this our albion (in emulation of your vertues) be ambitious to bear your name to posterity." [ ] the reader must notice the near approach to similarity of name in the frenchman guillaume, author of "le bestiare divin," and in the englishman guillim, the writer on heraldry, and at the same time make due discrimination. they are men of widely different periods, and approach our subject from wholly different directions. the basilisk, to whom also was given the title of king of the serpents, was another of the stern, very stern realities of our forefathers, though, like the cockatrice, it has fallen a victim to the march of intellect. its royal rank was bestowed upon it not from its pestiferous qualities, but from the crest or coronet it wears, or rather wore, as the species may now be considered extinct. like the monstrous kraken of the norway seas and the classic harpy or minotaur, down to the sheeted spectre that clanked its chains last century in churchyard or corridor, it has failed to make good its claims to our credence; and even the great sea-serpent, that from time to time appears in the columns of the newspapers when parliament is not sitting, will have to appear very visibly elsewhere as well, or the scepticism of the nineteenth century will disestablish it. the basilisk was by some old writers described as a huge lizard, but in later times it became a crested serpent. exact accuracy on this point was impossible, as, like the cockatrice, the glance of its eye was death. pliny says, "we come now to the basiliske, whom all other serpents do flie from and are afraid of; albeit he killith them with his very breath and smell that passeth from him: yea, and by report, if he do but set his eye on a man it is enough to take away his life." readers of shakespeare will recall the passage in king henry vi., "come, basilisk, and kill the innocent gazer with thy sight;" and again where the lady anne exclaims to richard iii., with reference to her eyes, "would that they were basilisk's, to strike thee dead." beaumont and fletcher, too, in their "woman hater," speaks of "the basilisk's death-doing eye." dryden avails himself of the same old belief, and makes clytus say to alexander, "nay, frown not so; you cannot look me dead;" and in another old poem, king's "art of love," we find the lines, "like a boar plunging his tusk in mastiff's gore, or basilisk, when roused, whose breath, teeth, sting, and eyeballs all are death." the only way to kill the basilisk was held to be to cause it to gaze on its own image in a mirror, when its glance would be as fatal to itself as it had hitherto been to others. to effect this, however, evidently presents many practical difficulties, and he must have been a bold man who ventured on so perilous an errand, where the least nervousness or mismanagement of the mirror would be literally fatal in bringing the basilisk to a proper state of reflection. the basilisk is mentioned by most of the old writers, by dioscorides, by galen, pliny, solinus, Ælian, Ætius, avicen, ardoynus, grevinus, and many others. aristotle makes no mention of it. scaliger gravely describes one that was found in rome in the days of leo iv., while sigonius and others are so far from denying the possibility of such a beast that they have duly set forth various kinds or sub-species. pliny, for instance, describes a thing he calls the catoblepas, while Ætius gives details of another called dryinus, each being only modifications of the basilisk idea. where, of course, the whole thing was purely a figment of the imagination, the multiplication of species presents no difficulty at all, and it really makes little difference whether all the peculiarities and properties be focussed on one creature, or whether they be divided by a three or a four, and due distribution of them made to a like number of slightly varying monsters. there is no doubt but that if baron munchausen had turned his attention to this branch of natural history, we should have had many more species to record, and some of them probably still more wonderful than any at present described. the very indefiniteness of the descriptions gives them an added charm and affords full scope for romancing. familiarity is undoubtedly likely to lead to contempt, and probably if the zoological society of london are ever able to add a basilisk to their fine collection of reptiles it will be a very disappointing feature. the phoenix had what we may be allowed to call a literary existence amongst the greeks and romans, but scarcely became a visible creation of the artist until the mythic fowl was accepted by the early christians as a type of the resurrection of the body--an association of ideas that afterwards rendered its use very common, and tertullian, amongst other early writers, thus refers to its symbolic use. according to a tale narrated to herodotus on his visit to heliopolis, the phoenix visited that place once every years, bringing with it the body of its predecessor, and burning it with myrrh in the sanctuary of the sun-god; but the version on which the christian moral and application is based is somewhat different. it is founded on the old belief that the phoenix, when it arrived at the age of years, committed itself to the flames that burst, at the fanning of its wings, from the funeral pyre that it had itself constructed of costly spices, and that from its ashes a new phoenix arose to life. this belief, which appears to us so absurd, was for hundreds of years as accepted a fact as any other point in natural history. the home of the phoenix was said to be at that delightfully vague address, somewhere in arabia. in hoole's translation of the "orlando furioso" of ariosto we have both the mystic bird and its very indefinite home thus referred to:-- "arabia, named the happy, now he gains; incense and myrrh perfume her grateful plains; the virgin phoenix there in seek of rest, selects from all the world her balmy nest." we get the same idea again in fletcher's poem of "the purple island":-- "so that love bird in fruitful arabie, when now her strength and waning life decays, upon some airy rock or mountain high, in spicy bed (fix'd by near phoebus' rays), herself and all her crooked age consumes. straight from her ashes and those rich perfumes, a new-born phoenix flies, and widow'd place resumes." these two extracts speak respectively of the virgin and widowed phoenix. the latter idea can scarcely be correct; widowhood implies the loss of a mate, and the phoenix, we are told, is unique and alone in the world. pliny and ovid use the masculine pronoun. the former writer's account of him, her, or it will be found in the second chapter of his tenth book, and runs as follows:--"it is reported that never man was knowne to see him feeding; that in arabie hee is held a sacred bird, dedicated unto the sunne; that he liveth six hundred years, and when he groweth old and begins to decay, he builds himselfe a nest with the twigs and branches of the cannell or cinnamon and frankincense trees; and when he hath filled it with all sort of sweet aromiticall spices, yieldeth up his life thereupon. he saith, moreover, that of his bones and marrow there breedeth at first, as it were, a little worme, which afterwards proveth to bee a pretie bird. and the first thing that this young phoenix doth is to performe the obsequies of the former phoenix late deceased; to translate and carie away his whole nest into the citie of the sunne, near panchæ, and to bestow it there full devoutly upon the altar." it was one of the venerable jokes of our fathers that a man hearing that a goose would live one hundred years, determined to buy one and see whether this really was so; but this simple plan does not seem to have occurred to any of the ancients, for while herodotus affirms that the phoenix lives five hundred years, pliny as plumply and roundly asserts as a matter beyond doubt or contradiction that it is six hundred. another authority, more precise, though perhaps not more accurate, brings it, we see, to just one thousand four hundred and sixty one, the odd unit giving a delightful appearance of extreme accuracy and precision that seems to challenge one to gainsay it if he dare. in ovid the fable is given with the fullest detail. the following lines from dryden's translation let us into the secret of how the whole thing is managed. "our special correspondent" could hardly be more precise:-- "all these receive their birth from other things, but from himself the phoenix only springs; self-born, begotten by the parent flame in which he burn'd, another and the same; who not by corn or herbs his life sustains, but the sweet essence amomum he drains; and watches the rich gums arabia bears, while yet in tender dews they drop their tears. he (his five centuries of life fulfill'd) his nest of oaken boughs begins to build, on trembling tops of palms:[ ] and first he draws the plan with his broad bill and crooked claws, nature's artificers: on this the pile is formed and rises round: then with the spoil of cassia, cynamon, and stems of nard (for softness strewed beneath) his funeral bed is reared. funeral and bridal both: and all around the borders with corruptless myrrh are crowned. on this incumbent, till ethereal flame; first catches then consumes the costly frame; consumes him, too, as on the pile he lies: he lived on odours, and on odours dies. an infant phoenix from the former springs, his father's heir, and from his tender wings shakes off his parent dust, his method he pursues, and the same lease of life on the same terms renews. when grown to manhood he begins his reign, and with stiff pinions can his flight sustain; he lightens of his load the tree that bore his father's royal sepulchre before, and his own cradle: this with pious care placed on his back, he cuts the buxom air, seeks the sun's city, and his sacred church, and decently lays down his burden in the porch." [ ] appendix d. the phoenix was a good deal employed during the middle ages, like the griffin, salamander, and other mythical creatures, as a badge or heraldic device, one of the most interesting illustrations being its use by jane seymour. queen elizabeth then adopted it, and thereby gave the court poets a grand opportunity of yielding her that highly spiced flattery that was so much to her liking. sylvester, in his "corona dedicatoria," a poem written at a slightly later period, thus introduces the title:-- "as when the arabian (only) bird doth burne her aged body in sweet flames to death, out of her cinders a new bird hath breath, in whom the beauties of the first return; from spicy ashes of the sacred urne of our dead phoenix (deere elizabeth) a new true phoenix lively flourisheth." shakespeare frequently employs the ideas associated with the mythical bird in his writings, and seems to have thoroughly mastered all that could be said on the subject. some half-dozen passages may readily be quoted as illustrations of this. in "as you like it," for example, we find the line, "she could not love me, were man as rare as phoenix;" and the idea of its unique character is again brought out in "cymbeline," in the passage, "if she be furnished with a mind so rare, she is alone the arabian bird." the destruction of the bird on its own funeral pile and the resurrection of its successor therefrom is several times referred to. in henry vi. we read, "but from their ashes shall be reared a phoenix that shall make all france afeared;" and in henry vi., "my ashes, as the phoenix, may bring forth a bird that will revenge upon you all;" while as a final example we may quote the line in henry viii., "but as, when the bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix, her ashes new create another heir." richardson ascribes an age of one thousand years to the phoenix, and adds a detail that many of the older writers seem to have missed; according to him the bird has fifty orifices in his bill, and when he has built his funeral pyre he treats the world to a melodious ditty through this novel wind instrument, flaps his wings with an energy that soon sets fire to the pile, and so perishes. there seems a hint of this vocal and instrumental performance in "paradise and the peri" where the poet moore refers to "the enchanted pile of that lonely bird, who sings at the last his own death lay, and in music and perfume dies away." the alchemists employed the phoenix as a symbol of their hopes and vocation, and in paracelsus and other writers many curious details of its association with alchemy may be found. in the annals of tacitus we find references to what is termed the phoenix period. according to him the phoenix appeared on five occasions in egypt--in the reign of sesostris, b.c. ; in the reign of am-asis b.c. ; in the reign of ptolemy philadelphos, b.c. ; in the reign of tiberius, a.d. ; and in the reign of constantine, a.d. . it will seem from this that the phoenix cycle consisted of periods of about years (another variation from the estimates of pliny and other writers quoted). the old monastic writers draw ingenious parallels between our saviour and the phoenix, both sacrificing themselves when their career is over, and both rising again in glory from their temporary resting-place. the fourth of the dates given above is at once the alleged date of one of these appearances of the phoenix and also that of the great sacrifice on calvary. though it seems a tremendous drop from the mythical phoenix of arabia and its dissolution in fragrant spices to the old dun cow in warwickshire, yet the latter proved herself, if legends may be credited, a foe fully worthy of the prowess of a right knightly arm, and as deserving of our notice as the dragon-slaying of that valiant brother star of chivalry st. george himself. sir guy of warwick takes a high place amongst the famous ancient champions, and dugdale and other good authorities hold that the stories connected with his name are not wholly apocryphal, though doubtless the monks and other early chroniclers drew the long bow at a venture sometimes. dugdale, in his "warwickshire," a.d. , writes--"of his particular adventures, lest what i say should be suspected for fabulous, i will onely instance that combat betwixt him and the danish champion, colebrand, whom some (to magnifie our noble guy the more) report to have been a giant. the storie whereof, however it may be thought fictitious by some, forasmuch as there be those that make a question whether there was ever really such a man, yet those that are more considerate will neither doubt the one nor the other, inasmuch as it hath been so usual with our ancient historians, for the encouragement of after ages unto bold attempts, to set forth the exploits of worthy men with the highest encomiums possible; and therefore, should we be for that cause so conceited as to explode it, all history of those times might as well be vilified.[ ] and having said thus much to encounter with the prejudicate fancies of some and the wayward opinions of others, i come to the story." we do not ourselves propose to "come to the story," though it is all duly set down in dugdale; though if the fact of guy's danish antagonist being a giant could be fully substantiated, he might perhaps claim a place in our pages. the date of the combat seems to have been the year . the exploits of guy were long held in high favour not only in england but abroad; we find a french version dated , and the british hero is referred to in a spanish romance which was written almost a hundred years before this. chaucer evidently knew the story well, for he tells us that "men speken of romances of price, of horne childe and ippotis, of bevis and sir guy;" while shakespeare, in "king henry viii.," makes one of his characters say, "i am not samson, nor sir guy, nor colbrand, to mow them down before me." [ ] appendix e. in percie's "reliques of antient poetry" is a long black letter ballad upon the exploits of guy. it seems unnecessary to quote it _in extenso_, so we pick out a verse here and there, sufficient at least to show how doughty a champion our hero must have been:-- "i slew the gyant amarant in battle fiercelye hand to hand: and doughty barknard killed i, a treacherous knight of pavye land. then i to england came againe, and here with colbronde fell i fought: an ugly gyant whom the danes had for their champion hither brought. i overcame him in the field, and slewe him soone right valliantlye; wherebye this land i did redeeme from danish tribute utterlye. and afterwards i offered upp the use of weapons solemnlye at winchester, whereas i fought, in sight of manye farr and nye. but first, near winsor, i did slaye a bore of passing might and strength; whose like in england never was for hugenesse both of bredth and length. some of his bones in warwicke yet, within the castle there do lye, one of his shield-bones to this day hangs in the citye of coventrye. on dunsmore heath i alsoe slewe a monstrous wyld and cruell beast, called the dun-cow of dunsmore heath, which manye people had opprest. some of her bones in warwicke yett still for a monument doe lye; which unto every lookers viewe as wondrous strange, they may espye. a dragon in northumberland, i alsoe did in fight destroye, which did both man and beast oppresse, and all the countrye sore annoye. my body that endured this toyle, though now it be consumed to mold; my statue faire engraven in stone, in warwicke still you may behold." the origin of the story of the mythical dun cow is lost in obscurity, but in the north-west of shropshire will be found an eminence known locally as the staple hill, and on this a ring of stones of the rude druidic type seen in various parts of england, and most notably at avebury, in wiltshire. this circle is some ninety feet or so in diameter, and legend has it that this enclosure was used by a giant as a cow-pen. this cow was no ordinary creature, but yielded her milk miraculously, filling any vessel that was brought to her. she seems to have deeply resented the act of an old crone in bringing her a sieve thus to fill, construed it into a direct insult to her powers (though one scarcely sees on what ground), broke loose from her enclosure, and wandered into warwickshire, doing enormous mischief, until her career was cut short by the redoubtable guy. bones of the dun cow may be seen in many places, a circumstance that is explained by telling us that on the victory of the knight over the cow he sent its bones far and wide over the district it had ravaged, as tokens of victory and a manifest proof that the monster was no longer to be dreaded. at warwick a rib is exhibited: this is some seven feet long, and at coventry there is a gigantic blade-bone some eleven feet round. in some cases these probably are the bones of whales, and in others of the wild bonasus or urus; but it must be distinctly understood that they do not give credibility to the legend, but only, in fact, derive an added glory from being associated with it. in the fine old church of chesterfield is another gigantic rib some seven feet or more in length and a foot in circumference. this rests on the altar-tomb of a now unknown knight, whose marble effigy is represented clothed in a suit of armour, and local tradition has naturally bestowed on the once nameless warrior the proud title of guy, earl of warwick. another big rib may be seen in the grand church of st. mary redcliff at bristol. near it used to be suspended a grimy old picture representing a fierce-looking dun cow, and, though the inference was sufficiently obvious, the sexton, in showing people round, used to boldly affirm that this undoubtedly was one of the ribs of the monster slain by sir guy. both rib and picture may now possibly be removed in deference to more modern ideas, but they certainly were there within a very recent period. a third rib may be seen at caerleon, once a place of much importance, but now an insignificant little town, and chiefly interesting from its association with the history of the great king arthur. caerleon boasts a museum containing a very valuable collection of roman and old british relics, and here too is the rib in question. it has only recently been removed from the church, and it is, by the way, curious to note the association of these bones with churches in almost every case. in the church of pennant melangell, in montgomeryshire, is another gigantic rib said by some of the natives to be that of a giant, while others affirm that it is one of the ribs of st. monacella, to whom the church is dedicated. as the bone is over four feet long, her stature must have been something considerable altogether. another big bone is in the church at mallwyd, in the same county. in buckland's "curiosities of natural history" it is stated that "the ribs of the dun cow at warwick and the gigantic rib at st. mary's, bristol, are the bones of whales;" and in his interesting account of the whale he mentions that he found whale-bones in all parts of the country, one of them being a large blade-bone hanging from a ceiling in seven dials. assuming, as we probably may, that most if not all of these big bones scattered over the country are those of whales, one is still at a loss to know how or why they got so scattered, and more especially why they were placed in the churches. the legend of the dun cow appears to afford a very convenient popular explanation of them, but one feels that there is a mystery that this account does not dissipate. the salamander received its full mythical development during mediæval times, though the older writers refer to it occasionally. we see in the writings of such men as pliny the first steps taken towards the erection of that fabric of fancy and superstition that in the middle ages was reared on so slight a foundation. pliny asserts that the salamander is made in the fashion of a lizard and marked with spots like stars; that it is never seen during fair weather, but only in heavy rain; and that it is of so cold a nature that if it do but touch fire it will as effectually quench it as if ice were placed thereon. he, moreover, declares its poisonous nature--a nature that, according to later writers, is so noxious that the mere climbing of the tree by the animal poisons all the fruit, so that all who afterwards eat thereof perish without remedy, and that if one enters a river the stream is effectually poisoned, and all who drink therefrom for an indefinite date thereafter must die. glanvil, a learned english cordelier monk who lived in the thirteenth century, goes so far as to declare roundly, as though undoubted and historic fact, that men of the army of alexander the great and of the beasts of burden were lost through drinking at a stream that had been thus infected. it was in the middle ages an article of belief that the salamander was bred and nourished in fire, and we have ourselves been gravely told that if the fires at the ironworks in the midland counties were not occasionally extinguished, an uncertain but fearful something would be created in them. when the salamander is represented it is always placed in the midst of flames. we see that the book to which we have already frequently referred as that to which our grandfathers went for instruction puts the poisonous nature of the salamander in the following graphic way:--"a man bit by a salamander should have as many physicians to cure him as the salamander has spots." the salamander is the well-known device of francis i. of france, a.d. - , the monarch who met our own king henry viii. at "the field of the cloth of gold." on this occasion the french guard had the salamander embroidered on their uniform, and we also find the device freely in the sculpture, wall paintings, and stained glass at fontainebleau, chambord, orleans, in fact in all the palaces of francis i. the motto adopted with it was _nutrisco et extinguo_, "i nourish and extinguish," a somewhat contradictory saying based on a somewhat contradictory story, for while we are told on the one hand that the salamander is reared and nourished in flame, we are also told that "he is of so cold a complexion that if he doe but touch the fire he will quench it as presently as if yce were put into it." john, king of aragon, had, almost a hundred years before, adopted the same device, adding to it the motto, _durabo_, "i will endure." asbestos, though really, of course, of a mineral nature, was, from its incombustible property, held in the middle ages to be the wool of the salamander. we are told that the roman emperors had napkins of this material, and that if they became at all soiled they were thrown into the fire, the fierce heat quickly destroying all foreign matter. as the testing flames purified the good while they destroyed the bad, so we presume king francis intended to hold himself up as a terror to evil-doers and a rewarder of the loyal and faithful. the motto is none the less faulty, however; for while we find the king claiming both functions, it will be noticed in the legend that it is the fire which nourishes and the creature which extinguishes. the writings of pliny abound in strange ideas; some of these he evidently set down without putting the statements to the test, but in many cases he shattered the old beliefs by bringing them to the crucial test of experiment. the story of the extreme frigidity of the salamander's body at once putting out the fiercest fire was a matter that he thus brought to the testing-point, the result being that the unfortunate victim of science was quickly shrivelled up and consumed. another old statement, equally capable of being brought to the trial, was that if even the foot of a man came in contact with the liquid exuded from the skin of the salamander all his hair would fall off. perhaps the reason why one statement was tested and not the other was that in the first case any ill consequences that might arise would affect the reptile, while the second would come home more closely to the experimenter himself. in breydenbach's travels we find a salamander included amongst the other animals, a position that it probably owed to its association with legend, for we also find in the same old author that the unicorn is frankly accepted as a beast that may be met with by the traveller. the book is interesting, too, as giving the first figure that had then been made of a giraffe, or, as he terms it, seraffa.[ ] the existence of the giraffe was long afterwards denied by naturalists, and his seraffa was for a very lengthened period held to be but a myth. breydenbach was a canon of the cathedral of mentz, and seems to have been of a somewhat adventurous spirit, for despite all the difficulties of the undertaking--difficulties that in these days of steam-boats, railways, and through bookings we cannot at all realise--we find him visiting sinai and the holy land. his travels were first printed as a folio volume at mentz in . this was a latin edition; but two years later we find one in german, and in less than ten years six different editions were called for in germany, besides others printed in holland and elsewhere for the benefit of those to whom both latin and german were unknown tongues. the book is full of quaint woodcuts, and is altogether a treasure-house of history, natural and unnatural. [ ] representations of the giraffe are to be found in the ancient monuments of egypt, the animal being part of the annual tribute brought by the vassal ethiopians to the king of egypt. these representations were, we need scarcely say, unknown to the naturalists of the middle ages. the salamander is commonly to be met with in many parts of europe, but the real and the ideal creature are two very different things--as different as the deer-eyed cows quietly ruminating in their verdant pasturage are to the dun cow that taxed all the heroism of sir guy of warwick, or as old grey dobbin to pegasus. the real creature is very similar in form to the newts that are so commonly to be found in ponds, but the salamander of francis i. is more like a wingless dragon, while some of the mediæval heralds made it a quadruped something like a dog. such a creature, breathing forth flames, may be seen in the crest of earl douglas a.d. . shakespearian students will recall how falstaff rails at bardolph, calling him the "knight of the burning lamp," "admiral, bearing lantern in the poop," "ball of wildfire," and so forth, all compliments called forth from the effects of strong liquor on the rubicund countenance of bardolph. he winds up by saying, "thou hast saved me a thousand marks in links and torches, walking with thee in the night betwixt tavern and tavern, but the sack that thou hast drunk me would have bought me lights as good cheap, at the dearest chandler's in europe. i have maintained that salamander of yours with fire any time this two and thirty years." the salamander, like the toad, the slow-worm, or the water newt, is still held to be decidedly uncanny. in our younger days our seeking after such small objects of natural history was always held by wondering rustics as a foolish tempting of providence, and we have repeatedly been told the most moving stories of the poisonous nature of all such creatures, and especially how newts developed the most alarming properties if interfered with, biting out pieces of the captor's flesh, and then spitting fire into the wound. prompt amputation or death was the dire alternative offered, though in our own case matters never reached so dread a climax. "them pisonous effets" were many a time in those by-gone days held in the hand that now guides our pen. the belief in such fatal powers must have a very disquieting influence on the rustics who hold it. when farm animals, as calves or colts, die mysteriously, some one is sure to start the theory that they have been bitten by an effet while drinking; and in view of such a belief even the fetching of a pail of water from the pond that too often supplies the drinking water in country places must appear attended with no little risk. the following graphic and amusing letter from one of the correspondents of the _field_ newspaper shows how the salamander is still regarded in rural france:-- "returning homeward a few evenings ago from a country walk in the environs of d----, i discovered in my path a strange-looking reptile, which, after regarding me steadfastly for a few moments, walked slowly to the side of the road, and commenced very deliberately clambering up the wall. never having seen a similar animal, i was rather doubtful as to its properties; but, reassured by its tranquil demeanour, i put my pocket-handkerchief over it, and it suffered itself to be taken up without resistance, and was thus carried to my domicile. on arriving _chez moi_, i opened the basket to show my captive to the servants, when, to my surprise and consternation, they set up such a screaming and hullabaloo that i thought they would have gone into fits. "'_oh! la, la, la, la, la!--oh! la, la, la, la, la!_' and then a succession of screams in altissimo, which woke up the children and brought out the neighbours to see what could be the matter. "'_oh, monsieur a rapporté un sourd!_' "'_un sourd!_' cried one. "'un sourd!' echoed another. "'un s-o-u-r-d!!!' cried they all in chorus; and then followed a succession of shrieks. "when they calmed down into a mild sample of hysterics, they began to explain that i had brought home the most venomous animal in creation. "'_oh! le vilaín bête!_' cried phyllis. "'_oh! le méchant!_' chimed in abigail; 'he kills everybody that comes near him; i have known fifty people die of his bite, and no remedy in the world can save them. as soon as they are bitten they _gonflent_, _gonflent_, and keep on swelling till they burst, and are dead in a quarter of an hour.' "here i transferred my curiosity from the basket to a glass jar, and put a saucer on the top to keep it safe. "'_o monsieur!_ don't leave him so; if he puts himself in a rage, nothing can hold him. he has got such force that he can jump up to the ceiling; and wherever he fastens himself he sticks like death.' "'ah! it's all true,' cried my landlady, joining the circle of gapers; '_oh! la la! Ça me fait peur; ça me fait tr-r-r-r-embler!_' "'once i saw a man in a haycart try to kill one, and the _bête_ jumped right off the ground at a bound and fastened itself on the man's face, when he stood on the haycart, and nothing could detach it till the man fell dead.' "'_ah! c'est bien vrai_,' cried abigail; 'they ought to have fetched a mirror and held it up to the _bête_, and then it would have left the man and jumped at its _image_.' "the end of all this commotion was that, while i went to inquire of a scientific friend whether there was any truth in these tissue of _bêtises_, the whole household was in an uproar, _tout en émoi_, and they sent for a _commissionnaire_, and an ostler with a spade and mattock, and threw out my poor _bête_ into the road and foully murdered it, chopping it into a dozen pieces by the light of a stable lantern; and then they declared that they could sleep in peace!--_les miserables!_ "but there were sundry misgivings as to my fate, and, as with the apostle, 'they looked when i should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly;' and next morning the maids came stealthily and peeped into my room to see whether i was alive or dead, and were not a little surprised that i was not even _gonflé_, or any the worse for my _rencontre_ with a _sourd_. "and so it turned out that my poor little _bête_ that had caused such a disturbance was nothing more nor less than a salamander--a poor, inoffensive, harmless reptile, declared on competent authority to be noways venomous, but whose unfortunate appearance and somewhat satanic livery have exposed it to obloquy and persecution." as the french word _sourd_ primarily means one who is deaf, we get a curious parallelism of ideas between the salamander deaf to all sense of pity, and insensible to all but its own fell purpose, and the old idea of the deafness of the poisonous adder. "deaf as an adder" is a common country saying, and the passage in the psalms of david where we read that "the deaf adder stoppeth her ears, and will not heed the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely," naturally rises to one's mind. the deafness, it will be noted, is no mere lack of the hearing faculty, but a wilful turning away from gentle influence. it was an old belief that when the asp heard the voice of the serpent-charmer it stopped its ears by burying one of them in the sand and coiling its folds over the other. in turning over the quaint pages of the "bestiary" of de thaun we find allusion made to a creature that is evidently the salamander again, though we cannot quite make out the reference to king solomon. like all such books written in the middle ages, everything is introduced to point some moral or religious truth, though it may at first seem difficult for our readers to realise what possible connection there can be between the dreaded "sourd" and any spiritual instruction. the reference is as follows:--"ylio is a little beast made like a lizard. of it says solomon that in a king's house it ought to be and to frequent, to give an example. it is of such nature that if it come by chance where there shall be burning fire it will immediately extinguish it. the beast is so cold and of such a quality that fire will not be able to burn where it shall enter, nor will trouble happen in the place where it shall be. a beast of such quality signifies such men as was ananias, as was azarias, and as was misael, who served god fairly: these three issued from the fire praising god. he who has faith only will never have hurt from fire."[ ] [ ] appendix f. like the salamander, the griffin was to our forefathers no mere creature of the imagination. ctesias describes them in all sober earnestness as "birds with four feet, of the size of a wolf, and having the legs and claws of a lion. their feathers are red on the breast and black on the rest of the body." glanvil says of them, "the claws of a griffin are so large and ample that he can seize an armed man as easily by the body as a hawk a little bird. in like manner he can carry off a horse or an ox, or any other beast in his flight." the creature is, if anything, still more terrible when met with in the description given by sir john mandeville:--"thai have the body upward as an egle, and benethe as a lyoun, but a griffonne hath the body more gret, and is more strong than eight lyouns, and more grete and strongere than an hundred egles such as we have among us. for he hath his talouns so large and so longe and grete upon his fete as though thei weren homes of grete oxen, so that men maken cuppes of them to drinken of." oriental writers, who appear to have an especial delight in the marvellous, go even beyond this, and the creature becomes with them the roc, the terrible creature we read of, for example, in the wonderful adventures of "sindbad the sailor." milton introduces the creature very finely in his noble poem, as for instance:-- "as when a gryphon through the wilderness with wingèd course o'er hill and moory dale pursues the arimaspian, who by stealth has from his watchful custody purloin'd the guarded gold: so eagerly the fiend o'er bog, or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare, with head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way, and swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies." the arimaspians were a one-eyed people of scythia, who braided their hair with gold and drew their supplies of the precious metal as best they could from the stores guarded by the griffins. the griffin has long been employed as a symbol of watchfulness, courage, and perseverance, on account of this fabled treasure-guarding. but browne, who, as we have seen, took great delight in vivisecting the vulgar errors of his day and generation, discourses as follows on the matter--"aristeus affirmed that neer the arimaspi, or one-eyed nation, griffins defended the mines of gold, but this, as herodotus delivereth, he wrote from hearsay, and michovius, who hath expressly written of those parts, plainly affirmeth that there is neither gold nor griffins in that country, nor any such animall extant, for so doth he conclude, 'ego vero contra veteres authores, gryphes nec in illa septentrionis nec in alius orbis partibus inveniri affirmarim.'" like the dragon, the griffin seems to have been a good sort of fellow to deal with if you only took him the right way, and though a terrible monster to encounter if one had any burglarious intentions, he seems to have served his masters with a singleness of purpose and bull-dog tenacity that were very much to his credit. in ariosto's "orlando furioso" we read of a griffin-steed that flew through the air with its master on its back, and landed him wheresoever he listed. the griffin was fabled to be the offspring of the union of the lion and the eagle; it has the leonine body and stout claws of one parent, the hooked beak, keen eye, and wings of the other. the form is very often met with in heraldry, past and present, either as a crest or as a supporter to the arms. a very familiar example of their employment in this latter service will be seen in the arms of the city of london. it is also a very common form in roman and renaissance painting and sculpture. gryphius, a celebrated french printer, adopted the creature as his device, and on his decease the following epitaph was written:-- "la grande griffe qui tout griffe a griffé le corps de gryphe." though ordinarily written as griffin or griffon, the alternative rendering gryphon is somewhat more correct, as the word is derived from the greek _grypos_, or hook-nosed, in evident allusion to its eagle-beak. shakespeare frequently refers to the creature, but the only instance we need here refer to is where a considerable difference in the spelling of the word might lead some of our readers astray. the passage to which we allude will be found in "the rape of lucrece," where she "like a white hind under the grype's sharp claws pleads in a wilderness, where are no laws." in the forests of bohemia, we are told by burton in his "miracles of art and nature," there is a little beast called the lomie, "which hath hanging under its neck a bladder always full of scalding water, with which, when she is hunted, she so tortureth the dogs that she thereby easily makes her escape." elsewhere he tells of four-footed serpents, strange creatures that, unlike many of his wonders--only to be found in peru or india, or such like distant lands--are to be seen as near home as poland. the people of poland, we are told, are "boysterous, rude, and barbarous; nourishing amongst them a kind of four-footed serpent, above three handfuls in length, which they worship as their household gods, tending them with fear and reverence when they call them out to their repasts; and if any mischance do happen to any of their family it is imputed presently to some want of due observations of these ugly creatures." vegetable lambs were another of the wonders of our forefathers. the credulous sir john mandeville says that in cathay a gourd-like fruit is found that when ripe contains "as though it were a lytylle lomb withouten wolle." in the twenty-sixth chapter of his book the lamb-tree is duly figured, and its peculiar fruit development graphically delineated. in many old books of natural history we find representations of some such creature under the names of the scythian or tartarian lamb. according to some old writers it was said to be purely an animal, and although rooted to the ground, was held to have so deadly an effect on vegetation in its neighbourhood that it effectually prevented the growth of all herbage within the scope of its baleful influence. so singular a creature naturally provoked attention and curiosity, and in the earlier days of the royal society the matter was considered quite worthy of their notice. naturally, also, the supply endeavoured to keep pace with the demand, and as the belief in mermaids led to their fabrication and exhibition, so also the myth of the scythian lamb took visible shape. one of these impositions was formerly preserved in the british museum, not from any belief in it, of course, but as an illustration of the old belief.[ ] [ ] appendix g. [illustration: {the sea-elephant}] the reference to the mermaid reminds us that the sea no less than the land bore in ancient and mediæval days its full share of wonders. of the mermaids we shall have occasion to say more presently, as we propose to class together all those forms that are more or less human, and to deal with them separately; but the sculptures of classic antiquity or the fancies of the mediæval herald afford us illustrations of the sea-horse, the sea-lion, and many other quaint imaginings. on an antique seal we once even saw a sea-elephant, a creature having the fore-legs, tusks, trunk, and great flapping ears of the african elephant, yet terminating in the body of a fish, and duly furnished with piscine tail and fins. the combination was of the most outrageous character, and would seem to indicate the limit possible to absurdity in this direction. when the ancient writers would desire to people the vast unknown of air or sea their thoughts naturally turned to those creatures of the land with which they were more familiar; hence the denizens of the air or ocean are not really creations at all, but adaptations, wings or fins being added to horses, lions, and the like according to the new element in which they were to figure. of these, the sea-horses that draw the chariot of neptune through the waves and the winged-horse pegasus are examples that at once occur to one's mind. pegasus or pegasos, the offspring of medusa and poseidon, was the symbol of poetic inspiration. its association with perseus and bellerophon, with the fountain of peirene and the heights of olympus, may all be found duly set forth in classic story and engraved or sculptured on the gems and marbles of antiquity. it is also introduced in mediæval heraldry, but there seems to be no reference in any book of this period to lead us to suppose that it was then regarded as a living verity. shakespeare refers to it from time to time, but in one case it is only as an inn-sign, and in another the very terms employed indicate that the reference to it must be taken in a poetic rather than a literal sense. the first of the two to which we allude will be found in the "taming of the shrew," and runs as follows:-- "signior baptista may remember me, near twenty years ago, in genoa, where we were lodgers at the pegasus." the second will be met with in the first part of "king henry iv.;" it will probably be very familiar to many of our readers:-- "i saw young harry, with his beaver on, his cuisses on his thighs, gallantly arm'd, rise from the ground like feather'd mercury, and vaulted with such ease into his seat as if an angel dropp'd down from the clouds, to turn and wind a fiery pegasus, and witch the world with noble horsemanship." the arms of the barrister templars of the present day consist of the pegasus on an azure shield. the original devices of the templars were the agnus dei, a device that may still be seen carved on the temple buildings in london, and two knights riding one behind the other on the same horse. this badge or device was originally chosen to denote the poverty of the order in its earlier days, but at a later day, when the symbol was misunderstood, these two rude figures of knights were taken for wings, and hence we get the modern device of the winged steed or pegasus. the vampyre was another of the strange imaginings of our forefathers. it was thought that men and women sometimes returned, body and soul, from the other world after their death, and wandered about the earth doing all kinds of mischief to the living, one of their favourite pursuits being to suck the blood of those who were asleep, and these became vampyres in turn. the superstition took deepest hold in eastern europe, and is still an article of firm faith in hungary and servia. one reads ghastly stories of men unconsciously entertaining and sheltering vampyres and perishing miserably, of lonely travellers pining suddenly away, of the bodies of the dead being disinterred and the corpse found with the tell-tale stains of blood around its mouth, and the like; and we can easily see how such beliefs as this, or the wehr-wolf or loup-garou of the germans and french, or the ghoul of the arabs and persians, would have a terrible effect on the minds of the superstitious. the vampyre was a terror of the night, since the corpse then, after lying in the stillness of the grave throughout the day, awoke to a fearful vitality. the forms it assumed were not always human, but were believed to be at times those of the dog, frog, toad, cat, flea, spider, and many other innocent creatures. hence the contemptuous expression one sometimes hears used to deride a needless anxiety, "a mere flea-bite," could have had no counterpart in mediæval days, for the anxiety such a misadventure might create would be of the most alarming and harassing description. in old books one finds the most circumstantial details as to how to detect when one has been bitten, or to prevent further mischief. to this end the grave of the suspected vampyre was opened during daylight when his powers of evil were quiescent, the corpse was decapitated and the head buried elsewhere, a stake was driven through the body, and many other elaborate and horrible precautions were taken to prevent a recurrence of the nightly resurrection. on the whole, we may well congratulate ourselves that we do not live in "the good old times." even now in country districts and amongst the uneducated one comes across such striking instances of superstitious belief and thraldom as suffice to enable us to faintly realise what it must have been when all alike were enwrapped in a dreadful bondage to unseen powers of evil far more intense than is now possible even to the few. the vampyre bat, a native of south america, is so called from its blood-sucking propensities. it is the legend of the vampyre that has given the name to the bat, not the habits of the bat that originated the fable of the vampyre, for at the time that these legends of the destroyer were articles of faith in europe, the american animal was quite unknown. the natural tendency towards exaggeration surrounded the vampyre bat with a mysterious horror, and having once gained its name of ill-omen, it became easy to rear upon it a superstructure of morbid fancy. the researches on the spot of waterton, darwin, and other reliable authorities show that the name is not altogether ill bestowed, as both europeans and natives suffer severely from its attacks during the night, and the horses and cattle that are out in the pastures frequently return in the morning with their flanks covered with blood. though the chameleon, unlike the phoenix, the griffin, or the basilisk, is a living verity, so large a body of fable has grown up around it that the animal is almost as mythical as those creatures of the imagination. the name is derived from two greek words signifying "ground-lion," a name singularly inappropriate in every way, as it has nothing leonine in look or nature, while its organisation fits it especially for living on trees. when we consider the singularity of its appearance and the peculiarity of its habits, it is by no means surprising that it should have attracted attention; and when we recall the numerous erroneous beliefs current amongst our rustics in england in this nineteenth century in the matter of frogs, newts, slow-worms, and the like, we can hardly wonder at the superstitions that have surrounded it. the eyes of the creature are quite expressionless, and are worked perfectly independently of each other, so that one may be directed upwards and the other downwards at the same time, or turned simultaneously to front and rear. its exceeding slowness of movement is another curious feature, and though this exposes them to easy capture when seen, for "_un caméléon aperçu est un caméléon perdu_," it has its advantages in another direction, for a creature that takes some hours to advance a yard or so will certainly not attract attention by any sudden movement; and the assimilation in colour of its skin with the surrounding foliage is another great protection. the creature has a singular habit of puffing out its body until it is nearly as large again, and in this state it will sometimes remain for hours. the best known fact, however, is its capacity for changing colour, passing from green to violet, blue, or yellow; but this power of varying the tint has been greatly exaggerated. we have been told that if the creature be placed on any colour, as bright scarlet, it will assume that colour; but this is one of those fragments of unnatural history that will not bear putting to the test. the following lines of prior convey aptly enough this popular but erroneous notion:-- "as the chameleon, who is known to have no colours of its own, but borrows from his neighbour's hue his white or black, his green or blue." aristotle was acquainted with the singular motions of the eyes of the creature, and his description may well have been taken from nature. at the same time, these old writers knew nothing of comparative anatomy or dissection and conducted no scientific _post-mortem_ examinations; hence in all matters of internal structure they are often ludicrously in error, while the weakness of their statements is only perhaps equalled by the strength with which they are asserted. we are, therefore, not surprised to read in aristotle that the chameleon has no blood except in its head. pliny re-states all the errors made by aristotle, and further adds that it lives without either eating or drinking, deriving its nourishment wholly from the air, and that, though ordinarily harmless, it becomes terrible during the greatest summer heats. even pliny, however, could not believe everything that was told him, though his powers of imbibing outrageous notions were of the keenest, and whenever any old writers deal with something more than usually incredible they fortify their statement and evade personal responsibility by adding "as plinie saith." pliny, then, rejects the still older idea that its right leg artfully cooked with certain herbs conveys the power of invisibility on the eater, and will not believe that the thigh of its left leg boiled in sow's milk will induce gout in any one so injudicious as to bathe their feet in this peculiar broth. neither will he credit that a man may be made to incur the hatred of all his fellow-citizens by having his gate-posts anointed with another nasty preparation of chameleon. as a set-off to all this very unusual incredulity he hastens to adopt the statement of another wise man, democritus, that it has the power of attracting to the earth birds of prey, so that they in turn become the prey of other animals--a most unselfish proceeding on the part of the creature, as its own food consists of flies and such like small matters. democritus also asserts, and pliny confirms him in the assertion, that if the head and neck of the chameleon be burned on oak charcoal it will cause thunder and heavy rain. one is lost in astonishment at the fertility of the imagination in these old naturalists; and though it is now easy when one has once been put on the track of discovery to surmise that the tail of a chameleon burnt on walnut charcoal might produce snow or possibly fog, much of the credit of the discovery should go to the man who first gave the clue to these physiologico-meteorological influences. aldrovandus, another man of science gifted with a strong imagination and the power of assimilating the fancies of others, informs us that if a viper passes beneath a tree in the branches of which a chameleon is resting, the latter will eject from its mouth a poisonous secretion that effectually rids the world of the equally venomous snake; and he further adds that elephants sometimes unknowingly eat a chameleon in the midst of the foliage on which they are browsing, a mishap that is rapidly fatal to them unless they can at once have recourse to the wild olive-tree as a remedy and antidote. [illustration: {dragon}] many other strange beasts might engage our attention were it not that we have much new ground yet to explore, for not only might we discourse of the strange beliefs that have clustered round these monsters, but of the equally strange fancies that have been associated with such familiar creatures as cats and dogs, hares and spiders, goats and mice, while in another section we must dwell on the equally unnatural fancies that have been associated with various plants. before, however, passing to these we must refer to those strange imaginings, such as the troglodytes, centaurs, and pigmies, that owe more or less to the combination of the human with other forms--a large class that deserves a measure of attention that may well suggest the advisability of opening a new chapter for its benefit. [decoration] [decoration] chapter ii. the sphinx--the chimæra--the centaurs--the origin of the myth--the onocentaur--sagittarius--satyrs and fauns--the harpys, described by homer, virgil, shakespeare, milton, and others--the echidna--the gorgon--the hydra--the sirens--the lurlei--mermaids--the manatee-- dog-headed men of brazil--the one-eyed cyclops and briaræus of the hundred arms--the headless men or anthropophagi--sir walter raleigh's el dorado--claw-footed men--the marvels of hackluyt and mandeville-- the long-eared fanesii--the fairies--the "discoverie of witchcraft"-- the little good people--fairy-rings--elf-music--changelings-- elf-possession--spirits of the mine, or knockers--robin goodfellow-- queen mab--the phoca or storm-spirit--the kelpie--jack-o'-lantern-- the pigmies--giants--early sculptures--gigantic men of antiquity. the creatures we have hitherto been considering--the griffin, the phoenix, the manticora or the sea-horse--have either been unmitigated monsters of the fancy, or else, like the salamander or the chameleon, so transformed by legend as to be scarcely less monstrous and unreal. having the fear of pope's oft-quoted line upon us, "the proper study of mankind is man," we leave for a while these fantastic imaginings, and turn to another class of forms scarcely less grotesque, but all agreeing in this, the presence in them of more or less of the human form and nature. this class of forms readily subdivides itself into three sections, which we propose to deal with in the order in which we enumerate them. the first of these are forms compounded of the human and the animal, as, for example, the sphinx or the centaur; the second may be considered as human, though distorted, as the one-eyed cyclops, or, "the men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders;" while the third class may be held to embrace the fairies, pigmies, and giants, forms that are human, yet in bulk or minuteness bear no semblance to ordinary humanity. the sphinx may be considered as more especially an artistic and symbolic creation, though the old greek myth of oedipos would seem to show that in very early times there was a real belief in a real monster. the sphinx is composite in nature, being in greek art and legend ordinarily the combination of the head and bust of a woman with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle; while in egyptian art the creature is always wingless, and its recumbent leonine body is surmounted by the head of a man, hawk, or other creature. egyptian art is full of such composite monsters, and in cases where such attributes as the courage of the lion or the wisdom of the serpent were to be expressed, it was held that the actual leonine body or the head of the serpent itself would best convey the required characteristics to the eye and mind of the beholder. a reference to wilkinson, rosellini, or any other good standard work on egypt, will reveal an immense variety of these curious composite figures, though, as they are evidently in most cases symbolic merely, they scarcely fall within the limits of our present study. according to some authorities, the well-known type of egyptian sphinx represented the royal power by its junction in one creation of the highest physical and mental strength. pliny, however, states that it is to be taken as the representation of the beneficent nile, as the annual rising took place while the sun was in leo and virgo. as the head is masculine in type, and not that of maiden fair, this theory will scarcely meet the case. the sphinx of classic story, a monster half-woman, half-lion, was sent by hera to devastate the land of thebes in revenge for an insult that had been offered to her. sitting by the roadside, the sphinx put to every passer-by the celebrated riddle, "what creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three in the evening?" as one after another of these luckless travellers was obliged to "give it up" he was cast from the rock on which the monster sat into a deep abyss at its foot. the understanding was, that if any one could solve this conundrum the sphinx should herself perish, a consummation devoutly to be wished. one oedipos hit upon the happy idea that perhaps it was a man that was meant, his career being traced through crawling infancy to stalwart manhood, and thence to tottering old age. probably the sphinx had presumed too thoroughly on the badness of the riddle, and thought that its inane character would be her safeguard in this perilous game for forfeits. lord bacon[ ] supplies a curious theory in explanation of the greek legend; he tells us that the creature represented science, her composite nature being the various and different branches of which it is composed; that the female face denoted volubility of speech, while the wings showed the rapidity with which knowledge could be diffused. her hooked talons are supposed to remind us of the arguments of science laying hold of the mind. her position on the crag is a hint that the road to knowledge is steep and difficult, while the riddles of science "perplex and harass the mind." probably our readers have already made up their minds as to the value of this theory of bacon's; it appears to us that fifty other equally good explanations might be devised, and all equally wide of the mark. of course after so sweeping a statement we can scarcely be expected to supply one ourselves for the other forty-nine critics to mercilessly dissect. [ ] appendix h. the chimæra was, according to hesiod, a fire-breathing monster compounded of lion, goat, and serpent, having three heads, one of each of these creatures. it is in this form often represented in classic art; but coats, a great authority in blazonry in the last century, in describing the monster departs somewhat from the ancient type, and in so doing brings the creature within the scope of our present chapter. he speaks of it as "an imaginary creature invented by the poets, and represented by them as having the face of a beautiful maiden, the two fore-legs and the main of a lyon, the body like a goat, the hinder-legs like a griffin, and the tayl like a serpent or dragon turned in a ring." he does not, however, give his authorities. though milton in his "paradise lost" gives us the line, "gorgons, and hydras, and chimæras dire," the myth has been received amongst ourselves with so little faith that anything wildly improbable is branded as chimerical, and scouted accordingly. the centaurs are said by virgil and horace to have dwelt in thessaly, a land then greatly famed for its breed of horses. instances, as in the landing of the spaniards in america, have not been unknown where those to whom the horse was unknown have imagined that the horse and his rider were but one creature. the belief in centaurs is not, therefore, so difficult a myth to trace to its origin as many others. the usual form of representation is the conjoining of the body and legs of a horse and the head, arms, and body of a man so far as the waist, though in some early works, as, for example, in archaic pottery in the british museum, the legs of the man take the place of the fore-legs of the horse. the celebrated statue in the louvre known as the borghese centaur, a sculpture of the most refined period of greek art, gives the best idea, perhaps, of the highest treatment the form permits. other fine examples, fragments of the sculpture of the parthenon, may be seen in our own national collection in london.[ ] in the works of the earlier writers, as homer, the centaurs have nothing unnatural in their composition; we read nothing of their being half-horse, half-man, but they are introduced to us as a tribe of men whose home was in the mountains and whose nature was altogether barbarous and ferocious. the contests with centaurs, so favourite a subject in greek art, have been generally conceived to be the struggle of greek civilisation with the barbarism of the tribes with which it came in contact in the early pelasgian period, a struggle that strangely enough finds its memorial not only in the grand sculptures of the matchless parthenon, but in the delicate beauty of a little english wild flower, the pink centaury.[ ] [ ] appendix i. [ ] appendix j. isidore refers to a creature called the onocentaur, "which has the shape of a man down to the waist, and behind has the make of an ass." as the centaurs are frequently represented as bearing bows and arrows, the sagittarius of the heralds (such, for instance, as that assigned as the armorial bearing of king stephen or the sign of the zodiac of the same name) is ordinarily represented in this half-human, half-equine form, though it is, of course, obvious on a moment's consideration of the real meaning and derivation of the word, that this is but a narrow and arbitrary limitation, and that robin hood, for example, or william tell, to say nothing of "a, the archer that shot at a frog," might as readily, in fact, be called a sagittarius as any thessalian centaur. other partly human, partly animal forms often found in classic art and literature are those of the satyrs and the fauns. the satyrs are represented as having bristly hair, ears sharply pointed like those of animals, low sensual faces, small horns growing out of the top of the forehead, and a tail like that of a horse or goat. these satyrs, greek in their conception, are often confounded with the fauns of the romans, creatures half-man and half-goat, the head, like that of the satyrs, being horned. our readers will doubtless recall the lines in "hamlet:"-- "so excellent a king, that was to this, hyperion to a satyr." these woodland sprites, as attendants on pan, bacchus, and silenus, are often represented in classic art, and were a firm article of belief in those early ages. thorwaldsen and other modern sculptors have also introduced them in their work, and they were often a feature in the quaint processions of the guilds of the middle ages.[ ] [ ] appendix k. the harpys, three in number, were creatures employed, according to the belief of the greeks and romans, by the higher gods as the instruments for the punishment of the crimes of men. their bodies were those of vultures, their heads those of women, and it was their evil property to contaminate everything they touched. they are not infrequently represented in classic art; several examples of their introduction may be seen on vases in the british museum, and notably on some bas-reliefs from a monument brought from xanthus, in lycia, and commonly, from the subjects of these sculptures, called the harpy tomb--a monument dating probably from about the sixth century before the christian era. homer mentions but one harpy, hesiod gives two, but all later writers mention three. milton refers to these creatures in his "paradise lost," book ii., in the lines:-- "thither by harpy-footed furies hal'd at certain revolutions all the damn'd are brought." shakespeare, too, in his "much ado about nothing," act ii. scene , mentions the creature, though in a more indirect way, using the word, as we from time to time find it employed elsewhere, as typical of one who wants to seize on everything and get people into his own power--"a regular harpy." another reference will be found in the third scene in the third act of the "tempest," where ariel in the midst of thunder and lightning enters as a harpy and addresses those before him as follows:--"i have made you mad.... i and my fellows are ministers of fate." in "pericles," again, act iv. scene , we find cleon exclaiming-- "thou art like the harpy, which, to betray, dost with thine angel's face seize with thine eagle's talons." in the "monstrorum historia" of aldrovandus[ ] we find figured a mediæval rendering of the creature, and guillim in his "heraldry" seems to frankly accept the harpy as a real thing, while the lines he quotes in support from virgil are powerfully descriptive:-- "of monsters all, most monstrous this: no greater wrath god sends 'mongst men: it comes from depth of pitchy hell: with virgin's face, but womb like gulf unsatiate hath, her hands are griping claws, her colour pale and fell." [ ] appendix l. virgil, it will be noticed, makes the creature wholly fearful, while shakespeare makes the horror yet more weird by giving the implacable and destroying monster a face of angelic sweetness. upton, another old writer on heraldry, says that in blazoning arms "the harpy should be given to such persons as have committed manslaughter, to the end that by the often view of their ensigns they might be moved to bewail the foulness of their offence." this we should imagine, is more simple in theory than in practice, and upton must have been very simple himself to fancy that any one could thus be induced to blazon their misdoings abroad like that. in the earlier days of heraldry the monarch had two powerful means of rewarding or punishing his nobles in what were termed respectively marks of augmentation and of abatement in their armorial bearings, but in the later times in which upton lived no such compulsory stigma was possible. we fancy, too, that in the earlier days a good deal of what a modern judge and jury would call manslaughter went on, and was not by any means considered a foul offence to be bewailed over. the terrible echidna, half-woman, half-serpent, the mother of the dread chimæra, the fierce dragon of the hesperides, the gorgons that turned to stone all who gazed on them, the hydra of the lernean marsh, the vulture that made itself so decidedly unpleasant to prometheus, and several other children of an equally objectionable type, was another of the monsters once believed in, while the better known sirens and mermaids, half-woman, half-fish, will naturally occur to the minds of our readers. the sirens were originally nymphs, but demeter transformed them into beings half-women, half-birds, for reasons that may be found duly set forth in any work on mythology. ultimately they were again transformed into creatures of which the upper portion was that of a beautiful woman, while the lower was fish-like. these sirens dwelt in the cliffs on the sicilian shore, and by the sweetness of their voices bewitched passing travellers, who, allured by the charms of their song, were drawn to them, when they were lulled into insensibility and perished. skeletons lay thickly round their dwelling, but the warning was useless and hopeless, as the sirens were allowed by the gods to retain this cruel power over the hearts of men until one arose who could defy their sweet allurements. orpheus and odysseus each fulfilled the conditions, and thus the evil power of the sirens came to an end. orpheus, by the unsurpassable sweetness of his own music and his hymns of praise to the gods, carried himself and his crew safely past the spot so fatal to others; while odysseus stopped the ears of his crew with wax, that they might be deaf to the bewitching music, while he himself was bound to the mast, and incapable, therefore, of yielding to the soft fascination. it has been surmised that the whole story can be explained by the soft beating and melodious murmur of the waves over the hidden shoals and sands that would engulf those who would attempt to land. however this may be, the sirens were at one time a firm article of belief, and are often represented in ancient art or referred to in ancient poetry, while later moralists find the simile an apt one between the siren-song and its tragic effects and all earthly pleasures that carry within them the seeds of death.[ ] a later legend of the same type may be seen in the myth of the lurlei, a water-spirit whose home was in the steep cliff that overshadows the rhine near st. goar, the fairness of whose person was as great as the unfairness of her conduct in luring to their destruction the passing travellers. here again, of course, matter-of-fact people have stepped in and explained all away, a striking echo and a rock on which to strike being all that is left to us, the moral being, that if people will be so foolish as to awaken by bugle or song the slumbering voices of the rocks when they ought to be giving their whole attention to their steering, what wonder if they come to grief? a very good reference to the siren's lulling song will be found in the second scene in the third act of the "comedy of errors." [ ] appendix m. mermaids and tritons were once fully accepted facts, and illustrations of them, literary or artistic, abound, ariel in the "tempest" sings of the sea-nymphs, and oberon in the "midsummer night's dream" speaks of "a mermaid on a dolphin's back, uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, that the rude sea grew civil at her song; and certain stars shot madly from their spheres, to hear the sea-maid's music." shakespeare seems to have made a very natural error in confounding the mermaids and the sirens together, for in the "comedy of errors" his allusion to the one is in language more adapted to the other:-- "her fair sister, possessed with such a gentle sovereign grace, of such enchanting presence and discourse, hath almost made me traitor to myself. but, lest myself be guilty to self-wrong, i'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's song." another illustration of this will be found in the third part of king henry vi., a passage peculiarly appropriate to our present purpose, as it embodies in a concentrated form no less than three of the items of unnatural history we have already dealt with--the siren's death-dealing charms, the death-giving glance of the basilisk, and the changing tints of the chameleon, besides referring to the hypocritical tears of the crocodile. the passage will be found in the second scene of the third act, where gloster exclaims-- "i can smile, and murther while i smile, and cry, content, to that which grieves my heart; and wet my cheeks with artificial tears, and frame my face to all occasions. i'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall; i'll slay more gazers than the basilisk; i'll play the orator as well as nestor; deceive more slily than ulysses could; and like a sinon take another troy: i can add colours to the cameleon." other references will be found in "hamlet" and in "antony and cleopatra." it has been conjectured that the ancients derived their idea of the mermaid from the manatees that may be found on the shores of africa washed by the atlantic, or from the dugongs of the littoral of the indian ocean. these singular animals have been placed by naturalists in a class by themselves and called sirenia. they have a curious habit of swimming with their heads and necks above water. they thus bear some grotesque and remote resemblance to the human form, and may have given rise to the poetical tales of mermaids and sirens found in ancient literature. when the female dugong is nursing her offspring the position assumed is almost identical with that of a human mother. the sea-lions and seals have the same habit of raising themselves in a semi-erect position in the water, and the intelligent aspect of their faces gives them at a little distance a close resemblance to human beings--a resemblance often equally striking when they are seen recumbent on the rocks. it is but little strange, that early navigators with all the superstitions of their race, and having a very slight knowledge of natural history, should be deceived, when we find in scoresby's voyages the incident narrated of the surgeon of his ship so deceived by one of these creatures that he reported that "he had seen a man with his head just above the surface of the water." at the same time, it appears to us at least as probable that the mermaid, like the sea-horses of poseidon, was purely a creature of the imagination. from the graceful beauty of the mermaiden to the less pleasing physiognomy of "mistress tannakin skimker, the hog-faced gentlewoman," is a great step indeed, yet both beliefs bear testimony alike to the universal desire after something wonderful and outside the ordinary course of nature, a feeling that in its lowest form finds satisfaction in paying a penny to see a six-legged lamb, while more cultured minds revel in the wealth of fancy found in the myths of hellas. the unhappy lady who has prompted our present remarks was bewitched at her birth on the understanding that she should recover her true shape on being married. she was born, we are told, in in a town on "the river rhyne." our authority, a book dated the year , gives various facts, but does not say whether any one was so courageous as to remove the spell by offering her marriage. the book is embellished (or otherwise) with a portrait of the luckless tannakin. while referring to the one old book our thoughts naturally turn to another of a similar type, the "humana physiognomonia" of porta, a book published in the year . it is full of curious woodcuts showing the great resemblance sometimes seen between the features of men and those of some of the lower animals. old burton tells us, in his "miracles of art and nature" (a.d. ), of a creature found in brazil that had "the face of an ape, the foot of a lyon, and all the rest of a man," and he almost needlessly adds, "a beast of a most terrible aspect." this is not by any means the only wonder in that vast and distant land, and he winds up his description by asserting that "it may be said of brasill as once of africk, every day some new object of admiration." in his account of india he tells us of dog-headed men, while in the oriental isles, besides a river plentifully stored with fish, yet so hot that it scalds the flesh of any man or beast thrown therein, there are men with tails. numerous other instances might readily be given of strange combinations of the human form with that of some animal, but enough has been given as an illustration of the sort of thing to be freely met with in ancient and mediæval history; so we pass to our second division of humanity--those who are wholly human, yet in some way of so marked a departure from the ordinary type of mankind as to come within the scope of our strange history. these modifications sometimes arise from the suppression of some part, as in the case of the headless people; in its exaggeration, as in the instance of the men of india whose ears sweep the ground as they walk; or in the multiplication or subtraction of various members, as in the one-eyed cyclops or the hundred-armed briaræus. one of the most notable beliefs in mediæval times was that in the headless people:-- "the anthropophagi, and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders." of the anthropophagi we may read in eden's "historie of travayle," a book published in the year . the word in its literal sense means man-eaters or cannibals.[ ] eden, in the passage to which we have referred, speaks of these as "the wilde and myschevous people called canibales or caribes, whiche were accustomed to eate man's fleshe, and called of the old writers anthropophagi, molest them exceedingly, invading their countrey, takyng them captive, kyllying and eatyng them." our old author, it will be seen, speaks of still older writers, but these we have been unable to lay hands on. [ ] from the greek words _anthropos_, a man; and _phago_, to eat. halliwell, in his noble edition of shakespeare's plays, comments on the opinion of pope and other writers, that the lines we have quoted from "othello" were perhaps originally the interpolation of the players, or at best a mere piece of trash admitted to humour the lower class of the audience. he, as we imagine, very justly combats this idea, holding that the case was probably the very reverse of this, and that the poet rather desired to commend his play to the more curious and refined amongst his auditors by alluding here to some of the most extraordinary passages in sir walter raleigh's account of his celebrated voyage to guiana in . nothing excited more universal attention than the accounts which raleigh brought from the new world of the cannibals, headless people, and amazons. a short extract of the more wonderful passages was published in several languages, accompanied by a map of guiana, by jodocus hondius, a dutch geographer, and adorned with copper-plates representing these anthropophagi, amazons, and headless men in different points of view. raleigh's book was published in london in , the year after his return from these wondrous lands. its title runs as follows:--"the discoverie of the large, rich, and bewtiful empire of gviana, with a relation of the great and golden city of manoa, which the spaniards call el dorado, performed in the year , by sir w. ralegh, knt." the book is written throughout in a very fair, honest way, and with an evident desire to gain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. our hero shall, however, speak for himself. "next vnto armi there are two riuers atoica and coara, and on that braunch which is called coara are a nation of people whose heades appeare not aboue their shoulders, which, though it may be thought a meere fable, yet for mine owne parte i am resolued it is true, because euery child in the prouinces of arromaia and canuri affirme the same: they are called ewaipanoma; they are reported to haue their eyes in their shoulders, and their mouths in the middle of their breasts, and that a long traine of haire groweth backward betwen their shoulders. the sonne of topiawari, which i brought with mee into england, told mee that they are the most mightie men of all the lande and vse bowes, arrowes, and clubs thrice as bigge as any of guiana, or of the orenoqueponi, and that one of the iwarawakeri took a prisoner of them the yeare before our arriual there, and brought him into the borders of arromaia his father's countrey. and further, when i seemed to doubt of it hee told me that it was no wonder among them, but that they were as great a nation, and as common, as any other in all the prouinces, and had of late yeares slaine manie hundreds of his father's people and of other nations their neighbors, but it was not my chance to heare of them til i was come away, and if i had but spoken one word of it while i was there, i might haue brought one of them with me to put the matter out of doubt." it appears to us that "sir w. ralegh, knt.," comes out of the matter very much better than "the sonne of topiawari," who, to say the least of it, and to take the most charitable view, seems to have been under a misapprehension of the facts. the same year saw the publication of a second book, "a relation of the second voyage to guiana, performed and written in the yeere , by laurence keymis, gent." this was dedicated to "the approved, right valorous and worthy knight sir walter ralegh," and he too refers to this mysterious people, though only on the same terms, information at second hand, not actual inspection. he says, "our interpreter certified mee of the headlesse men, and that their mouthes in their breastes are exceeding wide." he evidently feels that this is almost as far as he may reasonably expect to gain credence from the folks at home, for he goes on to say, "what i have heard of a sorte of people more monstrous i omit to mention, because it is matter of no difficultie to get one of them, and the report otherwise will appeare fabulous." he nevertheless does mention it, for in a note on the margin he says of these people, "they have eminent heades like dogs, and live all the day time in the sea: they speake the charibes language." probably these were some kind of seal or sea-lion, though one does not generally associate with such creatures the idea of linguistic acquirements. he does not seem to have found it so easy to get hold of one of these people as he anticipated; his book at least gives no hint that he was so far successful. guiana, like africke, was in mediæval times a land of wonders, and even hartsinck, in his work on guiana, published in , or not very much more than a century ago, gravely asserts the existence of a race of negroes in surinam whose hands and feet were forked like the claw of a lobster, the hands consisting merely of a thumb and one broad finger, like the gloves of one's tender infancy, while the foot was suggestive of the split hoof of the ox or sheep. hackluyt in his "voyages" dwells on the land gaora, a tract inhabited by a people without heads, having their eyes in their shoulders and their mouths in their breasts. his book is dated . a similar race of men, called blemmyes, were said to be found in africa; and sir john maundeville, in his "voiage and travaile, which treateth of the way to hierusalem and of marvels of inde, with other ilands and countries," gives an account of these men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders. the book is altogether a most curious and interesting one, and the quaint illustrations add greatly to its value. the famous "nuremburg chronicle" of the year has a very curious figure of one of these headless men, almost a hundred years before they are mentioned by sir walter raleigh, and in we find another representation in one of the books of erasmus.[ ] raleigh's book, it will be remembered, was published in . [ ] appendix n. an extraordinary realisation of these famous and fabulous beings was afforded to the people of stuttgard at the great festival held in that city by the grand-duke of wurtemburg on the occasion of his marriage with the margravine of brandenburg in the year . the doings of the festival were illustrated by balthazar kuchlein in a volume of plates. a grand procession was a marked feature in the rejoicings, and in this procession we see three of these headless men riding on gaily caparisoned and prancing steeds, besides "tempus" with his winged hourglass; "labor," dressed as a rustic, and bearing in one hand a beehive, and in the other a spade; and "fama," a winged lady-fair on horseback, and bearing scroll and trumpet. in this grand but heterogeneous cavalcade we also find, amongst many others, the counterfeit presentments of julius cæsar, alexander of macedon, hector of troy, diana, jupiter, sol, prudentia, justicia, fortitudo, and abundancia--a strange medley, but doubtless a pageant well pleasing to the burghers of stuttgard, and to the countless throngs drawn within their city walls. pliny gravely writes of the fanesii, a tribe in the far north of scandinavia, whose ears were so long that they could cover up their whole body with them; while the author of "guerino meschino" speaks of indians with feet so large that they carried them over their heads as sunshades. their means of locomotion must have been, under these circumstances, decidedly curious. amongst one-eyed people we have the arimaspians and the cyclops. the former were a race in scythia, and were legendarily supposed to be in constant war with the gryphons, as elsewhere we find recorded the continuous hostilities between the pigmies and the cranes. they are referred to by milton in his "paradise lost." the cyclops were giants, whose business it was to forge for vulcan; their single eye was placed in the centre of their foreheads. of these the most notable was the great giant polyphemus, the defeated and blinded foe of ulysses:-- "roused with the sound, the mighty family of one-eyed brothers hasten to the shore, and gather round the bellowing polypheme."[ ] [ ] addison's "milton imitated." all the departures from the ordinary human type that we have hitherto considered sink into insignificance when we come to the great briaræus, the fifty-headed and hundred-handed giant, and his companions:-- "he who brandished in his hundred hands his fifty swords and fifty shields in fight."[ ] [ ] the "jerusalem delivered" of tasso. giants of this overwhelming type may be also met with in the mythology of scandinavia and india, but space forbids our dwelling at greater length on their charms. having, therefore, so far done homage to the dictum of pope, "the proper study of mankind is man," by considering in the first place the combination of the human nature with the animal, and in the second division man himself, yet warped and distorted from the image of god, we now, in the third place, deal with those forms of human mould that owe their departure from the type form to an excess of bulk or the reverse--a class that includes the men of lilliput and of brobdingnag, and all their fellows in towering height or microscopic proportion. the fairies were held by our ancestors to be a kind of intermediate beings, partaking of the nature both of men and spirits. they had material bodies, and yet possessed the power of rendering themselves invisible at will. they had minds and hearts that could be touched by kindly feelings, and at the same time they delighted in practical jokes of the most pronounced description, while some displayed a cruel and malignant ferocity. the general idea, however, of them seems to have been of a diminutive race possessed with supernatural gifts, animated with joyous spirits, of great beauty, and full of kindliness to the sons of men when not crossed or slighted. we are told, for instance, of an honest farmer who had been reduced by the badness of the seasons to poverty, and was about to return homewards one morning from the fields in despair, having sown what little seed he had, which was not nearly so much as the ploughed land required. while pondering, not knowing what to do, he imagined that he heard a voice behind him saying-- "tak'--an' gie as gude to me." he turned round, and perceived a large sack standing at the end of the field, and on opening it he found it to be full of the most excellent seed-oats. without hesitation he sowed them; the sample was admirable, and the harvest no less luxuriant. the man carefully preserved the sack, and as soon as possible filled it full of the best grain that his field produced, and set it down on the spot on which he had received the fairy oats. a voice called to him-- "turn roun' your back, whill i get my sack." the farmer averted his face, and then immediately looked round, but all was gone. things ever after prospered with him; for, according to the popular belief-- "meddle and mell wi' the fien's o' hell, an' a weirdless wicht ye'll be; but tak' and len', wi' the fairy men, ye'll thrive ay whill ye dee." in the same dearth, and in the same parish, an old woman who was nearly perishing of hunger, having tasted no food for two or three days, was one morning astonished to find one of her pans full of oatmeal. this seasonable supply she attributed to some of her benevolent neighbours, who she imagined had been wishing to give her a little surprise. notwithstanding the care, however, with which she husbanded her meal, it by-and-by was expended, and she was again almost reduced to starvation. after passing another day without food her pan was again replenished, which was regularly done whenever the supply was exhausted, always allowing her to remain one day without food. her store was replenished so regularly that at last she became careless, and presumed on the generosity of her invisible benefactors. one day, on receiving her new supply, she baked the whole of it into cakes, and having by some means obtained a little meat, invited all her acquaintances to a treat. the guests were just going to fall to when, to their astonishment, they beheld the cakes turn into withered leaves. after this the store was never renewed. the origin of the belief in fairies is lost in the mists of time. some supposed them to be the spirits of those who had inhabited the land before the birth of the saviour, shut out until the final judgment from the joys of paradise, yet undeserving of a place amongst the lost souls in hades. others tell us that they are the druids thus transformed because they would not give up their idolatrous rites, and that they are continually growing smaller and smaller, until they eventually turn into ants.[ ] they may be divided into four classes. . the white or good fairies who live above ground, the joyous dancers, the ethereal beings the poets delight to portray. . the dark or underground spirits, trolds and brownies, a more irritable race, working in mines and smithies, and doing good or evil offices in a somewhat arbitrary and uncertain fashion. . the fairy of the homestead, of whom puck and robin goodfellow are good examples, fond of cleanliness and order, rewarding and helping the industrious and punishing the idle and careless. . the water-fairies, the more sombre spirits of the woods and mountains, the kelpies and nixies, luring men to destruction. we nevertheless find that the fairies of the sylvan shades interest themselves at times in the affairs of men, and though it is easy to define four very distinct classes, we at the same time find that these classes are blended together a good deal. the whole thing is so purely a creation of the imagination, not of one mind but of thousands, that it is impossible to reduce the subject to mathematical exactness. [ ] appendix o. the fairies of the poets are ordinarily those of the woodland, while those of the legends of the countryside are at least equally often the fairies of the homestead in their association with the daily life, the trivial round, the common task. the earliest account of the fairies of england will be found in the writings of gervase, in the thirteenth century, and after that date allusion to them may frequently be found; grave chroniclers like reginald scot, poets like chaucer, spenser, shakespeare, and milton, all make mention of them. the first of these, scot, in his "discoverie of witchcraft," tells us that "the faeries do principally inhabit the mountains and caverns of the earth, whose nature is to make strange apparitions on the earth, in meadows or in mountains, being like men and women, soldiers, kings, and ladies, children, and horsemen clothed in green." many unfortunate women were persecuted as witches during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and their connection with the fairies was often one of the leading charges against them, as we may see in the indictment of alison pearson; she was convicted of associating with the fairies, the definite charge against her being "for haunting and reparing with the queene of elfland." another woman was found guilty of "taking employment from a woman to speak in her behalf to the queene of faerie;" and many other such cases might be brought forward. fairies have ordinarily been invisible, and though they have at times permitted mortals to be present at their revels, more frequently they would appear to have resented any intrusion. in poole's "english parnassus" the most circumstantial details are given: the robes are of snowy cobweb and silver gossamer; the lamps are the mystic lights of glowworms; the minstrelry is the music of the nightingale or the chirp of the cricket. their emperor was oberon, and his royal consort and empress was the sweet but mischievous mab:-- "there is mab, the mistress fairy, that doth nightly rob the dairy; and can help or hurt the churning as she please without discerning. this is she that empties cradles, takes out children, puts in ladles." the fairies--the good people as they were often called--were on the whole kindly and beneficent. during the middle ages these little beings had obtained so much credit that the clergy, who wished to reserve to themselves the power of blessing or banning, grew seriously jealous, and endeavoured earnestly to disestablish them from the hearts of men. that this was by no means in accordance with the feelings of the laity may be very well seen in the following extract from the "canterbury tales":-- "i speke of many hundred yeres ago; _but now can no man see non elves mo_; for now the grete charitee and prayeres of limetoures and other holy freres that searchen every land and every streme as thikke as motes in the sonne beme, blessing halles, chambers, kichenes and bowres, cities, and burghes, castles highe and toures, thropes and bernes, shepines and dairies _this maketh that there ben no fairies_; for thir as wont to walken was an elf, their walketh now the limetour himself." the fairy rings to be seen in the meadows and woodlands were accepted with undoubted faith as the scenes of midnight revelry, and in most cases were regarded with some little dread from the belief that they were enchanted ground. hence when people went to look after their cattle in the morning they were always careful to avoid walking too near these rings:-- "some say the screech-owl, at each midnight hour, awakes the fairies in yon ancient tower. their nightly dancing ring i always dread, nor let my sheep within that circle tread; where round and round all night in moonlight fair, they dance to some strange music of the air." the effect produced on those who incautiously entered these charmed circles seems to have been sufficiently startling, if we may credit the old popular beliefs, to justify the greatest precautions and the most open-eyed watchfulness. in some cases the victim of carelessness or short-sightedness would imagine that he had been absent but a few minutes with the fairies, when he had really been away a century or more; while in other cases a man would suppose that he had lived for a long period in elf-land when he had been but away an hour. probably in some cases the spirits were alcoholic. we read of a young man who went out one morning and probably trod in one of these rings; however that may be, he was attracted by the especially sweet singing of some unknown bird. after waiting, as he thought, some few minutes, he resumed his journey, when he noticed to his surprise that the fresh and verdant tree in which the sweet songster had been embowered was scathed and leafless. the well-known house to which he was going had disappeared with all its inhabitants, and in its place a new structure had arisen. on going up to it an old man, who was evidently the owner, came out and asked his business, and on learning his name, told him that he had been away a hundred years or more. "i remember when i was a child hearing my grandfather speak of your disappearance one day many years before i was born, and that, after searching for you far and wide, he learned from a wise woman that you had fallen amongst the fairies, and that you would only be released when the sap had ceased to flow in yonder aged tree!" he had scarcely uttered the words when he beheld his long-lost kinsman fall away to a heap of dry dust!! a popular welsh legend tells us that two countrymen were one night crossing the mountains, when one of them, thinking he heard some strains of music, lingered a little behind, and could not afterwards be found. after fruitless search, his friends learned from a seer that he had fallen amongst the fairies, and that the only way to recover him was to go on the anniversary of his absence to the place where he had disappeared, and that they must then pull him out of a fairy ring. some few bold spirits were equal to the occasion, and on going to the place at the stipulated time they discovered their lost relative in the midst of an immense number of very small people, who were all dancing round in a circle. they pulled him out, but he died of exhaustion almost directly, as he had been dancing without intermission for the twelve months he had been missing. another tradition current in wales tells us of a young shepherd who peacefully tended his flock on the steeps of brynnan mawr. one day setting forth as usual at daybreak from his homestead near the hills, the lofty summit was enveloped in mist, but, as he proceeded, it gradually cleared away towards the pembrokeshire side, a sure sign of a fine day. our shepherd felt all the elevation of spirit which youth and the early dawn of a day in the "leafy month of june" might be expected to produce. whilst trudging on his way gaily up the steep, he discerned the extraordinary spectacle of a party of persons, brilliantly dressed, and in active movement near the summit of the mountain. he gazed for some time before he could be convinced that what he saw was real. he climbed farther and farther, forgetting his sheep and all else in the world at the apparition of so many bright beings at that desolate spot. at last he drew very near the party, whom he was now convinced were either the fairies, or some kindred sprites, concluding their nightly revels. bursts of gentle music, like the melodious murmuring of an Æolian harp, ever and anon entranced him with delight. they were comely little beings to behold, and seemed very merry, while their habiliments of white, or green, or red, glistened with more than earthly beauty. the male sex wore red bonnets, and their fair companions flaunted in head-dresses outrivalling the gossamer in their texture; and many either galloped about on tiny white steeds, or pursued each other with the swiftness of the breeze. the greater portion of the party, however, were intently engaged in their favourite sport of dancing in the circle. our shepherd did not know how it was, but he felt an irresistible inclination to make one of this joyous group, and growing bolder as the actors in the scene became more familiar to him, he at last ventured forward, and being encouraged by the friendly signals from all around, he advanced one step within the ring. the most exquisite melody now filled the air, and in an instant all was changed. brynnan mawr, with its well-known scenery, was seen no more. he was suddenly transported to a gorgeous palace radiant with gold and precious stones. groves of odoriferous shrubs, intermingled with flowers unknown in this world, which might have rivalled those of the valley of gardens in "lalla rookh," shed around a fragrance excelling that of the "spicy east." here did our shepherd wander from day to day amidst porphyry halls, and pavilions of pearl. time sped away, but years seemed insufficient to explore all the wonders of that veritable fairyland. he was attended in his wanderings by kind and gentle beings, who anticipated every want, and even invented sports and pastimes to amuse him. in the midst of the gardens there was a well of the clearest water, filled with many rainbow-tinted fish. there was but one limitation affixed to his movements and his curiosity: he was forbidden to drink of this well, on pain of having all his happiness blasted. it might be thought that, surrounded as he was with all that he could desire, there would have been no danger of his violating this command, but the result proved the error of this utopian way of viewing the probabilities. one day he cautiously advanced toward the forbidden spot, and placing his hand within the well, drew forth some water in his palm and drank it. the shrieks of many voices instantly filled the air, all the fair scenes of enchanting loveliness vanished, and the luckless and too curious shepherd found himself on the summit of brynnan mawr with his sheep quietly grazing around him in the early morning just as when he had first entered the fairy-ring. though years apparently had passed away while he was under the magic spell yet it was evident that in reality not many minutes could have elapsed. our readers will doubtless recall shakespeare's reference to these "fairy rings," in the first scene of the fifth act in the "tempest":-- "ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and groves; and ye, that on the sands with printless foot do chase the ebbing neptune, and do fly him, when he comes back; you, demi-puppets, that by moon-shine do the green-sour ringlets make, whereof the ewe not bites; and you, whose pastime is to make midnight mushrooms; that rejoice to hear the solemn curfew; by whose aid (weak masters though ye be,) i have be-dimm'd the noon-tide sun, called forth the mutinous winds, and 'twixt the green sea and the azure vault set roaring war." the flint arrow-heads or celts so dear to antiquaries, and so commonly to be found in and near the tumuli that mark the resting-places of our remote ancestors, are popularly called fairy-darts or elf-bolts. though the wound of an elf-bolt was supposed to cause instant death to man and beast when directed by an aggrieved or mischievous fairy, the possession of one of these celts secured its owner from all ill consequences. when cattle or horses fell lame without the reason being forthcoming, it was concluded that they had been wounded by these invisible archers, in which case it was only necessary to touch the tender place with another elf-bolt or to make the animal drink the water in which one had been dipped. any money found by the roadside was in the same way ascribed by our rustics to the fairies, some kindly spirit having dropped it by the way for the benefit of the battered wayfarer. as a boy one day in anglesea was going out just before daybreak, he saw before him in the grey and obscure light a party of little beings dancing, as usual, in a circle. he hastened home in alarm and without making any further investigation, and on his return found a groat on a stone. he often saw the fairies afterwards at the same place, and as regularly found the money laid for him at the same spot. his possession of funds awakened the paternal curiosity, and he at last confessed the whole matter. ever after this, though he often passed by the scene of the revels and scanned the wayside stone intently, he never saw either fairy frolic or fairy fee again. though fairies had the power of making themselves invisible, and generally resented the intrusion of any human spectator, they were willing to show themselves sometimes, it would appear, though frequently the consequences were not altogether agreeable to the person so favoured. one evening the curiosity of a countryman, in his progress homewards, was powerfully excited by a wild though gentle melody which apparently proceeded from amidst some rocks, resting in picturesque confusion on the slopes of the mountain. after listening for some time he lost his track, and suddenly found himself close beside a troop of elves, who were dancing round a mysterious circle of "stocks and stones." before he had much time for thought the elfin-troop surrounded him and quickly hurried him aloft, one of the party first asking the question whether he would prefer to be conveyed with a high, a moderate, or a low wind? had he chosen the first, or "above the wind," he would instantly have soared into the most elevated regions; but our poor bewildered farmer unwisely made choice of the low wind, thus rejecting (as is too often the case in life) the middle course, or "with the wind," where he would have enjoyed an easy and pleasant aerial excursion. the mischievous little spirits then hurried him along the surface of the ground, over bog and briar, thorn and ditch, until at last they threw him in a most miserable plight head foremost in the mire. in shakespeare's time it was a belief that no one could see the fairies and live, for he makes falstaff exclaim, "they are fairies, he who looks on them shall die;" but any one who desires to see them through the eye of a poet should read most carefully the altogether delightful "midsummer night's dream." the temptation to quote liberally from it is extreme, but its beauty requires it to be read in its entirety. the references in that play to changelings reminds us that we have not yet referred to this notable piece of family practice. both the good and the bad fairies used to recruit their numbers by carrying off children, or young men and women. the malignant race delighted in spiriting away the unbaptized offspring (for it was only over these that they had any power) of affectionate parents, particularly when heirs, that they might produce as much mischief and vexation as possible; while the benignant fairies never took any recruits but the orphans of pious parents, who had no protectors, or were oppressed by cruel and unjust guardians. such protégés, or rather naturalised fairies, were permitted twice to resume their original state, and appear to their kindred and acquaintance. the first time was at the end of seven years, when, if they had been children when they were taken away, they appeared to their nearest relatives, and declared to them their state, whether they were pleased with their condition as fairies, or wished to be restored to that of men. if they had been boys or girls when they were removed from this upper earth, and had by this time grown to men or women, they always appeared to persons of a different sex to themselves, with whom they had fallen in love, to whom they declared their state and passion, and, according to circumstances, either wished their lover to accompany them to fairyland, or suggested to them a method whereby to recover them out of the hands of their elfish lords. the second appearance, at the end of fourteen years, was for the same purpose, and on this occasion they were either rescued from the power of the fairies or confirmed under their dominion for ever. when the bad fairies carried off a child, they always left one of their own number in its place. this equivocal creature was always distinguished by being insatiable for food, and if kept, seldom failed to draw its supposed mother into a consumption. whenever a family suspected that a child had been changed for a fairy, they had recourse to the following strange, but, in the opinion of the country, infallible ordeal. a sufficient quantity of clay was produced from the eastern side of a hill, with which all the windows, doors, and every aperture through the house, excepting the chimney, were built up. a large fire was then made of peats, and the supposed fairy, wrapped in the sheets or blankets of the woman's bed, was laid on the fire when it was at the briskest, while one of the bystanders repeated-- "come to me gin mine ye be; but gin ye be a fairy wicht, fast and flee till endless nicht." if the child actually was the woman's it instantly rolled off the fire upon the floor; but, if it was a fairy, it flew away up the chimney with a tremendous shriek, and was never more seen, while the real infant was found lying upon the threshold. "oh, that it could be proved that some night tripping fairy had exchanged, in cradle-clothes, our children as they lay; and called mine percy, his plantagenet! then would i have his harry, and he mine."[ ] [ ] shakespeare, . henry iv. spenser also refers to this belief in the following lines:-- "and her base elfin breed there for thee left, such men do changelings call, so changed by fairie's theft." in some parts of the country, it is, or perhaps we should more correctly say was, customary to protect a child against fairy influences by tying a red thread round its throat or by letting its head hang down for awhile in the early morning. one does not of course see why either of these remedies should be efficacious against fairies or against anything else; but any one who has had occasion to talk matters over with rustics will have found that all their remedies, whether for ills spiritual or material, are of the most inconsequent character, and that the gift of faith in them is one of the most necessary accompaniments. this belief in fairy changelings is of great antiquity, for we read in holingshead's "chronicles" that the common people, on the death of king arthur, held that he was not really dead at all, "but carried away by fairies into some place, where he would remain for a time and then return again and reign in as great authority as ever." it was also an old belief that people who had once lived with the fairies never again looked quite like other people, an ingenious way of accounting for any peculiarity in any one. sir walter scott, in speaking of elf-possession, says that even "full-grown persons, especially such as in an unlucky hour were doomed to the execration of parents or of masters, or those who were found asleep after sunset under a rock or on a green hill belonging to the fairies, or finally those who unwarily joined their orgies, were believed to be subject to their power. the accounts they gave of their situation differ in some particulars. sometimes they were represented as living a life of constant restlessness and wandering by moonlight. according to others, they inhabited a pleasant region, where, however, their situation was rendered horrible by the sacrifice of one or more individuals to the devil every seventh year. this is the popular reason assigned for the desire of the fairies to abstract young children as substitutes for themselves in this dreadful tribute." persons, as we have seen, could occasionally be recovered from the fairies, and if changelings were taken before dark to a place where three rivers met, the stolen child would be brought back in the night and the fairy youngster would return whence it came. a poor woman who once had twins had them adroitly carried away soon after birth, and two of these elf-changelings substituted. for some months the change was not suspected, but as the mother began to perceive that the children never increased in size her suspicions were aroused, and she consulted one of the wise men of the district. this friend in need amply confirmed her suspicions, and in answer to her appeal for help and counsel, told her that she must get two eggshells, fill them with wort and hops, place them where these dubious infants could see them, and then secretly observe what came next. after a few minutes of watching the children began to stir, and these sweet little innocents, who were supposed to be unable to either walk or talk, crept up to the table, and after studying the matter awhile, one said to the other, "we were born before the acorn which produced the oak of which these cottage beams are made, but this is the first time we ever saw anybody brewing in an egg-shell!" the secret was now fairly out, and the woman was so exasperated at the trick played on her, that she fell on the changelings with the greatest fury, and only desisted when she got a solemn promise that her own dear children should at once be returned to her. one egg-shell story leads to another, and in an old book we came across the following:-- "my mother lived in the immediate neighbourhood of a farm-house that was positively infested by fairies. it was one of those old-fashioned houses among the hills of cambria, constructed after the manner of ancient days, when farmers considered the safety and comfort of their cattle as much us that of their children and domestics, and the kitchen and cow-house were on the same floor adjoining each other, with a half-door over, so that the good man could see the animals from his chimney-corner without moving. my mother and the farmer's wife were intimate friends, and she used often to complain to her that the fairies annoyed her and her family to that degree that they had no peace;--that whenever the family dined, or supped, or ate any meal, or were together, these mischievous little beings would assemble in the next apartment. for instance, when they were sitting in the kitchen, they were at high gambols in the dairy, or when they were yoking the cows, they would see the fairies in the kitchen, dancing and laughing, and provokingly merry. one day, as there was a great number of reapers partaking of a harvest-dinner, which was prepared with great care and nicety by the housewife, they heard music and dancing and laughing above, and a great shower of dust fell down, and covered all the victuals which were upon the table. the pudding in particular was completely spoiled, and the keen appetites of the party were most grievously disappointed. just at this moment of trouble and despair an old woman entered, who saw the confusion and heard the whole affair explained. 'well,' said she in a whisper to the farmer's wife, 'i'll tell you how to get rid of the fairies. to-morrow morning ask six of the reapers to dinner, and be sure that you let the fairies hear you ask them. then make no more pudding than will go into an egg-shell, and put it down to boil. it may be a scanty meal for six hungry reapers, but it will be quite sufficient to banish the fairies; and if you follow these directions you will not be troubled with them any more.' she did accordingly, and when the fairies heard that a pudding for six reapers was boiling in an egg-shell there was a great noise in the next apartment and an angry voice called out, 'we have lived long in this world. we were born just after the earth was made, and before an acorn was planted, and yet we never saw a harvest dinner prepared in an egg-shell. something must be wrong in this house, and we will no longer stop under its roof.' from that time the disturbances ceased, and the fairies were never seen or heard there any more." some authorities on the subject--and there are no greater authorities on it than the most superstitious old crones one can lay hold of--have averred that if any persons find themselves unwillingly in the company of the fairies they can cause their instantaneous departure by drawing out their knives. this acts not as a threat, for these puny immortals have no need to fear the weapons of carnal warfare, but from some inherent property in the cold bright steel. many of the fairies are such kindly, genial little souls that one is rather grieved to find that they are entirely antagonistic to any religious influence. many stories illustrate this unfortunate peculiarity, but to give one only will suffice. as a village fiddler was returning home one evening from some festivities that had doubtless owed much of their success to his enlivening strains, he was met in the darkness by a stranger. this stranger wished to make a somewhat curious arrangement with him, to the effect that on the following night at midnight he should bring his fiddle to a certain wild spot on the moorland, while he promised him ample reward for so doing. though the fiddler presently agreed to do so, the more he thought it over the less he liked the bargain, and he would have gladly thrown it up had he dared. in his strait he bethought him of the minister of the parish, and determined to lay the whole matter before him and take his advice upon it. his clerical adviser liked the look of the affair no better than he did, but he advised him to keep to his bargain, while he strongly cautioned him to play nothing but psalm tunes. the fiddler kept his appointment, but no sooner had the sacred strains arisen than a great shriek rent the air and he was thrown violently down, and after receiving no slight castigation from invisible adversaries he returned home sore and stiff in the early morning. unbelievers will no doubt say that the germ of truth in the story will be found in the fact, that if the jovial musician so far yielded to the charms of the revels as to be unable to steer a straight course home within reasonable hours, the early morning would probably find him stiff and sore with rheumatism. the spirits of the mine were as firmly believed in amongst the miners as the woodland and meadow sprites were by the dwellers on the country side. they were generally called knockers, and any sound heard in the stillness of the earth, that was evidently not the work of a fellow-toiler, was at once attributed to supernatural agency. the miners assert that these fairies may be frequently heard assiduously at work in the remoter parts, and that by their knocking they draw the attention of the workmen to the richest veins of ore. in the "gentleman's magazine" for we found a curious letter from a mine-owner, and the extract we give shows that the belief in such beings was not by any means confined to the rude and uncultivated miners, men a great part of whose lives were spent in the bowels of the earth, far removed from the cheering light of day, and who were in an especial degree under the influence of superstition:-- "people who know very little of arts or sciences, or the powers of nature, will laugh at us cardiganshire miners, who maintain the existence of knockers in mines, a kind of good-natured impalpable people, not to be seen but heard, and who seem to us to work in the mines; that is to say, they are types or forerunners of working in mines, as dreams are of some accidents which happen to us. before the discovery of the _esgair y mwyn_ mine, these little people worked hard through day and night, and there are abundance of sober honest people who have heard them. but after the discovery of the great mine they were heard no more. when i began to work at lwyn lwyd, they worked so fresh there for a considerable time, that they frightened away some young workmen. this was when they were driving levels, and before we had got any ore, but when we came to the ore they then gave over, and i heard no more of them. these are odd assertions, but they are certainly facts, although we cannot and do not pretend to account for them. we have now (october ) very good ore at lwyn lwyd, where the knockers were heard to work. but they have now yielded up the place, and are heard no more. let who will laugh; we have the greatest reason to rejoice and thank the knockers, or rather god, who sends these notices." in the coal districts one meets with a similar belief in goblin miners. these spirits are ordinarily of a friendly disposition, and perform such kindly offices for their human fellow-workers as assisting to pump up superfluous water or loosening masses of coal. of course one can readily see that when the men went to their work and found their toil diminished, owing to a heavy fall of coal in the working, superstition would at once have material to work on. some of these spirits would appear to have been of less amiable disposition, and the sounds heard were at times the warnings and forerunners of coming disaster. as the fairies of the household or of the moonlighted forest glades were of uncertain and variable natures, though inclining on the whole to beneficence, so the spirits of the earth were divisible into those of gentle race and others of fierce and malevolent disposition. in milton's "comus" we find these earth spirits referred to in the following passage:-- "no goblin, or swart fairy of the mine, hath hurtful power o'er true virginity;" and in pope's prefatory letter to the "rape of the lock" we find a further allusion--"the four elements are inhabitated by spirits called sylphs, gnomes, nymphs, and salamanders. the gnomes, or demons of the earth, delight in mischief; but the sylphs, whose habitation is in air, are the best-conditioned creatures imaginable." a belief in kindly spirits of the household was widely spread, for besides our own robin goodfellow we find the nis of denmark and norway, the kobold of germany, the brownie of scotland, and many others. brownie, we may remark, is a tawny, good-natured spirit, and derives his name from his colour as distinctive from fair-ie. robin goodfellow was a merry domestic sprite, full of practical jokes, a terror to the lazy, but a diligent rewarder of industry:-- "when mortals are at rest, and snoring in their nest,-- un-heard or un-espied, through key-hole we do glide: over tables, stools, and shelves, we trip it with our fairy elves. and if the house be foule, of platter, dish or bowle, upstairs we nimbly creepe and find the sluts asleepe: then we pinch their armes and thighes, none escapes, nor none espies. but if the house be swept, and from uncleannesse kept, we praise the house and maid, and surely she is paid: for we do use before we go to drop a tester in her shoe." the "shrewd and knavish sprite" and the good luck he brings to the deserving are referred to very happily again in the "midsummer night's dream." prudent and considerate housewives who wished to gain the goodwill of these spirits of the night were careful to leave a bowl of milk on the table for their use. milton, in his poem of "l'allegro"-- "tells how the drudging goblin swet, to earn his cream-bowl duly set;" the task he set himself in recompense for the attention shown him being the threshing during the night of as much corn as would have required the labour of ten men. what thrifty housewife would grudge a bowl of milk or cream for so great a reward! queen mab shares with robin his functions as critic of household management, for it will be remembered that in the "english parnassus" we find her described as-- "she that pinches country wenches if they rub not clean their benches; and with sharper nail remembers, when they rake not up their embers. and if so they chance to feast her, in their shoe she drops a tester." housewives would see their account in keeping such a belief vividly before the eyes of their serving-maids, and may even themselves have sometimes dropped a tester where their diligent hand-maidens would fancy it a fairy-reward for their zeal in her service, while the vague threats of fairy vengeance would come in most opportunely in support of their own chidings of the careless and indolent. we turn, in conclusion, to the fourth class, the evil spirits of the water and the storm. of such is the cornish bucca, a weird goblin of the winds, whose scream was heard amid the roar of the elements as some gallant vessel was hurled to destruction on the rocks. in ireland the same creature was the dreaded phoca or pooka, in wales the pwcca, while in scottish legends it is the kelpie. the creature sometimes assumed the human form, and at others that of the eagle or the horse; thus in graham's "sketches of perthshire" we read--"every lake has its kelpie or water-horse, often seen by the shepherd sitting upon the brow of a rock, dashing along the surface of the deep, or browsing upon the pasture on its verge." the nech is a similar creature in the folk-lore of scandinavia. in wales we meet with the belief in a creature called cyoeraeth, so named, we are told, from its deadly chilling voice. we find it thus described in an old book:--"the cyoeraeth is a being in the dress of a female, with tangled hair, a bloodless and ghastly countenance, long black teeth, and withered arms of great length;" in short, it is invested with a description which conveys to the mind the idea of a blasted tree as compared to the flourishing monarch of the forest, rather than as possessing the similitude of anything human. this being (fortunately for the people) seldom made itself visible, but its scream or shriek at night had a terrible and overpowering effect on all who heard it. it generally foreboded death or fearful disaster, and always occurred when the spirit approached a cross road or drew near to a river or _llyn_, when it would commence to splash and agitate the water with its long bloodless hands, wailing all the time so as to 'make night hideous.' those who heard its dreary moaning (or thought they did, the case doubtless of the majority) fled in horror, fearing for their reason, while many were really affected in mind, and ever after had the shriek resounding in memory. in brecon a romantic gorge called the cwm pwcca bears record in its name of the old belief in the phoca. as a justification of its title we read the following story:--a countryman was wandering in the darkest of dreary winter nights in vain endeavour to find the path that would have guided him to his home, when he saw a light before him on the dreary waste, which he naturally took for the lantern of some wayfarer. he quickened his steps and made for it. as he rapidly neared it he was on the point of hailing its bearer when the roar of waters smote his ear in the silence of the night, and, barely arresting his steps in time, he found himself at the edge of a lofty chasm, the awful gulf at the base of which the torrent was sweeping with resistless fury. at this instant the bearer of the lantern took a flying leap to the opposite side of the gorge, burst into a scornful and unearthly peal of laughter, and vanished from the eyes of the affrighted rustic. the _ignis fatuus_, will-of-the-wisp, or jack o' lantern was doubtless at the bottom of such a story as this, and in milton's "paradise lost" we find the following powerful illustrative passage, referring both to the natural phenomenon and the myth built upon it:-- "'lead, then,' said eve. he, leading, swiftly rolled in tangles, and made intricate seem straight, to mischief swift. hope elevates, and joy brightens his crest; as when a wandering fire, compact of unctuous vapour, which the night condenses, and the cold environs round, kindled through agitation to a flame, which oft, they say, some evil spirit tends, hovering and blazing with delusive light, misleads the amazed night wanderer from his way, to bogs and mires, and oft through ponds or pool; there swallowed up and lost, from succour far, so glistered the dire snake." in the same author's poem of "l'allegro" we find the will-of-the-wisp again referred to, this time under the title of "friar's lantern;" while sir walter scott in his "marmion" writes-- "better we had through mire and bush been lantern-led by friar rush." shakespeare in "henry iv." calls it a "ball of wildfire," and also used the latin name, _ignis fatuus_. this bewilderment of the rustics by false fires does not always seem to have been the result of diabolical malice on the part of the fairies, but sometimes assumed the form of a practical joke. like most practical jokes, it was probably much more amusing to the joker than the joked, and the benighted wanderer had little cause to thank him of whom it could be said-- "whene'er such wanderers i meete as from their night-sports they trudge home; with counterfeiting voice i grete and call them on, with me to roam thro' woods, thro' lakes, thro' bogs, thro' brakes; or else, unseene, with them i go all in the nicke to play some tricke, and frolic it, with ho, ho, ho!" an old legend tells us how on the advent of christianity great pan and all the woodland deities deserted their old haunts and were never seen of men again; and in the same way the march of science and the spread of education must ere now have killed off all the fairies, except in the most out-of-the-way districts. once coaxed and propitiated, or shudderingly dreaded, they now but serve to make a pleasant fancy for a christmas-card, or aid in the grand spectacular effects of the christmas pantomime. those, then, who would see these denizens of elf-land and all the grace and beauty that even the very name of fairy-land suggests, will seek them no longer in the ferny glades of some fair woodland or beneath the silvery beams of the moon, but reduce the matter to a prosaic visit to some great theatre, and endeavour to find in the great array of "supers" and the glowing of coloured fires the realisation of their fair ideal. the fairies are, in fact, as dead, as hopelessly defunct, as the proverbial door-nail, which seems to have been accepted by the wisdom of our ancestors as the most expressive symbol of mortality and the stern decrees of irreversible fate.[ ] [ ] appendix p. the pigmies had not the same glamour of romance about them that was associated with the dwellers in elf-land. the consideration of them nevertheless comes well within the same chapter, as, like the fairies, they were a race of beings of human mould, but differing from the ordinary standard of humanity by reason of the exceeding smallness of their stature. references to them will be found in the writings of herodotus, philostratus, pliny, and many other authors, the first allusion to them being in the third book of the iliad, where the trojans are compared to cranes fighting against pigmies:-- "thus by their leaders' care each martial band moves into ranks, and stretches o'er the land. with shouts the trojans, rushing from afar, proclaim their motions, and provoke the war: so when inclement winters vex the plain with piercing frosts, or thick-descending rain, to warmer seas the cranes embodied fly, with noise, and order, through the mid-way sky: to pigmy nations wounds and death they bring, and all the war descends upon the wing."[ ] [ ] "marking the tracts of air, the clamorous cranes wheel their due flight in varied ranks descried; and each with outstretched neck his rank maintains, in marshalled order through th' ethereal void." these combats between the pigmies and the cranes were also dwelt on by oppian, juvenal, and others; and what was, to quote an old writer, "only a pleasant figment in the fountain, became a solemn story in the stream." strabo in his geography considered the belief as fabulous, and so also did another old writer, julius scaliger; and even aldrovandus, though ready to accept almost anything, found a difficulty in crediting it. albertus magnus, another of the old and over-credulous writers, found as much difficulty as aldrovandus, but suggested that probably the belief arose from some big species of monkey having been taken for a diminutive man. even the home of the pigmies was a point quite open to dispute. some writers placed them in the extreme north, where the growth of all nature was feeble and stunted, while aristotle placed them at the head of the nile; philostratus affirmed that they were to be found on the banks of the ganges, and pliny placed them in scythia. even their size was open to question, for some would have us believe that the mounted men in their armies rode on partridges, while others placed them on the backs of rams. if the warrior and his steed bore any due proportion to each other, this seems to point to a considerable divergence of ideas as to the size of a pigmy. they were said to have been found by hercules in the great desert, and to have assailed him with their bows and arrows as the lilliputians did gulliver. their valour, however, in this case seems to have outrun discretion, as the smiling demi-god carried a number of them off in his lion's skin. ctesias says that they were negroes, and places a kingdom of them in the centre of india. shakespeare mentions them, but gives no local habitation. "will your grace command me any service to the world's end? i will go on the slightest errand now to the antipodes that you can devise to send me on: i will fetch you a tooth-picker now from the farthest inch of asia; bring you the length of prester john's foot; fetch you a hair off the great cham's beard; do you any embassage to the pigmies!" others of our poets have adopted the myth, though of course without committing themselves to an expression of their belief in it. in dryden's "absalom and achitophel," for example, we find the lines-- "a fiery soul, which, working out its way, fretted the pygmy-body to decay, and o'er informed the tenement of clay"-- and in young's "night thoughts" we read-- "pygmies are pygmies still, though perched on alps; and pyramids are pyramids in vales." another english writer whose book is before us does commit himself to an expression of belief, for his title runs as follows:--"gerania, a new discoverie of a little sort of people called pygmies, with a lively description of their stature, habit, manners and customs." the author was one joshua barnes, and his book is dated . though spelt indifferently as pigmy and pygmy, the latter is the more correct, though perhaps a little pedantic-looking; the word is derived from the greek name for them, the pygmaioi. tennant in his work on "ceylon" makes the following very just remark:--"we ought not to be too hasty in casting ridicule upon the narratives of ancient travellers. in a geographical point of view they possess great value, and if sometimes they contain statements which appear marvellous, the mystery is often explained away by a more careful and minute inquiry." against the statements of the geographers and historians of antiquity many modern critics have specially delighted to break a lance, condemning them as more or less fabulous and untrustworthy, though in some cases, as that of de chaillu, the narratives of modern travellers have been almost as mercilessly analysed. probably the african race known at the present time as bosjesmen or bushmen are the modern representatives of the pigmies, for in their cave-dwelling, reptile-eating, and other peculiarities they agree entirely with those given by pliny, aristotle, and herodotus. the tales of the battles fought with the cranes may have been but a satire on their diminutive size, or they may very possibly have been the records of actual facts. the maori traditions tell of the contests with the moa and other gigantic birds which formerly inhabited the islands of new zealand, while the jesuit missionaries give accounts of enormous birds that were once found in abyssinia, but are now, like the dodo, extinct. it is, therefore, quite possible that there is more truth in the story of these mannikins and their struggles with their feathered foes than we are at first prepared to admit, and that while many of the details of these old fables are evidently imaginative, there was in more cases than we at once realise a solid foundation of truth at the bottom of them. of giants, the opposite extreme in the scale, we need say but little. probably in many cases the early peoples, who desired to honour their great champions, felt that the marvels they delighted to credit them with must have been the work of men of more than human power and parts. we see much the same feeling in the sculptures of antiquity, the monuments of egypt and assyria, where the monarch far outweighs even in mere physical bulk the subjects that surround him. hence, like goliath, the champions of old are generally giants; while at other times they themselves are of slender frame, striplings like david, and it is the foes they subdue that are gigantic in bulk. the struggles, for instance, of the gallant few against the crying and mighty wrong of human slavery would have in earlier times been handed down to posterity as a contest with an evil giant; and in the allegories of the middle ages we meet, in the same way, with giant pope, giant pagan, and giant despair. though in one's earlier years we read the exploits of jack the giant-killer with great complacency, and give him full meed of praise for his valour, on fuller reflection we cannot help seeing that the giants he encountered had intellects that bore no proportion to their bodily bulk, and that it was the easiest thing possible to outwit them; that according to the doctrine which by men of science is called "the survival of the fittest," or in more popular parlance "the weakest going to the wall," their destruction was strictly according to the inexorable laws of nature. while dwarfs have been accredited with a spiteful vindictiveness that served them in some sort as a defence, giants have ordinarily been considered as great good-natured fellows, fully bearing out bacon's remark about tall houses being often unfurnished in their upper story. perhaps it is a merciful arrangement of nature that this should be so, for a combination of the maliciousness of the dwarf with the physical strength of the giant would be something altogether _de trop_. we very early in the bible narrative meet with references to giants, but it is by no means agreed by commentators that the word nephilim thus translated means men remarkable for their stature. the context in the case of the first reference to them, for instance, seems to render it more probable that these were men not of gigantic stature, but of gigantic wickedness--men who had departed from the true religion, and were sustaining their apostasy by acts of violence and oppression, and endeavouring by these means to gain to themselves power on the earth. at the same time in other passages the references to the size of the couch or the spear clearly implies their ownership by a man of much more than the ordinary stature. according to jewish tradition og lived three thousand years, and walked beside the ark during the deluge, while after his death one of his bones was used as a bridge for crossing a river. according to moses his bedstead was not quite sixteen feet long, so that it seems the brook that any single bone would span could scarcely have required bridging at all; while the depth at what we may be allowed to term "high water" during the noachic deluge must have been very much less than all one's preconceived notions would suggest, if its volume was a thing of indifference to the owner of this sixteen-feet couch. the nearest approach to a giant in modern times was an irishman named murphy, who attained to a height of eight feet ten inches. many of our readers will remember seeing the chinese chang, or at least hearing of him, as he was exhibited to the curious in london in and . his height was eight feet two inches. patrick cotter, an irishman, who died in , exceeded this by six inches; and one fine youth named magrath, an orphan adopted by bishop berkeley, died at the age of twenty, after reaching a height of seven feet eight inches. there is no absolutely authenticated instance of any one in modern times reaching nine feet, though, of course, when tradition and hearsay have taken the place of the measuring-tape, there is no difficulty in going considerably beyond that limit. plutarch tells of a giant eighty-five feet high, and pliny of another who only reached sixty-six. many of the skeletons of giants that were then supposed to be found during the middle ages were really the remains of extinct animals. in the imperfect state of surgical and osteological knowledge, the leg or blade bone of some gigantic antediluvian monster was ascribed to some hero of the past, and a very pretty little giant story promptly built upon it. any curious natural phenomena were generally ascribed by our ancestors to diabolical influence, or else recognised as the labour of giants. the giant's causeway is a notable and very familiar illustration of this, and there are few mountains in wales that are not invested with some fairy tradition or legend of the marvellous. trichrug, in cardiganshire, which derives its name from three united hills, is believed to have been a favourite resort of the giants, and, like cader idris, this lofty elevation was once the special seat or chair of a giant whose grave is still pointed out. in a match at quoits which took place here between the giants of cambria, he of trichrug is said to have thrown one across st. george's channel to the opposite coast of ireland, thus winning the contest triumphantly. his grave was fabled to possess such extraordinary capabilities that it not only adapted itself to the size of any one that lay down in it, but also gifted the individual with greatly renewed strength. all defensive weapons placed in this grave were either destroyed or swallowed up. the rocky fortification, or _carnedd_, on the summit of cader idris is in like manner invested by the surrounding peasantry with a mysterious tradition respecting the giant idris. the warring of the giants against the rule of jehovah finds its parallel in the greek myth of the sons of tartaros and ge attempting to storm the gate of heaven and the seat of zeus, only to meet with signal discomfiture. the common expression for adding difficulty to difficulty and embarrassment to embarrassment, the piling of pelion on ossa, refers to this struggle, as the giants piled two mountains of these names on each other as a scaling ladder to reach the heights of high olympus. in "measure for measure" we find two well-known allusions to giants:-- "o! it is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant." the second of these is equally familiar:-- "the sense of death is most in apprehension, and the poor beetle that we tread upon, in corporal sufferance finds a pang as great as when a giant dies." in matthew green's play of "the spleen," written at the beginning of the eighteenth century, we find an evident allusion to the struggle between david and goliath in the line-- "fling but a stone, the giant dies." coleridge, again, writes--"a dwarf sees further than the giant, when he has the giant's shoulder to rest on." this idea is not, however, his own, for in herbert's "jacula prudentum" we find the line, "a dwarf on giant shoulders sees further of the two;" and in fuller's "holy state" he says--"grant them but dwarfs, yet stand they on giants' shoulders and may see the further." many other illustrations might, of course, readily be given of what may be termed the literary existence of giants, but enough has been quoted to show how valuable these personages have in poesy and general literature. in the west "gulliver's travels" and in the east the "arabian nights' entertainments" are two examples that at once occur to one's mind. [decoration] [decoration] chapter iii. comparatively small number of mythical bird-forms--the martlet--the bird of paradise--the humma--the huppe--the ibis--the roc--the hameh bird--reptiles, fish, &c.--the sea-serpent--the adissechen of hindu mythology--the iormungandur of scandinavian mythology--the egg talisman--fire-drake--aspis--amphisbena--kraken--cetus--leviathan-- behemoth--nautilus--dolphin--the acipenser--the remora--the fish nun-- the chilon--the dies--sea-bishops and sea-monks--davy jones and his locker--ojibiway legend of the great serpent--fabledom in the vegetable kingdom--the barnacle tree--the kalpa-tarou--the lote tree--the tree of life--lotus-eating--amaranth--lotus wreaths at kew from the egyptian tombs--asphodel--mediæval herbals--ambrosia--the upas tree--the umdhlebi tree of zululand--the kerzereh flower--the mandrake--"miracles of art and nature"--travellers' tales--the dead sea apple--alimos--the meto-- the herb viva--cockeram on herb-lore--the pseudodoxia of dr. browne-- herb basil--the "eikon basilike"--fitzherbert's "boke of husbandry." while we find numerous extraordinary beliefs clustering round the so-called natural history of various birds, such as the legend of the pelican nourishing its young with its own blood, or the eagle teaching its offspring to gaze on the brightness of the mid-day sun, it is curious to note how little of absolute myth-creation has been developed in the direction of strange forms of bird life. on the other hand, many of the weird creations of fancy, such as the dragon or the phoca, have their terrors greatly enhanced by the gift to them of the essential bird characteristic, the power of soaring in mid-air, and thus gaining a great additional power for evil over their victims. we have already referred, in our first chapter, to the phoenix, and it now only remains to mention some few other mythical bird-forms, less widely known, before we pass to other creations of fancy. even in heraldry, the home of much that is marvellous and unnatural, the bird forms depart but little from natural types, and the only instance to the contrary that occurs to us is the well-known martlet, used not only as "a charge" in blazonry, but also as a mark of cadency to distinguish the arms of contemporary brothers in the same family or to identify different branches of the same family connection.[ ] [ ] appendix q. the martlet is very similar in form to a swallow, but is always represented as without feet, while the french heralds also deprive it of beak. a good early example of its use may be seen in the arms of william de valence, emblazoned on his shield at westminster, and dating from the year ; later instances of its employment are so common that it is hardly worth while to particularise any special illustration. the martlet, according to gwillim, in his elaborate treatise on heraldry, "hath leggs exceeding short, that they can by no means go: and therefore it seemeth the grecians do call them _apodes, quasi sine pedibus_; not because they do want feet, but because they have not such use of their feet as other birds have. and if perchance they fall upon the ground, they cannot raise themselves upon their feet as others do, and so prepare themselves to flight. for this cause they are accustomed to make their nests upon rocks or other high places, from whence they may easily take their flight, by means of the support of the air. hereupon it came that this bird is painted in arms without feet: and for this cause it is also given as a difference of younger brethren, to put them in mind to trust to their wings of vertue and merit to raise themselves, and not to their leggs, having little land to set their foot on." in mediæval days the bird of paradise was in like manner thought to be without feet. the error arose in a very natural but most prosaic way, and simply sprang from the fact that the natives who bartered the skins of the birds with the merchants cut off the legs before bringing them, naturally thinking that they were of no value, and that it was for the richness of the plumage alone that the skins were esteemed. the lovers of the marvellous in the west built upon this weak foundation a most poetic superstructure, and believed that the bird was indeed the denizen of paradise, fed upon the dew of heaven, incapable of contact with earth, building no nest, but hatching its eggs in a cavity upon its own back; ever soaring in the sunlight far above earth, and independent of all mundane association. tavernier supplies another explanation, equally prosaic, of their footless condition--one in fact, that entirely removes the poor birds from all poetic association, and reduces them to the "drunk and incapable" state that some other bipeds are prone to indulge in. he tells us in his book that the birds of paradise come in flocks during the nutmeg season to the plantations, and that the odour so intoxicates them that they fall helplessly to the earth, and that the ants eat off their feet while they are thus incapacitated. moore, in his "lalla rookh," thus refers, it will be remembered, to this tavernier tale in writing of-- "those golden birds that in the spice-time drop upon the gardens drunk with that sweet food whose scent hath lured them o'er the summer flood." "the sublime bird which flies always in the air, and never touches the earth," mentioned by the princess in the introduction to "paradise and the peri," was the humma, an altogether fabulous creature. like the bird of paradise, it was supposed to pass its whole time in the blue vault of heaven, and to have no contact with earth; it was regarded as a bird of good omen, and that every head it overshadowed would in time be encircled with a crown. the splendidly jewelled bird suspended over the throne of tippoo sultan at seringapatam was an artistic embodiment of this poetic fancy, and we can well imagine that all good courtiers who had any regard for keeping their necks free from the scimitar would take uncommonly good care to avoid that prophetic overshadowing, that would make them the possible rivals and successors of so very resolute an autocrat. the huppe, one of the birds believed in by our forefathers in mediæval days, seems morally to have been a somewhat peculiar and, on the whole, objectionable compound, reminding one in some degree of those uncomfortable people who attach an immense importance to their own belongings, but whose sympathies towards the members of the clan are scarcely more marked than their antipathy to all beyond this narrow circle. such, at least, is the idea we should gather from the description of it by de thaun, for he tells us that "when it sees its father or mother fallen into old age that they cannot see nor fly, it takes them under its wings and cherishes them. the huppe has such a nature that if any shall anoint a man with its blood while he is sleeping, devils will come and strangle him." the huppe was described as being like a peacock, but it seems impossible to even imagine how such a belief in its evil powers could ever have taken root. it would be difficult to conceive such a notion growing up in connection with any creature whatever, but when the first cause is itself non-existent the difficulty is greatly intensified; one has not even a foothold of fact as a starting-point. what a picture, again, of cold-blooded fiendishness does it not open out to us as we see with the mind's eye the treacherous anointing of some perchance innocent sleeper with a preparation of _sanguis huppæ_ and then the operator walking off and posing in the eyes of the world as an honourable burgess, while his accomplices from the bottomless pit finish the job off for him while he has gone to mass or is engaged on 'change! it is worse even than that little affair with the babes in the wood, bad as that was in many of its details. the ibis, beloved as it was by the egyptians for its services to them as the destroyer of venomous snakes, and from its association with the sacred nile and the great deity thoth, was not altogether allowed to bring forth its progeny in peace, for it was believed that its fondness for a serpent diet might so develop in it evil properties, that its eggs were diligently sought for and destroyed, lest from them should issue some strange serpentine forms of horror that in their mysterious nature would be a still greater scourge than the sufficiently objectionable grey and brown and diversely spotted and chequered denizens of the desert that coil or glide unseen amidst the expanses of burning sand, and whose fangs convey swift death to those unfortunates who come within reach of their fatal power. by far the grandest creation of bird-fancy is the roc. this fabulous bird was of enormous size, and of such strength of talon and digestion that it was said to be able to carry away an elephant to its mountain home, and there devour it at a meal; while one old traveller, not to be outdone in particularity of detail, calculates that one roc's egg is equal in amount to one hundred and forty-eight hens' eggs. the belief in the roc was altogether an eastern weakness, and those who would know more of it must turn to such romances as that of "sindbad the sailor" and the narratives of such-like asiatic barons munchausen. in the second voyage of sindbad he tells us how he saw in the distance some mysterious object, which, on closer inspection, proved to be the egg of a roc. "casting my eyes," he says, "towards the sea, i could discern only the water and the sky; but perceiving on the land side something white, i descended from the tree, and taking with me the remainder of my provisions, i walked towards the object, which was so distant that at first i could not distinguish what it was. as i approached i perceived it to be a white ball of a prodigious size. i walked round it, to find whether there was an opening, but could find none; and it appeared so even that it was impossible to get up it. the circumference might be about fifty paces. the sun was then near setting; the air grew suddenly dark, as if obscured by a thick cloud. i was surprised at this change, but much more so when i perceived it to be occasioned by a bird of a most extraordinary size which was flying towards me. i recollected having heard sailors speak of a bird called a roc, and i conceived that the great white ball which had drawn my attention must be the egg of this bird. i was not mistaken, for shortly afterwards it alighted upon it and placed itself to sit upon it." he tells us also in this same voyage of the furious strife waged between the rhinoceros and the elephant, a struggle that often continues till the roc, hearing the disturbance, swoops down upon them and seizes them both in his claws and flies away with them, in much the same manner apparently as the schoolmaster who, appearing suddenly in the midst of a fight between two truculent youngsters, chills their martial ardour by his stony glance, and leads off each culprit by ear or collar to his den. in another of sindbad's sea-ventures, the fifth, we find an awful warning against trifling with the parental feelings of the roc. in the course of their voyage the crew landed on a desert island, and very soon found a gigantic egg. sindbad at once recognised what it was, and earnestly advised them not to meddle with it, but his remonstrances were unheeded; they boldly attacked the mass with hatchets, and on finding a young roc within, cut it into divers pieces and roasted it. these reckless tars had scarcely finished their meal, when two immense clouds appeared in the air at a considerable distance. the captain, knowing by experience what this portended, or haply making a lucky guess, cried out that it was the father and mother of the young roc, and warned all to re-embark as quickly as possible, and so avoid, if possible, the vengeance of the outraged owners of the egg. all accordingly scrambled on board, and sail was set immediately. the two rocs in the meantime rapidly approached, uttering the most frightful screams, which they redoubled on finding the state of their egg, and that their young one was defunct. they then flew away, and a faint hope began to dawn upon the mariners that they had not come so badly out of the business after all, when to their blood-chilling horror the birds again rapidly approached, each with an enormous mass of rock in its talons. when they were immediately over the ship they stopped in mid-air, and one of them let fall the piece of rock he held. the pilot, his wits sharpened by the imminent peril the vessel was in, deftly turned the ship aside, and the great mass plunged into the depths of the sea alongside; but the other bird, more fortunate in his aim, let his piece fall so immediately on the ship that it smashed it into a thousand pieces, and, with the exception of sindbad, all the passengers and crew were either crushed beneath tons of stone or drowned in the surging billows that such a monstrous mass created. lest a suspicion may cross the reader's mind that the gallant sailor and enterprising merchant was romancing somewhat when he narrated these stirring adventures, we hasten to mention that the third calender, in the same veracious history, met with other experiences of an equally surprising nature in which this gigantic bird played as leading a part, all of which may be found duly set forth in the "arabian nights." another curious belief of the arabs is in the existence of a bird called the hameh. this uncomfortable creation of the arab fancy is said to spring from the blood of a murdered man. its weird cry is continuously "iskoonee," a word signifying "give me to drink," and it rests not, day nor night, till its thirst is quenched in the murderer's blood. when the death of the victim is avenged it flies away to some place left altogether indefinite in the eastern legend, but probably it wends its way to the spirit-land with the welcome news that the victim's blood no longer cries in vain for vengeance. to an arab already suffering from an evil conscience the belief in the hameh must be a terrible one, as he hears in fancy the troubled air filled with the wailing cry and fierce demand for vengeance, and knows that, day or night, the haunting sound will never leave his ears until the desert feud be avenged and his own life blood be poured out like water upon the burning sand. the depths of ocean, so impressive in their mystery and vastness, have been peopled by the lovers of the marvellous in all ages with a special fauna of their own, and have been made the home of divers strange and wondrous creatures, some purely reptilian, others fish-like, or still more commonly a weird combination of the two. the depths and recesses of the great tropical forests, as impressive almost in their vastness as the ocean itself, or the far-reaching swamps and morasses in their mysterious shades, have in like manner been tenanted in the imagination of the savage tribes that thread their depths or probe their treacherous surface with forms more wonderful even than those of nature herself, weird and bizarre as these in tropical regions so frequently are. hence amongst all savage tribes we find a belief in serpentine forms more terrible even than the boa or python that they have such cause to dread. the widely spreading worship of the serpent, a form of religion that we find in so many lands and throughout centuries of time, is a most interesting subject of study, though we can here only regret that exigencies of space compel us to do no more than merely mention it. the belief in sea-serpents does not appear in itself to be an unreasonable one, much as it is from time to time ridiculed. many species of tropical snakes are aquatic in a greater or less degree, and though some naturalists will tell us that a serpent is not adapted by its structure and organs for a purely aquatic existence, one finds in nature so many wonderful adaptations of form to abnormal circumstances, that it is perhaps wiser to feel that in the great and almost boundless expanse of ocean there may be mysterious forms that science has not yet tabulated and described, rather than to at once assert the contrary. be this as it may, there is no doubt that while the great mystery of the ocean depths has been tenanted by the credulous with impossible creations of the fancy, we have numerous testimonies from sea-captains and others of appearances that cannot always be so lightly dismissed. a captain harrington, for instance, commanding the "castilian," during a voyage from bombay to liverpool in the year , sends the following account to the _times_ newspaper:--"while myself and officers were standing on the lee side of the poop, looking towards the island of st. helena, then some ten miles away, we were startled by the sight of a large marine animal, which reared its head out of the water within twenty yards of the ship, when it suddenly disappeared for about half a minute, and then made its appearance in the same manner again, showing us distinctly its neck and head about ten or twelve feet out of the water. its head was shaped like a long buoy, and i suppose the diameter to have been seven or eight feet in the largest part, with a kind of scroll or tuft of loose skin encircling it about two feet from the top. the second appearance assured us that it was a monster of extraordinary length, which appeared to be moving slowly towards the island. the ship was going too fast to enable us to reach the mast-head in time to form a correct estimate of its extreme length, but from what we saw from the deck we conclude that it must have been over two hundred feet long. the boatswain and several of the crew, who observed it from the forecastle, state that it was more than double the length of the ship, in which case it must have been five hundred feet. be that as it may, i am convinced that it belonged to the serpent tribe; it was a dark colour about the head, and was covered with several white spots. having a press of canvas on the ship at the time, i was unable to round to without risk, and therefore was precluded from getting another sight of this leviathan of the deep." this precise description was endorsed by the chief and second officers of the ship--men, like the captain, of practised vision, and not at all likely to be deceived by floating sea-weed or any of the other matters brought forward to cast doubt on such stories. it is curious that another apparently well-authenticated account of some such creature should also hail from the neighbourhood of st. helena. her majesty's ship "dædalus," in august , when on the passage between that island and the cape of good hope, came into close proximity with a strange-looking creature that was travelling through the water at an estimated speed of ten miles an hour. captain mcquahee was unable, owing to the direction of the wind, to bring the ship into pursuit, but, as the creature passed within two hundred yards of them, they were enabled to bring it well within observation, its form and colour being distinctly visible from the vessel. olaus magnus, archbishop of upsal some three centuries ago, was a firm believer in the marvellous, and in his writings, amongst many other things, he gives details of a sea-serpent two hundred feet long by twenty feet thick, having a dense hairy mane and eyes of fire. this monster, he further tells us, "puts up its head on high like a pillar and devours men." he also tells of another kind, that is forty cubits long and no thicker than a child's arm; this is blue and yellow in colour. his writings also furnish a more detailed account of a vast monster thrown ashore in on the english coast near "tinmouth." this creature was ninety feet long and twenty-five feet thick, having thirty ribs on each side, a head twenty-one feet long, and two fins of fifteen feet each. this creature, from its proportions, fins, and so forth, was evidently not serpentine in character, though it may fairly be classed amongst monsters of the deep. a greenland missionary, egede, tells in his journal of a frightful sea-monster that he saw on july , . it raised itself so high out of the water, he says, that its head overtopped the mainsail. it had a long and pointed snout, and spouted like a whale; its fins were like great wings. another very circumstantial account is that given by captain laurent de ferry of bergen in . his creature had a horse-like head, raised some two feet out of the water; in colour it was grey, but it had a white mane and large black eyes. seven or eight coils of the creature were visible, a fathom or so of space between each. de ferry says that he shot at and wounded the monster, and that the water was reddened with its blood for some time after. he does not specify whether the weapon used was the longbow or not, but it seems highly probable that it was. where the account given is so exceedingly definite as it is, for example, in these two last instances, we are placed in the awkward predicament of either having to believe in the monster so graphically described, or to disbelieve the narrators of the stories; to conclude, in plain words, that egede, despite his professions, was lying deliberately--a very munchausen--and that de ferry was either a credulous idiot himself, or wilfully concluded that the landsmen's credulity might be safely played upon. it has been suggested that a long line of tumbling porpoises, rolling after each other in the quaint way that they do, may have deceived people into a belief that what they saw were the coils of one of these great mythical monsters of the deep; but, however such an appearance might deceive a landsman, it is evident that those who go down to the sea in ships and occupy themselves in the great waters are too familiar with the appearance of a shoal of porpoises to be thus deceived. the ribbon fish may in some cases have given rise to the idea of a serpent of the sea, as the appearance of their elongated, band-like bodies swimming through the water with a gentle serpentine or undulatory motion would be very suggestive. they have been known to attain a length of sixty feet; specimens of this size have actually been captured by trawlers, though even yet we are a long way from the sea serpents gravely mentioned by pontoppidan in his "natural history of norway" as being over six hundred feet long. on the occasion of the reported appearance of the sea serpent to captain mcquahee, professor owen in a letter published in the _times_ suggested that the creature seen may have been one of the larger species of seals found in the southern seas. at the falkland islands and in the kerguelen and crozet groups the sea elephant attains a size of some twenty feet in length, and some such creature as this, swimming rapidly through a calm sea with its head raised, and with a long wake behind it, caused by the action of its paddles, placed at the posterior extremity of the body, like the screw of a steamer, may have been the foundation of some of the stories told of these mysterious monsters of the deep. a good sea-serpent story is found in captain taylor's "reminiscences." one day, when his ship was lying at anchor in table bay, "an enormous monster" about one hundred feet in length was seen advancing with snake-like motion round green point into the harbour. the head appeared to be crowned with long hair, and the keener-sighted amongst the observers could see the eyes and distinguish the features of the monster. the military were called out, and after peppering the object at a distance of five hundred yards, and making several palpable hits, it was observed to become quite still, and boats ventured off to complete the destruction. the "sea serpent" proved to be a mass of gigantic sea-weed, which had been undulated by the ground swell, and had become quiescent when it reached the still waters of the bay. probably if mariners would attack the "monster" in the same manner whenever it is seen, we should hear little more of the sea serpent. stories of sea serpents are almost as old as the hills, and in many cases quite as difficult to digest. in the body of a great sea monster was cast ashore at stronsay, one of the orkneys. this was some fifty feet long, and every one, even the fishermen themselves, declared that the sea serpent had turned up at last. a naturalist, however, decided that it was only an unusually fine specimen of the great basking shark; so we are as far off as ever, after all, from an authentic monster, and seem in every case to have only offered for our acceptance either outrageous hoaxes and impositions, the imaginations of the credulous, or, at the very best, cases of mistaken identity. amongst other serpent myths we may certainly place that most uncomfortable creation of the fancy, the adissechen, a serpent with a thousand heads that, according to the indian mythology, bears up the universe; and the iormungandur, the serpent that according to the scandinavian myth, encircles the whole earth, and binds it together in its flight through space. it was a very old belief that the serpent's egg was hatched by the joint labour of several serpents, and was buoyed up into the air by their hissing. any one so intrepid as to catch it while thus suspended 'twixt earth and heaven bore away with him a talisman of mighty power, giving him strength to prevail in every contest, and the favour of all whose favour was worth the having. it could only be captured at the gallop, and even then the risk of being stung to death was a peril most imminent. pliny tells us that he had himself seen one of these notable proofs of prowess, and that it was about as large as a moderately large apple. the fire-drake was, according to mediæval fancy, a fiery serpent or dragon, keeping guard over hidden treasure. the drake, of course, has no affinity with the familiar ducks and drakes on the farmer's pool, nor even with the ducks and drakes that people make of their money when they burn their fingers in too rash speculation, but is clearly suggested by the latin word, _draco_, for a dragon. we find an interesting reference in shakespeare to the word in his "henry viii.," scene of act v.--"there is a fellow somewhat near the door; he should be a brazier by his face, for, o' my conscience, twenty of the dog-days now reign in his nose: all that stand about him are under the line, they need no further penance. that fire-drake." de thaun in his "bestiary" tells us of the aspis, "a serpent cunning, sly, and aware of evil. when it perceives people who make enchantment, who want to enchant it, to take and snare it, it will stop very well the ears it has. it will press one against the earth; in the other it will stuff its tail firmly, so that it hears nothing. in this manner do the rich people of the world: one ear they have on earth to obtain riches, the other sin stops up; yet they will see a day, the day of judgment. this is the signification of the aspis without doubt." de thaun always endeavours to see a religious meaning in everything, and where the moral declines to fit quite accurately to the facts, by a simple process of reversal the facts are made to fit to the moral. the creature that he had in his mind, and which would naturally occur to him from his familiarity with the bible, is no doubt identical with the deaf adder that we are told in one of the psalms stoppeth her ear, and refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer. though the old author avowedly has no doubt as to the signification he assigns to the creature's obstinate refusal to be charmed, one cannot but feel that his explanation is rather halting. a man who would amass riches has at least as much need of his eyes as of his ears, and his transition from the ear stopped up by sin to the awakened eye at the great day of account is also somewhat lame. the transition should have been not arbitrarily from one faculty to another, but in the sharp contrast between the sense first deliberately blunted and lost through sin, to be then at last terribly restored by the trumpet peal of the dread day of doom. indeed, if it were not that we are all prepared instinctively to place the worst possible construction upon anything a creature so repellent to us may do, it is evident that the allegory might have been equally developed from quite another point of view. had the dove shown a similar alacrity to bury one ear in the earth while it stuffed its tail into the other, we should have heard nothing of this wilful blunting of the senses to good counsel, but much, _au contraire_, of its determined resistance to temptation and evil. the ancients believed in a horrible little brute called the amphisbena, "a small kind of serpent which moveth backward or forward, and hath two heads, one at either extreme." galen, pliny, nicander, and many other early writers gravely describe this especially objectionable little reptile. Ælian, who was so far in advance of his age as to call the chimæra and hydra fables, believed fully in the amphisbena. some few serpents really have the power of taking a mean advantage of those they assault by springing at them from directions not always "straight to your front," as the drill sergeants express it,[ ] but none, of course, have an equal facility for moving either backward or forward; and certainly still more of course, no serpent at present known to science, or likely to be, has a head "at either extreme." [ ] appendix r. the kraken is another notable example of the studies in unnatural history of the ancients. pliny gravely narrates that one of these monsters--the "mountain fish" of the old norsemen--haunted the ocean off the coasts of spain and north africa, but, owing to its bulk, was unable to penetrate through the straits of gibraltar into the mediterranean. according to some old writers the kraken, when floating on the surface of the sea, stretched to a length of about a mile and a half, and appeared like an island. it is a difficult problem to say which would be the most embarrassing position--for a seaman to find himself stranded on the creature's back on its sudden arrival at the surface, or to be engulfed in the whirlpool that would arise from its sinking again into the depths of ocean. one old writer tells us of a party of sailors that, from the tangled sea-weed on the creature's back, took the kraken for an island, and after fishing for some time with some little success in the pools of water in the hollows of his back, proceeded to light a fire to cook their take, and suddenly found themselves engulfed in the sea when the heat became sufficiently great to awaken their animated island from its nap. alaus magnus, archbishop of upsala, describes this colossus of the deep as the kraken, but he stops short at the length of a mile; while pontoppidan, bishop of bergen, adds that a whole regiment of soldiers could manoeuvre on its back; while yet a third ecclesiastic, another bishop, tells us that he did actually erect an altar on the creature's back and celebrate mass. we are told that the kraken submitted to the ceremony without flinching, but no sooner was it over than it plunged into the depths of the sea, to the great astonishment and peril of the divine. it may at first seem curious that so many of these stories should spring from ecclesiastics, but it must be remembered that they were in these early days the great repositories of truth, the laity being steeped in ignorance and superstition. it has been conjectured that the kraken myth has sprung from stories of gigantic cuttle-fish or octopus, the devil fish described so vividly by victor hugo in his "toilers of the sea;" but one can hardly fall in quite readily with this notion, since the leading idea, so to speak, in the kraken belief is that of a monstrous and quiescent mass, suggestive more than anything else of an island rising from the sea, while the dominant idea in our minds of the octopus is of a creature armed with far-stretching and numerous arms that enwrap their hapless victim in their pitiless embrace. the kraken would scarcely have been described without any reference to these fearful feelers, armed with double rows of suckers, if the myth had had the origin that has been in several directions claimed for it. the belief in the kraken chiefly springs, probably, from that delight in something tremendously big that has also given us the roc carrying away elephants in its talons, or the serpent that encompasses the world in its folds, so that we need not then too anxiously strive to find any counterpart of it in nature. "they that sail on the sea tell of the dangers thereof, and when we hear it with our ears we marvel thereat. "for therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts, and whales created."[ ] [ ] ecclesiasticus xliii. vers. , . de thaun describes something very kraken-like, but he bestows upon it the title of cetus. _cetus_, we need scarcely remind our readers, is a latin word applied in a general sense to all kinds of large sea-fish, and though the whale is strictly speaking a mammal and not a fish at all, we find the word reappearing in modern use in the term cetaceous, as applied to all creatures of the whale kind. the author of the "bestiary" tells us that "cetus is a very great beast; it lives always in the sea. it takes the sand of the sea, spreads it on its back, raises itself up in the sea, and will be at tranquillity. the seafarer sees it, and thinks that it is an island, and goes to arrive there to prepare his meal. the cetus feels the fire and the ship and the people; then he will plunge if he can, and drown them. when he wants to eat he begins to gape, and the gaping of his mouth sends forth a smell so sweet, that the little fish will enter into his mouth, and then he will kill them, thus will he swallow them." in a jewish work entitled "bara bathra" we read of a whale so large that a ship was three days in sailing from its head to its tail. of course this would not be at cunard liner pace; still it certainly does give one the idea of a very considerable fish. but this monster of the deep sinks into insignificance in its length of but a hundred miles or so when we compare it with the fish pheg (mentioned in an ancient chinese book, the tsi-hiai), that churns up five hundred miles of blue ocean into silvery foam when it starts its stupendous paddles in motion for a cruise. this is indeed, to quote polonius, "very like a whale." when any one's credulity finds no difficulty in digesting such a tale as that, their powers of absorption must be well nigh as striking as the narration itself. "the imperious seas breed monsters; for the dish poor tributary rivers as sweet fish."[ ] [ ] "cymbeline," act iv. sc. . according to jewish tradition the leviathan was a great fish; so great, they taught, that one day it swallowed another fish nearly a thousand miles long. many of the jewish legends in the talmud and elsewhere possess little or nothing of graceful fancy, but simply endeavour to excite wonder by gross exaggeration. there were originally two of these leviathans, a male and a female; but if their numbers had increased beyond this, the world would have been soon destroyed; so the female was killed, and laid up in salt for the great feast to be held at the coming of the messiah. such is the jewish tradition. leviathan is mentioned in the bible in several places, notably in the magnificent description that comprises the whole of the forty-first chapter of the book of job. it is curious that a very similar legend to that we have just referred to was believed by the jews in connection with the behemoth mentioned in the preceding chapter of job. any one reading the fine description of the creature there given will have little difficulty in agreeing with most commentators that the hippopotamus is intended; but the jews held that behemoth is a huge animal which has subsisted alone since the creation, and that it is reserved to be fattened for the great rejoicings that are to be held in the days of the advent of the promised messiah. every day they believe that he eats up the grass of a thousand hills, and that at each draught, when he is thirsty, he swallows up as much water as the jordan yields in the course of six months. it would probably be found that nine out of ten people would at once declare that their idea of the leviathan was that it was a large fish, and the tenth person would have very little doubt either. we do not mean that these typical folk would really believe in its existence as a special monster, but they would be quite prepared to say in an offhand way that the whale was intended under this name. burton in his "miracles of art and of nature" (a.d. ) has a passage that clearly shows this interchange of words, and the evident idea that the two terms, whale and leviathan, are synonymous. he writes, under the description of norway--"the whales do so terrifie the shores, the seas being there so deep, and therefore a fit habitation for those great leviathans." he, however, goes on to tell us that "the people of the sea-coast have found a remedy, which is by casting some water intermixt with oyle of castor, the smell whereof forces them immediately to retire, and without this help there were no fishing on the coasts." the remedy for the boisterous presence of these great monsters seems at first a feeble one, until we bear in mind how gladly we too in our child-days would have immediately retired, if we could, at the awful odour of the coming castor-oil. "one touch of nature makes the whole world kin." the beautiful description of the wonders of creation in the th psalm, the stretching firmament and the chariots of cloud, the fowls of heaven, and the trees so full of sap and vigour, concludes with a reference to the leviathan that has no doubt done much to associate the name with the whale,[ ] and which, in fact, could only apply to some such great creature of the waters; so that we can only conclude that the term was used somewhat vaguely by the different old testament writers, as it is now tolerably unanimously held that the leviathan of the book of job is the crocodile. [ ] "this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. there go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein" (ps. civ. , ). no creature of the whale tribe inhabits the mediterranean; neither is the whale clothed in coat-of-mail, nor is it fierce in disposition; but if any one will carefully read the description given of the crocodile in the book of job they will find point after point of appropriate detail, allowance being made partly for the wealth of oriental and poetic imagery, and partly for the wonderful difference between assailing the crocodile in these later days with a rifle-ball as against the old sling, spear, or arrow. what a modern sportsman might lightly esteem would be a very different creature indeed to attack when the world was in its youth. "who can strip off his outer garment? who can open the doors of his face? round about his teeth is terror. his strong scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. they are joined one to another, they stick together that they cannot be sundered. in his neck abideth strength, and terror danceth before him. if one lay at him with the sword it cannot avail, nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft. he counteth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. the arrow cannot make him flee: sling-stones are turned with him into stubble. he laugheth at the rushing of the javelin. upon earth there is not his like, that is made without fear." the poetical ideas that clustered during classic times and the middle ages round the nautilus were, after all, as mythical as they were poetic. "the tender nautilus who steers his prow, the sea-borne sailor of his shell canoe, the ocean mab, the fairy of the sea"[ ]-- has, alas! no foundation in hard fact; and the lesson that pope would teach when he bids us-- "learn of the little nautilus to sail, spread the thin oar and catch the rising gale"-- is equally impracticable. the sad fiction-dispelling truth is, that in no case does the little argonaut use its arms as sails or as oars. it rises, it is true, occasionally to the surface, as other cuttle-fish forms do, but when there its only means of propulsion are the _jets d'eau_ from its funnel, these jets consisting of the water which has been used in respiration. in pliny's "natural history," as translated by philemon holland, and published in london in , we find that "among the greatest wonders of nature is that fish which of some is called nautilos, of others pompilos. this fish, for to come aloft upon the water, turneth upon his backe, and raiseth or heaveth himselfe up by little and little; and to the end he might swim with more ease as disburdened of a sinke, he dischargeth all the water within him at a pipe. after this, turning up his two foremost clawes or armes, hee displaieth and stretcheth out betweene them a membrane or skin of a wonderful thinnesse: this serveth him instead of a saile in the aire above water. with the rest of his armes or clawes he roweth and laboureth under water, and with his tail in the midst he directeth his course, and steereth as it were with an helme. thus holdeth he on and maketh way in the sea, with a fair show of a galley under saile. now if he be afraide of anything by the way, hee makes no more adoe, but draweth in water to baillise his bodie, and so plungeth himselfe downe and sinketh to the bottome." [ ] byron. while the dolphin, like the nautilus, has a veritable existence, and may be duly found amongst the works of nature, it has also, like the nautilus again, served as the foundation for a considerable amount of mythical lore. thus pliny, in his so-called natural history, from which we have already drawn so many curious extracts, writes--"the swiftest of all other living creatures whatsoever, and not of sea-fish only, is the dolphin; quicker than the flying fowl, swifter than the arrow shot out of a bow." the dolphin, so termed, of the mediæval heralds is a purely conventional form, having no counterpart whatever in nature. "they are much deceived," wrote an authority on natural history a little more than a hundred years ago, "who imagine dolphins to be of the figure they are usually represented on signs; that error being more owing to the unbridled license of statuaries or painters than to any such thing found in fact." a much earlier writer, gillius, tells us that when he was "in a ship where many dolphins were taken, he observed them so to deplore with groans, lamentations, and a flood of tears their condition, that he himself, out of compassion, could not forbear weeping, and so threw one that he observed to groan more than ordinary (the fisherman being asleep) into the water again, as choosing rather to damage the fisherman than not to relieve the miserable. but this gave him but little rest, for all the others increased their groans, as seeming, by not obscure signs, to beg the same deliverance." another well-known belief in connection with the dolphin is the imaginary brilliancy of its supposititiously changeful colours when, having failed to find any one, like gillius, compassionate enough to throw it overboard, it presently succumbs to its hard fate. the idea has been a favourite one with poets in all ages, but one example from byron's "childe harold's pilgrimage" will suffice as an illustration:-- "parting day dies like the dolphin, whom each pang imbues with a new colour as it gasps away; the last still loveliest, till--'tis gone--and all is gray." according to some of the ancient writers, the eyes of the dolphin were in those most unlikely and unserviceable places, their blade-bones; they were also said to dig graves for their dead on the sandy shores of the sea, and to follow them to their burial in mournful procession. they were, too, an excellent means of travelling when other means of locomotion were not available. thus the fifty daughters of nereus travelled in safety on their backs, we are told in classic mythology in the dry-as-dust style of such fountains of knowledge as are available for reference ordinarily; but these statements help us but little to realise the scene that struck the eyes or the imaginations of the ancients when this bevy of charming girls, a good fifty strong, rode hither and thither in happy _abandon_ in the brilliant summer sunlight of the azure mediterranean sea, their steeds the willing dolphins; a scene as unlike the frowsy omnibuses, the dreary chariots of moody men and women, that loom through the murk of a london fog, or that fill to suffocation with resentful fellow passengers, when the prolonged drizzle becomes a heavy downpour, as one can possibly imagine. the dolphin's love of music, again, was a firm article of faith to the ancients, and most of our readers are no doubt acquainted with the story of the sweet singer, arion, who, forced to leap into the sea to escape the cruelty of the sailors, escaped to land on the back of a dolphin--one of many that had long followed the ship in rapturous appreciation of the sweet melodies of the singer; and how arion-- "with harmonious strains requites his hearer for his friendly pains." another strange fish believed in by our forefathers was the acipenser, "a fish of an unnatural making and quality," as an old writer terms him; and indeed he may very well do so, as we are told that "his scales are all turned towards the head." we are not, therefore, much surprised to learn that "he ever swimmeth against the stream," though we might well be still more astonished if we ever found him swimming at all. the remora. this was held to affix itself so firmly to a ship that neither wind nor waves could dislodge it, while its presence (even worse than that of the more prosaic barnacles and other sea impedimenta that plague the modern shipowner by fouling the bottom of his good ship, and so retarding her course) brought the voyage to an abrupt conclusion. pliny indeed only says that "there is a little fish, keeping ordinarily about rockes, named echeneis. it is thought that if it settle and sticke to the keele of a ship under water, it goeth the slower by that meanes," whereupon it is called the stay-ship. but all these marvels have a wonderful way of growing more and more marvellous, and subsequent writers, not content with merely impeding the vessels in their increasingly wondrous stories, soon accredited the remora with the much more striking power of altogether arresting their progress. we see a relic and survival of this old belief in the following lines of ben jonson-- "i say a remora, for it will stay a ship that's under sail." and again much more elaborately worked out in spenser's "visions of the world's vanity"-- "looking far forth into the ocean wide, a goodly ship, with banners bravely dight, and flag in her top-gallant, i espied, through the main sea making her merry flight; fair blew the wind into her bosom right, and th' heavens looked lovely all the while, that she did seem to dance as in delight, and at her own felicity did smile; all suddenly there clove unto her keel a little fish that men call remora, which stopt her course, and held her by the heel, that wind nor tide could move her thence away. strange thing me seemeth that so small a thing should able be so great an one to wring." we have already seen how leviathan, according to the talmud, is to form a feast for the saints; and on turning to the koran we find a very similar belief, for the food of mohammed's paradise is to consist, we are there told, of the flesh of the ox balam and of the fish nun. to allay any apprehension on the part of the faithful that these viands will not "go round," as a schoolboy would say, we are reassured on reading that the liver alone of the fish nun will supply an adequate portion for seventy thousand hungry souls. [illustration: {the sea-lion}] the vastness and mystery of the depths of the sea has naturally led to their being peopled at all ages and amidst almost all peoples with strange and monstrous forms like the chilon, fish-like in body, but having the head of a man; or the dies, the creature of a day, whose life's span ran its course in the hours between the rising and the setting of the sun; or more rarely with forms of more poetic beauty, like those sweet water-wagtails, the mermaidens we have already alluded to. our illustration is a representation of the sea lion as believed in, or at least delineated, by the author of one of the mediæval treatises on more or less natural history that has come under our notice. Ælian describes fish having the heads of lions, rams, and so forth; and it is, of course, sufficiently evident that when a man has once got upon that train of ideas there is nothing to hinder his turning the whole "zoological gardens" into the shadowy depths of ocean, and evolving from his inner consciousness not only camel-fish or gazelle-fish, but fifty other equally striking creations. rondelet, in a book published in the year , gives sufficiently strange illustrations of sea-bishops and sea-monks; and another mediæval writer, francisci boussetti, represents in all good faith other forms equally bizarre; but the greatest storehouse by far, so far as our own experience of these old authors goes, is to be found in the "historia monstrorum" of aldrovandus, a book most copiously illustrated, and full of the most extraordinary conglomerations of diverse creatures, or of wild imaginings that find no counterpart in any way in nature at all. of these we need give but one example, the very peculiar biped here represented. [illustration: {the harpy}] most of us, even the veriest landsmen, must have heard of "davy jones's locker," though few could give it a "local habitation" as well as "a name." almost all superstitious people--and certainly sailors as a body may be classed as such--have a great objection to telling their beliefs to those whom they think will not receive their communications in a sympathetic spirit; hence it is often exceedingly difficult in most cases to arrive at all at a satisfactory conclusion, as, even after an explanation has been given, we find that what we were told was a mere putting off of the matter at issue, and their real belief has all the time been concealed from us. the following explanation of the seaman's phrase we give for what it is worth, which in our humble opinion is not much. we are told that jones is a corruption of jonah the prophet, while _deva_ or _duffa_ amongst the natives of the west india islands is a spirit or ghost. the sailor's locker, we are all aware, is the one place on board where his private possessions are more or less safe, so that when we hear of an unfortunate having gone to davy jones's locker, we may conclude that he is believed to have gone to some far-down place of safe-keeping in the spirit-world, as jonah, by inference, did. it is, however, a decidedly weak point in this explanation that jonah, whatever may have been his experiences in the depths of the sea, soon exchanged his temporary "locker" for dry land again, and was no doubt ultimately gathered to his fathers in the bosom of mother-earth. smollett, in his "peregrine pickle," ignores all reference to the faithless prophet, and, without seeking out the why or the wherefore of the name, goes, we think, very much more directly to the point when he writes--"this same davy jones, according to the mythology of sailors, is the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is seen in various shapes, warning the devoted wretch of death and woe." like the irish church and many other venerable institutions, davy is now probably disestablished, or shelved like some fine old admiral on the half-pay list, though it would be interesting to hear the opinion of some navy chaplain on the point, as these old superstitions die very hardly, and at times rather clash with more orthodox theology. the widespread worship of the serpent is a subject of the greatest interest, though it would take us far away from our present subject if we dwelt at length upon it. the place held by the serpent in ancient mythologies has, however, caused the creature to pass far from the region of commonplace zoological fact into the realm of myth. one old belief more precise than nice was that the serpent first vomits forth its venom before drinking, in order that it may not poison itself by swallowing it; while another curious belief was, that sleeping children whose ears were licked by serpents thereby received the gift of foretelling future events. cassandra was said thus, amongst other less famous personages more or less believed in by the ancients, to have received the gift of prophecy. in squier's "serpent worship in america" many legends are given that admirably illustrate the feelings of the north american aborigines, the peruvians, mexicans, and other dwellers on that continent with regard to the great serpent that typifies to them, as to so many other races, the great evil power. one of these, an ojibiway legend, we must venture on quoting, for, somewhat lengthy as it is, it supplies an excellent illustration of this belief in the malign power of the serpent, and incidentally gives an echo of the widespread belief in a deluge, a belief extending from the legends of the far west to those of distant china. the indian legend runs as follows:--"one day, on returning to his lodge in the wilderness after a long journey, manabazho, the great teacher, missed from it his young cousin: he called his name aloud, but received no answer. he looked around on the sand for the tracks of his feet, and he there for the first time discovered the trail of meshekenabek, the great serpent. he then knew that his cousin had been seized by his great enemy. he armed himself and followed on his track: he passed the great river and crossed mountains and valleys to the shores of the deep and gloomy lake, now called manitou lake, spirit lake, or the lake of devils. the trail of meshekenabek led to the edge of the water. at the bottom of this lake was the dwelling of the serpent, and it was filled with evil spirits, his attendants and companions. their forms were monstrous and terrible, but most, like their master, bore the semblance of serpents. in the centre of this horrible assemblage was meshekenabek himself, coiling his voluminous folds round the cousin of manabazho. his head was red as with blood, and his eyes were fierce and glowed like fire: his body was all over armed with hard and glistening scales of every shade and colour. manabazho looked down upon the writhing spirits of evil, and he vowed deep revenge. he directed the clouds to disappear from the heavens, the winds to be still, and the air to become stagnant over the lake of the manitous, and bade the sun shine on it with all its fierceness; for thus he sought to drive his enemy forth to seek the cool shadows of the trees that grew upon its banks, so that he might be able to take vengeance upon him. "meanwhile manabazho seized his bow and arrows, and placed himself near the spot where he deemed the serpents would come to enjoy the shade; he then transformed himself into the stump of a withered tree, that his enemies might not discover his presence. the winds became still, the air stagnant, the sun shone hot upon the lake of the evil manitous. by-and-by the waters became troubled, and bubbles rose to the surface, for the rays of the hot sun penetrated to the horrible brood within its depths. the commotion increased, and a serpent lifted up its head high above the centre of the lake and gazed around the shores. directly another came to the surface, and they listened for the footsteps of manabazho; but they heard him nowhere on the face of the earth, and they said one to another, 'manabazho sleeps,' and then they plunged again beneath the waters, which seemed to hiss as they closed over them. it was not long before the lake of manitous became more troubled than before; it boiled from its very depths, and the hot waves dashed wildly against the rocks on its shores. the commotion increased, and soon meshekenabek, the great serpent, emerged slowly to the surface and moved toward the shore. his blood-red crest glowed with a deeper hue, and the reflection from his glancing scales was like the blinding glitter of a snow-covered forest beneath the morning sun of winter. he was followed by all the evil spirits, so great a number that they covered the shores of the lake with their foul and trailing carcases. they saw the broken, blasted stump into which manabazho had transformed himself, and suspecting it might be one of his disguises, one of them approached and wound his tail around it, and sought to drag it down, but manabazho stood firm, though he could hardly refrain from crying aloud. "the great serpent wound his vast folds among the trees of the forest, and the rest also sought the shade, while one was left to listen for the steps of manabazho. when they all slept manabazho drew an arrow from his quiver; he placed it in his bow, and aimed it where he saw the heart beat against the sides of the great serpent. he launched it, and with a howl that shook the mountains and startled the wild beasts in their caves, the monster awoke, and, followed by its frightened companions, uttering mingled sounds of rage and terror, plunged again into the lake. when the great serpent knew that he was mortally wounded, both he and the evil spirits around him were rendered tenfold more terrible by their great wrath, and they arose to overwhelm manabazho. the water of the lake swelled upwards from its dark depths, and with a sound like many thunders it rolled madly on his track, bearing the rocks and trees before it with resistless fury. high on the crest of the foremost wave, black as the midnight, rode the writhing form of the wounded meshekenabek, and red eyes glared around him, and the hot breaths of the monstrous brood hissed fiercely after the retreating manabazho. then thought manabazho of his indian children, and he ran by their villages, and in a voice of alarm bade them flee to the mountains, for the great serpent was deluging the earth in his expiring wrath, sparing no living thing. the indians caught up their children, and wildly sought safety where he bade them. "manabazho continued his flight along the base of the western hills, and finally took refuge on a high mountain beyond lake superior, far to the north. there he found many men and animals who had fled from the flood that already covered the valleys and plains, and even the highest hills. still the waters continued to rise, and soon all the mountains were overwhelmed, save that on which stood manabazho. then he gathered together timber and made a raft, upon which the men and women and the animals that were with him all placed themselves. no sooner had they done so than the rising floods closed over the mountain, and they floated alone on the surface of the waters. and thus they floated many days; and some died, and the rest became sorrowful, and reproached manabazho that he did not disperse the waters and renew the earth, that they might live. but though he knew that his great enemy was by this time dead, yet could he not renew the world unless he had some earth in his hands wherewith to commence the work. this he explained to those who were with him, and he said that were it ever so little, even a few grains, then could he disperse the waters and renew the world. "the beaver then volunteered to go to the bottom of the deep and get some earth, and they all applauded her design. she plunged in, and they waited long: when she returned she was dead; they opened her hands, but there was no earth in them. 'then,' said the otter, 'will i seek the earth,' and the bold swimmer dived from the raft. the otter was gone still longer than the beaver, but when he returned to the surface he too was dead, and there was no earth in his claws. "'who shall find the earth?' exclaimed all those on the raft, 'now that the beaver and the otter are dead?' 'that will i,' said the musk-rat, and he quickly disappeared between the logs of the raft. the musk-rat was gone very much longer than the otter, and it was thought that he would never return, when he suddenly rose close by, but he was too weak to speak, and he swam slowly towards the raft. he had hardly got upon it when he too died from his great exertion. they opened his little hands, and there, closely clasped between the fingers, they found a few grains of fresh earth. these manabazho carefully collected and dried in the sun, and then he rubbed them into fine powder in his palms, and rising up he blew them abroad upon the waters. no sooner was this done than the flood began to subside, and soon the trees on the mountains were seen, and then the mountains and hills emerged from the deep, and the plains and the valleys came into view, and the waters disappeared from the land. then it was found that the great serpent, meshekenabek, was dead, and that the evil manitous, his companions, had returned to the depths of the lake of spirits, from which, for the fear of manabazho, they never more dared to come forth. in gratitude to the beaver, the otter, and the musk-rat, these animals were ever after held sacred by the indians, and they became their brethren; and they were never killed nor molested until the medicine-men of the stranger made them forget their relations and turned their hearts to ingratitude." as we propose to deal, in conclusion, with some few examples of the fabledom that has grown around various plants, we may fitly usher in this new section of our subject with some little account of the old belief that the barnacle-shells of our shores, or, as some writers held, a tree called the barnacle-tree, developed into solan-geese,[ ] as the transition from the mythical animal kingdom to the fabulous vegetable kingdom will thus be rendered less abrupt. [ ] "from the most refined of saints as naturally grow miscreants, as barnacles turn solan-geese in the islands of the orcades." --_hudibras._ [illustration: {the barnacle tree}] this barnacle-goose tree was a great article of faith with our ancestors in the middle ages. gerarde, for example, in his history of plants gives an illustration of it in all good faith--a branch bearing barnacles and by its side a barnacle goose. following, however, the plan we have adopted throughout of going directly to the fountain-head, gerarde shall give us his own description of this wonder of nature. we may, however, point out before doing so that the error arose from a near resemblance of two distinct words suggesting that there must be an identity of nature in the things so named. a common kind of shell was in the middle ages called pernacula, while the solan-goose, in france called the barnache, was the bernacula. both words being popularly corrupted into barnacle, it was natural that the two things should be considered as identical. gerarde saves this crowning wonder until the end of his book, and then discourses as follows concerning it:--"hauing trauelled from the grasses growing in the bottom of the fenny waters, the woods, and mountaines, euen vnto libanus it selfe; and also the sea, and bowels of the same, wee are arriued at the end of our historie: thinking it not impertinent to the conclusion of the same, to end with one of the maruells of this land (we may say of the world). the historie whereof to set forth according to the worthinesse and raritie thereof would not only require a large and peculiar volume, but also a deeper search into the bowels of nature than mine intended purpose wil suffer me to wade into, my sufficience also considered; leauing the historie thereof rough hewen unto some excellent men, learned in the secrets of nature, to be both fined and refined: in the meantime take it as it falleth out, the naked and bare truth, though vnpolished. there are found in the north parts of scotland and the island adiacient, called orchades, certain trees whereon do grow certaine shells of a white colour tending to russet, wherein are contained little liuing creatures, which shells in time of maturitie do open, and out of them do grow those little liuing things, which falling in the water do become fowles, which we call barnakles; in the north of england trant geese, and in lancashire tree geese; but the other that do fall vpon the land perish and come to nothing. thus much by the writings of others, and also from the mouths of people of those parts, which may very well accord with truth. "but what our eyes have seene and hands haue touched we shall declare. there is a small island in lancashire called the pile of foulders, wherein are found the broken pieces of old and bruised ships, some whereof have been cast thither by shipwracke, and also the trunks and bodies with the branches of old and rotten trees cast up there likewise; whereon is found a certain spume or froth that in time breedeth vnto certain shels in shape like those of the muskle, but sharper pointed and of a whitish colour, wherein is contained a thing in forme like a lace of silke finely wouen as it were together, one end thereof is fastened vnto the belly of a rude masse or lumpe, which in time commeth to the shape and forme of a birde. when it is perfectly formed the shell gapeth open, and the first thing that appeareth is the foresaid lace or string; next come the legs of the bird hanging out, and as it groweth greater it openeth the shell by degrees til at length it is all come forth and hangeth onely by the bill; in short space after it commeth to full maturitie and falleth into the sea, where it gathereth feathers and groweth to a fowle bigger than a mallard and lesser than a goose, hauing blacke legs, and bill and beake, and feathers blacke and white spotted in such manner as is our magpie, which the people of lancashire call by no other name than a tree goose: which place aforesaid and all those parts adjoining do so much abound thereinth that one of the best is bought for three pence. for the truth hereof, if any doubt, may it please them to repaire unto me, and i shall satisfie them by the testimonie of good witnesses. "moreover it would seeme that there is another sort hereof; the historie of which is true and of mine owne knowledge: for trauelling vpon the shore of our english coast betweene douer and rumney, i found the trunke of an olde rotten tree, which (with some helpe that i procured by fishermen's wives that were there attending their husbands returne from the sea) we drew out of the water upon dry land: vpon this rotten tree i found growing many thousands of long crimson bladders, in shape like vnto puddings newly filled, which were very clear and shining: at the nether end whereof did grow a shell fish fashioned somewhat like a small muskle, but much whiter, resembling a shell fish that groweth vpon the rokes about garnsey and garsey, called a lympit. many of these shells i brought with me to london, which after i had opened i found in them liuing things without form or shape: in others which were nearer come to ripeness i found liuing things that were very naked, shaped like a bird: in others the birds couered with soft downe, the shell halfe open and the bird ready to fall out, which no doubt were the fowles called barnakles. i dare not absolutely avouch euery circumstance of the first part of this history concerning the tree that beareth those buds aforesaid, but will leave it to a further consideration, howbeit that which i have seen with mine eyes and handled with mine hands, i dare confidently avouch and boldly put down for veritie. "they spawn as it were in march and aprille: the geese are formed in may and june and come to fulnesse of feathers in the moneth after. "and thus hauing through god's assistance discoursed somewhat at large of grasses, herbes, shrubs, trees, and mosses, and certain excrescences of the earth, with other things more incident to the historie thereof, we conclude and end our present volume with this wonder of england. for the which god's name be ever honored and praised." we extract the foregoing from the first edition of "gerarde's historie of plants," published in . after his death thomas johnson, "citizen and apothecarie of london," brought out another edition in , and he adds the following note to gerarde's statement:--"the barnakle, whose fabulous breed my author here sets downe, and diuers others haue also delieured, were found by some hollanders to haue another originall, and that by egges, as other birds haue; for they in their third voyage to finde out the north-east passage to china and the moluccos about the eightieth degree and eleven minutes of northerly latitude, found two little islands, in the one of which they found abundance of these geese sitting upon their egges, of which they got one goose and tooke away sixty egges." parkinson, in his "theater of plants," published in , gives a picture of a barnacle-tree growing by the sea-shore, and several geese swimming beneath it, at the end of the description of the th tribe of plants, "marsh water, and sea plants, with mosses and mushromes." though the insertion of the woodcut, as our readers will see, would give one at a casual glance the impression that he was a believer, his comments are sufficiently indicative of his state of mind:--"to finish this treatise of sea plants let me bring this admirable tale of untruth to your consideration, that whatever hath formerly beene related concerning the breeding of these barnakles to be from shels growing on trees, &c., is utterly erroneous, their breeding and hatching being found out by the dutch and others in their navigations to the northward, as that third of the dutch in anno doth declare." as gerarde's book was published after the dutch narrative, we can only conclude that he either had not seen it or that he is one more illustration of the old saying that "a man convinced against his will, remains the same opinion still." [illustration: {the barnacle tree}] [illustration: {the barnacle tree}] in munster's cosmography, a book which was several times reprinted between and , we find an illustration of the wonderful goose-yielding tree, which we here reproduce in facsimile. munster discourses as follows on the matter:--"in scotland are found trees, the fruit of which appears like a ball of leaves. this fruit, falling at its proper time into the water below, becomes animated and turns to a bird which they call the tree-goose. this tree also grows in the island of pomona, not far distant from scotland towards the north." saxo grammaticus, another old cosmographer, also mentions this tree. Æneas sylvius notices it too; he says--"we have heard that there was a tree formerly in scotland, which growing by the margin of a stream produced fruit of the shape of ducks; that such fruit, when nearly ripe, fell, some into the water and some on land. such as fell on land decayed, but such as fell into the water quickly became animated, swimming below, and then flying into the air with feathers and wings. when in scotland, having made diligent enquiry concerning this matter of king james, we found that the miracle always kept receding, as this wonderful tree is not found in scotland but in the orcadian isles." Æneas sylvius, afterwards better known to the world as pope pius ii., visited scotland in the year . his book is in the latin tongue. william turner, one of the earliest writers on ornithology, describes the bernacle goose as being produced from "something like a fungus growing from old wood lying in the sea." he quotes giraldus cambrensis as his authority for the statement, but says he, "as it seemed not safe to popular report, and as, on account of the singularity of the thing, i could not give entire credit to giraldus, i, when thinking of the subject of which i now write, asked a certain clergyman, named octavianus, by birth an irishman, whom i knew to be worthy of credit, if he thought the account of giraldus was to be believed. he swearing by the gospel, declared that what giraldus had written about the generation of this bird was most true; that he had himself seen and handled the young unformed birds, and that if i should remain in london a month or two he would bring me some of the brood." in lobel and pena's "stirpium adversaria nova," published in london in , there is a figure of the "britannica concha anatifera" growing on a stem from a rock, while beneath, in the water, ducks are swimming about. in his description the writer refers to the accepted belief in such a bird, but declines expressing an opinion of his own until he shall have had an opportunity of visiting scotland and judging for himself. ferrer de valcebro, a spanish writer who wrote a book on birds in , tells the story of the production from a tree of a bird he calls the barliata, and lectures his countrymen soundly at their want of belief, and more than insinuates that it is not really so much a want of faith as a contemptible jealousy because the wonder is not found on spanish soil. a still more wonderful tree must be the kalpa-tarou mentioned in the hindu mythology, since from this can be gathered not only solan-geese, but what else may be desired. whether so multitudinous an array of articles as may be included in the idea of whatever any one and every one, no matter how diverse their tastes may be, could desire, all hung exposed to the view, like the varied display on a christmas-tree, or whether they sprang into existence as called for, we are unable to say. in either case the tree would be a most valuable possession; the housewife would no longer have to wait for the plums or raspberries to ripen for jam-making, but could at once, even in midwinter, replenish her waning stores with an abundant supply all ready-made; while the connoisseur of choice old etchings, the collectors of rare coins, or the schoolboy earnestly desiring a six-bladed knife could all equally go away with their varied requirements met. the tree is also called the tree of the imagination; and it might, we fear, be equally called the imaginary tree, as all the resources of science are strained in vain to tell us anything more definite about it. mohammed tells us in the koran that a lote-tree stands in the seventh heaven on the right hand of the throne of allah, an idea derived, no doubt, from that tree of life that bloomed a while in earthly eden, and that shall be found again in the celestial paradise of god. the mystical tree that passes out of sight in the earliest chapters of the bible as the woe descends upon mankind, and reappears at its close, is the welcome symbol that the weary ages of sin and sorrow are at an end for ever, that all tears shall be wiped from off all faces, that there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying: for all the bitter past is over, and the former things are now for ever passed away. the sacred tree of the assyrians, so often seen in the sculptures from nineveh and kyonjik, the idolatrous groves of the israelites, the hindu tree worship, all point to a most interesting symbolism that would be out of place in our present pages, but that will afford matter of the deepest interest to those who care to work the subject out. our readers will no doubt remember the reference in homer's odyssey to the lotophagi, the people who eat of the lotus-tree, and in so doing forgot their friends and homes in their far-off land, losing all desire to return to their native shores, and caring for nought but to rest in ease in the benumbing pleasures of lotus-land. the immortal amaranth, "a flower which once in paradise, fast by the tree of life, began to bloom, but soon for man's offence to heaven removed," must not be omitted from our pages. clement of alexandria refers to it as the _amarantus flos, symbolum immortalitatis_, and it was thus received for centuries. the name is from the greek word for immortal, and was bestowed upon it from its never-withering flowers of ruby red. felicia hemans, amongst others, refers to it in her fine poem on "elysium:"-- "fair wert thou, in the dreams of elder time, thou land of glorious flowers, and summer winds, and low-toned silvery streams dim with the shadows of thy laurel bowers! where, as they passed, bright hours left no faint sense of parting, such as clings to earthly love, and joy in loveliest things." we could not forbear quoting the opening lines, but the reference we seek occurs a few verses farther on, in allusion to those-- "who, called and severed from the countless dead, amidst the shadowy amaranth-bowers might dwell and listen to the swell of those majestic hymn notes, and inhale the spirit wandering in th' immortal gale." the passage in our new testament translated "a crown of glory that fadeth not away" is in the original greek "the amaranthine crown of glory." milton is frequently found to use the word; it occurs several times in the "paradise lost." the following fine passage from the third book of that poem will sufficiently well illustrate his application of it-- "the multitude of angels, with a shout loud as from numbers without number, sweet as from blest voices, uttering joy. heaven rang with jubilee, and loud hosannas filled the eternal regions. lowly reverent towards either throne they bow, and to the ground with solemn adoration, down they cast their crowns inwove with amaranth and gold-- immortal amaranth." this plant milton represents as "shading the fount of life," and with its blood-red flowers-- "with these, that never fade, the spirits elect bind their resplendent locks." the egyptians wreathed their dead in chaplets of the sacred lotus to prepare their spirits for entrance into the presence of the great osiris. several other plants, however, were also employed, but whether their employment was symbolic or not we have no means of ascertaining. amongst the various vegetable curiosities and treasures,--seeds, gums, wood-sections, and the like--preserved in the large museum at kew, will be found--though thousands tramp by them unknowingly--what we may almost venture to call some of the most wonderful things in the world. they are but chaplets, wreaths, and garlands of dried leaves and flowers, until presently we realise that we are gazing on memorials of the dead that were buried with them more than a thousand years before the christian era. the imagination is then awed as our thoughts attempt to bridge over the interval of two thousand years between these present days and that far-off morning in the childhood of the world when the beautiful fresh flowers of the blue lotus of the nile were placed in the coffin of rameses ii. almost all the history of the world has been made since those fragile emblems of passing beauty were laid in the tomb. empires and monarchies have risen, flourished, and decayed in the interval, and yet this very day, within a mile of where we write these lines, remain, with all their solemn teaching, these wreaths of flowers gathered in the sunshine of old egypt twenty centuries ago. "the past is but a gorgeous dream, and time glides by us like a stream, while musing on thy story, and sorrow prompts a deep alas! that like a pageant thus should pass to wreck all human glory." changeless in the midst of mighty changes, these delicate petals are far more wonderful even than the great monuments of egypt, its pyramids, temples, and obelisks, wonderful as these are, for on those time has worked with its corroding tooth, while on these it has had but little power. changeless, again, in all their pristine and god-given beauty, while all the fashions of earth have passed through their kaleidoscope changes, "to one thing constant never," these beautiful lilies of the nile yet expand their petals every year at kew within a short distance of these dried flowers of the same species that sprang into existence in the far-off river of egypt in the dim centuries of the mighty past.[ ] [ ] appendix s. the asphodel, referred to by homer and many later poets, was a plant having edible roots that were laid in the tombs of the dead to nourish the departed spirit in its wanderings in the dim world of shadows. lucian has a very good illustrative passage that we may here quote. the words are put into the mouth of charon, and are as follows:--"down here with us there is nothing to be had but asphodel, and libations and oblations, and that in the midst of mist and darkness; but up in heaven it is all bright and clear, and plenty of ambrosia there, and nectar without stint." the plant referred to by the classic poets was supposed to be the narcissus, but in mediæval days the wild daffodil was intended, at least by the poets, while the herbalists were all at sea in the matter, and applied the name to several different plants. gerarde, in his "historie of plants," refers to galen as an authority, quoting from his "faculties of nourishments" in defence of the plant he selects, but does not seem to have heard of the old belief in its forming a food for the immortals, and can indeed give it no higher effect in staying the ravages of time and decay than that "the ashes of this bulbe mixed with oile and hens grease cureth the falling of the haire." parkinson, in his "theatrum botanicum," brings the plant down to a still lower level, and not only sees no poetry in it, but rather more than hints at a fraud, for he says--"the countrey people know no other name thereof or propertie appropriate unto it but knavery, which, whether they named it so in knavery, or knew any use of knavery in it, i neither can learn nor am much inquisitive thereafter." we may here remark parenthetically that the old herbals are full of the most delightfully quaint reading, and are often freely illustrated with pictures at least as curious, the frontispieces especially being of the most elaborate and allegorical nature. the "rariorum plantarum historia" of clusius is now before us as we write, and we learn from its title-page that it was published at antwerp in the year . we have adam on one side, in the simplicity of costume of eden's earliest days, and on the other solomon, with crown and royal robes and sceptre, bearing in his hands a book. adam is claimed by the mediæval herbalists as not only a tiller of the ground, but also as a student of botanical science, while solomon, we all remember, wrote a treatise that dealt with plants, from the lordly cedar to the lowly hyssop of the wall. above adam, in a pot, is a turk's-cap lily, and by his side is the fritillary, while solomon has associated with him the cyclamen and the crown imperial. the illustrations in the body of the book are very numerous and quaint, and, though the book, it will be remembered, is a history of rare plants, include such common things as the marsh marigold, the bindweed, and the yellow loosestrife. clusius, or charles d'ecluse, to give him his true name, was a dutch botanist, born , died . he was for some time the director of the botanical garden at vienna, and afterwards the professor of botany at leyden university, where he died. the herbal published by matthiolus at venice in the year is a particularly fine book. the illustrations are very large, very numerous, and very good. another interesting book to see is that of dodoens, translated by henry lyte, "armigeri, somersetensis, angli." the title-page of our copy of the work runs as follows:--"a nievve herball, or historie of plantes: vvherein is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers and sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of englande but of all others also of forrayne realmes commonly vsed in physicke. first set foorth in the doutche or almaigne tongue, by that learned d. rembert dodoens, physition to the emperour, and nowe first translated out of french into english, by henry lyte, esquyer. at london by me gerard dewes, dwelling in pawles churchyarde at the signe of the swanne, ." still earlier in time is "the vertuose boke of distyllacyon of the waters of all maner of herbes, first compyled by jherom bruynswyke, and now newly translated out of duyche, by lawrence andrew," the edition before us being published in london in the year . in we find the first appearance of turner's herbal, a book that was for a long time a standard authority. it is divided into three sections-- ( .) "a new herball, wherein are conteyned the names of herbes in greke, latin, englysh, duch, frenche, and in the potecaries and herbaries latin, with the properties, degrees, and naturall places of the same, gathered and made by wylliam turner, physicion unto the duke of somersettes grace, imprinted at london, by steven mierdman, anno . ( .) a book of the natures and properties as well as of the bathes of england as of other bathes in germany and italy, etc., by william turner, doctor of physik, imprinted at collen, by arnold birckman, in the year of our lorde, mdlxii. ( .) a most excellent and perfecte homish apothecarye, etc., translated out of the almaine speche into english, by john hollybush, imprinted at collen by arnold birckman, mdlxi." the latter part of this "homely physick booke for all the grefes and diseases of the bodye" was really the work, so far at least as translation went, of miles coverdale, the notable divine and translator of the bible, hollybush being merely a pseudonym. the only other quaint old tome that we need here refer to, though, of course, it must be clearly understood that we have named but a few of the delightful old books on plant-lore that have come down to us, is the somewhat specialised work of newton. its title is as follows:-- "an herbal for the bible, containing a plaine and familiar exposition of such similitudes, parables, and metaphors, both in the olde testament and the newe, as are borrowed and taken from herbs, plants, trees, fruits, and simples, by observation of their vertues, qualities, natures, properties, operations and effects: and by the holie prophets, sacred writers, christ himselfe, and his blessed apostles usually alledged, and into their heauenly oracles, for the better beautifieng and plainer opening of the same, profitably inserted. drawen into english by thomas newton, imprinted at london by edmund bollifant, ." the ambrosia often referred to by the old writers and by more modern poets was originally the food of the gods, nectar being the drink. it is in this sense referred to by homer and ovid, though afterwards the two ingredients of the olympian bill of fare became a good deal confused together; thus in the beautiful fable of cupid and psyche, in the "golden ass" of apuleius, we find jupiter conferred on psyche the gift of immortality by giving her a cup of ambrosia to drink. the term was also sometimes used as descriptive of anything delicious to the taste, fragrant in perfume, or welcome to the eye, from the idea that whatever was used by the immortals, associated with them as an attribute, or that would be grateful in any way to them must be surpassingly excellent. thus we read in the iliad of the "ambrosial curls" of zeus, a somewhat extreme case of departure from the ordinarily limited sense in which the word was most commonly used.[ ] as the word ambrosia means literally "not mortal," it could evidently in this more extended sense be applied by homer with perfect propriety to the curls or aught else that pertained to the ruler of olympus. [ ] "he spoke, and awful bends his sable brows, shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod, the stamp of fate and sanction of the god: high heaven with trembling the dread signal took, and all olympus to the centre shook." --_iliad_, book i. lines - . in the south kensington museum may be seen a picture by francis danby, bearing the title of "the upas-tree of the island of java." the whole picture is exceedingly dark, but one can just discern in the centre of it the form of a tree, and around this are human bodies and skeletons. the myth of the upas has been created on the very smallest data, and furnishes a striking example of how great a structure of error, not to say gross and wilful exaggeration, can be reared on a basis of truth. the neighbourhood of the tree is unhealthy, not on account of anything in the tree itself, but because it grows in the hot and humid valleys of java, rank with malaria and fever. a dutch physician, named foersch, published in a narrative of his visit to the island, and amongst his wild statements we find that where the upas grows "not a tree or blade of grass is to be found in the valley or the surrounding mountains, not a bird, beast, reptile, or living thing lives in its neighbourhood." he adds that "on one occasion refugees encamped within fourteen miles of it, and all but died within two months:" this might easily arise from the malarial vapours, but his picture of the tree standing in the midst of the desolation it had itself created is utterly at variance with the facts. so entirely do the actual facts belie the legend that nothing prospers in its neighbourhood, it is found in the midst of the rich vegetation of the tropics, while the birds perch in its ample branches, and the wild beasts prowl beneath them. so far is it from being the case, to quote one of our own poets, that "fierce in dead silence on the blasted heath fell upas sits, the hydra tree of death,"--the last relic of the marvellous is gone, when we recall the fact that thousands of holiday-makers have passed harmlessly through the hothouses at kew, where a specimen of the plant may be seen, and that the refugees from london more or less permanently encamped within a mile or two of it have so far escaped damage from its proximity. the upas belongs to the same family as the invaluable bread-fruit and cow-tree, but, instead of possessing their beneficent properties, yields, when wounded, a thick milky fluid of a very poisonous nature, and which is employed by the natives on their arrows and spear-heads with deadly effect. the first published account of the upas-tree will be found in de brys "india orientalis," but the scanty particulars of the earlier author become considerably amplified in sir thomas herbert's book of travels, published in london in the year , and entitled "relations of some yeares travaile." a little later on, in , we find the tree again referred to in the "description historique du royaume de macaçar" of father gervaise. the author, who had really resided in macassar for several years, affirms that the mere touch or smell of some of the poisons produced by the natives is sufficient to produce death, and one of the most deadly of these was said by him to be produced from the sap of the upas. he tells us that arrows dipped in this juice were as fatal in their effects twenty years afterwards as at their first preparation. in koempfer's book, published in the year , we have the plant again described; a large mixture of fable is at once apparent, but much of this he gives on the authority of the natives, and he takes occasion to express his strong doubts of their veracity. according to him, or them, the collection of the sap is attended with imminent peril, for not only must the seeker after the tree penetrate far into places infested with wild beasts, but he must, when he has found the object of his search, be careful to pierce it on the side from whence the wind blows, or he would quickly be suffocated by the noxious effluvia given forth when the tree is wounded. "lo! from one root, the envenomed soil below, a thousand vegetative serpents grow; in shining rays the scaly monster spreads o'er ten square leagues his far-diverging heads; or in one trunk entwists his tangled form, looks o'er the clouds and hisses in the storm. steeped in fell poison, as his sharp teeth part, a thousand tongues in quick vibration dart; snatch the proud eagle towering o'er the heath, or pounce the lion, as he stalks beneath; or strew, as marshall'd hosts contend in vain, with human skeletons the whitened plain." apart from the evil influence exerted on europeans by climatic and miasmatic drawbacks, the mountain of mystery that has been reared around the dread name of upas has but little foundation in fact. its juice is very plentifully yielded, and is of a virulently poisonous character, and even its smell is injurious. in clearing ground near the upas the natives dread to approach it on this account; but unless the trunk is severely wounded or the tree felled the injurious effects are in the imagination only, and the tree may be approached or ascended with impunity. the upas is one of the largest of the forest trees of java, and it is surrounded as other trees are with the usual sturdy vegetation of the tropical wilderness. the rev. dr. parker, a well-known missionary in madagascar, gives a description of two trees that recall in their detail much that has hitherto in an especial degree been ascribed to the upas. in both these species the leaf is spear-head shaped, dark green in colour, very glossy in surface, and very hard and brittle to the touch, and both exude a thick milky juice, while the fruit is like a long black pod, the end being red. one species is a tree with large leaves and a somewhat peculiar stem, as the bark hangs down in long flakes and shows a fresh growth of bark forming beneath and preparing to take the place of the old bark as it falls. the other species is a shrub, with smaller leaves, and the bark not peeling off the stem. both species are said to possess the power of poisoning any living creatures that approach them, the symptoms of poisoning being severe headache, bloodshot eyes, and a delirium that is presently hushed in death. these trees are natives of zululand, and only a few persons are believed to have the power of collecting the fruits of the umdhlebi, and these dare not approach the tree except from the windward side. they also sacrifice a goat or sheep to the demon of the tree. the fruit is collected for the purpose of being used as an antidote to the poisonous effects of the tree from whence they fall, for only the fallen fruit may be collected. as regards habitat, these trees grow on all kinds of soil, but the tree-like species prefers barren and rocky ground. in consequence of the fears of the natives the country around one of these trees is always uninhabited, although in other respects fertile and desirable. in persia, we are told, there is a plant, the kerzereh flower, that loads the air with deathly odour, and that if a man inhales the hot south wind that passes over these flowers during june and july it kills him. moore, in his poem of "the veiled prophet of khorassan," alludes to this belief in the lines-- "with her hands clasp'd, her lips apart and pale, the maid had stood, gazing upon the veil from whence these words, like south winds through a fence of kerzrah flowers, came filled with pestilence." the mandrake, a plant belonging to the same natural order as the deadly nightshade, henbane, and thorn-apple, had in the middle ages many mystic properties assigned to it. the roots are often forked, and when either by nature or art they could be supposed to roughly resemble a man it was looked upon as a talisman securing good fortune to its possessor. the belief in the narcotic and stupefying properties of the plant is referred to in shakespeare's "antony and cleopatra," in the lines-- "give me to drink mandragora that i might sleep out this great gap of time my antony is away"-- and again in "othello"-- "not poppy, not mandragora, nor all the drowsy syrups of the world shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep." the victories of the maid of orleans over the english were ascribed to her possession of a mandrake root. gerarde, writing in the year , says that the root is long and thick, and divided into two or three parts; but as to its resemblance to a man, "it is no otherwise than in the roots of carrots, parsnips and such like forked or divided into two or more parts, which nature taketh no account of. there hath been many ridiculous tales brought up of this plant, whether of old wiues or some runnagate surgeons or physicke-mongers i know not, but sure some one or more that sought to make themselves famous and skilful aboue others were the first broachers of that error. they adde further, that it is never or very seldome to be found growing naturally but under a gallows.[ ] they fable further and affirme that he who would take vp a plant thereof must tie a dog there unto to pull it up, which will giue a great shreeke at the digging vp, otherwise if a man should do it he should surely die in short space after. all of which dreames and old wiues fables you shall from henceforth cast out from your books and memory, knowing this that they are all and euery part of them false and most untrue, for i my selfe and my seruants also have digged up, planted and replanted very many and yet could neuer perceiue shape of man. but the idle drones that have little or nothing to do but to eat and drink have bestowed some of their time in carving the roots of brionie, which falsifying practice had confirmed the errour amongst the simple and unlearned people who haue taken them upon their report to be the true mandrakes."[ ] parkinson in like manner, in his "theater of plants," published in , writes, after describing the plant:--"those idle forms of the mandrakes which have beene exposed to view publikely both in ours and other lands and countries are utterly deceitful, being the work of cuning knaves, onely to get money by their forgery: do not misdoubt of this relation no more than you would of any other plant set downe in this booke, for it is the plaine truth whereon everyone may relie." the cry of the mandrake is several times referred to by shakespeare and others of our poets; thus in "romeo and juliet" we get the line-- "shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth"-- and in the second part of "king henry vi." suffolk exclaims-- "would curses kill, as doth the mandrake's groan." [ ] "it is supposed to be a creature having life, engendered under the earth of some dead person, put to death for murder."--thomas newton, "herball to the bible." [ ] "like a man made after supper of a cheese paring; when he was naked he was for all the world like a forked radish, with a head fantastically carved upon it with a knife."--second part of "king henry iv.," act iii. scene . it was believed that a small dose of the mandrake made persons proud of their beauty, but that a larger quantity deprived them of their senses still more completely, and made them yet more effectually idiots. dr. browne, in his gallant crusade against popular errors, says that the resemblance of the mandrake to the human form "is a conceit not to be made out by ordinary inspection, or any other eyes than such as regarding the clouds behold them in shapes conformable to pre-apprehension;" and as to the danger of gathering the plant, he justly holds it "a conceit not only injurious unto truth and confutable by daily experience, but somewhat derogatory to the providence of god: that is, not only to impose so destructive a quality on any plant, but conceive a vegetable whose parts are useful unto many should in the only taking up prove mortall unto any. to think he suffereth the poison of nubia to be gathered, yet not this to be moved! that he permitteth arsenick and minerall poisons to be forced from the bowells of the earth, yet not this from the surface thereof! this were to introduce a second forbidden fruit and inhance the first malediction; making it not only mortal for adam to taste the one, but capitall unto his posterity to eradicate the other." the orthodox way of plucking up the mandrake was to stand to the windward of it and, after drawing three circles round it with a naked sword to dig it up with one's face looking to the west; the shrieks that would follow were in any case a trial to weak nerves, and at an earlier period were held to be fatal to the hearer. philip de thaun gives the following stratagem as the only available way of becoming the possessor of it:--"the man who is to gather it must fly round about it, must take great care that he does not touch it, then let him take a dog and let it be tied to it, which has been close shut up, and has fasted for three days, and let it be shewn bread and called from afar. the dog will draw it to him, the root will break, it will send forth a cry, and the dog will fall down dead at the cry which he will hear. such vertue this herb has that no one can hear it but he must always die, and if the man heard it he would directly die. therefore he must stop his ears, and take care that he hear not the cry lest he die, as the dog will do which shall hear it. when one has this root it is of great value for medicine, for it cures of every infirmity except only death, where there is no help." the office of the herbalist was no sinecure when such a task could be expected of him, as great care had to be exercised not to touch the plant. the tying-up of the dog to it must have been particularly risky, and the consequences of the dog making a premature rush for the bread before the man had time to stop his ears were especially alarming. the writings of de thaun are full of interesting matter, but his great object was to see in nature figures and symbols of religious truths, hence his narratives have often a somewhat forced character. thus he tells us that "in india there is a tree of which the fruit is so sweet that the doves of the earth go seeking it above all things, they eat the fruit of it, seat themselves in the tree, they are in repose as long as they are sheltered by it. there is a dragon in the earth which makes war on the birds; the dragon fears so much the tree, that on no acconnt dare it approach it or touch the shadow, but it goes round at a distance, and, if it can, does them injury. if the shadow is to the right then it goes to the left, if it is to the left the dragon goes to the right. the doves have so much understanding which are above in the tree when they see the dragon go all around, which goes watching them, but it does them no harm, nor will they ever have any harm as long as they are in the tree, but when they leave the tree and depart, and the dragon shall come then, it will kill them. this is a great meaning, have it in remembrance." this indian tree stands not obscurely for the saviour of the world, while the doves are his faithful ones sheltered in him from the wiles of the evil one. when we read story after story all equally _apropos_, we cannot help feeling that a pious fraud has now and then been indulged in, and the comely whole has been attained by a little judicious pruning in one direction, and a little forcing in another, and thus we lose faith in them, at least as examples of the current beliefs of our forefathers. the arabs call the mandrake the devil's candle, from a belief that the leaves give out at night a phosphorescent light; and moore, with his usual felicity, has introduced the idea in his poem of the "fire-worshippers:"-- "how shall she dare to lift her head, or meet those eyes, whose scorching glare not yeman's boldest sons can bear? in whose red beam, the moslem tells, such rank and deadly lustre dwells, as in those hellish fires that light the mandrake's charnel leaves at night." another old name for the plant was the enchanter's nightshade, though that very suggestive and rather awe-inspiring title has in these later days become somehow transferred to a very insignificant weed that is common enough in some old gardens and on waste ground, but which is all too small to bear so formidable a title. the hebrew word _dudaim_ has, in genesis and in the song of solomon, been translated in the authorised english version of the bible as the mandrake, but this would appear to be nothing more than a guess, various commentators, calmet, hasselquist, and others who have written on the subject, not being by any means unanimous. some tell us that the term is a general one for flowers, while others translate it as lilies, violets, or jessamine, or as figs, mushrooms, bananas, citrons, or melons. whence we may fairly conclude that no one really knows, and that the whole matter resolves itself into a guess, fortified more or less by dogmatic assertion as a make-weight for the missing knowledge. one of the most interesting of the old books on our shelves is the "miracles of art and nature, or a brief description of the several varieties of birds, beasts, fishes, plants and fruits of other countreys, together with several other remarkable things in the world, by r. b. gent." the author's name thus modestly veiled is burton, and the date of the book is . in his preface he says--"i think there is not a chapter wherein thou wilt not find various and remarkable things worth thy observation," and this observation of his is strictly within the truth. he arranges his short chapters geographically, but in the most arbitrary way--not alphabetically, not according to the natural grouping together of the countries of which he treats, nor indeed according to any settled method. in fact, he is sufficiently conscious of this, for, to quote his preface again, he says--"'tis probable they are _not_ so methodically disposed as some hands might have done, yet for variety and pleasure sake they are pleasingly enough intermixed." we open the book at random and find "chap. xx., castile in spain; xxi., norway; xxii., zisca of bohemia; xxiii., assiria; xxiv., quivira in california." adopting his own random and haphazard way of going to work, we will pluck from his quaint pages some few of his botanical facts and fancies. his opening chapter deals with egypt, and in his description of the palm-tree he refers to a very old belief that we may allow him to set forth in his own words:--"it is the nature of this tree though never so ponderous a weight were put upon it not to yield to the burthen, but still to resist the heaviness, and endeavour to raise itself the more upward. for this cause planted in churchyards in the eastern countrys as an emblem of the resurrection." a little further on, in his description of sumatra, we read of "a tree whose western part is said to be rank poyson and the eastern part an excellent preservative against it," and of "a sort of fruit that whosoever eateth of it, is for the space of twelve hours out of his wits." travellers' tales have sometimes proverbially been difficult of belief, and it must have been some such as these that procured them their evil report, for we read too that in this same island "there is a river plentifully stored with fish, whose water is so hot that it scalds the skin," and that "the cocks have a hole in their backs, wherein the hen lays her eggs and hatches her young ones." a few pages further on we read of a tree in peru, "the north part whereof looking towards the mountains, brings forth its fruits in the summer only; the southern part looking towards the sea, fruitful only in winter." our old author evidently delights in sharp contrasts. it is curious, however, that the coca-leaf, which has within the last few years been highly commended for those who have exhausting exercise, is in this book of over years old fully referred to:--"the leaves whereof being dried and formed into little pellets are exceedingly useful in a journey; for melting in the mouth they satisfie both hunger and thirst and preserve a man in his strength, and his spirits in vigour; and are generally esteemed of such sovereign use, that it is thought no less than , baskets full of the leaves of this tree are sold yearly at the mines of potosia only. another plant they tell us of, though there is no name found for it, which if put into the hands of a sick person will instantly discover whether he be like to live or dye. for if on the pressing it in his hand he look merry and cheerful it is an assured sign of his recovery, as on the other side of death, if sad and troubled." a few pages further on we find ourselves at sodom and the dead sea:--"if but an aple grow near it, it is by nature such that it speaks the anger of god: for without 'tis beautiful and red, but within nothing but dusty smoak and cinders." this belief is a very ancient one. we find it, for instance, in the writings of tacitus, and it has supplied moralists in all ages with an illustration. in "the merchant of venice," for instance, we find the lines-- "a goodly apple rotten at the heart. o, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"-- and again in "childe harold"-- "like to the apples on the dead sea's shore, all ashes to the taste." the apple has indeed entered largely into history and legend. according to some writers the forbidden fruit of eden was a kind of apple, and the _pomum adami_ in one's throat may be accepted as a record of the old belief. "the fruit of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our woe." our readers, too, will recall the golden apple of discord that created strife alike on high olympus and amongst the sons of men, and that led to the fall of troy. on the other hand, we read of the apple of perpetual youth in scandinavian mythology, the food of the gods; and in the "arabian nights" of the apples of samarkand that would cure all diseases. the apples of istkahar were all sweetness on one side, all bitterness on the other; while sir john mandeville tells us that the pigmies were fed with the odour alone of the apples of pyban. amidst this maze of fancy and legend it would perhaps be scarcely fair to even mention the more historic apple that fell at woolsthorpe at the feet of newton, and set his mind thinking on the problem of gravitation.[ ] [ ] we remember some time ago an interesting article by dr. adolf dux, entitled "la tombe du savant" appearing in the "pester lloyd." the savant was bolyai, professor of mathematics and physics at maros-vásárhely. no statue, no marble mausoleum with sides covered with laudatory inscriptions, marks the place where he lies, but the tomb, by its occupant's strict direction, is overshadowed by the boughs of an apple-tree--"en souvenir des trois pommes qui out joué un rôle si important dans l'histoire de l'humanité, et il désignait ainsi la pomme d'Ève, et celle de pâris qui réduisirent la terre à l'esclavage, et la pomme de newton, qui la replaça au rang des astres." strangely enough, when dr. dux visited the tomb there hung on the tree just three apples--"ni plus ni moins." at crete our old author, burton, finds a plant called alimos, which it is only necessary to chew to take away all sense of hunger for a whole day; but this wonder pales before those of the flora of nova hispania, the country we now call mexico. "amongst the rarities of nova hispania, though there be many plants in it of singuler nature, is mentioned that which they call eagney or meto, said to be one of the principal: a tree which they both plant and dress as we do our vines; it hath on it kinds of leaves, fit for several uses; for when they be tender they make of them conserves, paper, flax, mantles, mats, shoes, girdles and cordage, upon them they grow divers prickles so strong and sharp that the people use them instead of staws." what staws may be we cannot say, so we must be content to know that meto thorns make a very efficient substitute, and are for all practical purposes as good as having the real thing. "from the top of the tree cometh a juice like syrrup, which if you seeth it will become honey; if purified, sugar; the bark of it maketh a good plaister and from the highest of the boughs comes a kind of gum, a soveraigne antidote against poysons." the tree furnishes at once costume and confection, antidote and rope, and we can hardly wonder at the people of new spain setting considerable store by it. it would be curious to see the forms of the forty leaves; we can well imagine that a plant suggesting about equally by its foliage the rose, palm, bullrush, buttercup, cactus, horse-chestnut, and thirty-four other plants would give our botanists some little difficulty before it got definitely assigned its just place. brazil, like mexico, is a very large place, and a very long way off, and two hundred years ago the royal mail steam-packet company was a thing of the far future; there was therefore abundant room for play of the imagination; thus we read of a kind of corn "which is continually growing and always ripe; nor never wholly ripe, because always growing;" and of another plant that yields so sovereign a balm that "the very beasts being bitten by venomous serpents resort to it for their cure." it is interesting, amongst the other strange wonders, animal and vegetable, that are duly set forth, to come across a plant that must be very familiar to most persons, the sensitive plant, the _mimosa sensitiva_ of brazil, though in his description of it our author cannot resist an added touch of the marvellous, imputing to it a power of observation that later writers would hesitate to confirm, for he says--"the herb viva when roughly touched will close the leaves, and not open them again until the man that had offended it had got out of sight." we must not, however, devote more attention to "r. b. gent," great as the temptation to do so may be, for his book is a perfect mine of the marvellous. another curious old book to ponder over awhile is the english dictionary of henry cockeram, as he certainly produces some extraordinary illustrations of unnatural history. the book was published in the year , and did not profess to deal with scientific matters alone, but was, to use the author's own language, "an interpreter of hard english words, enabling as well ladies and gentlewomen, young scholars, clerks, merchants, as also strangers of any nation, to the understanding of the more difficult authors already printed in our language, and the more speedy attaining of an elegant perfection of the english tongue." amongst these hard english words sadly needing an interpretation we will select but five as a sample of the whole:--"achemedis, an herb which being cast into an army in time of battle causeth the soldiers to be in fear." this probably would be some kind of runner. "anacramseros, an herb, the touch thereof causeth love to grow betwixt man and man." "hippice, an herb borne in one's mouth, keeps one from hunger and thirst." "ophyasta, an herb dangerous to look on, and being drunke it doth terrifie the inside with a sight of dreadful serpents, that condemned persons for fear thereof do kill themselves." "gelotaphilois, an herb drunk with wine and myrrh, causeth much laughter." amidst the mist of error some few men declined to believe quite all that they were told, but exercised for themselves the right of individual judgment. the book we have just referred to was published, as we have seen, in the year , and abounds in strange imaginings; yet five years before this we find a still better-known book, "the pseudodoxia epidemica, or enquiries into very many received tenants and commonly presumed truths" of dr. browne. the list of commonly presumed truths he ventures to dispute is a very long one, and includes such items of faith as that a diamond is made soft if placed in the blood of a goat, that a pailful of ashes will contain as much water as it would without them, that the two legs on one side of a badger are shorter than the two on the other side, and so on. as he approaches the vegetable kingdom he prefaces his remarks as follows:--"we omit to recite the many vertues and endlesse faculties ascribed unto plants which sometimes occurre in grave and serious authors, and we shall make a bad transaction for truth to concede a verity in half. swarms of others there are, some whereof our future endeavours may discover; common reason i hope will save us a labour in many whose absurdities stand naked in every eye, errors not able to deceive the emblem of justice and need no argus to descry them. herein there surely wants expurgatory animadversions whereby we might strike out great numbers of hidden qualities, and having once a serious and conceded list we might with more encouragement and safety attempt their reasons." on turning to the list of "vertues" in any old herbal, we find, as browne says, "endlesse faculties ascribed, and many of them of a character that woulde we should have imagined have been, during even the darkest ages, difficult or impossible of credence." thus in gerarde's herbal published in , we find amongst our british plants one available "against the biting of the sea-dragon," two more "a remedy against the poyson of the sea-hare," one "against vaine imaginations," another "an especial remedy against the nightmare," and no less than thirty-eight preservatives "against the bitings of serpents." we will, however, confine ourselves to three illustrative instances of the way in which the author of these inquiries into various received beliefs proceeds to demolish them. he says, in the first place, that "many things are delivered and believed of plants wherein at least we cannot but suspend. that there is a property in basil to propagate scorpions and that by the smell thereof they are bred in the brains of men is a belief much advanced by hollerius, who found this insect in the brains of a man that delighted much in this smell. wherein besides that we finde no way to conjoin the effect unto the cause assigned herein the moderns speak but timorously, and some of the ancients quite contrarily. for according unto oribasius, physitian unto julian, the africans, men best experienced in poisons, affirm whosoever hath eaten basil although he be stung with a scorpion shall feel no pain thereby; which is a very different effect, and rather antidotally destroying than promoting its production." pliny and other ancient writers mention the old belief that the bay-tree, the tree of apollo, was a preservative against thunder, or rather against lightning; hence tiberius and some other of the roman emperors wore a wreath of bay as an amulet; and in an old english play we find the lines-- "reach the bays, i'll tie a garland here about his head, 'twill keep my boy from lightning." browne discourses on the point as follows:--"that bayes will protect from the mischief of lightning and thunder is a quality ascribed thereto, common with the fig tree, eagle and skin of a seale. against so famous a quality vicomercatus produceth experiments of a bay-tree blasted in italy, and therefore although tiberius for this interest did wear a laurell about his temples yet did augustus take a more probable course, who fled under arches and hollow vaults for protection." a most unimperial picture this, great cæsar deserting his throne and shutting himself up in his wine-cellar when he heard the distant rumbling of the coming storm. "if we consider the three-fold effect of jupiter's trisulk, to burn, discusse, and terebrate, and if that be true which is commonly delivered, that it will melt the blade yet passe the scabbard, dry up the wine yet leave the hog's head entire, though it favour the amulet it may not spare us; it will be unwise to rely on any preservative, 'tis no security to be dipped in styx or clad in the armour of ceneus."[ ] [ ] appendix t. there are many curious legends associated with plants in classic mythology, such as the metamorphoses of various lucky or unlucky persons who gained the favour or incurred the wrath of the gods, and were in consequence punished or rewarded by finding themselves laurel-bushes and the like; but all this is duly set forth in any mythological dictionary, and may be there hunted up quite readily by the curious. other legends are associated with religious symbolism, such as the belief that the palm-tree cannot be bowed down to earth, but stands erect, no matter how heavily weighted; but if we were once to enter upon this most interesting subject, the preceding pages of our book would be but a small fragment indeed of all that it would be possible to introduce. [illustration: {the palm}] a very good illustration of the symbolic use of the palm-tree may be seen on the frontispiece of the "eikon basilike," published in the year . the "royal martyr" kneels before a table on which is placed a bible. in his hand he has taken a crown of thorns, marked "gratia;" at his feet is the royal crown of england, with the inscription "vanitas," while in the air above him is a starry crown marked "gloria." outside the room we see a landscape. conspicuous in the foreground is a palm-tree standing erect with two heavy weights tied to it, and the legend, "crescit sub pondere virtus;" while beyond this is a raging sea and a rock rising from its midst, with the legend, "immota triumphans." the sky is black with rolling clouds, and on either side of the rock we see dark faces in the clouds blowing vehemently against it. beneath is the "explanation of the embleme" in two columns, the one latin and the other in the vulgar tongue. the english is as follows:-- "though clogged with weights of miseries palm-like depressed i higher rise. and as th' immoved rock outbraves the boist'rous windes and raging waves, so triumph i. and shine more bright in sad affliction's darksom night. that splendid, but yet toilsom crown regardlessly i trample down. with joie i take this crown of thorn, though sharp yet easie to be born. that heavenlie crown, already mine, i view with eies of faith divine. i slight vain things and do embrace glorie, the just reward of grace." this belief in the impossibility of depriving the palm-tree of its power of upward growth made it a rather popular emblem with those who thought themselves rather "put upon" by fortune or the lack of appreciation from their fellows. mary stuart, for example, selected as one of her badges the palm-tree, with the motto, "ponderibus virtus innata resistit," and other illustrations of the old belief might readily be brought forward. as these plants, too, whether associated with mythology or religious or other symbolism, are not in themselves fabulous, but are actual laurels, palms, or the like, they need scarcely be dwelt upon at any length in these pages, as our purpose has been rather to deal with forms wholly mythical than to enter with any degree of fulness into the mythical beliefs that have grown round forms in themselves natural. we cannot, in conclusion, do better, we are sure, than transfer bodily to our book the appeal to the reader that appears on the title-page of a quaint little black-letter treatise published in the year --the "boke of husbandry" by one fitzherbert:-- "go thou lytell boke, with due reuerence and with an humble hert, recommend me to all those, that of theyr beneuolence thys lytell treatyse doth rede heare or se wherewith i praye them contented to be, and to amende it in place behouable where as i haue fauted or be culpable-- for herde it is, a man to attayne to make a thynge perfyte at the first sighte but whan it is red and well ouer seene fautes may be founde that neuer came to lyght though the maker do his diligence and might praying them to take it as i haue intended and to forgiue me yf i haue offended." [decoration] [decoration] appendix. a. the life and death of st. george, as generally accepted, are so different to the details given by gibbon in his "history of the decline and fall of the roman empire," that we give, as a foil, a sketch of the latter as well. from gibbon it would appear that george, surnamed the cappadocian, was born in cilicia in a fuller's shop, that he raised himself from this obscure origin by his talents as a parasite, and that those whom he so shamelessly flattered and assiduously fawned on repaid their worthless dependent by procuring for him lucrative contracts to supply the army with bacon and other stores. herein he accumulated, as some other army contractors have done since, a vast sum of money by the basest acts of fraud and corruption, until matters became so bad and his shortcomings so notorious that he absconded with his ill-gotten gains. after the disgrace attached to this had in some measure subsided, we next find him embracing, with real or affected zeal, the doctrines of arianism, and on the death of the archbishop athanasius the prevailing faction promoted the ex-contractor to the vacant chair. he had scarcely been established in this high and responsible office ere he sullied the dignity of his position by acts of the greatest cruelty against those who differed from him, and by the development anew of the keenest avarice. he asserted for himself the right to various important monopolies, and impoverished the state while he enriched himself by alone supplying salt, paper, and various other necessaries. the people at length rose in rebellion, and on the accession of julian he lost the high support that had hitherto, by aid of the civil and military power of the state, maintained him in his position. he was ignominiously dragged in chains to the public prison, and the mob, impatient of the delays of the law, or apprehensive that he might use his wealth and influence to stifle inquiry, presently forced open the gates and tore him to pieces. the church was at that time an arena of fierce dissension between the arians and athanasians, and his followers, conveniently ignoring the facts of his life, asserted that the rival party in the church had stirred up the strife against him. he received the just reward of his tyranny, or possibly the saintly crown of the martyr for his faith, in the year , and in pope gelasius formally and officially admitted his claim to a position amongst the saints of the church. we find him held in great reverence in the sixth century in palestine, armenia, and rome. his fame was brought home from the east by the crusaders, and his popularity in england dates from that time. so much party feeling has clustered around the matter, and so many learned authorities have been drawn up on one side or the other, that we can only feel that no real verdict one way or the other is now possible. b. as we have already in the body of the text given in full detail the accepted prose version of the conflict of st. george with the dragon, it seemed scarcely advisable to repeat these details in metrical form. as we feel, at the same time, that such old ballads will probably possess interest for some, at least, of our readers, we, instead of banishing the story from our book entirely, dismiss it to the appendix merely, where it can be equally readily read or ignored in accordance with individual tastes. the ballad, as given in dr. percy's "reliques," is based on ancient black-letter copies in the pepys collection. in the original the poem is forty-four verses long, but we content ourselves with those that relate to the combat with the dragon, and leave out those that affect what may be termed the politics of the court, the promise of the maiden to the hero, the subsequent endeavours to evade the bargain, and the various consequences to st. george and others that arose from this breach of faith:-- "of hector's deeds did homer sing, and of the sack of stately troy, what griefs fair hélena did bring, which was sir paris' only joy: and by my pen i will recite st. george's deeds, an english knight. against the sarazens so rude fought he full well and many a day; where many gyants he subdued, in honour of the christian way: and after many adventures past to egypt land he came at last. now as the story plain doth tell, within that countrey there did rest a dreadful dragon fierce and fell, whereby they were full sore opprest, who by his poisonous breath each day, did many of the city slay. the grief whereof did grow so great throughout the limits of the land, that they their wise men did entreat to show their cunning out of hand; which way they might this fiend destroy, that did the country thus annoy. the wise men all before the king this answer framed incontinent; the dragon none to death might bring by any means they could invent: his skin more hard than brass was found, that sword nor spear could pierce nor wound. when this the people understood, they cryed out most piteouslye, the dragon's breath infects their blood, that every day in heaps they dye: among them such a plague it bred, the living scarce could bury the dead. no means there were, as they could hear, for to appease the dragon's rage, but to present some virgin dear, whose blood his fury might assuage; each day he would a maiden eat, for to allay his hunger great. this thing by art the wise men found, which truly must observed be; wherefore throughout the city round a virgin pure of good degree was by the king's commission still taken up to serve the dragon's will. thus did the dragon every day untimely crop some virgin flower, till all the maids were worn away, and none were left him to devour: saving the king's fair daughter bright, her father's only heart's delight. then came the officers to the king that heavy message to declare, which did his heart with sorrow sting; she is, quoth he, my kingdom's heir: o let us all be poisoned here, ere she should die, that is my dear. then rose the people presently, and to the king in rage they went; they said his daughter deare should dye, the dragon's fury to prevent: our daughters all are dead, quoth they, and have been made the dragon's prey: and by their blood we rescued were, and thou hast saved thy life thereby; and now in sooth it is but faire, for us thy daughter so should die. o save my daughter, said the king; and let me feel the dragon's sting. then fell fair sabra on her knee, and to her father dear did say, o father strive not thus for me, but let me be the dragon's prey; it may be for my sake alone this plague upon the land was thrown. 'tis better i should dye, she said, than all your subjects perish quite; perhaps the dragon here was laid, for my offence to work his spite: and after he hath sucked my gore your land shall feel the grief no more. what hast thou done, my daughter dear, for to deserve this heavy scourge? it is my fault, as may appear, which makes the gods our state to purge: then ought i die, to stint the strife, and to preserve thy happy life. like madmen, all the people cried, thy death to us can do no good; our safety only doth abide in making her the dragon's food. lo, here i am, i come, quoth she, therefore do what you will with me. nay stay, dear daughter, quoth the queen, and as thou art a virgin bright, thou hast for vertue famous been, so let me cloath thee all in white; and crown thy head with flowers sweet, an ornament for virgins meet. and when she was attired so, according to her mother's mind, unto the stake she then did go; to which her tender limbs they bind: and being bound to stake and thrall she bade farewell unto them all. farewell, my father dear, quoth she, and my sweet mother meek and mild; take you no thought nor weep for me, for you may have another child: since for my country's good i dye, death i receive most willinglye. the king and queen and all their train with weeping eyes went then their way, and let their daughter there remain, to be the hungry dragon's prey; but as she did there weeping lye, behold st. george came riding by. and seeing there a lady bright so rudely tyed unto a stake, as well became a valiant knight, he straight to her his way did take: tell me, sweet maiden, then quoth he, what caitiff thus abuseth thee? and, lo, by christ his cross i vow, which here is figured on my breast, i will revenge it on his brow, and break my lance upon his chest: and speaking thus whereas he stood, the dragon issued from the wood. the lady that did first espy the dreadful dragon coming so, unto st. george aloud did cry and willed him away to go; here comes that cursed fiend, quoth she, that soon will make an end of me. st. george then looking round about, the fiery dragon soon espied, and like a knight of courage stout, against him did most fiercely ride; and with such blows he did him greet, he fell beneath his horse's feet. for with his lance that was so strong, as he came gaping in his face, in at his mouth he thrust along, for he could pierce no other place; and thus within the lady's view this mighty dragon straight he slew. the favour of his poisoned breath could do this holy knight no harm; thus he the lady saved from death, and home he led her by the arm: which when king ptolemy did see, there was great mirth and melody." c. in hippeau's comments on the non-reliability of much of the natural history of guillaume he points out that not only was it difficult for these early writers to ascertain the truth, but that the truth in its lower sense was not really much striven after or valued. he says--"n'oublions pas que les pères de l'Église se préoccupèrent toujours beaucoup plus de la pureté des doctrines qu'ils avaient à développer, que de l'exactitude scientifique des notions sur lesquelles ils les appuyaient. l'object important pour nous, dit saint augustin (ps. cii., àpropos de l'aigle, qui disait-on, brise contre la pierre l'éxtrémité de son bec devenue trop long) est de considérer la signification d'un fait et non d'en discuter l'authenticité. "dans la vaste étendue des cieux, au sien des mers profondes, sur tous les points du globe terrestre, il n'est pas un phénomène, pas une étoile, pas un quadrupède, pas un oiseau, pas une plante, pas une pierre, qui n'éveille quelque souvenir biblique, qui ne fournisse la matière d'un enseignement moral, qui ne donne lieu à quelqu' effusion du coeur, qui n'ait à révéler quelque secret de dieu." d. the palm was by old writers called the phoenix-tree, and in greek the same word is used to express both the bird and the tree. "_sebastian._ now i will believe that there are unicorns; that in arabia there is one tree, the phoenix' throne; one phoenix at this hour reigning there. _antonio._ i'll believe both; and what does else want credit come to me, and i'll be sworn 'tis true; travellers ne'er did lie, though fools at home condemn them."--_tempest._ e. "the story of guy is so obscured with fable that it is difficult to ascertain its authenticity. he was the hero of succeeding earls of warwick. william beauchamp called his eldest son after him. thomas by his last will bequeathed the sword and coat-of-mail of this worthy to his son. another christened a younger son after him, and dedicated to him a noble tower, whose walls are ten feet thick, the circumference , and the height feet from the bottom of the ditch. another left as an heirloom to his family a suit of arras wrought with his story. his sword and armour, now to be seen in warwick castle, were by patent, henry viii., granted to william hoggeson, yeoman of the battery, with a fee of d. per day. in the porter's lodge at the castle they still show his porridge-pot, flesh-fork, iron shield, breastplate and sword, horse furniture, walking staff nine feet high, and even a rib of the dun cow which he pretended to have killed on dunsmore heath. in short, his fame and spirit seem to have inspired his successors, for from the conquest to the death of ambrose dudley there was scarce a scene of action in which the earls of warwick did not make a considerable figure."--_camden's britannia_, vol. ii., . f. of the "bestiary" of philip de thaun only one copy of the ms. is known, that in the cottonian collection, though of another of his quaint treatises, the "livre des créatures," there are seven copies extant. three of these are in the vatican library, and in england one may be seen in the sloane library, and another in the cottonian. the author had as his great patron adelaide of louvain, the second queen of king henry i. he dedicates his "bestiary" to her in the following lines:-- "philippe de thaun into the french language has translated the bestiary, a book of science, for the honour of a jewel who is a very handsome woman, aliz is she named, a queen is she crowned, queen is she of england, may her soul never have trouble." his poems are the earliest examples extant of the anglo-norman language; we give herewith an illustration of it, the translation being from the excellent reproduction of the book by thomas wright, f.s.a.:-- "en un livre divin, que apelum genesim, iloc lisant truvum quæ dés fist par raisum le soleil e la lune, e esteile chescune. pur cel me plaist à dire d'ico est ma materie, que demusterai e à clers e à lai, chi grant busuin en unt, e pur mei perierunt. car unc ne fud loée escience celée; pur ço me plaist à dire, ore i seit li veir sire!" "in a divine book, which is called genesis there reading, we find that god made by reason the sun and the moon, and every star. on this account it pleases me to speak, of this is my matter, which i will show both to clerks and to laics, who have great need of it, and will perish without it. for science hidden was never praised; therefore it pleases me to speak, now may the true lord be with it." g. as the limited space at our disposal prevents anything like an exhaustive account of the wonders narrated by mandeville and others, we give the titles of some few old works, in case the reader may care to dive into them at greater length than is here at all possible. the first we would mention is richard hackluyt's black-letter folio, published in . its full title runs as follows:--"the principal navigations; voiages and discoveries of the english nation, made by sea or over land to the most remote and farthest distant quarters of the earth at any time within the compasse of these yeeres." another is "purchas his pilgrimage, or relations of the world, asia, africa and america and the ilands adiacent," published in london in the year ; a very quaint and interesting old book. the "ortus sanitatis" is another very curious old black-letter volume, dealing with animals, plants, &c., and richly illustrated with very remarkable woodcuts. to these we may add marco polo's travels in the thirteenth century, detailing the observations of this early traveller on many remarkable places and things seen or heard of by him, chiefly in the east. struy's "perillous and most unhappy voyages through moscovia, tartary, italy, greece, persia, japan," &c., is another interesting old volume. it was published in the year , and is illustrated by divers curious plates. to this list we need only add the "natvrall and morall historie of the east and west indies," by joseph acosta; . "intreating of the remarkable things of heaven, of the elements, mettalls, plants, and beasts which are proper to that country." where we have given a date it is simply that of the copy that has come under our own cognisance: many of these works were of sufficient popularity to run through several editions, sometimes several years apart; nevertheless the dates we give will give an approximate notion that is decidedly better than nothing. this list might readily be extended tenfold. h. the sphinx is described in bacon's book, "the wisdom of the ancients, written in latin by the right honourable sir francis bacon knt. baron of verulam and lord chancellor of england, and done into english by sir arthur gorges knt." after narrating the story, he expounds it as follows:--"this fable contains in it no less wisdom than elegancy, and it seems to point at science, especially that which is joyn'd with practice, for science may not absurdly be call'd a monster, as being by the ignorant and rude multitude always held in admiration. it is diverse in shape and figure by reason of the infinite variety of subjects wherein it is conversant. a maiden face and voice is attributed unto it for its gracious countenance and volubility of tongue. wings are added, because sciences and their inventions do pass and fly from one to another, as it were in a moment, seeing that the communication of science is as the kindling of one light at another. elegantly also it is feigned to have sharp and hooked talons, because the axioms and arguments of science do fasten so upon the mind, and so strongly apprehend and hold it, as that it stir not nor evade, which is noted also by the divine philosopher--the words of the wise are as goads and nails driven far in. moreover, all science seems to be placed in steep and high mountains, as being thought to be a lofty and high thing, looking down upon ignorance with a scornful eye. it may be observed and seen also a great way, and far in compass, as things set on the tops of mountains. furthermore, science may well be feigned to beset the high-way, because which way soever we turn in this progress and pilgrimage of human life we meet with some matter or occasion offered for contemplation. sphynx is said to have received from the muses divers difficult questions and riddles, and to propound them unto men, which remaining with the muses are free (it may be) from savage cruelty; for, so long as there is no other end of study and meditation than to know, the understanding is not racked and imprisoned, but enjoys freedom and liberty, and even doubts and variety find a kind of pleasure and delectation. but when once these enigmas are delivered by the muses to sphynx, that is, to practice, so that it be sollicited and urged by action and election and determination, then they begin to be troublesome and raging, and unless they be resolved and expedited they do wonderfully torment and vex the minds of men, distracting, and in a manner rending them into sundry parts. moreover, there is always a twofold condition propounded with sphynx her enigmas. to him that doth not expound them, distraction of mind, and to him that doth, a kingdom, for he that knows that which he sought to know hath attain'd the end he aim'd at, and every artificer also commands over his work. moreover it is added in the fable, that the body of sphynx, when she was overcome, was laid upon an ass, which indeed is an elegant fiction, seeing there is nothing so acute and abstruse but, being well understood and divulged, may be well apprehended by a slow capacity. neither is it to be omitted that sphynx was overcome by a man lame in his feet; for when men are too swift of foot and too speedy of pace in hasting to sphynx, her enigmas, it comes to pass that, she getting the upper hand, their wits and minds are rather distracted by disputations than that ever they come to command by works and effects." i. the spaces in the frieze of the parthenon, known architectively as the metopes, were filled with sculptures illustrating the struggle between the lapithæ and the centaurs. thirty-nine of these slabs remain in their original position in the temple, while seventeen are in the british museum and one in the louvre. in their beauty and bold design they are some of the grandest monuments of greek art. other very fine examples may be seen in the fragments in our national collection from the frieze of the temple of apollo epicurius, near phigalia, and the theseum at athens. there are also two very fine single statues of centaurs in the capitoline museum. j. centaury is so called from an old myth that chiron, the centaur, cured himself from a wound given by a poisoned arrow by using some plant that pliny, therefore, calls _centaurium_; but whether it was this plant, or a knapweed, or any plant at all, or whether there even ever was a centaur named chiron, or a centaur named anything else, are points we must be content to leave. linnæus called the plant the _chironia_; its modern generic name merely signifies red, as most of the flowers in the genus have blossoms of some tint of red; but in the specific name _centaurium_ we recognise that the old myth still finds commemoration. in some parts of england the rustics corrupt centaury into sanctuary, and the germans call it the _tausend-gulden-kraut_. this strange name is built upon another corruption, some of the old writers having twisted _centaurea_ into _centum aurei_, and the germans have lavishly multiplied by ten the hundred golden coins. the centaury is said to be a good and cheap substitute for the medicinal gentian, and, as a hair-dye, was for a long time held in repute for the production of a rich golden yellow tint. "my floure is sweet in smell, bitter my iuyce in taste, which purge choler, and helps liuer, that else would waste." the centaury still figures largely in rustic medicine and in the prescriptions of the herbalists; we have seen the country agents of these latter with armfuls of centaury as large as they could carry. into all its accredited virtues in mediæval times we need not here go; in fact, if our readers will make out at random a list of some twenty of the ills of suffering mortality, and boldly assert that such ills need not exist at all in a world that also produces centaury, they will be sufficiently near the mark for practical purposes. k. a good illustration of this may be seen in brathwait's book, published in , and entitled "nature's embassie, or the wilde-man's measures danced by twelve satyres," the dance itself being very quaintly represented on the curious old woodcut title. l. an old author whose voluminous works on natural history are very interesting and curious, and richly illustrated with engravings at least as quaint in character as the text. the "historia monstrorum," was published in folio at bologna in , and is full of the most extraordinary animal forms. his various works range in date from to , and are, with one exception--venice--published either at bologna or frankfort. all are very curious, and will well repay our readers if they can get an opportunity of seeing them. another book of very similar character is boiastuau's "histoires prodigeuses," published in paris in , a strange assemblage of curious and monstrous figures. m. bacon, in his "wisdom of the ancients," writes as follows:--"the fable of the syrens seems rightly to have been apply'd to the pernicious allurements of pleasure, but in a very vulgar and gross manner. and therefore to me it seems that the wisdom of the ancients have with a farther reach or insight strained deeper matter out of them, not unlike the grapes ill press'd; from which though some liquor were drawn, yet the best was left behind. this fable hath relation to men's manners, and contains in it a manifest and most excellent parable. for pleasures do for the most proceed out of the abundance and superfluity of all things, and also out of the delights and jovial contentments of the mind; the which are wont suddenly as it were with winged inticements to ravish and rap mortal men: but learning and education brings it so to pass as that it restrains and bridles man's mind, making it so to consider the ends and events of things as that it clips the wings of pleasure. these syrens are said to dwell in remote isles: for that pleasures love privacy and retired places, shunning always too much company of people. the syren's songs are so commonly understood, together with the deceits and danger of them, as that they need no exposition. but that of the bones appearing like white cliffs, and descry'd afar off, hath more acuteness in it; for thereby it is signify'd that, albeit the examples of afflictions be manifest and eminent, yet do they not sufficiently deter us from the wicked enticements of pleasures. as for the remainder of this parable, tho' it be not over mystical, yet it is very grave and excellent: for in it we set out three remedies for this violent enticing mischief: to wit, two from philosophy, and one from religion. the first means to shun these inordinate pleasures is to withstand and resist them in their beginnings and seriously to shun all occasions to entice the mind, which is signified in that stopping of the ears; and that remedy is properly used by the meaner and baser sort of people, as it were ulysses followers or mariners; whereas more heroick and noble spirits may boldly converse even in the midst of these seducing pleasures, if with a resolved constancy they stand upon their guard and fortify their minds; and so take greater contentment in the trial and experience of this their approved virtue, learning rather thoroughly to understand the follies and vanities of those pleasures by contemplation, than by submission. which solomon avouched of himself when he reckoned up the multitude of those solaces and pleasures wherein he swam, doth conclude with this sentence--wisdom also continued with me. therefore these heroes, and spirits of this excellent temper, even in the midst of these enticing pleasures, can shew themselves constant and invincible and are able to support their own virtuous inclination against all heady and forcible perswasions whatsoever; as by the example of ulysses, that so peremptorily interdicted all pestilent counsel as the most dangerous and pernitious poysons to captivate the mind: but of all other remedies in this case that of orpheus is most predominant: for they that chaunt and resound the praise of the gods confound and dissipate the voices and incantations of the syrens, for divine meditations do not only in power subdue all sensual pleasures, but also far exceed them in swiftness and delight." n. "a scorneful image or monstrous shape of a marvellous strange fygure called sileni alcibiadis presentyng ye state and condio of this present world, and inespeciale of the spirituallte how farre they be from ye perfite trade and life of criste, wryte in the later tonge by that famous clerke erasmus and lately translated into englyshe." a rare old black-letter book. o. "all those airy shapes you now behold were human bodies once, and clothed with earthly mould; our souls, not yet prepared for upper light, till doom's-day wander in the shades of night." --dryden, _the flower and the leaf_. p. before finally dismissing the fairies we would just refer our readers to a very curious book amongst the lansdowne mss. (no. ) in the british museum. it was written by john aubrey, in the year , and is entitled "remaines of gentilisme and judaisme." the title, however, is no guide whatever to the character of the book, which seems to be merely a note-book for the writing down, without any apparent system or order, of any curious matters that came before him. scattered throughout these notes are various references to the fairies; and though they naturally, to a certain extent, repeat what we have already written, they are perhaps sufficiently interesting to quote, as they were the popular notions current at the time. we can only give them in the disjointed way in which we find them, as they are mixed up with all kinds of other matter. "not far from sr bennet hoskyns there was a labouring man that rose up early every day to goe to worke; who for a good while many dayes together found a ninepence in the way that he went. his wife wondering how he came by so much money was afraid he gott it not honestlye; at last he told her, and afterwards he never found any more." "they were wont to please the fairies, that they might doe them no shrewd turnes, by sweeping clean the hearth and setting by it a dish of fair water half sad breade, whereon was sett a messe of milke sopt with white bread. and on the morrow they would find a groat of which if they did speak of it they never had any again. mrs h. of hereford had as many groates or ds this way as made a little silver cup or bowle of (i thinke) lbs value, wh her daughter preserves still." "in the vestry at frensham, on the n. side of the chancel, is an extraordinary great kettle or caldron, which the inhabitants say, by tradition, was brought hither by the fairies, time out of mind, from borough hill, about a mile from hence. to this place, if any one went to borrow a yoke of oxen, money, &c., he might have it for a year or longer, so he kept his word to return it. there is a cave, where some have fancied to hear musick. on this borough hill is a great stone lying along, of the length of about six feet: they went to this stone and knocked at it, and declared what they would borrow and when they would pay, and a voice would answer when they should come, and that they should find what they desired to borrow at that stone. this caldron, with the trivet, was borrowed here after the manner aforesaid, but not returned according to promise, and though the caldron was afterwards carried to the stone it could not be received, and ever since that time no borrowing there. the people saw a great fire one night not long since, the next day they went to see if any heath was burnt there, but found nothing." "some were led away by the fairies, as was a third riding upon hackpen with corn led a dance to ye devises. so was a shepherd of mr brown of winterburn-basset, but never any afterwards enjoy themselves. he sayd that ye ground opened, and he was brought into strange places underground, where they used musicall instruments, viols and lutes, such (he sayd) as mr thomas did play on." "virgil speakes somewhere (i think in ye georgiques) of voyces heard louder than a man's. mr lancelot morehouse did averre to me that he did once heare such a loud laugh on the other side of a hedge, and was sure that no human voice could afford such a laugh." "in germany old women tell stories received from their ancestors that a water-monster, called the nickard, doth enter by night the chamber, and stealeth when they are all sleeping the new-born child, and supposeth another in its place, which child growing up is like a monster and commonly dumb. the remedy whereof that the mother may get her own child again--the mother taketh the suppositium and whipps it so long with the rod till the sayd monster, the nickard, bringes the mother's own child again, and takes to him the suppositium, which they call wexel balg." in another curious old book on our shelves, the "philosophical grammar" of benjamin martin, published in , we find another allusion to the belief in fairies. the book is written in the question and answer style once so popular, and after a long dissertation on the animal kingdom, we come at last to the question, "pray before we leave this survey of the animal creation let me ask your opinion of griffins, the phoenix, dragons, satyrs, syrens, unicorns, mermaids and fairies. do you think there really are any such things in nature?" the answer is so far to the point, and so interesting in itself as showing the state of mind on the whole subject, that we give it in all its fulness. "the _phoenix_ is mentioned by _pliny_, and other antients, more credulous than skilful; but has long since been rejected as a vulgar error. the _griffin_ and _harpy_ have had a place given them in modern histories of nature, but not without great reproach and ridicule to the authors. _satyrs_, _syrens_, and _fairies_, are all poetical fictions. the _scripture_ makes mention of the _dragon_ and the _unicorn_, and most _naturalists_ have affirmed that there have been such creatures, and given descriptions of them; but the sight of these creatures or credible relations of them, having been so very rare, has occasioned many to believe there never were any such animals in nature; at least it has made the history of them very doubtful. as to _mer-men_ and _mer-maids_, there certainly are such creatures in the sea as have some distant resemblance of some parts of the human shape, mien, and members; but not so perfectly like them, 'tis very probable, as has been represented. in all such ambiguous pieces of history 'tis better not to be positive, and sometimes to suspend our belief, rather than credulously embrace every current report, or vulgar assertion which may perhaps expose us to ridicule. it makes but little for the credit of the histories of _dragons_, _unicorns_, _mer-maids_, &c., that their names are not to be found in the transactions of our celebrated royal society, who, 'tis well known, derive their intelligence at the best hand from almost all parts of the world. at least, i can find no mention of any such creatures in the seven volumes of abridgments by _lowthorp, eames, and jones_. . the _histoire naturelle de l'universe_ gives an account of several persons who have described the _unicorn_; and particularly father _lobos_, in his voyage to the _abyssine empire_, says, that this animal is of the shape and size of a fine-made and well-proportion'd horse, of a bay colour with a black tail and extremities; he adds, that the unicorns of _tuacua_ have very short tails; and those of _ninina_ (a canton in the same province) have theirs very long, and their manes hanging over their heads. _vol._ iv. _page_ . . _du mont_ says, he saw the head of a dragon which was set up over the _water-gate_ in the city of _rhodes_; this dragon was feet long, and wasted all the country round, 'till it was slain by _deodate de gozon_, a knight of _st. john_. he says, the _head_ was like that of an hog, but much larger; its _ears_ were like a mule's, but cut off; the _teeth_ were extraordinary sharp and long; the _throat_ wide; its _eyes_ hollow, and burning like two coals. it had two little wings on its back; its _legs_ and _tail_ like those of a lizard, but strong, and arm'd with sharp and venomous talons. his body was cover'd with scales which was proof against arms. see the manner of his being kill'd in the _atlas geographicus_, vol. iii. page , . . _ludolphus_, in his _ethiophic_ history, tells us, that in the _abyssine empire_, there are voracious scaly dragons of the largest size, tho' not venomous or hurtful otherwise than by the bite, and they look like the bark of an old tree. _atlas geographicus_, vol. iv. page . . the _stories_ of _mer-maids_, _satyrs_, &c. had undoubtedly their original from such animals as have in some respects a likeness to the _human shape_ and _features_. among these the _monkey_ kind, the _orang-outang_, and the _quoja morron_ are the chief on land; and the fish call'd the _mermaid_ (tho' it has nothing of the _human form_) and some other unusual animals in the sea." q. where several sons are contemporaneous, and all have the right to bear the paternal arms, they are thus distinguished--the eldest son adds to them what is known as a label; the second, a crescent; the third, a five-pointed star; the fourth, a martlet; the fifth, an annulet; the sixth, a fleur-de-lys; the seventh, a rose; and so on. a very good and easily accessible example of this "differencing" of the arms may be seen in those borne by the prince of wales, the silver label stretching across the top of the shield, blazoned in all other respects like those of the queen, marking the relationship. r. bruce tells us, for instance, that the horned viper, or cerastes, the "worm of nile" that was the cause of the death of cleopatra, has a way of creeping until it is alongside its victim, and then making a sudden sidelong spring at the object of its attack. in his book he narrates a curious instance that came under his notice at cairo, where several of these reptiles had been placed in a box. "i saw one crawl up the side, and there lie still, as if hiding himself, till one of the people who brought them to us came near him and though in a very disadvantageous position, sticking as it were perpendicularly to the side of the box, he leaped near the distance of three feet, and fastened between the man's forefinger and thumb." s. amongst the things displayed in the case are portions of a wreath from the coffin of rameses ii. ( - b.c.), composed of sepals and petals of _nymphæa cærulea_ on strips of leaves of the date-palm, and another wreath made from the _n. lotus_. another wreath is from the coffin of aahmes i. ( b.c.), composed of leaves of willow and flowers of the _acacia nilotica_. there are also two garlands from the tomb of the princess nzi khonsou ( b.c.), composed in the one case of willow leaves and the flower heads of the _centauræa depressa_, and in the other of the _papaver rhæas_, the common scarlet poppy so familiar to every one who has ever seen an english cornfield or railway embankment in summer. there are, in addition, leaves of the wild celery and of the olive and vine, all quite clearly distinguishable. the ancient egyptians were exceedingly fond of flowers, and even made rare plants a portion of the tribute exacted from dependent or conquered territories. one old writer tells us that "those flowers, which elsewhere were only sparingly produced, even in their proper season, grew profusely in egypt at all times, so that neither roses, nor any others, were wanting there, even in the middle of winter." their living rooms were always adorned with bouquets or growing plants, and the stands that served for holding them have been found in the tombs. on the arrival of guests at a banquet servants came forward with garlands of flowers and placed them round their necks, a custom we may see graphically depicted in the mural painting in the tombs, while a single lotus flower was often placed in the hair. t. the bay enters very largely into the various extraordinary compounds--astrological, medicinal, and the like--of the ancients. thus--to quote but one instance out of many that might be given--albertus magnus, in his treatise "de virtutibus herbarum," tells us that if any one gathers some bay leaves and wraps them up with the tooth of a wolf, no one can speak an angry word to the bearer; while, put under the pillow at night, it will bring in a vision before the eyes of a man who has been robbed, the thief and all his belongings. he further goes on to tell us that if set up in a place of worship, none who have broken any contract or agreement will be able to quit the place till this most potent combination be removed. "this last is tried and most true." [decoration] index. "so essential did i consider an index to be to every book, that i proposed to bring a bill into parliament to deprive an author, who publishes a book without an index, of the privilege of copyright, and, moreover, to subject him to a pecuniary penalty." --campbell's _lives of the chief-justices of england_. aahmes i., chaplets from coffin of, "absalom and achitophel," dryden, "abyssinia, life in," parkyns, achemedis, herb, acipenser, acosta, "natvrall and morall historie," adam, earliest botanist, adder, wilfully deaf, , addison's "milton imitated," adelaide of louvain, adissechen, the thousand-headed, adolf dux, article by, Ælian on aspis, ; on basilisk, ; on lion and ram-headed fish, ; on unicorn, Æneas sylvius on barnacle tree, Ætius on basilisk, ; on dryinus, "africa, history of," leo, agnus dei, as a badge, alaus magnus on kraken, albertus magnus, "de virtutibus herbarum," ; dragon, ; on pigmies, alchemists and phoenix, aldrovandus, "monstrorum historia," , , , alimos plant, amaranth, amazons, ambrosia, amphisbena, anacramseros plant, andromeda and perseus, annulet as mark of cadency, anthropophagi, antipathy between dragon and elephant, ; between serpent and stag, antony and cleopatra, , apples of hesperides, ; of istkahar, ; of perpetual youth, apollo epicurius, temple of, apuleius, "the golden ass," arabia, home of the phoenix, "arabian nights," , , , , , archaic pottery, british museum, ardoynus on basilisk, arian _v._ athanasian, arimaspian gold, arimaspians, arion and the dolphins, ariosto's "orlando furioso," , aristotle on chameleon, ; on pigmies, arms of city of london, ; of prince of wales, ; of william de valence, arrowheads or celts, "art of love," king's, asbestos, asphodel, aspis, assembly of beaux esprits, paris, ass, indian, of ctesias, "as you like it," "atlas geographicus," aubrey's "gentilisme and judaisme," , augustine, st., on the manipulation of facts, ; on monsters, avebury stones, avicen on basilisk, bacon on the sphinx legend, ; "wisdom of the ancients," , badge of jane seymour, balam, the ox, ballad of dragon of wantley, ; of st. george and dragon, "bara bathra," basil, herb, basilisk, king of serpents, , barliata, barnacle goose-tree, bartolomeo, standard of, basking shark, bay tree, beaumont and fletcher's "woman hater," beaux esprits, assembly of, behemoth legend, ben jonson on remora, "bestiare divin" of guillaume, bestiary of de thaun, , , bewick's books, bible herbal of newton, bible references to adder, ; amaranth, ; cockatrice, ; dragon, ; giants, ; leviathan, ; mandrake, ; unicorn, bird of paradise, blemmyes, headless men, boar, , boiastuau, "histoires prodigeuses," "boke of husbandry," fitzherbert, bolyai, tomb of, bones preserved in churches, borghese centaur, borrowing from the fairies, boussetti on monsters, brathwait's "nature's embassie," breydenbach's travels, briaræus, , bristol, great bone at, "britannia," camden, "britannica concha anatifera," british museum, centaur, , ; lansdowne mss., ; scythian lamb, brobdingnag, men of, browne's "pseudodoxia epidemica," ; "vulgar errors," , , brownie, bruce on the horned viper, bruynswyke's herbal, bryony roots carved into human form, bucca, buckland's "curiosities of natural history," buffalo, burton's "miracles of art and nature," , , , , bury palliser's "historic badges," bushmen, the modern pigmies, byron, childe harold's pilgrimage, , ; on nautilus, cadency in heraldry, cader idris, the giant's seat, cadwallader, ensign of, caerleon, great bone at, camden's "britannia," "canterbury tales," capitoline museum sculptures, cassandra's gift, catacombs of rome, cathay and the vegetable lamb, catoblepas of pliny, caxton and the "legenda aurea," cedric the victorious, celtic pen-dragon, celts or arrow-heads, centaur, centaury, , cerastes or horned viper, cetus of de thaun, "ceylon," tennant, chameleon, , changeful colours of dolphin, changelings, chang, the chinese giant, chaplets in egyptian tombs, charles ii., dedication to, chaucer on sir guy of warwick, chesterfield, great bone at, "childe harold's pilgrimage," byron, , chilon, chimæra, , china, the dragon symbol, chiron the centaur, "chronicles," holingshead, city of london, arms of, clawed men of surinam, clement of alexandria, clusius, "rariorum plantarum historia," coats, the heraldic chimæra, coca leaf, cockatrice, cockeram's "english dictionary," coinage, the unicorn, colebrand the champion, coleridge on giants, "comedy of errors," , comptes royaux of france, "comus," milton, "coriolanus," "corona dedicatoria" of sylvester, "cosmography" of munster, cotter, the irish giant, cottonian mss., coventry, great bone at, crane and pigmy combats, crescent as a mark of cadency, crest of earl douglas, crocodile, reference in job, ctesias on griffin, ; indian ass, ; on pigmies, cupid and psyche, "curiosities of natural history," buckland, cuttle fish, cwm pwcca, brecon, cyclops, , , "cymbeline," , cyoeraeth, dacien and st. george, danby, picture by, dart, darwin on vampyre bat, davy jones's locker, dead as a door nail, dead sea apples, deaf adder, , de bry's "india orientalis," decker on the unicorn, "decline and fall of roman empire," , de ferry and sea-serpent, democritus on chameleon, "description historique de macaçar," "description of animals," , de thaun, , , , , , , device of francis i., ; of henry vii., devil fish, devil's candle, "de virtutibus herbarum," diamond softening, dies, diocletian the persecutor, dioscorides on basilisk, discourses of virtuosi of france, "discoverie of witchcraft," "display of heraldry," guillim, dodoens, herbal of, dog-headed men, , dolphin, donatus, st., dragon-slayer, dragon, , , , , , dragonhill, berkshire, dragonnades, dragon overthrown, knighthood of, druids and fairies, dryden, absalom and achitophel, ; on basilisk, ; "flower and the leaf," ; translation from ovid, dryinus of Ætius, dudaim, dugdale on guy of warwick, dugong and manatee, du mont and the dragon of rhodes, dun cow legend, eagle gazing on the sun, eagney or meto, earl douglas, crest of, eastern soudan and uganda, echeneis or remora, echidna, , eden's "historie of travayle," egede and the sea-serpent, egg-talisman, egyptian form of sphinx, ; love of flowers, egyptian representations of giraffe, eikon basilike, el dorado and sir w. raleigh, elephant, , ; antipathy between dragon and, elf-bolts, elizabeth, queen, badge of, el kazwini, arab writer, "elysium," felicia hemans', empusa, enchanter's nightshade, "english cyclopædia of natural history," "english dictionary" of cockeram, "english parnassus" of poole, , enmity between stag and serpent, epitaph on gryphius, erasmus on headless men, ; sileni alcibiadis, ethiopia, unicorns in, exodus, reference to unicorn in, "faculties of nourishment," galen, fairies, , fairy rings, falstaff, on fairies, ; the salamander, fanesii of scandinavia, father pigafetta on dragons, fauns and satyrs, featley's recantation, felicia hemans' "elysium," ferrer de valcebro on the barliata, ferry, laurent de, on sea-serpent, _field_, extract from, field of the cloth of gold, fire-drake, "fire-worshippers," moore, fish nun, fitzherbert's "boke of husbandry," fletcher's "purple island," fleur-de-lys as mark of cadency, "flower and the leaf," dryden, foersch on upas tree, forty-leaved plant, four-footed serpents, francisci boussetti on sea-monsters, friar's lantern, fuller's "holy state," galen on aspis, ; on basilisk, ; "faculties of nourishment," garcias ab horto, on unicorn, gargoyles of draconic form, ge and tartaros, rebellion of, gelasius, pope, and st. george, gelotaphilois, herb, generation of the cockatrice, "gentilisme and judaisme" of aubrey, "gentleman's magazine," extract from, geography of strabo, george, st., and dragon, , , - "gerania" of joshua barnes, gerarde, "history of plants," , ; asphodel, ; barnacle goose-tree, ; mandrake, gervaise, "description de macaçar," gervase, on fairies, ghoul, giant colebrand, giants, giants' causeway, gibbon's "decline and fall of roman empire," , gillius the compassionate, giraffe or seraffa, giraldus cambrensis on barnacle trees, glanvil, on griffin, ; on salamander, gnomes, godes-andsacan, "golden ass" of apuleius, golden fruit of the hesperides, graham's "sketches of perthshire," greek form of sphinx, greene on the apples of the hesperides, green, matthew, "the spleen," grevinus on basilisk, griffin, , , groats from fairyland, , , gryphius, device of, guerino, meschino, guild processions in middle ages, guiana, hartsinck on, ; sir w. raleigh on, guillaume, "bestiare divin," guillim, "display of heraldry," , , , , "gulliver's travels," guy of warwick and the dun cow, , hackluyt's "voyages," , halliwell on anthropophagi, hameh-bird, "hamlet," satyr, "handmayd to religion," harpy, , , harrington and the sea-serpent, hartsinck on guiana, headless men, hemans, felicia, poem by, heraldic bird-forms, ; dolphin, "herball to the bible" of newton, herbert's "jacula prudentum," ; "relations of some yeares travaile," herb viva, hercules and the pigmies, "henry iv.," , , "henry vi.," , "henry viii.," , , heraldic cockatrice, ; dolphin, ; griffin, ; pegasus, ; phoenix, ; unicorn, "heraldry, display of," by guillim, , , herodotus, griffin, ; phoenix, , ; pigmies, hesiod, chimæra, ; harpy, hesperides, garden of the, heylin on st. george, hilary, st., dragon-slayer, hindu sacred groves, hippeau on guillaume, , hippice, "histoire naturelle," "histoires prodigeuses," boiastuau, "historia monstrorum," , , , , "historic badges," palliser, "historie of travayle" of eden, "history of africa," john leo, "history of ethiopia," ludolphus, "history of plants," , hog-faced gentlewoman, holingshead's "chronicles," holland's edition of pliny, hollerius, hollybush, miles coverdale, "holy state," fuller, "holyday devotions," home of the pigmies, homer, ambrosia, ; asphodel, ; centaur, ; harpy, ; "iliad," , ; "odyssey," hondius and sir w. raleigh, "honour, titles of," selden, hoole's "orlando furioso," horned viper or cerastes, hudibras, quotation from, "humana physiognomonia," of porta, humma-bird, huppe-bird, hydra, ibis, idolatrous groves, ignis fatuus, iliad, , indian ass, ; serpent legend, "india orientals," of de bry, invisibility of fairies, iormungandur the encircler, isaiah, reference to cockatrice, isidore on onocentaur, jack-o'-lantern, jack the giant-killer, "jacula prudentum," by herbert, jane seymour, badge of, java and its upas trees, jeremiah, cockatrice, ; dragon, "jerusalem delivered," tasso, jewish tradition, , job, leviathan, ; unicorn, jodocus hondius, john leo, "history of africa," john of arragon, salamander device of, johnson on gerarde, joshua barnes, the "gerania," juvenal, pigmy combats, kadmos, founding of thebes, kalli naga, kalpa tarou tree, kelpies, , kerzereh flowers, kew, lotus chaplets at, , ; upas tree at, keymis on guiana, "king henry iv.," , , , "king henry vi.," , , "king henry viii.," , "king lear," "king richard iii.," , "king's art of love," knockers, kobold, koempfer on upas tree, koran, the fish nun, ; the lote tree, ; the ox balam, kraken, kuchlein's illustrations, kyonjik sculptures, label as a mark of cadency, ladon and the hesperides, "lalla rookh," , "l'allegro" of milton, , lamia, lane's "arabian nights," , , languedoc and its dragon, lansdowne mss. in british museum, , lapithæ and centaurs, laurence keymis on guiana, laurent de ferry and sea-serpent, "legenda aurea" of voraigne, legends of the talmud, , leo, "history of africa," leviathan, , "life in abyssinia," parkyns, lig-draca, lilliput, men of, , lion, lion-headed fish, "lives of the saints," livre des créatures, de thaun, lobel and pena's book, lobos, father, and the unicorn, lomie, london, arms of city of, long-eared men or fanesii, lote tree of koran, lotophagia, loup-garou or wehr-wolf, loup, st., dragon-slayer, louvre, borghese centaur, , lucian on asphodel, ludolphus, "history of ethiopia," lurlei of the rhine, lyte and dodoens, herbal of, mab, the fairy queen, , "macaçar; description historique du royaume de," "macbeth," magrath, the giant, maid of orleans and the mandrake, mallwyd, great bone at, manatees and dugongs, mandeville on griffin, ; headless men, ; pigmies, ; vegetable lamb, mandrake, man-eater and rompo, mansfield parkyns' "life in abyssinia," manticora, maori traditions, marcel, st., dragon-slayer, marco polo's travels, marks of abatement and augmentation, ; of cadency, martha, st., dragon-slayer, martial, st., dragon-slayer, martin, st., dragon-slayer, martin's "philosophical grammar," martlet, , mary stuart, badge of, matthew green, "the spleen," matthiolus, herbal of, mcquahee and the sea-serpent, , "measure for measure," mediæval dragon recipes, ; festivals, "merchant of venice," mermaid, , , metamorphoses, meto or eagney, metopes of parthenon, michovius on griffin-land, "midsummer night's dream," , , miles coverdale, hollybush, milton, amaranth, ; arimaspians, ; chimæra, ; gorgon, ; griffin, ; harpy, ; hydra, ; "l'allegro," , ; "paradise lost," , , ; will o' the wisp, "milton imitated," addison, mimosa sensitiva, minotaur, "miracles of art and nature," burton, , , , , monacella, st., bone of, money, fairy, , , , "monstrorum historia" of aldrovandus, , , , , monuments of egypt, moore, "fire worshippers," ; kerzereh flower, ; "lalla rookh," , ; "paradise and the peri," , ; "veiled prophet of khorassan," more hall of wantley, mountain fish, mouse, "much ado about nothing," munster's "cosmography," murphy the irish giant, musical tastes of the dolphin, narcissus, possibly the asphodel, national library, paris, "natural history of norway," pontoppidan, "nature's embassie," brathwait, "natvrall and morall historie" of acosta, naud the pen-dragon, nautilus, nech of scandinavia, nectar of the gods, newton's "bible herbal," , newts spitting fire, nicander on the aspis, nickard, "night thoughts," young, nineveh and persepolis, sculptures at, ninina, unicorns of, nis, nixies, nova hispania, flora of, nun, the fish, "nuremburg chronicle," nymphs, nzi khonsou, the princess, oats, fairy, oberon, octavianus the reliable, octopus, odysseus, the lotophagi, ; the sirens, og, the king of bashan, ojibiway legend of the serpent, olaus magnus and the sea-serpent, onocentaur, ophyasta, herb, oppian, pigmy combats, order of the dragon, ; of the dragon overthrown, oribasius on the basil, origin of fairies, "orlando furioso," of ariosto, , orpheus and the sirens, "ortus sanitatis," osiris the judge, "othello," ovid on ambrosia, ; phoenix, owen, professor, on sea-serpents, ox balam, the, ox, wild, oyle of castor, palliser's "historic badges," palm-tree emblem, , pan, paracelsus on the phoenix, "paradise lost," milton, , "paradise and the peri," moore, , parker on poisonous trees, parkinson's "theater of plants," , , parkyns' "life in abyssinia," parthenon sculptures, , paulus venetus on unicorn, peccata naturæ, pedal sunshades, pegasus, pelican legend, pelion on ossa, pen-dragon, pennant melangell, great bone at, percy's "reliques of antient english poetry," , , "peregrine pickle" of smollett, "pericles," , persepolis, sculptures at, perseus and andromeda legend, "perthshire, sketches of," pheg of the tsi-hiai, philip de thaun, , , philostratus on the pigmies, "philosophical grammar," martin, phoca, pooka, or pwcca, , phoenix, , , , phoenix-tree, pigafetta on dragons, pigmies, pink centaury, pliny on basilisk, ; bay-tree, ; chameleon, ; dolphin, ; dragon, , ; echeneis, ; fanesii, ; giant, ; kraken, ; nautilus, ; phoenix, ; pigmies, ; salamander, ; serpent's eggs, ; sphinx, ; stag, ; unicorn, ; wolf, plutarch's giant, poison-detecting cups, , , poison of salamander, polonius and the whale, polyphemus, the foe of ulysses, pomum adami, pontoppidan, kraken, ; "natural history of norway," poole's "english parnassus," pope, nautilus, ; "rape of the lock," pope pius ii. on barnacle trees, porpoises as sea-serpents, porta's "humana physiognomonia," potto, prester john, prince of wales, arms of, prior on the chameleon, "proper study of mankind is man," psalms, reference to adder, ; leviathan, ; unicorn, "pseudodoxia epidemica," puck, purchas pilgrimage, "purple island" of fletcher, python, queen elizabeth, badge of, queen mab, , quentin durward, scott, raleigh, sir w., voyage to guiana, rameses ii., , ram-headed fish, "rape of the lock," ; of lucrece, "rariorum plantarum historia" of clusius, red-dragon ensign, red lion, reginald scot on witchcraft, regulus, "relations of some yeares travaile," "reliques of antient english poetry," , , "reminiscences," taylor, remora, resurrection, phoenix type of, rhinoceros horn cups, rhodes, dragon of, ribbon fish, richardson on phoenix, riddle of the sphinx, robin goodfellow, , roc, , romanus, st., dragon-slayer, "romeo and juliet," , , rompo or man-eater, rondelet's sea-monsters, rose as mark of cadency, royal arms, supporters of, royal society, proceedings of, , , rustic beliefs as to newts, &c., sacred trees, sagittarius, saint george and the dragon, , saint mary redcliff, large bone at, saints as dragon-slayers, , salamander, sanguis huppæ, satyrs, , saxo grammaticus on barnacle tree, saxon martyrology, scaliger on basilisk, scoresby's "voyages," scot, reginald, on witchcraft, scotland and the unicorn, scott, elf-possession, ; friar's lantern, ; wolf, sketches of nineveh and persepolis, , scythian lamb, sea bishop, ; elephant, , ; hare, ; horse, ; lion, ; monk, ; serpent, , selden's "titles of honour," sensitive plant, seraffa of breydenbach, serpent worship, , shakespeare, basilisk, ; cockatrice, ; dragon, ; fire-drake, ; griffin, ; harpy, ; mandrake, ; pegasus, ; phoenix, , ; pigmies, ; will-o'-the-wisp, ; unicorn, sigonius on basilisk, sileni alcibiadis, sindbad the sailor, , siren, , , , sirena, sirenia, sir walter raleigh and guiana, "sketches of perthshire," skimker, mistress, sloane library, smollett's "peregrine pickle," solinus on basilisk, sourd story from the _field_, south kensington museum, sowing of dragon's teeth, spenser's "visions of the world's vanity," sphinx, , spirits of the mine, "spleen," matthew green, squier's "serpent worship," stag, standard of bartolomeo d'alviano, staple hill stone ring, star as mark of cadency, stephen, arms of king, "stirpium adversaria nova," strabo on pigmies, stronsay, sea monster at, struy's voyages, stuttgard anthropophagi, suchenwirt on battle-cries, supporters of the royal arms, , surinam, clawed men of, sylene and its dragon, sylphs, sylvester's "corona dedicatoria," symbol, dragon as a, ; stag as a, symbolism of phoenix, , tacitus, dead sea apples, ; phoenix, tailed men, talmud, legends of the, , "taming of the shrew," tartarian lamb, tartaros and ge, rebellion of, tasso's "jerusalem delivered," tausend-gulden-kraut, tavernier on birds of paradise, taylor's "reminiscences," "tempest," fairy-rings, ; harpy, ; phoenix, ; unicorn, templars, device of the, tennant's "ceylon," tertullian on phoenix, "theater of plants," parkinson, , "theatrum botanicum," thebes, founding of, by kadmos, theocritus, on wolf, theseum at athens, thevet on unicorn, "three hundred animals," , throne of tippoo sultan, "titles of honour," selden, "toilers of the sea," victor hugo, tomb of bolyai, travellers' tales, , "travels," breydenbach, tree of life, tree of the imagination, trichrug, the giant's chair, tritons, "troilus and cressida," tsi-hiai and the pheg, tuacua, unicorns of, turner, barnacle geese, ; herbal, "twelfth night," typhon, "uganda and the eastern soudan," ulysses and polyphemus, umdhlebi tree, unicorn, , , , upas tree, upton on the harpy, vampyre, , vartomannus on unicorn, vatican library, vegetable lamb, "veiled prophet of khorassan," venetus, paulus, on unicorn, veran, st., dragon-slayer, "vertuose boke of distyllacyon," of bruynswyke, victor hugo, "toilers of the sea," victor, st., dragon-slayer, virgil, centaur, ; evil eye, ; harpy, ; wolf, virtuosi, discoveries of, vishnu, "visions of the world's vanity," spenser, viva, herb, voraigne's "legenda aurea," "voyages," hackluyt, ; raleigh, ; scoresby, ; struy, vulcan and the cyclops, "vulgar errors," sir thomas browne, , wantley, dragon of, "warwickshire" of dugdale, water fairies, waterton on vampyre bat, weasel and cockatrice combat, wehr-wolf or loup-garou, wexel balg, whale bones in churches, white horse hill, berkshire, wild boar, ; ox, william de valence, arms of, will o' the wisp, winged serpent, "wisdom of the ancients," bacon, , witches, wolf, , "woman hater," beaumont and fletcher, wright on de thaun, wynkyn de worde, xanthus, monument from, ylio of de thaun, young's "night thoughts," zeus, ambrosial locks of, ; rebellion against, zodiac, the sagittarius, zululand, poisonous trees in, printed by ballantyne, hanson and co. edinburgh and london. transcriber's note archaic and variant spelling is preserved as printed. minor punctuation errors have been repaired. hyphenation has been made consistent in the main body of the text, but is preserved as printed in quoted matter. page includes the phrase "... but enough has been quoted to show how valuable these personages have in poesy and general literature." it seems that there is a word missing following 'have,' but as there is no way to determine with certainty what that word should be, it is preserved as printed. the following amendments have been made on the assumption that the originals were typographic errors: page --solimus amended to solinus--... pliny, Ælian, solinus, and paulus ... page --laimæ amended to lamiæ--the lamiæ, who took the forms ... page --aminals amended to animals--... had not happened in the creation of animals ... page --frigidty amended to frigidity--the story of the extreme frigidity ... page --julias amended to julius--... the counterfeit presentments of julius cæsar, ... page --mischeivous amended to mischievous--... was the sweet but mischievous mab ... page --changlings amended to changelings--the references in that play to changelings ... page --powerfull amended to powerful--... we find the following powerful illustrative passage, ... page --liliputians amended to lilliputians--... as the lilliputians did gulliver. page --chimera amended to chimæra--... as to call the chimæra and hydra fables, ... page --sufficienly amended to sufficiently--... when the heat became sufficiently great to awaken ... page --adoining amended to adjoining--... and all those parts adjoining do so ... page --my amended to me (confirmed against title page of original publication)--at london by me gerard dewes, ... on page , the index entries following hercules and up to herodotus are out of order. there are also two entries for heraldic. this has all been preserved as printed. entries in the table of contents, list of illustrations and index have been made consistent with the main body text as follows: page vii--dragonades amended to dragonnades--... the dragonnades ... page ix--gerard's amended to gerarde's--... from gerarde's "herbal," ... page --dragonades amended to dragonnades--... the dragonnades ... page --achmedis amended to achemedis--achemedis, herb, page --achipenser amended to acipenser--acipenser, page --bousetti amended to boussetti--boussetti on monsters, page --brittannica amended to britannica--"britannica concha anatifera,", page --cocatrice amended to cockatrice--cockatrice, page --royeaux amended to royaux--comptes royaux of france, page --index entries adjusted so that first mention of gervase becomes gervaise. page --omitted page number added to entry for heraldic dolphin--heraldic ... dolphin, ; griffin, ... page --prudentium amended to prudentum--herbert's "jacula prudentum," ; ... page --pallisir amended to palliser--"historic badges," palliser, page --joducus amended to jodocus--jodocus hondius, page --nixes amended to nixies--nixies, page --nuremberg amended to nuremburg--"nuremburg chronicle," page --rondolet's amended to rondelet's--rondelet's sea-monsters, page --sinbad amended to sindbad--sindbad the sailor, , the magic of oz a faithful record of the remarkable adventures of dorothy and trot and the wizard of oz, together with the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger and cap'n bill, in their successful search for a magical and beautiful birthday present for princess ozma of oz by l. frank baum "royal historian of oz" contents --to my readers-- . mount munch . the hawk . two bad ones . conspirators . a happy corner of oz . ozma's birthday presents . the forest of gugu . the li-mon-eags make trouble . the isle of the magic flower . stuck fast . the beasts of the forest of gugu . kiki uses his magic . the loss of the black bag . the wizard learns the magic word . the lonesome duck . the glass cat finds the black bag . a remarkable journey . the magic of the wizard . dorothy and the bumble bees . the monkeys have trouble . the college of athletic arts . ozma's birthday party . the fountain of oblivion to my readers curiously enough, in the events which have taken place in the last few years in our "great outside world," we may find incidents so marvelous and inspiring that i cannot hope to equal them with stories of the land of oz. however, "the magic of oz" is really more strange and unusual than anything i have read or heard about on our side of the great sandy desert which shuts us off from the land of oz, even during the past exciting years, so i hope it will appeal to your love of novelty. a long and confining illness has prevented my answering all the good letters sent me--unless stamps were enclosed--but from now on i hope to be able to give prompt attention to each and every letter with which my readers favor me. assuring you that my love for you has never faltered and hoping the oz books will continue to give you pleasure as long as i am able to write them, i am yours affectionately, l. frank baum, "royal historian of oz." "ozcot" at hollywood in california . mount munch on the east edge of the land of oz, in the munchkin country, is a big, tall hill called mount munch. one one side, the bottom of this hill just touches the deadly sandy desert that separates the fairyland of oz from all the rest of the world, but on the other side, the hill touches the beautiful, fertile country of the munchkins. the munchkin folks, however, merely stand off and look at mount munch and know very little about it; for, about a third of the way up, its sides become too steep to climb, and if any people live upon the top of that great towering peak that seems to reach nearly to the skies, the munchkins are not aware of the fact. but people do live there, just the same. the top of mount munch is shaped like a saucer, broad and deep, and in the saucer are fields where grains and vegetables grow, and flocks are fed, and brooks flow and trees bear all sorts of things. there are houses scattered here and there, each having its family of hyups, as the people call themselves. the hyups seldom go down the mountain, for the same reason that the munchkins never climb up: the sides are too steep. in one of the houses lived a wise old hyup named bini aru, who used to be a clever sorcerer. but ozma of oz, who rules everyone in the land of oz, had made a decree that no one should practice magic in her dominions except glinda the good and the wizard of oz, and when glinda sent this royal command to the hyups by means of a strong-winged eagle, old bini aru at once stopped performing magical arts. he destroyed many of his magic powders and tools of magic, and afterward honestly obeyed the law. he had never seen ozma, but he knew she was his ruler and must be obeyed. there was only one thing that grieved him. he had discovered a new and secret method of transformations that was unknown to any other sorcerer. glinda the good did not know it, nor did the little wizard of oz, nor dr. pipt nor old mombi, nor anyone else who dealt in magic arts. it was bini aru's own secret. by its means, it was the simplest thing in the world to transform anyone into beast, bird or fish, or anything else, and back again, once you know how to pronounce the mystical word: "pyrzqxgl." bini aru had used this secret many times, but not to cause evil or suffering to others. when he had wandered far from home and was hungry, he would say: "i want to become a cow--pyrzqxgl!" in an instant he would be a cow, and then he would eat grass and satisfy his hunger. all beasts and birds can talk in the land of oz, so when the cow was no longer hungry, it would say: "i want to be bini aru again: pyrzqxgl!" and the magic word, properly pronounced, would instantly restore him to his proper form. now, of course, i would not dare to write down this magic word so plainly if i thought my readers would pronounce it properly and so be able to transform themselves and others, but it is a fact that no one in all the world except bini aru, had ever (up to the time this story begins) been able to pronounce "pyrzqxgl!" the right way, so i think it is safe to give it to you. it might be well, however, in reading this story aloud, to be careful not to pronounce pyrzqxgl the proper way, and thus avoid all danger of the secret being able to work mischief. bini aru, having discovered the secret of instant transformation, which required no tools or powders or other chemicals or herbs and always worked perfectly, was reluctant to have such a wonderful discovery entirely unknown or lost to all human knowledge. he decided not to use it again, since ozma had forbidden him to do so, but he reflected that ozma was a girl and some time might change her mind and allow her subjects to practice magic, in which case bini aru could again transform himself and others at will,--unless, of course, he forgot how to pronounce pyrzqxgl in the meantime. after giving the matter careful thought, he decided to write the word, and how it should be pronounced, in some secret place, so that he could find it after many years, but where no one else could ever find it. that was a clever idea, but what bothered the old sorcerer was to find a secret place. he wandered all over the saucer at the top of mount munch, but found no place in which to write the secret word where others might not be likely to stumble upon it. so finally he decided it must be written somewhere in his own house. bini aru had a wife named mopsi aru who was famous for making fine huckleberry pies, and he had a son named kiki aru who was not famous at all. he was noted as being cross and disagreeable because he was not happy, and he was not happy because he wanted to go down the mountain and visit the big world below and his father would not let him. no one paid any attention to kiki aru, because he didn't amount to anything, anyway. once a year there was a festival on mount munch which all the hyups attended. it was held in the center of the saucer-shaped country, and the day was given over to feasting and merry-making. the young folks danced and sang songs; the women spread the tables with good things to eat, and the men played on musical instruments and told fairy tales. kiki aru usually went to these festivals with his parents, and then sat sullenly outside the circle and would not dance or sing or even talk to the other young people. so the festival did not make him any happier than other days, and this time he told bini aru and mopsi aru that he would not go. he would rather stay at home and be unhappy all by himself, he said, and so they gladly let him stay. but after he was left alone kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools bini aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery. as he went in kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards. he searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic. all had been destroyed. much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board. that set him thinking. examining the board more closely, kiki found it had been pried up and then nailed down again in such a manner that it was a little higher than the other boards. but why had his father taken up the board? had he hidden some of his magic tools underneath the floor? kiki got a chisel and pried up the board, but found nothing under it. he was just about to replace the board when it slipped from his hand and turned over, and he saw something written on the underside of it. the light was rather dim, so he took the board to the window and examined it, and found that the writing described exactly how to pronounce the magic word pyrzqxgl, which would transform anyone into anything instantly, and back again when the word was repeated. now, at first, kiki aru didn't realize what a wonderful secret he had discovered; but he thought it might be of use to him and so he took a piece of paper and made on it an exact copy of the instructions for pronouncing pyrzqxgl. then he folded the paper and put it in his pocket, and replaced the board in the floor so that no one would suspect it had been removed. after this kiki went into the garden and sitting beneath a tree made a careful study of the paper. he had always wanted to get away from mount munch and visit the big world--especially the land of oz--and the idea now came to him that if he could transform himself into a bird, he could fly to any place he wished to go and fly back again whenever he cared to. it was necessary, however, to learn by heart the way to pronounce the magic word, because a bird would have no way to carry a paper with it, and kiki would be unable to resume his proper shape if he forgot the word or its pronunciation. so he studied it a long time, repeating it a hundred times in his mind until he was sure he would not forget it. but to make safety doubly sure he placed the paper in a tin box in a neglected part of the garden and covered the box with small stones. by this time it was getting late in the day and kiki wished to attempt his first transformation before his parents returned from the festival. so he stood on the front porch of his home and said: "i want to become a big, strong bird, like a hawk--pyrzqxgl!" he pronounced it the right way, so in a flash he felt that he was completely changed in form. he flapped his wings, hopped to the porch railing and said: "caw-oo! caw-oo!" then he laughed and said half aloud: "i suppose that's the funny sound this sort of a bird makes. but now let me try my wings and see if i'm strong enough to fly across the desert." for he had decided to make his first trip to the country outside the land of oz. he had stolen this secret of transformation and he knew he had disobeyed the law of oz by working magic. perhaps glinda or the wizard of oz would discover him and punish him, so it would be good policy to keep away from oz altogether. slowly kiki rose into the air, and resting on his broad wings, floated in graceful circles above the saucer-shaped mountain-top. from his height, he could see, far across the burning sands of the deadly desert, another country that might be pleasant to explore, so he headed that way, and with strong, steady strokes of his wings, began the long flight. . the hawk even a hawk has to fly high in order to cross the deadly desert, from which poisonous fumes are constantly rising. kiki aru felt sick and faint by the time he reached good land again, for he could not quite escape the effects of the poisons. but the fresh air soon restored him and he alighted in a broad table-land which is called hiland. just beyond it is a valley known as loland, and these two countries are ruled by the gingerbread man, john dough, with chick the cherub as his prime minister. the hawk merely stopped here long enough to rest, and then he flew north and passed over a fine country called merryland, which is ruled by a lovely wax doll. then, following the curve of the desert, he turned north and settled on a tree-top in the kingdom of noland. kiki was tired by this time, and the sun was now setting, so he decided to remain here till morning. from his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable. a man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper. that made kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate. he felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it. also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "i want to become kiki aru again--pyrzqxgl!" instantly he had resumed his natural shape, and going to the house, he knocked upon the door and asked for some supper. "who are you?" asked the man of the house. "a stranger from the land of oz," replied kiki aru. "then you are welcome," said the man. kiki was given a good supper and a good bed, and he behaved very well, although he refused to answer all the questions the good people of noland asked him. having escaped from his home and found a way to see the world, the young man was no longer unhappy, and so he was no longer cross and disagreeable. the people thought him a very respectable person and gave him breakfast next morning, after which he started on his way feeling quite contented. having walked for an hour or two through the pretty country that is ruled by king bud, kiki aru decided he could travel faster and see more as a bird, so he transformed himself into a white dove and visited the great city of nole and saw the king's palace and gardens and many other places of interest. then he flew westward into the kingdom of ix, and after a day in queen zixi's country went on westward into the land of ev. every place he visited he thought was much more pleasant than the saucer-country of the hyups, and he decided that when he reached the finest country of all he would settle there and enjoy his future life to the utmost. in the land of ev he resumed his own shape again, for the cities and villages were close together and he could easily go on foot from one to another of them. toward evening he came to a good inn and asked the inn-keeper if he could have food and lodging. "you can if you have the money to pay," said the man, "otherwise you must go elsewhere." this surprised kiki, for in the land of oz they do not use money at all, everyone being allowed to take what he wishes without price. he had no money, therefore, and so he turned away to seek hospitality elsewhere. looking through an open window into one of the rooms of the inn, as he passed along, he saw an old man counting on a table a big heap of gold pieces, which kiki thought to be money. one of these would buy him supper and a bed, he reflected, so he transformed himself into a magpie and, flying through the open window, caught up one of the gold pieces in his beak and flew out again before the old man could interfere. indeed, the old man who was robbed was quite helpless, for he dared not leave his pile of gold to chase the magpie, and before he could place the gold in a sack in his pocket the robber bird was out of sight and to seek it would be folly. kiki aru flew to a group of trees and, dropping the gold piece to the ground, resumed his proper shape, and then picked up the money and put it in his pocket. "you'll be sorry for this!" exclaimed a small voice just over his head. kiki looked up and saw that a sparrow, perched upon a branch, was watching him. "sorry for what?" he demanded. "oh, i saw the whole thing," asserted the sparrow. "i saw you look in the window at the gold, and then make yourself into a magpie and rob the poor man, and then i saw you fly here and make the bird into your former shape. that's magic, and magic is wicked and unlawful; and you stole money, and that's a still greater crime. you'll be sorry, some day." "i don't care," replied kiki aru, scowling. "aren't you afraid to be wicked?" asked the sparrow. "no, i didn't know i was being wicked," said kiki, "but if i was, i'm glad of it. i hate good people. i've always wanted to be wicked, but i didn't know how." "haw, haw, haw!" laughed someone behind him, in a big voice; "that's the proper spirit, my lad! i'm glad i've met you; shake hands." the sparrow gave a frightened squeak and flew away. . two bad ones kiki turned around and saw a queer old man standing near. he didn't stand straight, for he was crooked. he had a fat body and thin legs and arms. he had a big, round face with bushy, white whiskers that came to a point below his waist, and white hair that came to a point on top of his head. he wore dull-gray clothes that were tight fitting, and his pockets were all bunched out as if stuffed full of something. "i didn't know you were here," said kiki. "i didn't come until after you did," said the queer old man. "who are you?" asked kiki. "my name's ruggedo. i used to be the nome king; but i got kicked out of my country, and now i'm a wanderer." "what made them kick you out?" inquired the hyup boy. "well, it's the fashion to kick kings nowadays. i was a pretty good king--to myself--but those dreadful oz people wouldn't let me alone. so i had to abdicate." "what does that mean?" "it means to be kicked out. but let's talk about something pleasant. who are you and where did you come from?" "i'm called kiki aru. i used to live on mount munch in the land of oz, but now i'm a wanderer like yourself." the nome king gave him a shrewd look. "i heard that bird say that you transformed yourself into a magpie and back again. is that true?" kiki hesitated, but saw no reason to deny it. he felt that it would make him appear more important. "well--yes," he said. "then you're a wizard?" "no; i only understand transformations," he admitted. "well, that's pretty good magic, anyhow," declared old ruggedo. "i used to have some very fine magic, myself, but my enemies took it all away from me. where are you going now?" "i'm going into the inn, to get some supper and a bed," said kiki. "have you the money to pay for it?" asked the nome. "i have one gold piece." "which you stole. very good. and you're glad that you're wicked. better yet. i like you, young man, and i'll go to the inn with you if you'll promise not to eat eggs for supper." "don't you like eggs?" asked kiki. "i'm afraid of 'em; they're dangerous!" said ruggedo, with a shudder. "all right," agreed kiki; "i won't ask for eggs." "then come along," said the nome. when they entered the inn, the landlord scowled at kiki and said: "i told you i would not feed you unless you had money." kiki showed him the gold piece. "and how about you?" asked the landlord, turning to ruggedo. "have you money?" "i've something better," answered the old nome, and taking a bag from one of his pockets he poured from it upon the table a mass of glittering gems--diamonds, rubies and emeralds. the landlord was very polite to the strangers after that. he served them an excellent supper, and while they ate it, the hyup boy asked his companion: "where did you get so many jewels?" "well, i'll tell you," answered the nome. "when those oz people took my kingdom away from me--just because it was my kingdom and i wanted to run it to suit myself--they said i could take as many precious stones as i could carry. so i had a lot of pockets made in my clothes and loaded them all up. jewels are fine things to have with you when you travel; you can trade them for anything." "are they better than gold pieces?" asked kiki. "the smallest of these jewels is worth a hundred gold pieces such as you stole from the old man." "don't talk so loud," begged kiki, uneasily. "some one else might hear what you are saying." after supper they took a walk together, and the former nome king said: "do you know the shaggy man, and the scarecrow, and the tin woodman, and dorothy, and ozma and all the other oz people?" "no," replied the boy, "i have never been away from mount munch until i flew over the deadly desert the other day in the shape of a hawk." "then you've never seen the emerald city of oz?" "never." "well," said the nome, "i knew all the oz people, and you can guess i do not love them. all during my wanderings i have brooded on how i can be revenged on them. now that i've met you i can see a way to conquer the land of oz and be king there myself, which is better than being king of the nomes." "how can you do that?" inquired kiki aru, wonderingly. "never mind how. in the first place, i'll make a bargain with you. tell me the secret of how to perform transformations and i will give you a pocketful of jewels, the biggest and finest that i possess." "no," said kiki, who realized that to share his power with another would be dangerous to himself. "i'll give you two pocketsful of jewels," said the nome. "no," answered kiki. "i'll give you every jewel i possess." "no, no, no!" said kiki, who was beginning to be frightened. "then," said the nome, with a wicked look at the boy, "i'll tell the inn-keeper that you stole that gold piece and he will have you put in prison." kiki laughed at the threat. "before he can do that," said he, "i will transform myself into a lion and tear him to pieces, or into a bear and eat him up, or into a fly and fly away where he could not find me." "can you really do such wonderful transformations?" asked the old nome, looking at him curiously. "of course," declared kiki. "i can transform you into a stick of wood, in a flash, or into a stone, and leave you here by the roadside." "the wicked nome shivered a little when he heard that, but it made him long more than ever to possess the great secret. after a while he said: "i'll tell you what i'll do. if you will help me to conquer oz and to transform the oz people, who are my enemies, into sticks or stones, by telling me your secret, i'll agree to make you the ruler of all oz, and i will be your prime minister and see that your orders are obeyed." "i'll help do that," said kiki, "but i won't tell you my secret." the nome was so furious at this refusal that he jumped up and down with rage and spluttered and choked for a long time before he could control his passion. but the boy was not at all frightened. he laughed at the wicked old nome, which made him more furious than ever. "let's give up the idea," he proposed, when ruggedo had quieted somewhat. "i don't know the oz people you mention and so they are not my enemies. if they've kicked you out of your kingdom, that's your affair--not mine." "wouldn't you like to be king of that splendid fairyland?" asked ruggedo. "yes, i would," replied kiki aru; "but you want to be king yourself, and we would quarrel over it." "no," said the nome, trying to deceive him. "i don't care to be king of oz, come to think it over. i don't even care to live in that country. what i want first is revenge. if we can conquer oz, i'll get enough magic then to conquer my own kingdom of the nomes, and i'll go back and live in my underground caverns, which are more home-like than the top of the earth. so here's my proposition: help me conquer oz and get revenge, and help me get the magic away from glinda and the wizard, and i'll let you be king of oz forever afterward." "i'll think it over," answered kiki, and that is all he would say that evening. in the night when all in the inn were asleep but himself, old ruggedo the nome rose softly from his couch and went into the room of kiki aru the hyup, and searched everywhere for the magic tool that performed his transformations. of course, there was no such tool, and although ruggedo searched in all the boy's pockets, he found nothing magical whatever. so he went back to his bed and began to doubt that kiki could perform transformations. next morning he said: "which way do you travel to-day?" "i think i shall visit the rose kingdom," answered the boy. "that is a long journey," declared the nome. "i shall transform myself into a bird," said kiki, "and so fly to the rose kingdom in an hour." "then transform me, also, into a bird, and i will go with you," suggested ruggedo. "but, in that case, let us fly together to the land of oz, and see what it looks like." kiki thought this over. pleasant as were the countries he had visited, he heard everywhere that the land of oz was more beautiful and delightful. the land of oz was his own country, too, and if there was any possibility of his becoming its king, he must know something about it. while kiki the hyup thought, ruggedo the nome was also thinking. this boy possessed a marvelous power, and although very simple in some ways, he was determined not to part with his secret. however, if ruggedo could get him to transport the wily old nome to oz, which he could reach in no other way, he might then induce the boy to follow his advice and enter into the plot for revenge, which he had already planned in his wicked heart. "there are wizards and magicians in oz," remarked kiki, after a time. "they might discover us, in spite of our transformations." "not if we are careful," ruggedo assured him. "ozma has a magic picture, in which she can see whatever she wishes to see; but ozma will know nothing of our going to oz, and so she will not command her magic picture to show where we are or what we are doing. glinda the good has a great book called the book of records, in which is magically written everything that people do in the land of oz, just the instant they do it." "then," said kiki, "there is no use our attempting to conquer the country, for glinda would read in her book all that we do, and as her magic is greater than mine, she would soon put a stop to our plans." "i said 'people,' didn't i?" retorted the nome. "the book doesn't make a record of what birds do, or beasts. it only tells the doings of people. so, if we fly into the country as birds, glinda won't know anything about it." "two birds couldn't conquer the land of oz," asserted the boy, scornfully. "no; that's true," admitted ruggedo, and then he rubbed his forehead and stroked his long pointed beard and thought some more. "ah, now i have the idea!" he declared. "i suppose you can transform us into beasts as well as birds?" "of course." "and can you make a bird a beast, and a beast a bird again, without taking a human form in between?" "certainly," said kiki. "i can transform myself or others into anything that can talk. there's a magic word that must be spoken in connection with the transformations, and as beasts and birds and dragons and fishes can talk in oz, we may become any of these we desire to. however, if i transformed myself into a tree, i would always remain a tree, because then i could not utter the magic word to change the transformation." "i see; i see," said ruggedo, nodding his bushy, white head until the point of his hair waved back and forth like a pendulum. "that fits in with my idea, exactly. now, listen, and i'll explain to you my plan. we'll fly to oz as birds and settle in one of the thick forests in the gillikin country. there you will transform us into powerful beasts, and as glinda doesn't keep any track of the doings of beasts we can act without being discovered." "but how can two beasts raise an army to conquer the powerful people of oz?" inquired kiki. "that's easy. but not an army of people, mind you. that would be quickly discovered. and while we are in oz you and i will never resume our human forms until we've conquered the country and destroyed glinda, and ozma, and the wizard, and dorothy, and all the rest, and so have nothing more to fear from them." "it is impossible to kill anyone in the land of oz," declared kiki. "it isn't necessary to kill the oz people," rejoined ruggedo. "i'm afraid i don't understand you," objected the boy. "what will happen to the oz people, and what sort of an army could we get together, except of people?" "i'll tell you. the forests of oz are full of beasts. some of them, in the far-away places, are savage and cruel, and would gladly follow a leader as savage as themselves. they have never troubled the oz people much, because they had no leader to urge them on, but we will tell them to help us conquer oz and as a reward we will transform all the beasts into men and women, and let them live in the houses and enjoy all the good things; and we will transform all the people of oz into beasts of various sorts, and send them to live in the forests and the jungles. that is a splendid idea, you must admit, and it's so easy that we won't have any trouble at all to carry it through to success." "will the beasts consent, do you think?" asked the boy. "to be sure they will. we can get every beast in oz on our side--except a few who live in ozma's palace, and they won't count." . conspirators kiki aru didn't know much about oz and didn't know much about the beasts who lived there, but the old nome's plan seemed to him to be quite reasonable. he had a faint suspicion that ruggedo meant to get the best of him in some way, and he resolved to keep a close watch on his fellow-conspirator. as long as he kept to himself the secret word of the transformations, ruggedo would not dare to harm him, and he promised himself that as soon as they had conquered oz, he would transform the old nome into a marble statue and keep him in that form forever. ruggedo, on his part, decided that he could, by careful watching and listening, surprise the boy's secret, and when he had learned the magic word he would transform kiki aru into a bundle of faggots and burn him up and so be rid of him. this is always the way with wicked people. they cannot be trusted even by one another. ruggedo thought he was fooling kiki, and kiki thought he was fooling ruggedo; so both were pleased. "it's a long way across the desert," remarked the boy, "and the sands are hot and send up poisonous vapors. let us wait until evening and then fly across in the night when it will be cooler." the former nome king agreed to this, and the two spent the rest of that day in talking over their plans. when evening came they paid the inn-keeper and walked out to a little grove of trees that stood near by. "remain here for a few minutes and i'll soon be back," said kiki, and walking swiftly away, he left the nome standing in the grove. ruggedo wondered where he had gone, but stood quietly in his place until, all of a sudden, his form changed to that of a great eagle, and he uttered a piercing cry of astonishment and flapped his wings in a sort of panic. at once his eagle cry was answered from beyond the grove, and another eagle, even larger and more powerful than the transformed ruggedo, came sailing through the trees and alighted beside him. "now we are ready for the start," said the voice of kiki, coming from the eagle. ruggedo realized that this time he had been outwitted. he had thought kiki would utter the magic word in his presence, and so he would learn what it was, but the boy had been too shrewd for that. as the two eagles mounted high into the air and began their flight across the great desert that separates the land of oz from all the rest of the world, the nome said: "when i was king of the nomes i had a magic way of working transformations that i thought was good, but it could not compare with your secret word. i had to have certain tools and make passes and say a lot of mystic words before i could transform anybody." "what became of your magic tools?" inquired kiki. "the oz people took them all away from me--that horrid girl, dorothy, and that terrible fairy, ozma, the ruler of oz--at the time they took away my underground kingdom and kicked me upstairs into the cold, heartless world." "why did you let them do that?" asked the boy. "well," said ruggedo, "i couldn't help it. they rolled eggs at me--eggs--dreadful eggs!--and if an egg even touches a nome, he is ruined for life." "is any kind of an egg dangerous to a nome?" "any kind and every kind. an egg is the only thing i'm afraid of." . a happy corner of oz there is no other country so beautiful as the land of oz. there are no other people so happy and contented and prosperous as the oz people. they have all they desire; they love and admire their beautiful girl ruler, ozma of oz, and they mix work and play so justly that both are delightful and satisfying and no one has any reason to complain. once in a while something happens in oz to disturb the people's happiness for a brief time, for so rich and attractive a fairyland is sure to make a few selfish and greedy outsiders envious, and therefore certain evil-doers have treacherously plotted to conquer oz and enslave its people and destroy its girl ruler, and so gain the wealth of oz for themselves. but up to the time when the cruel and crafty nome, ruggedo, conspired with kiki aru, the hyup, all such attempts had failed. the oz people suspected no danger. life in the world's nicest fairyland was one round of joyous, happy days. in the center of the emerald city of oz, the capital city of ozma's dominions, is a vast and beautiful garden, surrounded by a wall inlaid with shining emeralds, and in the center of this garden stands ozma's royal palace, the most splendid building ever constructed. from a hundred towers and domes floated the banners of oz, which included the ozmies, the munchkins, the gillikins, the winkies and the quadlings. the banner of the munchkins is blue, that of the winkies yellow; the gillikin banner is purple, and the quadling's banner is red. the colors of the emerald city are of course green. ozma's own banner has a green center, and is divided into four quarters. these quarters are colored blue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that she rules over all the countries of the land of oz. this fairyland is so big, however, that all of it is not yet known to its girl ruler, and it is said that in some far parts of the country, in forests and mountain fastnesses, in hidden valleys and thick jungles, are people and beasts that know as little about ozma as she knows of them. still, these unknown subjects are not nearly so numerous as the known inhabitants of oz, who occupy all the countries near to the emerald city. indeed, i'm sure it will not be long until all parts of the fairyland of oz are explored and their peoples made acquainted with their ruler, for in ozma's palace are several of her friends who are so curious that they are constantly discovering new and extraordinary places and inhabitants. one of the most frequent discoverers of these hidden places in oz is a little kansas girl named dorothy, who is ozma's dearest friend and lives in luxurious rooms in the royal palace. dorothy is, indeed, a princess of oz, but she does not like to be called a princess, and because she is simple and sweet and does not pretend to be anything but an ordinary little girl, she is called just "dorothy" by everybody and is the most popular person, next to ozma, in all the land of oz. one morning dorothy crossed the hall of the palace and knocked on the door of another girl named trot, also a guest and friend of ozma. when told to enter, dorothy found that trot had company, an old sailor-man with one wooden leg and one meat leg, who was sitting by the open window puffing smoke from a corn-cob pipe. this sailor-man was named cap'n bill, and he had accompanied trot to the land of oz and was her oldest and most faithful comrade and friend. dorothy liked cap'n bill, too, and after she had greeted him, she said to trot: "you know, ozma's birthday is next month, and i've been wondering what i can give here as a birthday present. she's so good to us all that we certainly ought to remember her birthday." "that's true," agreed trot. "i've been wondering, too, what i could give ozma. it's pretty hard to decide, 'cause she's got already all she wants, and as she's a fairy and knows a lot about magic, she could satisfy any wish." "i know," returned dorothy, "but that isn't the point. it isn't that ozma needs anything, but that it will please her to know we've remembered her birthday. but what shall we give her?" trot shook her head in despair. "i've tried to think and i can't," she declared. "it's the same way with me," said dorothy. "i know one thing that 'ud please her," remarked cap'n bill, turning his round face with its fringe of whiskers toward the two girls and staring at them with his big, light-blue eyes wide open. "what is it, cap'n bill?" "it's an enchanted flower," said he. "it's a pretty plant that stands in a golden flower-pot an' grows all sorts o' flowers, one after another. one minute a fine rose buds an' blooms, an' then a tulip, an' next a chrys--chrys--" "--anthemum," said dorothy, helping him. "that's it; and next a dahlia, an' then a daffydil, an' on all through the range o' posies. jus' as soon as one fades away, another comes, of a different sort, an' the perfume from 'em is mighty snifty, an' they keeps bloomin' night and day, year in an' year out." "that's wonderful!" exclaimed dorothy. "i think ozma would like it." "but where is the magic flower, and how can we get it?" asked trot. "dun'no, zac'ly," slowly replied cap'n bill. "the glass cat tol' me about it only yesterday, an' said it was in some lonely place up at the nor'east o' here. the glass cat goes travelin' all around oz, you know, an' the little critter sees a lot o' things no one else does." "that's true," said dorothy, thoughtfully. "northeast of here must be in the munchkin country, and perhaps a good way off, so let's ask the glass cat to tell us how to get to the magic flower." so the two girls, with cap'n bill stumping along on his wooden leg after them, went out into the garden, and after some time spent in searching, they found the glass cat curled up in the sunshine beside a bush, fast sleep. the glass cat is one of the most curious creatures in all oz. it was made by a famous magician named dr. pipt before ozma had forbidden her subjects to work magic. dr. pipt had made the glass cat to catch mice, but the cat refused to catch mice and was considered more curious than useful. this astonished cat was made all of glass and was so clear and transparent that you could see through it as easily as through a window. in the top of its head, however, was a mass of delicate pink balls which looked like jewels but were intended for brains. it had a heart made of blood-red ruby. the eyes were two large emeralds. but, aside from these colors, all the rest of the animal was of clear glass, and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful. "here, wake up," said cap'n bill. "we want to talk to you." slowly the glass cat got upon its feed, yawned and then looked at the three who stood before it. "how dare you disturb me?" it asked in a peevish voice. "you ought to be ashamed of yourselves." "never mind that," returned the sailor. "do you remember tellin' me yesterday 'bout a magic flower in a gold pot?" "do you think i'm a fool? look at my brains--you can see 'em work. of course i remember!" said the cat. "well, where can we find it?" "you can't. it's none of your business, anyhow. go away and let me sleep," advised the glass cat. "now, see here," said dorothy; "we want the magic flower to give to ozma on her birthday. you'd be glad to please ozma, wouldn't you?" "i'm not sure," replied the creature. "why should i want to please anybody?" "you've got a heart, 'cause i can see it inside of you," said trot. "yes; it's a pretty heart, and i'm fond of it," said the cat, twisting around to view its own body. "but it's made from a ruby, and it's hard as nails." "aren't you good for anything?" asked trot. "yes, i'm pretty to look at, and that's more than can be said of you," retorted the creature. trot laughed at this, and dorothy, who understood the glass cat pretty well, said soothingly: "you are indeed beautiful, and if you can tell cap'n bill where to find the magic flower, all the people in oz will praise your cleverness. the flower will belong to ozma, but everyone will know the glass cat discovered it." this was the kind of praise the crystal creature liked. "well," it said, while the pink brains rolled around, "i found the magic flower way up in the north of the munchkin country where few people live or ever go. there's a river there that flows through a forest, and in the middle of the forest there is a small island on which stands the gold pot in which grows the magic flower." "how did you get to the island?" asked dorothy. "glass cats can't swim." "no, but i'm not afraid of water," was the reply. "i just walked across the river on the bottom." "under the water?" exclaimed trot. the cat gave her a scornful look. "how could i walk over the water on the bottom of the river? if you were transparent, anyone could see your brains were not working. but i'm sure you could never find the place alone. it has always been hidden from the oz people." "but you, with your fine pink brains, could find it again, i s'pose," remarked dorothy. "yes; and if you want that magic flower for ozma, i'll go with you and show you the way." "that's lovely of you!" declared dorothy. "trot and cap'n bill will go with you, for this is to be their birthday present to ozma. while you're gone i'll have to find something else to give her." "all right. come on, then, cap'n," said the glass cat, starting to move away. "wait a minute," begged trot. "how long will we be gone?" "oh, about a week." "then i'll put some things in a basket to take with us," said the girl, and ran into the palace to make her preparations for the journey. . ozma's birthday presents when cap'n bill and trot and the glass cat had started for the hidden island in the far-off river to get the magic flower, dorothy wondered again what she could give ozma on her birthday. she met the patchwork girl and said: "what are you going to give ozma for a birthday present?" "i've written a song for her," answered the strange patchwork girl, who went by the name of "scraps," and who, through stuffed with cotton, had a fair assortment of mixed brains. "it's a splendid song and the chorus runs this way: i am crazy; you're a daisy, ozma dear; i'm demented; you're contented, ozma dear; i am patched and gay and glary; you're a sweet and lovely fairy; may your birthdays all be happy, ozma dear!" "how do you like it, dorothy?" inquired the patchwork girl. "is it good poetry, scraps?" asked dorothy, doubtfully. "it's as good as any ordinary song," was the reply. "i have given it a dandy title, too. i shall call the song: 'when ozma has a birthday, everybody's sure to be gay, for she cannot help the fact that she was born.'" "that's a pretty long title, scraps," said dorothy. "that makes it stylish," replied the patchwork girl, turning a somersault and alighting on one stuffed foot. "now-a-days the titles are sometimes longer than the songs." dorothy left her and walked slowly toward the place, where she met the tin woodman just going up the front steps. "what are you going to give ozma on her birthday?" she asked. "it's a secret, but i'll tell you," replied the tin woodman, who was emperor of the winkies. "i am having my people make ozma a lovely girdle set with beautiful tin nuggets. each tin nugget will be surrounded by a circle of emeralds, just to set it off to good advantage. the clasp of the girdle will be pure tin! won't that be fine?" "i'm sure she'll like it," said dorothy. "do you know what i can give her?" "i haven't the slightest idea, dorothy. it took me three months to think of my own present for ozma." the girl walked thoughtfully around to the back of the palace, and presently came upon the famous scarecrow of oz, who has having two of the palace servants stuff his legs with fresh straw. "what are you going to give ozma on her birthday?" asked dorothy. "i want to surprise her," answered the scarecrow. "i won't tell," promised dorothy. "well, i'm having some straw slippers made for her--all straw, mind you, and braided very artistically. ozma has always admired my straw filling, so i'm sure she'll be pleased with these lovely straw slippers." "ozma will be pleased with anything her loving friends give her," said the girl. "what i'm worried about, scarecrow, is what to give ozma that she hasn't got already." "that's what worried me, until i thought of the slippers," said the scarecrow. "you'll have to think, dorothy; that's the only way to get a good idea. if i hadn't such wonderful brains, i'd never have thought of those straw foot-decorations." dorothy left him and went to her room, where she sat down and tried to think hard. a pink kitten was curled up on the window-sill and dorothy asked her: "what can i give ozma for her birthday present?" "oh, give her some milk," replied the pink kitten; "that's the nicest thing i know of." a fuzzy little black dog had squatted down at dorothy's feet and now looked up at her with intelligent eyes. "tell me, toto," said the girl; "what would ozma like best for a birthday present?" the little black dog wagged his tail. "your love," said he. "ozma wants to be loved more than anything else." "but i already love her, toto!" "then tell her you love her twice as much as you ever did before." "that wouldn't be true," objected dorothy, "for i've always loved her as much as i could, and, really, toto, i want to give ozma some present, 'cause everyone else will give her a present." "let me see," said toto. "how would it be to give her that useless pink kitten?" "no, toto; that wouldn't do." "then six kisses." "no; that's no present." "well, i guess you'll have to figure it out for yourself, dorothy," said the little dog. "to my notion you're more particular than ozma will be." dorothy decided that if anyone could help her it would be glinda the good, the wonderful sorceress of oz who was ozma's faithful subject and friend. but glinda's castle was in the quadling country and quite a journey from the emerald city. so the little girl went to ozma and asked permission to use the wooden sawhorse and the royal red wagon to pay a visit to glinda, and the girl ruler kissed princess dorothy and graciously granted permission. the wooden sawhorse was one of the most remarkable creatures in oz. its body was a small log and its legs were limbs of trees stuck in the body. its eyes were knots, its mouth was sawed in the end of the log and its ears were two chips. a small branch had been left at the rear end of the log to serve as a tail. ozma herself, during one of her early adventures, had brought this wooden horse to life, and so she was much attached to the queer animal and had shod the bottoms of its wooden legs with plates of gold so they would not wear out. the sawhorse was a swift and willing traveler, and though it could talk if need arose, it seldom said anything unless spoken to. when the sawhorse was harnessed to the red wagon there were no reins to guide him because all that was needed was to tell him where to go. dorothy now told him to go to glinda's castle and the sawhorse carried her there with marvelous speed. "glinda," said dorothy, when she had been greeted by the sorceress, who was tall and stately, with handsome and dignified features and dressed in a splendid and becoming gown, "what are you going to give ozma for a birthday present?" the sorceress smiled and answered: "come into my patio and i will show you." so they entered a place that was surrounded by the wings of the great castle but had no roof, and was filled with flowers and fountains and exquisite statuary and many settees and chairs of polished marble or filigree gold. here there were gathered fifty beautiful young girls, glinda's handmaids, who had been selected from all parts of the land of oz on account of their wit and beauty and sweet dispositions. it was a great honor to be made one of glinda's handmaidens. when dorothy followed the sorceress into this delightful patio all the fifty girls were busily weaving, and their shuttles were filled with a sparkling green spun glass such as the little girl had never seen before. "what is it, glinda?" she asked. "one of my recent discoveries," explained the sorceress. "i have found a way to make threads from emeralds, by softening the stones and then spinning them into long, silken strands. with these emerald threads we are weaving cloth to make ozma a splendid court gown for her birthday. you will notice that the threads have all the beautiful glitter and luster of the emeralds from which they are made, and so ozma's new dress will be the most magnificent the world has ever seen, and quite fitting for our lovely ruler of the fairyland of oz." dorothy's eyes were fairly dazed by the brilliance of the emerald cloth, some of which the girls had already woven. "i've never seen anything so beautiful!" she said, with a sigh. "but tell me, glinda, what can i give our lovely ozma on her birthday?" the good sorceress considered this question for a long time before she replied. finally she said: "of course there will be a grand feast at the royal palace on ozma's birthday, and all our friends will be present. so i suggest that you make a fine big birthday cake of ozma, and surround it with candles." "oh, just a cake!" exclaimed dorothy, in disappointment. "nothing is nicer for a birthday," said the sorceress. "how many candles should there be on the cake?" asked the girl. "just a row of them," replied glinda, "for no one knows how old ozma is, although she appears to us to be just a young girl--as fresh and fair as if she had lived but a few years." "a cake doesn't seem like much of a present," dorothy asserted. "make it a surprise cake," suggested the sorceress. "don't you remember the four and twenty blackbirds that were baked in a pie? well, you need not use live blackbirds in your cake, but you could have some surprise of a different sort." "like what?" questioned dorothy, eagerly. "if i told you, it wouldn't be your present to ozma, but mine," answered the sorceress, with a smile. "think it over, my dear, and i am sure you can originate a surprise that will add greatly to the joy and merriment of ozma's birthday banquet." dorothy thanked her friend and entered the red wagon and told the sawhorse to take her back home to the palace in the emerald city. on the way she thought the matter over seriously of making a surprise birthday cake and finally decided what to do. as soon as she reached home, she went to the wizard of oz, who had a room fitted up in one of the high towers of the palace, where he studied magic so as to be able to perform such wizardry as ozma commanded him to do for the welfare of her subjects. the wizard and dorothy were firm friends and had enjoyed many strange adventures together. he was a little man with a bald head and sharp eyes and a round, jolly face, and because he was neither haughty nor proud he had become a great favorite with the oz people. "wizard," said dorothy, "i want you to help me fix up a present for ozma's birthday." "i'll be glad to do anything for you and for ozma," he answered. "what's on your mind, dorothy?" "i'm going to make a great cake, with frosting and candles, and all that, you know." "very good," said the wizard. "in the center of this cake i'm going to leave a hollow place, with just a roof of the frosting over it," continued the girl. "very good," repeated the wizard, nodding his bald head. "in that hollow place," said dorothy, "i want to hide a lot of monkeys about three inches high, and after the cake is placed on the banquet table, i want the monkeys to break through the frosting and dance around on the table-cloth. then, i want each monkey to cut out a piece of cake and hand it to a guest." "mercy me!" cried the little wizard, as he chuckled with laughter. "is that all you want, dorothy?" "almost," said she. "can you think of anything more the little monkeys can do, wizard?" "not just now," he replied. "but where will you get such tiny monkeys?" "that's where you're to help me," said dorothy. "in some of those wild forests in the gillikin country are lots of monkeys." "big ones," said the wizard. "well, you and i will go there, and we'll get some of the big monkeys, and you will make them small--just three inches high--by means of your magic, and we'll put the little monkeys all in a basket and bring them home with us. then you'll train them to dance--up here in your room, where no one can see them--and on ozma's birthday we'll put 'em into the cake and they'll know by that time just what to do." the wizard looked at dorothy with admiring approval, and chuckled again. "that's really clever, my dear," he said, "and i see no reason why we can't do it, just the way you say, if only we can get the wild monkeys to agree to it." "do you think they'll object?" asked the girl. "yes; but perhaps we can argue them into it. anyhow it's worth trying, and i'll help you if you'll agree to let this surprise cake be a present to ozma from you and me together. i've been wondering what i could give ozma, and as i've got to train the monkeys as well as make them small, i think you ought to make me your partner." "of course," said dorothy; "i'll be glad to do so." "then it's a bargain," declared the wizard. "we must go to seek those monkeys at once, however, for it will take time to train them and we'll have to travel a good way to the gillikin forests where they live." "i'm ready to go any time," agreed dorothy. "shall we ask ozma to let us take the sawhorse?" the wizard did not answer that at once. he took time to think of the suggestion. "no," he answered at length, "the red wagon couldn't get through the thick forests and there's some danger to us in going into the wild places to search for monkeys. so i propose we take the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger. we can ride on their backs as well as in the red wagon, and if there is danger to us from other beasts, these two friendly champions will protect us from all harm." "that's a splendid idea!" exclaimed dorothy. "let's go now and ask the hungry tiger and the cowardly lion if they will help us. shall we ask ozma if we can go?" "i think not," said the wizard, getting his hat and his black bag of magic tools. "this is to be a surprise for her birthday, and so she mustn't know where we're going. we'll just leave word, in case ozma inquires for us, that we'll be back in a few days." . the forest of gugu in the central western part of the gillikin country is a great tangle of trees called gugu forest. it is the biggest forest in all oz and stretches miles and miles in every direction--north, south, east and west. adjoining it on the east side is a range of rugged mountains covered with underbrush and small twisted trees. you can find this place by looking at the map of the land of oz. gugu forest is the home of most of the wild beasts that inhabit oz. these are seldom disturbed in their leafy haunts because there is no reason why oz people should go there, except on rare occasions, and most parts of the forest have never been seen by any eyes but the eyes of the beasts who make their home there. the biggest beasts inhabit the great forest, while the smaller ones live mostly in the mountain underbrush at the east. now, you must know that there are laws in the forests, as well as in every other place, and these laws are made by the beasts themselves, and are necessary to keep them from fighting and tearing one another to pieces. in gugu forest there is a king--an enormous yellow leopard called "gugu"--after whom the forest is named. and this king has three other beasts to advise him in keeping the laws and maintaining order--bru the bear, loo the unicorn and rango the gray ape--who are known as the king's counselors. all these are fierce and ferocious beasts, and hold their high offices because they are more intelligent and more feared then their fellows. since oz became a fairyland, no man, woman or child ever dies in that land nor is anyone ever sick. likewise the beasts of the forests never die, so that long years add to their cunning and wisdom, as well as to their size and strength. it is possible for beasts--or even people--to be destroyed, but the task is so difficult that it is seldom attempted. because it is free from sickness and death is one reason why oz is a fairyland, but it is doubtful whether those who come to oz from the outside world, as dorothy and button-bright and trot and cap'n bill and the wizard did, will live forever or cannot be injured. even ozma is not sure about this, and so the guests of ozma from other lands are always carefully protected from any danger, so as to be on the safe side. in spite of the laws of the forests there are often fights among the beasts; some of them have lost an eye or an ear or even had a leg torn off. the king and the king's counselors always punish those who start a fight, but so fierce is the nature of some beasts that they will at times fight in spite of laws and punishment. over this vast, wild forest of gugu flew two eagles, one morning, and near the center of the jungle the eagles alighted on a branch of a tall tree. "here is the place for us to begin our work," said one, who was ruggedo, the nome. "do many beasts live here?" asked kiki aru, the other eagle. "the forest is full of them," said the nome. "there are enough beasts right here to enable us to conquer the people of oz, if we can get them to consent to join us. to do that, we must go among them and tell them our plans, so we must now decide on what shapes we had better assume while in the forest." "i suppose we must take the shapes of beasts?" said kiki. "of course. but that requires some thought. all kinds of beasts live here, and a yellow leopard is king. if we become leopards, the king will be jealous of us. if we take the forms of some of the other beasts, we shall not command proper respect." "i wonder if the beasts will attack us?" asked kiki. "i'm a nome, and immortal, so nothing can hurt me," replied ruggedo. "i was born in the land of oz, so nothing can hurt me," said kiki. "but, in order to carry out our plans, we must win the favor of all the animals of the forest." "then what shall we do?" asked kiki. "let us mix the shapes of several beasts, so we will not look like any one of them," proposed the wily old nome. "let us have the heads of lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eagles and the tails of wild asses, with knobs of gold on the end of them instead of bunches of hair." "won't that make a queer combination?" inquired kiki. "the queerer the better," declared ruggedo. "all right," said kiki. "you stay here, and i'll fly away to another tree and transform us both, and then we'll climb down our trees and meet in the forest." "no," said the nome, "we mustn't separate. you must transform us while we are together." "i won't do that," asserted kiki, firmly. "you're trying to get my secret, and i won't let you." the eyes of the other eagle flashed angrily, but ruggedo did not dare insist. if he offended this boy, he might have to remain an eagle always and he wouldn't like that. some day he hoped to be able to learn the secret word of the magical transformations, but just now he must let kiki have his own way. "all right," he said gruffly; "do as you please." so kiki flew to a tree that was far enough distant so that ruggedo could not overhear him and said: "i want ruggedo, the nome, and myself to have the heads of lions, the bodies of monkeys, the wings of eagles and the tails of wild asses, with knobs of gold on the ends of them instead of bunches of hair--pyrzqxgl!" he pronounced the magic word in the proper manner and at once his form changed to the one he had described. he spread his eagle's wings and finding they were strong enough to support his monkey body and lion head he flew swiftly to the tree where he had left ruggedo. the nome was also transformed and was climbing down the tree because the branches all around him were so thickly entwined that there was no room between them to fly. kiki quickly joined his comrade and it did not take them long to reach the ground. . the li-mon-eags make trouble there had been trouble in the forest of gugu that morning. chipo the wild boar had bitten the tail off arx the giraffe while the latter had his head among the leaves of a tree, eating his breakfast. arx kicked with his heels and struck tirrip, the great kangaroo, who had a new baby in her pouch. tirrip knew it was the wild boar's fault, so she knocked him over with one powerful blow and then ran away to escape chipo's sharp tusks. in the chase that followed a giant porcupine stuck fifty sharp quills into the boar and a chimpanzee in a tree threw a cocoanut at the porcupine that jammed its head into its body. all this was against the laws of the forest, and when the excitement was over, gugu the leopard king called his royal counselors together to decide how best to punish the offenders. the four lords of the forest were holding solemn council in a small clearing when they saw two strange beasts approaching them--beasts the like of which they had never seen before. not one of the four, however, relaxed his dignity or showed by a movement that he was startled. the great leopard crouched at full length upon a fallen tree-trunk. bru the bear sat on his haunches before the king; rango the gray ape stood with his muscular arms folded, and loo the unicorn reclined, much as a horse does, between his fellow-councillors. with one consent they remained silent, eyeing with steadfast looks the intruders, who were making their way into their forest domain. "well met, brothers!" said one of the strange beasts, coming to a halt beside the group, while his comrade with hesitation lagged behind. "we are not brothers," returned the gray ape, sternly. "who are you, and how came you in the forest of gugu?" "we are two li-mon-eags," said ruggedo, inventing the name. "our home is in sky island, and we have come to earth to warn the forest beasts that the people of oz are about to make war upon them and enslave them, so that they will become beasts of burden forever after and obey only the will of their two-legged masters." a low roar of anger arose from the council of beasts. "who's going to do that?" asked loo the unicorn, in a high, squeaky voice, at the same time rising to his feet. "the people of oz," said ruggedo. "but what will we be doing?" inquired the unicorn. "that's what i've come to talk to you about." "you needn't talk! we'll fight the oz people!" screamed the unicorn. "we'll smash 'em; we'll trample 'em; we'll gore 'em; we'll--" "silence!" growled gugu the king, and loo obeyed, although still trembling with wrath. the cold, steady gaze of the leopard wandered over the two strange beasts. "the people of oz," said he, "have not been our friends; they have not been our enemies. they have let us alone, and we have let them alone. there is no reason for war between us. they have no slaves. they could not use us as slaves if they should conquer us. i think you are telling us lies, you strange li-mon-eag--you mixed-up beast who are neither one thing nor another." "oh, on my word, it's the truth!" protested the nome in the beast's shape. "i wouldn't lie for the world; i--" "silence!" again growled gugu the king; and somehow, even ruggedo was abashed and obeyed the edict. "what do you say, bru?" asked the king, turning to the great bear, who had until now said nothing. "how does the mixed beast know that what he says is true?" asked the bear. "why, i can fly, you know, having the wings of an eagle," explained the nome. "i and my comrade yonder," turning to kiki, "flew to a grove in oz, and there we heard the people telling how they will make many ropes to snare you beasts, and then they will surround this forest, and all other forests, and make you prisoners. so we came here to warn you, for being beasts ourselves, although we live in the sky, we are your friends." the leopard's lip curled and showed his enormous teeth, sharp as needles. he turned to the gray ape. "what do you think, rango?" he asked. "send these mixed beasts away, your majesty," replied the gray ape. "they are mischief-makers." "don't do that--don't do that!" cried the unicorn, nervously. "the stranger said he would tell us what to do. let him tell us, then. are we fools, not to heed a warning?" gugu the king turned to ruggedo. "speak, stranger," he commanded. "well," said the nome, "it's this way: the land of oz is a fine country. the people of oz have many good things--houses with soft beds, all sorts of nice-tasting food, pretty clothes, lovely jewels, and many other things that beasts know nothing of. here in the dark forests the poor beasts have hard work to get enough to eat and to find a bed to rest in. but the beasts are better than the people, and why should they not have all the good things the people have? so i propose that before the oz people have the time to make all those ropes to snare you with, that all we beasts get together and march against the oz people and capture them. then the beasts will become the masters and the people their slaves." "what good would that do us?" asked bru the bear. "it would save you from slavery, for one thing, and you could enjoy all the fine things of oz people have." "beasts wouldn't know what to do with the things people use," said the gray ape. "but this is only part of my plan," insisted the nome. "listen to the rest of it. we two li-mon-eags are powerful magicians. when you have conquered the oz people we will transform them all into beasts, and send them to the forests to live, and we will transform all the beasts into people, so they can enjoy all the wonderful delights of the emerald city." for a moment no beast spoke. then the king said: "prove it." "prove what?" asked ruggedo. "prove that you can transform us. if you are a magician transform the unicorn into a man. then we will believe you. if you fail, we will destroy you." "all right," said the nome. "but i'm tired, so i'll let my comrade make the transformation." kiki aru had stood back from the circle, but he had heard all that was said. he now realized that he must make good ruggedo's boast, so he retreated to the edge of the clearing and whispered the magic word. instantly the unicorn became a fat, chubby little man, dressed in the purple gillikin costume, and it was hard to tell which was the more astonished, the king, the bear, the ape or the former unicorn. "it's true!" shorted the man-beast. "good gracious, look what i am! it's wonderful!" the king of beasts now addressed ruggedo in a more friendly tone. "we must believe your story, since you have given us proof of your power," said he. "but why, if you are so great a magician, cannot you conquer the oz people without our help, and so save us the trouble?" "alas!" replied the crafty old nome, "no magician is able to do everything. the transformations are easy to us because we are li-mon-eags, but we cannot fight, or conquer even such weak creatures as the oz people. but we will stay with you and advise and help you, and we will transform all the oz people into beasts, when the time comes, and all the beasts into people." gugu the king turned to his counselors. "how shall we answer this friendly stranger?" he asked. loo the former unicorn was dancing around and cutting capers like a clown. "on my word, your majesty," he said, "this being a man is more fun than being a unicorn." "you look like a fool," said the gray ape. "well, i feel fine!" declared the man-beast. "i think i prefer to be a bear," said big bru. "i was born a bear, and i know a bear's ways. so i am satisfied to live as a bear lives." "that," said the old nome, "is because you know nothing better. when we have conquered the oz people, and you become a man, you'll be glad of it." the immense leopard rested his chin on the log and seemed thoughtful. "the beasts of the forest must decide this matter for themselves," he said. "go you, rango the gray ape, and tell your monkey tribe to order all the forest beasts to assemble in the great clearing at sunrise to-morrow. when all are gathered together, this mixed-up beast who is a magician shall talk to them and tell them what he has told us. then, if they decide to fight the oz people, who have declared war on us, i will lead the beasts to battle." rango the gray ape turned at once and glided swiftly through the forest on his mission. the bear gave a grunt and walked away. gugu the king rose and stretched himself. then he said to ruggedo: "meet us at sunrise to-morrow," and with stately stride vanished among the trees. the man-unicorn, left alone with the strangers, suddenly stopped his foolish prancing. "you'd better make me a unicorn again," he said. "i like being a man, but the forest beasts won't know i'm their friend, loo, and they might tear me in pieces before morning." so kiki changed him back to his former shape, and the unicorn departed to join his people. ruggedo the nome was much pleased with his success. "to-morrow," he said to kiki aru, "we'll win over these beasts and set them to fight and conquer the oz people. then i will have my revenge on ozma and dorothy and all the rest of my enemies." "but i am doing all the work," said kiki. "never mind; you're going to be king of oz," promised ruggedo. "will the big leopard let me be king?" asked the boy anxiously. the nome came close to him and whispered: "if gugu the leopard opposes us, you will transform him into a tree, and then he will be helpless." "of course," agreed kiki, and he said to himself: "i shall also transform this deceitful nome into a tree, for he lies and i cannot trust him." . the isle of the magic flower the glass cat was a good guide and led trot and cap'n bill by straight and easy paths through all the settled part of the munchkin country, and then into the north section where there were few houses, and finally through a wild country where there were no houses or paths at all. but the walking was not difficult and at last they came to the edge of a forest and stopped there to make camp and sleep until morning. from branches of trees cap'n bill made a tiny house that was just big enough for the little girl to crawl into and lie down. but first they ate some of the food trot had carried in the basket. "don't you want some, too?" she asked the glass cat. "no," answered the creature. "i suppose you'll hunt around an' catch a mouse," remarked cap'n bill. "me? catch a mouse! why should i do that?" inquired the glass cat. "why, then you could eat it," said the sailor-man. "i beg to inform you," returned the crystal tabby, "that i do not eat mice. being transparent, so anyone can see through me, i'd look nice, wouldn't i, with a common mouse inside me? but the fact is that i haven't any stomach or other machinery that would permit me to eat things. the careless magician who made me didn't think i'd need to eat, i suppose." "don't you ever get hungry or thirsty?" asked trot. "never. i don't complain, you know, at the way i'm made, for i've never yet seen any living thing as beautiful as i am. i have the handsomest brains in the world. they're pink, and you can see 'em work." "i wonder," said trot thoughtfully, as she ate her bread and jam, "if my brains whirl around in the same way yours do." "no; not the same way, surely," returned the glass cat; "for, in that case, they'd be as good as my brains, except that they're hidden under a thick, boney skull." "brains," remarked cap'n bill, "is of all kinds and work different ways. but i've noticed that them as thinks that their brains is best is often mistook." trot was a little disturbed by sounds from the forest, that night, for many beasts seemed prowling among the trees, but she was confident cap'n bill would protect her from harm. and in fact, no beast ventured from the forest to attack them. at daybreak they were up again, and after a simple breakfast cap'n bill said to the glass cat: "up anchor, mate, and let's forge ahead. i don't suppose we're far from that magic flower, are we?" "not far," answered the transparent one, as it led the way into the forest, "but it may take you some time to get to it." before long they reached the bank of a river. it was not very wide, at this place, but as they followed the banks in a northerly direction it gradually broadened. suddenly the blue-green leaves of the trees changed to a purple hue, and trot noticed this and said: "i wonder what made the colors change like that?" "it's because we have left the munchkin country and entered the gillikin country," explained the glass cat. "also it's a sign our journey is nearly ended." the river made a sudden turn, and after the travelers had passed around the bend, they saw that the stream had now become as broad as a small lake, and in the center of the lake they beheld a little island, not more than fifty feet in extent, either way. something glittered in the middle of this tiny island, and the glass cat paused on the bank and said: "there is the gold flower-pot containing the magic flower, which is very curious and beautiful. if you can get to the island, your task is ended--except to carry the thing home with you." cap'n bill looked at the broad expanse of water and began to whistle a low, quavering tune. trot knew that the whistle meant that cap'n bill was thinking, and the old sailor didn't look at the island as much as he looked at the trees upon the bank where they stood. presently he took from the big pocket of his coat an axe-blade, wound in an old cloth to keep the sharp edge from cutting his clothing. then, with a large pocket knife, he cut a small limb from a tree and whittled it into a handle for his axe. "sit down, trot," he advised the girl, as he worked. "i've got quite a job ahead of me now, for i've got to build us a raft." "what do we need a raft for, cap'n?" "why, to take us to the island. we can't walk under water, in the river bed, as the glass cat did, so we must float atop the water." "can you make a raft, cap'n bill?" "o' course, trot, if you give me time." the little girl sat down on a log and gazed at the island of the magic flower. nothing else seemed to grow on the tiny isle. there was no tree, no shrub, no grass, even, as far as she could make out from that distance. but the gold pot glittered in the rays of the sun, and trot could catch glimpses of glowing colors above it, as the magic flower changed from one sort to another. "when i was here before," remarked the glass cat, lazily reclining at the girl's feet, "i saw two kalidahs on this very bank, where they had come to drink." "what are kalidahs?" asked the girl. "the most powerful and ferocious beasts in all oz. this forest is their especial home, and so there are few other beasts to be found except monkeys. the monkeys are spry enough to keep out of the way of the fierce kalidahs, which attack all other animals and often fight among themselves." "did they try to fight you when you saw 'em?" asked trot, getting very much excited. "yes. they sprang upon me in an instant; but i lay flat on the ground, so i wouldn't get my legs broken by the great weight of the beasts, and when they tried to bite me i laughed at them and jeered them until they were frantic with rage, for they nearly broke their teeth on my hard glass. so, after a time, they discovered they could not hurt me, and went away. it was great fun." "i hope they don't come here again to drink,--not while we're here, anyhow," returned the girl, "for i'm not made of glass, nor is cap'n bill, and if those bad beasts bit us, we'd get hurt." cap'n bill was cutting from the trees some long stakes, making them sharp at one end and leaving a crotch at the other end. these were to bind the logs of his raft together. he had fashioned several and was just finishing another when the glass cat cried: "look out! there's a kalidah coming toward us." trot jumped up, greatly frightened, and looked at the terrible animal as if fascinated by its fierce eyes, for the kalidah was looking at her, too, and its look wasn't at all friendly. but cap'n bill called to her: "wade into the river, trot, up to your knees--an' stay there!" and she obeyed him at once. the sailor-man hobbled forward, the stake in one hand and his axe in the other, and got between the girl and the beast, which sprang upon him with a growl of defiance. cap'n bill moved pretty slowly, sometimes, but now he was quick as could be. as the kalidah sprang toward him he stuck out his wooden leg and the point of it struck the beast between the eyes and sent it rolling upon the ground. before it could get upon its feet again the sailor pushed the sharp stake right through its body and then with the flat side of the axe he hammered the stake as far into the ground as it would go. by this means he captured the great beast and made it harmless, for try as it would, it could not get away from the stake that held it. cap'n bill knew he could not kill the kalidah, for no living thing in oz can be killed, so he stood back and watched the beast wriggle and growl and paw the earth with its sharp claws, and then, satisfied it could not escape, he told trot to come out of the water again and dry her wet shoes and stockings in the sun. "are you sure he can't get away?" she asked. "i'd bet a cookie on it," said cap'n bill, so trot came ashore and took off her shoes and stockings and laid them on the log to dry, while the sailor-man resumed his work on the raft. the kalidah, realizing after many struggles that it could not escape, now became quiet, but it said in a harsh, snarling voice: "i suppose you think you're clever, to pin me to the ground in this manner. but when my friends, the other kalidahs, come here, they'll tear you to pieces for treating me this way." "p'raps," remarked cap'n bill, coolly, as he chopped at the logs, "an' p'raps not. when are your folks comin' here?" "i don't know," admitted the kalidah. "but when they do come, you can't escape them." "if they hold off long enough, i'll have my raft ready," said cap'n bill. "what are you going to do with a raft?" inquired the beast. "we're goin' over to that island, to get the magic flower." the huge beast looked at him in surprise a moment, and then it began to laugh. the laugh was a good deal like a roar, and it had a cruel and derisive sound, but it was a laugh nevertheless. "good!" said the kalidah. "good! very good! i'm glad you're going to get the magic flower. but what will you do with it?" "we're going to take it to ozma, as a present on her birthday." the kalidah laughed again; then it became sober. "if you get to the land on your raft before my people can catch you," it said, "you will be safe from us. we can swim like ducks, so the girl couldn't have escaped me by getting into the water; but kalidahs don't go to that island over there." "why not?" asked trot. the beast was silent. "tell us the reason," urged cap'n bill. "well, it's the isle of the magic flower," answered the kalidah, "and we don't care much for magic. if you hadn't had a magic leg, instead of a meat one, you couldn't have knocked me over so easily and stuck this wooden pin through me." "i've been to the magic isle," said the glass cat, "and i've watched the magic flower bloom, and i'm sure it's too pretty to be left in that lonely place where only beasts prowl around it and no else sees it. so we're going to take it away to the emerald city." "i don't care," the beast replied in a surly tone. "we kalidahs would be just as contented if there wasn't a flower in our forest. what good are the things anyhow?" "don't you like pretty things?" asked trot. "no." "you ought to admire my pink brains, anyhow," declared the glass cat. "they're beautiful and you can see 'em work." the beast only growled in reply, and cap'n bill, having now cut all his logs to a proper size, began to roll them to the water's edge and fasten them together. . stuck fast the day was nearly gone when, at last, the raft was ready. "it ain't so very big," said the old sailor, "but i don't weigh much, an' you, trot, don't weigh half as much as i do, an' the glass pussy don't count." "but it's safe, isn't it?" inquired the girl. "yes; it's good enough to carry us to the island an' back again, an' that's about all we can expect of it." saying this, cap'n bill pushed the raft into the water, and when it was afloat, stepped upon it and held out his hand to trot, who quickly followed him. the glass cat boarded the raft last of all. the sailor had cut a long pole, and had also whittled a flat paddle, and with these he easily propelled the raft across the river. as they approached the island, the wonderful flower became more plainly visible, and they quickly decided that the glass cat had not praised it too highly. the colors of the flowers that bloomed in quick succession were strikingly bright and beautiful, and the shapes of the blossoms were varied and curious. indeed, they did not resemble ordinary flowers at all. so intently did trot and cap'n bill gaze upon the golden flower-pot that held the magic flower that they scarcely noticed the island itself until the raft beached upon its sands. but then the girl exclaimed: "how funny it is, cap'n bill, that nothing else grows here excep' the magic flower." then the sailor glanced at the island and saw that it was all bare ground, without a weed, a stone or a blade of grass. trot, eager to examine the flower closer, sprang from the raft and ran up the bank until she reached the golden flower-pot. then she stood beside it motionless and filled with wonder. cap'n bill joined her, coming more leisurely, and he, too, stood in silent admiration for a time. "ozma will like this," remarked the glass cat, sitting down to watch the shifting hues of the flowers. "i'm sure she won't have as fine a birthday present from anyone else." "do you 'spose it's very heavy, cap'n? and can we get it home without breaking it?" asked trot anxiously. "well, i've lifted many bigger things than that," he replied; "but let's see what it weighs." he tried to take a step forward, but could not lift his meat foot from the ground. his wooden leg seemed free enough, but the other would not budge. "i seem stuck, trot," he said, with a perplexed look at his foot. "it ain't mud, an' it ain't glue, but somethin's holdin' me down." the girl attempted to lift her own feet, to go nearer to her friend, but the ground held them as fast as it held cap'n bill's foot. she tried to slide them, or to twist them around, but it was no use; she could not move either foot a hair's breadth. "this is funny!" she exclaimed. "what do you 'spose has happened to us, cap'n bill?" "i'm tryin' to make out," he answered. "take off your shoes, trot. p'raps it's the leather soles that's stuck to the ground." she leaned down and unlaced her shoes, but found she could not pull her feet out of them. the glass cat, which was walking around as naturally as ever, now said: "your foot has got roots to it, cap'n, and i can see the roots going into the ground, where they spread out in all directions. it's the same way with trot. that's why you can't move. the roots hold you fast." cap'n bill was rather fat and couldn't see his own feet very well, but he squatted down and examined trot's feet and decided that the glass cat was right. "this is hard luck," he declared, in a voice that showed he was uneasy at the discovery. "we're pris'ners, trot, on this funny island, an' i'd like to know how we're ever goin' to get loose, so's we can get home again." "now i know why the kalidah laughed at us," said the girl, "and why he said none of the beasts ever came to this island. the horrid creature knew we'd be caught, and wouldn't warn us." in the meantime, the kalidah, although pinned fast to the earth by cap'n bill's stake, was facing the island, and now the ugly expression which passed over its face when it defied and sneered at cap'n bill and trot, had changed to one of amusement and curiosity. when it saw the adventurers had actually reached the island and were standing beside the magic flower, it heaved a breath of satisfaction--a long, deep breath that swelled its deep chest until the beast could feel the stake that held him move a little, as if withdrawing itself from the ground. "ah ha!" murmured the kalidah, "a little more of this will set me free and allow me to escape!" so he began breathing as hard as he could, puffing out his chest as much as possible with each indrawing breath, and by doing this he managed to raise the stake with each powerful breath, until at last the kalidah--using the muscles of his four legs as well as his deep breaths--found itself free of the sandy soil. the stake was sticking right through him, however, so he found a rock deeply set in the bank and pressed the sharp point of the stake upon the surface of this rock until he had driven it clear through his body. then, by getting the stake tangled among some thorny bushes, and wiggling his body, he managed to draw it out altogether. "there!" he exclaimed, "except for those two holes in me, i'm as good as ever; but i must admit that that old wooden-legged fellow saved both himself and the girl by making me a prisoner." now the kalidahs, although the most disagreeable creatures in the land of oz, were nevertheless magical inhabitants of a magical fairyland, and in their natures a certain amount of good was mingled with the evil. this one was not very revengeful, and now that his late foes were in danger of perishing, his anger against them faded away. "our own kalidah king," he reflected, "has certain magical powers of his own. perhaps he knows how to fill up these two holes in my body." so without paying any more attention to trot and cap'n bill than they were paying to him, he entered the forest and trotted along a secret path that led to the hidden lair of all the kalidahs. while the kalidah was making good its escape cap'n bill took his pipe from his pocket and filled it with tobacco and lighted it. then, as he puffed out the smoke, he tried to think what could be done. "the glass cat seems all right," he said, "an' my wooden leg didn't take roots and grow, either. so it's only flesh that gets caught." "it's magic that does it, cap'n!" "i know, trot, and that's what sticks me. we're livin' in a magic country, but neither of us knows any magic an' so we can't help ourselves." "couldn't the wizard of oz help us--or glinda the good?" asked the little girl. "ah, now we're beginnin' to reason," he answered. "i'd probably thought o' that, myself, in a minute more. by good luck the glass cat is free, an' so it can run back to the emerald city an' tell the wizard about our fix, an' ask him to come an' help us get loose." "will you go?" trot asked the cat, speaking very earnestly. "i'm no messenger, to be sent here and there," asserted the curious animal in a sulky tone of voice. "well," said cap'n bill, "you've got to go home, anyhow, 'cause you don't want to stay here, i take it. and, when you get home, it wouldn't worry you much to tell the wizard what's happened to us." "that's true," said the cat, sitting on its haunches and lazily washing its face with one glass paw. "i don't mind telling the wizard--when i get home." "won't you go now?" pleaded trot. "we don't want to stay here any longer than we can help, and everybody in oz will be interested in you, and call you a hero, and say nice things about you because you helped your friends out of trouble." that was the best way to manage the glass cat, which was so vain that it loved to be praised. "i'm going home right away," said the creature, "and i'll tell the wizard to come and help you." saying this, it walked down to the water and disappeared under the surface. not being able to manage the raft alone, the glass cat walked on the bottom of the river as it had done when it visited the island before, and soon they saw it appear on the farther bank and trot into the forest, where it was quickly lost to sight among the trees. then trot heaved a deep sigh. "cap'n," said she, "we're in a bad fix. there's nothing here to eat, and we can't even lie down to sleep. unless the glass cat hurries, and the wizard hurries, i don't know what's going to become of us!" . the beasts of the forest of gugu that was a wonderful gathering of wild animals in the forest of gugu next sunrise. rango, the gray ape, had even called his monkey sentinels away from the forest edge, and every beast, little and big, was in the great clearing where meetings were held on occasions of great importance. in the center of the clearing stood a great shelving rock, having a flat, inclined surface, and on this sat the stately leopard gugu, who was king of the forest. on the ground beneath him squatted bru the bear, loo the unicorn, and rango the gray ape, the king's three counselors, and in front of them stood the two strange beasts who had called themselves li-mon-eags, but were really the transformations of ruggedo the nome, and kiki aru the hyup. then came the beasts--rows and rows and rows of them! the smallest beasts were nearest the king's rock throne; then there were wolves and foxes, lynxes and hyenas, and the like; behind them were gathered the monkey tribes, who were hard to keep in order because they teased the other animals and were full of mischievous tricks. back of the monkeys were the pumas, jaguars, tigers and lions, and their kind; next the bears, all sizes and colors; after them bisons, wild asses, zebras and unicorns; farther on the rhinoceri and hippopotami, and at the far edge of the forest, close to the trees that shut in the clearing, was a row of thick-skinned elephants, still as statues but with eyes bright and intelligent. many other kinds of beasts, too numerous to mention, were there, and some were unlike any beasts we see in the menageries and zoos in our country. some were from the mountains west of the forest, and some from the plains at the east, and some from the river; but all present acknowledged the leadership of gugu, who for many years had ruled them wisely and forced all to obey the laws. when the beasts had taken their places in the clearing and the rising sun was shooting its first bright rays over the treetops, king gugu rose on his throne. the leopard's giant form, towering above all the others, caused a sudden hush to fall on the assemblage. "brothers," he said in his deep voice, "a stranger has come among us, a beast of curious form who is a great magician and is able to change the shapes of men or beasts at his will. this stranger has come to us, with another of his kind, from out of the sky, to warn us of a danger which threatens us all, and to offer us a way to escape from that danger. he says he is our friend, and he has proved to me and to my counselors his magic powers. will you listen to what he has to say to you--to the message he has brought from the sky?" "let him speak!" came in a great roar from the great company of assembled beasts. so ruggedo the nome sprang upon the flat rock beside gugu the king, and another roar, gentle this time, showed how astonished the beasts were at the sight of his curious form. his lion's face was surrounded by a mane of pure white hair; his eagle's wings were attached to the shoulders of his monkey body and were so long that they nearly touched the ground; he had powerful arms and legs in addition to the wings, and at the end of his long, strong tail was a golden ball. never had any beast beheld such a curious creature before, and so the very sight of the stranger, who was said to be a great magician, filled all present with awe and wonder. kiki stayed down below and, half hidden by the shelf of rock, was scarcely noticed. the boy realized that the old nome was helpless without his magic power, but he also realized that ruggedo was the best talker. so he was willing the nome should take the lead. "beasts of the forest of gugu," began ruggedo the nome, "my comrade and i are your friends. we are magicians, and from our home in the sky we can look down into the land of oz and see everything that is going on. also we can hear what the people below us are saying. that is how we heard ozma, who rules the land of oz, say to her people: 'the beasts in the forest of gugu are lazy and are of no use to us. let us go to their forest and make them all our prisoners. let us tie them with ropes, and beat them with sticks, until they work for us and become our willing slaves.' and when the people heard ozma of oz say this, they were glad and raised a great shout and said: 'we will do it! we will make the beasts of the forest of gugu our slaves!'" the wicked old nome could say no more, just then, for such a fierce roar of anger rose from the multitude of beasts that his voice was drowned by the clamor. finally the roar died away, like distant thunder, and ruggedo the nome went on with his speech. "having heard the oz people plot against your liberty, we watched to see what they would do, and saw them all begin making ropes--ropes long and short--with which to snare our friends the beasts. you are angry, but we also were angry, for when the oz people became the enemies of the beasts they also became our enemies; for we, too, are beasts, although we live in the sky. and my comrade and i said: 'we will save our friends and have revenge on the oz people,' and so we came here to tell you of your danger and of our plan to save you." "we can save ourselves," cried an old elephant. "we can fight." "the oz people are fairies, and you can't fight against magic unless you also have magic," answered the nome. "tell us your plan!" shouted the huge tiger, and the other beasts echoed his words, crying: "tell us your plan." "my plan is simple," replied ruggedo. "by our magic we will transform all you animals into men and women--like the oz people--and we will transform all the oz people into beasts. you can then live in the fine houses of the land of oz, and eat the fine food of the oz people, and wear their fine clothes, and sing and dance and be happy. and the oz people, having become beasts, will have to live here in the forest and hunt and fight for food, and often go hungry, as you now do, and have no place to sleep but a bed of leaves or a hole in the ground. having become men and women, you beasts will have all the comforts you desire, and having become beasts, the oz people will be very miserable. that is our plan, and if you agree to it, we will all march at once into the land of oz and quickly conquer our enemies." when the stranger ceased speaking, a great silence fell on the assemblage, for the beasts were thinking of what he had said. finally one of the walruses asked: "can you really transform beasts into men, and men into beasts?" "he can--he can!" cried loo the unicorn, prancing up and down in an excited manner. "he transformed me, only last evening, and he can transform us all." gugu the king now stepped forward. "you have heard the stranger speak," said he, "and now you must answer him. it is for you to decide. shall we agree to this plan, or not?" "yes!" shouted some of the animals. "no!" shouted others. and some were yet silent. gugu looked around the great circle. "take more time to think," he suggested. "your answer is very important. up to this time we have had no trouble with the oz people, but we are proud and free, and never will become slaves. think carefully, and when you are ready to answer, i will hear you." . kiki uses his magic then arose a great confusion of sounds as all the animals began talking to their fellows. the monkeys chattered and the bears growled and the voices of the jaguars and lions rumbled, and the wolves yelped and the elephants had to trumpet loudly to make their voices heard. such a hubbub had never been known in the forest before, and each beast argued with his neighbor until it seemed the noise would never cease. ruggedo the nome waved his arms and fluttered his wings to try to make them listen to him again, but the beasts paid no attention. some wanted to fight the oz people, some wanted to be transformed, and some wanted to do nothing at all. the growling and confusion had grown greater than ever when in a flash silence fell on all the beasts present, the arguments were hushed, and all gazed in astonishment at a strange sight. for into the circle strode a great lion--bigger and more powerful than any other lion there--and on his back rode a little girl who smiled fearlessly at the multitude of beasts. and behind the lion and the little girl came another beast--a monstrous tiger, who bore upon his back a funny little man carrying a black bag. right past the rows of wondering beasts the strange animals walked, advancing until they stood just before the rock throne of gugu. then the little girl and the funny little man dismounted, and the great lion demanded in a loud voice: "who is king in this forest?" "i am!" answered gugu, looking steadily at the other. "i am gugu the leopard, and i am king of this forest." "then i greet your majesty with great respect," said the lion. "perhaps you have heard of me, gugu. i am called the 'cowardly lion,' and i am king of all beasts, the world over." gugu's eyes flashed angrily. "yes," said he, "i have heard of you. you have long claimed to be king of beasts, but no beast who is a coward can be king over me." "he isn't a coward, your majesty," asserted the little girl, "he's just cowardly, that's all." gugu looked at her. all the other beasts were looking at her, too. "who are you?" asked the king. "me? oh, i'm just dorothy," she answered. "how dare you come here?" demanded the king. "why, i'm not afraid to go anywhere, if the cowardly lion is with me," she said. "i know him pretty well, and so i can trust him. he's always afraid, when we get into trouble, and that's why he's cowardly; but he's a terrible fighter, and that's why he isn't a coward. he doesn't like to fight, you know, but when he has to, there isn't any beast living that can conquer him." gugu the king looked at the big, powerful form of the cowardly lion, and knew she spoke the truth. also the other lions of the forest now came forward and bowed low before the strange lion. "we welcome your majesty," said one. "we have known you many years ago, before you went to live at the emerald city, and we have seen you fight the terrible kalidahs and conquer them, so we know you are the king of all beasts." "it is true," replied the cowardly lion; "but i did not come here to rule the beasts of this forest. gugu is king here, and i believe he is a good king and just and wise. i come, with my friends, to be the guest of gugu, and i hope we are welcome." that pleased the great leopard, who said very quickly: "yes; you, at least, are welcome to my forest. but who are these strangers with you?" "dorothy has introduced herself," replied the lion, "and you are sure to like her when you know her better. this man is the wizard of oz, a friend of mine who can do wonderful tricks of magic. and here is my true and tried friend, the hungry tiger, who lives with me in the emerald city." "is he always hungry?" asked loo the unicorn. "i am," replied the tiger, answering the question himself. "i am always hungry for fat babies." "can't you find any fat babies in oz to eat?" inquired loo, the unicorn. "there are plenty of them, of course," said the tiger, "but unfortunately i have such a tender conscience that it won't allow me to eat babies. so i'm always hungry for 'em and never can eat 'em, because my conscience won't let me." now of all the surprised beasts in that clearing, not one was so much surprised at the sudden appearance of these four strangers as ruggedo the nome. he was frightened, too, for he recognized them as his most powerful enemies; but he also realized that they could not know he was the former king of the nomes, because of the beast's form he wore, which disguised him so effectually. so he took courage and resolved that the wizard and dorothy should not defeat his plans. it was hard to tell, just yet, what the vast assemblage of beasts thought of the new arrivals. some glared angrily at them, but more of them seemed to be curious and wondering. all were interested, however, and they kept very quiet and listened carefully to all that was said. kiki aru, who had remained unnoticed in the shadow of the rock, was at first more alarmed by the coming of the strangers than even ruggedo was, and the boy told himself that unless he acted quickly and without waiting to ask the advice of the old nome, their conspiracy was likely to be discovered and all their plans to conquer and rule oz be defeated. kiki didn't like the way ruggedo acted either, for the former king of the nomes wanted to do everything his own way, and made the boy, who alone possessed the power of transformations, obey his orders as if he were a slave. another thing that disturbed kiki aru was the fact that a real wizard had arrived, who was said to possess many magical powers, and this wizard carried his tools in a black bag, and was the friend of the oz people, and so would probably try to prevent war between the beasts of the forest and the people of oz. all these things passed through the mind of the hyup boy while the cowardly lion and gugu the king were talking together, and that was why he now began to do several strange things. he had found a place, near to the point where he stood, where there was a deep hollow in the rock, so he put his face into this hollow and whispered softly, so he would not be heard: "i want the wizard of oz to become a fox--pyrzqxgl!" the wizard, who had stood smilingly beside his friends, suddenly felt his form change to that of a fox, and his black bag fell to the ground. kiki reached out an arm and seized the bag, and the fox cried as loud as it could: "treason! there's a traitor here with magic powers!" everyone was startled at this cry, and dorothy, seeing her old friend's plight, screamed and exclaimed: "mercy me!" but the next instant the little girl's form had changed to that of a lamb with fleecy white wool, and dorothy was too bewildered to do anything but look around her in wonder. the cowardly lion's eyes now flashed fire; he crouched low and lashed the ground with his tail and gazed around to discover who the treacherous magician might be. but kiki, who had kept his face in the hollow rock, again whispered the magic word, and the great lion disappeared and in his place stood a little boy dressed in munchkin costume. the little munchkin boy was as angry as the lion had been, but he was small and helpless. ruggedo the nome saw what was happening and was afraid kiki would spoil all his plans, so he leaned over the rock and shouted: "stop, kiki--stop!" kiki would not stop, however. instead, he transformed the nome into a goose, to ruggedo's horror and dismay. but the hungry tiger had witnessed all these transformations, and he was watching to see which of those present was to blame for them. when ruggedo spoke to kiki, the hungry tiger knew that he was the magician, so he made a sudden spring and hurled his great body full upon the form of the li-mon-eag crouching against the rock. kiki didn't see the tiger coming because his face was still in the hollow, and the heavy body of the tiger bore him to the earth just as he said "pyrzqxgl!" for the fifth time. so now the tiger which was crushing him changed to a rabbit, and relieved of its weight, kiki sprang up and, spreading his eagle's wings, flew into the branches of a tree, where no beast could easily reach him. he was not an instant too quick in doing this, for gugu the king had crouched on the rock's edge and was about to spring on the boy. from his tree kiki transformed gugu into a fat gillikin woman, and laughed aloud to see how the woman pranced with rage, and how astonished all the beasts were at their king's new shape. the beasts were frightened, too, fearing they would share the fate of gugu, so a stampede began when rango the gray ape sprang into the forest, and bru the bear and loo the unicorn followed as quickly as they could. the elephants backed into the forest, and all the other animals, big and little, rushed after them, scattering through the jungles until the clearing was far behind. the monkeys scrambled into the trees and swung themselves from limb to limb, to avoid being trampled upon by the bigger beasts, and they were so quick that they distanced all the rest. a panic of fear seemed to have overtaken the forest people and they got as far away from the terrible magician as they possibly could. but the transformed ones stayed in the clearing, being so astonished and bewildered by their new shapes that they could only look at one another in a dazed and helpless fashion, although each one was greatly annoyed at the trick that had been played on him. "who are you?" the munchkin boy asked the rabbit; and "who are you?" the fox asked the lamb; and "who are you?" the rabbit asked the fat gillikin woman. "i'm dorothy," said the woolly lamb. "i'm the wizard," said the fox. "i'm the cowardly lion," said the munchkin boy. "i'm the hungry tiger," said the rabbit. "i'm gugu the king," said the fat woman. but when they asked the goose who he was, ruggedo the nome would not tell them. "i'm just a goose," he replied, "and what i was before, i cannot remember." . the loss of the black bag kiki aru, in the form of the li-mon-eag, had scrambled into the high, thick branches of the tree, so no one could see him, and there he opened the wizard's black bag, which he had carried away in his flight. he was curious to see what the wizard's magic tools looked like, and hoped he could use some of them and so secure more power; but after he had taken the articles, one by one, from the bag, he had to admit they were puzzles to him. for, unless he understood their uses, they were of no value whatever. kiki aru, the hyup boy, was no wizard or magician at all, and could do nothing unusual except to use the magic word he had stolen from his father on mount munch. so he hung the wizard's black bag on a branch of the tree and then climbed down to the lower limbs that he might see what the victims of his transformations were doing. they were all on top of the flat rock, talking together in tones so low that kiki could not hear what they said. "this is certainly a misfortune," remarked the wizard in the fox's form, "but our transformations are a sort of enchantment which is very easy to break--when you know how and have the tools to do it with. the tools are in my black bag; but where is the bag?" no one knew that, for none had seen kiki aru fly away with it. "let's look and see if we can find it," suggested dorothy the lamb. so they left the rock, and all of them searched the clearing high and low without finding the bag of magic tools. the goose searched as earnestly as the others, for if he could discover it, he meant to hide it where the wizard could never find it, because if the wizard changed him back to his proper form, along with the others, he would then be recognized as ruggedo the nome, and they would send him out of the land of oz and so ruin all his hopes of conquest. ruggedo was not really sorry, now that he thought about it, that kiki had transformed all these oz folks. the forest beasts, it was true, had been so frightened that they would now never consent to be transformed into men, but kiki could transform them against their will, and once they were all in human forms, it would not be impossible to induce them to conquer the oz people. so all was not lost, thought the old nome, and the best thing for him to do was to rejoin the hyup boy who had the secret of the transformations. so, having made sure the wizard's black bag was not in the clearing, the goose wandered away through the trees when the others were not looking, and when out of their hearing, he began calling, "kiki aru! kiki aru! quack--quack! kiki aru!" the boy and the woman, the fox, the lamb, and the rabbit, not being able to find the bag, went back to the rock, all feeling exceedingly strange. "where's the goose?" asked the wizard. "he must have run away," replied dorothy. "i wonder who he was?" "i think," said gugu the king, who was the fat woman, "that the goose was the stranger who proposed that we make war upon the oz people. if so, his transformation was merely a trick to deceive us, and he has now gone to join his comrade, that wicked li-mon-eag who obeyed all his commands." "what shall we do now?" asked dorothy. "shall we go back to the emerald city, as we are, and then visit glinda the good and ask her to break the enchantments?" "i think so," replied the wizard fox. "and we can take gugu the king with us, and have glinda restore him to his natural shape. but i hate to leave my bag of magic tools behind me, for without it i shall lose much of my power as a wizard. also, if i go back to the emerald city in the shape of a fox, the oz people will think i'm a poor wizard and will lose their respect for me." "let us make still another search for your tools," suggested the cowardly lion, "and then, if we fail to find the black bag anywhere in this forest, we must go back home as we are." "why did you come here, anyway?" inquired gugu. "we wanted to borrow a dozen monkeys, to use on ozma's birthday," explained the wizard. "we were going to make them small, and train them to do tricks, and put them inside ozma's birthday cake." "well," said the forest king, "you would have to get the consent of rango the gray ape, to do that. he commands all the tribes of monkeys." "i'm afraid it's too late, now," said dorothy, regretfully. "it was a splendid plan, but we've got troubles of our own, and i don't like being a lamb at all." "you're nice and fuzzy," said the cowardly lion. "that's nothing," declared dorothy. "i've never been 'specially proud of myself, but i'd rather be the way i was born than anything else in the whole world." the glass cat, although it had some disagreeable ways and manners, nevertheless realized that trot and cap'n bill were its friends and so was quite disturbed at the fix it had gotten them into by leading them to the isle of the magic flower. the ruby heart of the glass cat was cold and hard, but still it was a heart, and to have a heart of any sort is to have some consideration for others. but the queer transparent creature didn't want trot and cap'n bill to know it was sorry for them, and therefore it moved very slowly until it had crossed the river and was out of sight among the trees of the forest. then it headed straight toward the emerald city, and trotted so fast that it was like a crystal streak crossing the valleys and plains. being glass, the cat was tireless, and with no reason to delay its journey, it reached ozma's palace in wonderfully quick time. "where's the wizard?" it asked the pink kitten, which was curled up in the sunshine on the lowest step of the palace entrance. "don't bother me," lazily answered the pink kitten, whose name was eureka. "i must find the wizard at once!" said the glass cat. "then find him," advised eureka, and went to sleep again. the glass cat darted up the stairway and came upon toto, dorothy's little black dog. "where's the wizard?" asked the cat. "gone on a journey with dorothy," replied toto. "when did they go, and where have they gone?" demanded the cat. "they went yesterday, and i heard them say they would go to the great forest in the munchkin country." "dear me," said the glass cat; "that is a long journey." "but they rode on the hungry tiger and the cowardly lion," explained toto, "and the wizard carried his black bag of magic tools." the glass cat knew the great forest of gugu well, for it had traveled through this forest many times in its journeys through the land of oz. and it reflected that the forest of gugu was nearer to the isle of the magic flower than the emerald city was, and so, if it could manage to find the wizard, it could lead him across the gillikin country to where trot and cap'n bill were prisoned. it was a wild country and little traveled, but the glass cat knew every path. so very little time need be lost, after all. without stopping to ask any more questions the cat darted out of the palace and away from the emerald city, taking the most direct route to the forest of gugu. again the creature flashed through the country like a streak of light, and it would surprise you to know how quickly it reached the edge of the great forest. there were no monkey guards among the trees to cry out a warning, and this was so unusual that it astonished the glass cat. going farther into the forest it presently came upon a wolf, which at first bounded away in terror. but then, seeing it was only a glass cat, the wolf stopped, and the cat could see it was trembling, as if from a terrible fright. "what's the matter?" asked the cat. "a dreadful magician has come among us!" exclaimed the wolf, "and he's changing the forms of all the beasts--quick as a wink--and making them all his slaves." the glass cat smiled and said: "why, that's only the wizard of oz. he may be having some fun with you forest people, but the wizard wouldn't hurt a beast for anything." "i don't mean the wizard," explained the wolf. "and if the wizard of oz is that funny little man who rode a great tiger into the clearing, he's been transformed himself by the terrible magician." "the wizard transformed? why, that's impossible," declared the glass cat. "no; it isn't. i saw him with my own eyes, changed into the form of a fox, and the girl who was with him was changed to a woolly lamb." the glass cat was indeed surprised. "when did that happen?" it asked. "just a little while ago in the clearing. all the animals had met there, but they ran away when the magician began his transformations, and i'm thankful i escaped with my natural shape. but i'm still afraid, and i'm going somewhere to hide." with this the wolf ran on, and the glass cat, which knew where the big clearing was, went toward it. but now it walked more slowly, and its pink brains rolled and tumbled around at a great rate because it was thinking over the amazing news the wolf had told it. when the glass cat reached the clearing, it saw a fox, a lamb, a rabbit, a munchkin boy and a fat gillikin woman, all wandering around in an aimless sort of way, for they were again searching for the black bag of magic tools. the cat watched them a moment and then it walked slowly into the open space. at once the lamb ran toward it, crying: "oh, wizard, here's the glass cat!" "where, dorothy?" asked the fox. "here!" the boy and the woman and the rabbit now joined the fox and the lamb, and they all stood before the glass cat and speaking together, almost like a chorus, asked: "have you seen the black bag?" "often," replied the glass cat, "but not lately." "it's lost," said the fox, "and we must find it." "are you the wizard?" asked the cat. "yes." "and who are these others?" "i'm dorothy," said the lamb. "i'm the cowardly lion," said the munchkin boy. "i'm the hungry tiger," said the rabbit. "i'm gugu, king of the forest," said the fat woman. the glass cat sat on its hind legs and began to laugh. "my, what a funny lot!" exclaimed the creature. "who played this joke on you?" "it's no joke at all," declared the wizard. "it was a cruel, wicked transformation, and the magician that did it has the head of a lion, the body of a monkey, the wings of an eagle and a round ball on the end of his tail." the glass cat laughed again. "that magician must look funnier than you do," it said. "where is he now?" "somewhere in the forest," said the cowardly lion. "he just jumped into that tall maple tree over there, for he can climb like a monkey and fly like an eagle, and then he disappeared in the forest." "and there was another magician, just like him, who was his friend," added dorothy, "but they probably quarreled, for the wickedest one changed his friend into the form of a goose." "what became of the goose?" asked the cat, looking around. "he must have gone away to find his friend," answered gugu the king. "but a goose can't travel very fast, so we could easily find him if we wanted to." "the worst thing of all," said the wizard, "is that my black bag is lost. it disappeared when i was transformed. if i could find it i could easily break these enchantments by means of my magic, and we would resume our own forms again. will you help us search for the black bag, friend cat?" "of course," replied the glass cat. "but i expect the strange magician carried it away with him. if he's a magician, he knows you need that bag, and perhaps he's afraid of your magic. so he's probably taken the bag with him, and you won't see it again unless you find the magician." "that sounds reasonable," remarked the lamb, which was dorothy. "those pink brains of yours seem to be working pretty well to-day." "if the glass cat is right," said the wizard in a solemn voice, "there's more trouble ahead of us. that magician is dangerous, and if we go near him he may transform us into shapes not as nice as these." "i don't see how we could be any worse off," growled gugu, who was indignant because he was forced to appear in the form of a fat woman. "anyway," said the cowardly lion, "our best plan is to find the magician and try to get the black bag from him. we may manage to steal it, or perhaps we can argue him into giving it to us." "why not find the goose, first?" asked dorothy. "the goose will be angry at the magician, and he may be able to help us." "that isn't a bad idea," returned the wizard. "come on, friends; let's find that goose. we will separate and search in different directions, and the first to find the goose must bring him here, where we will all meet again in an hour." . the wizard learns the magic word now, the goose was the transformation of old ruggedo, who was at one time king of the nomes, and he was even more angry at kiki aru than were the others who shapes had been changed. the nome detested anything in the way of a bird, because birds lay eggs and eggs are feared by all the nomes more than anything else in the world. a goose is a foolish bird, too, and ruggedo was dreadfully ashamed of the shape he was forced to wear. and it would make him shudder to reflect that the goose might lay an egg! so the nome was afraid of himself and afraid of everything around him. if an egg touched him he could then be destroyed, and almost any animal he met in the forest might easily conquer him. and that would be the end of old ruggedo the nome. aside from these fears, however, he was filled with anger against kiki, whom he had meant to trap by cleverly stealing from him the magic word. the boy must have been crazy to spoil everything the way he did, but ruggedo knew that the arrival of the wizard had scared kiki, and he was not sorry the boy had transformed the wizard and dorothy and made them helpless. it was his own transformation that annoyed him and made him indignant, so he ran about the forest hunting for kiki, so that he might get a better shape and coax the boy to follow his plans to conquer the land of oz. kiki aru hadn't gone very far away, for he had surprised himself as well as the others by the quick transformations and was puzzled as to what to do next. ruggedo the nome was overbearing and tricky, and kiki knew he was not to be depended on; but the nome could plan and plot, which the hyup boy was not wise enough to do, and so, when he looked down through the branches of a tree and saw a goose waddling along below and heard it cry out, "kiki aru! quack--quack! kiki aru!" the boy answered in a low voice, "here i am," and swung himself down to the lowest limb of the tree. the goose looked up and saw him. "you've bungled things in a dreadful way!" exclaimed the goose. "why did you do it?" "because i wanted to," answered kiki. "you acted as if i was your slave, and i wanted to show these forest people that i am more powerful than you." the goose hissed softly, but kiki did not hear that. old ruggedo quickly recovered his wits and muttered to himself: "this boy is the goose, although it is i who wear the goose's shape. i will be gentle with him now, and fierce with him when i have him in my power." then he said aloud to kiki: "well, hereafter i will be content to acknowledge you the master. you bungled things, as i said, but we can still conquer oz." "how?" asked the boy. "first give me back the shape of the li-mon-eag, and then we can talk together more conveniently," suggested the nome. "wait a moment, then," said kiki, and climbed higher up the tree. there he whispered the magic word and the goose became a li-mon-eag, as he had been before. "good!" said the nome, well pleased, as kiki joined him by dropping down from the tree. "now let us find a quiet place where we can talk without being overheard by the beasts." so the two started away and crossed the forest until they came to a place where the trees were not so tall nor so close together, and among these scattered trees was another clearing, not so large as the first one, where the meeting of the beasts had been held. standing on the edge of this clearing and looking across it, they saw the trees on the farther side full of monkeys, who were chattering together at a great rate of the sights they had witnessed at the meeting. the old nome whispered to kiki not to enter the clearing or allow the monkeys to see them. "why not?" asked the boy, drawing back. "because those monkeys are to be our army--the army which will conquer oz," said the nome. "sit down here with me, kiki, and keep quiet, and i will explain to you my plan." now, neither kiki aru nor ruggedo had noticed that a sly fox had followed them all the way from the tree where the goose had been transformed to the li-mon-eag. indeed, this fox, who was none other than the wizard of oz, had witnessed the transformation of the goose and now decided he would keep watch on the conspirators and see what they would do next. a fox can move through a forest very softly, without making any noise, and so the wizard's enemies did not suspect his presence. but when they sat down by the edge of the clearing, to talk, with their backs toward him, the wizard did not know whether to risk being seen, by creeping closer to hear what they said, or whether it would be better for him to hide himself until they moved on again. while he considered this question he discovered near him a great tree which had a hollow trunk, and there was a round hole in this tree, about three feet above the ground. the wizard fox decided it would be safer for him to hide inside the hollow tree, so he sprang into the hole and crouched down in the hollow, so that his eyes just came to the edge of the hole by which he had entered, and from here he watched the forms of the two li-mon-eags. "this is my plan," said the nome to kiki, speaking so low that the wizard could only hear the rumble of his voice. "since you can transform anything into any form you wish, we will transform these monkeys into an army, and with that army we will conquer the oz people." "the monkeys won't make much of an army," objected kiki. "we need a great army, but not a numerous one," responded the nome. "you will transform each monkey into a giant man, dressed in a fine uniform and armed with a sharp sword. there are fifty monkeys over there and fifty giants would make as big an army as we need." "what will they do with the swords?" asked kiki. "nothing can kill the oz people." "true," said ruggedo. "the oz people cannot be killed, but they can be cut into small pieces, and while every piece will still be alive, we can scatter the pieces around so that they will be quite helpless. therefore, the oz people will be afraid of the swords of our army, and we will conquer them with ease." "that seems like a good idea," replied the boy, approvingly. "and in such a case, we need not bother with the other beasts of the forest." "no; you have frightened the beasts, and they would no longer consent to assist us in conquering oz. but those monkeys are foolish creatures, and once they are transformed to giants, they will do just as we say and obey our commands. can you transform them all at once?" "no, i must take one at a time," said kiki. "but the fifty transformations can be made in an hour or so. stay here, ruggedo, and i will change the first monkey--that one at the left, on the end of the limb--into a giant with a sword." "where are you going?" asked the nome. "i must not speak the magic word in the presence of another person," declared kiki, who was determined not to allow his treacherous companion to learn his secret, "so i will go where you cannot hear me." ruggedo the nome was disappointed, but he hoped still to catch the boy unawares and surprise the magic word. so he merely nodded his lion head, and kiki got up and went back into the forest a short distance. here he spied a hollow tree, and by chance it was the same hollow tree in which the wizard of oz, now in the form of a fox, had hidden himself. as kiki ran up to the tree the fox ducked its head, so that it was out of sight in the dark hollow beneath the hole, and then kiki put his face into the hole and whispered: "i want that monkey on the branch at the left to become a giant man fifty feet tall, dressed in a uniform and with a sharp sword--pyrzqxgl!" then he ran back to ruggedo, but the wizard fox had heard quite plainly every word that he had said. the monkey was instantly transformed into the giant, and the giant was so big that as he stood on the ground his head was higher than the trees of the forest. the monkeys raised a great chatter but did not seem to understand that the giant was one of themselves. "good!" cried the nome. "hurry, kiki, and transform the others." so kiki rushed back to the tree and putting his face to the hollow, whispered: "i want the next monkey to be just like the first--pyrzqxgl!" again the wizard fox heard the magic word, and just how it was pronounced. but he sat still in the hollow and waited to hear it again, so it would be impressed on his mind and he would not forget it. kiki kept running to the edge of the forest and back to the hollow tree again until he had whispered the magic word six times and six monkeys had been changed to six great giants. then the wizard decided he would make an experiment and use the magic word himself. so, while kiki was running back to the nome, the fox stuck his head out of the hollow and said softly: "i want that creature who is running to become a hickory-nut--pyrzqxgl!" instantly the li-mon-eag form of kiki aru the hyup disappeared and a small hickory-nut rolled upon the ground a moment and then lay still. the wizard was delighted, and leaped from the hollow just as ruggedo looked around to see what had become of kiki. the nome saw the fox but no kiki, so he hastily rose to his feet. the wizard did not know how powerful the queer beast might be, so he resolved to take no chances. "i want this creature to become a walnut--pyrzqxgl!" he said aloud. but he did not pronounce the magic word in quite the right way, and ruggedo's form did not change. but the nome knew at once that "pyrzqxgl!" was the magic word, so he rushed at the fox and cried: "i want you to become a goose--pyrzqxgl!" but the nome did not pronounce the word aright, either, having never heard it spoken but once before, and then with a wrong accent. so the fox was not transformed, but it had to run away to escape being caught by the angry nome. ruggedo now began pronouncing the magic word in every way he could think of, hoping to hit the right one, and the fox, hiding in a bush, was somewhat troubled by the fear that he might succeed. however, the wizard, who was used to magic arts, remained calm and soon remembered exactly how kiki aru had pronounced the word. so he repeated the sentence he had before uttered and ruggedo the nome became an ordinary walnut. the wizard now crept out from the bush and said: "i want my own form again--pyrzqxgl!" instantly he was the wizard of oz, and after picking up the hickory-nut and the walnut, and carefully placing them in his pocket, he ran back to the big clearing. dorothy the lamb uttered a bleat of delight when she saw her old friend restored to his natural shape. the others were all there, not having found the goose. the fat gillikin woman, the munchkin boy, the rabbit and the glass cat crowded around the wizard and asked what had happened. before he explained anything of his adventure, he transformed them all--except, of course, the glass cat--into their natural shapes, and when their joy permitted them to quiet somewhat, he told how he had by chance surprised the magician's secret and been able to change the two li-mon-eags into shapes that could not speak, and therefore would be unable to help themselves. and the little wizard showed his astonished friends the hickory-nut and the walnut to prove that he had spoken the truth. "but--see here!"--exclaimed dorothy. "what has become of those giant soldiers who used to be monkeys?" "i forgot all about them!" admitted the wizard; "but i suppose they are still standing there in the forest." . the lonesome duck trot and cap'n bill stood before the magic flower, actually rooted to the spot. "aren't you hungry, cap'n?" asked the little girl, with a long sigh, for she had been standing there for hours and hours. "well," replied the sailor-man, "i ain't sayin' as i couldn't eat, trot--if a dinner was handy--but i guess old folks don't get as hungry as young folks do." "i'm not sure 'bout that, cap'n bill," she said thoughtfully. "age might make a diff'rence, but seems to me size would make a bigger diff'rence. seeing you're twice as big as me, you ought to be twice as hungry." "i hope i am," he rejoined, "for i can stand it a while longer. i do hope the glass cat will hurry, and i hope the wizard won't waste time a-comin' to us." trot sighed again and watched the wonderful magic flower, because there was nothing else to do. just now a lovely group of pink peonies budded and bloomed, but soon they faded away, and a mass of deep blue lilies took their place. then some yellow chrysanthemums blossomed on the plant, and when they had opened all their petals and reached perfection, they gave way to a lot of white floral balls spotted with crimson--a flower trot had never seen before. "but i get awful tired watchin' flowers an' flowers an' flowers," she said impatiently. "they're might pretty," observed cap'n bill. "i know; and if a person could come and look at the magic flower just when she felt like it, it would be a fine thing, but to have to stand and watch it, whether you want to or not, isn't so much fun. i wish, cap'n bill, the thing would grow fruit for a while instead of flowers." scarcely had she spoken when the white balls with crimson spots faded away and a lot of beautiful ripe peaches took their place. with a cry of mingled surprise and delight trot reached out and plucked a peach from the bush and began to eat it, finding it delicious. cap'n bill was somewhat dazed at the girl's wish being granted so quickly, so before he could pick a peach they had faded away and bananas took their place. "grab one, cap'n!" exclaimed trot, and even while eating the peach she seized a banana with her other hand and tore it from the bush. the old sailor was still bewildered. he put out a hand indeed, but he was too late, for now the bananas disappeared and lemons took their place. "pshaw!" cried trot. "you can't eat those things; but watch out, cap'n, for something else." cocoanuts next appeared, but cap'n bill shook his head. "ca'n't crack 'em," he remarked, "'cause we haven't anything handy to smash 'em with." "well, take one, anyhow," advised trot; but the cocoanuts were gone now, and a deep, purple, pear-shaped fruit which was unknown to them took their place. again cap'n bill hesitated, and trot said to him: "you ought to have captured a peach and a banana, as i did. if you're not careful, cap'n, you'll miss all your chances. here, i'll divide my banana with you." even as she spoke, the magic plant was covered with big red apples, growing on every branch, and cap'n bill hesitated no longer. he grabbed with both hands and picked two apples, while trot had only time to secure one before they were gone. "it's curious," remarked the sailor, munching his apple, "how these fruits keep good when you've picked 'em, but dis'pear inter thin air if they're left on the bush." "the whole thing is curious," declared the girl, "and it couldn't exist in any country but this, where magic is so common. those are limes. don't pick 'em, for they'd pucker up your mouth and--ooo! here come plums!" and she tucked her apple in her apron pocket and captured three plums--each one almost as big as an egg--before they disappeared. cap'n bill got some too, but both were too hungry to fast any longer, so they began eating their apples and plums and let the magic bush bear all sorts of fruits, one after another. the cap'n stopped once to pick a fine cantaloupe, which he held under his arm, and trot, having finished her plums, got a handful of cherries and an orange; but when almost every sort of fruit had appeared on the bush, the crop ceased and only flowers, as before, bloomed upon it. "i wonder why it changed back," mused trot, who was not worried because she had enough fruit to satisfy her hunger. "well, you only wished it would bear fruit 'for a while,'" said the sailor, "and it did. p'raps if you'd said 'forever,' trot, it would have always been fruit." "but why should my wish be obeyed?" asked the girl. "i'm not a fairy or a wizard or any kind of a magic-maker." "i guess," replied cap'n bill, "that this little island is a magic island, and any folks on it can tell the bush what to produce, an' it'll produce it." "do you think i could wish for anything else, cap'n and get it?" she inquired anxiously. "what are you thinkin' of, trot?" "i'm thinking of wishing that these roots on our feet would disappear, and let us free." "try it, trot." so she tried it, and the wish had no effect whatever. "try it yourself, cap'n," she suggested. then cap'n bill made the wish to be free, with no better result. "no," said he, "it's no use; the wishes only affect the magic plant; but i'm glad we can make it bear fruit, 'cause now we know we won't starve before the wizard gets to us." "but i'm gett'n' tired standing here so long," complained the girl. "if i could only lift one foot, and rest it, i'd feel better." "same with me, trot. i've noticed that if you've got to do a thing, and can't help yourself, it gets to be a hardship mighty quick." "folks that can raise their feet don't appreciate what a blessing it is," said trot thoughtfully. "i never knew before what fun it is to raise one foot, an' then another, any time you feel like it." "there's lots o' things folks don't 'preciate," replied the sailor-man. "if somethin' would 'most stop your breath, you'd think breathin' easy was the finest thing in life. when a person's well, he don't realize how jolly it is, but when he gets sick he 'members the time he was well, an' wishes that time would come back. most folks forget to thank god for givin' 'em two good legs, till they lose one o' 'em, like i did; and then it's too late, 'cept to praise god for leavin' one." "your wooden leg ain't so bad, cap'n," she remarked, looking at it critically. "anyhow, it don't take root on a magic island, like our meat legs do." "i ain't complainin'," said cap'n bill. "what's that swimmin' towards us, trot?" he added, looking over the magic flower and across the water. the girl looked, too, and then she replied. "it's a bird of some sort. it's like a duck, only i never saw a duck have so many colors." the bird swam swiftly and gracefully toward the magic isle, and as it drew nearer its gorgeously colored plumage astonished them. the feathers were of many hues of glistening greens and blues and purples, and it had a yellow head with a red plume, and pink, white and violet in its tail. when it reached the isle, it came ashore and approached them, waddling slowly and turning its head first to one side and then to the other, so as to see the girl and the sailor better. "you're strangers," said the bird, coming to a halt near them, "and you've been caught by the magic isle and made prisoners." "yes," returned trot, with a sigh; "we're rooted. but i hope we won't grow." "you'll grow small," said the bird. "you'll keep growing smaller every day, until bye and bye there'll be nothing left of you. that's the usual way, on this magic isle." "how do you know about it, and who are you, anyhow?" asked cap'n bill. "i'm the lonesome duck," replied the bird. "i suppose you've heard of me?" "no," said trot, "i can't say i have. what makes you lonesome?" "why, i haven't any family or any relations," returned the duck. "haven't you any friends?" "not a friend. and i've nothing to do. i've lived a long time, and i've got to live forever, because i belong in the land of oz, where no living thing dies. think of existing year after year, with no friends, no family, and nothing to do! can you wonder i'm lonesome?" "why don't you make a few friends, and find something to do?" inquired cap'n bill. "i can't make friends because everyone i meet--bird, beast, or person--is disagreeable to me. in a few minutes i shall be unable to bear your society longer, and then i'll go away and leave you," said the lonesome duck. "and, as for doing anything, there's no use in it. all i meet are doing something, so i have decided it's common and uninteresting and i prefer to remain lonesome." "don't you have to hunt for your food?" asked trot. "no. in my diamond palace, a little way up the river, food is magically supplied me; but i seldom eat, because it is so common." "you must be a magician duck," remarked cap'n bill. "why so?" "well, ordinary ducks don't have diamond palaces an' magic food, like you do." "true; and that's another reason why i'm lonesome. you must remember i'm the only duck in the land of oz, and i'm not like any other duck in the outside world." "seems to me you like bein' lonesome," observed cap'n bill. "i can't say i like it, exactly," replied the duck, "but since it seems to be my fate, i'm rather proud of it." "how do you s'pose a single, solitary duck happened to be in the land of oz?" asked trot, wonderingly. "i used to know the reason, many years ago, but i've quite forgotten it," declared the duck. "the reason for a thing is never so important as the thing itself, so there's no use remembering anything but the fact that i'm lonesome." "i guess you'd be happier if you tried to do something," asserted trot. "if you can't do anything for yourself, you can do things for others, and then you'd get lots of friends and stop being lonesome." "now you're getting disagreeable," said the lonesome duck, "and i shall have to go and leave you." "can't you help us any," pleaded the girl. "if there's anything magic about you, you might get us out of this scrape." "i haven't any magic strong enough to get you off the magic isle," replied the lonesome duck. "what magic i possess is very simple, but i find it enough for my own needs." "if we could only sit down a while, we could stand it better," said trot, "but we have nothing to sit on." "then you will have to stand it," said the lonesome duck. "p'raps you've enough magic to give us a couple of stools," suggested cap'n bill. "a duck isn't supposed to know what stools are," was the reply. "but you're diff'rent from all other ducks." "that is true." the strange creature seemed to reflect for a moment, looking at them sharply from its round black eyes. then it said: "sometimes, when the sun is hot, i grow a toadstool to shelter me from its rays. perhaps you could sit on toadstools." "well, if they were strong enough, they'd do," answered cap'n bill. "then, before i do i'll give you a couple," said the lonesome duck, and began waddling about in a small circle. it went around the circle to the right three times, and then it went around to the left three times. then it hopped backward three times and forward three times. "what are you doing?" asked trot. "don't interrupt. this is an incantation," replied the lonesome duck, but now it began making a succession of soft noises that sounded like quacks and seemed to mean nothing at all. and it kept up these sounds so long that trot finally exclaimed: "can't you hurry up and finish that 'cantation? if it takes all summer to make a couple of toadstools, you're not much of a magician." "i told you not to interrupt," said the lonesome duck, sternly. "if you get too disagreeable, you'll drive me away before i finish this incantation." trot kept quiet, after the rebuke, and the duck resumed the quacky muttering. cap'n bill chuckled a little to himself and remarked to trot in a whisper: "for a bird that ain't got anything to do, this lonesome duck is makin' consider'ble fuss. an' i ain't sure, after all, as toadstools would be worth sittin' on." even as he spoke, the sailor-man felt something touch him from behind and, turning his head, he found a big toadstool in just the right place and of just the right size to sit upon. there was one behind trot, too, and with a cry of pleasure the little girl sank back upon it and found it a very comfortable seat--solid, yet almost like a cushion. even cap'n bill's weight did not break his toadstool down, and when both were seated, they found that the lonesome duck had waddled away and was now at the water's edge. "thank you, ever so much!" cried trot, and the sailor called out: "much obliged!" but the lonesome duck paid no attention. without even looking in their direction again, the gaudy fowl entered the water and swam gracefully away. . the glass cat finds the black bag when the six monkeys were transformed by kiki aru into six giant soldiers fifty feet tall, their heads came above the top of the trees, which in this part of the forest were not so high as in some other parts; and, although the trees were somewhat scattered, the bodies of the giant soldiers were so big that they quite filled the spaces in which they stood and the branches pressed them on every side. of course, kiki was foolish to have made his soldiers so big, for now they could not get out of the forest. indeed, they could not stir a step, but were imprisoned by the trees. even had they been in the little clearing they could not have made their way out of it, but they were a little beyond the clearing. at first, the other monkeys who had not been enchanted were afraid of the soldiers, and hastily quitted the place; but soon finding that the great men stood stock still, although grunting indignantly at their transformation, the band of monkeys returned to the spot and looked at them curiously, not guessing that they were really monkeys and their own friends. the soldiers couldn't see them, their heads being above the trees; they could not even raise their arms or draw their sharp swords, so closely were they held by the leafy branches. so the monkeys, finding the giants helpless, began climbing up their bodies, and presently all the band were perched on the shoulders of the giants and peering into their faces. "i'm ebu, your father," cried one soldier to a monkey who had perched upon his left ear, "but some cruel person has enchanted me." "i'm your uncle peeker," said another soldier to another monkey. so, very soon all the monkeys knew the truth and were sorry for their friends and relations and angry at the person--whoever it was--who had transformed them. there was a great chattering among the tree-tops, and the noise attracted other monkeys, so that the clearing and all the trees around were full of them. rango the gray ape, who was the chief of all the monkey tribes of the forest, heard the uproar and came to see what was wrong with his people. and rango, being wiser and more experienced, at once knew that the strange magician who looked like a mixed-up beast was responsible for the transformations. he realized that the six giant soldiers were helpless prisoners, because of their size, and knew he was powerless to release them. so, although he feared to meet the terrible magician, he hurried away to the great clearing to tell gugu the king what had happened and to try to find the wizard of oz and get him to save his six enchanted subjects. rango darted into the great clearing just as the wizard had restored all the enchanted ones around him to their proper shapes, and the gray ape was glad to hear that the wicked magician-beast had been conquered. "but now, o mighty wizard, you must come with me to where six of my people are transformed into six great giant men," he said, "for if they are allowed to remain there, their happiness and their future lives will be ruined." the wizard did not reply at once, for he was thinking this a good opportunity to win rango's consent to his taking some monkeys to the emerald city for ozma's birthday cake. "it is a great thing you ask of me, o rango the gray ape," said he, "for the bigger the giants are the more powerful their enchantment, and the more difficult it will be to restore them to their natural forms. however, i will think it over." then the wizard went to another part of the clearing and sat on a log and appeared to be in deep thought. the glass cat had been greatly interested in the gray ape's story and was curious to see what the giant soldiers looked like. hearing that their heads extended above the tree-tops, the glass cat decided that if it climbed the tall avocado tree that stood at the side of the clearing, it might be able to see the giants' heads. so, without mentioning her errand, the crystal creature went to the tree and, by sticking her sharp glass claws in the bark, easily climbed the tree to its very top and, looking over the forest, saw the six giant heads, although they were now a long way off. it was, indeed, a remarkable sight, for the huge heads had immense soldier caps on them, with red and yellow plumes and looked very fierce and terrible, although the monkey hearts of the giants were at that moment filled with fear. having satisfied her curiosity, the glass cat began to climb down from the tree more slowly. suddenly she discerned the wizard's black bag hanging from a limb of the tree. she grasped the black bag in her glass teeth, and although it was rather heavy for so small an animal, managed to get it free and to carry it safely down to the ground. then she looked around for the wizard and seeing him seated upon the stump she hid the black bag among some leaves and then went over to where the wizard sat. "i forgot to tell you," said the glass cat, "that trot and cap'n bill are in trouble, and i came here to hunt you up and get you to go and rescue them." "good gracious, cat! why didn't you tell me before?" exclaimed the wizard. "for the reason that i found so much excitement here that i forgot trot and cap'n bill." "what's wrong with them?" asked the wizard. then the glass cat explained how they had gone to get the magic flower for ozma's birthday gift and had been trapped by the magic of the queer island. the wizard was really alarmed, but he shook his head and said sadly: "i'm afraid i can't help my dear friends, because i've lost my black bag." "if i find it, will you go to them?" asked the creature. "of course," replied the wizard. "but i do not think that a glass cat with nothing but pink brains can succeed when all the rest of us have failed." "don't you admire my pink brains?" demanded the cat. "they're pretty," admitted the wizard, "but they're not regular brains, you know, and so we don't expect them to amount to much." "but if i find your black bag--and find it inside of five minutes--will you admit my pink brains are better than your common human brains?" "well, i'll admit they're better hunters," said the wizard, reluctantly, "but you can't do it. we've searched everywhere, and the black bag isn't to be found." "that shows how much you know!" retorted the glass cat, scornfully. "watch my brains a minute, and see them whirl around." the wizard watched, for he was anxious to regain his black bag, and the pink brains really did whirl around in a remarkable manner. "now, come with me," commanded the glass cat, and led the wizard straight to the spot where it had covered the bag with leaves. "according to my brains," said the creature, "your black bag ought to be here." then it scratched at the leaves and uncovered the bag, which the wizard promptly seized with a cry of delight. now that he had regained his magic tools, he felt confident he could rescue trot and cap'n bill. rango the gray ape was getting impatient. he now approached the wizard and said: "well, what do you intend to do about those poor enchanted monkeys?" "i'll make a bargain with you, rango," replied the little man. "if you will let me take a dozen of your monkeys to the emerald city, and keep them until after ozma's birthday, i'll break the enchantment of the six giant soldiers and return them to their natural forms." but the gray ape shook his head. "i can't do it," he declared. "the monkeys would be very lonesome and unhappy in the emerald city and your people would tease them and throw stones at them, which would cause them to fight and bite." "the people won't see them till ozma's birthday dinner," promised the wizard. "i'll make them very small--about four inches high, and i'll keep them in a pretty cage in my own room, where they will be safe from harm. i'll feed them the nicest kind of food, train them to do some clever tricks, and on ozma's birthday i'll hide the twelve little monkeys inside a cake. when ozma cuts the cake the monkeys will jump out on to the table and do their tricks. the next day i will bring them back to the forest and make them big as ever, and they'll have some exciting stories to tell their friends. what do you say, rango?" "i say no!" answered the gray ape. "i won't have my monkeys enchanted and made to do tricks for the oz people." "very well," said the wizard calmly; "then i'll go. come, dorothy," he called to the little girl, "let's start on our journey." "aren't you going to save those six monkeys who are giant soldiers?" asked rango, anxiously. "why should i?" returned the wizard. "if you will not do me the favor i ask, you cannot expect me to favor you." "wait a minute," said the gray ape. "i've changed my mind. if you will treat the twelve monkeys nicely and bring them safely back to the forest, i'll let you take them." "thank you," replied the wizard, cheerfully. "we'll go at once and save those giant soldiers." so all the party left the clearing and proceeded to the place where the giants still stood among the trees. hundreds of monkeys, apes, baboons and orangoutangs had gathered round, and their wild chatter could be heard a mile away. but the gray ape soon hushed the babel of sounds, and the wizard lost no time in breaking the enchantments. first one and then another giant soldier disappeared and became an ordinary monkey again, and the six were shortly returned to their friends in their proper forms. this action made the wizard very popular with the great army of monkeys, and when the gray ape announced that the wizard wanted to borrow twelve monkeys to take to the emerald city for a couple of weeks, and asked for volunteers, nearly a hundred offered to go, so great was their confidence in the little man who had saved their comrades. the wizard selected a dozen that seemed intelligent and good-tempered, and then he opened his black bag and took out a queerly shaped dish that was silver on the outside and gold on the inside. into this dish he poured a powder and set fire to it. it made a thick smoke that quite enveloped the twelve monkeys, as well as the form of the wizard, but when the smoke cleared away the dish had been changed to a golden cage with silver bars, and the twelve monkeys had become about three inches high and were all seated comfortably inside the cage. the thousands of hairy animals who had witnessed this act of magic were much astonished and applauded the wizard by barking aloud and shaking the limbs of the trees in which they sat. dorothy said: "that was a fine trick, wizard!" and the gray ape remarked: "you are certainly the most wonderful magician in all the land of oz!" "oh, no," modestly replied the little man. "glinda's magic is better than mine, but mine seems good enough to use on ordinary occasions. and now, rango, we will say good-bye, and i promise to return your monkeys as happy and safe as they are now." the wizard rode on the back of the hungry tiger and carried the cage of monkeys very carefully, so as not to joggle them. dorothy rode on the back of the cowardly lion, and the glass cat trotted, as before, to show them the way. gugu the king crouched upon a log and watched them go, but as he bade them farewell, the enormous leopard said: "i know now that you are the friends of beasts and that the forest people may trust you. whenever the wizard of oz and princess dorothy enter the forest of gugu hereafter, they will be as welcome and as safe with us as ever they are in the emerald city." . a remarkable journey "you see," explained the glass cat, "that magic isle where trot and cap'n bill are stuck is also in this gillikin country--over at the east side of it, and it's no farther to go across-lots from here than it is from here to the emerald city. so we'll save time by cutting across the mountains." "are you sure you know the way?" asked dorothy. "i know all the land of oz better than any other living creature knows it," asserted the glass cat. "go ahead, then, and guide us," said the wizard. "we've left our poor friends helpless too long already, and the sooner we rescue them the happier they'll be." "are you sure you can get 'em out of their fix?" the little girl inquired. "i've no doubt of it," the wizard assured her. "but i can't tell what sort of magic i must use until i get to the place and discover just how they are enchanted." "i've heard of that magic isle where the wonderful flower grows," remarked the cowardly lion. "long ago, when i used to live in the forests, the beasts told stories about the isle and how the magic flower was placed there to entrap strangers--men or beasts." "is the flower really wonderful?" questioned dorothy. "i have heard it is the most beautiful plant in the world," answered the lion. "i have never seen it myself, but friendly beasts have told me that they have stood on the shore of the river and looked across at the plant in the gold flower-pot and seen hundreds of flowers, of all sorts and sizes, blossom upon it in quick succession. it is said that if one picks the flowers while they are in bloom they will remain perfect for a long time, but if they are not picked they soon disappear and are replaced by other flowers. that, in my opinion, make the magic plant the most wonderful in existence." "but these are only stories," said the girl. "has any of your friends ever picked a flower from the wonderful plant?" "no," admitted the cowardly lion, "for if any living thing ventures upon the magic isle, where the golden flower-pot stands, that man or beast takes root in the soil and cannot get away again." "what happens to them, then?" asked dorothy. "they grow smaller, hour by hour and day by day, and finally disappear entirely." "then," said the girl anxiously, "we must hurry up, or cap'n bill an' trot will get too small to be comf'table." they were proceeding at a rapid pace during this conversation, for the hungry tiger and the cowardly lion were obliged to move swiftly in order to keep pace with the glass cat. after leaving the forest of gugu they crossed a mountain range, and then a broad plain, after which they reached another forest, much smaller than that where gugu ruled. "the magic isle is in this forest," said the glass cat, "but the river is at the other side of the forest. there is no path through the trees, but if we keep going east, we will find the river, and then it will be easy to find the magic isle." "have you ever traveled this way before?" inquired the wizard. "not exactly," admitted the cat, "but i know we shall reach the river if we go east through the forest." "lead on, then," said the wizard. the glass cat started away, and at first it was easy to pass between the trees; but before long the underbrush and vines became thick and tangled, and after pushing their way through these obstacles for a time, our travelers came to a place where even the glass cat could not push through. "we'd better go back and find a path," suggested the hungry tiger. "i'm s'prised at you," said dorothy, eyeing the glass cat severely. "i'm surprised, myself," replied the cat. "but it's a long way around the forest to where the river enters it, and i thought we could save time by going straight through." "no one can blame you," said the wizard, "and i think, instead of turning back, i can make a path that will allow us to proceed." he opened his black bag and after searching among his magic tools drew out a small axe, made of some metal so highly polished that it glittered brightly even in the dark forest. the wizard laid the little axe on the ground and said in a commanding voice: "chop, little axe, chop clean and true; a path for our feet you must quickly hew. chop till this tangle of jungle is passed; chop to the east, little axe--chop fast!" then the little axe began to move and flashed its bright blade right and left, clearing a way through vine and brush and scattering the tangled barrier so quickly that the lion and the tiger, carrying dorothy and the wizard and the cage of monkeys on their backs, were able to stride through the forest at a fast walk. the brush seemed to melt away before them and the little axe chopped so fast that their eyes only saw a twinkling of the blade. then, suddenly, the forest was open again, and the little axe, having obeyed its orders, lay still upon the ground. the wizard picked up the magic axe and after carefully wiping it with his silk handkerchief put it away in his black bag. then they went on and in a short time reached the river. "let me see," said the glass cat, looking up and down the stream, "i think we are below the magic isle; so we must go up the stream until we come to it." so up the stream they traveled, walking comfortably on the river bank, and after a while the water broadened and a sharp bend appeared in the river, hiding all below from their view. they walked briskly along, however, and had nearly reached the bend when a voice cried warningly: "look out!" the travelers halted abruptly and the wizard said: "look out for what?" "you almost stepped on my diamond palace," replied the voice, and a duck with gorgeously colored feathers appeared before them. "beasts and men are terribly clumsy," continued the duck in an irritated tone, "and you've no business on this side of the river, anyway. what are you doing here?" "we've come to rescue some friends of ours who are stuck fast on the magic isle in this river," explained dorothy. "i know 'em," said the duck. "i've been to see 'em, and they're stuck fast, all right. you may as well go back home, for no power can save them." "this is the wonderful wizard of oz," said dorothy, pointing to the little man. "well, i'm the lonesome duck," was the reply, as the fowl strutted up and down to show its feathers to best advantage. "i'm the great forest magician, as any beast can tell you, but even i have no power to destroy the dreadful charm of the magic isle." "are you lonesome because you're a magician?" inquired dorothy. "no; i'm lonesome because i have no family and no friends. but i like to be lonesome, so please don't offer to be friendly with me. go away, and try not to step on my diamond palace." "where is it?" asked the girl. "behind this bush." dorothy hopped off the lion's back and ran around the bush to see the diamond palace of the lonesome duck, although the gaudy fowl protested in a series of low quacks. the girl found, indeed, a glistening dome formed of clearest diamonds, neatly cemented together, with a doorway at the side just big enough to admit the duck. "where did you find so many diamonds?" asked dorothy, wonderingly. "i know a place in the mountains where they are thick as pebbles," said the lonesome duck, "and i brought them here in my bill, one by one and put them in the river and let the water run over them until they were brightly polished. then i built this palace, and i'm positive it's the only diamond palace in all the world." "it's the only one i know of," said the little girl; "but if you live in it all alone, i don't see why it's any better than a wooden palace, or one of bricks or cobble-stones." "you're not supposed to understand that," retorted the lonesome duck. "but i might tell you, as a matter of education, that a home of any sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be intended to please strangers. the diamond palace is my home, and i like it. so i don't care a quack whether you like it or not." "oh, but i do!" exclaimed dorothy. "it's lovely on the outside, but--" then she stopped speaking, for the lonesome duck had entered his palace through the little door without even saying good-bye. so dorothy returned to her friends and they resumed their journey. "do you think, wizard, the duck was right in saying no magic can rescue trot and cap'n bill?" asked the girl in a worried tone of voice. "no, i don't think the lonesome duck was right in saying that," answered the wizard, gravely, "but it is possible that their enchantment will be harder to overcome than i expected. i'll do my best, of course, and no one can do more than his best." that didn't entirely relieve dorothy's anxiety, but she said nothing more, and soon, on turning the bend in the river, they came in sight of the magic isle. "there they are!" exclaimed dorothy eagerly. "yes, i see them," replied the wizard, nodding. "they are sitting on two big toadstools." "that's queer," remarked the glass cat. "there were no toadstools there when i left them." "what a lovely flower!" cried dorothy in rapture, as her gaze fell on the magic plant. "never mind the flower, just now," advised the wizard. "the most important thing is to rescue our friends." by this time they had arrived at a place just opposite the magic isle, and now both trot and cap'n bill saw the arrival of their friends and called to them for help. "how are you?" shouted the wizard, putting his hands to his mouth so they could hear him better across the water. "we're in hard luck," shouted cap'n bill, in reply. "we're anchored here and can't move till you find a way to cut the hawser." "what does he mean by that?" asked dorothy. "we can't move our feet a bit!" called trot, speaking as loud as she could. "why not?" inquired dorothy. "they've got roots on 'em," explained trot. it was hard to talk from so great a distance, so the wizard said to the glass cat: "go to the island and tell our friends to be patient, for we have come to save them. it may take a little time to release them, for the magic of the isle is new to me and i shall have to experiment. but tell them i'll hurry as fast as i can." so the glass cat walked across the river under the water to tell trot and cap'n bill not to worry, and the wizard at once opened his black bag and began to make his preparations. . the magic of the wizard he first set up a small silver tripod and placed a gold basin at the top of it. into this basin he put two powders--a pink one and a sky-blue one--and poured over them a yellow liquid from a crystal vial. then he mumbled some magic words, and the powders began to sizzle and burn and send out a cloud of violet smoke that floated across the river and completely enveloped both trot and cap'n bill, as well as the toadstools on which they sat, and even the magic plant in the gold flower-pot. then, after the smoke had disappeared into air, the wizard called out to the prisoners: "are you free?" both trot and cap'n bill tried to move their feet and failed. "no!" they shouted in answer. the wizard rubbed his bald head thoughtfully and then took some other magic tools from the bag. first he placed a little black ball in a silver pistol and shot it toward the magic isle. the ball exploded just over the head of trot and scattered a thousand sparks over the little girl. "oh!" said the wizard, "i guess that will set her free." but trot's feet were still rooted in the ground of the magic isle, and the disappointed wizard had to try something else. for almost an hour he worked hard, using almost every magic tool in his black bag, and still cap'n bill and trot were not rescued. "dear me!" exclaimed dorothy, "i'm 'fraid we'll have to go to glinda, after all." that made the little wizard blush, for it shamed him to think that his magic was not equal to that of the magic isle. "i won't give up yet, dorothy," he said, "for i know a lot of wizardry that i haven't yet tried. i don't know what magician enchanted this little island, or what his powers were, but i do know that i can break any enchantment known to the ordinary witches and magicians that used to inhabit the land of oz. it's like unlocking a door; all you need is to find the right key." "but 'spose you haven't the right key with you." suggested dorothy; "what then?" "then we'll have to make the key," he answered. the glass cat now came back to their side of the river, walking under the water, and said to the wizard: "they're getting frightened over there on the island because they're both growing smaller every minute. just now, when i left them, both trot and cap'n bill were only about half their natural sizes." "i think," said the wizard reflectively, "that i'd better go to the shore of the island, where i can talk to them and work to better advantage. how did trot and cap'n bill get to the island?" "on a raft," answered the glass cat. "it's over there now on the beach." "i suppose you're not strong enough to bring the raft to this side, are you?" "no; i couldn't move it an inch," said the cat. "i'll try to get it for you," volunteered the cowardly lion. "i'm dreadfully scared for fear the magic isle will capture me, too; but i'll try to get the raft and bring it to this side for you." "thank you, my friend," said the wizard. so the lion plunged into the river and swam with powerful strokes across to where the raft was beached upon the island. placing one paw on the raft, he turned and struck out with his other three legs and so strong was the great beast that he managed to drag the raft from off the beach and propel it slowly to where the wizard stood on the river bank. "good!" exclaimed the little man, well pleased. "may i go across with you?" asked dorothy. the wizard hesitated. "if you'll take care not to leave the raft or step foot on the island, you'll be quite safe," he decided. so the wizard told the hungry tiger and the cowardly lion to guard the cage of monkeys until he returned, and then he and dorothy got upon the raft. the paddle which cap'n bill had made was still there, so the little wizard paddled the clumsy raft across the water and ran it upon the beach of the magic isle as close to the place where cap'n bill and trot were rooted as he could. dorothy was shocked to see how small the prisoners had become, and trot said to her friends: "if you can't save us soon, there'll be nothing left of us." "be patient, my dear," counseled the wizard, and took the little axe from his black bag. "what are you going to do with that?" asked cap'n bill. "it's a magic axe," replied the wizard, "and when i tell it to chop, it will chop those roots from your feet and you can run to the raft before they grow again." "don't!" shouted the sailor in alarm. "don't do it! those roots are all flesh roots, and our bodies are feeding 'em while they're growing into the ground." "to cut off the roots," said trot, "would be like cutting off our fingers and toes." the wizard put the little axe back in the black bag and took out a pair of silver pincers. "grow--grow--grow!" he said to the pincers, and at once they grew and extended until they reached from the raft to the prisoners. "what are you going to do now?" demanded cap'n bill, fearfully eyeing the pincers. "this magic tool will pull you up, roots and all, and land you on this raft," declared the wizard. "don't do it!" pleaded the sailor, with a shudder. "it would hurt us awfully." "it would be just like pulling teeth to pull us up by the roots," explained trot. "grow small!" said the wizard to the pincers, and at once they became small and he threw them into the black bag. "i guess, friends, it's all up with us, this time," remarked cap'n bill, with a dismal sigh. "please tell ozma, dorothy," said trot, "that we got into trouble trying to get her a nice birthday present. then she'll forgive us. the magic flower is lovely and wonderful, but it's just a lure to catch folks on this dreadful island and then destroy them. you'll have a nice birthday party, without us, i'm sure; and i hope, dorothy, that none of you in the emerald city will forget me--or dear ol' cap'n bill." . dorothy and the bumble bees dorothy was greatly distressed and had hard work to keep the tears from her eyes. "is that all you can do, wizard?" she asked the little man. "it's all i can think of just now," he replied sadly. "but i intend to keep on thinking as long--as long--well, as long as thinking will do any good." they were all silent for a time, dorothy and the wizard sitting thoughtfully on the raft, and trot and cap'n bill sitting thoughtfully on the toadstools and growing gradually smaller and smaller in size. suddenly dorothy said: "wizard, i've thought of something!" "what have you thought of?" he asked, looking at the little girl with interest. "can you remember the magic word that transforms people?" she asked. "of course," said he. "then you can transform trot and cap'n bill into birds or bumblebees, and they can fly away to the other shore. when they're there, you can transform 'em into their reg'lar shapes again!" "can you do that, wizard?" asked cap'n bill, eagerly. "i think so." "roots an' all?" inquired trot. "why, the roots are now a part of you, and if you were transformed to a bumblebee the whole of you would be transformed, of course, and you'd be free of this awful island." "all right; do it!" cried the sailor-man. so the wizard said slowly and distinctly: "i want trot and cap'n bill to become bumblebees--pyrzqxgl!" fortunately, he pronounced the magic word in the right way, and instantly trot and cap'n bill vanished from view, and up from the places where they had been flew two bumblebees. "hooray!" shouted dorothy in delight; "they're saved!" "i guess they are," agreed the wizard, equally delighted. the bees hovered over the raft an instant and then flew across the river to where the lion and the tiger waited. the wizard picked up the paddle and paddled the raft across as fast as he could. when it reached the river bank, both dorothy and the wizard leaped ashore and the little man asked excitedly: "where are the bees?" "the bees?" inquired the lion, who was half asleep and did not know what had happened on the magic isle. "yes; there were two of them." "two bees?" said the hungry tiger, yawning. "why, i ate one of them and the cowardly lion ate the other." "goodness gracious!" cried dorothy horrified. "it was little enough for our lunch," remarked the tiger, "but the bees were the only things we could find." "how dreadful!" wailed dorothy, wringing her hands in despair. "you've eaten trot and cap'n bill." but just then she heard a buzzing overhead and two bees alighted on her shoulder. "here we are," said a small voice in her ear. "i'm trot, dorothy." "and i'm cap'n bill," said the other bee. dorothy almost fainted, with relief, and the wizard, who was close by and had heard the tiny voices, gave a laugh and said: "you are not the only two bees in the forest, it seems, but i advise you to keep away from the lion and the tiger until you regain your proper forms." "do it now, wizard!" advised dorothy. "they're so small that you never can tell what might happen to 'em." so the wizard gave the command and pronounced the magic word, and in the instant trot and cap'n bill stood beside them as natural as before they had met their fearful adventure. for they were no longer small in size, because the wizard had transformed them from bumblebees into the shapes and sizes that nature had formerly given them. the ugly roots on their feet had disappeared with the transformation. while dorothy was hugging trot, and trot was softly crying because she was so happy, the wizard shook hands with cap'n bill and congratulated him on his escape. the old sailor-man was so pleased that he also shook the lion's paw and took off his hat and bowed politely to the cage of monkeys. then cap'n bill did a curious thing. he went to a big tree and, taking out his knife, cut away a big, broad piece of thick bark. then he sat down on the ground and after taking a roll of stout cord from his pocket--which seemed to be full of all sorts of things--he proceeded to bind the flat piece of bark to the bottom of his good foot, over the leather sole. "what's that for?" inquired the wizard. "i hate to be stumped," replied the sailor-man; "so i'm goin' back to that island." "and get enchanted again?" exclaimed trot, with evident disapproval. "no; this time i'll dodge the magic of the island. i noticed that my wooden leg didn't get stuck, or take root, an' neither did the glass feet of the glass cat. it's only a thing that's made of meat--like man an' beasts--that the magic can hold an' root to the ground. our shoes are leather, an' leather comes from a beast's hide. our stockin's are wool, an' wool comes from a sheep's back. so, when we walked on the magic isle, our feet took root there an' held us fast. but not my wooden leg. so now i'll put a wooden bottom on my other foot an' the magic can't stop me." "but why do you wish to go back to the island?" asked dorothy. "didn't you see the magic flower in the gold flower-pot?" returned cap'n bill. "of course i saw it, and it's lovely and wonderful." "well, trot an' i set out to get the magic plant for a present to ozma on her birthday, and i mean to get it an' take it back with us to the emerald city." "that would be fine," cried trot eagerly, "if you think you can do it, and it would be safe to try!" "i'm pretty sure it is safe, the way i've fixed my foot," said the sailor, "an' if i should happen to get caught, i s'pose the wizard could save me again." "i suppose i could," agreed the wizard. "anyhow, if you wish to try it, cap'n bill, go ahead and we'll stand by and watch what happens." so the sailor-man got upon the raft again and paddled over to the magic isle, landing as close to the golden flower-pot as he could. they watched him walk across the land, put both arms around the flower-pot and lift it easily from its place. then he carried it to the raft and set it down very gently. the removal did not seem to affect the magic flower in any way, for it was growing daffodils when cap'n bill picked it up and on the way to the raft it grew tulips and gladioli. during the time the sailor was paddling across the river to where his friends awaited him, seven different varieties of flowers bloomed in succession on the plant. "i guess the magician who put it on the island never thought that any one would carry it off," said dorothy. "he figured that only men would want the plant, and any man who went upon the island to get it would be caught by the enchantment," added the wizard. "after this," remarked trot, "no one will care to go on the island, so it won't be a trap any more." "there," exclaimed cap'n bill, setting down the magic plant in triumph upon the river bank, "if ozma gets a better birthday present than that, i'd like to know what it can be!" "it'll s'prise her, all right," declared dorothy, standing in awed wonder before the gorgeous blossoms and watching them change from yellow roses to violets. "it'll s'prise ev'rybody in the em'rald city," trot asserted in glee, "and it'll be ozma's present from cap'n bill and me." "i think i ought to have a little credit," objected the glass cat. "i discovered the thing, and led you to it, and brought the wizard here to save you when you got caught." "that's true," admitted trot, "and i'll tell ozma the whole story, so she'll know how good you've been." . the monkeys have trouble "now," said the wizard, "we must start for home. but how are we going to carry that big gold flower-pot? cap'n bill can't lug it all the way, that's certain." "no," acknowledged the sailor-man; "it's pretty heavy. i could carry it for a little while, but i'd have to stop to rest every few minutes." "couldn't we put it on your back?" dorothy asked the cowardly lion, with a good-natured yawn. "i don't object to carrying it, if you can fasten it on," answered the lion. "if it falls off," said trot, "it might get smashed an' be ruined." "i'll fix it," promised cap'n bill. "i'll make a flat board out of one of these tree trunks, an' tie the board on the lion's back, an' set the flower-pot on the board." he set to work at once to do this, but as he only had his big knife for a tool his progress was slow. so the wizard took from his black bag a tiny saw that shone like silver and said to it: "saw, little saw, come show your power; make us a board for the magic flower." and at once the little saw began to move and it sawed the log so fast that those who watched it work were astonished. it seemed to understand, too, just what the board was to be used for, for when it was completed it was flat on top and hollowed beneath in such a manner that it exactly fitted the lion's back. "that beats whittlin'!" exclaimed cap'n bill, admiringly. "you don't happen to have two o' them saws; do you, wizard?" "no," replied the wizard, wiping the magic saw carefully with his silk handkerchief and putting it back in the black bag. "it's the only saw of its kind in the world; and if there were more like it, it wouldn't be so wonderful." they now tied the board on the lion's back, flat side up, and cap'n bill carefully placed the magic flower on the board. "for fear o' accidents," he said, "i'll walk beside the lion and hold onto the flower-pot." trot and dorothy could both ride on the back of the hungry tiger, and between them they carried the cage of monkeys. but this arrangement left the wizard, as well as the sailor, to make the journey on foot, and so the procession moved slowly and the glass cat grumbled because it would take so long to get to the emerald city. the cat was sour-tempered and grumpy, at first, but before they had journeyed far, the crystal creature had discovered a fine amusement. the long tails of the monkeys were constantly sticking through the bars of their cage, and when they did, the glass cat would slyly seize the tails in her paws and pull them. that made the monkeys scream, and their screams pleased the glass cat immensely. trot and dorothy tried to stop this naughty amusement, but when they were not looking the cat would pull the tails again, and the creature was so sly and quick that the monkeys could seldom escape. they scolded the cat angrily and shook the bars of their cage, but they could not get out and the cat only laughed at them. after the party had left the forest and were on the plains of the munchkin country, it grew dark, and they were obliged to make camp for the night, choosing a pretty place beside a brook. by means of his magic the wizard created three tents, pitched in a row on the grass and nicely fitted with all that was needful for the comfort of his comrades. the middle tent was for dorothy and trot, and had in it two cosy white beds and two chairs. another tent, also with beds and chairs, was for the wizard and cap'n bill, while the third tent was for the hungry tiger, the cowardly lion, the cage of monkeys and the glass cat. outside the tents the wizard made a fire and placed over it a magic kettle from which he presently drew all sorts of nice things for their supper, smoking hot. after they had eaten and talked together for a while under the twinkling stars, they all went to bed and the people were soon asleep. the lion and the tiger had almost fallen asleep, too, when they were roused by the screams of the monkeys, for the glass cat was pulling their tails again. annoyed by the uproar, the hungry tiger cried: "stop that racket!" and getting sight of the glass cat, he raised his big paw and struck at the creature. the cat was quick enough to dodge the blow, but the claws of the hungry tiger scraped the monkey's cage and bent two of the bars. then the tiger lay down again to sleep, but the monkeys soon discovered that the bending of the bars would allow them to squeeze through. they did not leave the cage, however, but after whispering together they let their tails stick out and all remained quiet. presently the glass cat stole near the cage again and gave a yank to one of the tails. instantly the monkeys leaped through the bars, one after another, and although they were so small the entire dozen of them surrounded the glass cat and clung to her claws and tail and ears and made her a prisoner. then they forced her out of the tent and down to the banks of the stream. the monkeys had noticed that these banks were covered with thick, slimy mud of a dark blue color, and when they had taken the cat to the stream, they smeared this mud all over the glass body of the cat, filling the creature's ears and eyes with it, so that she could neither see nor hear. she was no longer transparent and so thick was the mud upon her that no one could see her pink brains or her ruby heart. in this condition they led the pussy back to the tent and then got inside their cage again. by morning the mud had dried hard on the glass cat and it was a dull blue color throughout. dorothy and trot were horrified, but the wizard shook his head and said it served the glass cat right for teasing the monkeys. cap'n bill, with his strong hands, soon bent the golden wires of the monkeys' cage into the proper position and then he asked the wizard if he should wash the glass cat in the water of the brook. "not just yet," answered the wizard. "the cat deserves to be punished, so i think i'll leave that blue mud--which is as bad as paint--upon her body until she gets to the emerald city. the silly creature is so vain that she will be greatly shamed when the oz people see her in this condition, and perhaps she'll take the lesson to heart and leave the monkeys alone hereafter." however, the glass cat could not see or hear, and to avoid carrying her on the journey the wizard picked the mud out of her eyes and ears and dorothy dampened her handkerchief and washed both the eyes and ears clean. as soon as she could speak the glass cat asked indignantly: "aren't you going to punish those monkeys for playing such a trick on me?" "no," answered the wizard. "you played a trick on them by pulling their tails, so this is only tit-for-tat, and i'm glad the monkeys had their revenge." he wouldn't allow the glass cat to go near the water, to wash herself, but made her follow them when they resumed their journey toward the emerald city. "this is only part of your punishment," said the wizard, severely. "ozma will laugh at you, when we get to her palace, and so will the scarecrow, and the tin woodman, and tik-tok, and the shaggy man, and button-bright, and the patchwork girl, and--" "and the pink kitten," added dorothy. that suggestion hurt the glass cat more than anything else. the pink kitten always quarreled with the glass cat and insisted that flesh was superior to glass, while the glass cat would jeer at the pink kitten, because it had no pink brains. but the pink brains were all daubed with blue mud, just now, and if the pink kitten should see the glass cat in such a condition, it would be dreadfully humiliating. for several hours the glass cat walked along very meekly, but toward noon it seized an opportunity when no one was looking and darted away through the long grass. it remembered that there was a tiny lake of pure water near by, and to this lake the cat sped as fast as it could go. the others never missed her until they stopped for lunch, and then it was too late to hunt for her. "i s'pect she's gone somewhere to clean herself," said dorothy. "never mind," replied the wizard. "perhaps this glass creature has been punished enough, and we must not forget she saved both trot and cap'n bill." "after first leading 'em onto an enchanted island," added dorothy. "but i think, as you do, that the glass cat is punished enough, and p'raps she won't try to pull the monkeys' tails again." the glass cat did not rejoin the party of travelers. she was still resentful, and they moved too slowly to suit her, besides. when they arrived at the royal palace, one of the first things they saw was the glass cat curled up on a bench as bright and clean and transparent as ever. but she pretended not to notice them, and they passed her by without remark. . the college of athletic arts dorothy and her friends arrived at the royal palace at an opportune time, for ozma was holding high court in her throne room, where professor h. m. wogglebug, t.e., was appealing to her to punish some of the students of the royal athletic college, of which he was the principal. this college is located in the munchkin country, but not far from the emerald city. to enable the students to devote their entire time to athletic exercises, such as boating, foot-ball, and the like, professor wogglebug had invented an assortment of tablets of learning. one of these tablets, eaten by a scholar after breakfast, would instantly enable him to understand arithmetic or algebra or any other branch of mathematics. another tablet eaten after lunch gave a student a complete knowledge of geography. another tablet made it possible for the eater to spell the most difficult words, and still another enabled him to write a beautiful hand. there were tablets for history, mechanics, home cooking and agriculture, and it mattered not whether a boy or a girl was stupid or bright, for the tablets taught them everything in the twinkling of an eye. this method, which is patented in the land of oz by professor wogglebug, saves paper and books, as well as the tedious hours devoted to study in some of our less favored schools, and it also allows the students to devote all their time to racing, base-ball, tennis and other manly and womanly sports, which are greatly interfered with by study in those temples of learning where tablets of learning are unknown. but it so happened that professor wogglebug (who had invented so much that he had acquired the habit) carelessly invented a square-meal tablet, which was no bigger than your little finger-nail but contained, in condensed form, the equal of a bowl of soup, a portion of fried fish, a roast, a salad and a dessert, all of which gave the same nourishment as a square meal. the professor was so proud of these square-meal tablets that he began to feed them to the students at his college, instead of other food, but the boys and girls objected because they wanted food that they could enjoy the taste of. it was no fun at all to swallow a tablet, with a glass of water, and call it a dinner; so they refused to eat the square-meal tablets. professor wogglebug insisted, and the result was that the senior class seized the learned professor one day and threw him into the river--clothes and all. everyone knows that a wogglebug cannot swim, and so the inventor of the wonderful square-meal tablets lay helpless on the bottom of the river for three days before a fisherman caught one of his legs on a fishhook and dragged him out upon the bank. the learned professor was naturally indignant at such treatment, and so he brought the entire senior class to the emerald city and appealed to ozma of oz to punish them for their rebellion. i do not suppose the girl ruler was very severe with the rebellious boys and girls, because she had herself refused to eat the square-meal tablets in place of food, but while she was listening to the interesting case in her throne room, cap'n bill managed to carry the golden flower-pot containing the magic flower up to trot's room without it being seen by anyone except jellia jamb, ozma's chief maid of honor, and jellia promised not to tell. also the wizard was able to carry the cage of monkeys up to one of the top towers of the palace, where he had a room of his own, to which no one came unless invited. so trot and dorothy and cap'n bill and the wizard were all delighted at the successful end of their adventure. the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger went to the marble stables behind the royal palace, where they lived while at home, and they too kept the secret, even refusing to tell the wooden sawhorse, and hank the mule, and the yellow hen, and the pink kitten where they had been. trot watered the magic flower every day and allowed no one in her room to see the beautiful blossoms except her friends, betsy bobbin and dorothy. the wonderful plant did not seem to lose any of its magic by being removed from its island, and trot was sure that ozma would prize it as one of her most delightful treasures. up in his tower the little wizard of oz began training his twelve tiny monkeys, and the little creatures were so intelligent that they learned every trick the wizard tried to teach them. the wizard treated them with great kindness and gentleness and gave them the food that monkeys love best, so they promised to do their best on the great occasion of ozma's birthday. . ozma's birthday party it seems odd that a fairy should have a birthday, for fairies, they say, were born at the beginning of time and live forever. yet, on the other hand, it would be a shame to deprive a fairy, who has so many other good things, of the delights of a birthday. so we need not wonder that the fairies keep their birthdays just as other folks do, and consider them occasions for feasting and rejoicing. ozma, the beautiful girl ruler of the fairyland of oz, was a real fairy, and so sweet and gentle in caring for her people that she was greatly beloved by them all. she lived in the most magnificent palace in the most magnificent city in the world, but that did not prevent her from being the friend of the most humble person in her dominions. she would mount her wooden sawhorse, and ride out to a farm house and sit in the kitchen to talk with the good wife of the farmer while she did her family baking; or she would play with the children and give them rides on her famous wooden steed; or she would stop in a forest to speak to a charcoal burner and ask if he was happy or desired anything to make him more content; or she would teach young girls how to sew and plan pretty dresses, or enter the shops where the jewelers and craftsmen were busy and watch them at their work, giving to each and all a cheering word or sunny smile. and then ozma would sit in her jeweled throne, with her chosen courtiers all about her, and listen patiently to any complaint brought to her by her subjects, striving to accord equal justice to all. knowing she was fair in her decisions, the oz people never murmured at her judgments, but agreed, if ozma decided against them, she was right and they wrong. when dorothy and trot and betsy bobbin and ozma were together, one would think they were all about of an age, and the fairy ruler no older and no more "grown up" than the other three. she would laugh and romp with them in regular girlish fashion, yet there was an air of quiet dignity about ozma, even in her merriest moods, that, in a manner, distinguished her from the others. the three girls loved her devotedly, but they were never able to quite forget that ozma was the royal ruler of the wonderful fairyland of oz, and by birth belonged to a powerful race. ozma's palace stood in the center of a delightful and extensive garden, where splendid trees and flowering shrubs and statuary and fountains abounded. one could walk for hours in this fascinating park and see something interesting at every step. in one place was an aquarium, where strange and beautiful fish swam; at another spot all the birds of the air gathered daily to a great feast which ozma's servants provided for them, and were so fearless of harm that they would alight upon one's shoulders and eat from one's hand. there was also the fountain of the water of oblivion, but it was dangerous to drink of this water, because it made one forget everything he had ever before known, even to his own name, and therefore ozma had placed a sign of warning upon the fountain. but there were also fountains that were delightfully perfumed, and fountains of delicious nectar, cool and richly flavored, where all were welcome to refresh themselves. around the palace grounds was a great wall, thickly encrusted with glittering emeralds, but the gates stood open and no one was forbidden entrance. on holidays the people of the emerald city often took their children to see the wonders of ozma's gardens, and even entered the royal palace, if they felt so inclined, for they knew that they and their ruler were friends, and that ozma delighted to give them pleasure. when all this is considered, you will not be surprised that the people throughout the land of oz, as well as ozma's most intimate friends and her royal courtiers, were eager to celebrate her birthday, and made preparations for the festival weeks in advance. all the brass bands practiced their nicest tunes, for they were to march in the numerous processions to be made in the winkie country, the gillikin country, the munchkin country and the quadling country, as well as in the emerald city. not all the people could go to congratulate their ruler, but all could celebrate her birthday, in one way or another, however far distant from her palace they might be. every home and building throughout the land of oz was to be decorated with banners and bunting, and there were to be games, and plays, and a general good time for every one. it was ozma's custom on her birthday to give a grand feast at the palace, to which all her closest friends were invited. it was a queerly assorted company, indeed, for there are more quaint and unusual characters in oz than in all the rest of the world, and ozma was more interested in unusual people than in ordinary ones--just as you and i are. on this especial birthday of the lovely girl ruler, a long table was set in the royal banquet hall of the palace, at which were place-cards for the invited guests, and at one end of the great room was a smaller table, not so high, for ozma's animal friends, whom she never forgot, and at the other end was a big table where all of the birthday gifts were to be arranged. when the guests arrived, they placed their gifts on this table and then found their places at the banquet table. and, after the guests were all placed, the animals entered in a solemn procession and were placed at their table by jellia jamb. then, while an orchestra hidden by a bank of roses and ferns played a march composed for the occasion, the royal ozma entered the banquet hall, attended by her maids of honor, and took her seat at the head of the table. she was greeted by a cheer from all the assembled company, the animals adding their roars and growls and barks and mewing and cackling to swell the glad tumult, and then all seated themselves at their tables. at ozma's right sat the famous scarecrow of oz, whose straw-stuffed body was not beautiful, but whose happy nature and shrewd wit had made him a general favorite. on the left of the ruler was placed the tin woodman, whose metal body had been brightly polished for this event. the tin woodman was the emperor of the winkie country and one of the most important persons in oz. next to the scarecrow, dorothy was seated, and next to her was tik-tok, the clockwork man, who had been wound up as tightly as his clockwork would permit, so he wouldn't interrupt the festivities by running down. then came aunt em and uncle henry, dorothy's own relations, two kindly old people who had a cozy home in the emerald city and were very happy and contented there. then betsy bobbin was seated, and next to her the droll and delightful shaggy man, who was a favorite wherever he went. on the other side of the table, opposite the tin woodman was placed trot, and next to her, cap'n bill. then was seated button-bright and ojo the lucky, and dr. pipt and his good wife margalot, and the astonishing frogman, who had come from the yip country to be present at ozma's birthday feast. at the foot of the table, facing ozma, was seated the queenly glinda, the good sorceress of oz, for this was really the place of honor next to the head of the table where ozma herself sat. on glinda's right was the little wizard of oz, who owed to glinda all of the magical arts he knew. then came jinjur, a pretty girl farmer of whom ozma and dorothy were quite fond. the adjoining seat was occupied by the tin soldier, and next to him was professor h. m. wogglebug, t.e., of the royal athletic college. on glinda's left was placed the jolly patchwork girl, who was a little afraid of the sorceress and so was likely to behave herself pretty well. the shaggy man's brother was beside the patchwork girl, and then came that interesting personage, jack pumpkinhead, who had grown a splendid big pumpkin for a new head to be worn on ozma's birthday, and had carved a face on it that was even jollier in expression than the one he had last worn. new heads were not unusual with jack, for the pumpkins did not keep long, and when the seeds--which served him as brains--began to get soft and mushy, he realized his head would soon spoil, and so he procured a new one from his great field of pumpkins--grown by him so that he need never lack a head. you will have noticed that the company at ozma's banquet table was somewhat mixed, but every one invited was a tried and trusted friend of the girl ruler, and their presence made her quite happy. no sooner had ozma seated herself, with her back to the birthday table, than she noticed that all present were eyeing with curiosity and pleasure something behind her, for the gorgeous magic flower was blooming gloriously and the mammoth blossoms that quickly succeeded one another on the plant were beautiful to view and filled the entire room with their delicate fragrance. ozma wanted to look, too, to see what all were staring at, but she controlled her curiosity because it was not proper that she should yet view her birthday gifts. so the sweet and lovely ruler devoted herself to her guests, several of whom, such as the scarecrow, the tin woodman, the patchwork girl, tik-tok, jack pumpkinhead and the tin soldier, never ate anything but sat very politely in their places and tried to entertain those of the guests who did eat. and, at the animal table, there was another interesting group, consisting of the cowardly lion, the hungry tiger, toto--dorothy's little shaggy black dog--hank the mule, the pink kitten, the wooden sawhorse, the yellow hen, and the glass cat. all of these had good appetites except the sawhorse and the glass cat, and each was given a plentiful supply of the food it liked best. finally, when the banquet was nearly over and the ice-cream was to be served, four servants entered bearing a huge cake, all frosted and decorated with candy flowers. around the edge of the cake was a row of lighted candles, and in the center were raised candy letters that spelled the words: ozma's birthday cake from dorothy and the wizard "oh, how beautiful!" cried ozma, greatly delighted, and dorothy said eagerly: "now you must cut the cake, ozma, and each of us will eat a piece with our ice-cream." jellia jamb brought a large golden knife with a jeweled handle, and ozma stood up in her place and attempted to cut the cake. but as soon as the frosting in the center broke under the pressure of the knife there leaped from the cake a tiny monkey three inches high, and he was followed by another and another, until twelve monkeys stood on the tablecloth and bowed low to ozma. "congratulations to our gracious ruler!" they exclaimed in a chorus, and then they began a dance, so droll and amusing that all the company roared with laughter and even ozma joined in the merriment. but after the dance the monkeys performed some wonderful acrobatic feats, and then they ran to the hollow of the cake and took out some band instruments of burnished gold--cornets, horns, drums, and the like--and forming into a procession the monkeys marched up and down the table playing a jolly tune with the ease of skilled musicians. dorothy was delighted with the success of her "surprise cake," and after the monkeys had finished their performance, the banquet came to an end. now was the time for ozma to see her other presents, so glinda the good rose and, taking the girl ruler by her hand, led her to the table where all her gifts were placed in magnificent array. the magic flower of course attracted her attention first, and trot had to tell her the whole story of their adventures in getting it. the little girl did not forget to give due credit to the glass cat and the little wizard, but it was really cap'n bill who had bravely carried the golden flower-pot away from the enchanted isle. ozma thanked them all, and said she would place the magic flower in her boudoir where she might enjoy its beauty and fragrance continually. but now she discovered the marvelous gown woven by glinda and her maidens from strands drawn from pure emeralds, and being a girl who loved pretty clothes, ozma's ecstasy at being presented with this exquisite gown may well be imagined. she could hardly wait to put it on, but the table was loaded with other pretty gifts and the night was far spent before the happy girl ruler had examined all her presents and thanked those who had lovingly donated them. . the fountain of oblivion the morning after the birthday fete, as the wizard and dorothy were walking in the grounds of the palace, ozma came out and joined them, saying: "i want to hear more of your adventures in the forest of gugu, and how you were able to get those dear little monkeys to use in dorothy's surprise cake." so they sat down on a marble bench near to the fountain of the water of oblivion, and between them dorothy and the wizard related their adventures. "i was dreadfully fussy while i was a woolly lamb," said dorothy, "for it didn't feel good, a bit. and i wasn't quite sure, you know, that i'd ever get to be a girl again." "you might have been a woolly lamb yet, if i hadn't happened to have discovered that magic transformation word," declared the wizard. "but what became of the walnut and the hickory-nut into which you transformed those dreadful beast magicians?" inquired ozma. "why, i'd almost forgotten them," was the reply; "but i believe they are still here in my pocket." then he searched in his pockets and brought out the two nuts and showed them to her. ozma regarded them thoughtfully. "it isn't right to leave any living creatures in such helpless forms," said she. "i think, wizard, you ought to transform them into their natural shapes again." "but i don't know what their natural shapes are," he objected, "for of course the forms of mixed animals which they had assumed were not natural to them. and you must not forget, ozma, that their natures were cruel and mischievous, so if i bring them back to life they might cause us a great deal of trouble." "nevertheless," said the ruler of oz, "we must free them from their present enchantments. when you restore them to their natural forms we will discover who they really are, and surely we need not fear any two people, even though they prove to be magicians and our enemies." "i am not so sure of that," protested the wizard, with a shake of his bald head. "the one bit of magic i robbed them of--which was the word of transformation--is so simple, yet so powerful, that neither glinda nor i can equal it. it isn't all in the word, you know, it's the way the word is pronounced. so if the two strange magicians have other magic of the same sort, they might prove very dangerous to us, if we liberated them." "i've an idea!" exclaimed dorothy. "i'm no wizard, and no fairy, but if you do as i say, we needn't fear these people at all." "what is your thought, my dear?" asked ozma. "well," replied the girl, "here is this fountain of the water of oblivion, and that's what put the notion into my head. when the wizard speaks that ter'ble word that will change 'em back to their real forms, he can make 'em dreadful thirsty, too, and we'll put a cup right here by the fountain, so it'll be handy. then they'll drink the water and forget all the magic they ever knew--and everything else, too." "that's not a bad idea," said the wizard, looking at dorothy approvingly. "it's a very good idea," declared ozma. "run for a cup, dorothy." so dorothy ran to get a cup, and while she was gone the wizard said: "i don't know whether the real forms of these magicians are those of men or beasts. if they're beasts, they would not drink from a cup but might attack us at once and drink afterward. so it might be safer for us to have the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger here to protect us if necessary." ozma drew out a silver whistle which was attached to a slender gold chain and blew upon the whistle two shrill blasts. the sound, though not harsh, was very penetrating, and as soon as it reached the ears of the cowardly lion and the hungry tiger, the two huge beasts quickly came bounding toward them. ozma explained to them what the wizard was about to do, and told them to keep quiet unless danger threatened. so the two powerful guardians of the ruler of oz crouched beside the fountain and waited. dorothy returned and set the cup on the edge of the fountain. then the wizard placed the hickory-nut beside the fountain and said in a solemn voice: "i want you to resume your natural form, and to be very thirsty--pyrzqxgl!" in an instant there appeared, in the place of the hickory-nut, the form of kiki aru, the hyup boy. he seemed bewildered, at first, as if trying to remember what had happened to him and why he was in this strange place. but he was facing the fountain, and the bubbling water reminded him that he was thirsty. without noticing ozma, the wizard and dorothy, who were behind him, he picked up the cup, filled it with the water of oblivion, and drank it to the last drop. he was now no longer thirsty, but he felt more bewildered than ever, for now he could remember nothing at all--not even his name or where he came from. he looked around the beautiful garden with a pleased expression, and then, turning, he beheld ozma and the wizard and dorothy regarding him curiously and the two great beasts crouching behind them. kiki aru did not know who they were, but he thought ozma very lovely and dorothy very pleasant. so he smiled at them--the same innocent, happy smile that a baby might have indulged in, and that pleased dorothy, who seized his hand and led him to a seat beside her on the bench. "why, i thought you were a dreadful magician," she exclaimed, "and you're only a boy!" "what is a magician?" he asked, "and what is a boy?" "don't you know?" inquired the girl. kiki shook his head. then he laughed. "i do not seem to know anything," he replied. "it's very curious," remarked the wizard. "he wears the dress of the munchkins, so he must have lived at one time in the munchkin country. of course the boy can tell us nothing of his history or his family, for he has forgotten all that he ever knew." "he seems a nice boy, now that all the wickedness has gone from him," said ozma. "so we will keep him here with us and teach him our ways--to be true and considerate of others." "why, in that case, it's lucky for him he drank the water of oblivion," said dorothy. "it is indeed," agreed the wizard. "but the remarkable thing, to me, is how such a young boy ever learned the secret of the magic word of transformation. perhaps his companion, who is at present this walnut, was the real magician, although i seem to remember that it was this boy in the beast's form who whispered the magic word into the hollow tree, where i overheard it." "well, we will soon know who the other is," suggested ozma. "he may prove to be another munchkin boy." the wizard placed the walnut near the fountain and said, as slowly and solemnly as before: "i want you to resume your natural form, and to be very thirsty--pyrzqxgl!" then the walnut disappeared and ruggedo the nome stood in its place. he also was facing the fountain, and he reached for the cup, filled it, and was about to drink when dorothy exclaimed: "why, it's the old nome king!" ruggedo swung around and faced them, the cup still in his hand. "yes," he said in an angry voice, "it's the old nome king, and i'm going to conquer all oz and be revenged on you for kicking me out of my throne." he looked around a moment, and then continued: "there isn't an egg in sight, and i'm stronger than all of you people put together! i don't know how i came here, but i'm going to fight the fight of my life--and i'll win!" his long white hair and beard waved in the breeze; his eyes flashed hate and vengeance, and so astonished and shocked were they by the sudden appearance of this old enemy of the oz people that they could only stare at him in silence and shrink away from his wild glare. ruggedo laughed. he drank the water, threw the cup on the ground and said fiercely: "and now--and now--and--" his voice grew gentle. he rubbed his forehead with a puzzled air and stroked his long beard. "what was i going to say?" he asked, pleadingly. "don't you remember?" said the wizard. "no; i've forgotten." "who are you?" asked dorothy. he tried to think. "i--i'm sure i don't know," he stammered. "don't you know who we are, either?" questioned the girl. "i haven't the slightest idea," said the nome. "tell us who this munchkin boy is," suggested ozma. ruggedo looked at the boy and shook his head. "he's a stranger to me. you are all strangers. i--i'm a stranger to myself," he said. then he patted the lion's head and murmured, "good doggie!" and the lion growled indignantly. "what shall we do with him?" asked the wizard, perplexed. "once before the wicked old nome came here to conquer us, and then, as now, he drank of the water of oblivion and became harmless. but we sent him back to the nome kingdom, where he soon learned the old evil ways again. "for that reason," said ozma, "we must find a place for him in the land of oz, and keep him here. for here he can learn no evil and will always be as innocent of guile as our own people." and so the wandering ex-king of the nomes found a new home, a peaceful and happy home, where he was quite content and passed his days in innocent enjoyment. the lost princess of oz by l. frank baum this book is dedicated to my granddaughter ozma baum to my readers some of my youthful readers are developing wonderful imaginations. this pleases me. imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. imagination led columbus to discover america. imagination led franklin to discover electricity. imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. so i believe that dreams--day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing--are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. the imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization. a prominent educator tells me that fairy tales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young. i believe it. among the letters i receive from children are many containing suggestions of "what to write about in the next oz book." some of the ideas advanced are mighty interesting, while others are too extravagant to be seriously considered--even in a fairy tale. yet i like them all, and i must admit that the main idea in "the lost princess of oz" was suggested to me by a sweet little girl of eleven who called to see me and to talk about the land of oz. said she: "i s'pose if ozma ever got lost, or stolen, ev'rybody in oz would be dreadful sorry." that was all, but quite enough foundation to build this present story on. if you happen to like the story, give credit to my little friend's clever hint. l. frank baum royal historian of oz list of chapters a terrible loss the troubles of glinda the good the robbery of cayke the cookie cook among the winkies ozma's friends are perplexed the search party the merry-go-round mountains the mysterious city the high coco-lorum of thi toto loses something button-bright loses himself the czarover of herku the truth pond the unhappy ferryman the big lavender bear the little pink bear the meeting the conference ugu the shoemaker more surprises magic against magic in the wicker castle the defiance of ugu the shoemaker the little pink bear speaks truly ozma of oz dorothy forgives the lost princess by l. frank baum chapter a terrible loss there could be no doubt of the fact: princess ozma, the lovely girl ruler of the fairyland of oz, was lost. she had completely disappeared. not one of her subjects--not even her closest friends--knew what had become of her. it was dorothy who first discovered it. dorothy was a little kansas girl who had come to the land of oz to live and had been given a delightful suite of rooms in ozma's royal palace just because ozma loved dorothy and wanted her to live as near her as possible so the two girls might be much together. dorothy was not the only girl from the outside world who had been welcomed to oz and lived in the royal palace. there was another named betsy bobbin, whose adventures had led her to seek refuge with ozma, and still another named trot, who had been invited, together with her faithful companion cap'n bill, to make her home in this wonderful fairyland. the three girls all had rooms in the palace and were great chums; but dorothy was the dearest friend of their gracious ruler and only she at any hour dared to seek ozma in her royal apartments. for dorothy had lived in oz much longer than the other girls and had been made a princess of the realm. betsy was a year older than dorothy and trot was a year younger, yet the three were near enough of an age to become great playmates and to have nice times together. it was while the three were talking together one morning in dorothy's room that betsy proposed they make a journey into the munchkin country, which was one of the four great countries of the land of oz ruled by ozma. "i've never been there yet," said betsy bobbin, "but the scarecrow once told me it is the prettiest country in all oz." "i'd like to go, too," added trot. "all right," said dorothy. "i'll go and ask ozma. perhaps she will let us take the sawhorse and the red wagon, which would be much nicer for us than having to walk all the way. this land of oz is a pretty big place when you get to all the edges of it." so she jumped up and went along the halls of the splendid palace until she came to the royal suite, which filled all the front of the second floor. in a little waiting room sat ozma's maid, jellia jamb, who was busily sewing. "is ozma up yet?" inquired dorothy. "i don't know, my dear," replied jellia. "i haven't heard a word from her this morning. she hasn't even called for her bath or her breakfast, and it is far past her usual time for them." "that's strange!" exclaimed the little girl. "yes," agreed the maid, "but of course no harm could have happened to her. no one can die or be killed in the land of oz, and ozma is herself a powerful fairy, and she has no enemies so far as we know. therefore i am not at all worried about her, though i must admit her silence is unusual." "perhaps," said dorothy thoughtfully, "she has overslept. or she may be reading or working out some new sort of magic to do good to her people." "any of these things may be true," replied jellia jamb, "so i haven't dared disturb our royal mistress. you, however, are a privileged character, princess, and i am sure that ozma wouldn't mind at all if you went in to see her." "of course not," said dorothy, and opening the door of the outer chamber, she went in. all was still here. she walked into another room, which was ozma's boudoir, and then, pushing back a heavy drapery richly broidered with threads of pure gold, the girl entered the sleeping-room of the fairy ruler of oz. the bed of ivory and gold was vacant; the room was vacant; not a trace of ozma was to be found. very much surprised, yet still with no fear that anything had happened to her friend, dorothy returned through the boudoir to the other rooms of the suite. she went into the music room, the library, the laboratory, the bath, the wardrobe, and even into the great throne room, which adjoined the royal suite, but in none of these places could she find ozma. so she returned to the anteroom where she had left the maid, jellia jamb, and said: "she isn't in her rooms now, so she must have gone out." "i don't understand how she could do that without my seeing her," replied jellia, "unless she made herself invisible." "she isn't there, anyhow," declared dorothy. "then let us go find her," suggested the maid, who appeared to be a little uneasy. so they went into the corridors, and there dorothy almost stumbled over a queer girl who was dancing lightly along the passage. "stop a minute, scraps!" she called, "have you seen ozma this morning?" "not i!" replied the queer girl, dancing nearer. "i lost both my eyes in a tussle with the woozy last night, for the creature scraped 'em both off my face with his square paws. so i put the eyes in my pocket, and this morning button-bright led me to aunt em, who sewed 'em on again. so i've seen nothing at all today, except during the last five minutes. so of course i haven't seen ozma." "very well, scraps," said dorothy, looking curiously at the eyes, which were merely two round, black buttons sewed upon the girl's face. there were other things about scraps that would have seemed curious to one seeing her for the first time. she was commonly called "the patchwork girl" because her body and limbs were made from a gay-colored patchwork quilt which had been cut into shape and stuffed with cotton. her head was a round ball stuffed in the same manner and fastened to her shoulders. for hair, she had a mass of brown yarn, and to make a nose for her a part of the cloth had been pulled out into the shape of a knob and tied with a string to hold it in place. her mouth had been carefully made by cutting a slit in the proper place and lining it with red silk, adding two rows of pearls for teeth and a bit of red flannel for a tongue. in spite of this queer make-up, the patchwork girl was magically alive and had proved herself not the least jolly and agreeable of the many quaint characters who inhabit the astonishing fairyland of oz. indeed, scraps was a general favorite, although she was rather flighty and erratic and did and said many things that surprised her friends. she was seldom still, but loved to dance, to turn handsprings and somersaults, to climb trees and to indulge in many other active sports. "i'm going to search for ozma," remarked dorothy, "for she isn't in her rooms, and i want to ask her a question." "i'll go with you," said scraps, "for my eyes are brighter than yours, and they can see farther." "i'm not sure of that," returned dorothy. "but come along, if you like." together they searched all through the great palace and even to the farthest limits of the palace grounds, which were quite extensive, but nowhere could they find a trace of ozma. when dorothy returned to where betsy and trot awaited her, the little girl's face was rather solemn and troubled, for never before had ozma gone away without telling her friends where she was going, or without an escort that befitted her royal state. she was gone, however, and none had seen her go. dorothy had met and questioned the scarecrow, tik-tok, the shaggy man, button-bright, cap'n bill, and even the wise and powerful wizard of oz, but not one of them had seen ozma since she parted with her friends the evening before and had gone to her own rooms. "she didn't say anything las' night about going anywhere," observed little trot. "no, and that's the strange part of it," replied dorothy. "usually ozma lets us know of everything she does." "why not look in the magic picture?" suggested betsy bobbin. "that will tell us where she is in just one second." "of course!" cried dorothy. "why didn't i think of that before?" and at once the three girls hurried away to ozma's boudoir, where the magic picture always hung. this wonderful magic picture was one of the royal ozma's greatest treasures. there was a large gold frame in the center of which was a bluish-gray canvas on which various scenes constantly appeared and disappeared. if one who stood before it wished to see what any person anywhere in the world was doing, it was only necessary to make the wish and the scene in the magic picture would shift to the scene where that person was and show exactly what he or she was then engaged in doing. so the girls knew it would be easy for them to wish to see ozma, and from the picture they could quickly learn where she was. dorothy advanced to the place where the picture was usually protected by thick satin curtains and pulled the draperies aside. then she stared in amazement, while her two friends uttered exclamations of disappointment. the magic picture was gone. only a blank space on the wall behind the curtains showed where it had formerly hung. chapter the troubles of glinda the good that same morning there was great excitement in the castle of the powerful sorceress of oz, glinda the good. this castle, situated in the quadling country, far south of the emerald city where ozma ruled, was a splendid structure of exquisite marbles and silver grilles. here the sorceress lived, surrounded by a bevy of the most beautiful maidens of oz, gathered from all the four countries of that fairyland as well as from the magnificent emerald city itself, which stood in the place where the four countries cornered. it was considered a great honor to be allowed to serve the good sorceress, whose arts of magic were used only to benefit the oz people. glinda was ozma's most valued servant, for her knowledge of sorcery was wonderful, and she could accomplish almost anything that her mistress, the lovely girl ruler of oz, wished her to. of all the magical things which surrounded glinda in her castle, there was none more marvelous than her great book of records. on the pages of this record book were constantly being inscribed, day by day and hour by hour, all the important events that happened anywhere in the known world, and they were inscribed in the book at exactly the moment the events happened. every adventure in the land of oz and in the big outside world, and even in places that you and i have never heard of, were recorded accurately in the great book, which never made a mistake and stated only the exact truth. for that reason, nothing could be concealed from glinda the good, who had only to look at the pages of the great book of records to know everything that had taken place. that was one reason she was such a great sorceress, for the records made her wiser than any other living person. this wonderful book was placed upon a big gold table that stood in the middle of glinda's drawing room. the legs of the table, which were incrusted with precious gems, were firmly fastened to the tiled floor, and the book itself was chained to the table and locked with six stout golden padlocks, the keys to which glinda carried on a chain that was secured around her own neck. the pages of the great book were larger in size than those of an american newspaper, and although they were exceedingly thin, there were so many of them that they made an enormous, bulky volume. with its gold cover and gold clasps, the book was so heavy that three men could scarcely have lifted it. yet this morning when glinda entered her drawing room after breakfast, the good sorceress was amazed to discover that her great book of records had mysteriously disappeared. advancing to the table, she found the chains had been cut with some sharp instrument, and this must have been done while all in the castle slept. glinda was shocked and grieved. who could have done this wicked, bold thing? and who could wish to deprive her of her great book of records? the sorceress was thoughtful for a time, considering the consequences of her loss. then she went to her room of magic to prepare a charm that would tell her who had stolen the record book. but when she unlocked her cupboard and threw open the doors, all of her magical instruments and rare chemical compounds had been removed from the shelves. the sorceress has now both angry and alarmed. she sat down in a chair and tried to think how this extraordinary robbery could have taken place. it was evident that the thief was some person of very great power, or the theft could not have been accomplished without her knowledge. but who, in all the land of oz, was powerful and skillful enough to do this awful thing? and who, having the power, could also have an object in defying the wisest and most talented sorceress the world has ever known? glinda thought over the perplexing matter for a full hour, at the end of which time she was still puzzled how to explain it. but although her instruments and chemicals were gone, her knowledge of magic had not been stolen, by any means, since no thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire. glinda believed that when she had time to gather more magical herbs and elixirs and to manufacture more magical instruments, she would be able to discover who the robber was and what had become of her precious book of records. "whoever has done this," she said to her maidens, "is a very foolish person, for in time he is sure to be found out and will then be severely punished." she now made a list of the things she needed and dispatched messengers to every part of oz with instructions to obtain them and bring them to her as soon as possible. and one of her messengers met the little wizard of oz, who was seated on the back of the famous live sawhorse and was clinging to its neck with both his arms, for the sawhorse was speeding to glinda's castle with the velocity of the wind, bearing the news that royal ozma, ruler of all the great land of oz, had suddenly disappeared and no one in the emerald city knew what had become of her. "also," said the wizard as he stood before the astonished sorceress, "ozma's magic picture is gone, so we cannot consult it to discover where she is. so i came to you for assistance as soon as we realized our loss. let us look in the great book of records." "alas," returned the sorceress sorrowfully, "we cannot do that, for the great book of records has also disappeared!" chapter the robbery of cayke the cookie cook one more important theft was reported in the land of oz that eventful morning, but it took place so far from either the emerald city or the castle of glinda the good that none of those persons we have mentioned learned of the robbery until long afterward. in the far southwestern corner of the winkie country is a broad tableland that can be reached only by climbing a steep hill, whichever side one approaches it. on the hillside surrounding this tableland are no paths at all, but there are quantities of bramble bushes with sharp prickers on them, which prevent any of the oz people who live down below from climbing up to see what is on top. but on top live the yips, and although the space they occupy is not great in extent, the wee country is all their own. the yips had never--up to the time this story begins--left their broad tableland to go down into the land of oz, nor had the oz people ever climbed up to the country of the yips. living all alone as they did, the yips had queer ways and notions of their own and did not resemble any other people of the land of oz. their houses were scattered all over the flat surface; not like a city, grouped together, but set wherever their owners' fancy dictated, with fields here, trees there, and odd little paths connecting the houses one with another. it was here, on the morning when ozma so strangely disappeared from the emerald city, that cayke the cookie cook discovered that her diamond-studded gold dishpan had been stolen, and she raised such a hue and cry over her loss and wailed and shrieked so loudly that many of the yips gathered around her house to inquire what was the matter. it was a serious thing in any part of the land of oz to accuse one of stealing, so when the yips heard cayke the cookie cook declare that her jeweled dishpan had been stolen, they were both humiliated and disturbed and forced cayke to go with them to the frogman to see what could be done about it. i do not suppose you have ever before heard of the frogman, for like all other dwellers on that tableland, he had never been away from it, nor had anyone come up there to see him. the frogman was in truth descended from the common frogs of oz, and when he was first born he lived in a pool in the winkie country and was much like any other frog. being of an adventurous nature, however, he soon hopped out of his pool and began to travel, when a big bird came along and seized him in its beak and started to fly away with him to its nest. when high in the air, the frog wriggled so frantically that he got loose and fell down, down, down into a small hidden pool on the tableland of the yips. now that pool, it seems, was unknown to the yips because it was surrounded by thick bushes and was not near to any dwelling, and it proved to be an enchanted pool, for the frog grew very fast and very big, feeding on the magic skosh which is found nowhere else on earth except in that one pool. and the skosh not only made the frog very big so that when he stood on his hind legs he was as tall as any yip in the country, but it made him unusually intelligent, so that he soon knew more than the yips did and was able to reason and to argue very well indeed. no one could expect a frog with these talents to remain in a hidden pool, so he finally got out of it and mingled with the people of the tableland, who were amazed at his appearance and greatly impressed by his learning. they had never seen a frog before, and the frog had never seen a yip before, but as there were plenty of yips and only one frog, the frog became the most important. he did not hop any more, but stood upright on his hind legs and dressed himself in fine clothes and sat in chairs and did all the things that people do, so he soon came to be called the frogman, and that is the only name he has ever had. after some years had passed, the people came to regard the frogman as their adviser in all matters that puzzled them. they brought all their difficulties to him, and when he did not know anything, he pretended to know it, which seemed to answer just as well. indeed, the yips thought the frogman was much wiser than he really was, and he allowed them to think so, being very proud of his position of authority. there was another pool on the tableland which was not enchanted but contained good, clear water and was located close to the dwellings. here the people built the frogman a house of his own, close to the edge of the pool so that he could take a bath or a swim whenever he wished. he usually swam in the pool in the early morning before anyone else was up, and during the day he dressed himself in his beautiful clothes and sat in his house and received the visits of all the yips who came to him to ask his advice. the frogman's usual costume consisted of knee-breeches made of yellow satin plush, with trimmings of gold braid and jeweled knee-buckles; a white satin vest with silver buttons in which were set solitaire rubies; a swallow-tailed coat of bright yellow; green stockings and red leather shoes turned up at the toes and having diamond buckles. he wore, when he walked out, a purple silk hat and carried a gold-headed cane. over his eyes he wore great spectacles with gold rims, not because his eyes were bad, but because the spectacles made him look wise, and so distinguished and gorgeous was his appearance that all the yips were very proud of him. there was no king or queen in the yip country, so the simple inhabitants naturally came to look upon the frogman as their leader as well as their counselor in all times of emergency. in his heart the big frog knew he was no wiser than the yips, but for a frog to know as much as a person was quite remarkable, and the frogman was shrewd enough to make the people believe he was far more wise than he really was. they never suspected he was a humbug, but listened to his words with great respect and did just what he advised them to do. now when cayke the cookie cook raised such an outcry over the theft of her diamond-studded dishpan, the first thought of the people was to take her to the frogman and inform him of the loss, thinking that of course he would tell her where to find it. he listened to the story with his big eyes wide open behind his spectacles, and said in his deep, croaking voice, "if the dishpan is stolen, somebody must have taken it." "but who?" asked cayke anxiously. "who is the thief?" "the one who took the dishpan, of course," replied the frogman, and hearing this all the yips nodded their heads gravely and said to one another, "it is absolutely true!" "but i want my dishpan!" cried cayke. "no one can blame you for that wish," remarked the frogman. "then tell me where i may find it," she urged. the look the frogman gave her was a very wise look, and he rose from his chair and strutted up and down the room with his hands under his coattails in a very pompous and imposing manner. this was the first time so difficult a matter had been brought to him, and he wanted time to think. it would never do to let them suspect his ignorance, and so he thought very, very hard how best to answer the woman without betraying himself. "i beg to inform you," said he, "that nothing in the yip country has ever been stolen before." "we know that already," answered cayke the cookie cook impatiently. "therefore," continued the frogman, "this theft becomes a very important matter." "well, where is my dishpan?" demanded the woman. "it is lost, but it must be found. unfortunately, we have no policemen or detectives to unravel the mystery, so we must employ other means to regain the lost article. cayke must first write a proclamation and tack it to the door of her house, and the proclamation must read that whoever stole the jeweled dishpan must return it at once." "but suppose no one returns it," suggested cayke. "then," said the frogman, "that very fact will be proof that no one has stolen it." cayke was not satisfied, but the other yips seemed to approve the plan highly. they all advised her to do as the frogman had told her to, so she posted the sign on her door and waited patiently for someone to return the dishpan--which no one ever did. again she went, accompanied by a group of her neighbors, to the frogman, who by this time had given the matter considerable thought. said he to cayke, "i am now convinced that no yip has taken your dishpan, and since it is gone from the yip country, i suspect that some stranger came from the world down below us in the darkness of night when all of us were asleep and took away your treasure. there can be no other explanation of its disappearance. so if you wish to recover that golden, diamond-studded dishpan, you must go into the lower world after it." this was indeed a startling proposition. cayke and her friends went to the edge of the flat tableland and looked down the steep hillside to the plains below. it was so far to the bottom of the hill that nothing there could be seen very distinctly, and it seemed to the yips very venturesome, if not dangerous, to go so far from home into an unknown land. however, cayke wanted her dishpan very badly, so she turned to her friends and asked, "who will go with me?" no one answered the question, but after a period of silence one of the yips said, "we know what is here on the top of this flat hill, and it seems to us a very pleasant place, but what is down below we do not know. the chances are it is not so pleasant, so we had best stay where we are." "it may be a far better country than this is," suggested the cookie cook. "maybe, maybe," responded another yip, "but why take chances? contentment with one's lot is true wisdom. perhaps in some other country there are better cookies than you cook, but as we have always eaten your cookies and liked them--except when they are burned on the bottom--we do not long for any better ones." cayke might have agreed to this argument had she not been so anxious to find her precious dishpan, but now she exclaimed impatiently, "you are cowards, all of you! if none of you are willing to explore with me the great world beyond this small hill, i will surely go alone." "that is a wise resolve," declared the yips, much relieved. "it is your dishpan that is lost, not ours. and if you are willing to risk your life and liberty to regain it, no one can deny you the privilege." while they were thus conversing, the frogman joined them and looked down at the plain with his big eyes and seemed unusually thoughtful. in fact, the frogman was thinking that he'd like to see more of the world. here in the yip country he had become the most important creature of them all, and his importance was getting to be a little tame. it would be nice to have other people defer to him and ask his advice, and there seemed no reason so far as he could see why his fame should not spread throughout all oz. he knew nothing of the rest of the world, but it was reasonable to believe that there were more people beyond the mountain where he now lived than there were yips, and if he went among them he could surprise them with his display of wisdom and make them bow down to him as the yips did. in other words, the frogman was ambitious to become still greater than he was, which was impossible if he always remained upon this mountain. he wanted others to see his gorgeous clothes and listen to his solemn sayings, and here was an excuse for him to get away from the yip country. so he said to cayke the cookie cook, "i will go with you, my good woman," which greatly pleased cayke because she felt the frogman could be of much assistance to her in her search. but now, since the mighty frogman had decided to undertake the journey, several of the yips who were young and daring at once made up their minds to go along, so the next morning after breakfast the frogman and cayke the cookie cook and nine of the yips started to slide down the side of the mountain. the bramble bushes and cactus plants were very prickly and uncomfortable to the touch, so the frogman quickly commanded the yips to go first and break a path, so that when he followed them he would not tear his splendid clothes. cayke, too, was wearing her best dress and was likewise afraid of the thorns and prickers, so she kept behind the frogman. they made rather slow progress and night overtook them before they were halfway down the mountainside, so they found a cave in which they sought shelter until morning. cayke had brought along a basket full of her famous cookies, so they all had plenty to eat. on the second day the yips began to wish they had not embarked on this adventure. they grumbled a good deal at having to cut away the thorns to make the path for the frogman and the cookie cook, for their own clothing suffered many tears, while cayke and the frogman traveled safely and in comfort. "if it is true that anyone came to our country to steal your diamond dishpan," said one of the yips to cayke, "it must have been a bird, for no person in the form of a man, woman or child could have climbed through these bushes and back again." "and, allowing he could have done so," said another yip, "the diamond-studded gold dishpan would not have repaid him for his troubles and his tribulations." "for my part," remarked a third yip, "i would rather go back home and dig and polish some more diamonds and mine some more gold and make you another dishpan than be scratched from head to heel by these dreadful bushes. even now, if my mother saw me, she would not know i am her son." cayke paid no heed to these mutterings, nor did the frogman. although their journey was slow, it was being made easy for them by the yips, so they had nothing to complain of and no desire to turn back. quite near to the bottom of the great hill they came upon a great gulf, the sides of which were as smooth as glass. the gulf extended a long distance--as far as they could see in either direction--and although it was not very wide, it was far too wide for the yips to leap across it. and should they fall into it, it was likely they might never get out again. "here our journey ends," said the yips. "we must go back again." cayke the cookie cook began to weep. "i shall never find my pretty dishpan again, and my heart will be broken!" she sobbed. the frogman went to the edge of the gulf and with his eye carefully measured the distance to the other side. "being a frog," said he, "i can leap, as all frogs do, and being so big and strong, i am sure i can leap across this gulf with ease. but the rest of you, not being frogs, must return the way you came." "we will do that with pleasure," cried the yips, and at once they turned and began to climb up the steep mountain, feeling they had had quite enough of this unsatisfactory adventure. cayke the cookie cook did not go with them, however. she sat on a rock and wept and wailed and was very miserable. "well," said the frogman to her, "i will now bid you goodbye. if i find your diamond-decorated gold dishpan, i will promise to see that it is safely returned to you." "but i prefer to find it myself!" she said. "see here, frogman, why can't you carry me across the gulf when you leap it? you are big and strong, while i am small and thin." the frogman gravely thought over this suggestion. it was a fact that cayke the cookie cook was not a heavy person. perhaps he could leap the gulf with her on his back. "if you are willing to risk a fall," said he, "i will make the attempt." at once she sprang up and grabbed him around his neck with both her arms. that is, she grabbed him where his neck ought to be, for the frogman had no neck at all. then he squatted down, as frogs do when they leap, and with his powerful rear legs he made a tremendous jump. over the gulf they sailed, with the cookie cook on his back, and he had leaped so hard--to make sure of not falling in--that he sailed over a lot of bramble bushes that grew on the other side and landed in a clear space which was so far beyond the gulf that when they looked back they could not see it at all. cayke now got off the frogman's back and he stood erect again and carefully brushed the dust from his velvet coat and rearranged his white satin necktie. "i had no idea i could leap so far," he said wonderingly. "leaping is one more accomplishment i can now add to the long list of deeds i am able to perform." "you are certainly fine at leap-frog," said the cookie cook admiringly, "but, as you say, you are wonderful in many ways. if we meet with any people down here, i am sure they will consider you the greatest and grandest of all living creatures." "yes," he replied, "i shall probably astonish strangers, because they have never before had the pleasure of seeing me. also, they will marvel at my great learning. every time i open my mouth, cayke, i am liable to say something important." "that is true," she agreed, "and it is fortunate your mouth is so very wide and opens so far, for otherwise all the wisdom might not be able to get out of it." "perhaps nature made it wide for that very reason," said the frogman. "but come, let us now go on, for it is getting late and we must find some sort of shelter before night overtakes us." chapter among the winkies the settled parts of the winkie country are full of happy and contented people who are ruled by a tin emperor named nick chopper, who in turn is a subject of the beautiful girl ruler, ozma of oz. but not all of the winkie country is fully settled. at the east, which part lies nearest the emerald city, there are beautiful farmhouses and roads, but as you travel west, you first come to a branch of the winkie river, beyond which there is a rough country where few people live, and some of these are quite unknown to the rest of the world. after passing through this rude section of territory, which no one ever visits, you would come to still another branch of the winkie river, after crossing which you would find another well-settled part of the winkie country extending westward quite to the deadly desert that surrounds all the land of oz and separates that favored fairyland from the more common outside world. the winkies who live in this west section have many tin mines, from which metal they make a great deal of rich jewelry and other articles, all of which are highly esteemed in the land of oz because tin is so bright and pretty and there is not so much of it as there is of gold and silver. not all the winkies are miners, however, for some till the fields and grow grains for food, and it was at one of these far-west winkie farms that the frogman and cayke the cookie cook first arrived after they had descended from the mountain of the yips. "goodness me!" cried nellary the winkie wife when she saw the strange couple approaching her house. "i have seen many queer creatures in the land of oz, but none more queer than this giant frog who dresses like a man and walks on his hind legs. come here, wiljon," she called to her husband, who was eating his breakfast, "and take a look at this astonishing freak." wiljon the winkie came to the door and looked out. he was still standing in the doorway when the frogman approached and said with a haughty croak, "tell me, my good man, have you seen a diamond-studded gold dishpan?" "no, nor have i seen a copper-plated lobster," replied wiljon in an equally haughty tone. the frogman stared at him and said, "do not be insolent, fellow!" "no," added cayke the cookie cook hastily, "you must be very polite to the great frogman, for he is the wisest creature in all the world." "who says that?" inquired wiljon. "he says so himself," replied cayke, and the frogman nodded and strutted up and down, twirling his gold-headed cane very gracefully. "does the scarecrow admit that this overgrown frog is the wisest creature in the world?" asked wiljon. "i do not know who the scarecrow is," answered cayke the cookie cook. "well, he lives at the emerald city, and he is supposed to have the finest brains in all oz. the wizard gave them to him, you know." "mine grew in my head," said the frogman pompously, "so i think they must be better than any wizard brains. i am so wise that sometimes my wisdom makes my head ache. i know so much that often i have to forget part of it, since no one creature, however great, is able to contain so much knowledge." "it must be dreadful to be stuffed full of wisdom," remarked wiljon reflectively and eyeing the frogman with a doubtful look. "it is my good fortune to know very little." "i hope, however, you know where my jeweled dishpan is," said the cookie cook anxiously. "i do not know even that," returned the winkie. "we have trouble enough in keeping track of our own dishpans without meddling with the dishpans of strangers." finding him so ignorant, the frogman proposed that they walk on and seek cayke's dishpan elsewhere. wiljon the winkie did not seem greatly impressed by the great frogman, which seemed to that personage as strange as it was disappointing. but others in this unknown land might prove more respectful. "i'd like to meet that wizard of oz," remarked cayke as they walked along a path. "if he could give a scarecrow brains, he might be able to find my dishpan." "poof!" grunted the frogman scornfully. "i am greater than any wizard. depend on me. if your dishpan is anywhere in the world, i am sure to find it." "if you do not, my heart will be broken," declared the cookie cook in a sorrowful voice. for a while the frogman walked on in silence. then he asked, "why do you attach so much importance to a dishpan?" "it is the greatest treasure i possess," replied the woman. "it belonged to my mother and to all my grandmothers since the beginning of time. it is, i believe, the very oldest thing in all the yip country--or was while it was there--and," she added, dropping her voice to an awed whisper, "it has magic powers!" "in what way?" inquired the frogman, seeming to be surprised at this statement. "whoever has owned that dishpan has been a good cook, for one thing. no one else is able to make such good cookies as i have cooked, as you and all the yips know. yet the very morning after my dishpan was stolen, i tried to make a batch of cookies and they burned up in the oven! i made another batch that proved too tough to eat, and i was so ashamed of them that i buried them in the ground. even the third batch of cookies, which i brought with me in my basket, were pretty poor stuff and no better than any woman could make who does not own my diamond-studded gold dishpan. in fact, my good frogman, cayke the cookie cook will never be able to cook good cookies again until her magic dishpan is restored to her." "in that case," said the frogman with a sigh, "i suppose we must manage to find it." chapter ozma's friends are perplexed "really," said dorothy, looking solemn, "this is very s'prising. we can't even find a shadow of ozma anywhere in the em'rald city, and wherever she's gone, she's taken her magic picture with her." she was standing in the courtyard of the palace with betsy and trot, while scraps, the patchwork girl, danced around the group, her hair flying in the wind. "p'raps," said scraps, still dancing, "someone has stolen ozma." "oh, they'd never dare do that!" exclaimed tiny trot. "and stolen the magic picture, too, so the thing can't tell where she is," added the patchwork girl. "that's nonsense," said dorothy. "why, ev'ryone loves ozma. there isn't a person in the land of oz who would steal a single thing she owns." "huh!" replied the patchwork girl. "you don't know ev'ry person in the land of oz." "why don't i?" "it's a big country," said scraps. "there are cracks and corners in it that even ozma doesn't know of." "the patchwork girl's just daffy," declared betsy. "no, she's right about that," replied dorothy thoughtfully. "there are lots of queer people in this fairyland who never come near ozma or the em'rald city. i've seen some of 'em myself, girls. but i haven't seen all, of course, and there might be some wicked persons left in oz yet, though i think the wicked witches have all been destroyed." just then the wooden sawhorse dashed into the courtyard with the wizard of oz on his back. "have you found ozma?" cried the wizard when the sawhorse stopped beside them. "not yet," said dorothy. "doesn't glinda the good know where she is?" "no. glinda's book of records and all her magic instruments are gone. someone must have stolen them." "goodness me!" exclaimed dorothy in alarm. "this is the biggest steal i ever heard of. who do you think did it, wizard?" "i've no idea," he answered. "but i have come to get my own bag of magic tools and carry them to glinda. she is so much more powerful than i that she may be able to discover the truth by means of my magic quicker and better than i could myself." "hurry, then," said dorothy, "for we've all gotten terr'bly worried." the wizard rushed away to his rooms but presently came back with a long, sad face. "it's gone!" he said. "what's gone?" asked scraps. "my black bag of magic tools. someone must have stolen it!" they looked at one another in amazement. "this thing is getting desperate," continued the wizard. "all the magic that belongs to ozma or to glinda or to me has been stolen." "do you suppose ozma could have taken them, herself, for some purpose?" asked betsy. "no indeed," declared the wizard. "i suspect some enemy has stolen ozma and for fear we would follow and recapture her has taken all our magic away from us." "how dreadful!" cried dorothy. "the idea of anyone wanting to injure our dear ozma! can't we do anything to find her, wizard?" "i'll ask glinda. i must go straight back to her and tell her that my magic tools have also disappeared. the good sorceress will be greatly shocked, i know." with this, he jumped upon the back of the sawhorse again, and the quaint steed, which never tired, dashed away at full speed. the three girls were very much disturbed in mind. even the patchwork girl seemed to realize that a great calamity had overtaken them all. ozma was a fairy of considerable power, and all the creatures in oz as well as the three mortal girls from the outside world looked upon her as their protector and friend. the idea of their beautiful girl ruler's being overpowered by an enemy and dragged from her splendid palace a captive was too astonishing for them to comprehend at first. yet what other explanation of the mystery could there be? "ozma wouldn't go away willingly, without letting us know about it," asserted dorothy, "and she wouldn't steal glinda's great book of records or the wizard's magic, 'cause she could get them any time just by asking for 'em. i'm sure some wicked person has done all this." "someone in the land of oz?" asked trot. "of course. no one could get across the deadly desert, you know, and no one but an oz person could know about the magic picture and the book of records and the wizard's magic or where they were kept, and so be able to steal the whole outfit before we could stop 'em. it must be someone who lives in the land of oz." "but who--who--who?" asked scraps. "that's the question. who?" "if we knew," replied dorothy severely, "we wouldn't be standing here doing nothing." just then two boys entered the courtyard and approached the group of girls. one boy was dressed in the fantastic munchkin costume--a blue jacket and knickerbockers, blue leather shoes and a blue hat with a high peak and tiny silver bells dangling from its rim--and this was ojo the lucky, who had once come from the munchkin country of oz and now lived in the emerald city. the other boy was an american from philadelphia and had lately found his way to oz in the company of trot and cap'n bill. his name was button-bright; that is, everyone called him by that name and knew no other. button-bright was not quite as big as the munchkin boy, but he wore the same kind of clothes, only they were of different colors. as the two came up to the girls, arm in arm, button-bright remarked, "hello, dorothy. they say ozma is lost." "who says so?" she asked. "ev'rybody's talking about it in the city," he replied. "i wonder how the people found it out," dorothy asked. "i know," said ojo. "jellia jamb told them. she has been asking everywhere if anyone has seen ozma." "that's too bad," observed dorothy, frowning. "why?" asked button-bright. "there wasn't any use making all our people unhappy till we were dead certain that ozma can't be found." "pshaw," said button-bright, "it's nothing to get lost. i've been lost lots of times." "that's true," admitted trot, who knew that the boy had a habit of getting lost and then finding himself again, "but it's diff'rent with ozma. she's the ruler of all this big fairyland, and we're 'fraid that the reason she's lost is because somebody has stolen her away." "only wicked people steal," said ojo. "do you know of any wicked people in oz, dorothy?" "no," she replied. "they're here, though," cried scraps, dancing up to them and then circling around the group. "ozma's stolen; someone in oz stole her; only wicked people steal; so someone in oz is wicked!" there was no denying the truth of this statement. the faces of all of them were now solemn and sorrowful. "one thing is sure," said button-bright after a time, "if ozma has been stolen, someone ought to find her and punish the thief." "there may be a lot of thieves," suggested trot gravely, "and in this fairy country they don't seem to have any soldiers or policemen." "there is one soldier," claimed dorothy. "he has green whiskers and a gun and is a major-general, but no one is afraid of either his gun or his whiskers, 'cause he's so tender-hearted that he wouldn't hurt a fly." "well, a soldier is a soldier," said betsy, "and perhaps he'd hurt a wicked thief if he wouldn't hurt a fly. where is he?" "he went fishing about two months ago and hasn't come back yet," explained button-bright. "then i can't see that he will be of much use to us in this trouble," sighed little trot. "but p'raps ozma, who is a fairy, can get away from the thieves without any help from anyone." "she might be able to," answered dorothy reflectively, "but if she had the power to do that, it isn't likely she'd have let herself be stolen. so the thieves must have been even more powerful in magic than our ozma." there was no denying this argument, and although they talked the matter over all the rest of that day, they were unable to decide how ozma had been stolen against her will or who had committed the dreadful deed. toward evening the wizard came back, riding slowly upon the sawhorse because he felt discouraged and perplexed. glinda came later in her aerial chariot drawn by twenty milk-white swans, and she also seemed worried and unhappy. more of ozma's friends joined them, and that evening they all had a big talk together. "i think," said dorothy, "we ought to start out right away in search of our dear ozma. it seems cruel for us to live comf'tably in her palace while she is a pris'ner in the power of some wicked enemy." "yes," agreed glinda the sorceress, "someone ought to search for her. i cannot go myself, because i must work hard in order to create some new instruments of sorcery by means of which i may rescue our fair ruler. but if you can find her in the meantime and let me know who has stolen her, it will enable me to rescue her much more quickly." "then we'll start tomorrow morning," decided dorothy. "betsy and trot and i won't waste another minute." "i'm not sure you girls will make good detectives," remarked the wizard, "but i'll go with you to protect you from harm and to give you my advice. all my wizardry, alas, is stolen, so i am now really no more a wizard than any of you, but i will try to protect you from any enemies you may meet." "what harm could happen to us in oz?" inquired trot. "what harm happened to ozma?" returned the wizard. "if there is an evil power abroad in our fairyland, which is able to steal not only ozma and her magic picture, but glinda's book of records and all her magic, and my black bag containing all my tricks of wizardry, then that evil power may yet cause us considerable injury. ozma is a fairy, and so is glinda, so no power can kill or destroy them, but you girls are all mortals and so are button-bright and i, so we must watch out for ourselves." "nothing can kill me," said ojo the munchkin boy. "that is true," replied the sorceress, "and i think it may be well to divide the searchers into several parties, that they may cover all the land of oz more quickly. so i will send ojo and unc nunkie and dr. pipt into the munchkin country, which they are well acquainted with; and i will send the scarecrow and the tin woodman into the quadling country, for they are fearless and brave and never tire; and to the gillikin country, where many dangers lurk, i will send the shaggy man and his brother, with tik-tok and jack pumpkinhead. dorothy may make up her own party and travel into the winkie country. all of you must inquire everywhere for ozma and try to discover where she is hidden." they thought this a very wise plan and adopted it without question. in ozma's absence, glinda the good was the most important person in oz, and all were glad to serve under her direction. chapter the search party next morning as soon as the sun was up, glinda flew back to her castle, stopping on the way to instruct the scarecrow and the tin woodman, who were at that time staying at the college of professor h. m. wogglebug, t.e., and taking a course of his patent educational pills. on hearing of ozma's loss, they started at once for the quadling country to search for her. as soon as glinda had left the emerald city, tik-tok and the shaggy man and jack pumpkinhead, who had been present at the conference, began their journey into the gillikin country, and an hour later ojo and unc nunkie joined dr. pipt and together they traveled toward the munchkin country. when all these searchers were gone, dorothy and the wizard completed their own preparations. the wizard hitched the sawhorse to the red wagon, which would seat four very comfortably. he wanted dorothy, betsy, trot and the patchwork girl to ride in the wagon, but scraps came up to them mounted upon the woozy, and the woozy said he would like to join the party. now this woozy was a most peculiar animal, having a square head, square body, square legs and square tail. his skin was very tough and hard, resembling leather, and while his movements were somewhat clumsy, the beast could travel with remarkable swiftness. his square eyes were mild and gentle in expression, and he was not especially foolish. the woozy and the patchwork girl were great friends, and so the wizard agreed to let the woozy go with them. another great beast now appeared and asked to go along. this was none other than the famous cowardly lion, one of the most interesting creatures in all oz. no lion that roamed the jungles or plains could compare in size or intelligence with this cowardly lion, who--like all animals living in oz--could talk and who talked with more shrewdness and wisdom than many of the people did. he said he was cowardly because he always trembled when he faced danger, but he had faced danger many times and never refused to fight when it was necessary. this lion was a great favorite with ozma and always guarded her throne on state occasions. he was also an old companion and friend of the princess dorothy, so the girl was delighted to have him join the party. "i'm so nervous over our dear ozma," said the cowardly lion in his deep, rumbling voice, "that it would make me unhappy to remain behind while you are trying to find her. but do not get into any danger, i beg of you, for danger frightens me terribly." "we'll not get into danger if we can poss'bly help it," promised dorothy, "but we shall do anything to find ozma, danger or no danger." the addition of the woozy and the cowardly lion to the party gave betsy bobbin an idea, and she ran to the marble stables at the rear of the palace and brought out her mule, hank by name. perhaps no mule you ever saw was so lean and bony and altogether plain looking as this hank, but betsy loved him dearly because he was faithful and steady and not nearly so stupid as most mules are considered to be. betsy had a saddle for hank, and he declared she would ride on his back, an arrangement approved by the wizard because it left only four of the party to ride on the seats of the red wagon--dorothy and button-bright and trot and himself. an old sailor man who had one wooden leg came to see them off and suggested that they put a supply of food and blankets in the red wagon inasmuch as they were uncertain how long they would be gone. this sailor man was called cap'n bill. he was a former friend and comrade of trot and had encountered many adventures in company with the little girl. i think he was sorry he could not go with her on this trip, but glinda the sorceress had asked cap'n bill to remain in the emerald city and take charge of the royal palace while everyone else was away, and the one-legged sailor had agreed to do so. they loaded the back end of the red wagon with everything they thought they might need, and then they formed a procession and marched from the palace through the emerald city to the great gates of the wall that surrounded this beautiful capital of the land of oz. crowds of citizens lined the streets to see them pass and to cheer them and wish them success, for all were grieved over ozma's loss and anxious that she be found again. first came the cowardly lion, then the patchwork girl riding upon the woozy, then betsy bobbin on her mule hank, and finally the sawhorse drawing the red wagon, in which were seated the wizard and dorothy and button-bright and trot. no one was obliged to drive the sawhorse, so there were no reins to his harness; one had only to tell him which way to go, fast or slow, and he understood perfectly. it was about this time that a shaggy little black dog who had been lying asleep in dorothy's room in the palace woke up and discovered he was lonesome. everything seemed very still throughout the great building, and toto--that was the little dog's name--missed the customary chatter of the three girls. he never paid much attention to what was going on around him, and although he could speak, he seldom said anything, so the little dog did not know about ozma's loss or that everyone had gone in search of her. but he liked to be with people, and especially with his own mistress, dorothy, and having yawned and stretched himself and found the door of the room ajar, he trotted out into the corridor and went down the stately marble stairs to the hall of the palace, where he met jellia jamb. "where's dorothy?" asked toto. "she's gone to the winkie country," answered the maid. "when?" "a little while ago," replied jellia. toto turned and trotted out into the palace garden and down the long driveway until he came to the streets of the emerald city. here he paused to listen, and hearing sounds of cheering, he ran swiftly along until he came in sight of the red wagon and the woozy and the lion and the mule and all the others. being a wise little dog, he decided not to show himself to dorothy just then, lest he be sent back home, but he never lost sight of the party of travelers, all of whom were so eager to get ahead that they never thought to look behind them. when they came to the gates in the city wall, the guardian of the gates came out to throw wide the golden portals and let them pass through. "did any strange person come in or out of the city on the night before last when ozma was stolen?" asked dorothy. "no indeed, princess," answered the guardian of the gates. "of course not," said the wizard. "anyone clever enough to steal all the things we have lost would not mind the barrier of a wall like this in the least. i think the thief must have flown through the air, for otherwise he could not have stolen from ozma's royal palace and glinda's faraway castle in the same night. moreover, as there are no airships in oz and no way for airships from the outside world to get into this country, i believe the thief must have flown from place to place by means of magic arts which neither glinda nor i understand." on they went, and before the gates closed behind them, toto managed to dodge through them. the country surrounding the emerald city was thickly settled, and for a while our friends rode over nicely paved roads which wound through a fertile country dotted with beautiful houses, all built in the quaint oz fashion. in the course of a few hours, however, they had left the tilled fields and entered the country of the winkies, which occupies a quarter of all the territory in the land of oz but is not so well known as many other parts of ozma's fairyland. long before night the travelers had crossed the winkie river near to the scarecrow's tower (which was now vacant) and had entered the rolling prairie where few people live. they asked everyone they met for news of ozma, but none in this district had seen her or even knew that she had been stolen. and by nightfall they had passed all the farmhouses and were obliged to stop and ask for shelter at the hut of a lonely shepherd. when they halted, toto was not far behind. the little dog halted, too, and stealing softly around the party, he hid himself behind the hut. the shepherd was a kindly old man and treated the travelers with much courtesy. he slept out of doors that night, giving up his hut to the three girls, who made their beds on the floor with the blankets they had brought in the red wagon. the wizard and button-bright also slept out of doors, and so did the cowardly lion and hank the mule. but scraps and the sawhorse did not sleep at all, and the woozy could stay awake for a month at a time if he wished to, so these three sat in a little group by themselves and talked together all through the night. in the darkness, the cowardly lion felt a shaggy little form nestling beside his own, and he said sleepily, "where did you come from, toto?" "from home," said the dog. "if you roll over, roll the other way so you won't smash me." "does dorothy know you are here?" asked the lion. "i believe not," admitted toto, and he added a little anxiously, "do you think, friend lion, we are now far enough from the emerald city for me to risk showing myself, or will dorothy send me back because i wasn't invited?" "only dorothy can answer that question," said the lion. "for my part, toto, i consider this affair none of my business, so you must act as you think best." then the huge beast went to sleep again, and toto snuggled closer to the warm, hairy body and also slept. he was a wise little dog in his way, and didn't intend to worry when there was something much better to do. in the morning the wizard built a fire, over which the girls cooked a very good breakfast. suddenly dorothy discovered toto sitting quietly before the fire, and the little girl exclaimed, "goodness me, toto! where did you come from?" "from the place you cruelly left me," replied the dog in a reproachful tone. "i forgot all about you," admitted dorothy, "and if i hadn't, i'd prob'ly left you with jellia jamb, seeing this isn't a pleasure trip but stric'ly business. but now that you're here, toto, i s'pose you'll have to stay with us, unless you'd rather go back again. we may get ourselves into trouble before we're done, toto." "never mind that," said toto, wagging his tail. "i'm hungry, dorothy." "breakfas'll soon be ready, and then you shall have your share," promised his little mistress, who was really glad to have her dog with her. she and toto had traveled together before, and she knew he was a good and faithful comrade. when the food was cooked and served, the girls invited the old shepherd to join them in the morning meal. he willingly consented, and while they ate he said to them, "you are now about to pass through a very dangerous country, unless you turn to the north or to the south to escape its perils." "in that case," said the cowardly lion, "let us turn, by all means, for i dread to face dangers of any sort." "what's the matter with the country ahead of us?" inquired dorothy. "beyond this rolling prairie," explained the shepherd, "are the merry-go-round mountains, set close together and surrounded by deep gulfs so that no one is able to get past them. beyond the merry-go-round mountains it is said the thistle-eaters and the herkus live." "what are they like?" demanded dorothy. "no one knows, for no one has ever passed the merry-go-round mountains," was the reply, "but it is said that the thistle-eaters hitch dragons to their chariots and that the herkus are waited upon by giants whom they have conquered and made their slaves." "who says all that?" asked betsy. "it is common report," declared the shepherd. "everyone believes it." "i don't see how they know," remarked little trot, "if no one has been there." "perhaps the birds who fly over that country brought the news," suggested betsy. "if you escaped those dangers," continued the shepherd, "you might encounter others still more serious before you came to the next branch of the winkie river. it is true that beyond that river there lies a fine country inhabited by good people, and if you reached there, you would have no further trouble. it is between here and the west branch of the winkie river that all dangers lie, for that is the unknown territory that is inhabited by terrible, lawless people." "it may be, and it may not be," said the wizard. "we shall know when we get there." "well," persisted the shepherd, "in a fairy country such as ours, every undiscovered place is likely to harbor wicked creatures. if they were not wicked, they would discover themselves and by coming among us submit to ozma's rule and be good and considerate, as are all the oz people whom we know." "that argument," stated the little wizard, "convinces me that it is our duty to go straight to those unknown places, however dangerous they may be, for it is surely some cruel and wicked person who has stolen our ozma, and we know it would be folly to search among good people for the culprit. ozma may not be hidden in the secret places of the winkie country, it is true, but it is our duty to travel to every spot, however dangerous, where our beloved ruler is likely to be imprisoned." "you're right about that," said button-bright approvingly. "dangers don't hurt us. only things that happen ever hurt anyone, and a danger is a thing that might happen and might not happen, and sometimes don't amount to shucks. i vote we go ahead and take our chances." they were all of the same opinion, so they packed up and said goodbye to the friendly shepherd and proceeded on their way. chapter the merry-go-round mountains the rolling prairie was not difficult to travel over, although it was all uphill and downhill, so for a while they made good progress. not even a shepherd was to be met with now, and the farther they advanced the more dreary the landscape became. at noon they stopped for a "picnic luncheon," as betsy called it, and then they again resumed their journey. all the animals were swift and tireless, and even the cowardly lion and the mule found they could keep up with the pace of the woozy and the sawhorse. it was the middle of the afternoon when first they came in sight of a cluster of low mountains. these were cone-shaped, rising from broad bases to sharp peaks at the tops. from a distance the mountains appeared indistinct and seemed rather small--more like hills than mountains--but as the travelers drew nearer, they noted a most unusual circumstance: the hills were all whirling around, some in one direction and some the opposite way. "i guess these are the merry-go-round mountains, all right," said dorothy. "they must be," said the wizard. "they go 'round, sure enough," agreed trot, "but they don't seem very merry." there were several rows of these mountains, extending both to the right and to the left for miles and miles. how many rows there might be none could tell, but between the first row of peaks could be seen other peaks, all steadily whirling around one way or another. continuing to ride nearer, our friends watched these hills attentively, until at last, coming close up, they discovered there was a deep but narrow gulf around the edge of each mountain, and that the mountains were set so close together that the outer gulf was continuous and barred farther advance. at the edge of the gulf they all dismounted and peered over into its depths. there was no telling where the bottom was, if indeed there was any bottom at all. from where they stood it seemed as if the mountains had been set in one great hole in the ground, just close enough together so they would not touch, and that each mountain was supported by a rocky column beneath its base which extended far down in the black pit below. from the land side it seemed impossible to get across the gulf or, succeeding in that, to gain a foothold on any of the whirling mountains. "this ditch is too wide to jump across," remarked button-bright. "p'raps the lion could do it," suggested dorothy. "what, jump from here to that whirling hill?" cried the lion indignantly. "i should say not! even if i landed there and could hold on, what good would it do? there's another spinning mountain beyond it, and perhaps still another beyond that. i don't believe any living creature could jump from one mountain to another when both are whirling like tops and in different directions." "i propose we turn back," said the wooden sawhorse with a yawn of his chopped-out mouth as he stared with his knot eyes at the merry-go-round mountains. "i agree with you," said the woozy, wagging his square head. "we should have taken the shepherd's advice," added hank the mule. the others of the party, however they might be puzzled by the serious problem that confronted them, would not allow themselves to despair. "if we once get over these mountains," said button-bright, "we could probably get along all right." "true enough," agreed dorothy. "so we must find some way, of course, to get past these whirligig hills. but how?" "i wish the ork was with us," sighed trot. "but the ork isn't here," said the wizard, "and we must depend upon ourselves to conquer this difficulty. unfortunately, all my magic has been stolen, otherwise i am sure i could easily get over the mountains." "unfortunately," observed the woozy, "none of us has wings. and we're in a magic country without any magic." "what is that around your waist, dorothy?" asked the wizard. "that? oh, that's just the magic belt i once captured from the nome king," she replied. "a magic belt! why, that's fine. i'm sure a magic belt would take you over these hills." "it might if i knew how to work it," said the little girl. "ozma knows a lot of its magic, but i've never found out about it. all i know is that while i am wearing it, nothing can hurt me." "try wishing yourself across and see if it will obey you," suggested the wizard. "but what good would that do?" asked dorothy. "if i got across, it wouldn't help the rest of you, and i couldn't go alone among all those giants and dragons while you stayed here." "true enough," agreed the wizard sadly. and then, after looking around the group, he inquired, "what is that on your finger, trot?" "a ring. the mermaids gave it to me," she explained, "and if ever i'm in trouble when i'm on the water, i can call the mermaids and they'll come and help me. but the mermaids can't help me on the land, you know, 'cause they swim, and--and--they haven't any legs." "true enough," repeated the wizard, more sadly. there was a big, broad, spreading tree near the edge of the gulf, and as the sun was hot above them, they all gathered under the shade of the tree to study the problem of what to do next. "if we had a long rope," said betsy, "we could fasten it to this tree and let the other end of it down into the gulf and all slide down it." "well, what then?" asked the wizard. "then, if we could manage to throw the rope up the other side," explained the girl, "we could all climb it and be on the other side of the gulf." "there are too many 'if's' in that suggestion," remarked the little wizard. "and you must remember that the other side is nothing but spinning mountains, so we couldn't possibly fasten a rope to them, even if we had one." "that rope idea isn't half bad, though," said the patchwork girl, who had been dancing dangerously near to the edge of the gulf. "what do you mean?" asked dorothy. the patchwork girl suddenly stood still and cast her button eyes around the group. "ha, i have it!" she exclaimed. "unharness the sawhorse, somebody. my fingers are too clumsy." "shall we?" asked button-bright doubtfully, turning to the others. "well, scraps has a lot of brains, even if she is stuffed with cotton," asserted the wizard. "if her brains can help us out of this trouble, we ought to use them." so he began unharnessing the sawhorse, and button-bright and dorothy helped him. when they had removed the harness, the patchwork girl told them to take it all apart and buckle the straps together, end to end. and after they had done this, they found they had one very long strap that was stronger than any rope. "it would reach across the gulf easily," said the lion, who with the other animals had sat on his haunches and watched this proceeding. "but i don't see how it could be fastened to one of those dizzy mountains." scraps had no such notion as that in her baggy head. she told them to fasten one end of the strap to a stout limb of the tree, pointing to one which extended quite to the edge of the gulf. button-bright did that, climbing the tree and then crawling out upon the limb until he was nearly over the gulf. there he managed to fasten the strap, which reached to the ground below, and then he slid down it and was caught by the wizard, who feared he might fall into the chasm. scraps was delighted. she seized the lower end of the strap, and telling them all to get out of her way, she went back as far as the strap would reach and then made a sudden run toward the gulf. over the edge she swung, clinging to the strap until it had gone as far as its length permitted, when she let go and sailed gracefully through the air until she alighted upon the mountain just in front of them. almost instantly, as the great cone continued to whirl, she was sent flying against the next mountain in the rear, and that one had only turned halfway around when scraps was sent flying to the next mountain behind it. then her patchwork form disappeared from view entirely, and the amazed watchers under the tree wondered what had become of her. "she's gone, and she can't get back," said the woozy. "my, how she bounded from one mountain to another!" exclaimed the lion. "that was because they whirl so fast," the wizard explained. "scraps had nothing to hold on to, and so of course she was tossed from one hill to another. i'm afraid we shall never see the poor patchwork girl again." "i shall see her," declared the woozy. "scraps is an old friend of mine, and if there are really thistle-eaters and giants on the other side of those tops, she will need someone to protect her. so here i go!" he seized the dangling strap firmly in his square mouth, and in the same way that scraps had done swung himself over the gulf. he let go the strap at the right moment and fell upon the first whirling mountain. then he bounded to the next one back of it--not on his feet, but "all mixed up," as trot said--and then he shot across to another mountain, disappearing from view just as the patchwork girl had done. "it seems to work, all right," remarked button-bright. "i guess i'll try it." "wait a minute," urged the wizard. "before any more of us make this desperate leap into the beyond, we must decide whether all will go or if some of us will remain behind." "do you s'pose it hurt them much to bump against those mountains?" asked trot. "i don't s'pose anything could hurt scraps or the woozy," said dorothy, "and nothing can hurt me, because i wear the magic belt. so as i'm anxious to find ozma, i mean to swing myself across too." "i'll take my chances," decided button-bright. "i'm sure it will hurt dreadfully, and i'm afraid to do it," said the lion, who was already trembling, "but i shall do it if dorothy does." "well, that will leave betsy and the mule and trot," said the wizard, "for of course i shall go that i may look after dorothy. do you two girls think you can find your way back home again?" he asked, addressing trot and betsy. "i'm not afraid. not much, that is," said trot. "it looks risky, i know, but i'm sure i can stand it if the others can." "if it wasn't for leaving hank," began betsy in a hesitating voice. but the mule interrupted her by saying, "go ahead if you want to, and i'll come after you. a mule is as brave as a lion any day." "braver," said the lion, "for i'm a coward, friend hank, and you are not. but of course the sawhorse--" "oh, nothing ever hurts me," asserted the sawhorse calmly. "there's never been any question about my going. i can't take the red wagon, though." "no, we must leave the wagon," said the wizard, "and also we must leave our food and blankets, i fear. but if we can defy these merry-go-round mountains to stop us, we won't mind the sacrifice of some of our comforts." "no one knows where we're going to land!" remarked the lion in a voice that sounded as if he were going to cry. "we may not land at all," replied hank, "but the best way to find out what will happen to us is to swing across as scraps and the woozy have done." "i think i shall go last," said the wizard, "so who wants to go first?" "i'll go," decided dorothy. "no, it's my turn first," said button-bright. "watch me!" even as he spoke, the boy seized the strap, and after making a run swung himself across the gulf. away he went, bumping from hill to hill until he disappeared. they listened intently, but the boy uttered no cry until he had been gone some moments, when they heard a faint "hullo-a!" as if called from a great distance. the sound gave them courage, however, and dorothy picked up toto and held him fast under one arm while with the other hand she seized the strap and bravely followed after button-bright. when she struck the first whirling mountain, she fell upon it quite softly, but before she had time to think, she flew through the air and lit with a jar on the side of the next mountain. again she flew and alighted, and again and still again, until after five successive bumps she fell sprawling upon a green meadow and was so dazed and bewildered by her bumpy journey across the merry-go-round mountains that she lay quite still for a time to collect her thoughts. toto had escaped from her arms just as she fell, and he now sat beside her panting with excitement. then dorothy realized that someone was helping her to her feet, and here was button-bright on one side of her and scraps on the other, both seeming to be unhurt. the next object her eyes fell upon was the woozy, squatting upon his square back end and looking at her reflectively, while toto barked joyously to find his mistress unhurt after her whirlwind trip. "good!" said the woozy. "here's another and a dog, both safe and sound. but my word, dorothy, you flew some! if you could have seen yourself, you'd have been absolutely astonished." "they say 'time flies,'" laughed button-bright, "but time never made a quicker journey than that." just then, as dorothy turned around to look at the whirling mountains, she was in time to see tiny trot come flying from the nearest hill to fall upon the soft grass not a yard away from where she stood. trot was so dizzy she couldn't stand at first, but she wasn't at all hurt, and presently betsy came flying to them and would have bumped into the others had they not retreated in time to avoid her. then, in quick succession, came the lion, hank and the sawhorse, bounding from mountain to mountain to fall safely upon the greensward. only the wizard was now left behind, and they waited so long for him that dorothy began to be worried. but suddenly he came flying from the nearest mountain and tumbled heels over head beside them. then they saw that he had wound two of their blankets around his body to keep the bumps from hurting him and had fastened the blankets with some of the spare straps from the harness of the sawhorse. chapter the mysterious city there they sat upon the grass, their heads still swimming from their dizzy flights, and looked at one another in silent bewilderment. but presently, when assured that no one was injured, they grew more calm and collected, and the lion said with a sigh of relief, "who would have thought those merry-go-round mountains were made of rubber?" "are they really rubber?" asked trot. "they must be," replied the lion, "for otherwise we would not have bounded so swiftly from one to another without getting hurt." "that is all guesswork," declared the wizard, unwinding the blankets from his body, "for none of us stayed long enough on the mountains to discover what they are made of. but where are we?" "that's guesswork," said scraps. "the shepherd said the thistle-eaters live this side of the mountains and are waited on by giants." "oh no," said dorothy, "it's the herkus who have giant slaves, and the thistle-eaters hitch dragons to their chariots." "how could they do that?" asked the woozy. "dragons have long tails, which would get in the way of the chariot wheels." "and if the herkus have conquered the giants," said trot, "they must be at least twice the size of giants. p'raps the herkus are the biggest people in all the world!" "perhaps they are," assented the wizard in a thoughtful tone of voice. "and perhaps the shepherd didn't know what he was talking about. let us travel on toward the west and discover for ourselves what the people of this country are like." it seemed a pleasant enough country, and it was quite still and peaceful when they turned their eyes away from the silently whirling mountains. there were trees here and there and green bushes, while throughout the thick grass were scattered brilliantly colored flowers. about a mile away was a low hill that hid from them all the country beyond it, so they realized they could not tell much about the country until they had crossed the hill. the red wagon having been left behind, it was now necessary to make other arrangements for traveling. the lion told dorothy she could ride upon his back as she had often done before, and the woozy said he could easily carry both trot and the patchwork girl. betsy still had her mule, hank, and button-bright and the wizard could sit together upon the long, thin back of the sawhorse, but they took care to soften their seat with a pad of blankets before they started. thus mounted, the adventurers started for the hill, which was reached after a brief journey. as they mounted the crest and gazed beyond the hill, they discovered not far away a walled city, from the towers and spires of which gay banners were flying. it was not a very big city, indeed, but its walls were very high and thick, and it appeared that the people who lived there must have feared attack by a powerful enemy, else they would not have surrounded their dwellings with so strong a barrier. there was no path leading from the mountains to the city, and this proved that the people seldom or never visited the whirling hills, but our friends found the grass soft and agreeable to travel over, and with the city before them they could not well lose their way. when they drew nearer to the walls, the breeze carried to their ears the sound of music--dim at first, but growing louder as they advanced. "that doesn't seem like a very terr'ble place," remarked dorothy. "well, it looks all right," replied trot from her seat on the woozy, "but looks can't always be trusted." "my looks can," said scraps. "i look patchwork, and i am patchwork, and no one but a blind owl could ever doubt that i'm the patchwork girl." saying which, she turned a somersault off the woozy and, alighting on her feet, began wildly dancing about. "are owls ever blind?" asked trot. "always, in the daytime," said button-bright. "but scraps can see with her button eyes both day and night. isn't it queer?" "it's queer that buttons can see at all," answered trot. "but good gracious! what's become of the city?" "i was going to ask that myself," said dorothy. "it's gone!" "it's gone!" the animals came to a sudden halt, for the city had really disappeared, walls and all, and before them lay the clear, unbroken sweep of the country. "dear me!" exclaimed the wizard. "this is rather disagreeable. it is annoying to travel almost to a place and then find it is not there." "where can it be, then?" asked dorothy. "it cert'nly was there a minute ago." "i can hear the music yet," declared button-bright, and when they all listened, the strains of music could plainly be heard. "oh! there's the city over at the left," called scraps, and turning their eyes, they saw the walls and towers and fluttering banners far to the left of them. "we must have lost our way," suggested dorothy. "nonsense," said the lion. "i, and all the other animals, have been tramping straight toward the city ever since we first saw it." "then how does it happen--" "never mind," interrupted the wizard, "we are no farther from it than we were before. it is in a different direction, that's all, so let us hurry and get there before it again escapes us." so on they went directly toward the city, which seemed only a couple of miles distant. but when they had traveled less than a mile, it suddenly disappeared again. once more they paused, somewhat discouraged, but in a moment the button eyes of scraps again discovered the city, only this time it was just behind them in the direction from which they had come. "goodness gracious!" cried dorothy. "there's surely something wrong with that city. do you s'pose it's on wheels, wizard?" "it may not be a city at all," he replied, looking toward it with a speculative glance. "what could it be, then?" "just an illusion." "what's that?" asked trot. "something you think you see and don't see." "i can't believe that," said button-bright. "if we only saw it, we might be mistaken, but if we can see it and hear it, too, it must be there." "where?" asked the patchwork girl. "somewhere near us," he insisted. "we will have to go back, i suppose," said the woozy with a sigh. so back they turned and headed for the walled city until it disappeared again, only to reappear at the right of them. they were constantly getting nearer to it, however, so they kept their faces turned toward it as it flitted here and there to all points of the compass. presently the lion, who was leading the procession, halted abruptly and cried out, "ouch!" "what's the matter?" asked dorothy. "ouch--ouch!" repeated the lion, and leaped backward so suddenly that dorothy nearly tumbled from his back. at the same time hank the mule yelled "ouch!" "ouch! ouch!" repeated the lion and leaped backward so suddenly that dorothy nearly tumbled from his back. at the same time, hank the mule yelled "ouch!" almost as loudly as the lion had done, and he also pranced backward a few paces. "it's the thistles," said betsy. "they prick their legs." hearing this, all looked down, and sure enough the ground was thick with thistles, which covered the plain from the point where they stood way up to the walls of the mysterious city. no pathways through them could be seen at all; here the soft grass ended and the growth of thistles began. "they're the prickliest thistles i ever felt," grumbled the lion. "my legs smart yet from their stings, though i jumped out of them as quickly as i could." "here is a new difficulty," remarked the wizard in a grieved tone. "the city has stopped hopping around, it is true, but how are we to get to it over this mass of prickers?" "they can't hurt me," said the thick-skinned woozy, advancing fearlessly and trampling among the thistles. "nor me," said the wooden sawhorse. "but the lion and the mule cannot stand the prickers," asserted dorothy, "and we can't leave them behind." "must we all go back?" asked trot. "course not!" replied button-bright scornfully. "always when there's trouble, there's a way out of it if you can find it." "i wish the scarecrow was here," said scraps, standing on her head on the woozy's square back. "his splendid brains would soon show us how to conquer this field of thistles." "what's the matter with your brains?" asked the boy. "nothing," she said, making a flip-flop into the thistles and dancing among them without feeling their sharp points. "i could tell you in half a minute how to get over the thistles if i wanted to." "tell us, scraps!" begged dorothy. "i don't want to wear my brains out with overwork," replied the patchwork girl. "don't you love ozma? and don't you want to find her?" asked betsy reproachfully. "yes indeed," said scraps, walking on her hands as an acrobat does at the circus. "well, we can't find ozma unless we get past these thistles," declared dorothy. scraps danced around them two or three times without reply. then she said, "don't look at me, you stupid folks. look at those blankets." the wizard's face brightened at once. "why didn't we think of those blankets before?" "because you haven't magic brains," laughed scraps. "such brains as you have are of the common sort that grow in your heads, like weeds in a garden. i'm sorry for you people who have to be born in order to be alive." but the wizard was not listening to her. he quickly removed the blankets from the back of the sawhorse and spread one of them upon the thistles, just next the grass. the thick cloth rendered the prickers harmless, so the wizard walked over this first blanket and spread the second one farther on, in the direction of the phantom city. "these blankets," said he, "are for the lion and the mule to walk upon. the sawhorse and the woozy can walk on the thistles." so the lion and the mule walked over the first blanket and stood upon the second one until the wizard had picked up the one they had passed over and spread it in front of them, when they advanced to that one and waited while the one behind them was again spread in front. "this is slow work," said the wizard, "but it will get us to the city after a while." "the city is a good half mile away yet," announced button-bright. "and this is awful hard work for the wizard," added trot. "why couldn't the lion ride on the woozy's back?" asked dorothy. "it's a big, flat back, and the woozy's mighty strong. perhaps the lion wouldn't fall off." "you may try it if you like," said the woozy to the lion. "i can take you to the city in a jiffy and then come back for hank." "i'm--i'm afraid," said the cowardly lion. he was twice as big as the woozy. "try it," pleaded dorothy. "and take a tumble among the thistles?" asked the lion reproachfully. but when the woozy came close to him, the big beast suddenly bounded upon its back and managed to balance himself there, although forced to hold his four legs so close together that he was in danger of toppling over. the great weight of the monster lion did not seem to affect the woozy, who called to his rider, "hold on tight!" and ran swiftly over the thistles toward the city. the others stood on the blanket and watched the strange sight anxiously. of course, the lion couldn't "hold on tight" because there was nothing to hold to, and he swayed from side to side as if likely to fall off any moment. still, he managed to stick to the woozy's back until they were close to the walls of the city, when he leaped to the ground. next moment the woozy came dashing back at full speed. "there's a little strip of ground next the wall where there are no thistles," he told them when he had reached the adventurers once more. "now then, friend hank, see if you can ride as well as the lion did." "take the others first," proposed the mule. so the sawhorse and the woozy made a couple of trips over the thistles to the city walls and carried all the people in safety, dorothy holding little toto in her arms. the travelers then sat in a group on a little hillock just outside the wall and looked at the great blocks of gray stone and waited for the woozy to bring hank to them. the mule was very awkward, and his legs trembled so badly that more than once they thought he would tumble off, but finally he reached them in safety, and the entire party was now reunited. more than that, they had reached the city that had eluded them for so long and in so strange a manner. "the gates must be around the other side," said the wizard. "let us follow the curve of the wall until we reach an opening in it." "which way?" asked dorothy. "we must guess that," he replied. "suppose we go to the left. one direction is as good as another." they formed in marching order and went around the city wall to the left. it wasn't a big city, as i have said, but to go way around it outside the high wall was quite a walk, as they became aware. but around it our adventurers went without finding any sign of a gateway or other opening. when they had returned to the little mound from which they had started, they dismounted from the animals and again seated themselves on the grassy mound. "it's mighty queer, isn't it?" asked button-bright. "there must be some way for the people to get out and in," declared dorothy. "do you s'pose they have flying machines, wizard?" "no," he replied, "for in that case they would be flying all over the land of oz, and we know they have not done that. flying machines are unknown here. i think it more likely that the people use ladders to get over the walls." "it would be an awful climb over that high stone wall," said betsy. "stone, is it?" scraps, who was again dancing wildly around, for she never tired and could never keep still for long. "course it's stone," answered betsy scornfully. "can't you see?" "yes," said scraps, going closer. "i can see the wall, but i can't feel it." and then, with her arms outstretched, she did a very queer thing. she walked right into the wall and disappeared. "for goodness sake!" dorothy, amazed, as indeed they all were. chapter the high coco-lorum of thi and now the patchwork girl came dancing out of the wall again. "come on!" she called. "it isn't there. there isn't any wall at all." "what? no wall?" exclaimed the wizard. "nothing like it," said scraps. "it's a make-believe. you see it, but it isn't. come on into the city; we've been wasting our time." with this, she danced into the wall again and once more disappeared. button-bright, who was rather venture-some, dashed away after her and also became invisible to them. the others followed more cautiously, stretching out their hands to feel the wall and finding, to their astonishment, that they could feel nothing because nothing opposed them. they walked on a few steps and found themselves in the streets of a very beautiful city. behind them they again saw the wall, grim and forbidding as ever, but now they knew it was merely an illusion prepared to keep strangers from entering the city. but the wall was soon forgotten, for in front of them were a number of quaint people who stared at them in amazement as if wondering where they had come from. our friends forgot their good manners for a time and returned the stares with interest, for so remarkable a people had never before been discovered in all the remarkable land of oz. their heads were shaped like diamonds, and their bodies like hearts. all the hair they had was a little bunch at the tip top of their diamond-shaped heads, and their eyes were very large and round, and their noses and mouths very small. their clothing was tight fitting and of brilliant colors, being handsomely embroidered in quaint designs with gold or silver threads; but on their feet they wore sandals with no stockings whatever. the expression of their faces was pleasant enough, although they now showed surprise at the appearance of strangers so unlike themselves, and our friends thought they seemed quite harmless. "i beg your pardon," said the wizard, speaking for his party, "for intruding upon you uninvited, but we are traveling on important business and find it necessary to visit your city. will you kindly tell us by what name your city is called?" they looked at one another uncertainly, each expecting some other to answer. finally, a short one whose heart-shaped body was very broad replied, "we have no occasion to call our city anything. it is where we live, that is all." "but by what name do others call your city?" asked the wizard. "we know of no others except yourselves," said the man. and then he inquired, "were you born with those queer forms you have, or has some cruel magician transformed you to them from your natural shapes?" "these are our natural shapes," declared the wizard, "and we consider them very good shapes, too." the group of inhabitants was constantly being enlarged by others who joined it. all were evidently startled and uneasy at the arrival of strangers. "have you a king?" asked dorothy, who knew it was better to speak with someone in authority. but the man shook his diamond-like head. "what is a king?" he asked. "isn't there anyone who rules over you?" inquired the wizard. "no," was the reply, "each of us rules himself, or at least tries to do so. it is not an easy thing to do, as you probably know." the wizard reflected. "if you have disputes among you," said he after a little thought, "who settles them?" "the high coco-lorum," they answered in a chorus. "and who is he?" "the judge who enforces the laws," said the man who had first spoken. "then he is the principal person here?" continued the wizard. "well, i would not say that," returned the man in a puzzled way. "the high coco-lorum is a public servant. however, he represents the laws, which we must all obey." "i think," said the wizard, "we ought to see your high coco-lorum and talk with him. our mission here requires us to consult one high in authority, and the high coco-lorum ought to be high, whatever else he is." the inhabitants seemed to consider this proposition reasonable, for they nodded their diamond-shaped heads in approval. so the broad one who had been their spokesman said, "follow me," and turning led the way along one of the streets. the entire party followed him, the natives falling in behind. the dwellings they passed were quite nicely planned and seemed comfortable and convenient. after leading them a few blocks, their conductor stopped before a house which was neither better nor worse than the others. the doorway was shaped to admit the strangely formed bodies of these people, being narrow at the top, broad in the middle and tapering at the bottom. the windows were made in much the same way, giving the house a most peculiar appearance. when their guide opened the gate, a music box concealed in the gatepost began to play, and the sound attracted the attention of the high coco-lorum, who appeared at an open window and inquired, "what has happened now?" but in the same moment his eyes fell upon the strangers and he hastened to open the door and admit them--all but the animals, which were left outside with the throng of natives that had now gathered. for a small city there seemed to be a large number of inhabitants, but they did not try to enter the house and contented themselves with staring curiously at the strange animals. toto followed dorothy. our friends entered a large room at the front of the house, where the high coco-lorum asked them to be seated. "i hope your mission here is a peaceful one," he said, looking a little worried, "for the thists are not very good fighters and object to being conquered." "are your people called thists?" asked dorothy. "yes. i thought you knew that. and we call our city thi." "oh!" "we are thists because we eat thistles, you know," continued the high coco-lorum. "do you really eat those prickly things?" inquired button-bright wonderingly. "why not?" replied the other. "the sharp points of the thistles cannot hurt us, because all our insides are gold-lined." "gold-lined!" "to be sure. our throats and stomachs are lined with solid gold, and we find the thistles nourishing and good to eat. as a matter of fact, there is nothing else in our country that is fit for food. all around the city of thi grow countless thistles, and all we need do is to go and gather them. if we wanted anything else to eat, we would have to plant it, and grow it, and harvest it, and that would be a lot of trouble and make us work, which is an occupation we detest." "but tell me, please," said the wizard, "how does it happen that your city jumps around so, from one part of the country to another?" "the city doesn't jump. it doesn't move at all," declared the high coco-lorum. "however, i will admit that the land that surrounds it has a trick of turning this way or that, and so if one is standing upon the plain and facing north, he is likely to find himself suddenly facing west or east or south. but once you reach the thistle fields, you are on solid ground." "ah, i begin to understand," said the wizard, nodding his head. "but i have another question to ask: how does it happen that the thists have no king to rule over them?" "hush!" whispered the high coco-lorum, looking uneasily around to make sure they were not overheard. "in reality, i am the king, but the people don't know it. they think they rule themselves, but the fact is i have everything my own way. no one else knows anything about our laws, and so i make the laws to suit myself. if any oppose me or question my acts, i tell them it's the law and that settles it. if i called myself king, however, and wore a crown and lived in royal style, the people would not like me and might do me harm. as the high coco-lorum of thi, i am considered a very agreeable person." "it seems a very clever arrangement," said the wizard. "and now, as you are the principal person in thi, i beg you to tell us if the royal ozma is a captive in your city." "no," answered the diamond-headed man. "we have no captives. no strangers but yourselves are here, and we have never before heard of the royal ozma." "she rules over all of oz," said dorothy, "and so she rules your city and you, because you are in the winkie country, which is a part of the land of oz." "it may be," returned the high coco-lorum, "for we do not study geography and have never inquired whether we live in the land of oz or not. and any ruler who rules us from a distance and unknown to us is welcome to the job. but what has happened to your royal ozma?" "someone has stolen her," said the wizard. "do you happen to have any talented magician among your people, one who is especially clever, you know?" "no, none especially clever. we do some magic, of course, but it is all of the ordinary kind. i do not think any of us has yet aspired to stealing rulers, either by magic or otherwise." "then we've come a long way for nothing!" exclaimed trot regretfully. "but we are going farther than this," asserted the patchwork girl, bending her stuffed body backward until her yarn hair touched the floor and then walking around on her hands with her feet in the air. the high coco-lorum watched scraps admiringly. "you may go farther on, of course," said he, "but i advise you not to. the herkus live back of us, beyond the thistles and the twisting lands, and they are not very nice people to meet, i assure you." "are they giants?" asked betsy. "they are worse than that," was the reply. "they have giants for their slaves and they are so much stronger than giants that the poor slaves dare not rebel for fear of being torn to pieces." "how do you know?" asked scraps. "everyone says so," answered the high coco-lorum. "have you seen the herkus yourself?" inquired dorothy. "no, but what everyone says must be true, otherwise what would be the use of their saying it?" "we were told before we got here that you people hitch dragons to your chariots," said the little girl. "so we do," declared the high coco-lorum. "and that reminds me that i ought to entertain you as strangers and my guests by taking you for a ride around our splendid city of thi." he touched a button, and a band began to play. at least, they heard the music of a band, but couldn't tell where it came from. "that tune is the order to my charioteer to bring around my dragon-chariot," said the high coco-lorum. "every time i give an order, it is in music, which is a much more pleasant way to address servants than in cold, stern words." "does this dragon of yours bite?" asked button-bright. "mercy no! do you think i'd risk the safety of my innocent people by using a biting dragon to draw my chariot? i'm proud to say that my dragon is harmless, unless his steering gear breaks, and he was manufactured at the famous dragon factory in this city of thi. here he comes, and you may examine him for yourselves." they heard a low rumble and a shrill squeaking sound, and going out to the front of the house, they saw coming around the corner a car drawn by a gorgeous jeweled dragon, which moved its head to right and left and flashed its eyes like headlights of an automobile and uttered a growling noise as it slowly moved toward them. when it stopped before the high coco-lorum's house, toto barked sharply at the sprawling beast, but even tiny trot could see that the dragon was not alive. its scales were of gold, and each one was set with sparkling jewels, while it walked in such a stiff, regular manner that it could be nothing else than a machine. the chariot that trailed behind it was likewise of gold and jewels, and when they entered it, they found there were no seats. everyone was supposed to stand up while riding. the charioteer was a little, diamond-headed fellow who straddled the neck of the dragon and moved the levers that made it go. "this," said the high coco-lorum pompously, "is a wonderful invention. we are all very proud of our auto-dragons, many of which are in use by our wealthy inhabitants. start the thing going, charioteer!" the charioteer did not move. "you forgot to order him in music," suggested dorothy. "ah, so i did." he touched a button and a music box in the dragon's head began to play a tune. at once the little charioteer pulled over a lever, and the dragon began to move, very slowly and groaning dismally as it drew the clumsy chariot after it. toto trotted between the wheels. the sawhorse, the mule, the lion and the woozy followed after and had no trouble in keeping up with the machine. indeed, they had to go slow to keep from running into it. when the wheels turned, another music box concealed somewhere under the chariot played a lively march tune which was in striking contrast with the dragging movement of the strange vehicle, and button-bright decided that the music he had heard when they first sighted this city was nothing else than a chariot plodding its weary way through the streets. all the travelers from the emerald city thought this ride the most uninteresting and dreary they had ever experienced, but the high coco-lorum seemed to think it was grand. he pointed out the different buildings and parks and fountains in much the same way that the conductor does on an american "sightseeing wagon" does, and being guests they were obliged to submit to the ordeal. but they became a little worried when their host told them he had ordered a banquet prepared for them in the city hall. "what are we going to eat?" asked button-bright suspiciously. "thistles," was the reply. "fine, fresh thistles, gathered this very day." scraps laughed, for she never ate anything, but dorothy said in a protesting voice, "our insides are not lined with gold, you know." "how sad!" exclaimed the high coco-lorum, and then he added as an afterthought, "but we can have the thistles boiled, if you prefer." "i'm 'fraid they wouldn't taste good even then," said little trot. "haven't you anything else to eat?" the high coco-lorum shook his diamond-shaped head. "nothing that i know of," said he. "but why should we have anything else when we have so many thistles? however, if you can't eat what we eat, don't eat anything. we shall not be offended, and the banquet will be just as merry and delightful." knowing his companions were all hungry, the wizard said, "i trust you will excuse us from the banquet, sir, which will be merry enough without us, although it is given in our honor. for, as ozma is not in your city, we must leave here at once and seek her elsewhere." "sure we must!" dorothy, and she whispered to betsy and trot, "i'd rather starve somewhere else than in this city, and who knows, we may run across somebody who eats reg'lar food and will give us some." so when the ride was finished, in spite of the protests of the high coco-lorum, they insisted on continuing their journey. "it will soon be dark," he objected. "we don't mind the darkness," replied the wizard. "some wandering herku may get you." "do you think the herkus would hurt us?" asked dorothy. "i cannot say, not having had the honor of their acquaintance. but they are said to be so strong that if they had any other place to stand upon they could lift the world." "all of them together?" asked button-bright wonderingly. "any one of them could do it," said the high coco-lorum. "have you heard of any magicians being among them?" asked the wizard, knowing that only a magician could have stolen ozma in the way she had been stolen. "i am told it is quite a magical country," declared the high coco-lorum, "and magic is usually performed by magicians. but i have never heard that they have any invention or sorcery to equal our wonderful auto-dragons." they thanked him for his courtesy, and mounting their own animals rode to the farther side of the city and right through the wall of illusion out into the open country. "i'm glad we got away so easily," said betsy. "i didn't like those queer-shaped people." "nor did i," agreed dorothy. "it seems dreadful to be lined with sheets of pure gold and have nothing to eat but thistles." "they seemed happy and contented, though," remarked the wizard, "and those who are contented have nothing to regret and nothing more to wish for." chapter toto loses something for a while the travelers were constantly losing their direction, for beyond the thistle fields they again found themselves upon the turning-lands, which swung them around one way and then another. but by keeping the city of thi constantly behind them, the adventurers finally passed the treacherous turning-lands and came upon a stony country where no grass grew at all. there were plenty of bushes, however, and although it was now almost dark, the girls discovered some delicious yellow berries growing upon the bushes, one taste of which set them all to picking as many as they could find. the berries relieved their pangs of hunger for a time, and as it now became too dark to see anything, they camped where they were. the three girls lay down upon one of the blankets--all in a row--and the wizard covered them with the other blanket and tucked them in. button-bright crawled under the shelter of some bushes and was asleep in half a minute. the wizard sat down with his back to a big stone and looked at the stars in the sky and thought gravely upon the dangerous adventure they had undertaken, wondering if they would ever be able to find their beloved ozma again. the animals lay in a group by themselves, a little distance from the others. "i've lost my growl!" said toto, who had been very silent and sober all that day. "what do you suppose has become of it?" "if you had asked me to keep track of your growl, i might be able to tell you," remarked the lion sleepily. "but frankly, toto, i supposed you were taking care of it yourself." "it's an awful thing to lose one's growl," said toto, wagging his tail disconsolately. "what if you lost your roar, lion? wouldn't you feel terrible?" "my roar," replied the lion, "is the fiercest thing about me. i depend on it to frighten my enemies so badly that they won't dare to fight me." "once," said the mule, "i lost my bray so that i couldn't call to betsy to let her know i was hungry. that was before i could talk, you know, for i had not yet come into the land of oz, and i found it was certainly very uncomfortable not to be able to make a noise." "you make enough noise now," declared toto. "but none of you have answered my question: where is my growl?" "you may search me," said the woozy. "i don't care for such things, myself." "you snore terribly," asserted toto. "it may be," said the woozy. "what one does when asleep one is not accountable for. i wish you would wake me up sometime when i'm snoring and let me hear the sound. then i can judge whether it is terrible or delightful." "it isn't pleasant, i assure you," said the lion, yawning. "to me it seems wholly unnecessary," declared hank the mule. "you ought to break yourself of the habit," said the sawhorse. "you never hear me snore, because i never sleep. i don't even whinny as those puffy meat horses do. i wish that whoever stole toto's growl had taken the mule's bray and the lion's roar and the woozy's snore at the same time." "do you think, then, that my growl was stolen?" "you have never lost it before, have you?" inquired inquired the sawhorse. "only once, when i had a sore throat from barking too long at the moon." "is your throat sore now?" asked the woozy. "no," replied the dog. "i can't understand," said hank, "why dogs bark at the moon. they can't scare the moon, and the moon doesn't pay any attention to the bark. so why do dogs do it?" "were you ever a dog?" asked toto. "no indeed," replied hank. "i am thankful to say i was created a mule--the most beautiful of all beasts--and have always remained one." the woozy sat upon his square haunches to examine hank with care. "beauty," he said, "must be a matter of taste. i don't say your judgment is bad, friend hank, or that you are so vulgar as to be conceited. but if you admire big, waggy ears and a tail like a paintbrush and hoofs big enough for an elephant and a long neck and a body so skinny that one can count the ribs with one eye shut--if that's your idea of beauty, hank, then either you or i must be much mistaken." "you're full of edges," sneered the mule. "if i were square as you are, i suppose you'd think me lovely." "outwardly, dear hank, i would," replied the woozy. "but to be really lovely, one must be beautiful without and within." the mule couldn't deny this statement, so he gave a disgusted grunt and rolled over so that his back was toward the woozy. but the lion, regarding the two calmly with his great, yellow eyes, said to the dog, "my dear toto, our friends have taught us a lesson in humility. if the woozy and the mule are indeed beautiful creatures as they seem to think, you and i must be decidedly ugly." "not to ourselves," protested toto, who was a shrewd little dog. "you and i, lion, are fine specimens of our own races. i am a fine dog, and you are a fine lion. only in point of comparison, one with another, can we be properly judged, so i will leave it to the poor old sawhorse to decide which is the most beautiful animal among us all. the sawhorse is wood, so he won't be prejudiced and will speak the truth." "i surely will," responded the sawhorse, wagging his ears, which were chips set in his wooden head. "are you all agreed to accept my judgment?" "we are!" they declared, each one hopeful. "then," said the sawhorse, "i must point out to you the fact that you are all meat creatures, who tire unless they sleep and starve unless they eat and suffer from thirst unless they drink. such animals must be very imperfect, and imperfect creatures cannot be beautiful. now, i am made of wood." "you surely have a wooden head," said the mule. "yes, and a wooden body and wooden legs, which are as swift as the wind and as tireless. i've heard dorothy say that 'handsome is as handsome does,' and i surely perform my duties in a handsome manner. therefore, if you wish my honest judgment, i will confess that among us all i am the most beautiful." the mule snorted, and the woozy laughed; toto had lost his growl and could only look scornfully at the sawhorse, who stood in his place unmoved. but the lion stretched himself and yawned, saying quietly, "were we all like the sawhorse, we would all be sawhorses, which would be too many of the kind. were we all like hank, we would be a herd of mules; if like toto, we would be a pack of dogs; should we all become the shape of the woozy, he would no longer be remarkable for his unusual appearance. finally, were you all like me, i would consider you so common that i would not care to associate with you. to be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become distinguished from the common herd. let us be glad, therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition. variety is the spice of life, and we are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let us be content." "there is some truth in that speech," remarked toto reflectively. "but how about my lost growl?" "the growl is of importance only to you," responded the lion, "so it is your business to worry over the loss, not ours. if you love us, do not afflict your burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself." "if the same person stole my growl who stole ozma," said the little dog, "i hope we shall find him very soon and punish him as he deserves. he must be the most cruel person in all the world, for to prevent a dog from growling when it is his nature to growl is just as wicked, in my opinion, as stealing all the magic in oz." chapter button-bright loses himself the patchwork girl, who never slept and who could see very well in the dark, had wandered among the rocks and bushes all night long, with the result that she was able to tell some good news the next morning. "over the crest of the hill before us," she said, "is a big grove of trees of many kinds on which all sorts of fruits grow. if you will go there, you will find a nice breakfast awaiting you." this made them eager to start, so as soon as the blankets were folded and strapped to the back of the sawhorse, they all took their places on the animals and set out for the big grove scraps had told them of. as soon as they got over the brow of the hill, they discovered it to be a really immense orchard, extending for miles to the right and left of them. as their way led straight through the trees, they hurried forward as fast as possible. the first trees they came to bore quinces, which they did not like. then there were rows of citron trees and then crab apples and afterward limes and lemons. but beyond these they found a grove of big, golden oranges, juicy and sweet, and the fruit hung low on the branches so they could pluck it easily. they helped themselves freely and all ate oranges as they continued on their way. then, a little farther along, they came to some trees bearing fine, red apples, which they also feasted on, and the wizard stopped here long enough to tie a lot of the apples in one end of a blanket. "we do not know what will happen to us after we leave this delightful orchard," he said, "so i think it wise to carry a supply of apples with us. we can't starve as long as we have apples, you know." scraps wasn't riding the woozy just now. she loved to climb the trees and swing herself by the branches from one tree to another. some of the choicest fruit was gathered by the patchwork girl from the very highest limbs and tossed down to the others. suddenly, trot asked, "where's button-bright?" and when the others looked for him, they found the boy had disappeared. "dear me!" cried dorothy. "i guess he's lost again, and that will mean our waiting here until we can find him." "it's a good place to wait," suggested betsy, who had found a plum tree and was eating some of its fruit. "how can you wait here and find button-bright at one and the same time?" inquired the patchwork girl, hanging by her toes on a limb just over the heads of the three mortal girls. "perhaps he'll come back here," answered dorothy. "if he tries that, he'll prob'ly lose his way," said trot. "i've known him to do that lots of times. it's losing his way that gets him lost." "very true," said the wizard. "so all the rest of you must stay here while i go look for the boy." "won't you get lost, too?" asked betsy. "i hope not, my dear." "let me go," said scraps, dropping lightly to the ground. "i can't get lost, and i'm more likely to find button-bright than any of you." without waiting for permission, she darted away through the trees and soon disappeared from their view. "dorothy," said toto, squatting beside his little mistress, "i've lost my growl." "how did that happen?" she asked. "i don't know," replied toto. "yesterday morning the woozy nearly stepped on me, and i tried to growl at him and found i couldn't growl a bit." "can you bark?" inquired dorothy. "oh, yes indeed." "then never mind the growl," said she. "but what will i do when i get home to the glass cat and the pink kitten?" asked the little dog in an anxious tone. "they won't mind if you can't growl at them, i'm sure," said dorothy. "i'm sorry for you, of course, toto, for it's just those things we can't do that we want to do most of all; but before we get back, you may find your growl again." "do you think the person who stole ozma stole my growl?" dorothy smiled. "perhaps, toto." "then he's a scoundrel!" cried the little dog. "anyone who would steal ozma is as bad as bad can be," agreed dorothy, "and when we remember that our dear friend, the lovely ruler of oz, is lost, we ought not to worry over just a growl." toto was not entirely satisfied with this remark, for the more he thought upon his lost growl, the more important his misfortune became. when no one was looking, he went away among the trees and tried his best to growl--even a little bit--but could not manage to do so. all he could do was bark, and a bark cannot take the place of a growl, so he sadly returned to the others. now button-bright had no idea that he was lost at first. he had merely wandered from tree to tree seeking the finest fruit until he discovered he was alone in the great orchard. but that didn't worry him just then, and seeing some apricot trees farther on, he went to them. then he discovered some cherry trees; just beyond these were some tangerines. "we've found 'most ev'ry kind of fruit but peaches," he said to himself, "so i guess there are peaches here, too, if i can find the trees." he searched here and there, paying no attention to his way, until he found that the trees surrounding him bore only nuts. he put some walnuts in his pockets and kept on searching, and at last--right among the nut trees--he came upon one solitary peach tree. it was a graceful, beautiful tree, but although it was thickly leaved, it bore no fruit except one large, splendid peach, rosy-cheeked and fuzzy and just right to eat. in his heart he doubted this statement, for this was a solitary peach tree, while all the other fruits grew upon many trees set close to one another; but that one luscious bite made him unable to resist eating the rest of it, and soon the peach was all gone except the pit. button-bright was about to throw this peach pit away when he noticed that it was of pure gold. of course, this surprised him, but so many things in the land of oz were surprising that he did not give much thought to the golden peach pit. he put it in his pocket, however, to show to the girls, and five minutes afterward had forgotten all about it. for now he realized that he was far separated from his companions, and knowing that this would worry them and delay their journey, he began to shout as loud as he could. his voice did not penetrate very far among all those trees, and after shouting a dozen times and getting no answer, he sat down on the ground and said, "well, i'm lost again. it's too bad, but i don't see how it can be helped." as he leaned his back against a tree, he looked up and saw a bluefinch fly down from the sky and alight upon a branch just before him. the bird looked and looked at him. first it looked with one bright eye and then turned its head and looked at him with the other eye. then, fluttering its wings a little, it said, "oho! so you've eaten the enchanted peach, have you?" "was it enchanted?" asked button-bright. "of course," replied the bluefinch. "ugu the shoemaker did that." "but why? and how was it enchanted? and what will happen to one who eats it?" questioned the boy. "ask ugu the shoemaker. he knows," said the bird, preening its feathers with its bill. "and who is ugu the shoemaker?" "the one who enchanted the peach and placed it here--in the exact center of the great orchard--so no one would ever find it. we birds didn't dare to eat it; we are too wise for that. but you are button-bright from the emerald city, and you, you, you ate the enchanted peach! you must explain to ugu the shoemaker why you did that." and then, before the boy could ask any more questions, the bird flew away and left him alone. button-bright was not much worried to find that the peach he had eaten was enchanted. it certainly had tasted very good, and his stomach didn't ache a bit. so again he began to reflect upon the best way to rejoin his friends. "whichever direction i follow is likely to be the wrong one," he said to himself, "so i'd better stay just where i am and let them find me--if they can." a white rabbit came hopping through the orchard and paused a little way off to look at him. "don't be afraid," said button-bright. "i won't hurt you." "oh, i'm not afraid for myself," returned the white rabbit. "it's you i'm worried about." "yes, i'm lost," said the boy. "i fear you are, indeed," answered the rabbit. "why on earth did you eat the enchanted peach?" the boy looked at the excited little animal thoughtfully. "there were two reasons," he explained. "one reason was that i like peaches, and the other reason was that i didn't know it was enchanted." "that won't save you from ugu the shoemaker," declared the white rabbit, and it scurried away before the boy could ask any more questions. "rabbits and birds," he thought, "are timid creatures and seem afraid of this shoemaker, whoever he may be. if there was another peach half as good as that other, i'd eat it in spite of a dozen enchantments or a hundred shoemakers!" just then, scraps came dancing along and saw him sitting at the foot of the tree. "oh, here you are!" she said. "up to your old tricks, eh? don't you know it's impolite to get lost and keep everybody waiting for you? come along, and i'll lead you back to dorothy and the others." button-bright rose slowly to accompany her. "that wasn't much of a loss," he said cheerfully. "i haven't been gone half a day, so there's no harm done." dorothy, however, when the boy rejoined the party, gave him a good scolding. "when we're doing such an important thing as searching for ozma," said she, "it's naughty for you to wander away and keep us from getting on. s'pose she's a pris'ner in a dungeon cell! do you want to keep our dear ozma there any longer than we can help?" "if she's in a dungeon cell, how are you going to get her out?" inquired the boy. "never you mind. we'll leave that to the wizard. he's sure to find a way." the wizard said nothing, for he realized that without his magic tools he could do no more than any other person. but there was no use reminding his companions of that fact; it might discourage them. "the important thing just now," he remarked, "is to find ozma, and as our party is again happily reunited, i propose we move on." as they came to the edge of the great orchard, the sun was setting and they knew it would soon be dark. so it was decided to camp under the trees, as another broad plain was before them. the wizard spread the blankets on a bed of soft leaves, and presently all of them except scraps and the sawhorse were fast asleep. toto snuggled close to his friend the lion, and the woozy snored so loudly that the patchwork girl covered his square head with her apron to deaden the sound. chapter the czarover of herku trot wakened just as the sun rose, and slipping out of the blankets, went to the edge of the great orchard and looked across the plain. something glittered in the far distance. "that looks like another city," she said half aloud. "and another city it is," declared scraps, who had crept to trot's side unheard, for her stuffed feet made no sound. "the sawhorse and i made a journey in the dark while you were all asleep, and we found over there a bigger city than thi. there's a wall around it, too, but it has gates and plenty of pathways." "did you get in?" asked trot. "no, for the gates were locked and the wall was a real wall. so we came back here again. it isn't far to the city. we can reach it in two hours after you've had your breakfasts." trot went back, and finding the other girls now awake, told them what scraps had said. so they hurriedly ate some fruit--there were plenty of plums and fijoas in this part of the orchard--and then they mounted the animals and set out upon the journey to the strange city. hank the mule had breakfasted on grass, and the lion had stolen away and found a breakfast to his liking; he never told what it was, but dorothy hoped the little rabbits and the field mice had kept out of his way. she warned toto not to chase birds and gave the dog some apple, with which he was quite content. the woozy was as fond of fruit as of any other food except honey, and the sawhorse never ate at all. except for their worry over ozma, they were all in good spirits as they proceeded swiftly over the plain. toto still worried over his lost growl, but like a wise little dog kept his worry to himself. before long, the city grew nearer and they could examine it with interest. in outward appearance the place was more imposing than thi, and it was a square city, with a square, four-sided wall around it, and on each side was a square gate of burnished copper. everything about the city looked solid and substantial; there were no banners flying, and the towers that rose above the city wall seemed bare of any ornament whatever. a path led from the fruit orchard directly to one of the city gates, showing that the inhabitants preferred fruit to thistles. our friends followed this path to the gate, which they found fast shut. but the wizard advanced and pounded upon it with his fist, saying in a loud voice, "open!" at once there rose above the great wall a row of immense heads, all of which looked down at them as if to see who was intruding. the size of these heads was astonishing, and our friends at once realized that they belonged to giants who were standing within the city. all had thick, bushy hair and whiskers, on some the hair being white and on others black or red or yellow, while the hair of a few was just turning gray, showing that the giants were of all ages. however fierce the heads might seem, the eyes were mild in expression, as if the creatures had been long subdued, and their faces expressed patience rather than ferocity. "what's wanted?" asked one old giant in a low, grumbling voice. "we are strangers, and we wish to enter the city," replied the wizard. "do you come in war or peace?" asked another. "in peace, of course," retorted the wizard, and he added impatiently, "do we look like an army of conquest?" "no," said the first giant who had spoken, "you look like innocent tramps; but you never can tell by appearances. wait here until we report to our masters. no one can enter here without the permission of vig, the czarover." "who's that?" inquired dorothy. but the heads had all bobbed down and disappeared behind the walls, so there was no answer. they waited a long time before the gate rolled back with a rumbling sound, and a loud voice cried, "enter!" but they lost no time in taking advantage of the invitation. on either side of the broad street that led into the city from the gate stood a row of huge giants, twenty of them on a side and all standing so close together that their elbows touched. they wore uniforms of blue and yellow and were armed with clubs as big around as treetrunks. each giant had around his neck a broad band of gold, riveted on, to show he was a slave. as our friends entered riding upon the lion, the woozy, the sawhorse and the mule, the giants half turned and walked in two files on either side of them, as if escorting them on their way. it looked to dorothy as if all her party had been made prisoners, for even mounted on their animals their heads scarcely reached to the knees of the marching giants. the girls and button-bright were anxious to know what sort of a city they had entered, and what the people were like who had made these powerful creatures their slaves. through the legs of the giants as they walked, dorothy could see rows of houses on each side of the street and throngs of people standing on the sidewalks, but the people were of ordinary size and the only remarkable thing about them was the fact that they were dreadfully lean and thin. between their skin and their bones there seemed to be little or no flesh, and they were mostly stoop-shouldered and weary looking, even to the little children. more and more, dorothy wondered how and why the great giants had ever submitted to become slaves of such skinny, languid masters, but there was no chance to question anyone until they arrived at a big palace located in the heart of the city. here the giants formed lines to the entrance and stood still while our friends rode into the courtyard of the palace. then the gates closed behind them, and before them was a skinny little man who bowed low and said in a sad voice, "if you will be so obliging as to dismount, it will give me pleasure to lead you into the presence of the world's most mighty ruler, vig the czarover." "i don't believe it!" said dorothy indignantly. "what don't you believe?" asked the man. "i don't believe your czarover can hold a candle to our ozma." "he wouldn't hold a candle under any circumstances, or to any living person," replied the man very seriously, "for he has slaves to do such things and the mighty vig is too dignified to do anything that others can do for him. he even obliges a slave to sneeze for him, if ever he catches cold. however, if you dare to face our powerful ruler, follow me." "we dare anything," said the wizard, "so go ahead." through several marble corridors having lofty ceilings they passed, finding each corridor and doorway guarded by servants. but these servants of the palace were of the people and not giants, and they were so thin that they almost resembled skeletons. finally, they entered a great circular room with a high, domed ceiling, where the czarover sat on a throne cut from a solid block of white marble and decorated with purple silk hangings and gold tassels. the ruler of these people was combing his eyebrows when our friends entered the throne room and stood before him, but he put the comb in his pocket and examined the strangers with evident curiosity. then he said, "dear me, what a surprise! you have really shocked me. for no outsider has ever before come to our city of herku, and i cannot imagine why you have ventured to do so." "we are looking for ozma, the supreme ruler of the land of oz," replied the wizard. "do you see her anywhere around here?" asked the czarover. "not yet, your majesty, but perhaps you may tell us where she is." "no, i have my hands full keeping track of my own people. i find them hard to manage because they are so tremendously strong." "they don't look very strong," said dorothy. "it seems as if a good wind would blow 'em way out of the city if it wasn't for the wall." "just so, just so," admitted the czarover. "they really look that way, don't they? but you must never trust to appearances, which have a way of fooling one. perhaps you noticed that i prevented you from meeting any of my people. i protected you with my giants while you were on the way from the gates to my palace so that not a herku got near you." "are your people so dangerous, then?" asked the wizard. "to strangers, yes. but only because they are so friendly. for if they shake hands with you, they are likely to break your arms or crush your fingers to a jelly." "why?" asked button-bright. "because we are the strongest people in all the world." "pshaw!" exclaimed the boy. "that's bragging. you prob'ly don't know how strong other people are. why, once i knew a man in philadelphi' who could bend iron bars with just his hands!" "but mercy me, it's no trick to bend iron bars," said his majesty. "tell me, could this man crush a block of stone with his bare hands?" "no one could do that," declared the boy. "if i had a block of stone, i'd show you," said the czarover, looking around the room. "ah, here is my throne. the back is too high, anyhow, so i'll just break off a piece of that." he rose to his feet and tottered in an uncertain way around the throne. then he took hold of the back and broke off a piece of marble over a foot thick. "this," said he, coming back to his seat, "is very solid marble and much harder than ordinary stone. yet i can crumble it easily with my fingers, a proof that i am very strong." even as he spoke, he began breaking off chunks of marble and crumbling them as one would a bit of earth. the wizard was so astonished that he took a piece in his own hands and tested it, finding it very hard indeed. just then one of the giant servants entered and exclaimed, "oh, your majesty, the cook has burned the soup! what shall we do?" "how dare you interrupt me?" asked the czarover, and grasping the immense giant by one of his legs, he raised him in the air and threw him headfirst out of an open window. "now, tell me," he said, turning to button-bright, "could your man in philadelphia crumble marble in his fingers?" "i guess not," said button-bright, much impressed by the skinny monarch's strength. "what makes you so strong?" inquired dorothy. "it's the zosozo," he explained, "which is an invention of my own. i and all my people eat zosozo, and it gives us tremendous strength. would you like to eat some?" "no thank you," replied the girl. "i--i don't want to get so thin." "well, of course one can't have strength and flesh at the same time," said the czarover. "zosozo is pure energy, and it's the only compound of its sort in existence. i never allow our giants to have it, you know, or they would soon become our masters, since they are bigger that we; so i keep all the stuff locked up in my private laboratory. once a year i feed a teaspoonful of it to each of my people--men, women and children--so every one of them is nearly as strong as i am. wouldn't you like a dose, sir?" he asked, turning to the wizard. "well," said the wizard, "if you would give me a little zosozo in a bottle, i'd like to take it with me on my travels. it might come in handy on occasion." "to be sure. i'll give you enough for six doses," promised the czarover. "but don't take more than a teaspoonful at a time. once ugu the shoemaker took two teaspoonsful, and it made him so strong that when he leaned against the city wall, he pushed it over, and we had to build it up again." "who is ugu the shoemaker?" button-bright curiously, for he now remembered that the bird and the rabbit had claimed ugu the shoemaker had enchanted the peach he had eaten. "why, ugu is a great magician who used to live here. but he's gone away now," replied the czarover. "where has he gone?" asked the wizard quickly. "i am told he lives in a wickerwork castle in the mountains to the west of here. you see, ugu became such a powerful magician that he didn't care to live in our city any longer for fear we would discover some of his secrets. so he went to the mountains and built him a splendid wicker castle which is so strong that even i and my people could not batter it down, and there he lives all by himself." "this is good news," declared the wizard, "for i think this is just the magician we are searching for. but why is he called ugu the shoemaker?" "once he was a very common citizen here and made shoes for a living," replied the monarch of herku. "but he was descended from the greatest wizard and sorcerer who ever lived in this or in any other country, and one day ugu the shoemaker discovered all the magical books and recipes of his famous great-grandfather, which had been hidden away in the attic of his house. so he began to study the papers and books and to practice magic, and in time he became so skillful that, as i said, he scorned our city and built a solitary castle for himself." "do you think," asked dorothy anxiously, "that ugu the shoemaker would be wicked enough to steal our ozma of oz?" "and the magic picture?" asked trot. "and the great book of records of glinda the good?" asked betsy. "and my own magic tools?" asked the wizard. "well," replied the czarover, "i won't say that ugu is wicked, exactly, but he is very ambitious to become the most powerful magician in the world, and so i suppose he would not be too proud to steal any magic things that belonged to anybody else--if he could manage to do so." "but how about ozma? why would he wish to steal her?" questioned dorothy. "don't ask me, my dear. ugu doesn't tell me why he does things, i assure you." "then we must go and ask him ourselves," declared the little girl. "i wouldn't do that if i were you," advised the czarover, looking first at the three girls and then at the boy and the little wizard and finally at the stuffed patchwork girl. "if ugu has really stolen your ozma, he will probably keep her a prisoner, in spite of all your threats or entreaties. and with all his magical knowledge he would be a dangerous person to attack. therefore, if you are wise, you will go home again and find a new ruler for the emerald city and the land of oz. but perhaps it isn't ugu the shoemaker who has stolen your ozma." "the only way to settle that question," replied the wizard, "is to go to ugu's castle and see if ozma is there. if she is, we will report the matter to the great sorceress glinda the good, and i'm pretty sure she will find a way to rescue our darling ruler from the shoemaker." "well, do as you please," said the czarover, "but if you are all transformed into hummingbirds or caterpillars, don't blame me for not warning you." they stayed the rest of that day in the city of herku and were fed at the royal table of the czarover and given sleeping rooms in his palace. the strong monarch treated them very nicely and gave the wizard a little golden vial of zosozo to use if ever he or any of his party wished to acquire great strength. even at the last, the czarover tried to persuade them not to go near ugu the shoemaker, but they were resolved on the venture, and the next morning bade the friendly monarch a cordial goodbye and, mounting upon their animals, left the herkus and the city of herku and headed for the mountains that lay to the west. chapter the truth pond it seems a long time since we have heard anything of the frogman and cayke the cookie cook, who had left the yip country in search of the diamond-studded dishpan which had been mysteriously stolen the same night that ozma had disappeared from the emerald city. but you must remember that while the frogman and the cookie cook were preparing to descend from their mountaintop, and even while on their way to the farmhouse of wiljon the winkie, dorothy and the wizard and their friends were encountering the adventures we have just related. so it was that on the very morning when the travelers from the emerald city bade farewell to the czarover of the city of herku, cayke and the frogman awoke in a grove in which they had passed the night sleeping on beds of leaves. there were plenty of farmhouses in the neighborhood, but no one seemed to welcome the puffy, haughty frogman or the little dried-up cookie cook, and so they slept comfortably enough underneath the trees of the grove. the frogman wakened first on this morning, and after going to the tree where cayke slept and finding her still wrapped in slumber, he decided to take a little walk and seek some breakfast. coming to the edge of the grove, he observed half a mile away a pretty yellow house that was surrounded by a yellow picket fence, so he walked toward this house and on entering the yard found a winkie woman picking up sticks with which to build a fire to cook her morning meal. "for goodness sake!" she exclaimed on seeing the frogman. "what are you doing out of your frog-pond?" "i am traveling in search of a jeweled gold dishpan, my good woman," he replied with an air of great dignity. "you won't find it here, then," said she. "our dishpans are tin, and they're good enough for anybody. so go back to your pond and leave me alone." she spoke rather crossly and with a lack of respect that greatly annoyed the frogman. "allow me to tell you, madam," said he, "that although i am a frog, i am the greatest and wisest frog in all the world. i may add that i possess much more wisdom than any winkie--man or woman--in this land. wherever i go, people fall on their knees before me and render homage to the great frogman! no one else knows so much as i; no one else is so grand, so magnificent!" "if you know so much," she retorted, "why don't you know where your dishpan is instead of chasing around the country after it?" "presently," he answered, "i am going where it is, but just now i am traveling and have had no breakfast. therefore i honor you by asking you for something to eat." "oho! the great frogman is hungry as any tramp, is he? then pick up these sticks and help me to build the fire," said the woman contemptuously. "me! the great frogman pick up sticks?" he exclaimed in horror. "in the yip country where i am more honored and powerful than any king could be, people weep with joy when i ask them to feed me." "then that's the place to go for your breakfast," declared the woman. "i fear you do not realize my importance," urged the frogman. "exceeding wisdom renders me superior to menial duties." "it's a great wonder to me," remarked the woman, carrying her sticks to the house, "that your wisdom doesn't inform you that you'll get no breakfast here." and she went in and slammed the door behind her. the frogman felt he had been insulted, so he gave a loud croak of indignation and turned away. after going a short distance, he came upon a faint path which led across a meadow in the direction of a grove of pretty trees, and thinking this circle of evergreens must surround a house where perhaps he would be kindly received, he decided to follow the path. and by and by he came to the trees, which were set close together, and pushing aside some branches he found no house inside the circle, but instead a very beautiful pond of clear water. now the frogman, although he was so big and well educated and now aped the ways and customs of human beings, was still a frog. as he gazed at this solitary, deserted pond, his love for water returned to him with irresistible force. "if i cannot get a breakfast, i may at least have a fine swim," said he, and pushing his way between the trees, he reached the bank. there he took off his fine clothing, laying his shiny purple hat and his gold-headed cane beside it. a moment later, he sprang with one leap into the water and dived to the very bottom of the pond. the water was deliciously cool and grateful to his thick, rough skin, and the frogman swam around the pond several times before he stopped to rest. then he floated upon the surface and examined the pond. the bottom and sides were all lined with glossy tiles of a light pink color; just one place in the bottom where the water bubbled up from a hidden spring had been left free. on the banks, the green grass grew to the edge of the pink tiling. and now, as the frogman examined the place, he found that on one side of the pool, just above the water line, had been set a golden plate on which some words were deeply engraved. he swam toward this plate, and on reaching it read the following inscription: _this is_ the truth pond _whoever bathes in this water must always afterward tell_ the truth. this statement startled the frogman. it even worried him, so that he leaped upon the bank and hurriedly began to dress himself. "a great misfortune has befallen me," he told himself, "for hereafter i cannot tell people i am wise, since it is not the truth. the truth is that my boasted wisdom is all a sham, assumed by me to deceive people and make them defer to me. in truth, no living creature can know much more than his fellows, for one may know one thing, and another know another thing, so that wisdom is evenly scattered throughout the world. but--ah me!--what a terrible fate will now be mine. even cayke the cookie cook will soon discover that my knowledge is no greater than her own, for having bathed in the enchanted water of the truth pond, i can no longer deceive her or tell a lie." more humbled than he had been for many years, the frogman went back to the grove where he had left cayke and found the woman now awake and washing her face in a tiny brook. "where has your honor been?" she asked. "to a farmhouse to ask for something to eat," said he, "but the woman refused me." "how dreadful!" she exclaimed. "but never mind, there are other houses where the people will be glad to feed the wisest creature in all the world." "do you mean yourself?" he asked. "no, i mean you." the frogman felt strongly impelled to tell the truth, but struggled hard against it. his reason told him there was no use in letting cayke know he was not wise, for then she would lose much respect for him, but each time he opened his mouth to speak, he realized he was about to tell the truth and shut it again as quickly as possible. he tried to talk about something else, but the words necessary to undeceive the woman would force themselves to his lips in spite of all his struggles. finally, knowing that he must either remain dumb or let the truth prevail, he gave a low groan of despair and said, "cayke, i am not the wisest creature in all the world; i am not wise at all." "oh, you must be!" she protested. "you told me so yourself, only last evening." "then last evening i failed to tell you the truth," he admitted, looking very shamefaced for a frog. "i am sorry i told you this lie, my good cayke, but if you must know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, i am not really as wise as you are." the cookie cook was greatly shocked to hear this, for it shattered one of her most pleasing illusions. she looked at the gorgeously dressed frogman in amazement. "what has caused you to change your mind so suddenly?" she inquired. "i have bathed in the truth pond," he said, "and whoever bathes in that water is ever afterward obliged to tell the truth." "you were foolish to do that," declared the woman. "it is often very embarrassing to tell the truth. i'm glad i didn't bathe in that dreadful water!" the frogman looked at his companion thoughtfully. "cayke," said he, "i want you to go to the truth pond and take a bath in its water. for if we are to travel together and encounter unknown adventures, it would not be fair that i alone must always tell you the truth, while you could tell me whatever you pleased. if we both dip in the enchanted water, there will be no chance in the future of our deceiving one another." "no," she asserted, shaking her head positively, "i won't do it, your honor. for if i told you the truth, i'm sure you wouldn't like me. no truth pond for me. i'll be just as i am, an honest woman who can say what she wants to without hurting anyone's feelings." with this decision the frogman was forced to be content, although he was sorry the cookie cook would not listen to his advice. chapter the unhappy ferryman leaving the grove where they had slept, the frogman and the cookie cook turned to the east to seek another house, and after a short walk came to one where the people received them very politely. the children stared rather hard at the big, pompous frogman, but the woman of the house, when cayke asked for something to eat, at once brought them food and said they were welcome to it. "few people in need of help pass this way," she remarked, "for the winkies are all prosperous and love to stay in their own homes. but perhaps you are not a winkie," she added. "no," said cayke, "i am a yip, and my home is on a high mountain at the southeast of your country." "and the frogman, is he also a yip?" "i do not know what he is, other than a very remarkable and highly educated creature," replied the cookie cook. "but he has lived many years among the yips, who have found him so wise and intelligent that they always go to him for advice." "may i ask why you have left your home and where you are going?" said the winkie woman. then cayke told her of the diamond-studded gold dishpan and how it had been mysteriously stolen from her house, after which she had discovered that she could no longer cook good cookies. so she had resolved to search until she found her dishpan again, because a cookie cook who cannot cook good cookies is not of much use. the frogman, who had wanted to see more of the world, had accompanied her to assist in the search. when the woman had listened to this story, she asked, "then you have no idea as yet who has stolen your dishpan?" "i only know it must have been some mischievous fairy, or a magician, or some such powerful person, because none other could have climbed the steep mountain to the yip country. and who else could have carried away my beautiful magic dishpan without being seen?" the woman thought about this during the time that cayke and the frogman ate their breakfast. when they had finished, she said, "where are you going next?" "we have not decided," answered the cookie cook. "our plan," explained the frogman in his important way, "is to travel from place to place until we learn where the thief is located and then to force him to return the dishpan to its proper owner." "the plan is all right," agreed the woman, "but it may take you a long time before you succeed, your method being sort of haphazard and indefinite. however, i advise you to travel toward the east." "why?" asked the frogman. "because if you went west, you would soon come to the desert, and also because in this part of the winkie country no one steals, so your time here would be wasted. but toward the east, beyond the river, live many strange people whose honesty i would not vouch for. moreover, if you journey far enough east and cross the river for a second time, you will come to the emerald city, where there is much magic and sorcery. the emerald city is ruled by a dear little girl called ozma, who also rules the emperor of the winkies and all the land of oz. so, as ozma is a fairy, she may be able to tell you just who has taken your precious dishpan. provided, of course, you do not find it before you reach her." "this seems to be to be excellent advice," said the frogman, and cayke agreed with him. "the most sensible thing for you to do," continued the woman, "would be to return to your home and use another dishpan, learn to cook cookies as other people cook cookies, without the aid of magic. but if you cannot be happy without the magic dishpan you have lost, you are likely to learn more about it in the emerald city than at any other place in oz." they thanked the good woman, and on leaving her house faced the east and continued in that direction all the way. toward evening they came to the west branch of the winkie river and there, on the riverbank, found a ferryman who lived all alone in a little yellow house. this ferryman was a winkie with a very small head and a very large body. he was sitting in his doorway as the travelers approached him and did not even turn his head to look at them. "good evening," said the frogman. the ferryman made no reply. "we would like some supper and the privilege of sleeping in your house until morning," continued the frogman. "at daybreak, we would like some breakfast, and then we would like to have you row us across the river." the ferryman neither moved nor spoke. he sat in his doorway and looked straight ahead. "i think he must be deaf and dumb," cayke whispered to her companion. then she stood directly in front of the ferryman, and putting her mouth close to his ear, she yelled as loudly as she could, "good evening!" the ferryman scowled. "why do you yell at me, woman?" he asked. "can you hear what i say?" asked in her ordinary tone of voice. "of course," replied the man. "then why didn't you answer the frogman?" "because," said the ferryman, "i don't understand the frog language." "he speaks the same words that i do and in the same way," declared cayke. "perhaps," replied the ferryman, "but to me his voice sounded like a frog's croak. i know that in the land of oz animals can speak our language, and so can the birds and bugs and fishes; but in my ears, they sound merely like growls and chirps and croaks." "why is that?" asked the cookie cook in surprise. "once, many years ago, i cut the tail off a fox which had taunted me, and i stole some birds' eggs from a nest to make an omelet with, and also i pulled a fish from the river and left it lying on the bank to gasp for lack of water until it died. i don't know why i did those wicked things, but i did them. so the emperor of the winkies--who is the tin woodman and has a very tender tin heart--punished me by denying me any communication with beasts, birds or fishes. i cannot understand them when they speak to me, although i know that other people can do so, nor can the creatures understand a word i say to them. every time i meet one of them, i am reminded of my former cruelty, and it makes me very unhappy." "really," said cayke, "i'm sorry for you, although the tin woodman is not to blame for punishing you." "what is he mumbling about?" asked the frogman. "he is talking to me, but you don't understand him," she replied. and then she told him of the ferryman's punishment and afterward explained to the ferryman that they wanted to stay all night with him and be fed. he gave them some fruit and bread, which was the only sort of food he had, and he allowed cayke to sleep in a room of his cottage. but the frogman he refused to admit to his house, saying that the frog's presence made him miserable and unhappy. at no time would he look directly at the frogman, or even toward him, fearing he would shed tears if he did so; so the big frog slept on the riverbank where he could hear little frogs croaking in the river all the night through. but that did not keep him awake; it merely soothed him to slumber, for he realized how much superior he was to them. just as the sun was rising on a new day, the ferryman rowed the two travelers across the river--keeping his back to the frogman all the way--and then cayke thanked him and bade him goodbye and the ferryman rowed home again. on this side of the river, there were no paths at all, so it was evident they had reached a part of the country little frequented by travelers. there was a marsh at the south of them, sandhills at the north, and a growth of scrubby underbrush leading toward a forest at the east. so the east was really the least difficult way to go, and that direction was the one they had determined to follow. now the frogman, although he wore green patent-leather shoes with ruby buttons, had very large and flat feet, and when he tramped through the scrub, his weight crushed down the underbrush and made a path for cayke to follow him. therefore they soon reached the forest, where the tall trees were set far apart but were so leafy that they shaded all the spaces between them with their branches. "there are no bushes here," said cayke, much pleased, "so we can now travel faster and with more comfort." chapter the big lavender bear it was a pleasant place to wander, and the two travelers were proceeding at a brisk pace when suddenly a voice shouted, "halt!" they looked around in surprise, seeing at first no one at all. then from behind a tree there stepped a brown, fuzzy bear whose head came about as high as cayke's waist--and cayke was a small woman. the bear was chubby as well as fuzzy; his body was even puffy, while his legs and arms seemed jointed at the knees and elbows and fastened to his body by pins or rivets. his ears were round in shape and stuck out in a comical way, while his round, black eyes were bright and sparkling as beads. over his shoulder the little brown bear bore a gun with a tin barrel. the barrel had a cork in the end of it, and a string was attached to the cork and to the handle of the gun. both the frogman and cayke gazed hard at this curious bear, standing silent for some time. but finally the frogman recovered from his surprise and remarked, "it seems to me that you are stuffed with sawdust and ought not to be alive." "that's all you know about it," answered the little brown bear in a squeaky voice. "i am stuffed with a very good quality of curled hair, and my skin is the best plush that was ever made. as for my being alive, that is my own affair and cannot concern you at all, except that it gives me the privilege to say you are my prisoners." "prisoners! why do you speak such nonsense?" the frogman angrily. "do you think we are afraid of a toy bear with a toy gun?" "you ought to be," was the confident reply, "for i am merely the sentry guarding the way to bear center, which is a city containing hundreds of my race, who are ruled by a very powerful sorcerer known as the lavender bear. he ought to be a purple color, you know, seeing he is a king, but he's only light lavender, which is, of course, second cousin to royal purple. so unless you come with me peaceably as my prisoners, i shall fire my gun and bring a hundred bears of all sizes and colors to capture you." "why do you wish to capture us?" inquired the frogman, who had listened to his speech with much astonishment. "i don't wish to, as a matter of fact," replied the little brown bear, "but it is my duty to, because you are now trespassing on the domain of his majesty, the king of bear center. also, i will admit that things are rather quiet in our city just now, and the excitement of your capture, followed by your trial and execution, should afford us much entertainment." "we defy you!" said the frogman. "oh no, don't do that," pleaded cayke, speaking to her companion. "he says his king is a sorcerer, so perhaps it is he or one of his bears who ventured to steal my jeweled dishpan. let us go to the city of the bears and discover if my dishpan is there." "i must now register one more charge against you," remarked the little brown bear with evident satisfaction. "you have just accused us of stealing, and that is such a dreadful thing to say that i am quite sure our noble king will command you to be executed." "but how could you execute us?" inquired the cookie cook. "i've no idea. but our king is a wonderful inventor, and there is no doubt he can find a proper way to destroy you. so tell me, are you going to struggle, or will you go peaceably to meet your doom?" it was all so ridiculous that cayke laughed aloud, and even the frogman's wide mouth curled in a smile. neither was a bit afraid to go to the bear city, and it seemed to both that there was a possibility they might discover the missing dishpan. so the frogman said, "lead the way, little bear, and we will follow without a struggle." "that's very sensible of you, very sensible indeed," declared the brown bear. "so for-ward, march!" and with the command he turned around and began to waddle along a path that led between the trees. cayke and the frogman, as they followed their conductor, could scarce forbear laughing at his stiff, awkward manner of walking, and although he moved his stuffy legs fast, his steps were so short that they had to go slowly in order not to run into him. but after a time they reached a large, circular space in the center of the forest, which was clear of any stumps or underbrush. the ground was covered by a soft, gray moss, pleasant to tread upon. all the trees surrounding this space seemed to be hollow and had round holes in their trunks, set a little way above the ground, but otherwise there was nothing unusual about the place and nothing, in the opinion of the prisoners, to indicate a settlement. but the little brown bear said in a proud and impressive voice (although it still squeaked), "this is the wonderful city known to fame as bear center!" "but there are no houses, there are no bears living here at all!" exclaimed cayke. "oh indeed!" retorted their captor, and raising his gun he pulled the trigger. the cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud "pop!" and at once from every hole in every tree within view of the clearing appeared the head of a bear. they were of many colors and of many sizes, but all were made in the same manner as the bear who had met and captured them. at first a chorus of growls arose, and then a sharp voice cried, "what has happened, corporal waddle?" "captives, your majesty!" answered the brown bear. "intruders upon our domain and slanderers of our good name." "ah, that's important," answered the voice. then from out the hollow trees tumbled a whole regiment of stuffed bears, some carrying tin swords, some popguns and others long spears with gay ribbons tied to the handles. there were hundreds of them, altogether, and they quietly formed a circle around the frogman and the cookie cook, but kept at a distance and left a large space for the prisoners to stand in. presently, this circle parted, and into the center of it stalked a huge toy bear of a lovely lavender color. he walked upon his hind legs, as did all the others, and on his head he wore a tin crown set with diamonds and amethysts, while in one paw he carried a short wand of some glittering metal that resembled silver but wasn't. "his majesty the king!" corporal waddle, and all the bears bowed low. some bowed so low that they lost their balance and toppled over, but they soon scrambled up again, and the lavender king squatted on his haunches before the prisoners and gazed at them steadily with his bright, pink eyes. chapter the little pink bear "one person and one freak," said the big lavender bear when he had carefully examined the strangers. "i am sorry to hear you call poor cayke the cookie cook a freak," remonstrated the frogman. "she is the person," asserted the king. "unless i am mistaken, it is you who are the freak." the frogman was silent, for he could not truthfully deny it. "why have you dared intrude in my forest?" demanded the bear king. "we didn't know it was your forest," said cayke, "and we are on our way to the far east, where the emerald city is." "ah, it's a long way from here to the emerald city," remarked the king. "it is so far away, indeed, that no bear among us has even been there. but what errand requires you to travel such a distance?" "someone has stolen my diamond-studded gold dishpan," explained cayke, "and as i cannot be happy without it, i have decided to search the world over until i find it again. the frogman, who is very learned and wonderfully wise, has come with me to give me his assistance. isn't it kind of him?" the king looked at the frogman. "what makes you so wonderfully wise?" he asked. "i'm not," was the candid reply. "the cookie cook and some others in the yip country think because i am a big frog and talk and act like a man that i must be very wise. i have learned more than a frog usually knows, it is true, but i am not yet so wise as i hope to become at some future time." the king nodded, and when he did so, something squeaked in his chest. "did your majesty speak?" asked cayke. "not just then," answered the lavender bear, seeming to be somewhat embarrassed. "i am so built, you must know, that when anything pushes against my chest, as my chin accidentally did just then, i make that silly noise. in this city it isn't considered good manners to notice. but i like your frogman. he is honest and truthful, which is more than can be said of many others. as for your late lamented dishpan, i'll show it to you." with this he waved three times the metal wand which he held in his paw, and instantly there appeared upon the ground midway between the king and cayke a big, round pan made of beaten gold. around the top edge was a row of small diamonds; around the center of the pan was another row of larger diamonds; and at the bottom was a row of exceedingly large and brilliant diamonds. in fact, they all sparkled magnificently, and the pan was so big and broad that it took a lot of diamonds to go around it three times. cayke stared so hard that her eyes seemed about to pop out of her head. "o-o-o-h!" she exclaimed, drawing a deep breath of delight. "is this your dishpan?" inquired the king. "it is, it is!" cried the cookie cook, and rushing forward, she fell on her knees and threw her arms around the precious pan. but her arms came together without meeting any resistance at all. cayke tried to seize the edge, but found nothing to grasp. the pan was surely there, she thought, for she could see it plainly; but it was not solid; she could not feel it at all. with a moan of astonishment and despair, she raised her head to look at the bear king, who was watching her actions curiously. then she turned to the pan again, only to find it had completely disappeared. "poor creature!" murmured the king pityingly. "you must have thought, for the moment, that you had actually recovered your dishpan. but what you saw was merely the image of it, conjured up by means of my magic. it is a pretty dishpan, indeed, though rather big and awkward to handle. i hope you will some day find it." cayke was grievously disappointed. she began to cry, wiping her eyes on her apron. the king turned to the throng of toy bears surrounding him and asked, "has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan before?" "no," they answered in a chorus. the king seemed to reflect. presently he inquired, "where is the little pink bear?" "at home, your majesty," was the reply. "fetch him here," commanded the king. several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees and pulled from its hollow a tiny pink bear, smaller than any of the others. a big, white bear carried the pink one in his arms and set it down beside the king, arranging the joints of its legs so that it would stand upright. this pink bear seemed lifeless until the king turned a crank which protruded from its side, when the little creature turned its head stiffly from side to side and said in a small, shrill voice, "hurrah for the king of bear center!" "very good," said the big lavender bear. "he seems to be working very well today. tell me, my pink pinkerton, what has become of this lady's jeweled dishpan?" "u-u-u," said the pink bear, and then stopped short. the king turned the crank again. "u-g-u the shoemaker has it," said the pink bear. "who is ugu the shoemaker?" demanded the king, again turning the crank. "a magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork castle," was the reply. "where is the mountain?" was the next question. "nineteen miles and three furlongs from bear center to the northeast." "and is the dishpan still at the castle of ugu the shoemaker?" asked the king. "it is." the king turned to cayke. "you may rely on this information," said he. "the pink bear can tell us anything we wish to know, and his words are always words of truth." "is he alive?" asked the frogman, much interested in the pink bear. "something animates him when you turn his crank," replied the king. "i do not know if it is life or what it is or how it happens that the little pink bear can answer correctly every question put to him. we discovered his talent a long time ago, and whenever we wish to know anything--which is not very often--we ask the pink bear. there is no doubt whatever, madam, that ugu the magician has your dishpan, and if you dare to go to him, you may be able to recover it. but of that i am not certain." "can't the pink bear tell?" asked cayke anxiously. "no, for that is in the future. he can tell anything that has happened, but nothing that is going to happen. don't ask me why, for i don't know." "well," said the cookie cook after a little thought, "i mean to go to this magician, anyhow, and tell him i want my dishpan. i wish i knew what ugu the shoemaker is like." "then i'll show him to you," promised the king. "but do not be frightened. it won't be ugu, remember, but only his image." with this, he waved his metal wand, and in the circle suddenly appeared a thin little man, very old and skinny, who was seated on a wicker stool before a wicker table. on the table lay a great book with gold clasps. the book was open, and the man was reading in it. he wore great spectacles which were fastened before his eyes by means of a ribbon that passed around his head and was tied in a bow at the neck. his hair was very thin and white; his skin, which clung fast to his bones, was brown and seared with furrows; he had a big, fat nose and little eyes set close together. on no account was ugu the shoemaker a pleasant person to gaze at. as his image appeared before them, all were silent and intent until corporal waddle, the brown bear, became nervous and pulled the trigger of his gun. instantly, the cork flew out of the tin barrel with a loud "pop!" that made them all jump. and at this sound, the image of the magician vanished. "so that's the thief, is it?" said cayke in an angry voice. "i should think he'd be ashamed of himself for stealing a poor woman's diamond dishpan! but i mean to face him in his wicker castle and force him to return my property." "to me," said the bear king reflectively, "he looked like a dangerous person. i hope he won't be so unkind as to argue the matter with you." the frogman was much disturbed by the vision of ugu the shoemaker, and cayke's determination to go to the magician filled her companion with misgivings. but he would not break his pledged word to assist the cookie cook, and after breathing a deep sigh of resignation, he asked the king, "will your majesty lend us this pink bear who answers questions that we may take him with us on our journey? he would be very useful to us, and we will promise to bring him safely back to you." the king did not reply at once. he seemed to be thinking. "please let us take the pink bear," begged cayke. "i'm sure he would be a great help to us." "the pink bear," said the king, "is the best bit of magic i possess, and there is not another like him in the world. i do not care to let him out of my sight, nor do i wish to disappoint you; so i believe i will make the journey in your company and carry my pink bear with me. he can walk when you wind the other side of him, but so slowly and awkwardly that he would delay you. but if i go along, i can carry him in my arms, so i will join your party. whenever you are ready to start, let me know." "but your majesty!" exclaimed corporal waddle in protest, "i hope you do not intend to let these prisoners escape without punishment." "of what crime do you accuse them?" inquired the king. "why, they trespassed on your domain, for one thing," said the brown bear. "we didn't know it was private property, your majesty," said the cookie cook. "and they asked if any of us had stolen the dishpan!" continued corporal waddle indignantly. "that is the same thing as calling us thieves and robbers and bandits and brigands, is it not?" "every person has the right to ask questions," said the frogman. "but the corporal is quite correct," declared the lavender bear. "i condemn you both to death, the execution to take place ten years from this hour." "but we belong in the land of oz, where no one ever dies," cayke reminded him. "very true," said the king. "i condemn you to death merely as a matter of form. it sounds quite terrible, and in ten years we shall have forgotten all about it. are you ready to start for the wicker castle of ugu the shoemaker?" "quite ready, your majesty." "but who will rule in your place while you are gone?" asked a big yellow bear. "i myself will rule while i am gone," was the reply. "a king isn't required to stay at home forever, and if he takes a notion to travel, whose business is it but his own? all i ask is that you bears behave yourselves while i am away. if any of you is naughty, i'll send him to some girl or boy in america to play with." this dreadful threat made all the toy bears look solemn. they assured the king in a chorus of growls that they would be good. then the big lavender bear picked up the little pink bear, and after tucking it carefully under one arm, he said, "goodbye till i come back!" and waddled along the path that led through the forest. the frogman and cayke the cookie cook also said goodbye to the bears and then followed after the king, much to the regret of the little brown bear, who pulled the trigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting salute. chapter the meeting while the frogman and his party were advancing from the west, dorothy and her party were advancing from the east, and so it happened that on the following night they all camped at a little hill that was only a few miles from the wicker castle of ugu the shoemaker. but the two parties did not see one another that night, for one camped on one side of the hill while the other camped on the opposite side. but the next morning, the frogman thought he would climb the hill and see what was on top of it, and at the same time scraps, the patchwork girl, also decided to climb the hill to find if the wicker castle was visible from its top. so she stuck her head over an edge just as the frogman's head appeared over another edge, and both, being surprised, kept still while they took a good look at one another. scraps recovered from her astonishment first, and bounding upward, she turned a somersault and landed sitting down and facing the big frogman, who slowly advanced and sat opposite her. "well met, stranger!" cried the patchwork girl with a whoop of laughter. "you are quite the funniest individual i have seen in all my travels." "do you suppose i can be any funnier than you?" asked the frogman, gazing at her in wonder. "i'm not funny to myself, you know," returned scraps. "i wish i were. and perhaps you are so used to your own absurd shape that you do not laugh whenever you see your reflection in a pool or in a mirror." "no," said the frogman gravely, "i do not. i used to be proud of my great size and vain of my culture and education, but since i bathed in the truth pond, i sometimes think it is not right that i should be different from all other frogs." "right or wrong," said the patchwork girl, "to be different is to be distinguished. now in my case, i'm just like all other patchwork girls because i'm the only one there is. but tell me, where did you come from?" "the yip country," said he. "is that in the land of oz?" "of course," replied the frogman. "and do you know that your ruler, ozma of oz, has been stolen?" "i was not aware that i had a ruler, so of course i couldn't know that she was stolen." "well, you have. all the people of oz," explained scraps, "are ruled by ozma, whether they know it or not. and she has been stolen. aren't you angry? aren't you indignant? your ruler, whom you didn't know you had, has positively been stolen!" "that is queer," remarked the frogman thoughtfully. "stealing is a thing practically unknown in oz, yet this ozma has been taken, and a friend of mine has also had her dishpan stolen. with her i have traveled all the way from the yip country in order to recover it." "i don't see any connection between a royal ruler of oz and a dishpan!" declared scraps. "they've both been stolen, haven't they?" "true. but why can't your friend wash her dishes in another dishpan?" asked scraps. "why can't you use another royal ruler? i suppose you prefer the one who is lost, and my friend wants her own dishpan, which is made of gold and studded with diamonds and has magic powers." "magic, eh?" exclaimed scraps. "there is a link that connects the two steals, anyhow, for it seems that all the magic in the land of oz was stolen at the same time, whether it was in the emerald city of in glinda's castle or in the yip country. seems mighty strange and mysterious, doesn't it?" "it used to seem that way to me," admitted the frogman, "but we have now discovered who took our dishpan. it was ugu the shoemaker." "ugu? good gracious! that's the same magician we think has stolen ozma. we are now on our way to the castle of this shoemaker." "so are we," said the frogman. "then follow me, quick! and let me introduce you to dorothy and the other girls and to the wizard of oz and all the rest of us." she sprang up and seized his coatsleeve, dragging him off the hilltop and down the other side from that whence he had come. and at the foot of the hill, the frogman was astonished to find the three girls and the wizard and button-bright, who were surrounded by a wooden sawhorse, a lean mule, a square woozy, and a cowardly lion. a little black dog ran up and smelled at the frogman, but couldn't growl at him. "i've discovered another party that has been robbed," shouted scraps as she joined them. "this is their leader, and they're all going to ugu's castle to fight the wicked shoemaker!" they regarded the frogman with much curiosity and interest, and finding all eyes fixed upon him, the newcomer arranged his necktie and smoothed his beautiful vest and swung his gold-headed cane like a regular dandy. the big spectacles over his eyes quite altered his froglike countenance and gave him a learned and impressive look. used as she was to seeing strange creatures in the land of oz, dorothy was amazed at discovering the frogman. so were all her companions. toto wanted to growl at him, but couldn't, and he didn't dare bark. the sawhorse snorted rather contemptuously, but the lion whispered to the wooden steed, "bear with this strange creature, my friend, and remember he is no more extraordinary than you are. indeed, it is more natural for a frog to be big than for a sawhorse to be alive." on being questioned, the frogman told them the whole story of the loss of cayke's highly prized dishpan and their adventures in search of it. when he came to tell of the lavender bear king and of the little pink bear who could tell anything you wanted to know, his hearers became eager to see such interesting animals. "it will be best," said the wizard, "to unite our two parties and share our fortunes together, for we are all bound on the same errand, and as one band we may more easily defy this shoemaker magician than if separate. let us be allies." "i will ask my friends about that," replied the frogman, and he climbed over the hill to find cayke and the toy bears. the patchwork girl accompanied him, and when they came upon the cookie cook and the lavender bear and the pink bear, it was hard to tell which of the lot was the most surprised. "mercy me!" cried cayke, addressing the patchwork girl. "however did you come alive?" scraps stared at the bears. "mercy me!" she echoed, "you are stuffed, as i am, with cotton, and you appear to be living. that makes me feel ashamed, for i have prided myself on being the only live cotton-stuffed person in oz." "perhaps you are," returned the lavender bear, "for i am stuffed with extra-quality curled hair, and so is the little pink bear." "you have relieved my mind of a great anxiety," declared the patchwork girl, now speaking more cheerfully. "the scarecrow is stuffed with straw and you with hair, so i am still the original and only cotton-stuffed!" "i hope i am too polite to criticize cotton as compared with curled hair," said the king, "especially as you seem satisfied with it." then the frogman told of his interview with the party from the emerald city and added that the wizard of oz had invited the bears and cayke and himself to travel in company with them to the castle of ugu the shoemaker. cayke was much pleased, but the bear king looked solemn. he set the little pink bear on his lap and turned the crank in its side and asked, "is it safe for us to associate with those people from the emerald city?" and the pink bear at once replied, "safe for you and safe for me; perhaps no others safe will be." "that 'perhaps' need not worry us," said the king, "so let us join the others and offer them our protection." even the lavender bear was astonished, however, when on climbing over the hill he found on the other side the group of queer animals and the people from the emerald city. the bears and cayke were received very cordially, although button-bright was cross when they wouldn't let him play with the little pink bear. the three girls greatly admired the toy bears, and especially the pink one, which they longed to hold. "you see," explained the lavender king in denying them this privilege, "he's a very valuable bear, because his magic is a correct guide on all occasions, and especially if one is in difficulties. it was the pink bear who told us that ugu the shoemaker had stolen the cookie cook's dishpan." "and the king's magic is just as wonderful," added cayke, "because it showed us the magician himself." "what did he look like?" inquired dorothy. "he was dreadful!" "he was sitting at a table and examining an immense book which had three golden clasps," remarked the king. "why, that must have been glinda's great book of records!" exclaimed dorothy. "if it is, it proves that ugu the shoemaker stole ozma, and with her all the magic in the emerald city." "and my dishpan," said cayke. and the wizard added, "it also proves that he is following our adventures in the book of records, and therefore knows that we are seeking him and that we are determined to find him and reach ozma at all hazards." "if we can," added the woozy, but everybody frowned at him. the wizard's statement was so true that the faces around him were very serious until the patchwork girl broke into a peal of laughter. "wouldn't it be a rich joke if he made prisoners of us, too?" she said. "no one but a crazy patchwork girl would consider that a joke," grumbled button-bright. and then the lavender bear king asked, "would you like to see this magical shoemaker?" "wouldn't he know it?" dorothy inquired. "no, i think not." then the king waved his metal wand and before them appeared a room in the wicker castle of ugu. on the wall of the room hung ozma's magic picture, and seated before it was the magician. they could see the picture as well as he could, because it faced them, and in the picture was the hillside where they were now sitting, all their forms being reproduced in miniature. and curiously enough, within the scene of the picture was the scene they were now beholding, so they knew that the magician was at this moment watching them in the picture, and also that he saw himself and the room he was in become visible to the people on the hillside. therefore he knew very well that they were watching him while he was watching them. in proof of this, ugu sprang from his seat and turned a scowling face in their direction; but now he could not see the travelers who were seeking him, although they could still see him. his actions were so distinct, indeed, that it seemed he was actually before them. "it is only a ghost," said the bear king. "it isn't real at all except that it shows us ugu just as he looks and tells us truly just what he is doing." "i don't see anything of my lost growl, though," said toto as if to himself. then the vision faded away, and they could see nothing but the grass and trees and bushes around them. chapter the conference "now then," said the wizard, "let us talk this matter over and decide what to do when we get to ugu's wicker castle. there can be no doubt that the shoemaker is a powerful magician, and his powers have been increased a hundredfold since he secured the great book of records, the magic picture, all of glinda's recipes for sorcery, and my own black bag, which was full of tools of wizardry. the man who could rob us of those things and the man with all their powers at his command is one who may prove somewhat difficult to conquer, therefore we should plan our actions well before we venture too near to his castle." "i didn't see ozma in the magic picture," said trot. "what do you suppose ugu has done with her?" "couldn't the little pink bear tell us what he did with ozma?" asked button-bright. "to be sure," replied the lavender king. "i'll ask him." so he turned the crank in the little pink bear's side and inquired, "did ugu the shoemaker steal ozma of oz?" "yes," answered the little pink bear. "then what did he do with her?" asked the king. "shut her up in a dark place," answered the little pink bear. "oh, that must be a dungeon cell!" cried dorothy, horrified. "how dreadful!" "well, we must get her out of it," said the wizard. "that is what we came for, and of course we must rescue ozma. but how?" each one looked at some other one for an answer, and all shook their heads in a grave and dismal manner. all but scraps, who danced around them gleefully. "you're afraid," said the patchwork girl, "because so many things can hurt your meat bodies. why don't you give it up and go home? how can you fight a great magician when you have nothing to fight with?" dorothy looked at her reflectively. "scraps," said she, "you know that ugu couldn't hurt you a bit, whatever he did, nor could he hurt me, 'cause i wear the gnome king's magic belt. s'pose just we two go on together and leave the others here to wait for us." "no, no!" said the wizard positively. "that won't do at all. ozma is more powerful than either of you, yet she could not defeat the wicked ugu, who has shut her up in a dungeon. we must go to the shoemaker in one mighty band, for only in union is there strength." "that is excellent advice," said the lavender bear approvingly. "but what can we do when we get to ugu?" inquired the cookie cook anxiously. "do not expect a prompt answer to that important question," replied the wizard, "for we must first plan our line of conduct. ugu knows, of course, that we are after him, for he has seen our approach in the magic picture, and he has read of all we have done up to the present moment in the great book of records. therefore we cannot expect to take him by surprise." "don't you suppose ugu would listen to reason?" asked betsy. "if we explained to him how wicked he has been, don't you think he'd let poor ozma go?" "and give me back my dishpan?" added the cookie cook eagerly. "yes, yes, won't he say he's sorry and get on his knees and beg our pardon?" cried scraps, turning a flip-flop to show her scorn of the suggestion. "when ugu the shoemaker does that, please knock at the front door and let me know." the wizard sighed and rubbed his bald head with a puzzled air. "i'm quite sure ugu will not be polite to us," said he, "so we must conquer this cruel magician by force, much as we dislike to be rude to anyone. but none of you has yet suggested a way to do that. couldn't the little pink bear tell us how?" he asked, turning to the bear king. "no, for that is something that is going to happen," replied the lavender bear. "he can only tell us what already has happened." again, they were grave and thoughtful. but after a time, betsy said in a hesitating voice, "hank is a great fighter. perhaps he could conquer the magician." the mule turned his head to look reproachfully at his old friend, the young girl. "who can fight against magic?" he asked. "the cowardly lion could," said dorothy. the lion, who was lying with his front legs spread out, his chin on his paws, raised his shaggy head. "i can fight when i'm not afraid," said he calmly, "but the mere mention of a fight sets me to trembling." "ugu's magic couldn't hurt the sawhorse," suggested tiny trot. "and the sawhorse couldn't hurt the magician," declared that wooden animal. "for my part," said toto, "i am helpless, having lost my growl." "then," said cayke the cookie cook, "we must depend upon the frogman. his marvelous wisdom will surely inform him how to conquer the wicked magician and restore to me my dishpan." all eyes were now turned questioningly upon the frogman. finding himself the center of observation, he swung his gold-headed cane, adjusted his big spectacles, and after swelling out his chest, sighed and said in a modest tone of voice: "respect for truth obliges me to confess that cayke is mistaken in regard to my superior wisdom. i am not very wise. neither have i had any practical experience in conquering magicians. but let us consider this case. what is ugu, and what is a magician? ugu is a renegade shoemaker, and a magician is an ordinary man who, having learned how to do magical tricks, considers himself above his fellows. in this case, the shoemaker has been naughty enough to steal a lot of magical tools and things that did not belong to him, and he is more wicked to steal than to be a magician. yet with all the arts at his command, ugu is still a man, and surely there are ways in which a man may be conquered. how, do you say, how? allow me to state that i don't know. in my judgment, we cannot decide how best to act until we get to ugu's castle. so let us go to it and take a look at it. after that, we may discover an idea that will guide us to victory." "that may not be a wise speech, but it sounds good," said dorothy approvingly. "ugu the shoemaker is not only a common man, but he's a wicked man and a cruel man and deserves to be conquered. we mustn't have any mercy on him till ozma is set free. so let's go to his castle as the frogman says and see what the place looks like." no one offered any objection to this plan, and so it was adopted. they broke camp and were about to start on the journey to ugu's castle when they discovered that button-bright was lost again. the girls and the wizard shouted his name, and the lion roared and the donkey brayed and the frogman croaked and the big lavender bear growled (to the envy of toto, who couldn't growl but barked his loudest), yet none of them could make button-bright hear. so after vainly searching for the boy a full hour, they formed a procession and proceeded in the direction of the wicker castle of ugu the shoemaker. "button-bright's always getting lost," said dorothy. "and if he wasn't always getting found again, i'd prob'ly worry. he may have gone ahead of us, and he may have gone back, but wherever he is, we'll find him sometime and somewhere, i'm almost sure." chapter ugu the shoemaker a curious thing about ugu the shoemaker was that he didn't suspect in the least that he was wicked. he wanted to be powerful and great, and he hoped to make himself master of all the land of oz that he might compel everyone in that fairy country to obey him, his ambition blinded him to the rights of others, and he imagined anyone else would act just as he did if anyone else happened to be as clever as himself. when he inhabited his little shoemaking shop in the city of herku, he had been discontented, for a shoemaker is not looked upon with high respect, and ugu knew that his ancestors had been famous magicians for many centuries past and therefore his family was above the ordinary. even his father practiced magic when ugu was a boy, but his father had wandered away from herku and had never come back again. so when ugu grew up, he was forced to make shoes for a living, knowing nothing of the magic of his forefathers. but one day, in searching through the attic of his house, he discovered all the books of magical recipes and many magical instruments which had formerly been in use in his family. from that day, he stopped making shoes and began to study magic. finally, he aspired to become the greatest magician in oz, and for days and weeks and months he thought on a plan to render all the other sorcerers and wizards, as well as those with fairy powers, helpless to oppose him. from the books of his ancestors, he learned the following facts: ( ) that ozma of oz was the fairy ruler of the emerald city and the land of oz and that she could not be destroyed by any magic ever devised. also, by means of her magic picture she would be able to discover anyone who approached her royal palace with the idea of conquering it. ( ) that glinda the good was the most powerful sorceress in oz, among her other magical possessions being the great book of records, which told her all that happened anywhere in the world. this book of records was very dangerous to ugu's plans, and glinda was in the service of ozma and would use her arts of sorcery to protect the girl ruler. ( ) that the wizard of oz, who lived in ozma's palace, had been taught much powerful magic by glinda and had a bag of magic tools with which he might be able to conquer the shoemaker. ( ) that there existed in oz--in the yip country--a jeweled dishpan made of gold, which dishpan would grow large enough for a man to sit inside it. then, when he grasped both the golden handles, the dishpan would transport him in an instant to any place he wished to go within the borders of the land of oz. no one now living except ugu knew of the powers of the magic dishpan, so after long study, the shoemaker decided that if he could manage to secure the dishpan, he could by its means rob ozma and glinda and the wizard of oz of all their magic, thus becoming himself the most powerful person in all the land. his first act was to go away from the city of herku and build for himself the wicker castle in the hills. here he carried his books and instruments of magic, and here for a full year he diligently practiced all the magical arts learned from his ancestors. at the end of that time, he could do a good many wonderful things. then, when all his preparations were made, he set out for the yip country, and climbing the steep mountain at night he entered the house of cayke the cookie cook and stole her diamond-studded gold dishpan while all the yips were asleep, taking his prize outside, he set the pan upon the ground and uttered the required magic word. instantly, the dishpan grew as large as a big washtub, and ugu seated himself in it and grasped the two handles. then he wished himself in the great drawing room of glinda the good. he was there in a flash. first he took the great book of records and put it in the dishpan. then he went to glinda's laboratory and took all her rare chemical compounds and her instruments of sorcery, placing these also in the dishpan, which he caused to grow large enough to hold them. next he seated himself amongst the treasures he had stolen and wished himself in the room in ozma's palace which the wizard occupied and where he kept his bag of magic tools. this bag ugu added to his plunder and then wished himself in the apartments of ozma. here he first took the magic picture from the wall and then seized all the other magical things which ozma possessed. having placed these in the dishpan, he was about to climb in himself when he looked up and saw ozma standing beside him. her fairy instinct had warned her that danger was threatening her, so the beautiful girl ruler rose from her couch and leaving her bedchamber at once confronted the thief. ugu had to think quickly, for he realized that if he permitted ozma to rouse the inmates of her palace, all his plans and his present successes were likely to come to naught. so he threw a scarf over the girl's head so she could not scream, and pushed her into the dishpan and tied her fast so she could not move. then he climbed in beside her and wished himself in his own wicker castle. the magic dishpan was there in an instant, with all its contents, and ugu rubbed his hands together in triumphant joy as he realized that he now possessed all the important magic in the land of oz and could force all the inhabitants of that fairyland to do as he willed. so quickly had his journey been accomplished that before daylight the robber magician had locked ozma in a room, making her a prisoner, and had unpacked and arranged all his stolen goods. the next day he placed the book of records on his table and hung the magic picture on his wall and put away in his cupboards and drawers all the elixirs and magic compounds he had stolen. the magical instruments he polished and arranged, and this was fascinating work and made him very happy. by turns the imprisoned ruler wept and scolded the shoemaker, haughtily threatening him with dire punishment for the wicked deeds he had done. ugu became somewhat afraid of his fairy prisoner, in spite of the fact that he believed he had robbed her of all her powers; so he performed an enchantment that quickly disposed of her and placed her out of his sight and hearing. after that, being occupied with other things, he soon forgot her. but now, when he looked into the magic picture and read the great book of records, the shoemaker learned that his wickedness was not to go unchallenged. two important expeditions had set out to find him and force him to give up his stolen property. one was the party headed by the wizard and dorothy, while the other consisted of cayke and the frogman. others were also searching, but not in the right places. these two groups, however, were headed straight for the wicker castle, and so ugu began to plan how best to meet them and to defeat their efforts to conquer him. chapter more surprises all that first day after the union of the two parties, our friends marched steadily toward the wicker castle of ugu the shoemaker. when night came, they camped in a little grove and passed a pleasant evening together, although some of them were worried because button-bright was still lost. "perhaps," said toto as the animals lay grouped together for the night, "this shoemaker who stole my growl and who stole ozma has also stolen button-bright." "how do you know that the shoemaker stole your growl?" demanded the woozy. "he has stolen about everything else of value in oz, hasn't he?" replied the dog. "he has stolen everything he wants, perhaps," agreed the lion, "but what could anyone want with your growl?" "well," said the dog, wagging his tail slowly, "my recollection is that it was a wonderful growl, soft and low and--and--" "and ragged at the edges," said the sawhorse. "so," continued toto, "if that magician hadn't any growl of his own, he might have wanted mine and stolen it." "and if he has, he will soon wish he hadn't," remarked the mule. "also, if he has stolen button-bright, he will be sorry." "don't you like button-bright, then?" asked the lion in surprise. "it isn't a question of liking him," replied the mule. "it's a question of watching him and looking after him. any boy who causes his friends so much worry isn't worth having around. i never get lost." "if you did," said toto, "no one would worry a bit. i think button-bright is a very lucky boy because he always gets found." "see here," said the lion, "this chatter is keeping us all awake, and tomorrow is likely to be a busy day. go to sleep and forget your quarrels." "friend lion," retorted the dog, "if i hadn't lost my growl, you would hear it now. i have as much right to talk as you have to sleep." the lion sighed. "if only you had lost your voice when you lost your growl," said he, "you would be a more agreeable companion." but they quieted down after that, and soon the entire camp was wrapped in slumber. next morning they made an early start, but had hardly proceeded on their way an hour when, on climbing a slight elevation, they beheld in the distance a low mountain on top of which stood ugu's wicker castle. it was a good-sized building and rather pretty because the sides, roofs and domes were all of wicker, closely woven as it is in fine baskets. "i wonder if it is strong?" said dorothy musingly as she eyed the queer castle. "i suppose it is, since a magician built it," answered the wizard. "with magic to protect it, even a paper castle might be as strong as if made of stone. this ugu must be a man of ideas, because he does things in a different way from other people." "yes. no one else would steal our dear ozma," sighed tiny trot. "i wonder if ozma is there?" said betsy, indicating the castle with a nod of her head. "where else could she be?" asked scraps. "suppose we ask the pink bear," suggested dorothy. that seemed a good idea, so they halted the procession, and the bear king held the little pink bear on his lap and turned the crank in its side and asked, "where is ozma of oz?" and the little pink bear answered, "she is in a hole in the ground a half mile away at your left." "good gracious!" cried dorothy. "then she is not in ugu's castle at all." "it is lucky we asked that question," said the wizard, "for if we can find ozma and rescue her, there will be no need for us to fight that wicked and dangerous magician." "indeed!" said cayke. "then what about my dishpan?" the wizard looked puzzled at her tone of remonstrance, so she added, "didn't you people from the emerald city promise that we would all stick together, and that you would help me to get my dishpan if i would help you to get your ozma? and didn't i bring to you the little pink bear, which has told you where ozma is hidden?" "she's right," said dorothy to the wizard. "we must do as we agreed." "well, first of all, let us go and rescue ozma," proposed the wizard. "then our beloved ruler may be able to advise us how to conquer ugu the shoemaker." so they turned to the left and marched for half a mile until they came to a small but deep hole in the ground. at once, all rushed to the brim to peer into the hole, but instead of finding there princess ozma of oz, all that they saw was button-bright, who was lying asleep on the bottom. their cries soon wakened the boy, who sat up and rubbed his eyes. when he recognized his friends, he smiled sweetly, saying, "found again!" "where is ozma?" inquired dorothy anxiously. "i don't know," answered button-bright from the depths of the hole. "i got lost yesterday, as you may remember, and in the night while i was wandering around in the moonlight trying to find my way back to you, i suddenly fell into this hole." "and wasn't ozma in it then?" "there was no one in it but me, and i was sorry it wasn't entirely empty. the sides are so steep i can't climb out, so there was nothing to be done but sleep until someone found me. thank you for coming. if you'll please let down a rope, i'll empty this hole in a hurry." "how strange!" said dorothy, greatly disappointed. "it's evident the pink bear didn't tell the truth." "he never makes a mistake," declared the lavender bear king in a tone that showed his feelings were hurt. and then he turned the crank of the little pink bear again and asked, "is this the hole that ozma of oz is in?" "yes," answered the pink bear. "that settles it," said the king positively. "your ozma is in this hole in the ground." "don't be silly," returned dorothy impatiently. "even your beady eyes can see there is no one in the hole but button-bright." "perhaps button-bright is ozma," suggested the king. "and perhaps he isn't! ozma is a girl, and button-bright is a boy." "your pink bear must be out of order," said the wizard, "for, this time at least, his machinery has caused him to make an untrue statement." the bear king was so angry at this remark that he turned away, holding the pink bear in his paws, and refused to discuss the matter in any further way. "at any rate," said the frogman, "the pink bear has led us to your boy friend and so enabled you to rescue him." scraps was leaning so far over the hole trying to find ozma in it that suddenly she lost her balance and pitched in head foremost. she fell upon button-bright and tumbled him over, but he was not hurt by her soft, stuffed body and only laughed at the mishap. the wizard buckled some straps together and let one end of them down into the hole, and soon both scraps and the boy had climbed up and were standing safely beside the others. they looked once more for ozma, but the hole was now absolutely vacant. it was a round hole, so from the top they could plainly see every part of it. before they left the place, dorothy went to the bear king and said, "i'm sorry we couldn't believe what the little pink bear said, 'cause we don't want to make you feel bad by doubting him. there must be a mistake, somewhere, and we prob'ly don't understand just what the little pink bear said. will you let me ask him one more question?" the lavender bear king was a good-natured bear, considering how he was made and stuffed and jointed, so he accepted dorothy's apology and turned the crank and allowed the little girl to question his wee pink bear. "is ozma really in this hole?" asked dorothy. "no," said the little pink bear. this surprised everybody. even the bear king was now puzzled by the contradictory statements of his oracle. "where is she?" asked the king. "here, among you," answered the little pink bear. "well," said dorothy, "this beats me entirely! i guess the little pink bear has gone crazy." "perhaps," called scraps, who was rapidly turning "cartwheels" all around the perplexed group, "ozma is invisible." "of course!" cried betsy. "that would account for it." "well, i've noticed that people can speak, even when they've been made invisible," said the wizard. and then he looked all around him and said in a solemn voice, "ozma, are you here?" there was no reply. dorothy asked the question, too, and so did button-bright and trot and betsy, but none received any reply at all. "it's strange, it's terrible strange!" muttered cayke the cookie cook. "i was sure that the little pink bear always tells the truth." "i still believe in his honesty," said the frogman, and this tribute so pleased the bear king that he gave these last speakers grateful looks, but still gazed sourly on the others. "come to think of it," remarked the wizard, "ozma couldn't be invisible, for she is a fairy, and fairies cannot be made invisible against their will. of course, she could be imprisoned by the magician or enchanted or transformed, in spite of her fairy powers, but ugu could not render her invisible by any magic at his command." "i wonder if she's been transformed into button-bright?" said dorothy nervously. then she looked steadily at the boy and asked, "are you ozma? tell me truly!" button-bright laughed. "you're getting rattled, dorothy," he replied. "nothing ever enchants me. if i were ozma, do you think i'd have tumbled into that hole?" "anyhow," said the wizard, "ozma would never try to deceive her friends or prevent them from recognizing her in whatever form she happened to be. the puzzle is still a puzzle, so let us go on to the wicker castle and question the magician himself. since it was he who stole our ozma, ugu is the one who must tell us where to find her." chapter magic against magic the wizard's advice was good, so again they started in the direction of the low mountain on the crest of which the wicker castle had been built. they had been gradually advancing uphill, so now the elevation seemed to them more like a round knoll than a mountaintop. however, the sides of the knoll were sloping and covered with green grass, so there was a stiff climb before them yet. undaunted, they plodded on and had almost reached the knoll when they suddenly observed that it was surrounded by a circle of flame. at first, the flames barely rose above the ground, but presently they grew higher and higher until a circle of flaming tongues of fire taller than any of their heads quite surrounded the hill on which the wicker castle stood. when they approached the flames, the heat was so intense that it drove them back again. "this will never do for me!" exclaimed the patchwork girl. "i catch fire very easily." "it won't do for me either," grumbled the sawhorse, prancing to the rear. "i also strongly object to fire," said the bear king, following the sawhorse to a safe distance and hugging the little pink bear with his paws. "i suppose the foolish shoemaker imagines these blazes will stop us," remarked the wizard with a smile of scorn for ugu. "but i am able to inform you that this is merely a simple magic trick which the robber stole from glinda the good, and by good fortune i know how to destroy these flames as well as how to produce them. will some one of you kindly give me a match?" you may be sure the girls carried no matches, nor did the frogman or any of the animals. but button-bright, after searching carefully through his pockets, which contained all sorts of useful and useless things, finally produced a match and handed it to the wizard, who tied it to the end of a branch which he tore from a small tree growing near them. then the little wizard carefully lighted the match, and running forward thrust it into the nearest flame. instantly, the circle of fire began to die away, and soon vanished completely leaving the way clear for them to proceed. "that was funny!" laughed button-bright. "yes," agreed the wizard, "it seems odd that a little match could destroy such a great circle of fire, but when glinda invented this trick, she believed no one would ever think of a match being a remedy for fire. i suppose even ugu doesn't know how we managed to quench the flames of his barrier, for only glinda and i know the secret. glinda's book of magic which ugu stole told how to make the flames, but not how to put them out." they now formed in marching order and proceeded to advance up the slope of the hill, but had not gone far when before them rose a wall of steel, the surface of which was thickly covered with sharp, gleaming points resembling daggers. the wall completely surrounded the wicker castle, and its sharp points prevented anyone from climbing it. even the patchwork girl might be ripped to pieces if she dared attempt it. "ah!" exclaimed the wizard cheerfully, "ugu is now using one of my own tricks against me. but this is more serious than the barrier of fire, because the only way to destroy the wall is to get on the other side of it." "how can that be done?" asked dorothy. the wizard looked thoughtfully around his little party, and his face grew troubled. "it's a pretty high wall," he sadly remarked. "i'm pretty sure the cowardly lion could not leap over it." "i'm sure of that, too!" said the lion with a shudder of fear. "if i foolishly tried such a leap, i would be caught on those dreadful spikes." "i think i could do it, sir," said the frogman with a bow to the wizard. "it is an uphill jump as well as being a high jump, but i'm considered something of a jumper by my friends in the yip country, and i believe a good, strong leap will carry me to the other side." "i'm sure it would," agreed the cookie cook. "leaping, you know, is a froglike accomplishment," continued the frogman modestly, "but please tell me what i am to do when i reach the other side of the wall." "you're a brave creature," said the wizard admiringly. "has anyone a pin?" betsy had one, which she gave him. "all you need do," said the wizard to the frogman, giving him the pin, "is to stick this into the other side of the wall." "but the wall is of steel!" exclaimed the big frog. "i know. at least, it seems to be steel, but do as i tell you. stick the pin into the wall, and it will disappear." the frogman took off his handsome coat and carefully folded it and laid it on the grass. then he removed his hat and laid it together with his gold-headed cane beside the coat. he then went back a way and made three powerful leaps in rapid succession. the first two leaps took him to the wall, and the third leap carried him well over it, to the amazement of all. for a short time, he disappeared from their view, but when he had obeyed the wizard's injunction and had thrust the pin into the wall, the huge barrier vanished and showed them the form of the frogman, who now went to where his coat lay and put it on again. "we thank you very much," said the delighted wizard. "that was the most wonderful leap i ever saw, and it has saved us from defeat by our enemy. let us now hurry on to the castle before ugu the shoemaker thinks up some other means to stop us." "we must have surprised him so far," declared dorothy. "yes indeed. the fellow knows a lot of magic--all of our tricks and some of his own," replied the wizard. "so if he is half as clever as he ought to be, we shall have trouble with him yet." he had scarcely spoken these words when out from the gates of the wicker castle marched a regiment of soldiers, clad in gay uniforms and all bearing long, pointed spears and sharp battle axes. these soldiers were girls, and the uniforms were short skirts of yellow and black satin, golden shoes, bands of gold across their foreheads and necklaces of glittering jewels. their jackets were scarlet, braided with silver cords. there were hundreds of these girl-soldiers, and they were more terrible than beautiful, being strong and fierce in appearance. they formed a circle all around the castle and faced outward, their spears pointed toward the invaders, and their battle axes held over their shoulders, ready to strike. of course, our friends halted at once, for they had not expected this dreadful array of soldiery. the wizard seemed puzzled, and his companions exchanged discouraged looks. "i'd no idea ugu had such an army as that," said dorothy. "the castle doesn't look big enough to hold them all." "it isn't," declared the wizard. "but they all marched out of it." "they seemed to, but i don't believe it is a real army at all. if ugu the shoemaker had so many people living with him, i'm sure the czarover of herku would have mentioned the fact to us." "they're only girls!" laughed scraps. "girls are the fiercest soldiers of all," declared the frogman. "they are more brave than men, and they have better nerves. that is probably why the magician uses them for soldiers and has sent them to oppose us." no one argued this statement, for all were staring hard at the line of soldiers, which now, having taken a defiant position, remained motionless. "here is a trick of magic new to me," admitted the wizard after a time. "i do not believe the army is real, but the spears may be sharp enough to prick us, nevertheless, so we must be cautious. let us take time to consider how to meet this difficulty." while they were thinking it over, scraps danced closer to the line of girl soldiers. her button eyes sometimes saw more than did the natural eyes of her comrades, and so after staring hard at the magician's army, she boldly advanced and danced right through the threatening line! on the other side, she waved her stuffed arms and called out, "come on, folks. the spears can't hurt you." said the wizard gaily. "an optical illusion, as i thought. let us all follow the patchwork girl." the three little girls were somewhat nervous in attempting to brave the spears and battle axes, but after the others had safely passed the line, they ventured to follow. and when all had passed through the ranks of the girl army, the army itself magically disappeared from view. all this time our friends had been getting farther up the hill and nearer to the wicker castle. now, continuing their advance, they expected something else to oppose their way, but to their astonishment nothing happened, and presently they arrived at the wicker gates, which stood wide open, and boldly entered the domain of ugu the shoemaker. chapter in the wicker castle no sooner were the wizard of oz and his followers well within the castle entrance when the big gates swung to with a clang and heavy bars dropped across them. they looked at one another uneasily, but no one cared to speak of the incident. if they were indeed prisoners in the wicker castle, it was evident they must find a way to escape, but their first duty was to attend to the errand on which they had come and seek the royal ozma, whom they believed to be a prisoner of the magician, and rescue her. they found they had entered a square courtyard, from which an entrance led into the main building of the castle. no person had appeared to greet them so far, although a gaudy peacock perched upon the wall cackled with laughter and said in its sharp, shrill voice, "poor fools! poor fools!" "i hope the peacock is mistaken," remarked the frogman, but no one else paid any attention to the bird. they were a little awed by the stillness and loneliness of the place. as they entered the doors of the castle, which stood invitingly open, these also closed behind them and huge bolts shot into place. the animals had all accompanied the party into the castle because they felt it would be dangerous for them to separate. they were forced to follow a zigzag passage, turning this way and that, until finally they entered a great central hall, circular in form and with a high dome from which was suspended an enormous chandelier. the wizard went first, and dorothy, betsy and trot followed him, toto keeping at the heels of his little mistress. then came the lion, the woozy and the sawhorse, then cayke the cookie cook and button-bright, then the lavender bear carrying the pink bear, and finally the frogman and the patchwork girl, with hank the mule tagging behind. so it was the wizard who caught the first glimpse of the big, domed hall, but the others quickly followed and gathered in a wondering group just within the entrance. upon a raised platform at one side was a heavy table on which lay glinda's great book of records, but the platform was firmly fastened to the floor and the table was fastened to the platform and the book was chained fast to the table, just as it had been when it was kept in glinda's palace. on the wall over the table hung ozma's magic picture. on a row of shelves at the opposite side of the hall stood all the chemicals and essences of magic and all the magical instruments that had been stolen from glinda and ozma and the wizard, with glass doors covering the shelves so that no one could get at them. and in a far corner sat ugu the shoemaker, his feet lazily extended, his skinny hands clasped behind his head. he was leaning back at his ease and calmly smoking a long pipe. around the magician was a sort of cage, seemingly made of golden bars set wide apart, and at his feet, also within the cage, reposed the long-sought diamond-studded dishpan of cayke the cookie cook. princess ozma of oz was nowhere to be seen. "well, well," said ugu when the invaders had stood in silence for a moment, staring about them. "this visit is an unexpected pleasure, i assure you. i knew you were coming, and i know why you are here. you are not welcome, for i cannot use any of you to my advantage, but as you have insisted on coming, i hope you will make the afternoon call as brief as possible. it won't take long to transact your business with me. you will ask me for ozma, and my reply will be that you may find her--if you can." "sir," answered the wizard in a tone of rebuke, "you are a very wicked and cruel person. i suppose you imagine, because you have stolen this poor woman's dishpan and all the best magic in oz, that you are more powerful than we are and will be able to triumph over us." "yes," said ugu the shoemaker, slowly filling his pipe with fresh tobacco from a silver bowl that stood beside him, "that is exactly what i imagine. it will do you no good to demand from me the girl who was formerly the ruler of oz, because i will not tell you where i have hidden her, and you can't guess in a thousand years. neither will i restore to you any of the magic i have captured. i am not so foolish. but bear this in mind: i mean to be the ruler of oz myself, hereafter, so i advise you to be careful how you address your future monarch." "ozma is still ruler of oz, wherever you may have hidden her," declared the wizard. "and bear this in mind, miserable shoemaker: we intend to find her and to rescue her in time, but our first duty and pleasure will be to conquer you and then punish you for your misdeeds." "very well, go ahead and conquer," said ugu. "i'd really like to see how you can do it." now although the little wizard had spoken so boldly, he had at the moment no idea how they might conquer the magician. he had that morning given the frogman, at his request, a dose of zosozo from his bottle, and the frogman had promised to fight a good fight if it was necessary, but the wizard knew that strength alone could not avail against magical arts. the toy bear king seemed to have some pretty good magic, however, and the wizard depended to an extent on that. but something ought to be done right away, and the wizard didn't know what it was. while he considered this perplexing question and the others stood looking at him as their leader, a queer thing happened. the floor of the great circular hall on which they were standing suddenly began to tip. instead of being flat and level, it became a slant, and the slant grew steeper and steeper until none of the party could manage to stand upon it. presently they all slid down to the wall, which was now under them, and then it became evident that the whole vast room was slowly turning upside down! only ugu the shoemaker, kept in place by the bars of his golden cage, remained in his former position, and the wicked magician seemed to enjoy the surprise of his victims immensely. first they all slid down to the wall back of them, but as the room continued to turn over, they next slid down the wall and found themselves at the bottom of the great dome, bumping against the big chandelier which, like everything else, was now upside down. the turning movement now stopped, and the room became stationary. looking far up, they saw ugu suspended in his cage at the very top, which had once been the floor. "ah," said he, grinning down at them, "the way to conquer is to act, and he who acts promptly is sure to win. this makes a very good prison, from which i am sure you cannot escape. please amuse yourselves in any way you like, but i must beg you to excuse me, as i have business in another part of my castle." saying this, he opened a trap door in the floor of his cage (which was now over his head) and climbed through it and disappeared from their view. the diamond dishpan still remained in the cage, but the bars kept it from falling down on their heads. "well, i declare," said the patchwork girl, seizing one of the bars of the chandelier and swinging from it, "we must peg one for the shoemaker, for he has trapped us very cleverly." "get off my foot, please," said the lion to the sawhorse. "and oblige me, mr. mule," remarked the woozy, "by taking your tail out of my left eye." "it's rather crowded down here," explained dorothy, "because the dome is rounding and we have all slid into the middle of it. but let us keep as quiet as possible until we can think what's best to be done." "dear, dear!" wailed cayke, "i wish i had my darling dishpan," and she held her arms longingly toward it. "i wish i had the magic on those shelves up there," sighed the wizard. "don't you s'pose we could get to it?" asked trot anxiously. "we'd have to fly," laughed the patchwork girl. but the wizard took the suggestion seriously, and so did the frogman. they talked it over and soon planned an attempt to reach the shelves where the magical instruments were. first the frogman lay against the rounding dome and braced his foot on the stem of the chandelier; then the wizard climbed over him and lay on the dome with his feet on the frogman's shoulders; the cookie cook came next; then button-bright climbed to the woman's shoulders; then dorothy climbed up and betsy and trot, and finally the patchwork girl, and all their lengths made a long line that reached far up the dome, but not far enough for scraps to touch the shelves. "wait a minute. perhaps i can reach the magic," called the bear king, and began scrambling up the bodies of the others. but when he came to the cookie cook, his soft paws tickled her side so that she squirmed and upset the whole line. down they came, tumbling in a heap against the animals, and although no one was much hurt, it was a bad mix-up, and the frogman, who was at the bottom, almost lost his temper before he could get on his feet again. cayke positively refused to try what she called "the pyramid act" again, and as the wizard was now convinced they could not reach the magic tools in that manner, the attempt was abandoned. "but something must be done," said the wizard, and then he turned to the lavender bear and asked, "cannot your majesty's magic help us to escape from here?" "my magic powers are limited," was the reply. "when i was stuffed, the fairies stood by and slyly dropped some magic into my stuffing. therefore i can do any of the magic that's inside me, but nothing else. you, however, are a wizard, and a wizard should be able to do anything." "your majesty forgets that my tools of magic have been stolen," said the wizard sadly, "and a wizard without tools is as helpless as a carpenter without a hammer or saw." "don't give up," pleaded button-bright, "'cause if we can't get out of this queer prison, we'll all starve to death." "not i!" laughed the patchwork girl, now standing on top of the chandelier at the place that was meant to be the bottom of it. "don't talk of such dreadful things," said trot, shuddering. "we came here to capture the shoemaker, didn't we?" "yes, and to save ozma," said betsy. "and here we are, captured ourselves, and my darling dishpan up there in plain sight!" wailed the cookie cook, wiping her eyes on the tail of the frogman's coat. "hush!" called the lion with a low, deep growl. "give the wizard time to think." "he has plenty of time," said scraps. "what he needs is the scarecrow's brains." after all, it was little dorothy who came to their rescue, and her ability to save them was almost as much a surprise to the girl as it was to her friends. dorothy had been secretly testing the powers of her magic belt, which she had once captured from the nome king, and experimenting with it in various ways ever since she had started on this eventful journey. at different times she had stolen away from the others of her party and in solitude had tried to find out what the magic belt could do and what it could not do. there were a lot of things it could not do, she discovered, but she learned some things about the belt which even her girl friends did not suspect she knew. for one thing, she had remembered that when the nome king owned it, the magic belt used to perform transformations, and by thinking hard she had finally recalled the way in which such transformations had been accomplished. better than this, however, was the discovery that the magic belt would grant its wearer one wish a day. all she need do was close her right eye and wiggle her left toe and then draw a long breath and make her wish. yesterday she had wished in secret for a box of caramels, and instantly found the box beside her. today she had saved her daily wish in case she might need it in an emergency, and the time had now come when she must use the wish to enable her to escape with her friends from the prison in which ugu had caught them. so without telling anyone what she intended to do--for she had only used the wish once and could not be certain how powerful the magic belt might be--dorothy closed her right eye and wiggled her left big toe and drew a long breath and wished with all her might. the next moment the room began to revolve again, as slowly as before, and by degrees they all slid to the side wall and down the wall to the floor--all but scraps, who was so astonished that she still clung to the chandelier. when the big hall was in its proper position again and the others stood firmly upon the floor of it, they looked far up the dome and saw the patchwork girl swinging from the chandelier. "good gracious!" cried dorothy. "how ever will you get down?" "won't the room keep turning?" asked scraps. "i hope not. i believe it has stopped for good," said princess dorothy. "then stand from under, so you won't get hurt!" shouted the patchwork girl, and as soon as they had obeyed this request, she let go the chandelier and came tumbling down heels over head and twisting and turning in a very exciting manner. plump! she fell on the tiled floor, and they ran to her and rolled her and patted her into shape again. chapter the defiance of ugu the shoemaker the delay caused by scraps had prevented anyone from running to the shelves to secure the magic instruments so badly needed. even cayke neglected to get her diamond-studded dishpan because she was watching the patchwork girl. and now the magician had opened his trap door and appeared in his golden cage again, frowning angrily because his prisoners had been able to turn their upside-down prison right side up. "which of you has dared defy my magic?" he shouted in a terrible voice. "it was i," answered dorothy calmly. "then i shall destroy you, for you are only an earth girl and no fairy," he said, and began to mumble some magic words. dorothy now realized that ugu must be treated as an enemy, so she advanced toward the corner in which he sat, saying as she went, "i am not afraid of you, mr. shoemaker, and i think you'll be sorry, pretty soon, that you're such a bad man. you can't destroy me, and i won't destroy you, but i'm going to punish you for your wickedness." ugu laughed, a laugh that was not nice to hear, and then he waved his hand. dorothy was halfway across the room when suddenly a wall of glass rose before her and stopped her progress. through the glass she could see the magician sneering at her because she was a weak little girl, and this provoked her. although the glass wall obliged her to halt, she instantly pressed both hands to her magic belt and cried in a loud voice, "ugu the shoemaker, by the magic virtues of the magic belt, i command you to become a dove!" the magician instantly realized he was being enchanted, for he could feel his form changing. he struggled desperately against the enchantment, mumbling magic words and making magic passes with his hands. and in one way he succeeded in defeating dorothy's purpose, for while his form soon changed to that of a gray dove, the dove was of an enormous size, bigger even than ugu had been as a man, and this feat he had been able to accomplish before his powers of magic wholly deserted him. and the dove was not gentle, as doves usually are, for ugu was terribly enraged at the little girl's success. his books had told him nothing of the nome king's magic belt, the country of the nomes being outside the land of oz. he knew, however, that he was likely to be conquered unless he made a fierce fight, so he spread his wings and rose in the air and flew directly toward dorothy. the wall of glass had disappeared the instant ugu became transformed. dorothy had meant to command the belt to transform the magician into a dove of peace, but in her excitement she forgot to say more than "dove," and now ugu was not a dove of peace by any means, but rather a spiteful dove of war. his size made his sharp beak and claws very dangerous, but dorothy was not afraid when he came darting toward her with his talons outstretched and his sword-like beak open. she knew the magic belt would protect its wearer from harm. but the frogman did not know that fact and became alarmed at the little girl's seeming danger. so he gave a sudden leap and leaped full upon the back of the great dove. then began a desperate struggle. the dove was as strong as ugu had been, and in size it was considerably bigger than the frogman. but the frogman had eaten the zosozo, and it had made him fully as strong as ugu the dove. at the first leap he bore the dove to the floor, but the giant bird got free and began to bite and claw the frogman, beating him down with its great wings whenever he attempted to rise. the thick, tough skin of the big frog was not easily damaged, but dorothy feared for her champion, and by again using the transformation power of the magic belt, she made the dove grow small until it was no larger than a canary bird. ugu had not lost his knowledge of magic when he lost his shape as a man, and he now realized it was hopeless to oppose the power of the magic belt and knew that his only hope of escape lay in instant action. so he quickly flew into the golden jeweled dishpan he had stolen from cayke the cookie cook, and as birds can talk as well as beasts or men in the fairyland of oz, he muttered the magic word that was required and wished himself in the country of the quadlings, which was as far away from the wicker castle as he believed he could get. our friends did not know, of course, what ugu was about to do. they saw the dishpan tremble an instant and then disappear, the dove disappearing with it, and although they waited expectantly for some minutes for the magician's return, ugu did not come back again. "seems to me," said the wizard in a cheerful voice, "that we have conquered the wicked magician more quickly than we expected to." "don't say 'we.' dorothy did it!" cried the patchwork girl, turning three somersaults in succession and then walking around on her hands. "hurrah for dorothy!" "i thought you said you did not know how to use the magic of the nome king's belt," said the wizard to dorothy. "i didn't know at that time," she replied, "but afterward i remembered how the nome king once used the magic belt to enchant people and transform 'em into ornaments and all sorts of things, so i tried some enchantments in secret, and after a while i transformed the sawhorse into a potato masher and back again, and the cowardly lion into a pussycat and back again, and then i knew the thing would work all right." "when did you perform those enchantments?" asked the wizard, much surprised. "one night when all the rest of you were asleep but scraps, and she had gone chasing moonbeams." "well," remarked the wizard, "your discovery has certainly saved us a lot of trouble, and we must all thank the frogman, too, for making such a good fight. the dove's shape had ugu's evil disposition inside it, and that made the monster bird dangerous." the frogman was looking sad because the bird's talons had torn his pretty clothes, but he bowed with much dignity at this well-deserved praise. cayke, however, had squatted on the floor and was sobbing bitterly. "my precious dishpan is gone!" she wailed. "gone, just as i had found it again!" "never mind," said trot, trying to comfort her, "it's sure to be somewhere, so we'll cert'nly run across it some day." "yes indeed," added betsy, "now that we have ozma's magic picture, we can tell just where the dove went with your dishpan. they all approached the magic picture, and dorothy wished it to show the enchanted form of ugu the shoemaker, wherever it might be. at once there appeared in the frame of the picture a scene in the far quadling country, where the dove was perched disconsolately on the limb of a tree and the jeweled dishpan lay on the ground just underneath the limb. "but where is the place? how far or how near?" asked cayke anxiously. "the book of records will tell us that," answered the wizard. so they looked in the great book and read the following: "ugu the magician, being transformed into a dove by princess dorothy of oz, has used the magic of the golden dishpan to carry him instantly to the northeast corner of the quadling country." "don't worry, cayke, for the scarecrow and the tin woodman are in that part of the country looking for ozma, and they'll surely find your dishpan." "good gracious!" exclaimed button-bright. "we've forgot all about ozma. let's find out where the magician hid her." back to the magic picture they trooped, but when they wished to see ozma wherever she might be hidden, only a round black spot appeared in the center of the canvas. "i don't see how that can be ozma!" said dorothy, much puzzled. "it seems to be the best the magic picture can do, however," said the wizard, no less surprised. "if it's an enchantment, looks as if the magician had transformed ozma into a chunk of pitch." chapter the little pink bear speaks truly for several minutes they all stood staring at the black spot on the canvas of the magic picture, wondering what it could mean. "p'r'aps we'd better ask the little pink bear about ozma," suggested trot. "pshaw!" said button-bright. "he don't know anything." "he never makes a mistake," declared the king. "he did once, surely," said betsy. "but perhaps he wouldn't make a mistake again." "he won't have the chance," grumbled the bear king. "we might hear what he has to say," said dorothy. "it won't do any harm to ask the pink bear where ozma is." "i will not have him questioned," declared the king in a surly voice. "i do not intend to allow my little pink bear to be again insulted by your foolish doubts. he never makes a mistake." "didn't he say ozma was in that hole in the ground?" asked betsy. "he did, and i am certain she was there," replied the lavender bear. scraps laughed jeeringly, and the others saw there was no use arguing with the stubborn bear king, who seemed to have absolute faith in his pink bear. the wizard, who knew that magical things can usually be depended upon and that the little pink bear was able to answer questions by some remarkable power of magic, thought it wise to apologize to the lavender bear for the unbelief of his friends, at the same time urging the king to consent to question the pink bear once more. cayke and the frogman also pleaded with the big bear, who finally agreed, although rather ungraciously, to put the little bear's wisdom to the test once more. so he sat the little one on his knee and turned the crank, and the wizard himself asked the questions in a very respectful tone of voice. "where is ozma?" was his first query. "here in this room," answered the little pink bear. they all looked around the room, but of course did not see her. "in what part of the room is she?" was the wizard's next question. "in button-bright's pocket," said the little pink bear. this reply amazed them all, you may be sure, and although the three girls smiled and scraps yelled "hoo-ray!" in derision, the wizard turned to consider the matter with grave thoughtfulness. "in which one of button-bright's pockets is ozma?" he presently inquired. "in the left-hand jacket pocket," said the little pink bear. "the pink one has gone crazy!" exclaimed button-bright, staring hard at the little bear on the big bear's knee. "i am not so sure of that," declared the wizard. "if ozma proves to be really in your pocket, then the little pink bear spoke truly when he said ozma was in that hole in the ground. for at that time you were also in the hole, and after we had pulled you out of it, the little pink bear said ozma was not in the hole." "he never makes a mistake," asserted the bear king stoutly. "empty that pocket, button-bright, and let's see what's in it," requested dorothy. so button-bright laid the contents of his left jacket pocket on the table. these proved to be a peg top, a bunch of string, a small rubber ball and a golden peach pit. "what's this?" asked the wizard, picking up the peach pit and examining it closely. "oh," said the boy, "i saved that to show to the girls, and then forgot all about it. it came out of a lonesome peach that i found in the orchard back yonder, and which i ate while i was lost. it looks like gold, and i never saw a peach pit like it before." "nor i," said the wizard, "and that makes it seem suspicious." all heads were bent over the golden peach pit. the wizard turned it over several times and then took out his pocket knife and pried the pit open. as the two halves fell apart, a pink, cloud-like haze came pouring from the golden peach pit, almost filling the big room, and from the haze a form took shape and settled beside them. then, as the haze faded away, a sweet voice said, "thank you, my friends!" and there before them stood their lovely girl ruler, ozma of oz. with a cry of delight, dorothy rushed forward and embraced her. scraps turned gleeful flipflops all around the room. button-bright gave a low whistle of astonishment. the frogman took off his tall hat and bowed low before the beautiful girl who had been freed from her enchantment in so startling a manner. for a time, no sound was heard beyond the low murmur of delight that came from the amazed group, but presently the growl of the big lavender bear grew louder, and he said in a tone of triumph, "he never makes a mistake!" chapter ozma of oz "it's funny," said toto, standing before his friend the lion and wagging his tail, "but i've found my growl at last! i am positive now that it was the cruel magician who stole it." "let's hear your growl," requested the lion. "g-r-r-r-r-r!" said toto. "that is fine," declared the big beast. "it isn't as loud or as deep as the growl of the big lavender bear, but it is a very respectable growl for a small dog. where did you find it, toto?" "i was smelling in the corner yonder," said toto, "when suddenly a mouse ran out--and i growled." the others were all busy congratulating ozma, who was very happy at being released from the confinement of the golden peach pit, where the magician had placed her with the notion that she never could be found or liberated. "and only to think," cried dorothy, "that button-bright has been carrying you in his pocket all this time, and we never knew it!" "the little pink bear told you," said the bear king, "but you wouldn't believe him." "never mind, my dears," said ozma graciously, "all is well that ends well, and you couldn't be expected to know i was inside the peach pit. indeed, i feared i would remain a captive much longer than i did, for ugu is a bold and clever magician, and he had hidden me very securely." "you were in a fine peach," said button-bright, "the best i ever ate." "the magician was foolish to make the peach so tempting," remarked the wizard, "but ozma would lend beauty to any transformation." "how did you manage to conquer ugu the shoemaker?" inquired the girl ruler of oz. dorothy started to tell the story, and trot helped her, and button-bright wanted to relate it in his own way, and the wizard tried to make it clear to ozma, and betsy had to remind them of important things they left out, and all together there was such a chatter that it was a wonder that ozma understood any of it. but she listened patiently, with a smile on her lovely face at their eagerness, and presently had gleaned all the details of their adventures. ozma thanked the frogman very earnestly for his assistance, and she advised cayke the cookie cook to dry her weeping eyes, for she promised to take her to the emerald city and see that her cherished dishpan was restored to her. then the beautiful ruler took a chain of emeralds from around her own neck and placed it around the neck of the little pink bear. "your wise answers to the questions of my friends," said she, "helped them to rescue me. therefore i am deeply grateful to you and to your noble king." the bead eyes of the little pink bear stared unresponsive to this praise until the big lavender bear turned the crank in its side, when it said in its squeaky voice, "i thank your majesty." "for my part," returned the bear king, "i realize that you were well worth saving, miss ozma, and so i am much pleased that we could be of service to you. by means of my magic wand i have been creating exact images of your emerald city and your royal palace, and i must confess that they are more attractive than any places i have ever seen--not excepting bear center." "i would like to entertain you in my palace," returned ozma sweetly, "and you are welcome to return with me and to make me a long visit, if your bear subjects can spare you from your own kingdom." "as for that," answered the king, "my kingdom causes me little worry, and i often find it somewhat tame and uninteresting. therefore i am glad to accept your kind invitation. corporal waddle may be trusted to care for my bears in my absence." "and you'll bring the little pink bear?" asked dorothy eagerly. "of course, my dear. i would not willingly part with him." they remained in the wicker castle for three days, carefully packing all the magical things that had been stolen by ugu and also taking whatever in the way of magic the shoemaker had inherited from his ancestors. "for," said ozma, "i have forbidden any of my subjects except glinda the good and the wizard of oz to practice magical arts, because they cannot be trusted to do good and not harm. therefore ugu must never again be permitted to work magic of any sort." "well," remarked dorothy cheerfully, "a dove can't do much in the way of magic, anyhow, and i'm going to keep ugu in the form of a dove until he reforms and becomes a good and honest shoemaker." when everything was packed and loaded on the backs of the animals, they set out for the river, taking a more direct route than that by which cayke and the frogman had come. in this way they avoided the cities of thi and herku and bear center and after a pleasant journey reached the winkie river and found a jolly ferryman who had a fine, big boat and was willing to carry the entire party by water to a place quite near to the emerald city. the river had many windings and many branches, and the journey did not end in a day, but finally the boat floated into a pretty lake which was but a short distance from ozma's home. here the jolly ferryman was rewarded for his labors, and then the entire party set out in a grand procession to march to the emerald city. news that the royal ozma had been found spread quickly throughout the neighborhood, and both sides of the road soon became lined with loyal subjects of the beautiful and beloved ruler. therefore ozma's ears heard little but cheers, and her eyes beheld little else than waving handkerchiefs and banners during all the triumphal march from the lake to the city's gates. and there she met a still greater concourse, for all the inhabitants of the emerald city turned out to welcome her return, and all the houses were decorated with flags and bunting, and never before were the people so joyous and happy as at this moment when they welcomed home their girl ruler. for she had been lost and was now found again, and surely that was cause for rejoicing. glinda was at the royal palace to meet the returning party, and the good sorceress was indeed glad to have her great book of records returned to her, as well as all the precious collection of magic instruments and elixirs and chemicals that had been stolen from her castle. cap'n bill and the wizard at once hung the magic picture upon the wall of ozma's boudoir, and the wizard was so light-hearted that he did several tricks with the tools in his black bag to amuse his companions and prove that once again he was a powerful wizard. for a whole week there was feasting and merriment and all sorts of joyous festivities at the palace in honor of ozma's safe return. the lavender bear and the little pink bear received much attention and were honored by all, much to the bear king's satisfaction. the frogman speedily became a favorite at the emerald city, and the shaggy man and tik-tok and jack pumpkinhead, who had now returned from their search, were very polite to the big frog and made him feel quite at home. even the cookie cook, because she was quite a stranger and ozma's guest, was shown as much deference as if she had been a queen. "all the same, your majesty," said cayke to ozma, day after day with tiresome repetition, "i hope you will soon find my jeweled dishpan, for never can i be quite happy without it." chapter dorothy forgives the gray dove which had once been ugu the shoemaker sat on its tree in the far quadling country and moped, chirping dismally and brooding over its misfortunes. after a time, the scarecrow and the tin woodman came along and sat beneath the tree, paying no heed to the mutterings of the gray dove. the tin woodman took a small oilcan from his tin pocket and carefully oiled his tin joints with it. while he was thus engaged, the scarecrow remarked, "i feel much better, dear comrade, since we found that heap of nice, clean straw and you stuffed me anew with it." "and i feel much better now that my joints are oiled," returned the tin woodman with a sigh of pleasure. "you and i, friend scarecrow, are much more easily cared for than those clumsy meat people, who spend half their time dressing in fine clothes and who must live in splendid dwellings in order to be contented and happy. you and i do not eat, and so we are spared the dreadful bother of getting three meals a day. nor do we waste half our lives in sleep, a condition that causes the meat people to lose all consciousness and become as thoughtless and helpless as logs of wood." "you speak truly," responded the scarecrow, tucking some wisps of straw into his breast with his padded fingers. "i often feel sorry for the meat people, many of whom are my friends. even the beasts are happier than they, for they require less to make them content. and the birds are the luckiest creatures of all, for they can fly swiftly where they will and find a home at any place they care to perch. their food consists of seeds and grains they gather from the fields, and their drink is a sip of water from some running brook. if i could not be a scarecrow or a tin woodman, my next choice would be to live as a bird does." the gray dove had listened carefully to this speech and seemed to find comfort in it, for it hushed its moaning. and just then the tin woodman discovered cayke's dishpan, which was on the ground quite near to him. "here is a rather pretty utensil," he said, taking it in his tin hand to examine it, "but i would not care to own it. whoever fashioned it of gold and covered it with diamonds did not add to its usefulness, nor do i consider it as beautiful as the bright dishpans of tin one usually sees. no yellow color is ever so handsome as the silver sheen of tin," and he turned to look at his tin legs and body with approval. "i cannot quite agree with you there," replied the scarecrow. "my straw stuffing has a light yellow color, and it is not only pretty to look at, but it crunkles most delightfully when i move." "let us admit that all colors are good in their proper places," said the tin woodman, who was too kind-hearted to quarrel, "but you must agree with me that a dishpan that is yellow is unnatural. what shall we do with this one, which we have just found?" "let us carry it back to the emerald city," suggested the scarecrow. "some of our friends might like to have it for a foot-bath, and in using it that way, its golden color and sparkling ornaments would not injure its usefulness." so they went away and took the jeweled dishpan with them. and after wandering through the country for a day or so longer, they learned the news that ozma had been found. therefore they straightway returned to the emerald city and presented the dishpan to princess ozma as a token of their joy that she had been restored to them. ozma promptly gave the diamond-studded gold dishpan to cayke the cookie cook, who was delighted at regaining her lost treasure that she danced up and down in glee and then threw her skinny arms around ozma's neck and kissed her gratefully. cayke's mission was now successfully accomplished, but she was having such a good time at the emerald city that she seemed in no hurry to go back to the country of the yips. it was several weeks after the dishpan had been restored to the cookie cook when one day, as dorothy was seated in the royal gardens with trot and betsy beside her, a gray dove came flying down and alighted at the girl's feet. "i am ugu the shoemaker," said the dove in a soft, mourning voice, "and i have come to ask you to forgive me for the great wrong i did in stealing ozma and the magic that belonged to her and to others." "are you sorry, then?" asked dorothy, looking hard at the bird. "i am very sorry," declared ugu. "i've been thinking over my misdeeds for a long time, for doves have little else to do but think, and i'm surprised that i was such a wicked man and had so little regard for the rights of others. i am now convinced that even had i succeeded in making myself ruler of all oz, i should not have been happy, for many days of quiet thought have shown me that only those things one acquires honestly are able to render one content." "i guess that's so," said trot. "anyhow," said betsy, "the bad man seems truly sorry, and if he has now become a good and honest man, we ought to forgive him." "i fear i cannot become a good man again," said ugu, "for the transformation i am under will always keep me in the form of a dove. but with the kind forgiveness of my former enemies, i hope to become a very good dove and highly respected." "wait here till i run for my magic belt," said dorothy, "and i'll transform you back to your reg'lar shape in a jiffy." "no, don't do that!" pleaded the dove, fluttering its wings in an excited way. "i only want your forgiveness. i don't want to be a man again. as ugu the shoemaker i was skinny and old and unlovely. as a dove i am quite pretty to look at. as a man i was ambitious and cruel, while as a dove i can be content with my lot and happy in my simple life. i have learned to love the free and independent life of a bird, and i'd rather not change back." "just as you like, ugu," said dorothy, resuming her seat. "perhaps you are right, for you're certainly a better dove than you were a man, and if you should ever backslide an' feel wicked again, you couldn't do much harm as a gray dove." "then you forgive me for all the trouble i caused you?" he asked earnestly. "of course. anyone who's sorry just has to be forgiven." "thank you," said the gray dove, and flew away again. the end the wonderful oz books by l. frank baum the wizard of oz the land of oz ozma of oz dorothy and the wizard in oz the road to oz the emerald city of oz the patchwork girl of oz tik-tok of oz the scarecrow of oz rinkitink in oz the lost princess of oz the tin woodman of oz the magic of oz glinda of oz the piebald hippogriff by karen anderson [transcriber's note: this etext was produced from fantastic stories of imagination may . extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the u.s. copyright on this publication was renewed.] _because this is a masculine world, the author of this fairytale is usually identified as the wife of poul anderson. but a few more incisive cameos of fantasy such as this, and mr. anderson may come to be identified as karen's husband._ the edge of the world is fenced off stoutly enough, but the fence isn't made that will stop a boy. johnny tossed his pack and coil of rope over it and started climbing. the top three strands were barbed wire. he caught his shirt as he went over, and had to stop for a moment to ease himself off. then he dropped lightly to the grass on the other side. the pack had landed in a clump of white clover. a cloud of disturbed bees hung above, and he snatched it away quickly lest they should notice the honeycomb inside. for a minute he stood still, looking out over the edge. this was different from looking through the fence, and when he moved it was slowly. he eased himself to the ground where a corner of rock rose clear of the thick larkspur and lay on his belly, the stone hard and cool under his chin, and looked down. the granite cliff curved away out of sight, and he couldn't see if it had a foot. he saw only endless blue, beyond, below, and on both sides. clouds passed slowly. directly beneath him there was a ledge covered with long grass where clusters of stars bloomed on tall, slender stalks. he uncoiled his rope and found a stout beech tree not too close to the edge. doubling the rope around the bole, he tied one end around his waist, slung the pack on his back, and belayed himself down the cliff. pebbles clattered, saxifrage brushed his arms and tickled his ears; once he groped for a hold with his face in a patch of rustling ferns. the climb was hard, but not too much. less than half an hour later he was stretched out on the grass with stars nodding about him. they had a sharp, gingery smell. he lay in the cool shadow of the world's edge for a while, eating apples and honeycomb from his pack. when he was finished he licked the honey off his fingers and threw the apple cores over, watching them fall into the blue. little islands floated along, rocking gently in air eddies. sunlight flashed on glossy leaves of bushes growing there. when an island drifted into the shadow of the cliff, the blossoming stars shone out. beyond the shadows, deep in the light-filled gulf, he saw the hippogriffs at play. * * * * * there were dozens of them, frisking and cavorting in the air. he gazed at them full of wonder. they pretended to fight, stooped at one another, soared off in long spirals to stoop and soar and stoop again. one flashed by him, a golden palomino that shone like polished wood. the wind whistled in its wings. away to the left, the cliff fell back in a wide crescent, and nearly opposite him a river tumbled over the edge. a pool on a ledge beneath caught most of the water, and there were hippogriffs drinking. one side of the broad pool was notched. the overflow fell sheer in a white plume blown sideways by the wind. as the sun grew hotter, the hippogriffs began to settle and browse on the islands that floated past. not far below, he noticed, a dozen or so stood drowsily on an island that was floating through the cliff's shadow toward his ledge. it would pass directly below him. with a sudden resolution, johnny jerked his rope down from the tree above and tied the end to a projecting knob on the cliff. slinging on his pack again, he slid over the edge and down the rope. the island was already passing. the end of the rope trailed through the grass. he slithered down and cut a piece off his line. it was barely long enough after he had tied a noose in the end. he looked around at the hippogriffs. they had shied away when he dropped onto the island, but now they stood still, watching him warily. johnny started to take an apple out of his pack, then changed his mind and took a piece of honeycomb. he broke off one corner and tossed it toward them. they fluttered their wings and backed off a few steps, then stood still again. johnny sat down to wait. they were mostly chestnuts and blacks, and some had white stockings. one was piebald. that was the one which, after a while, began edging closer to where the honeycomb had fallen. johnny sat very still. * * * * * the piebald sniffed at the honeycomb, then jerked up its head to watch him suspiciously. he didn't move. after a moment it took the honeycomb. when he threw another bit, the piebald hippogriff wheeled away, but returned almost at once and ate it. johnny tossed a third piece only a few yards from where he was sitting. it was bigger than the others, and the hippogriff had to bite it in two. when the hippogriff bent its head to take the rest johnny was on his feet instantly, swinging his lariat. he dropped the noose over the hippogriff's head. for a moment the animal was too startled to do anything; then johnny was on its back, clinging tight. the piebald hippogriff leaped into the air, and johnny clamped his legs about convulsed muscles. pinions whipped against his knees and wind blasted his eyes. the world tilted; they were rushing downward. his knees pressed the sockets of the enormous wings. the distant ramparts of the world swung madly, and he seemed to fall upward, away from the sun that suddenly glared under the hippogriff's talons. he forced his knees under the roots of the beating wings and dug heels into prickling hair. a sob caught his breath and he clenched his teeth. the universe righted itself about him for a moment and he pulled breath into his lungs. then they plunged again. wind searched under his shirt. once he looked down. after that he kept his eyes on the flutter of the feather-mane. * * * * * a jolt sent him sliding backward. he clutched the rope with slippery fingers. the wings missed a beat and the hippogriff shook its head as the rope momentarily checked its breath. it tried to fly straight up, lost way, and fell stiff-winged. the long muscles stretched under him as it arched its back, then bunched when it kicked straight out behind. the violence loosened his knees and he trembled with fatigue, but he wound the rope around his wrists and pressed his forehead against whitened knuckles. another kick, and another. johnny dragged at the rope. the tense wings flailed, caught air, and brought the hippogriff upright again. the rope slackened and he heard huge gasps. sunlight was hot on him again and a drop of sweat crawled down his temple. it tickled. he loosened one hand to dab at the annoyance. a new twist sent him sliding and he grabbed the rope. the tickle continued until he nearly screamed. he no longer dared let go. another tickle developed beside the first. he scrubbed his face against the coarse fibre of the rope; the relief was like a world conquered. then they glided in a steady spiral that carried them upward with scarcely a feather's motion. when the next plunge came johnny was ready for it and leaned back until the hippogriff arched its neck, trying to free itself from the pressure on its windpipe. half choked, it glided again, and johnny gave it breath. they landed on one of the little islands. the hippogriff drooped its head and wings, trembling. he took another piece of honeycomb from his pack and tossed it to the ground where the hippogriff could reach it easily. while it ate he stroked it and talked to it. when he dismounted the hippogriff took honeycomb from his hand. he stroked its neck, breathing the sweet warm feathery smell, and laughed aloud when it snuffled the back of his neck. tying the rope into a sort of hackamore, he mounted again and rode the hippogriff to the pool below the thunder and cold spray of the waterfall. he took care that it did not drink too much. when he ate some apples for his lunch, the hippogriff ate the cores. afterward he rode to one of the drifting islands and let his mount graze. for a while he kept by its side, making much of it. with his fingers, he combed out the soft flowing plumes of its mane, and examined its hoofs and the sickle-like talons of the forelegs. he saw how the smooth feathers on its forequarters became finer and finer until he could scarcely see where the hair on the hindquarters began. delicate feathers covered its head. the island glided further and further away from the cliffs, and he watched the waterfall dwindle away to a streak and disappear. after a while he fell asleep. * * * * * he woke with a start, suddenly cold: the setting sun was below his island. the feathery odor was still on his hands. he looked around for the hippogriff and saw it sniffing at his pack. when it saw him move, it trotted up to him with an expectant air. he threw his arms about the great flat-muscled neck and pressed his face against the warm feathers, with a faint sense of embarrassment at feeling tears in his eyes. "good old patch," he said, and got his pack. he shared the last piece of honeycomb with his hippogriff and watched the sun sink still further. the clouds were turning red. "let's go see those clouds," johnny said. he mounted the piebald hippogriff and they flew off, up through the golden air to the sunset clouds. there they stopped and johnny dismounted on the highest cloud of all, stood there as it turned slowly gray, and looked into dimming depths. when he turned to look at the world, he saw only a wide smudge of darkness spread in the distance. the cloud they were standing on turned silver. johnny glanced up and saw the moon, a crescent shore far above. he ate an apple and gave one to his hippogriff. while he chewed he gazed back at the world. when he finished his apple, he was about to toss the core to the hippogriff, but stopped himself and carefully took out the seeds first. with the seeds in his pocket, he mounted again. he took a deep breath. "come on, patch," he said. "let's homestead the moon." the end