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diff --git a/75720-0.txt b/75720-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..890c095 --- /dev/null +++ b/75720-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4407 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75720 *** + + + + + + JACK PUMPKINHEAD of OZ + + By RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON + + Founded on and continuing the Famous Oz Stories + + _By_ + L. FRANK BAUM + "Royal Historian of Oz" + + _Illustrated by_ + JOHN R. NEILL + + The Reilly & Lee Co. + Chicago + New York + + COPYRIGHT 1929 + _by_ + THE REILLY & LEE CO. + + All Rights reserved + + _This book is affectionately dedicated to my aunt Joe_ + _Ruth Plumly Thompson_ + + + + +Dear Boys and Girls: Did YOU ever hear of the Land of the Barons, of a +Red Jinn or the City of Scares? Well, neither did I! Neither did Jack +Pumpkinhead. But there they were all the time, and trouble brewing for +everybody. And speaking of Jack Pumpkinhead, I've always suspected +he was brighter than he appeared to be and had more in his head than +pumpkin seeds and now I'm convinced of it. + +Why, even when Jack lost his head, he kept on thinking, and a chap +who can serve his country after he is beheaded and use his head after +he has been officially executed deserves a place with the greatest +celebrities of the day. So, no wonder this book is about Jack. If it +had not been for him, Ozma would be polishing the palace piano and +Dorothy and Betsy washing the dinner dishes, like as not, and all of +the other famous folk swinging mops, brooms and dusters; slaves of +Mogodore the Mighty, who descended from the Land of the Barons to +capture the Emerald City. + +Even now, the mere mention of Mogodore makes Ozma shudder and the +Cowardly Lion shake. And right here, I must put in a good word for +Peter, the little boy from Philadelphia. Peter, wishing himself to Oz, +dropped into the middle of the excitement, was captured and imprisoned, +threatened and enchanted, during his efforts to save the country from +the wicked baron. But seeing his old friends again, and meeting the +Iffin made up for all the discomfort and danger and as I am anxious for +you to meet this new merry monster, I'll stop writing so you can begin +the story. A whole year of happiness and fun! + + RUTH PLUMLY THOMPSON + +254 S. Farragut Terrace, West Philadelphia, Penn., May, 1929. + + + + + List of Chapters + + + 1 Peter and the Pirate's Sack + + 2 The Chimney Villains + + 3 What the Green Tree Said + + 4 Scary Times in Scare City + + 5 Peter Meets the Iffin + + 6 The Bearded Baron Appears + + 7 Belfaygor's Strange Story + + 8 A Way to Cross the Chasm + + 9 The Forbidden Flagon + + 10 The City of Baffleburg + + 11 In the Castle of Mogodore + + 12 The Escape from Baffleburg + + 13 The Enchanted Cavern + + 14 High Times in Swing City + + 15 Peter Opens the Pirate's Sack + + 16 In the Palace of the Red Jinn + + 17 The Capture of the Emerald City + + 18 Mogodore Meets More Magic + + 19 The Forbidden Flagon Acts + + 20 The Wedding Feast + + 21 Peter's Return to Philadelphia + + + + + CHAPTER 1 + + Peter and the Pirate's Sack + + +The rain beat heavily on the roof, swirled down the side walks and made +tumbling torrents of the gutters. Turning from the window in disgust, +Peter dropped his baseball mitt on the library sofa and started glumly +toward the stair. No practice to-day, doggone it! Why couldn't it rain +on Mondays and be clear on Saturdays for a change? How was he to have +the team in trim for the big match if this sort of thing kept up? + +Kicking crossly at each step, Peter progressed toward the attic. Not to +waste the day, he resolved to have a look at his fishing tackle. The +thought of the fishing trip he was soon to take with his grandfather +cheered him considerably and by the time he had switched on the attic +light and dragged out the old chest where he kept his treasures, he was +whistling softly to himself. On top of the chest lay two coarse sacks. +They were neatly folded in half and as Peter lifted them off he gave an +amused little chuckle. + +"I wonder what's happened in Oz lately," mused Peter, sitting down in +front of the chest with the sacks on his lap. "I wonder whether Ozma +knows what I did with the pirate's gold pieces and whether the Gnome +King has got into any more mischief." And thinking of that enchanting +and enchanted Kingdom, Peter forgot all about his fishing tackle. + +Now many of you may have read or heard of the marvelous Land of Oz, but +Peter had really been there; had met the Scarecrow and the wonderful +Wizard; had kept the Gnome King from conquering the Emerald City and +even discovered a pirate ship full of treasure. The pirate who owned +the ship had once been a real pirate, so when Ozma, the little girl +ruler of Oz, transported Peter and the treasure back to Philadelphia, +two of the bags of gold had been real gold and these bags had come with +him. These very sacks that Peter held across his knees had once bulged +with gold pieces. And those of Peter's friends and relations who had +sniffed at the story of his amazing journey to Oz never had been able +to explain them away. + +Peter's grandfather, with whom the little boy lived, had not tried to +explain them, for Peter's grandfather was old enough to believe almost +anything. So he and Peter had spent one bag of gold very gaily on a +trip to the coast, on motorcycles for Peter and his best friends, on a +club house for the team, on canoes and some more things, too. The other +bag they had changed into United States dollars and put into the bank, +so that Peter might go to college and other important places when he +was grown. And now, with the rain drumming steadily on the roof, Peter +fell to dreaming again of Oz, of its curious Kings and castles, its +wizards and witches and magic transformations. Could it have been two +years ago that he and the Gnome King escaped from Runaway Island? + +"I wish," sighed Peter, giving the top sack a little shake, "I wish I +could go back to Oz sometime. Hello! What's this?" In the corner of the +top sack he felt something hard and round and thrusting in his hand +drew out a thin shiny piece of gold. "Why, here's one we didn't find," +chuckled Peter, holding it up to the light. "It's not so large as the +others. I believe I'll keep it for a lucky piece." Resting his head +against a small trunk, Peter sank back and was soon lost in pleasant +reveries. "Gee-whiz!" he breathed at last, flipping the pirate's +coin into the air. "It certainly would be great to go to Oz again. I +wish I were there right now!" As the gold piece dropped into Peter's +palm, Peter himself dropped out of sight. At least, he was no longer +in the attic, or in Philadelphia either, for that matter. He was, to +be perfectly truthful, standing before a small yellow cottage in the +middle of a pumpkin field, and the whole trip, reflected Peter, staring +around a bit wildly, had taken no longer than one puff and swallow. A +drop such as this was enough to make a body puff and swallow several +times, so he did. Then, having regained a little of his composure, he +looked uncertainly at the yellow house. + +It was shaped like an enormous hollowed out pumpkin, but had several +windows and a front door, so Peter walked boldly up the steps and +knocked twice. He could hear footsteps running about inside and +presently a head was thrust out the second story window. + +"Who's there?" asked the owner of the house, staring down curiously. + +[Illustration: _"Who's there?" asked the owner of the house, staring +out curiously._] + +"It's me, er--er it's I!" Peter, remembering his grammar corrected +himself quickly. + +At this, the owner of the house, in order to have a better look at his +visitor, leaned so far out the window that Peter gave a sharp cry. + +"Oh look out!" he called warningly, for the man's head seemed ready to +fall off, was falling off, in fact. + +"I am looking out," it called cheerfully, as it turned over and over in +the air. "That's just the trouble! Catch my head will you?" And next +minute Peter found himself clasping a large pumpkin head in both arms. + +"Did you say your name was Cy?" asked the head, staring up inquiringly. +"Well carry me indoors, Cy. You'll find my body around somewheres." + +"This must be Oz," choked Peter, with an excited little gasp and, +kicking open the door, he hurried into the cottage. A tall awkward body +sprawled on the floor and there was certainly something familiar about +the hollow eyes staring so pleasantly into his own. + +"My body has fallen down the stairs," observed the pumpkin head calmly. +"It should have waited for me, for nobody should be without a head." +Peter agreed heartily with this last statement and, setting the +head on the table, he pulled the awkward figure to its feet and then, +standing on a chair, pressed the head carefully on the wooden peg that +served for a neck. + +"Why it's Jack Pumpkinhead!" he cried delightedly. "Didn't I meet you +in Ozma's palace two years ago? Don't you remember me?" + +Jack looked doubtfully down at the little boy. "I'm afraid that I +don't," he answered seriously. "You see, I have had several new heads +since then, and am not very good at remembering." + +"Never mind. I remember you!" Peter smiled kindly at the awkward fellow +and, squeezing his wooden fingers, went on. "My name is Peter and--" + +"I thought you said your name was Cy," objected Jack in a puzzled voice. + +"Oh no I didn't," explained Peter, a little vexed at the pumpkin head's +stupidity. "I said it's I at the door." + +"Cy at the door and Peter in the house. How dreadfully confusing," +mumbled Jack, putting one hand to his head to see if it was on +straight. "Have you a different name for every place you go?" + +"Oh call me Peter!" exclaimed the little boy impatiently, "and if +you'll just tell me the way to the Emerald City I'll not bother you +any more. I'm anxious to see Ozma and Dorothy again." + +"Are you a friend of Ozma's?" interrupted Jack in high excitement. +"Well, I'll do anything for a friend of Ozma's. Ozma is my father!" +Running to the door Jack clattered down the steps, beckoning for Peter +to follow him. + +"Father!" cried Peter, with a little burst of laughter, and then +realizing one could not expect too much sense from a pumpkin head, he +hurried out of the cottage. The pirate's sack still hung over his arm +and, tossing it gaily over one shoulder, Peter stepped quickly after +Jack, and clapped him on his shoulder. + +"By the way, how did you reach Oz?" Picking his way carefully between +the rows of pumpkins, Jack paused and turned his head with both hands +so he could look back at Peter. Briefly Peter told him of finding the +last coin in the pirate's sack, how he had wished to be in Oz and +suddenly found himself standing before the yellow cottage. "It must +have been a magic coin," muttered Jack Pumpkinhead, starting on again. +"I tell you," he gave an excited skip, "that gold coin was a piece of +change. You wished to come to Oz for a change and here you are!" + +"Yes," agreed Peter slowly. "But where is the gold piece?" + +"You can't have the change and the gold piece too," reproved Jack, +wagging his wooden finger, "and you'd rather have the change, now +wouldn't you?" Peter nodded and glanced sharply at Jack. His head +seemed to be working better. Jack returned Peter's look with a long, +steady stare. "Do you know," he said, stepping deliberately over a high +fence onto a gold paved highway, "You remind me more and more of my +dear father." + +"Your dear father," exploded Peter, sitting down on the top rail of the +fence. "I thought a while ago you told me that Princess Ozma was your +father." + +"She is," answered Jack, marching calmly along the highway. + +"But Ozma's a girl," shouted Peter indignantly, catching up with Jack. +"How could a girl be your father and how could I remind you of Ozma?" + +"Ozma was not always a girl," explained Jack mysteriously. "Once +Ozma was a boy like you. I see you have never heard my strange story," +finished Jack in a hurt voice--looking reproachfully down at Peter. +Though Peter had met Jack Pumpkinhead at Ozma's palace he had to admit +that he knew nothing of his interesting history. So, as they sauntered +slowly along the highway, Jack told how Ozma, as a baby had been stolen +by Mombi, the witch, and transformed into a boy named Tip. For nearly +nine years, Tip had lived in Mombi's hut, entirely ignorant of the fact +that he was the real ruler of Oz. It was to scare Mombi that Tip had +first manufactured the Pumpkinhead Man. Jack's wooden arms and legs +had been skillfully carved from strong saplings. His body, made of a +tough piece of bark, was pinned together with wooden pegs. A larger peg +served Jack for a neck and a carved pumpkin made his head. With some +old clothes he found in Mombi's attic, Tip had dressed the queer figure +and stood him in the bend of the road to scare the old witch on her +return from a visit to the crooked wizard's. + +"Well, was Mombi scared?" inquired Peter, looking admiringly at Jack's +jointed wrists and ankles and thinking what a smart boy Ozma must have +been. + +"At first," admitted Jack slowly. "At first! Then, wishing to try out +some of the magic she had traded with the wizard she sprinkled me with +the powder of life and immediately I came to life and have been alive +ever since," he finished modestly. + +"But what happened to Tip?" begged Peter, for he felt that the most +exciting part of the story was to come. + +"Well," continued Jack with a solemn shake of his head, "as Mombi +threatened to turn Tip to a marble statue, we both ran away that night, +taking the powder of life with us. Next morning Tip found a saw-horse +standing in a wood and, sprinkling it with some of the powder, brought +it to life as Mombi had done me. On this strange steed we reached the +Emerald City and helped the Scarecrow, who was then Emperor, escape +from Jinjur's army of girls, who had captured the capitol. After many +curious adventures we reached the palace of Glinda, the Good Sorceress +of the South. We begged her to help us restore the Scarecrow to his +throne, but Glinda, by referring to her magic records, discovered that +Ozma was the rightful ruler of the Kingdom. Returning to the Emerald +City, Glinda forced Mombi to disenchant Tip, Tip became Ozma and Ozma, +as you well know, has been our gracious little sovereign ever since." + +"What a shame," breathed Peter kicking at a stone, "I should think +she'd much rather have stayed a boy." + +"So should I," agreed Jack, "but as I am only a pumpkin head my opinion +is probably of no value. I certainly have no reason to complain," he +went on cheerfully. "Ozma gave me the fine cottage which you saw this +morning and I spend all my time growing new heads. Before one pumpkin +spoils, I quickly carve myself another and have had dozens of heads +in my day, which makes me a personage, even in Oz. This head I'm now +wearing will last quite a long time for it's still a bit green." + +"Well, it looks all right," said Peter, smiling up at Jack. + +"Do you think so?" Jack's carved grin seemed to grow even broader at +Peter's polite remark. "If it were not for my joints, I'd be as good as +anyone," he confided, tapping his chest proudly. "But walking wears out +my joints so I never walk far at a time." + +"Is it far to the Emerald City?" Shading his eyes Peter blinked down +the gay gold highway and then turned rather anxiously to his cheerful +companion. He certainly did not want good natured Jack to wear out any +joints on his account. + +"No distance at all," retorted Jack, with a stiff wave ahead. "Around +that bend the houses and trees will be green, for we will be on the +outskirts of the capitol, and from there it is but a step to the +palace." At Jack's word Peter gave a satisfied little sigh. It was all +coming back--his geozify. Oz! How well he remembered that great oblong +Kingdom, divided into four smaller kingdoms, with the Emerald City in +the exact center. In the Eastern Winkie Country of Oz, the houses, +fences, fruit and flowers were all yellow; in the Southern Quadling +Country they were red. In the Northlands of the Gillikens they were +purple and in the Western Kingdom of the Munchkins they were blue. From +the daffodils in all the fields and the round yellow farm houses, Peter +knew they were in the Winkie Country, but at the next turning they +should find the green trees and parks surrounding the loveliest city in +Oz. + +Thinking of this enchanting spot, its gay and jolly inhabitants and +the welcome he was sure to find in the palace, Peter quickened his +steps, reaching the bend of the road far ahead of Jack. But instead of +flowering gardens and green parkways the highway ended abruptly in a +high red brick wall. There was a small black door in the wall. In red +letters on this door were two words--"Enter Here." Peter was staring +uncertainly at these directions when Jack caught up with him. + +"Well Cy! What now?" he demanded merrily. "See, I remembered you were +Cy, at the door. Ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" + +"Oh do try to be sensible," begged Peter in an annoyed voice. "Can't +you see that this wall is red? We must be in the Quadling Country, +Jack. You've come the wrong way and we're lost! Now, the question is +whether to go back the way we came or go through this door and try to +find a short cut to the Emerald City." + +"I was afraid this head was not quite ripe enough," mumbled Jack in a +worried voice. "Perhaps if we go through this door and turn straight +North we'll find the Emerald City just as quickly as if we turn back." + +"Perhaps," echoed Peter doubtfully. Then, as he was beginning to feel +an overpowering curiosity as to what might be on the other side of the +wall, he opened the black door and stepped through. + + + + + CHAPTER 2 + + The Chimney Villains + + +"Now I'm Santy Claus," mumbled Jack, feeling around for his head. Both +he and Peter had stepped off into space and tumbled together down a +long dark passageway. "We've fallen down a chimney," continued Jack, +finding his head and settling it firmly on his shoulders. "I must say +this is a great way to enter a city." + +"It is a grate," said Peter, with a little groan, for he was sitting +astride a pair of iron fire dogs, "but how do you know it's a city?" +Fortunately there was no fire burning in the grate and, picking up the +pirate's sack, Peter stepped out into a large red square. Jack had to +bend almost double to get out at all and as he straightened up a sign +hanging on the outside of the chimney caught his attention. + +"Please shut the grate after you," directed the sign. Being an obliging +fellow, Jack pulled the handle at the right and a sliding black screen +completely closed off the opening. Dusting the soot from his frayed +coat, Jack joined Peter. + +"Nothing but chimneys," marvelled the little boy with a low whistle. +"I've often seen houses without chimneys but never chimneys without +houses." The square was simply bristling with chimneys, all red and of +every shape, size and description. They seemed to sprout like queer +flowers from the red flags that paved the square. Chimneys! Chimneys! +Chimneys! So close together there was scarcely space to walk. "Who +could possibly live here?" said Peter, with a scornful sniff. + +"Whee! Whee--ee! We do!" A hundred high voices answered his question. +They seemed to issue from the chimneys themselves, and as Jack and +Peter peered anxiously upward strange smoky figures began to spiral out +of the chimney tops and float in a dark mass over their heads. They +looked like evil genii or goblins who had long been imprisoned in magic +bottles. Their shapes and faces changed constantly and as a whole horde +of them dropped downward, Peter stepped closer to Jack. "They're only +smoke," he explained reassuringly. + +"Yes, dear Peter," quavered Jack, "but smoke is most injurious to +pumpkins! Oh my head! My poor poor head!" Peter had no time to +sympathize with Jack, for at that moment a crowd of Smokies surrounded +them. Their eyes were spite-red sparks and, snatching at Peter and Jack +with their long shadowy arms, they began to hiss and puff threateningly. + +"Can you curl?" demanded one, snapping his eyes close to Peter. "Can +you curl, and do a double spiral? Can you make soot and smoulder?" + +"No! No! No!" coughed Peter, snatching out his handkerchief and waving +it wildly about his head. "Go away! Go away. You're making me all +black." + +"Ha, Ha, Ha!" shrieked a great smoky giant. "That's the color you +should be. This is Chimneyville, but wait till you see our Soot Sooty +down below. Come to our Sooty and see how black and beautiful you will +become." + +"We won't," cried Jack Pumpkinhead defiantly, "we won't come or become. +If this is Chimneyville, then you are Chimney-villains. Go away you +black monsters. We refuse to visit your old Sooty. Go away, go away. +You're smoking my beautiful head." Trying to cover his head with his +arms, Jack backed against a chimney, but his words only seemed to +infuriate the Smokies. Swelling with rage, they surged forward. + +"Smoke 'em up! Smoke 'em out! Throw 'em down the chimneys!" they +sputtered. "Now then, boys, all together!" While Peter and Jack struck +out left and right, the grim gray specters tried to lift them into the +air. But there was no strength in their vapory arms and with little +shrieks and hisses they pressed closer and closer. + +"Run!" panted Peter, who was almost suffocated. The smoke did not +affect Jack and, taking Peter's hand, he tried to pull the little boy +along. But the air was now so thick with their pursuers they could +hardly see at all and bumped and crashed into chimneys at every turn. +The last bump flung them headlong, and for a moment they lay perfectly +still, while the Chimney-villains swept screaming overhead. It was +dark as midnight, for the Smokies had all run together into a great +suffocating cloud. Even the tiny sparks that were their eyes had +gone out, and in utter and awful darkness Peter finally stumbled to +his feet. Coughing and sputtering and with tears pouring down both +cheeks, he felt in his pocket for another handkerchief, and as he did +his fingers closed over a small candle end. Immediately a bright idea +struck Peter, and with a gasp he felt around for Jack's head. Pulling +the stout stem in the top he lifted out the piece Jack had cut when +he hollowed out the pumpkin. Striking a match he lit the candle end, +spilled in a few drops of candle grease and set the candle erect. Then +replacing the top of Jack's head he jerked him to his feet. + +"What have you done?" faltered the Pumpkinhead in a faint voice. "My +head feels very light, dear Peter, but I seem to see much better." + +"So do I," choked the little boy, muffling his nose in his coat sleeve, +"we can both see better. Come on, you're lit up and my Jack o' Lantern +now!" The bobbing light in the pumpkin's head seemed to puzzle their +enemies, but Peter, guided by the cheery glow, pushed bravely through +the clouds and crowds of them. The smoke still stung his eyes and +throat, but he kept dodging chimney after chimney, and finally pausing +to rest against an especially broad one, discovered a slide like the +one they had come thru in the first place. Jerking it open Peter pulled +Jack into the grate and closed the slide. There was another slide at +the back of the chimney place and as the Smokies poured against the +first slide Peter opened the second and stepped out into a quiet little +wood. + +"A great way in and a great way out," observed Jack, following Peter +quickly and slamming the slide after him. + +"And a great way from everywhere," puffed Peter, dropping down on the +nearest tree stump and staring resentfully up at the red wall. It +looked the same from this side as from the other. Not a chimney showed, +nor one puff of smoke, to warn luckless travellers of the disagreeable +citizens of Soot City. It was so great a relief to breathe pure air +again and find himself in real daylight that Peter sat for several +minutes drinking in the fresh forest breezes and freeing his lungs +from the bitter smoke. Then, standing up on the stump, he called Jack +and blew out the candle in his pumpkin head. "You certainly saved my +life that time," said Peter feelingly. "If you had not lighted me out +of there I'd have been a smoked herring by this time. How do you feel +yourself, dear Jack?" + +"A little light headed," confessed Jack earnestly, "but on the whole, I +rather liked it. It seems to me I felt brighter." + +"You mean you could think better?" asked Peter, staring hard at Jack, +and trying not to laugh. + +"Yes," Jack nodded gravely, "so please light me up again dear Peter." + +"It might not be good for you," said the little boy doubtfully. "It +might make you light headed and giddy. Besides, pumpkins are only lit +at night or in the dark and it's quite light out here." + +"Oh are they?" Jack looked terribly disappointed. "Well any time you +need a lantern, just light me up. Shall we go on to the Emerald City +now?" + +"Well, we might try to," answered Peter looking around with lively +interest. "Can you walk a little farther? Do your joints feel all +right?" Although Jack was much taller than he, Peter felt somehow +responsible for the flimsy fellow. It rather flattered him to have +Jack so obedient to his wishes and so dependent upon his advice. +After examining his joints carefully, Jack decided he might go a bit +further, so Peter washed his face in a little stream and at the same +time removed the soot from Jack's, and they prepared to continue +their journey to the capitol. Taking his direction from the sun, Peter +started North through the little wood. From the cardinals and robins, +from the red beech and holly trees, he knew he must still be in the +Quadling Country and when he saw a small red cottage in a clearing just +ahead, he was sure of it. + +Goody Shop, announced a sign, swinging from the crooked roof. "Hurrah!" +shouted Peter, breaking into a run. "Maybe I can buy something to eat +here. It must be nearly lunch time and I'm starved." + +"Oh do be careful," warned Jack, holding on to his head with both +hands as he dashed hurriedly after Peter, "they may not be the kind +of goodies you expect." The shop was dim and dark and behind the red +counter sat a prim little old lady in a ruffled gown. + +"Good morning!" puffed Peter with a polite bow. + +"Our good morning is all gone," said the old lady, rising stiffly from +her tall stool, "but we have a very good afternoon, would you care for +that?" She squinted anxiously at Peter. "And will you take it with you +or have it sent?" + +"Have it sent," advised Jack in a hollow voice for he did not relish +the old lady's expression. + +"I wanted to buy something good," explained Peter hastily. + +"Well why didn't you say so in the beginning," snapped the shop keeper +testily. "One minute it's good morning and now it's goodbye. What kind +of a goodbye do you want, long, short, fond or sorrowful?" At this +strange question, Jack turned his head with both hands and simply +stared at the old lady, and Peter himself began to feel terribly +confused. + +"What kind of goods do you sell here?" he demanded anxiously. + +"All the goods," answered the old lady proudly, "but dry goods mostly. +Waving toward the shelves, she folded her arms and looked suspiciously +at her two customers, while Jack and Peter curiously surveyed her wares. + +"Good news! Good advice! Good Intentions! Good Days! Good Night! Good +Excuses! Good Riddance!" cried Peter, reading out the labels on the +bottles and boxes. "How odd! Good Ideas! Good Tempers! Good Notions! +Good Times!" + +"Come, come," muttered the old lady, tapping her foot impatiently on +the floor, "make up your minds. You may each choose one," she decided +finally, as neither Peter nor Jack seemed able to decide. "Why don't +you take a good excuse?" she suggested, turning to Peter. "Boys are +always needing good excuses, and a fresh batch has just come in--good +ones too!" + +"I think I'll take some good advice," announced Jack in a timid voice. +"I'm not very bright and it might be useful." + +"But haven't you anything good to eat?" sighed Peter. "A good lunch or +dinner, even a breakfast would do." With an impatient flounce the old +lady reached up on a top shelf and handed Peter a small red box. Then +giving Jack a red envelope, she shooed them out of her goody shop. + +"I wish I'd taken some good excuses," murmured Peter, as they walked +slowly down the crooked path. "This box is too small to hold a good +meal of any kind." + +"What does it say?" asked Jack inquisitively. + +"A good breakfast," answered Peter reading the red label. "Well, even +if it's only a biscuit or just one sausage, I'll eat it." Eagerly Peter +raised the lid. "Why it's bird seed," he exclaimed angrily, flinging +the box with all his force into a red-berry bush. "What a cheat! I've a +good notion to go right back and tell her what I think of her." + +"But she didn't charge you anything," observed Jack mildly, "and you'll +have to admit it is a good breakfast!" + +"A good breakfast," roared Peter, glaring indignantly at his +loose-jointed companion. + +"Well, it is a good breakfast," finished Jack Pumpkinhead +apologetically, "for a bird." Peter looked closely at Jack to see +whether he was poking fun at him, but quite soberly, Jack was opening +his good advice. + +"What does yours say?" Crowding closer, Peter read the words on the +thin slip of paper and then began to hop up and down with glee. + +"Keep your mouth shut," advised the red paper briefly. + +"Call that good advice?" sputtered Jack Pumpkinhead, tearing the paper +into tiny pieces. "How can I keep my mouth shut when it's carved open? +Of all the silly nonsense!" + +"But you'll have to admit that keeping your mouth shut is good advice," +teased Peter, completely restored to good humor by this joke on Jack. + +"Then why don't you take it?" asked Jack stalking stiffly ahead. "Take +it and welcome!" Smothering another chuckle, Peter hurried after Jack, +reflecting to himself that this Pumpkinhead Man was not nearly so +foolish as he appeared to be. + + + + + CHAPTER 3 + + What the Green Tree Said + + +"Won't Dorothy and Ozma be surprised when we turn up at the palace?" +Taking a running jump, Peter cleared a tree and then hurried back to +help Jack Pumpkinhead across. + +"I'll be surprised myself," said Jack, stepping solemnly over the log. +"Here we are at the end of this wood and no signs of the Emerald City +at all. Do you see anything green, Peter?" Peter shook his head, for as +far as the eye could reach there was nothing but rocks and sand, tinged +with the rusty red of the Quadling Country. + +"I see red, nothing but red," sighed the little boy in a depressed +voice. "Wait, there's one green tree, though--a fir tree. Why, it's +running straight for us. Hey! Look what you're doing! Get off my foot!" +Giving the tree a quick shove, Peter sprang backward. But the tree +leaned a little further over, and resting its lower branches on his +shoulders began to sob heavily. + +"I'm very tired," it panted in a weak whisper, "very tired!" It spoke +through a hollow in the center of its trunk and its knot eyes stared +mournfully into Peter's own. + +"Well, you can't lean on me," exclaimed Peter crossly, giving it +another push. "I'm tired too! Why I never heard of such a thing," he +continued in an indignant voice. "What are you doing, where are you +going, why don't you act like a regular tree?" Wrenching the branches +from his shoulders, Peter stepped off and eyed it angrily. + +"You don't belong in this country anyway," put in Jack accusingly. +"You're green and you know it!" + +"Hush," muttered the tree, putting a lower branch over its mouth. +"I'm a Christmas Tree, looking for last year's ornaments." There were +a few gay colored balls still clinging to the top and as Peter, too +astonished to make any reply continued to stare, the tree drew closer. + +"Are you a Christmas present?" it asked hoarsely. "Are you an ornament?" + +"Oh go away!" laughed the little boy, giving it another shove. "Do I +look like a Christmas present? And can't you see we're not ornaments?" +With a little chuckle, he waved at his companion. + +"I could use his head," murmured the tree, squinting through its +branches at Jack. "It's not at all pretty, but it would light up and +look real merry. Here you!" With a sudden pounce the tree made for +Jack. "Give me your pumpkin head and no nonsense either!" As Jack and +Peter both jumped back together, a simply astonishing thing happened. +From the end of each branch on the Christmas tree a hand shot out, and +with each hand extended it dashed after them. + +"See! I trim myself!" it yelled, snapping its fingers hilariously. +"Come here you provoking boy. I'll wager you have plenty of stuff in +your pockets I could use for presents. Have you a watch or a gold pen +knife?" At each question, it made greedy snatches at Peter. "Let me +pick your pockets! Give me your head you great jumping-jack!" Ten of +its hands just grazed Jack's coat-tails. + +At first Peter had been rather amused by the Christmas tree, but now, +thoroughly alarmed, he clutched Jack's hand and ran so fast that Jack +had all he could do to hold on to his head and keep from stumbling. +As they continued to elude it, the determined little tree grew very +angry. Hopping up and down its roots, it seized the ornaments from its +top branches and hurled them one after another at the fleeing pair. +Three balls and a candy cane crashed to bits on Peter's head, and as he +dodged in between two big boulders a silver dinner bell tied with red +ribbon hit him sharply between the eyes. + +"Gee-whiz!" spluttered the little boy, clapping his hand to his +forehead, "this is no fun!" Pulling Jack after him, he squeezed into a +narrow crevice between the rocks, but before he did Jack leaned down, +picked up the bell and slipped it into his pocket. As the Christmas +tree attempted to push its way between the rocks, Peter and Jack +pressed against a rough wall at the back. Now it happened that in this +wall there was a swinging rock door, and as they both leaned hard +against it, the door swung inward and spilled them abruptly into a +narrow stone corridor. Next instant the door slammed to, leaving them +sitting in surprise and consternation on the rocky floor. They could +hear the tree pounding with all its fists against the panels, but a +bolt had dropped into place as the door closed, so there seemed little +danger of further pursuit. + +"I wish we'd stop this falling about," complained Peter, picking +himself up a bit wearily. "We're always doing something we don't +expect." + +"That's because we're in Oz," answered Jack cheerfully, "and at any +rate, we have saved my head from the Christmas tree." + +Peter felt inclined to remark that saving Jack's head was not so very +important, but thinking better of it, he went on in an exasperated +tone: "Christmas trees in our country don't chase people nor throw +things at them. They stay where they're put." + +"Yes," said Jack Pumpkinhead blandly, "I suppose they do, but Oz +Christmas trees are more progressive, more up-and-coming." Taking out +the silver bell the Christmas Tree had thrown at Peter, Jack held it +close to his ear and then swung it slowly to and fro. At its first +silver ring Peter, thinking it would rouse the owner of the cave, +rushed over to stop Jack, only to collide violently with a tiny black +slave who had apparently sprung up from nowhere. He wore a simply +enormous turban and carried an immense silver tray. Regaining his +balance with great composure, the little black slave set the tray on +the floor, folded his arms and with a deep bow melted into thin air. + +"It's a dinner!" shouted Peter, dropping on the floor and hungrily +snatching off the white napkin that covered the tray. "Well, of all +things!" + +"Unexpected things, you mean," corrected Jack slyly, "and I notice you +don't object to this one." + +"Let me see that bell," puffed Peter, reaching across the tray. It was +not very light in the cavern, but even so he could read the inscription +on the shining silver surface. "The Red Djinn's dinner bell," said the +carved letters mysteriously. "A magic dinner bell," exclaimed Peter +delightedly. "This certainly makes up for the bird seed. And did you +see that boy dissolve into nothing right before our eyes?" Jack nodded. + +"Better eat that dinner before it does the same thing," he advised +calmly. As this seemed not at all improbable, Peter made short work +of the roast duck, mashed potatoes, hot rolls and apple sauce. He had +just finished the last roll, when tray, dishes and silverware vanished +suddenly. + +"Shall I ring the bell again?" inquired Jack, as Peter stared dazedly +at the spot where the tray had been. Although Jack was not constructed +for eating, he had thoroughly enjoyed watching Peter. + +"No," decided the little boy with a satisfied nod, "I've had enough, +and it was good. But I wonder how that Christmas tree got hold of the +Red Djinn's dinner bell?" + +"Stole it probably," answered Jack, rubbing the bell on his sleeve. +"Maybe the old Djinn didn't run fast enough. Anyway it's a regular +Christmas present for you, Peter. Whenever you're hungry we'll just +ring it." With a pleased chuckle, Jack slipped the bell back into his +pocket. + +"It certainly will be useful," sighed Peter, patting his stomach with +a contented little sigh. Now that his hunger was satisfied, he felt +quite cheerful and adventurous again. "Let's see where this passageway +leads," he added, peering round the dark corner at the end of the +little corridor. + +"Why don't you throw that old sack away?" inquired Jack Pumpkinhead, as +they walked slowly along the strange hallway. "What good is it?" + +"I don't know," answered Peter, swinging the pirate's sack carelessly +to and fro. "I had it when I landed here and it might come in handy to +carry things in." + +"What kind of things?" asked Jack stupidly. Peter did not bother to +answer for they had come suddenly upon a great scowling goblin-head +lantern. Under the lantern hung a flashing red sign. + +"T--remble!"--directed the sign in big red letters. + +"I don't see why we should tremble," said Peter, squinting defiantly +up at the goblin lantern. At Peter's words the lantern went out, and +whistling through the dark windy corridor came such a succession of +wails, sighs and horrid screeches that Peter's heart stood still. + +"Are you trembling?" quavered Jack, as the hair raising noise died +away. "Not exactly," stuttered Peter, leaning against the wall to +steady himself. As the lantern flashed on again, he peered anxiously +all around. But there was no one in sight, so putting back his +shoulders and taking a deep breath Peter marched bravely forward. +"There's nothing to be frightened about," he called reassuringly over +his shoulder. + +"Well, nothing certainly made enough noise," murmured Jack, +straightening his head which had spun round and round at the horrible +outcrys. "I wish we were safely out of this, dear Peter." Peter did not +say so, but he heartily echoed Jack's wish. As they progressed along +the strange corridor the goblin lanterns became more numerous and ugly, +and the last turn brought them to a high, red, spiked gate. On every +spike there was a frowning scare head, and as the two travellers paused +uncertainly, each head stuck out its tongue. + +"Boo--OO!" shrieked the heads all together, so loud and so shrilly that +Peter almost took to his heels and Jack, without meaning to at all, sat +down. As the little boy hurriedly tugged him to his feet, the red gates +swung open. + +"Welcome to Scare City!" boomed a horrid voice. "Quake! Shake! Pale and +tremble!" + + + + + CHAPTER 4 + + Scary Times in Scare City + + + + +On the other side of the spiked gate rose a curious cliff city. There +was a great court in the center surrounded by a mass of jagged rocks +and from the rocks narrow cliff dwellings had been crudely hewn and +cut. Crooked, carved steps led down into the courtyard and every +rock and inch of wall space was covered with roughly drawn heads and +frowning faces, while set on stone poles at regular intervals were +hundreds of goblin lanterns. A bluish green smoke hung in the air +and every minute or so it would rise and form into the words "Scare +City! Scare City! Scare City!" so that altogether the whole effect was +exceedingly grim and unpleasant. So much so, in fact that Peter and +Jack turned to flee. But the arm that had pulled them through the gate, +held them fast. + +"Pause!" commanded a harsh voice. "Pause! Pale and behold the Chief +Scarer!" Swallowing hard, Peter took an unwilling look at the gate +keeper. He was about six feet tall and his head seemed to be face all +round, with eyes on every side and noses that stuck out like spikes in +every direction. As Peter, with a little shiver, turned away, he began +to speak again. "You!" rumbled the Chief Scarer, pointing a skinny +finger at Jack, "are a perfect fright! But you," contemptuously he +looked Peter up and down, "you would not even scare a baby. How dare +you come here with that soft white pudding face?" Now Peter, as you +can well imagine was thoroughly frightened, but the words of the gate +keeper made him angry and anger made him bold. Stamping his foot and +drawing his face into a terrible scowl, Peter stuck out his tongue. + +"Is this better?" he demanded furiously. + +"A little! A little!" sighed the Chief Scarer, leaning thoughtfully on +his staff. "Could you cross your eyes?" + +"Don't you do it Peter!" begged Jack. "They might stay that way." + +"Well, suit yourself," yawned the Scarer indifferently. "I doubt +whether either of you will pass the tests anyway, and if you don't +you'll be turned into Fraid Cats, or scared stiff. You're supposed to +tremble in the presence of the King, you know, and if you run you'll +turn to Fraid Cats and if you scream you'll be scared stiff. Remember, +now, I warned you." Lifting a red whistle to his lips, the Chief +Scarer blew three sharp blasts and then stepped back into his niche in +the rocks. + +"Who's afraid?" muttered Peter in a defiant voice. "They can't scare +us, can they Jack?" Before Jack could answer, a perfect horde of Scares +rushed out of the rock dwellings and began to tumble and leap down +the steps into the court. Halfway down, they paused and one with a +particularly frightful face bawled impressively; "Tuh-remble, for you +are in the presence of the King!" Jack and Peter had no trouble at all +in trembling. Jack's knees knocked together so hard that one of the +pegs fell out of his joints and his pumpkin head bounced up and down +upon its peg. Peter twisted his hands behind him and gritted his teeth +to keep from screaming. He felt exactly as he had when he was a small +boy and a rough crowd of Hallow'een ghosts and goblins pounced suddenly +upon him in his own front yard. + +"They're no worse than masqueraders," said Peter pluckily. "Don't run! +Don't scream, Jack, no matter what happens." + +"What I don't see, won't frighten me," answered Jack, and reaching up +with both hands he turned his head so that the back was toward the +Scares. Each Scare was different but each one was dreadful. Some had +blue faces, some red faces and others green faces but they all had +dozens of noses and the result was more than terrifying. Scurrying +here and there in between the feet of the Scares, were the Fraid +Cats meouwing piteously when anyone trod on them. Instead of tails +these singular beasts had two heads, one at each end so that it was +impossible to tell whether they were coming or going. Swallowing +nervously, Peter resolved that whatever happened he would not run and +turn into one of these two-headed tom cats. When the Scares almost +reached the spot where the two travellers stood trembling, the one they +called King stepped out on a high flat rock. He had a horn for a nose, +a lion's mane, pig eyes, donkey ears and billy goat whiskers. + +"Three groans for Harum Scarum the Seventh," shouted his subjects and +proceeded to groan most lustily, while Harum Scarum, waving both arms, +addressed Peter and Jack in words so long and frightening that the air +fairly quivered, and bits of rock, loosened from the walls, rattled +down like hail stones. + +"What is he saying?" panted Jack, who still had his head turned. + +"They're trying to scare us with big words," shouted Peter above the +awful din. "Don't move, Jack; whatever you do, don't move." + +"But suppose they run over us?" wailed Jack Pumpkinhead dolefully. +Peter had thought of this himself and as the Scares, evidently +disappointed at not making them run, stopped shouting and prepared to +attack, he seized Jack's hand and whispered frantically. "Here they +come! Here they come! What shall we do? What _shall_ we do?" How Jack, +with only a pumpkin head, ever thought of the magic dinner bell Peter +often wondered afterward. But he did think of it, and before the Scares +had advanced a foot he snatched out the bell and shook it furiously. +Instantly the little slave appeared, set a tray before Peter and +vanished. And Peter, without delay, seized the silver dishes full of +food and hurled them at the oncoming foe. + +The astonishment of Harum Scarum and his band was comical to behold. +Hit by flying forks, spoons, tumblers, bowls of chicken and mashed +potatoes and finally by the silver tray itself, they paused in utmost +confusion. Before they could pick up the flying missiles they had +disappeared and when, with yells and shouts they started forward again, +Jack rang the Jinn's bell a second time and a third time and a fourth +time and with never a pause Peter flung dinners and dishes at their +heads. But when Jack rang the bell a fifth time, the little slave +appeared and, looking reproachfully at Peter, set down only one small +bowl of soup. Five dinners in less than five minutes was too much for +even a magic dinner bell. + +With a gasp of dismay, Peter flung the bowl at Harum Scarum and then +snatching the pirate sack from his shoulder swung it defiantly round +his head. Nothing could save them now, but at least, decided Peter, he +would go down fighting. Jack, too, seemed to realize the hopelessness +of their situation and, turning his head, boldly confronted the Scares, +doubling up his wooden fists, prepared to struggle till he fell. With +noodle soup in his goat's beard and fury in his pig eyes, Harum Scarum +rushed at Peter. As he did, the pirate sack jerked out of the little +boy's hand. The strings had been loosened by Peter's wild swings and +now the mouth was open wide. Sailing through the air like a small +Zeppelin, it scooped up Harum Scarum, then the ten Scares behind him, +then the ten Scares behind them, snapping and swallowing, snapping and +swallowing till not a Scare nor a Fraid Cat remained in the courtyard. +Then swiftly the sack returned to Peter and quietly collapsed at his +feet. There was not a sound in that whole strange city, nor a single +Scare in the sack. + +"Why didn't you tell me you had a grab bag?" stuttered Jack. "Tie it +up quick; do you want it to grab us?" With trembling hands and stiff +fingers Peter pulled the cords in the top of the sack, and sinking down +in a tired heap leaned his head against the stones. The battle with the +Scares and the strange behaviour of the pirate's sack had almost been +too much for him. Where in Pete had the Scares gone and how could the +sack be empty? Jack equally agitated took several jerky steps up and +down and then paused in front of Peter. + +"What now?" asked Jack Pumpkinhead inquiringly. "What now?" + +"Let's get out of here!" exclaimed Peter, and taking a long breath he +jumped to his feet. + +"Are we going to take that?" Fearfully Jack pointed to the pirate's +sack. + +"Of course!" said Peter, trying to speak in a matter of fact voice. "It +might help us out again." + +"Do you wish to be helped out of sight?" wheezed Jack sarcastically. +"Why it may swallow us any minute that our backs are turned." + +"Not if we keep it tied," answered Peter with more confidence than +he felt. "We really ought to take it to the Emerald City to show the +Wizard. I don't believe even the Wizard has seen a sack like this. It's +a trained sack, I suppose. That pirate taught it to swallow his enemies +and now it will swallow ours." + +"All right, bring it if you must, but don't swing it near me." +Straightening his head resignedly, Jack began looking around for the +peg that had fallen out of his knee joint. When Peter had found and +replaced the little wooden piece, they hurried quickly to the entrance +of the city. The gate keeper had been swallowed with the rest of the +Scares and though Jack and Peter pulled and pushed and tugged they +could not budge the iron bolts. + +"Maybe there's another way," puffed Peter, finally giving up the +attempt. Turning from the entrance, they walked round and round the +courtyard and climbed wearily up and down the rocks, but could find no +break in the wall, nor any way out of the grim City. + +The dead silence, now that the Scares were gone, was dreadfully +depressing. Thoroughly discouraged, Peter and Jack sat down on a block +of granite. Leaning his head against a red pillar, Peter took a last +despairing look around. As his eye travelled slowly over the court, +a red stone griffin, or what Peter had supposed to be a red stone +griffin, rose majestically from the base of a pillar. With a terrific +stretch and yawn it opened its eyes, blinked in surprise at Peter and +Jack, then raising one claw called gently, "Who?" What? Whither? Why?" + + + + + CHAPTER 5 + + Peter Meets the Iffin + + +"Boy! Pumpkin! Emerald City! Because!" answered Jack who was extremely +literal. "If everyone would answer me as sensibly as he does," said +the griffin, "I'd talk all day. So you say you're leaving this place +because----" + +"Because we hate it," said Peter, looking steadily at the strange +speaker. So many things had happened in the last hour that Peter felt +only a slight twinge of surprise at the creature's curious appearance +and conversation. "Are you a griffin?" Peter asked, rubbing his +forehead wearily. It looked not unlike pictures he had seen of this +rare and fabulous monster--being sandy red in color, with a huge +lion's body and dragon's claws. Its head, instead of being the usual +eagle head, was of rather a doggish nature with a stand-up mane and +inquisitive, pointed ears. + +"You must be a griffin," repeated Peter, noting the powerful wings +starting from the monster's shoulders. + +"I am a griffin without the gr--rr," answered the animal, sitting +dolefully back on its haunches. "I used to be a real griffin, but since +my capture and imprisonment here I've completely lost my gr--rr, which +makes me by the process of simple subtraction an Iffin. To while away +the hours of my captivity," it went on patiently, "I acquired the habit +of thought. I thought and I thought and thinking brought on iffing. I +began to if about this and that till I became a philosopher. + +"What is a philosopher?" asked Jack suspiciously. + +"A philosopher is an Iffin too," rumbled the singular beast, scratching +his ear reflectively. "He thinks practically all the time and he says +to himself: + + "If this and that are really so, then so are that and this; + That being so, 'tis best to go so far, then one can't miss! + +"Everything hinges on the if," he finished brightly. "See?" + +"I'm afraid I don't," said Jack, shaking his head stupidly. "Do you, +Peter?" + +"Well, I understand about the if," answered the little boy, who could +not help grinning at Jack's puzzled expression. "If the Iffin will +just show us the way out of Scare City, we'll go and not miss a single +thing." + +"If it were not for the Scares, I would," wheezed the big beast, +peering nervously up at the rocks. "But it's no use; they'll only turn +you to Fraid Cats or statues. Besides I'm chained." He lifted one paw +to which a heavy chain and padlock were attached. The other end of the +chain was fastened to the base of the pillar. + +"Say, you must be a sound sleeper," marvelled Jack. "Didn't you hear +the big battle? This boy and I have conquered the whole city and Harum +Scarum and the Scares are gone--vanished, done for." + +"Gone!" cried the Iffin, lashing its tail in astonishment. "How? When? +Where?" Jack pointed silently to the sack which Peter still had over +one shoulder, and Peter quickly told of their exciting encounter with +the citizens of Scare City, of the great usefulness of the Red Jinn's +dinner bell and the way the pirate sack had finally swallowed down the +whole company of horrors. At Peter's recital, the Iffin's eyes grew +rounder and rounder and as he finished it put up both wings and with +short agitated jumps shrieked: + + "The Scares are gone, then what scare we! + The Scares are gone, we're free, we're free! + +"Loose this chain," it panted, tugging impatiently away from the post. +As Peter, now as excited as the Iffin, looked hurriedly around for a +bar or stone to break the padlock, Jack stepped forward and warningly +held up his hand. + +"Just what do you eat?" asked Jack Pumpkinhead in an anxious voice. +"Are you carniverous?" + + "If an Iffin were carniverous, would he relish red geraniums? + I live on flowers, solely, so please get that through your craniums. + +"What did you think I ate, little boys?" finished the Iffin sulkily. + +"Well, you never can tell," murmured Jack, with a worried glance at +Peter. "I just wanted to be sure." Peter chuckled to himself, and while +looking for a spike discovered a gold key suspended from a nail on one +of the red pillars. Taking the key, he fitted it into the rusty padlock +and after several unsuccessful attempts it turned and the heavy chain +fell with a loud clank to the red paving stones. + +"Do you really eat geraniums?" asked Peter, as the Iffin sprang away +from the post and rushed in crazy circles around the court yard. + +"Of course," it snorted boisterously. "Of course!" Then spreading its +wide red wings it soared majestically into the air--up, up and out of +sight. + +"Why it's gone!" shouted Jack Pumpkinhead indignantly. "There's +gratitude for you! Gone and left us without even a claw shake or thank +you." + +"Maybe it will come back." Kicking aside the chain, Peter strained his +eyes to catch a glimpse of the flying monster, but not one speck showed +in the murky sky overhead. If Jack and Peter had been blue before, they +were navy blue now. With their only means of escape removed they looked +blankly at one another, while the goblin lanterns glowed and smoked and +the sulphurous air of the cliff city grew more dry and unbearable. + +"If I'd only made it promise to help us before I turned the key," +sighed Peter regretfully. + +"Hah! So you're an Iffin, too." Peering around a pillar, the bright +red eyes of the sandy colored beast winked merrily into Peter's. "Just +trying out my wings," it explained gruffly, "and they're wonderful! + + "If you don't think so, listen to them swirl and whirl and swish; + Climb on my back, I'll carry you to any place you wish." + +"Will you really," cried Peter, falling joyfully on the Iffin's neck. +"Can you take us to the Emerald City?" + +"If you want me to," answered the Iffin, wagging its tail bashfully. + +"Have you a name," inquired Jack Pumpkinhead, getting stiffly off the +granite block. + +"Well," said the Iffin slowly, "I've been here so long I forgot my real +name but the Scares called me Snif. I'm not sure I know the way to the +Emerald City, but I will fly over the wall into the Land of the Barons +and there we can surely find some one to direct us. Since you have +freed me from my captors I will serve you faithfully for seven years." + +"Hurrah!" shouted Peter, hugging Jack. "I'm not sure I can stay in Oz +that long, but I'm certainly glad we fell into this city. Meeting you +was worth all the trouble. + +"In reply the Iffin chortled: + + "If you hadn't come, I'd be here yet, + So I'm glad as a Gluckbird that we met." + +"What's a Gluckbird?" asked Jack, straightening his head and looking +rather severely at the irrepressible monster. + +"If I knew I'd tell you," confided the Iffin, coming close to whisper +in Jack's ear. "Let's make ourselves scarce around here," he called +boisterously in the next breath. + +"Oh let's," agreed Peter, swinging up the pirate's sack. "You mount +first Jack and be sure to hold fast to your head." + +"And be sure that bag's shut," added the Iffin, wiggling his nose +rapidly. "I've never travelled with a magic sack and though I fly I'm +no swallow!" + +"Is the dinner bell all right?" asked Peter, tightening the cord of the +pirate's sack and helping Jack climb on Snif's back. There was just +room for the Pumpkinhead to sit astride in front of the Iffin's wings +and Peter settled himself comfortably back of Jack between the mighty +pinions. With one last scornful look at the red city, the Iffin rose +into air, mounting higher till the goblin lights of Scare City were no +larger than fire flys twinkling below. + +"Were you a prisoner long?" asked Peter, as Snif flew swiftly over a +bright red forest. + +"Five years," bellowed the big beast, looking over its shoulder. Flying +seemed no effort at all and it talked quite easily as it flew. "The +first year," it explained sadly, "I struggled and growled so hard in my +efforts to escape that I completely lost my gu-r-r-r. See!" Clearing +its throat, the Iffin attempted a growl but succeeded in producing only +a faint squeak. "After I lost my gu--rr," it went on in a melancholy +voice, "I amused myself making up iffish verses, a habit I fear I shall +never recover from." + +"I like it," said Peter after a short pause. "It reminds me of Scraps. +She's a live Patchwork Girl who lives in the Emerald City. Scraps talks +in verses all the time. + + "If the Patchwork Girl can talk in rhyme + She must be most as smart as I'm." + +smiled Snif, with a wink at Jack Pumpkinhead. + +"She is," laughed Peter with a reminiscent chuckle. "I say, there must +have been a lot of travellers from the number of Fraid Cats in Scare +City. Why did they have two heads?" + +"So they'd be forced to look at Scares which ever way they turned," +sighed the Iffin. "Every Scare had his cave full of statues of people +who had come to Scare City by mistake and been frightened stiff. You +were lucky to escape." + +"Well," admitted Peter with pardonable pride, "it's pretty hard to +scare the Captain of a baseball team and Jack is not easily frightened +either." + +"So I see, er--saw," observed the Iffin politely. + +"When we reach the Emerald City, Ozma will find a way to release all of +these prisoners wherever they are," said Peter confidently. "But how +did they capture you?" + +"I dropped into the city at night," said the Iffin, "and before I saw +how bad it was they overpowered and chained me up. They wanted me to +stay and devour all travellers and even when I refused they kept me as +a curiosity. And that's all I'll be from now on," it wheezed heavily. +"I'll never get the taste of sulphur out of my throat, the picture of +the Scares out of my mind or be able to growl again. I'm quite all +wrong." + +"You seem all right to me," said Peter, with a little sigh of content. +"Wait till you see the Emerald City. You'll forget all about the Scares +and never ever want to leave again, will he Jack?" + +"Never," answered Jack, with a solemn nod. + +"I have heard the capitol is very lovely," mused the Iffin, "but my +home is beautiful, too." + +"Where do you live?" inquired Peter. Jack was too busy holding on his +head to join in the conversation. + +"In the Land of the Barons, among these hills." Pausing in mid air, the +Iffin pointed with its claw to the rolling hillside below. Here and +there above the trees and on the hill tops lordly castles reared their +round, red towers. Flags fluttered from every turret and Peter had to +admit that the Land of the Barons looked extremely interesting and gay. + +"Are these barons pleasant fellows?" he asked, putting a steadying arm +around Jack Pumpkinhead. The Iffin answered in verse: + + "If they're good, they're good as pie, + But some are bad and make things fly--even me." + +"You mean there are all kinds," mused Peter. + +"Yes," said the Iffin. "And they're always fighting, but I don't +mind battles. I just fly around till they're over and they're quite +interesting to watch." + +"I hope we don't land in the middle of a battle," sighed Peter. "And I +hope the first Baron we meet is a good fellow and knows the way to the +Emerald City." + + "If he is, and if he does, we'll be as gay as never was; + And if he's not and if he don't, we'll find a way, swumped if we + won't!" + +"You use such funny words," sniffed Peter, as the monster circled lower +and lower. But the Iffin made no answer this time, for he was looking +for a good place to land. Presently he found one, and next instant +they dropped gently down into a peaceful valley. As Peter and Jack +tumbled off in great excitement, Snif folded his wings and blinking +self-consciously murmured, "Well, here we are. Do you like it?" + + + + + CHAPTER 6 + + The Bearded Baron Appears + + +After Scare City almost any place would have looked beautiful to +Jack and Peter, and this quiet valley overgrown with vines and sweet +smelling flowers, seemed lovely indeed. + +"You're a whiz, Snif," exclaimed the little boy, looking around +appreciatively. "Why, you travel faster than an aeroplane. You're even +better than one, for you can walk and talk as well as fly." + +"Swim, too," grunted the Iffin, panting a little from the exertion of +the journey. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll run along and find +some geraniums. They grow wild around here and I'm wild about 'em." + +"Don't get lost," begged Jack Pumpkinhead, for this accommodating new +steed seemed almost too precious to let out of their sight. "Shall I go +with him?" he whispered hurriedly to Peter. + +"It might hurt his feelings," said Peter, dropping luxuriously into the +long fine grass. "Let's rest till he comes back and then we can hunt up +one of these barons and inquire the way to the Emerald City." + +Rolling over on his back and looking up at the drifting summer clouds, +Peter gave a long sigh of content. "Why, this is almost as interesting +as my last trip to Oz, Jack--travelling around with you this way and +meeting an Iffin, and everything. No matter what happens we're not so +badly off for we have a sack to swallow our enemies, a magic dinner +bell to supply us with food and an enchanted steed to carry us wherever +we wish to go. Gee, I wish some of the fellows were along! I wish my +Grandfather had been with us in Scare City. You were great, Jack, to +think of that dinner bell!" + +"Was I?" Leaning against a tall young beech, Jack beamed down at Peter. +"You were great, too," he insisted generously. "I never saw anyone +throw so straight and so hard." + +"Playing baseball does that," explained Peter, clasping his arms +behind his head. "We'll have to have a game when we reach the capitol. +Say look! Here are some wild strawberries." Scooping them up by the +handful, Peter began to eat hungrily. "Did you ever see such large +ones?" + +"The Quadling Country is noted for its red fruits," answered Jack +proudly, "its strawberries, apples, cherries and red bananas. Sometimes +I wish I were made to enjoy eating," he finished, looking rather +wistfully at Peter. + +"You do miss a lot," agreed the little boy sympathetically, "but then +on the other hand, you never suffer from hunger and could never starve +to death. But here comes Snif." Swallowing the last of the strawberries +Peter ran to meet the Iffin. Several geraniums still drooped from the +corners of his mouth and he was loping along humming cheerfully to +himself. + +"All aboard for the Emerald City," he called merrily, as he came +closer. "That ought to please your long legged friend, there. He's all +board from his neck down, anyway." Smiling at Snif's little joke, Peter +picked up the pirate's sack, helped Jack to mount and sprang nimbly up +behind him. + +"Are we going to fly or walk," he asked curiously. + +"Waddle," puffed the Iffin with a droll wink. "I'm so full of geraniums +I'd simply sink if I tried to fly, so if you're all ready we'll waddle +along." + +"I'm afraid waddling won't be at all good for my head," objected Jack, +as the Iffin started off with swinging, uneven strides. Peter laughed +as Jack continued to protest against waddling, but the Iffin was too +busy practising gu--rrs to pay any attention to the Pumpkinhead. + +"It's funny," it muttered between its teeth. "I can say gu-rr but I +can't growl it, and until I can growl, I'm no griffin." + +"Oh, what do you care," said Peter. "Any old grouch can growl, but not +many can fly, swim, waddle and make verses like you do. I'd rather be +an Iffin than a griffin, any day." + +"That's because you never were either," sighed the big monster with a +little shake of his head, and quickening his pace he galloped along +so swiftly that Peter and Jack had all they could do to hang on. Once +out of the valley, the country spread before them, like a gay and +enchanting map. Little patches of shadow lay on the velvety hills, +small wooded parks dotted the hollows and many castles were visible in +the distance. Beyond, a huge range of red mountains lifted their craggy +heads to the sky. + +"We'll stop at the first castle," decided the Iffin, jumping without +effort a tall timber fence that enclosed one of the parks. Red deer +scattered right and left, as the huge monster rushed by and they were +progressing finely when, from the center of the park where the trees +were thickest, came a sharp, shrill wail. "Perhaps we'd better try the +second castle," panted the Iffin, flattening back his ears: + + "If that looks like it sounds, I prefer not to look; + It's either a Snort or a sort of Gazook." + +Before Jack could inquire what a Snort or Gazook might be, before +the Iffin could even turn, steps came pattering toward them, and out +through the trees rushed a tall, trembling old man in a red cloak. + +"I am a mess! I am a mess! I am a mess!" he croaked, flinging out both +arms desperately. + +"Tut! Tut!" reproved the Iffin, putting up his ears. "If you don't +shout it so loud, maybe no one will find you out. Keep it quiet, I beg +of you." + +"I am a mess, I am a mess, a mis-erable mesmerizer," insisted the old +man, drawing his hand wearily across his brow and leaning heavily +against a tree. + +"It's against the law to mes, to mes--I mean to mesmerize," said Jack, +staring severely at the strange apparition. "Ozma has forbidden the +practise of magic in Oz. Don't you know that?" + +"I know no law but the law of Belfaygor of Bourne," said the old man +haughtily. + +"And who is Belfaygor," inquired Peter, standing up on the Iffin's back +to get a better view of this curious person. + +"Lord of these Lands, and my illustrious Master. Alas! Alas! What have +I done! Unhappy him! Unhappy I! Unhappy us. I am a mess! I am a mess! +a most mis-erable mesmerizer." Burying his face in his hands, the old +man rushed blindly past them, and long after he had gone his piercing +groans came echoing back to them. + +"Now what do you suppose he did do?" asked Peter, settling himself +thoughtfully between the Iffin's wings. + +"Belfaygor, Belfaygor," mused Snif, repeating the name over several +times. "I remember now--he's one of the good barons. Let's go on to +his castle and see what has happened to him." But they did not have to +wait till they reached the castle to find out, for halfway through the +park, they came upon the baron himself. His ruby crown, magnificent red +boots, richly embroidered cape, proclaimed his rank at once, but it +was his beard that Peter saw first and never forgot afterward--a red +beard that flashed and flowed down his breast and swirled around his +feet in an angry red tide. With his head thrown back, a pair of shears +in each hand, Belfaygor was clipping desperately at the shining waves +that seemed to pour in a steady torrent from his chin. At each clip he +groaned and at each groan he clipped. + +"My beard!" choked the baron. "My bride and my beard!" And so engrossed +and distressed was the unhappy gentleman that he neither saw nor heard +the Iffin's approach. + +"So this is what comes of mesmerizing," snorted Snif, stopping so +suddenly he almost unseated his riders. "His beard is running away with +him. What can we do about it?" + +"Can we be of any help?" called Peter, more practically. "Is there +anything we can do Mr. Baron?" At Peter's question, Belfaygor gave a +great start; then blinking up half seeingly at the strange company, +gloomily shook his head. + +"Nothing can help me," moaned the baron, clipping furiously, "for +nothing can stop this beard from growing. And that's not the worst, +Mogodore the Mighty has stolen the Princess I was to marry and each +time I try to run to rescue her my beard trips me up. Woe, woe, woe! +Was ever a man so unhappy--so unlucky as I?" + +[Illustration: "Miserable mesmerizer," repeated the Baron dully.] + +"Where are your men," asked Snif, wrinkling up his nose anxiously. + +"Gone," said the Baron dully. "Frightened off by my beard, they have +deserted me down to the smallest train bearer." + +"You don't need a train bearer. What you need is a beard bearer," +puffed Jack Pumpkinhead, dismounting stiffly and stepping as close as +he dared to the baron. "If you throw your beard over your shoulder, it +will grow the other way," he suggested amiably. For a moment Belfaygor +stared slowly at Jack, then flinging the red beard over one shoulder he +extended both arms. + +"That's the only sensible thing I've heard since I was mesmerized," he +shouted hoarsely. "I hereby appoint you Royal Bearer of the beard." + +"Thanks," murmured Jack, looking doubtfully at Peter. + +"Who are you?" demanded the baron in growing excitement and +appreciation. "This Griffin I have seen before, but you, my good fellow +are most odd and curious." + +"He is a Pumpkinhead, magically brought to life," volunteered Peter +"and some pumpkins," he finished, with a wink at the Iffin. + +"No, only one," corrected Jack modestly. "I am a subject of Ozma of Oz +and this boy is from America. As we are all on our way to the Emerald +City, I cannot bear your beard." + +"Neither can I," mourned the Baron, dropping his arms wearily. "Oh! Oh! +Who will save poor little Shirley Sunshine?" The Baron looked so tired +and dejected that Peter felt sorry for him. + +"Is Shirley Sunshine the Princess you are to marry?" he asked +curiously. "Who is this Mogodore? Why not tell us the whole story, +maybe we can help you?" + + "If wings will help and a magic sack, + You'll soon have your little Princess back," + +promised the Iffin, sitting on his haunches beside Peter. "Speak," he +urged, raising his claw imperiously. "Speak, for we are all attention." + + + + + CHAPTER 7 + + Belfaygor's Strange Story + + +With a gusty sigh, the red baron looked from one to another and then, +fixing his eyes sadly on Peter, he began to speak. Since the extremely +sensible suggestion of Jack Pumpkinhead, his beard no longer poured +round his ankles but, sweeping over his shoulder, disappeared in a red +streak between the trees. Every little while he would cut it off, and +the steady snip-snip of the shears ran like a sharp punctuation all +through the strange story of his misfortune. + +"This morning," confided Belfaygor in a mournful voice, "this +morning I was the happiest Lord in the Land, for my marriage with +Shirley Sunshine, whose father lives on the next hillside, had been +satisfactorily arranged. My palace had been redecorated to please +the Princess and all my retainers newly outfitted for the wedding. +Everything, in fact, was in readiness to receive her, and I myself +was about to start for her father's castle, when I became suddenly +dissatisfied with my appearance." Overcome by his feelings the baron +paused for a full moment, and Peter stood up on Snif's back to see how +far the red beard had grown since the last clip. With a little gasp he +saw it shoot through the branches of a tall tulip tree, and as he sat +down Belfaygor tearfully continued his recital. + +"So I sent for my chief mesmerizer," he said sorrowfully, "a good +old man and exceedingly well versed in necromancy. I asked him if it +would be possible to grow a beard, as I felt that a fine long beard +would greatly improve my appearance. There was not time to grow one +naturally, so this mesmerizer----" + +"This miserable mesmerizer," corrected the Iffin, switching his tail +furiously. + +"Miserable mesmerizer," repeated the baron dully, "caused a long +red beard to grow upon my chin." Snipping off a silky length of the +offending whiskers, he tossed the ends over one shoulder and with a +deep sigh proceeded. "When the beard had grown to my waist I bade the +mesmerizer stop it, but in spite of all his incantations and magic +powders, it continued to grow. It grew and grew till it filled the +throne room, ran down the stairs into the pantry, shot up the stairs +into the bed rooms and finally filled every room in the palace. In real +danger of suffocation, my knights and servants took to their heels, and +my mesmerizer, after forcing these shears upon me and bidding me cut +for dear life, ran off and left me, also." + +"Then how did you get out of the castle," asked Peter, lurching +forward, while Jack leaned over so far his head fell off and had to be +replaced by the Iffin. + +"Jumped out a window," explained the Baron with a little shudder. +"The beard kept me from breaking any bones. Cutting myself loose from +the terrible tangle, I ran into the middle of the road and called +loudly for help. As I did, a commotion on the next hillside attracted +my attention. A band of armed riders were galloping toward me. As +they drew nearer, I recognized the plumed hats and golden spears +of Mogodore's retainers, and as they came nearer still I saw that +Mogodore himself was carrying off my bride, who lay unconscious across +his saddle bow. I tried to scream, but the red beard enveloped me. I +tried to run; it tripped me at every step. Without even seeing me, the +cavalcade thundered by. As they disappeared, I heard two of the riders +boasting that Mogodore would marry Shirley Sunshine to-morrow morning." + +"When was that? Where did he take her?" gasped Peter. "How long ago was +it?" + +"This morning," choked Belfaygor. "He has carried her to his castle in +Baffleburg." + +"You mean to say all of your men ran off and never came back?" +exclaimed Peter, springing up indignantly. "Well, don't you care. We're +here now and I'm sure Ozma would want us to help you. We'll just fly on +Snif's back to Baffleburg and snatch her away from this bandit." + +"I'm afraid you have never heard of Mogodore," interrupted the baron, +shaking his head despairingly. "No one has ever entered the City of +Baffleburg or returned alive from Mogodore's mountain." + + "If that is so, we'll be the first; + To tame this wretch or know the worst," + +roared the Iffin, coming to his feet with a bound. + +"I guess you never heard of Peter," said Jack Pumpkinhead, rising +with great dignity. "This boy"--he waved impressively in Peter's +direction--"has just conquered the entire City of Scares and the last +time he was in Oz he saved the Emerald City from the Gnome King." + +While Belfaygor looked incredulously at the little boy, Jack told of +their morning's experiences in Chimneyville and Scare City. + +"Have you still got the pirate's sack?" asked Belfaygor, forgetting to +clip his beard in his extreme interest and astonishment. "That magic +dinner bell--What is it? Do you suppose you could carry us all to +Baffleburg?" Eagerly he turned to Snif. The Iffin raised both of his +powerful wings and shook his head confidently, while Jack held up the +dinner bell and Peter showed the famous sack. + +"We'll be there in no time," cried Peter, "and with all this magic I +don't see how Mogodore can conquer us, do you?" + +Belfaygor was so cheered and encouraged by this little speech that he +dropped both pairs of shears and embraced Peter upon the spot. + +"You shall be knighted for this, my boy," he promised. "You, too," he +added, pressing Jack's wooden fingers earnestly. + +"What about me?" inquired Snif, raising a claw solemnly. + + "If this keeps up we'll all be knighted; + Sir Jack! Sir Pete, why am I slighted?" + +"You're not," promised Belfaygor, quickly picking up his shears and +beginning to snip furiously. "You'll be knighted, too." + +"Well, if you insist," murmured the Iffin in a mollified tone, "but +I won't wear armor. Come on knights," he called gaily, "for night is +coming on and if we're to reach Baffleburg before dark we'd better +start now." + +The very name of Baffleburg gave Peter a thrill. More interested and +excited than he had been since his arrival in Oz, he helped Jack +to mount the Iffin's back and hurriedly seated himself behind him. +Belfaygor came next with his back to Peter, so his beard would not +blow in the little boy's face, and after a glance back to see that +his riders were safe and comfortable, Snif spread his great wings and +soared aloft, flying straight toward the red mountains Peter had seen +in the distance. As they rose higher and higher Belfaygor found it no +longer necessary to ply his shears, and his bright red beard streamed +like a waving banner behind them. The poor baron was glad indeed for +this rest, for he had been clipping steadily since early morning and +already had blisters on both thumbs. Now and then, when his beard +seemed in danger of catching in a tree or winding about a castle tower, +he would snip it off short again and Peter and Jack would watch it +float away, like some strange red cloud. + +Flying was such an exhilarating experience that Peter forgot all about +the dangerous adventure that lay ahead and the forbidding aspect of +Mogodore's mountain did not trouble him at all. As they drew closer, he +could see the City of Baffleburg, its turreted forts, and its castle +and strong houses seeming to spring from the rock itself. Stretching +round the mountain there was a yawning chasm and at the foot was a +towered fortress and drawbridge over which Mogodore and his men crossed +the chasm when they made war on the barons below. Red capped warriors +stood in each embrasure of the fort and guards marched stiffly to +and fro upon the city walls. The grim red castle clung to the rocks, +halfway up the mountain and gave Mogodore a splendid view of the whole +valley beneath. + + "If I fly too near, a golden spear may interrupt our flight; + So let's descend and mix a little stratagem with might." + +muttered the Iffin, coasting cautiously downward. + +"Stratagem's a big word," sighed Jack Pumpkinhead. "What does it mean?" + +"A plan to confuse the enemy," explained Peter as the Iffin's feet +touched the rocky ground on the other side of the chasm. "We must find +the best place to drop into the city, the best way to use the pirate's +sack and the quickest plan for finding the Princess." + +Belfaygor was the first to dismount. Throwing his beard impatiently +over his shoulder, he frowned gloomily up at Mogodore's mountain. +Now that they were really before the City of Baffleburg, the cheerful +plans and hopes of Peter and the Iffin seemed wild and impractical. +The longer he looked the more impossible they seemed, and resting his +hand heavily on Peter's shoulder he begged the little boy to continue +his journey to the Emerald City and leave him to deal with the wicked +mountain chief. + +"The Iffin can carry me into the city," sighed Belfaygor, "but I cannot +let you share in the awful perils of this undertaking." If Peter +had not been in Oz, or addressing a baron, he might have answered, +"Applesauce." But feeling that such a word would only puzzle this +dignified nobleman, he seated himself on the nearest rock and looked +curiously across the chasm. + +"I should think," mused Peter, "that the best plan would be to fly into +the city under cover of darkness and drop into the castle courtyard. +Once inside, I will open the pirate's sack and when it has swallowed +Mogodore and all the fighting men we can safely search for the Princess +and escape." + +"How do you know the sack won't swallow her too?" questioned Belfaygor +uneasily. + +"Because," said Peter looking up at the tallest tower in the castle, "I +believe she's locked up there. They always lock the Princess up in the +tower," he finished confidently. + +"You think of everything." Jack Pumpkinhead stared down at the little +boy admiringly and Snif, who had been scouting around for a stray +geranium, waved an approving claw at Peter. + + "If that's the plan, let's have a bite; + And quietly stay here till night!" + +"But what shall we eat?" said Belfaygor, clipping at his whiskers +despondently. Jack chuckled at this, and drawing out the Red Jinn's +bell rang it imperiously. At once the little black slave, bearing his +silver tray, appeared before them. Placing the tray on Peter's knees he +faded out of sight so suddenly that Belfaygor dropped his shears with a +clatter. Though he had heard about the magic dinner bell the unexpected +appearance of the dinner quite upset him. + +"You take this one," said Peter generously, "and if you sit with your +back to the chasm and throw your beard over your shoulder it will grow +down into the opening and let you eat in peace." + +"How can I ever thank you?" exclaimed the baron, seating himself as +the little boy suggested. "Odds pasties, this looks most tempting!" +With a long, tremulous sigh, Belfaygor fell upon the appetizing repast +of roast beef and plum pudding. Then Jack rang the bell again and the +slave appeared with a tray for Peter. He was about to ring up another +dinner for Snif but the Iffin shook his head. + +"I've had enough for one day," he told them firmly, "and if Peter will +give me that bunch of violets, everything will be perfectly perk!" As +an extra touch a small bunch of violets had been placed beside Peter's +dinner plate. Tossing them gaily to the Iffin and thinking as he did +so how curious it was for so huge a beast to dine upon flowers, +Peter started in on his own dinner. With both hands clasped behind him, +Jack watched the sun sink down behind the grim red mountain, and Peter +and Belfaygor were so hungry that neither spoke till all the plates on +their trays were empty. Then, with a satisfied sigh, Peter stood up and +as the trays disappeared began looking around for Snif. But there was +no sign of the Iffin anywhere! + +"Oh!" gasped Peter anxiously, forgetting for the moment that Snif +could fly, "he must have fallen into the chasm." Calling to Jack and +the baron, he started to run along the edge of the ravine, striking +impatiently at a small creature that kept beating its wings in his +face. He thought he had brushed it aside when, with an angry screech, +it fastened its claws in his shoulder. + + "If you hit me again, I'll bite your ear; + Attention! Pause! Stop! Look and hear!" + +At the familiar verses, Peter did stop, and glancing down he saw a +creature no bigger than a squirrel perched on his shoulder. + +"It's me," wailed a desperate voice, as the tiny beast leaned over and +rubbed its head against his cheek. + +"Those violets," it choked bitterly, "those violets were shrinking +violets, Peter. Look at me! I've shrunk! I might just as well throw +myself away." + +"Don't," gulped Peter, as the Iffin started to hurl itself from his +shoulder. "I like you little." + +"Well I like him big," announced Jack unfeelingly. "And who's to carry +us over the chasm now, may I ask?" + +"Oh!" groaned Belfaygor, tripping over his whiskers after one horrified +look at the little monster, "everything is over! Everything is over +now!" + +"So's your old beard," mumbled Jack in an annoyed voice. Picking up +the shears Belfaygor had dropped he cut length after length from the +enchanted red beard, while the baron continued to wring his hands and +groan and Peter tried in vain to comfort the Iffin. + + + + + CHAPTER 8 + + A Way to Cross the Chasm + + +"I'll wager that old Jinn did this on purpose," declared Jack +indignantly. "I'll ring that dumb-bell again and the boy's neck, too!" + +"It wasn't his fault," put in Peter, lifting Snif from his shoulder +and thoughtfully stroking the small red head. "I don't suppose those +violets were meant to be eaten." + +"If I only hadn't eaten them," wailed the Iffin, as two tears rolled +down his cheeks. "You've no idea how it feels to shrink, boys. + + "Why did I eat those violets? I feel so sil and small! + I'm just an elf, I'm not myself, I'm just no one at all!" + +"Oh, yes you are," Peter reassured him hastily. "Why look, you'll fit +right in my pocket and I'll carry you for a change and when we reach +the Emerald City the Wizard of Oz will soon make you large again." + +"Are we to reach the Emerald City?" inquired Jack, looking up from +snipping Belfaygor's beard. "And how do you know you won't shrink +yourself?" + +Peter turned a little pale at Jack's question. + +"The baron and I didn't eat any violets," he answered, swallowing +hastily. + +"Yes, but how are we to cross the chasm?" Belfaygor, taking the shears +from Jack, rolled his eyes sadly at Peter. + +"We'll just have to think of some other way," said Peter, staring off +at Mogodore's mountain. "Let's all think." + +"I can only think of poor little Shirley Sunshine, locked up in that +dismal tower," retorted Belfaygor despondently. + +"I can only think how far it must be to the bottom of this crevice," +muttered Jack, looking sadly down into the ravine. + +"It looks to me as if we'd have to do all the thinking for this party," +murmured Snif, flying up on Peter's shoulder. "Never mind, I still can +think, even if I am little. + + "If I do a little thinking and I think a little bit, + If there's any way to cross it, why I'll surely think of it!" + +"I'm glad you can still make verses," said Peter with a sigh. "It +helps, and makes things seem a little less awful." + +"Yes," said the Iffin, resting his cheek against Peter's. The sun had +dropped down behind the red castle and in the gray light of early +evening the grim city on the rocks looked more forbidding than ever. +Great black crows circled about the towers and turrets and their hoarse +crys drifted like threatening jeers across the chasm. + +"If we had an ax," said Peter gloomily, "we might chop down a tree on +the edge of the chasm so it would fall across." He was just wondering +whether the ravine was narrow enough to jump at any point, when Snif +gave a little bounce and, flying off his shoulder, announced shrilly: +"I have thought of a way! We'll cross on the baron's beard!" + +"You mean grow across?" asked Jack Pumpkinhead doubtfully. + +"Impossible!" roared Belfaygor, throwing up his shears and hands +indignantly. "Wouldst jerk out my whiskers? Besides they grow down and +not up." + +"Pause!" Holding up one claw, the Iffin looked solemnly from one to +the other. "First," explained Snif quietly, "Belfaygor must walk three +times around a tree. That will make his beard fast and keep it from +pulling. Then I will take the end of the beard in my claws, fly across +the chasm and fasten it to a tree on the other side. Then when Peter +and Jack have crossed, the Baron can snip off the beard close to his +chin and cross himself in safety. What think you of that, my brave +comrades?" + +"Why, that's a perfectly splendid idea!" cried Peter, jumping up +enthusiastically. "How ever did you think of it?" + +"Well," Snif reminded him gaily, "for five years I did nothing but +think--so thinking comes easy to me. How about it Baron, will you lend +us your beard?" + +"Yes," answered Belfaygor readily enough, now that he had heard the +Iffin's plan, "even if it hurts I will do it. I'll do anything to save +Shirley Sunshine from that villainous bandit." + +"Then everything's settled!" cried Peter, who hated delay or inactivity +of any kind. "Let's start!" + +"Not now," said the Iffin, shaking his little head seriously. "We must +wait till morning Peter. As I cannot carry you all up to the castle +itself, you will have to climb over the rocks and cliffs to the city +gates. This will be bad enough by daylight, but impossible at night." + +"That's so," agreed Peter regretfully. + +"And what's to become of us when we reach the city gates?" quavered +Jack in a hollow voice. "Will not these Baffleburghers impale us upon +their spears?" + +"Oh, I hope not," muttered the Iffin, settling down on Peter's +shoulder, "but we'll have to take a chance on it. My guess is that +the guards will seize and carry you to Mogodore. Once in Mogodore's +presence, Peter can open the sack, and after the sack swallows +everyone, we'll find the Princess and return to the capitol on foot." + +"What about my beard?" asked Belfaygor nervously. "If they make us +prisoners and take away my shears, we'll all be smothered." + +"Well, so will they," Snif reminded him philosophically, "and that will +be some comfort." Already Snif seemed to have forgotten his dreadful +mishap and to have recovered his former good spirits, and under the +influence of the merry little monster the whole party grew quite +cheerful and gay. + +"Come along," he called, flying on ahead. "Let's find some place to +sleep. Is that a cave I see over there?" + +Back among the rocks at the foot of a tall cliff there was a cave, +sure enough, and Peter, after a little exploring, decided it would +be just the place in which to spend the night. Lengths cut from +Belfaygor's beard and piled on the floor made splendid mattresses and, +as Jack Pumpkinhead required no rest, he offered to stand guard at the +entrance. The baron himself lay with his head just outside the cave, +and the obliging Pumpkinhead promised to cut his beard from time to +time and see that it did not choke up the opening, nor suffocate the +sleepers. So much had happened since Peter fell into the pumpkin field, +he was weary as a walrus and glad enough to rest. By the time the moon +had climbed to the top of Mogodore's mountain, he was fast asleep, the +Iffin curled cozily in the bend of his arm, and soon only the snores of +Belfaygor and the snip of Jack's shears broke the deep dark silence of +the night. + + + + + CHAPTER 9 + + The Forbidden Flagon + + +While Peter and his friends rested in their hidden cave, the lights in +the castle across the chasm burned far into the night, as the Baron +of Baffleburg sat in converse with Wagarag, his chief steward and +Major Domo. Biggen and Little, the baron's body guards, dozed stiffly +at their posts behind his chair, while the huge hunting dogs snored +upon the hearthstones. Flaring torches, set in stone holders in the +wall, flung a flickering light into the dim corners of the great stone +hall. Bear rugs were strewn about the flagged floor; swords, daggers +and glittering armor hung upon the walls and the furniture, the carved +chests, tables and chairs were big and clumsy, like the owner of the +castle himself. + +With his chin resting in the palm of his hand, Mogodore stared moodily +into the fire, but Wagarag, a thin anxious little Baffleburgher, moved +about restlessly, straightening a tapestry here, a table cover there, +and never still for a moment. + +"If I only knew what was in that miserable flagon," muttered the baron +for about the fiftieth time. "If I only knew! Why must it be hidden? +Why is it forbidden? What would happen if I broke the seal?" + +"Buttered billygoats," spluttered Wagarag impatiently. "On the very eve +of your wedding must you still worry about that wretched flask? Can you +think of nothing but that miserable flagon?" + +Flicking at a bit of gold dust on the mantel, Wagarag paused in +exasperation before his master. + +"If your father and grandfather before you were able to guard and +keep it safely why cannot you let it rest where no one will discover +its secret? Is it not written in the Book of Baffleburg that if aught +disturbs the seal on the forbidden flagon, or one drop of the contents +spills, a dreadful disaster will befall? Are you not Mogodore the +Mighty, slayer of an hundred bears, subduer of an hundred barons and +Lord of this mountain? Have you not stolen for your bride the loveliest +Princess in the valley? Pray dismiss this mischievous flagon from your +mind. Think of something else," begged Wagarag earnestly. + +"Something pleasant, this Princess for instance." + +Wagarag clasped his hands and rolled his eyes upward. "A beauteous +damsel, if I may be permitted to say so!" + +"But she refuses to marry me," growled Mogodore, crossing his legs +irritably. + +"What difference does that make," sniffed Wagarag, poking the fire +energetically. "Your word is law in Baffleburg. Marry her anyway!" + +"But I can't understand it," breathed Mogodore, taking up a mirror that +lay on the arm of his chair and surveying himself long and earnestly. +The reflection in the mirror stared as earnestly back, but Mogodore +could see nothing amiss with the red face, bristling black whiskers and +hair, small blue eyes, great nose and crooked mouth that confronted +him. "No, it cannot be my looks," grunted the baron, setting down the +mirror. "What does this precious Princess want?" he demanded fretfully. + +"Why not ask her?" suggested Wagarag, prodding Biggen and Little +vigorously in the ribs. "Here, you lazy rogues, fetch down the Princess +from the tower!" + +"Mayhap the Princess sleepeth," mumbled Biggen, rubbing his eyes and +yawning terrifically. + +"Then wakeneth her and bringeneth her thither," commanded Wagarag, +giving Biggen a push and Little a poke. + +But the Princess, as you may well imagine, was far from sleeping. +Pacing restlessly up and down the small tower room, she was trying to +think of some way to escape, and when Biggen and Little thumped on +the door and explained that her presence was desired below, she went +readily enough, hoping it might give her another chance to plead with +the baron for her liberty, or wheedle the guards into releasing her. +But Biggen and Little paid small attention to her entreaties. Roughly +thrusting back the ruby necklace she offered if they would help her +slip out of the castle, they picked her up bodily and carried her down +to their master. + +"Well!" exclaimed Mogodore, as Shirley Sunshine drew herself up proudly +against one of the great stone pillars, "do you still refuse to marry +me?" + +"Of course," answered the little Princess haughtily. "Release me at +once or my father and Belfaygor will come and destroy you utterly." + +"Destroy me!" roared the Baron, with an evil wink at Wagarag. "Do you +not know that I am Mogodore the Mighty, boldest of all the barons and +Lord of this mountain?" + +"Only one mountain," said the Princess shaking back her long brown +curls scornfully. "If you are as mighty as you pretend, I should think +you'd conquer several." + +"There are no more mountains worth conquering," stormed Mogodore, +thumping the arm of his chair with his fist, "and you know that well +enough." + +"Yes, but there are other countries," said the Princess haughtily. +Seeing the baron give a surprised start, and realizing that he was +as vain as he was cruel, Shirley decided to flatter her villainous +conqueror and delay the wedding by any trick or plan she could manage. +"If I had your strength and fighting ability, I'd conquer and keep on +conquering until I was a King," said the Princess, with an imperious +gesture. + +"Would you like me better if I were a King?" asked Mogodore, leaning +forward eagerly. The Princess nodded so emphatically that her curls +danced briskly to and fro and with a cry that shook the very rafters +Mogodore leaped out of his chair. + +"Then I'll be a King!" he shouted exuberantly. "I'll march across the +Red Mountains, capture the Emerald City, depose this foolish little +fairy Ozma and proclaim myself King of Oz." + +"Better let well enough alone," cautioned Wagarag, running anxiously +after his master, who was striding excitedly up and down the hearth. +"There is a Wizard in the Emerald City who is exceedingly powerful and +Ozma herself is a practiced magician." + +"Puff on their magic," cried Mogodore, snapping his fingers +contemptuously. "How can Ozma, who is small and weak, overcome a big +fellow like me? Nay--argue not. I'll conquer the Emerald City and be +a King, King Mogodore the First of Oz. I wonder I never thought of it +myself. You're going to be a great help to me, my dear!" + +Pausing before the Princess, Mogodore patted her clumsily on the head. +"And what's more, you shall accompany me to the capitol, see this +capturing done, be married in the Emerald City and crowned with Ozma's +crown," he promised recklessly. "But now you must have some rest, for +we'll start to-morrow morning. + +"See that I'm called early," he blustered, shaking his finger at +Wagarag. "See that my fighting men are roused at daybreak," he roared, +knocking the heads of Biggen and Little smartly together. "When I'm +King of Oz I can open that forbidden flagon," he confided hoarsely, +leaning down to whisper in Wagarag's ear. + +"No more of this wretched wondering. What will Baffleburg matter when +I'm King of the realm? I'll put an end to this unbearable mystery. This +Princess has brought me luck. Come, kiss me little one!" + +But Shirley Sunshine, with a horrified glance at the boisterous Baron, +picked up her skirts and fled from the room. + +"See that she does not escape," rumbled Mogodore indulgently, and +Biggen and Little, clattering after the Princess, locked her securely +in the tower. Alone in the comfortless room, the captive Princess +leaned against the barred windows and, fixing her eyes upon one +steadfast star, wondered how long it would be before Belfaygor or +her father came to rescue her. Her heart sank at the thought of this +cruel baron marching upon the Emerald City, laying waste its parks and +palaces and enslaving all of its gay and gentle inhabitants. Terrified +by the frightful forces she had set in motion, the tired little +Princess threw herself upon the hard bed and cried herself to sleep. + +Below in the castle hall, Wagarag endeavored to turn the baron from his +audacious purpose. "Listen not to this mischievous maiden," begged the +steward. "Stay here where you are known and powerful. It is better to +be a ruler among fools than a fool among rulers. Many have attempted to +conquer the Kingdom of Oz--not one has succeeded." + +"Then I will be the first," boasted Mogodore and, snatching a broad +sword from the wall, he swung it expertly round his head. "Shine up +your shin guards, Waggy old Lad, for you're going with me and I hereby +appoint you Royal Chancellor of Oz! Keeper of the King's Custard and +Imperial Purveyor of Puddings!" + +Laughing uproariously, Mogodore brought the flat of his sword down with +a resounding thwack upon the thin shoulders of his disapproving steward. + +"Come to bed, Dunce!" he cried good naturedly. "You mean well, but know +nothing." + +"At least I know my place," muttered Wagarag, shaking his head +gloomily. "We both belong on this Mountain and no good will come of +this expedition." + +"You forget the flagon," exulted Mogodore. "I shall at last know the +secret of the forbidden flagon." + +"Have it your own way," sighed Wagarag, with a resigned shrug. "But +don't blame me if we're all turned to sticks by the Wizard of Oz and +thrown into the fire." + +"Ha! Ha!" shouted Mogodore, more amused than frightened by this +terrible threat. "You'll make a splendid stick, old fellow." Laughing +noisily, the bad, bold baron tramped cheerfully off to bed. + + + + + CHAPTER 10 + + The City of Baffleburg + + +A strange, shrill squeaking wakened Peter next morning, and starting up +he saw that it was the Iffin. Sitting on a flat stone, the tiny monster +was practising his gr--rrs. "If only I could growl again, I wouldn't +mind my size," mourned Snif, looking sadly up at Peter. "Can't fight! +Can't growl! A fine fix for a fabulous monster!" + +"But you can think," answered Peter cheerfully. "And you're free. Just +wait till we've conquered this silly old baron and come to the Emerald +City. You'll be a sure-enough griffin then. But I kinda like you +little," he added loyally, "and I should think it would be rather an +interesting experience." + +"Well," acknowledged the Iffin, scratching his ear reflectively +with his third hind claw, "at least it will be something to tell my +grandchildren, if I ever have any grandchildren." Raising his voice to +a tiny roar he rushed to the front of the cave calling loudly, "What ho +without!" + +"I do not see a hoe of any kind," answered Jack Pumpkinhead blandly. +"But the sun is up and the wind is changing and unless we move away +from here we'll be buried in whiskers." + +Stepping outside Peter saw a red mound as huge as ten hay stacks rolled +into one. All night Jack had faithfully cut Belfaygor's beard and raked +the cut lengths neatly together, but now the wind was whirling the +top off the stack and filling the air with a blinding tangle of red +strands. Hastily waking the Baron, the four adventurers hurried to the +other side of the cliff and watched the great red cloud sweep into the +chasm. + +"And now to beard this baron in his den," proposed Snif, swinging +himself gaily back and forward on the branches of a small tree. + +"Yes, let us be off at once," sighed Belfaygor, taking the shears from +Jack and starting in on his weary work of clipping. + +"Let's have breakfast," suggested Peter, who was always hungriest in +the morning. "Ring the old bell Jack." + +"Then goodbye," quavered Snif, flying into the air. "I'll be back when +those trays have disappeared and not before. No more magic repasts for +me!" + +While Peter and Belfaygor breakfasted royally on beef steak and fried +potatoes, Snif nibbled daintily at the red honeysuckle that clung to +the rocks and muttered little iffish verses to himself. + +"Have you ever been to Baffleburg," asked Peter, after the trays had +vanished and Snif came back to perch upon his shoulder. "Is it so very +dangerous?" + +"I have flown over Mogodore's mountain many times," said Snif +thoughtfully, "and from what I have seen, it must be pretty bad. + + "But if we stick together and most bravely persevere, + This mountain's dangers we'll surmount and tweak yon bandit's ears!" + +"No tweaking," advised Jack Pumpkinhead nervously. "Let us just sack +the city and leave." + +"All right," agreed Snif good naturedly, "but we can't leave till we +start, so let's get started." He looked inquiringly at Belfaygor and +Belfaygor, after a nervous glance across the chasm, stepped to a tree +on the edge of the ravine and walked solemnly three times round, till +his beard was securely fastened. Now that the time for action had come, +the adventurers said little. Belfaygor stood proudly erect, waiting +for his beard to grow long enough to stretch across the chasm and soon +it did, and Snif, taking the ends in his claws, flew over the deep +ravine and fastened the beard tightly to a tree on the other side. Now, +all was ready and Peter, dropping boldly over the edge, swung himself +skillfully across on the swinging red cable. He dared not look down and +once safely over watched uneasily while Jack pulled himself across. + +"Whatever you do, don't lose your head," breathed Peter, leaning +forward nervously. Halfway over, Jack's wooden fingers almost lost +their hold, and his Pumpkin head spun about upon its peg, but Snif, +flying valiantly to the rescue, held it in place and, when at last Jack +came near enough for Peter to reach, he clutched both wooden arms and +dragged Jack thankfully to safety. Belfaygor now clipped off his beard +close to the chin and crossed himself without mishap or difficulty. + +[Illustration: _Belfaygor clipped off his beard and crossed, himself, +without mishap or difficulty._] + +The first step of the dangerous undertaking had been made in safety +but straight ahead was a steep wall of rock. If it had not been for +Belfaygor's beard they would never have been able to scale this +dreadful precipice. But Snif, taking the beard in his claws, flew up +till he found a boulder or sturdy sapling. Then, winding the beard +several times round, he would signal to Belfaygor who would immediately +snip off his end of the beard and climb expertly up the swinging rope. +Peter, hoisting himself up after him, could not help but think what +a splendid Alpine guide the baron would make. But Jack, tremblingly +following Peter, resolved that if ever he reached the Emerald City +again he would stay peaceably at home for the rest of his unnatural +life. + +In this interesting but perilous fashion they finally reached the +top of the cliff, only to find the gates of the city still farther +up. A rocky opening into a narrow tunnel apparently led directly to +Baffleburg and, with many misgivings, the travellers entered the +tunnel. Although it was dark and clammy inside and exceedingly rough +underfoot, they reached the end without trouble. In the dim murky +light Peter saw a wooden door with an iron ring in the center. He was +about to grasp the ring, when the tunnel, without any warning, tipped +downward and shot them headlong from the opening. Snatching at a tree +just in time, Peter saved himself from pitching over the precipice. +Belfaygor's beard, catching on a jagged rock, saved him and fortunately +the baron had hold of Jack. His head did bounce off, but by some +miracle rolled into a hollow in the rocks. Snif went over the edge of +the cliff, but spreading his wings flew back to safety. + +"Something else to tell my grandchildren," grumbled the Iffin, shaking +himself angrily, while Peter hastily recovered Jack's pumpkin head and +put it back where it belonged. "I'll pay him up for that slide. Come on +boys, let's try it again. Can a trick tunnel hold us back now?" + +Peter looked inquiringly at Belfaygor and Belfaygor clipping a length +from his beard looked doubtfully at Peter but Jack, holding his +head with both hands, expressed in no uncertain terms his complete +unwillingness to ever enter the treacherous tunnel again. + +"But we must go on," said Snif stubbornly: + + "If we will just consider, we'll find some simple way + To tread this tipsy tunnel, and we'll try it, come what may!" + +"Well I'm not May, and I think the way we came was simple enough," +complained Jack. "I never felt more simple in my life, and look at the +dent in my head!" + +"Maybe if we run through as fast as we can and get hold of the iron +ring in the door before the tunnel tilts we won't spill out," suggested +Peter, examining a long scratch on his knee. "I'll go first," he +volunteered gamely, "and all of you can hold on to me." Snif and +Belfaygor immediately approved of this plan and Jack finally, not +desiring to be left, consented to go. First Peter put Snif in his +pocket, then Belfaygor caught hold of Peter's coat-tails and Jack +caught hold of Belfaygor's. Taking a long breath, Peter dashed into +the tunnel and never, even when he was making a home run, had he +sprinted along any faster, Jack and the Baron clattering along as best +they could behind him. + +Just as Peter reached the tunnel end and grasped the iron ring, the +tunnel tipped a second time. But Peter hung on to the ring and the +others hung on to Peter. Several coat seams ripped, but when the tunnel +finally righted itself they were still inside. Before it could tilt +again, Peter turned the ring, opened the wooden door and stepped into a +large cobble-stone courtyard. + +Straight ahead rose the grim gray walls and buttressed towers of +Baffleburg. As they tip-toed nearer, they could hear the sharp ring of +horses' hoofs on the other side of the wall. + +"Shall I fly over and see what's going on?" asked Snif, fluttering +excitedly out of Peter's pocket. + +"No! No!" begged the little boy hurriedly. "Let's all stay together. +I'll ring that bell over the city gates and when the guards carry us +to Mogodore we'll open the sack as we planned!" Running forward, Peter +seized the chain attached to a huge bell over the gates and gave it a +tremendous pull. It was impossible to see into Baffleburg, as the gates +were backed with panels of wood and the walls themselves were high as +sky scrapers. As the wild clanging of the bell died away, the four +adventurers drew closer together. But nothing at all happened. Again +Peter jerked the iron chain but still no one came to open the gates. + +"They refuse to admit us," puffed Belfaygor, with a furious clip at his +whiskers. "What now?" Before they had time to decide upon any plan, +four towers rising from the city's walls suddenly tilted downward, +and shooting from their tops came a perfect shower of golden spears. +Throwing themselves flat upon the cobbles, Peter and his companions +managed to escape injury. Time and again the tilting towers rose and +fell, spraying the courtyard with spears. By crawling close to the +walls and lying perfectly flat, the four adventurers were able to keep +out of their way, but as Peter reflected gloomily, they could not lie +under the wall forever. He was considering whether or not to open the +pirate's sack and see if it would swallow the spears, when Belfaygor +touched him on the shoulder. + +"When the tower nearest me tilts again, I shall jump in the window," +whispered the baron. "You and Jack must follow. By keeping directly +under the tower you will avoid the spears." + +"Wait!" gasped Peter, horrified at Belfaygor's daring scheme. But +Belfaygor, shaking his head determinedly, leaped to his feet, and as +the tower came tilting down he plunged headfirst into the window +nearest to the ground. + +"Hooka-ma-roosters!" choked the Iffin. "How did he do that?" + +"How are we to do it?" panted Peter, as all four towers shot up into +place again. Motionless and terrified they waited for them to descend, +but the Baffleburghers, evidently deciding that their visitors were +utterly routed, had turned off the machinery and all four towers +stopped tilting. There was no possible way into the city now, and +completely baffled Peter stared angrily up at the thick gray walls. + +"Now I'll have to fly over," muttered Snif nervously. "Maybe I can open +the gates." + +"A signal!" called Jack suddenly. "A signal! Squash and turnip tops! +It's Belfaygor's beard!" Looking where Jack pointed, Peter and the +Iffin saw Belfaygor himself outlined in the window of the nearest +tower. And pouring over the sill and growing steadily downward were the +wonderful and ever dependable red whiskers. + +"We can climb his beard," cried Peter excitedly. "Come on, it's almost +long enough!" This was evidently what Belfaygor intended, for when they +looked again, they could see him twining his beard round a huge spike +on the sill. Then he waved his hand, and Peter, tightening his belt, +climbed boldly aloft, looking back now and then to call encouragement +to Jack Pumpkinhead. In less than a minute they were all safely inside +the tower, for the Iffin had flown up with no trouble at all. The +tower room was cheerless and without furniture. A spiral stairway in +the center led downward. At the thought of conquering another city, +Peter's impatience and excitement grew. If only some of the boys could +be along, or his grandfather! He tried to picture Belfaygor's amazement +when the pirate's sack should come into action, and seizing the baron's +arm fairly dragged him to the stair. + +"I suppose if we go down these steps we'll come out in the courtyard, +for this certainly is the fort," puffed Peter, clattering ahead. + +"All we do is climb up and down," groaned Jack Pumpkinhead. "I'll bet +it's a million steps to the bottom. + +"Oh, not that many," grinned Peter, looking down at Snif, who was +comfortably seated on his shoulder. Quietly cutting his beard Belfaygor +stepped after Peter and Jack resignedly brought up at the end of the +procession. + + + + + CHAPTER 11 + + In the Castle of Mogodore + + +"Now to get ourselves captured," whispered Peter eagerly, as they +finally reached the bottom of the stair. + +"It should not be difficult," answered Snif, who had flown ahead and +now come back to rest on Peter's shoulder. "Behold! Be bold! Look! +Gaze and tremble!" Stepping out of the dim tower into the courtyard of +the fort, Peter gave a little whistle of consternation and surprise. +Drawn up in glittering rows were a thousand mounted men in armor, each +holding a golden spear. + +"Something's afoot here," muttered Belfaygor behind his waving whiskers. + +"You mean ahorse, don't you?" corrected Jack, straightening his head +and dusting a cobweb off his chin. "Is that sack quite ready Peter?" +Peter nodded and as one of the armored riders caught sight of the +intruders and galloped furiously forward, he called boldly, "Conduct us +to your chief. We have important tidings to impart." + +"Impart them to me," ordered the horseman, lifting his visor and +frowning down at the little boy. "Impart them to me, or I'll prick ye +over yon wall." + + "If you so much as raise your spear. I'll bite your nose, I'll chew + your ear! + You'll vanish, melt and disappear. We're all magicians, do you + hear?" + +shrieked the Iffin, flying in dizzy circles about the rider's head. + +"Avaunt varlet," rasped Belfaygor, tossing his beard over his shoulder +with a lordly gesture, "our business is with your Master!" The circling +little Iffin, the strange appearance of Jack Pumpkinhead and the wildly +waving whiskers of Belfaygor all tended to bewilder the horseman. For a +moment he hesitated, then galloping back, conferred anxiously with one +of his companions. After much head shaking and arm waving, they both +rode forward, and beckoning for the travellers to follow them, trotted +briskly under a stone archway that led up to the town itself. + +"That was easy," chuckled Peter, trudging gaily after the mailed +riders. "They think we're magicians, Snif." + +"We'll have to be to get out of here," muttered the little monster +uneasily. "Be careful, boy, be carefuller than careful!" + +"Every step brings us nearer to the Princess," said Belfaygor, tripping +over his beard and fixing his eyes hopefully on the castle tower. But +it was many weary steps to the palace, and the one cobbled street of +Baffleburg was both steep and narrow. Red stone cottages perched on the +cliffs at either side, and now and then a curious head was stuck out, +as the little procession went pounding by. But at last they came to the +red gates of the castle itself, and after a short parley with the +guards were admitted. Leaving their horses in the courtyard, the two +warriors hustled their charges into the baronial hall of the mountain +chief. Looking around the great hall, Peter decided that it was just +the kind of castle he had always dreamed of owning. His eyes shone as +they rested on the jewelled swords and armor that decorated the walls. +But he was quickly brought back to the dangerous business in hand by +the stern voice of their guide. + +"Magicians with an important message to impart," announced the first +man, dipping his spear in a salute to Mogodore. In full fighting +regalia, the Baron of Baffleburg sat at a long table in the center of +the hall, poring over an old map of Oz and trying to decide at what +point to attack the capitol. Back of him stood Wagarag, in a hastily +assembled armor of iron pots and sauce pans. Next to Wagarag lounged +Bragga, Captain of the Guard and Smerker, Chief Scorner of the realm. + +"Magicians!" rumbled Mogodore looking up impatiently. "That accounts +for them getting into the city. Magicians, eh! Well they look like a +pack of peddlars. Scorn them," he ordered, contemptuously jerking his +thumb at Smerker. Now Peter had never been scorned in his life and +wanted to see how it was done. So instead of immediately opening the +pirate's sack he stood staring curiously at Smerker. Leaning forward, +the Chief Scorner seized a key-like handle that seemed to be attached +to his nose and turned it straight upward. At the same time he curled +back his lips in a truly astonishing manner. + +"Ho! Ha! Ha!" roared Snif, holding on to Peter with both claws: + + "If this be scorning, we are scorned! + With what a nose he is adorned." + +Peter felt like laughing himself, but the Chief Scorner, paying no +attention at all to the Iffin, now snatched a sauce box from his sleeve +and opening it with a quick jerk, held it out toward the travellers. +Immediately the sauce box began to scold and berate them in the most +harsh and abusive terms making more noise than a dozen radios and +filling the air with such a horrid racket that Peter covered his ears +and the others, without meaning to, backed toward the door. Satisfied +that his Chief Scorner had subdued the intruders, Mogodore motioned for +Smerker to close the sauce box. + +"Now throw them out," he barked with a wave at Bragga. "I've wasted +too much time already." But as Bragga stepped forward to obey this +command, Belfaygor, snipping a long piece from his beard stepped +boldly up to the baron and thumping his fist on the table demanded in +a loud voice, "What have you done with my Princess? Where is Shirley +Sunshine?" + +Boldened by this spirited action, Jack Pumpkinhead stepped up beside +him. "Release this maiden at once, you rude, rash robber, you--you +Princess snapper," he cried. + +"Have the sack ready, quick," whispered Snif to Peter, as Mogodore +stared angrily at the strange pair. + +"So that's it," grunted the Baron of Baffleburg. "I see now that +you are Belfaygor of Bourne, hiding like a coward behind false +whiskers. Well, you shall not marry this Princess, for she is to marry +me--Mogodore the Mighty!" + +"Mighty what?" inquired Jack Pumpkinhead curiously. + +"Mighty mighty, you impertinent fool, mighty important you ridiculous +pumpkin head. Smite him," bellowed the Baron with a wrathful wave at +Jack. "Remove this whiskered pest," he roared in the next breath with +another wave at Belfaygor. + +"So you're Mogodore the smite-y. Well don't you dare smite me," +challenged Jack, shaking his wooden fist under Mogodore's nose. "There +stands Peter, the pitcher from Philadelphia. On his shoulder sits a +fabulous monster who may devour you any minute." + +As Mogodore, rather startled by this long rigamarole, half rose in +his chair, Jack vigorously rang the Red Jinn's bell and down upon the +table flashed the little black slave, set down his tray and vanished. +Mogodore's retainers screamed with fright, and the Baron himself +blinked with astonishment, but when Jack rang the bell a second time, +Biggen and Little sprang forward and seized the little slave by the +wrists. In a twinkling the slave disappeared. Biggen and Little, also +disappeared. + +"You see," quavered Jack in a slightly unsteady voice, "I am a great +magician!" + +"Then bring back my guards," yelled Mogodore, stamping his foot +furiously. + +"Give back my Princess," retorted Belfaygor just as furiously. Thinking +it about time to put an end to this dangerous discussion, Peter pulled +the pirate's sack from his shoulders and was about to unfasten the +cord, when he was seized suddenly from behind and both arms pinioned +closely to his sides. + +"This pitcher's trying some more magic tricks," panted the spearman +indignantly. He had crept up quietly behind Peter, and in spite of the +little boy's struggles, Mogodore's big soldier held him fast. + +"We hang pitchers on the wall here!" boomed Mogodore, glaring fiercely +at Peter. (I regret to say the big baron did not know the difference +between picture and pitcher.) "Hold that pitcher--seize that whiskered +rascal and behead that pumpkinheaded dunce! Enough of this nonsense. +When I return from the Emerald City I'll make them produce Biggen and +Little and behead them all!" promised Mogodore, striding up and down +with a great clash and clatter of armor. "Is Princess Shirley ready? I +wait for no man and precious few women!" + +"I will see, your Highness!" Touching the iron pot he was wearing for +a helmet, Wagarag hurried from the hall and while Peter in helpless +rage looked on, Bragga seized Belfaygor, the other spearman caught +Jack and flung him across the center table and unfeelingly struck off +his head. Such was the force of the blow, Jack's pumpkin bounced to +the floor, rolled through a tapestry-curtained door and disappeared. +At this dreadful turn of affairs, Peter gave a groan and Snif almost +succeeded in growling, but being unable to open the pirate's sack they +were completely at the mercy of Mogodore and his men. + +"Lock them up on the North tower till my return, and know that I will +return a King," boasted Mogodore, placing his hand proudly upon the +hilt of his sword. "We march upon the Emerald City this very morning, +I'll marry Shirley Sunshine in the capitol and be crowned King of Oz +before night fall." + +"What!" gasped Peter, scarcely believing his ears. + +"You'll be sorry for this," bawled Belfaygor, slashing with his shears +at the Captain of the Guard. Poor Jack said nothing, for without a head +what could he say? Threatening and struggling, Peter and Belfaygor were +dragged off to the dungeons in the North tower, Snif doing what he +could to release them by biting and scratching the hands and faces of +the guards, but he was too little to help much and both were securely +locked up. In his struggle with the spearman, Peter had dropped the +pirate sack, and exhausted and discouraged he sank down on the stone +bench in his dark little dungeon. The window was high above his head +and let in only a feeble ray of light and the stone cell so small he +could touch both sides by extending his arms. Snif had come with him, +but Belfaygor had been locked in a dungeon higher up in the tower. +Things certainly had not gone as planned--in fact they were in worse +plight than anyone could have imagined. + +"Isn't this doggone?" groaned Peter glumly. "Jack's lost his head, +I've lost the sack and Belfaygor will probably smother in whiskers! If +someone doesn't warn Ozma, the Emerald City will be taken in no time. +There's only one Knight and one soldier in the palace and the soldier +can't fight at all. If Ozma doesn't know Mogodore is coming, so that +she and the Wizard can start up their magic, they'll all be captured +and the whole city destroyed. I wonder whatever put the notion of +conquering Oz in Mogodore's head? Darn! Doggone! I wish I could get out +of here!" Doubling up his fists, Peter pounded on the dungeon door. + +"Maybe I can squeeze through the bars and fly off to warn Ozma of this +villain's coming," said the Iffin, but the bars were so close together +that even Snif could not slip through and in great discouragement the +two prisoners sat side by side on the hard stone bench. Presently ten +shrill blasts from the bugles and the clatter of hoofs on the cobbles +below told that Mogodore had really started for the Emerald City. + +"Now I'll never have any grandchildren," choked the Iffin, a tear +trickling off the end of his nose. + +"And I'll never get back to Philadelphia, or be an air mail pilot," +sighed Peter, clasping his hands behind his head and staring gloomily +at the wall. + +And I am sure each of you would have felt gloomy, if you had been in +Peter's plight. + + + + + CHAPTER 12 + + The Escape from Baffleburg + + +As the rattle of hoofs and sound of bugles died away, Peter, looking +down at Snif noticed that his eyes were growing larger and larger. + +"Stop!" breathed Peter, nervously edging away and brushing his hand +cross his forehead. + +"Stop what?" grunted the Iffin crossly. "I'm not doing anything." + +"But your eyes," screamed Peter, edging still further away, "and your +ears! Why your ears are as big as you are. Help! Help! Look out. Are +you going to explode?" + +Before Snif could touch his ear with his claw or wonder what Peter was +yelling about, he expanded like a balloon, filling the entire dungeon +and squeezing Peter flat against the wall. The effect of the shrinking +violets had worn off at last, and with the Iffin rapidly reaching his +former size and strength, there was not room in the box-like cell. To +keep from crushing Peter, he pressed against the bars of the dungeon. +The force with which he shot up to his full and former size, tore the +door from its hinges and bent out the bars like wax. While Snif stood +terrified and trembling with surprise, Peter, with great presence of +mind, pressed past him, slipped through the bent bars and unlocked the +dungeon door. + +"We're free," gasped the little boy, as Snif tumbled head first from +their cell. "We're free and you're big and strong again. We can fly to +the Emerald City right away and save Ozma and everybody." + +"If--I--ever--get--my--breath, you mean," wheezed Snif, leaning against +the wall and puffing like a porpoise. "Wh--ew! Growing up is almost as +bad as shrinking down." + +"Did it hurt," asked Peter, eyeing his friend with lively curiosity. + +"Well, not exactly," explained the Iffin, raising first one foot and +then the other, "but I've had lots more pleasant experiences. Did I +hurt you?" + +"Not much," said Peter, feeling a bruise on his elbow where he had been +pressed against the wall. "Say, it's great to have you a monster again. +Don't ever eat another violet as long as you live." + +"I never will," shuddered the Iffin, shaking his head solemnly. "Out of +my way, lump!" Pushing over a startled jailer who had run out to see +what was the matter, Snif rushed along the corridor. + +"First we'll find Belfaygor, then we'll hunt Jack's head and the +pirate's sack and next we'll fly to the capitol and put an end to +Mogodore's mischief. I can out-fly a thousand horses without even +trying," boasted Snif, pushing over another guard who darted out to +intercept them. + +"If I'd only opened that pirate's sack right away," puffed Peter +running to catch up with Snif, "if I only had, all this would never +have happened. Goodness, what's this?" + +"Good news to me," chuckled Snif galloping along gaily. "It is +Belfaygor's beard and will lead us straight to his dungeon." Snif was +right. Trailing the flowing red whiskers of the baron, they came to +the topmost cell in the tower. Out from the dungeon bars poured the +enchanted beard of Belfaygor. Belfaygor, himself was leaning against +the door, too discouraged and unhappy to even clip them once. But when +Peter called him by name, and he saw Snif grown to full size and power +again, he snapped his shears joyfully and in a trembling voice demanded +to know how they had come there. + +"We burst our bars," cried Peter exuberantly. "At least Snif did." +While the Iffin brushed the torrent of whiskers aside, the little boy +unlocked the dungeon door, and after a hearty embrace told the baron +all that had happened. Overjoyed at his release, Belfaygor followed +them down the grim tower corridors. Each jailer who appeared was +scornfully pushed aside by Snif, and when they came to the bottom +Belfaygor and Peter seated themselves on his back and Snif rushed into +the great stone hall of the castle. The few guards who had been left +behind took to their heels as the Iffin flew screaming over their +heads, and with no one to bother them the three began a systematic +search for Jack's head. Jack's body still sprawled over the center +table. The top of his peg neck had been chopped off with his head, but +whittling another point on the end, Peter gently dragged the headless +figure to a chair and sat him down. Snif soon found the famous sack +behind a screen, and remembering Jack's pumpkin had rolled through +the door, Peter pushed aside the hanging and tip-toed into a long dim +entry. It slanted slightly and Peter hurried along looking anxiously +to the right and left, but the pumpkin head was nowhere to be seen. +The hallway was growing narrower every minute, curving round and round +like a spiral slideway and leading continuously downward. Peter was +about to go back and call the others, when the moist nose of Snif +appeared round one of the curves back of him. + +"What's this?" demanded the Iffin. "And whither doth it lead?" + +"I don't know," said Peter, "but Jack's head must have rolled down here +and be lying somewhere at the bottom." + +"Then let us join it by all means," chuckled the Iffin sitting down +and sliding calmly after Peter. "Look out, here I come, and take this +pirate's sack will you? It makes me positively shudder." Peter reached +back and relieved Snif of the sack. Above they could hear Belfaygor +treading cautiously down the hallway, but the curved passage soon grew +so steep, Peter and Snif began to slip, roll and finally coast like +children on a playground slide. "Now you've done it," coughed the Iffin +as they finally somersaulted into a dark cellarway, lit by one feeble +lantern. "Out of one dungeon into another!" + +"But there's Jack's head!" cried Peter, picking himself up joyfully. +The sudden arrival of Belfaygor immediately knocked him down again, +but while the baron mumbled apologies, Peter sprang to his feet, and +hurrying over to the corner of the cellar pounced upon Jack's pumpkin. + +"Oh Jack, we've been so worried about you," said the little boy, +holding the head tightly in both arms, "but now we'll soon fix you up +and fly to the Emerald City, for Snif has grown big again and we've all +escaped from the tower." + +"So I see," observed Jack as Peter held his head toward the others. +"And I'm very glad they chopped off my head and not yours, Peter, for +yours would not so easily be put back, and it's lucky they did chop +it off too, for otherwise I would never have learned of the forbidden +flagon." + +"Forbidden flagon!" exclaimed Peter, sitting down on an overturned keg +and staring earnestly down at Jack's head. "What has that to do with +us?" + +"Everything," confided Jack mysteriously. "Has Mogodore started for the +Emerald City?" Peter nodded and Snif and Belfaygor both drew nearer, +while the little boy explained how they had escaped and how they were +now about to fly to the capitol to warn Ozma of Mogodore's wicked +intentions. + +"But we must not go without that flagon," insisted Jack, after +listening attentively to Peter's recital. "Listen: As I was lying here +a while ago, hoping that no rats would come to gnaw my fine features, +or make a nest in my head, an armed guard came creeping up that ladder +you see over in the darkest corner. As he did, another came sliding +down from above, and stopping under the lantern they began to converse. + +"'What a bitter waste of time it is, guarding this foolish flagon,' +fumed the guard who had climbed the ladder. 'Who ever could find their +way to the enchanted cavern through the lost labyrinth, anyway?' + +"'Only one as knows the tricks,' grinned the fellow who had come down +to relieve him. 'Left turn left, and always left, and as for the +enchanted cavern itself, bah, what a joke! But have you heard the +latest news Do-ab? Mogodore has gone to capture the Emerald City and +make himself a King.' + +"'A King,' roared the second, 'Ha! Ha! 'Tis well those foolish folk +at the capitol know nothing of this flask. One tip of that forbidden +flagon and--'" + +"What?" demanded Peter, who had been listening breathlessly to Jack's +story. + +"Well," admitted the Pumpkinhead regretfully, "he didn't say, but from +the nudge he gave his comrade, I imagine there's something in that +flask to destroy Mogodore's power." + +"But we have the sack, and the Wizard and Ozma have plenty of magic," +objected Peter impatiently. "I don't think we'd better stop to hunt for +it, Jack. We had better go on to the Emerald City just as fast as we +can." + +"We had the sack before and Mogodore captured us. Don't forget that," +sighed the Pumpkinhead gloomily. "What's happened before may easily +happen again." + +"It will not take longer than an hour to fly to the capitol, and +Mogodore riding at his best speed cannot reach there until afternoon. +Perhaps we had better find this flagon, Peter, and make sure of victory +this time," murmured Snif thoughtfully, and as Belfaygor sided with the +Iffin, Peter rather reluctantly agreed to descend into the enchanted +cavern. + +"We may lose our way in the labyrinth," said Peter looking down the +ladder without much enthusiasm. + +"Not while I have my whiskers," smiled Belfaygor, stroking his famous +beard, "We'll let them grow along with us and then we'll follow them +back." + + "If it weren't for those whiskers + We'd never be here! + Hurrah for your beard! + Three hurrahs and a cheer!" + +roared Snif, saluting the baron with his front paw. + +"Not so loud! Not so loud!" begged Belfaygor, looking around nervously. +"Someone might hear you." + +"Do you want to come with us?" asked Peter, looking doubtfully at the +Pumpkinhead. + +"Better leave me here," advised Jack seriously. "You'll need both hands +to fight the guard. Now don't forget, when you are in the labyrinth +turn left and keep turning left." + +"And you're sure you'll be all right?" asked Peter, placing Jack's head +gently on the cellar floor. + +"I certainly cannot be all right if I'm left, but I'd rather be left +than right this time," muttered Jack to himself, as his three friends +disappeared down the ladder into the labyrinth. + + + + + CHAPTER 13 + + The Enchanted Cavern + + +"This is about as exciting as rice pudding without any raisins," said +Peter, treading closely after Snif. For five minutes they had been +trudging solemnly through the labyrinth at the foot of the ladder. +Every few rods the chilly tunnel would branch off into three or more +tunnels, but Belfaygor, always taking the left turn, marched hopefully +onward, his red beard trailing like a long and lively vine behind him. + +"Are you sure we've been turning left all the time," asked Peter, after +five more minutes of this weary winding. "We don't seem to be getting +anywhere at all." Belfaygor nodded emphatically and taking another left +turn, gave a sharp exclamation of surprise and dismay. Coming quickly +around the bend, Peter and Snif saw that they had reached the enchanted +cavern itself. + +"Horrors!" shuddered Peter, catching hold of Snif's mane. + +"You're right," wheezed the Iffin, rearing up on his hind legs. "Open +the sack! Open the sack! These are worse than Scares!" The enchanted +cavern was small and dim and lit only by a flickering red light, but +ranged around the walls was such a company of Ugly Muglies that Peter's +fingers, fumbling with the strings of the pirate's sack, shook so he +could hardly untie the knots. He finally did get the cord unfastened +and opening the sack he advanced a step into the cave. As he did, the +Ugly Muglies advanced a step toward him and in a panic Peter realized +that the sack was not going to swallow them. Belfaygor turning to run, +tripped over his whiskers and fell flat. Peter looked round desperately +for a rock or stone to fight with, but Snif, muttering dreadful +denunciations in the Grif language, hurled himself bodily at the enemy. +There was a dull thud as Snif met the enemy, and next instant he lay +stretched on the floor. Peter was almost afraid to look, but forced +himself to move forward. + +"Come away," begged the little boy in a hoarse whisper, trying at the +same time to tug the Iffin to his feet. "Hurry! Hurry! Here they come +again." + +"Again," moaned Snif, opening one eye, "they were never there at all." + +"But I see them," insisted Peter. "What knocked you down?" + +Instead of answering, Snif lurched to his feet. + +"Myself," panted the Iffin, planting his claw in the middle of a +red monster's nose. "The walls of this cave are mirrors, boy, magic +mirrors. They multiplied us fifty times and in fifty frightful ways. +There's nobody here but us." Rubbing his eyes, Peter looked again, +then, tip-toeing forward, touched the walls of the cavern. Just as +Snif said, they were mirrors, and remembering how he had often laughed +at his distorted reflection in the mirror maze at Willow Grove, Peter +began to laugh now. + +"No wonder the sack wouldn't work," said Peter, jerking the cords tight +and tossing the sack over his shoulder. "But it's a pretty good trick +at that. Look at me. I'm enough to frighten my own grandfather." + +"Oh, come on," grumbled Belfaygor, who was vexed to think he had been +so easily scared. "Let's find this miserable flagon and begone. It's +stifling in here." + +The scowling reflections cast by the mirrors were so confusing, they +had to go slowly and carefully, but after circling the cavern several +times, they discovered an opening into a still smaller cave. Peter went +first, and poking his head under the arch between the caves saw the +guard Jack had mentioned, asleep beside a fountain of fire. The fire +fountain jetted up from the center of a deep green grotto and in the +middle of the fountain, Peter could just make out a small black flagon. +With a little cry of triumph he darted into the rocky room. + +"You'll burn yourself," puffed Belfaygor, as Peter leaned forward to +snatch the flagon from the flames. At his cry of warning, the guard +awakened and with spear upraised sprang to his feet. But Belfaygor was +ready for him. Seizing his spear, Belfaygor ran 'round and 'round the +startled soldier, till he was wound up like a mummy in the baron's red +beard. Calmly cutting off his end of the whiskers, Belfaygor dragged +the helpless guard out of the way. "Let us get this flagon and depart," +cried the baron. + +"Maybe this fire isn't real," suggested Peter. "Maybe it's a trick like +the mirrors." Taking a piece of paper from his pocket, Peter tossed it +into the fountain. But it caught fire at once and burned up with such a +snap and crackle the three friends jumped back in a hurry. + +"I don't mind singeing a few feathers for the cause," said Snif, as +Peter and Belfaygor looked longingly at the strange black flask. + +"No you don't," said Peter firmly. "You've done your share." With a +little smile he touched the lump Snif had raised on his head when he +ran into the walls of the cave. "You discovered the mirrors, Belfaygor +captured the guard. Now it's my turn." While Snif grumbled his +disapproval and the baron stroked his beard uneasily, Peter gazed into +the sparkling fountain of fire. Then with a sudden snap of his fingers, +he seized Belfaygor's shears, and clipped a long piece from the Baron's +red and ever ready whiskers. "Now," said Peter, "you take one end, and +I'll take the other." Looking much mystified, Belfaygor did as he was +told. They were standing back of the fire fountain and one on each +side. At a signal from Peter both rushed forward. The baron's beard, +passing through the flames, knocked the flagon from its stand, before +it went up in smoke and the flagon itself rolled into a dark corner of +the green grotto. "Wait till it cools off," warned Peter as Snif made a +pounce at the flask. + +[Illustration: _The flagon rolled into a dark corner of the Grotto._] + +"Gee, I do wonder what's in it and why it's hidden down here?" +Impatiently they looked down at the smoking black bottle and after what +seemed to be hours, Peter, covering his hand with his handkerchief, +ventured to pick it up. It was still smoking hot, but by changing hands +frequently, Peter managed to hold it and read aloud the curious legend +on the red label. + + "The Forbidden Flagon, + To be guarded by each successive + Baron of Baffleburg. + Who breaks the seal upon this flask + Or spills its contents red, + Brings woe to Baffleburg and dire + Disaster on his head." + +"Now that's nice," said the Iffin, wiggling his nose very fast. "We +break the flask to subdue Mogodore and bring a disaster on our own +heads. Don't drop it lad, whatever you do, don't drop it. I'd like to +have a few more geraniums and see a few more sunsets before a disaster +hits me." + +"It is my place to break the seal," announced Belfaygor in a determined +voice. "Give me the flagon. What care I for disaster if Shirley +Sunshine is saved?" + +Peter was really alarmed at the threatening tone of the red verses. +"Not now, Belfaygor, wait till we reach the Emerald City and then maybe +we won't have to break it at all." + +"That's the talk," said Snif, waving his tail gently to and fro. "Come, +let's start back." + +Peter tucked the flagon into his pocket. "We'll go right away," he +said. Leaving the guard still swathed in whiskers, the three friends +stepped from the small cavern into the large cavern and from the large +cavern into the labyrinth. + +Going back they turned right and kept turning right, but it was slow +and tedious and seemed much longer than before. At last, dusty and +weary, they came to the end and climbed the ladder into the cellarway. + +"Thank the stars, you're here!" cried Jack's Pumpkinhead. + +"Not the stars," wheezed Snif, heaving himself up the ladder and +dropping heavily on the cellar floor, "not stars, whiskers!" + + "They lead us down, they lead us back; + They tied the guard up fast; + They pulled the flagon from the flames, + Long may they wave and last!" + +"They have been pretty useful," admitted Belfaygor, giving his beard a +thoughtful stroke before he cut it off short. + +"Useful," rumbled the Iffin, raising one claw. "They're wonderful. I'm +positively attached to them." + +"Not half so much as I am," smiled the baron, with another quick clip. + +"So you found the flagon," said Jack, as Peter picked up his head +and started up the long steep slideway. Peter nodded and with what +breath he had left told Jack all about the enchanted cavern and the +inscription on the magic flask. There was a rail beside the slide +and by holding on to this they managed to pull themselves up without +slipping backward. But they were now so impatient to be off that the +slide seemed simply endless. Finally they reached the top and hurried +down the hallway leading into Mogodore's room of state. + +"Here's somebody you'll be glad to see," chuckled Peter, pointing to +the stiff figure seated in the chair. + +"Some body!" exclaimed Jack's head as Peter held it up. "Why it's +mine. Reunite us at once, my boy. Oh, how I have missed me!" It was +the matter of but a moment to place the pumpkin head back on its peg. +At once Jack arose to his feet and executed a lively jig, in which the +Iffin, with more gusto than grace joined him, while Peter and the baron +looked amusedly on. The search for the flagon had taken just an hour, +and feeling well repaid for their trouble the four valorous rescuers +prepared to leave the palace. Jack took out the famous dinner bell to +see that it was safe, Belfaygor gave his beard a last cheerful clip, +Snif ate the tops of a pot of geraniums and Peter, putting the flagon +in his pocket and tightening his hold on the pirate's sack felt ready +for any adventure. But as he prepared to jump upon Snif's back, there +came a sudden splutter screech and roar. + +"Stop!" screamed a threatening voice. "Stop! Or you shall be boiled +like eggs, stewed like prunes, fried like fish." Snif swallowed a +geranium whole, Jack's knees knocked together and bent outward, and in +spite of himself, Peter clutched at a chair for support. + +"Who speaks?" boomed Belfaygor, snatching a sword from the wall and +swinging about like a tee-too-tum. + +"Die!" thundered the voice again. "Die you knaves!" + +Trembling a little, Peter looked all around but could see no one. As +the dreadful threats kept up, Belfaygor went to look behind a screen. +But one of Mogodore's hunting dogs, rising from its place by the fire, +moved majestically across the floor, picked up a small red box in +its teeth, and with an impatient grunt dropped it at Peter's feet. +Then with a satisfied yawn, the great dog rubbed against his knee and +returning to its post immediately dozed off again. + +"It's the sauce box," cried Peter with a gasp of relief. Closing the +lid, he smiled cheerfully at the Iffin. + +"I'd like to smash its lid," grunted Snif vindictively. "I nearly +choked on that geranium." + +"Don't do that," advised Jack, leaning down to straighten his knee +joints. "Take it along. What frightened us may easily frighten others." + +"That's so," laughed Peter, helping Jack to mount Snif's back. "Well, +we surely have enough magic now. A dinner bell, a forbidden flagon, a +magic sack and a sauce box." + +"Don't forget Belfaygor's beard," said Snif slyly, as Peter climbed up +behind Jack. + +"I wish I could forget it," sighed the baron, seating himself next to +Peter. + +"Oh, well," Peter reminded him cheerfully, "it won't be very long now, +Belfaygor!" + +"No, not if he keeps cutting it," said Jack calmly. + +"I mean it won't be long before we reach the Emerald City," laughed +Peter, as the Iffin raised his mighty wings and swooped out the wide +open castle doors. "Here we go!" + + + + + CHAPTER 14 + + High Times in Swing City + + +"As soon as we see Mogodore, I'll open the pirate's sack, no fooling!" +declared Peter, looking down at the whirling red landscape. Like tiny +toys under a Christmas tree, the villages and towns spread out below, +and some country people dancing about a May pole looked no larger than +dolls. + +"Swallowing's too good for him," objected Belfaygor, stroking the sword +he had taken from the castle hall. "Let me have one good swing at +him--one good thrust, before you open that sack!" + + "If we trust to a thrust, we may all be undone, + 'Tis better to sack him than whack him, my son!" + +Called Snif, looking over his shoulder to wink at Peter. + +"Much better," approved Jack Pumpkinhead. "Let us open the sack, break +the forbidden flagon and throw the sauce box at his head." + +"Yes, and bring a dire disaster on our own," said Peter, remembering +the warning on the magic flask. "We'll give the flagon to Ozma and let +the Wizard of Oz decide what is to be done with it." + +"Well, I hope he can do something with my beard," groaned Belfaygor, +looking ruefully at the blisters on his thumbs. "I cannot keep on +cutting it forever. Besides it will frighten the Princess." + +"He'll fix it," promised Peter confidently. "The Wizard of Oz can fix +anything. Oh boy, I can hardly wait to see them all again. Is Scraps as +funny as ever and has Kuma Party visited the Emerald City since I left?" + +"He lent Ozma a hand just the other day," said Jack, throwing both +arms around Snif's neck, as he made a sudden dive through a cloud. +"She was having trouble with the Hammerheads and needed a strong hand +to subdue them." Peter had met Kuma Party on his first journey to Oz. +This singular gentleman can really send his hands, feet, head or body +wheresoever he wishes. Belfaygor listened politely, as Peter told how +Kuma's hand had guided him to the Kingdom of Patch, helped him escape, +and how it had afterward arrived at the Emerald City in time to catch +the Gnome King. + +"If we had it now, we could send it down for some apples," sighed the +little boy, peering hungrily over the Iffin's wing. Snif was flying +low, to be sure not to miss Mogodore, and the orchards, laden with +rosy red fruit, looked tempting indeed. + +"Why not order lunch," asked Jack, as Peter continued to gaze longingly +at the apples. "Eat as you fly!" + +"Why not?" chuckled Belfaygor, slipping his shears into the pocket +of his coat. "I could make some food fly right now." As Peter was +wondering just how they would manage the trays, Jack rang and up beside +the Iffin flashed the faithful slave of the bell. But he did not carry +the tray this time. It was borne by Biggen, Mogodore's bodyguard, and +the great fellow trod clumsily through the air, his eyes rolling with +fright and fury. At a haughty gesture from the slave, he set the tray +on Peter's lap. Then raising his fist, he was about to pound Peter on +the head, when the little black seized him by the coat-tails and both +disappeared. + +"Wh--ew," whistled Peter ducking his head, "what do you think of that? +Look out, here comes the other one!" As Jack rang the bell again, +Little, just as angry as Biggen, came hurling toward them with the +baron's dinner. The slave winked mischievously at Peter as the enraged +bodyguard placed the tray on Belfaygor's knees; then catching the surly +fellow by the ear, he vanished before Little could do any harm. + +"Good enough," roared Snif, who had witnessed the whole proceeding over +his shoulder. "What sweet little sprites they do make. + + "If Mogodore could see them skipping lightly through the sky, + He'd shiver in his great red boots, and shake like custard pie." + +"That's what we have for dessert," said Peter, lifting the cover off +his tray. "Say, it's too bad you don't eat pie, Snif." + +"Or roast guinea," murmured Belfaygor, between rapturous bites. "I'll +give you three horses and a couple of hunting dogs for that bell, +Peter." + +Peter smiled to himself, for he could not help thinking how crowded +three horses and a dog would make the small back yard at home. But +he tactfully said nothing, for he had decided to present the magic +dinner bell to Ozma. Enjoying the Red Jinn's delicious dinner, looking +dreamily down at the lovely mountain scenery beneath, Peter concluded +that this was even more exciting and interesting than eating on the +train. + +"I shall think nothing of airplane trips after this," mused the little +boy, sipping his chocolate complacently. "I don't believe anything +could ever surprise or frighten me again; not even a highwayman." +Finishing off his pie, Peter closed his eyes and was fighting an +imaginary duel with a Mexican bandit, when he was suddenly seized by +the shoulders, jerked from the Iffin's back and hurled like a ball +through the air. His first thought was that Biggen, returning for the +magic tray, had taken this means of revenge, but there was no sign of +either bodyguard. In spite of his recent boast, Peter's heart beat with +dreadful thumps as he turned over and over in the air. But just as he +gave himself up for lost, he was skillfully caught by the ankles. + +"Howde-do!" called a pleasant voice, and looking up Peter saw a jolly +fellow in silk tights swinging by his heels from a high trapeze. He +wore a crown, which was held in place by ribbons tied beneath his +chin. Now hanging head down, if you are not accustomed to it, is +terribly upsetting and Peter was too upset to say a word. "Welcome to +Swing City," said this strange sovereign in his high, jolly voice. "I +am the King and the highest Swinger here. In fact, Hi-Swinger's my +name," he coughed self-consciously. "But you must meet the Queen, Tip +Toppsy the Tenth!" As he said "Meet the Queen," Hi-Swinger flung Peter +carelessly downward. Any desire Peter had ever had to do circus stunts, +he lost in that second dizzy drop through space. Fortunately, he did +meet the Queen, somewhere in mid air. Like the King she was hanging +head down from another swing, and grasping both of Peter's wrists swung +him gently to and fro. + +"Isn't he perfectly precious," cooed her Highness, smiling amiably +down at the little boy. "I hope he'll stay with us always. What lovely +hair! What sweet red cheeks. He'll make a perfectly splendid swinger, +Highty." Now if there was one thing Peter detested it was being fussed +over, and the Queen's speech made him squirm with embarrassment and +rage. But before he could do more than mutter, Tip Toppsy swung him +back to her husband. "Shall we dress him in pink or blue?" she called +anxiously. + +"Blue," answered the King, catching Peter and drawing him up close so +he could look into his eyes. "But, my dear, see what's coming now. +Who is this pomiferous person?" Throwing Peter carelessly aside, the +King caught Jack Pumpkinhead, who had just been tossed up by someone +below. Peter himself was seized by a smiling trapezist, some twenty +feet beneath. Before the fellow could throw him further, Peter pulled +himself desperately up on the trapeze, and holding tight to the side +rope stared dizzily around. Over his head, and under his feet, pink and +blue clad figures swooped and darted like birds. With lightning speed +they shot from swing to swing, skipped recklessly across spidery ropes +and balanced perilously on swaying cords. + +"Trapleased to meet you," murmured the owner of the trapeze, swinging +up beside Peter. "Hang around a while. You'll like it. 'Tis an easy +life we lead--trapeasy," he added with a sly wink. "Have you met the +Queen?" + +"Yes! Yes!" shuddered Peter, moving as far from the tumbler as he +could. "I'm looking for my friends." + +"Is that one of them?" inquired the acrobat, pointing off toward the +left. "Ha! Ha! Ha! The tight rope walkers will never let that fellow +go. They are great cut-ups, you know, great cut-ups. Why, look at his +beard! It's growing longer every minute. They can cut rope after tight +rope from it. Ha! Ha! Ha! Rope after rope!" + +"No they can't," shouted Peter angrily, "and you'd better be careful. +We're wizards, and will destroy you like that." Letting go of the side +rope with one hand, Peter snapped his fingers sharply. + +"Will you?" said the trapezist in an interested voice. "Then that means +a battle, an acrobattle. Hello! It's begun already. Look at that old +Nibblywog down there. Come on, we're missing all the fun!" + +Jerking Peter from the swing, the acrobat hurled him to the next +trapeze and the next and the next, until everything turned topsy-turvy. +Peter could no more have opened the pirate's sack than he could have +counted the somersaults he took in the air. Jack had long since lost +his head, and Peter could see the acrobats tossing it about like a +ball. Below that a troupe of tight-rope walkers were dancing merrily +on Belfaygor's beard, which had been stretched between two swings. The +baron himself was held fast by a dozen swing citizens and Snif, trying +to help first Peter then Belfaygor, was buffetted and banged with the +hard fists of the aerialists. + +"How dare you hold us up in this high handed manner," roared the Iffin, +nearly beside himself with rage and indignation. There is no telling +how long Peter and his friends would have been tossed about had not +a sudden shake dislodged Mogodore's sauce box from the little boy's +pocket. Opening as it fell it immediately filled the air with such +a thunder of screams, threats and brazen screeches, several swing +citizens lost their hold upon the swings and fell trembling through +space. + +"Magic," squealed Hi-Swinger, clutching his crown with both hands. "Drop +them! Drop them at once!" So Peter and his companions were dropped as +suddenly as they had been taken up by these fickle folk of the air, +and with sickening speed went whizzing downward. Peter was too dizzy +to realize he was falling again, and Snif, trying to catch all of them +at once succeeded only in rescuing Jack's head as it whirled past. But +he need not have worried, for under this strange city a great net was +suspended and into this net they all landed with a bounce that promptly +sent them skyward again. + +"Score one for the sauce box," panted Peter as he fell back. +"Gee-whiz--I never want to see another swing as long as I live!" + +"Neither do I," muttered Belfaygor, unwinding himself from his long +red whiskers and feeling for his shears. Snif said nothing, for he was +trying to hold Jack's body steady and place his pumpkin back on its +peg. Peter hastened to assist him and soon Jack was himself again. + +"Ups and downs," he mused sadly. "Nothing but ups and downs! And how +are we to get out of this net, may I ask?" + +"I'll cut a hole in the net and we'll drop through," said Belfaygor +promptly. "It's not far to the ground!" + +"Another fall," groaned Jack, holding his head with both hands. "Oh, +think of something else!" + +"If we stay here," said the Iffin, "the Swingers will probably come +back and if we don't hurry, we'll miss that rascally baron and he'll +capture the Emerald City before we catch him." + +"I'll fall," quavered Jack, crawling toward the opening Belfaygor was +cutting in the net. "I'll do anything for Ozma!" + +"We've certainly done a lot of falling for her so far," sighed Peter, +scrambling after Jack. "Let me fall first and then I can help you." +Holding for a moment to the edge of the opening, Peter dropped lightly +to the ground. Then reaching up he caught Jack under the arms and +carefully eased him down. Belfaygor quickly followed Jack and Snif +bounced through in short order. + +"Well, we've lost the sauce box and a lot of time but we've met a new +and curious kind of people," said Peter, pulling down his jacket. + +"And so did they," smiled the Iffin, giving himself a shake and +examining two places where he had lost some fur. A hurried search +proved that the magic bell, the sack and flagon were still in their +possession. Jack was no worse for his swinging and though Snif, +Peter and Belfaygor still felt dizzy and shaken by their unexpected +experiences in Swing City, they decided not to stop and rest but to +push straight on for the capitol. + +"From now on," said Snif gravely, "we must keep a sharp look out for +trouble." + +"I'll watch the air," said Jack, seating himself quickly. + +"I'll watch the ground," promised Peter, springing up briskly behind +him. + +"And I'll see that we're not followed," said Belfaygor, climbing on +last of all. + +"Then off we go," rumbled Snif. "What a lot I shall have to tell my +grandchildren, if I ever have any grandchildren. I hope they'll be +just like you, Peter," he added with an affectionate glance over his +shoulder. Peter smiled faintly to himself, for he did not see how this +could be but he was too polite to argue the question, and fixing his +eyes upon the road below looked eagerly for some sign of Mogodore and +his men. + + + + + CHAPTER 15 + + Peter Opens the Pirate's Sack + + +"What a curious existence," mused Belfaygor, as Snif came to the end of +Swing City's net and soared joyfully into the air. "Well, everybody has +his own idea of comfort, but as for me, I prefer a castle with someone +to serve the soup and bring on the venison." Snipping off his beard, +the baron gave a homesick sigh and looked glumly at the tiny farms and +villages below. + +"A place where a fellow can keep his feet on the ground and his head on +his shoulders suits me," declared Jack in a weary voice. "I've never +lost my head so often as on this trip. Did you see those savages using +it for a ball?" + +"They used my beard for a tight rope," said Belfaygor in an exasperated +voice, "so what could you expect?" + +"And they called Snif a Nibblywog," laughed Peter, "and threw me around +like an old shoe. All they need to make them monkeys is tails!" + +"Don't insult a monkey," said Snif, looking reprovingly over his wing. +"I've known some polite monkeys in my day. But those highwaymen!" Snif +gave a disgusted grunt. "I've a notion to fly back and settle with them +after this other affair is all over." + +"I hope we didn't miss Mogodore while we were being held up there," +worried Peter. "It must be nearly four o'clock now and we certainly +ought to overtake him soon. Are you sure we are flying in the right +direction, Snif?" + +"Yes," said the Iffin expertly circling a dark cloud. "Why there he is +now!" Flapping both wings violently together, Snif pointed with his +claw. "There, coming out of that forest--Mogodore and all his men! See +the sun shining on their spears." With a swoop that nearly unseated +his riders, the Iffin hurled himself over the wood and the next instant +they were hanging motionless over a tossing sea of spears. + +"The Princess," cried Belfaygor, leaning far over. "There's Shirley +Sunshine riding out ahead. Fly lower, Snif, fly lower and we'll snatch +her up and be off!" + +"No we won't," muttered the Iffin grimly. "We'll open the sack and +catch this kingdom stealer, first. Open the sack, Peter! Open the sack, +there's no one to stop you now." So intent upon their purpose were the +warriors below, they never saw the red monster above their heads. Now +Peter had untied the pirate sack. Now it was ready to open. Seizing +Snif's wing to balance himself, Peter stood up in order to hold the +sack directly over the enemy. As he did a great gust of wind, tore the +sack from his hands, filled it full of air and sent it spinning up like +a balloon high above their heads. + +"Oh," choked the little boy, nearly losing his hold on Snif, "nothing +ever happens right. Doggone that sack anyway!" + +"The flagon," screamed Jack. "Throw the flagon. Quick before he gets +away!" + +"I'll do it," whispered Belfaygor eagerly. "Give it to me, Peter. +Quick!" Tugging the forbidden flagon from his pocket, Peter was about +to pass it to the baron, when a hoarse scream from the Iffin, made him +pause. + +"The sack," panted the red monster, flapping his wings desperately. +"It's coming straight for us! Look! Look! Look out! Look up! Hold on! + +"If that comes nearer, we are gone!" Jack took one startled glance +upward, and then instead of holding on, snatched the flagon from +Peter's hand and dove recklessly to earth. As he did, and as the last +of Mogodore's army galloped out of danger's way, the wretched sack, +its mouth wide open came hurling down upon the rescuers. Jack had been +wise to jump. Before Peter or the baron could follow him, they were +snapped up, I mean down. An ear-splitting growl came to Jack as he +turned over and over in the air. The fright of vanishing had restored +Snif's gu--rrr! And it was a real Griffin, not an Iffin who disappeared +into the fathomless depths of the pirate's grab bag. Then floating +calmly to the ground, the terrible sack settled calmly against a pink +hay stack and was still. Not far away, Jack lay face down on another +soft mound of pink hay. So tightly had he held to his head and the +flagon, he lost neither during the fall and the hay had saved both +from smashing, but when Jack rolled over and started to rise, he found +that his left leg had bent under and broken off at the knee. Being of +wood, Jack suffered no pain, but it was frightfully inconvenient, and +it was now impossible for him to walk, or even hobble. Shaking his +fists as the last of Mogodore's riders disappeared in a cloud of dust, +Jack sank dejectedly against the hay mound and tried to collect his +scattered thoughts. His purpose in plunging from the Iffin's back, had +been to break the flagon over Mogodore's head and save the Emerald City +at any cost, even if he himself were destroyed. But now it was too +late! Mogodore was gone, Peter, Snif and Belfaygor had vanished and he +himself, was a broken man. The wicked Baron of Baffleburg, with none to +stop him, would march boldly to the capitol, fall upon its unsuspecting +inhabitants, enslave them all and seize the magic treasures for +himself. This dark picture fairly made Jack groan and when he spied the +magic sack resting against the next hay stack he positively shuddered. + +"All that is left of three faithful friends," mourned Jack. "I hope +there's room for Belfaygor's beard in that bag or they'll all be +smothered. I hope they're not mixed with Scares. I must get that sack. +Whatever happens I must get that sack and take it to the Wizard of Oz." +At thought of touching the enchanted bag, Jack shook like a tree in a +hail storm, but controlling his fear and distaste, he dragged himself +to the haystack. First he pulled the cords that closed the top, then +hanging it carefully over one shoulder, dragged himself back. His +broken leg and the forbidden flagon lay side by side in the straw, and +raising his voice Jack shouted loudly for help. But the pink hay field +was a long way from the farm house and no one heard him except a few +curious crows who answered his cries with dismal screeches. Finally +Jack grew so hoarse he could shout no more and, holding his head in +both hands, he tried to think of some way to reach the Emerald City. + +"If the Scarecrow were only here," sighed Jack dolefully, "he would be +sure to hit upon some clever plan, but I am only a poor stupid pumpkin +head with only a few dried seeds for brains." Realizing that the whole +fate of the Kingdom of Oz depended upon him, poor Jack pressed his +head with his wooden hands and thought so hard that the seeds inside +skipped about like corn in a corn popper. And one must have been a seed +of thought, for presently Jack gave a little bounce and feeling in his +pocket drew out the Red Jinn's bell. "I'll make that slave help me," +muttered Jack determinedly. Just how the slave could help him Jack did +not stop to figure out, but anything was better than sitting foolishly +on a haystack while little Ozma was facing capture and possible +banishment. So Jack tucked his broken leg under one arm, tightened his +hold on the pirate's sack, put the precious flagon in his coat pocket +and boldly rang the silver bell. + +"I hope he does not bring those meddlesome bodyguards," muttered Jack +leaning forward anxiously. The slave of the ball appeared so promptly +this time that his tray almost hit Jack in the nose. Placing the tray +on Jack's lap the little fellow backed away and was preparing to vanish +when Jack sprang to his feet, and scattering dishes in every direction +seized the small servitor by the arm. + +"Stop," cried Jack Pumpkinhead desperately. "Stop! You must help me." +But Jack might as well have tried to stop the wind. With a shrill cry, +the Red Jinn's slave vanished. Jack also vanished. Now, there was no +one in the pink hay field at all. Only a pink rabbit, who wiggled his +nose anxiously and then began nibbling at a stalk of celery that had +fallen from the magic tray. + + + + + CHAPTER 16 + + In the Palace of the Red Jinn + + +In about three whirls and one spiral Jack found himself on the steps of +a glittering red glass palace. It stood on the edge of a green glass +sea, whose waves broke with a melodious tinkle and crash on the beach +below. The beach itself was a gleaming stretch of glass splinters, most +dangerous to the tread of unwary travellers. Jack was so confounded by +his sudden arrival in this strange place that for several moments he +was scarcely aware that the slave of the bell was addressing him. + +"Be pleased to enter the castle of the Red Jinn," murmured the little +black boy politely, repeating the words till Jack at last did hear him. + +"Is the owner of this palace also the owner of the magic dinner bell?" +asked Jack uneasily. The slave nodded brightly and after an inquisitive +glance at Jack's broken leg which he still carried under his arm, he +offered his shoulder to Jack. With his assistance, Jack began hopping +doubtfully upward. There were nearly a hundred steps, and moving up and +down was a vast and colorful company of turbaned gentlemen, who might +have stepped directly from the Arabian Nights. As each one passed he +took off his slipper and tapped Jack smartly on the head. + +"What, what have I done?" stuttered Jack, trying to protect his head +with his arm. "Why do they strike me and why do they smile as they do +it?" + +"It is the custom in this country to take off the right shoe and tap a +visitor upon the head as a polite method of salutation and greeting," +explained the slave calmly. + +"Greeting," groaned Jack, ducking back to avoid another slipper waver, +"well, if we meet many more of your countrymen my head will be a squash +instead of a pumpkin. Why can't they shake hands, like we do in Oz?" + +"Every country has its own customs," answered the slave stiffly. "Why +do you wear such a soft head, pray?" + +"Because I'm accustomed to it," replied Jack a little sulkily. "It's +the kind of head that goes with my kind of person." + +"A turban would help," observed the slave as another citizen greeted +Jack boisterously with his slipper. + +"I don't need a turban," said Jack, hopping desperately up the last +step. "But I do need help. My friends have disappeared into an +enchanted sack and my country is in danger of destruction. I must have +help. Do you think your master is powerful enough to help me?" + +"It depends on how you strike him," murmured the slave indifferently. +"There he is now. You might ask him." The glass doors of the palace +were wide open, and Jack looked anxiously into the great red glass +throne room. The doorways and arches were hung with strands of strung +glass triangles and the musical tinkle of these strange curtains was +both pleasant and delicate. All of the furnishings were of sparkling +red glass and a double line of tall vases led directly to the +throne. A strange drowsy incense rose in pink clouds to the ceiling. +At first Jack thought the Jinn was merely another vase, but as with +the black boy's aid he hopped nearer, he saw that the vase-like figure +on the throne had legs crossed on the spun glass cushions and hands +clasped round his fat and shiny middle. No head was visible; nothing +but a lid with a round knob on the top. A sleepy black wielded a +great fan drowsily over this portly person, and Jack after pausing +uncertainly took the leg he still carried under his arm and tapped the +Jinn sharply on the lid. Instantly it raised up and from the vase-like +interior of this strange sovereign rose an enormous red head with an +exceedingly pleasant, round face. He blinked curiously at Jack and then +turning to the slave wheezed good naturedly, "Well, well! Ginger, my +boy, what have you brought me this time? I am delighted that our bell +was stolen. It keeps us in touch with the outside world and has already +got us two extra slaves. But this one is the best yet." He looked Jack +up and then down. "I haven't been so amused in a thousand years." + +"Don't you want the bell back?" asked Jack, holding it out uneasily. +He had expected the Jinn to be very angry at the holder of his magic +treasure. + +"No! No! Keep it and welcome! Just to look at you is worth a hundred +dinner bells," said the Jinn, smothering a chuckle behind his fat hand. +"An odd enough appearing gentleman, Ginger, is he not? And so polite! +Where we but remove the slipper he has taken off the entire leg to do +us honor. Tell me, who and what are you, most curious sir?" + +"You struck him exactly right," whispered the slave encouragingly. +"Speak up and he may help you." + +"I am Jack Pumpkinhead, your Majesty," said Jack, balancing himself +with great difficulty, "and a simple citizen of Oz." + +"I believe you," puffed the Jinn and forthwith broke into such a series +of strange sounds that Jack drew back in dismay. + +"What language is that?" he asked in a faint voice. "I do not seem to +understand your Majesty's remarks." The Red Jinn's lid, which he wore +quite jauntily for a hat, was still quivering, but controlling himself +with a great effort he wiped his face on a red silk hanky. + +"'Tis the laugh language, Jack," he confided with a wink at the little +slave. "The ha, ha, and ho, ho, of great merriment. Do you not speak +this language in your country, fellow? The guffaw and the snicker, the +giggle and roar of pure hilarity! Ho! Ho! You are doing me good, great +good! Come join me in a little roar and we'll speak the laugh language +in all its branches." + +"But I do not feel like laughing," said Jack wearily. "I have lost my +best friends and will lose my country too, if your Highness does not +help me. Are you very powerful? Are you important enough to help me?" + +"Terribly important," answered the Jinn, pursing up his lips. "At least +to myself." He nudged the slave of the bell, who nodded delightedly, +and Jack, without further parley, held up the pirate's sack. + +"In this bag," said Jack solemnly, "are a little boy, a baron and a +flying red monster." + +"No?" murmured the Jinn leaning forward incredulously. "How did they +get in the bag? How will they get out again and if they stay in an +age will they become baggage? Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" The Red Jinn's mirth +was extremely distressing to poor Jack, but feeling that everything +depended upon the wizard's help, he smothered his resentment and +patiently told the whole story of his adventures since Peter's arrival +in Oz. As he proceeded the Jinn's expression grew more sober and at +the conclusion of the story he clapped his hands sharply. Immediately +Jack's broken leg snapped back into place, and with a surprised skip, +Jack began marching up and down. + +"That is the first step toward helping you," smiled the Jinn, holding +up his hand to silence Jack's outburst of gratitude. "Now we must +find a way to send you to Oz, release the prisoners from the sack and +break the forbidden flagon without disaster to yourself. My magic +looking-glass would show us where your friends are but not how to +rescue them, my magic umbrella would carry you to Oz, but I need that +myself. Let me think! Let me think!" Wrinkling his brows, the Red Jinn +retired into himself and shut the lid. + +"Will he come out again?" asked Jack, turning nervously to the little +slave. The slave nodded impressively. So Jack, fixing his eyes +earnestly on the Jinn's red lid, waited for him to reappear. And +presently his head popped up and with snapping eyes he leaned forward. +First he whispered nine words in Jack's carved ear and next, eight +more. Then, leaning back, he regarded Jack with a pleased and satisfied +smile. + +"Now all we have to do is to arrange for your journey to Oz," said the +Jinn, tapping his fingers upon the arm of his glass throne. "I believe +I'll send you off in my Jinrickasha. Would you like that?" + +"Why he's gone," shouted Ginger, leaping into the air. "Gone! Vanished! +Departed!" + +"So he has," spluttered the Jinn, lurching forward and rubbing his eyes +with astonishment. + +"Was it by your Majesty's magic?" queried the Slave of the Bell +breathlessly. + +"Not by my Majesty's magic, but some other meddlesome magic. Hash and +horseradish! Now I shall never hear the end of the story!" Pulling in +his head so suddenly that the lid came down with a crash, the Red Jinn +dropped back on his cushions, and the little slave, having experienced +the extreme of his master's temper when disappointed, tip-toed +hurriedly from the royal presence. What had become of our hero? Who had +spirited Jack Pumpkinhead away from the palace of the Red Jinn? + + + + + CHAPTER 17 + + The Capture of the Emerald City + + +In that delightful hour before dinner, when it is too early to go in +and light the lamps and too late to go for another picnic or swim, +it is a pleasant custom in Ozma's palace to gather in the garden for +games. Almost any fine evening at dusk, if you were to peep over the +wall of the green castle, you would see all the celebrities and most +of the courtiers playing hop scotch or prisoner's base. The ruler of +Oz, as most of you know, is a little girl fairy and Ozma is quite as +fond of fun and good times as you are. Dorothy, Betsy and Trot, Ozma's +best friends and advisers are little girls too, so that life in the +Emerald City is bound to be interesting and gay. And how could it be +otherwise, with so many unusual and amusing people living in the palace? + +The Scarecrow spends most of his time there, though he has a splendid +residence of his own, and for fun and good comradeship there is no one +like this jolly straw-stuffed gentleman. He was lifted from a pole and +brought to the Emerald City by Dorothy on her first journey to Oz. +Dorothy, herself, was blown to Oz in a cyclone and has had so much fun +and so many adventures that she would not think of living anywhere +else. Betsy and Trot are from the United States, too, but prefer life +in the Emerald City to life in America, as indeed I should myself. +Almost everybody has heard of Tik Tok, the copper man. Tik Tok is not +alive, but very lively and when properly wound can walk, talk and run +as well as anybody. + +Justly famous, is the Tin Woodman. Whole books have been written about +him, for Nick Chopper is Emperor of the Winkies and almost any child +in Oz can tell you the strange story of Nick and the enchanted ax that +chopped off his arms and legs, severed his trunk and finally chopped +off his head. After each accident, Nick had himself repaired by a tin +smith, till he was entirely a man of tin, and like the Scarecrow he +spends more than half his time in the capitol. Then we must not forget +Sir Hokus, a real Knight, who was rescued after seven centuries of +imprisonment in Pokes. Now where, but in Oz, could a Knight last for +seven centuries, and be so spry, so bold and so full of interesting +stories? Where, but in Oz, could one find a Wizard able to whisk one +about with magic wishing pills and conjure up Ozcream and pop-overs by +a mere puff of magic powder? + +Another prime favorite in the palace is Scraps. Made from an old +patchwork quilt and magically brought to life, Scraps adds a touch of +fun and gaiety to all the palace parties, for Scraps is wholly without +dignity and can think up verses faster than little boys can think up +excuses. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a fine fellow, too. +He is the whole grand army of Oz, and though not very brave has such +a splendid uniform and long shining green beard, just to look at him +gives one pleasure and satisfaction. Recently a live statue and a +medicine man have come to Ozma's court. The medicine man's chest is +a real medicine chest, full of helpful remedies and although no one +in the Emerald City ever falls ill Ozma has graciously conferred upon +Herby the title of Court Doctor. Add to all of these famous characters +the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger and a dozen other strange pets, +fifty or more splendid courtiers and servants and you will have a fair +idea of the merry company romping in the garden on this early evening +in May. + +Dorothy had just won an exciting foot race and sinking into a green +hammock called gaily to the Scarecrow, "Let's play blind-man's buff +and blind-fold everyone but Betsy Bobbin. Then we'll all try to find +her and first one who does shall have three pieces of strawberry short +cake!" + +"A lot of good that will do me," sighed the Scarecrow, patting his +straw stuffed stomach, "but if I win, you shall have my cake, Dorothy." + +"You'll never win," teased Betsy, beginning to hop up and down with +impatience. "None of you will. Remember now, Wizard, no fair using +magic to find me." + +"Haven't a bit of magic with me. My black bag's inside," laughed the +little Wizard of Oz, fitting a big green handkerchief around his +head. In less than a minute, Ozma and everyone in the garden was +blind-folded. Even the Cowardly Lion had Dorothy's hair ribbon tied +securely over his eyes. + +"All ready," called Betsy, and tip-toeing over to an enormous butterfly +bush, she climbed into the center and sat still as a mouse. But the +others were very far from still. With shouts, screams and little roars +of merriment they ran to and fro, bumping into each other and throwing +their arms around trees and statues and making so much noise that +they never heard the tramp of feet on the other side of the wall. For +Mogodore had at last arrived in the Emerald City, and with a rush and +without opposition, captured the famous fairy capitol. At sight of his +spearmen, the peaceful inhabitants fled into their houses and slammed +windows and doors. Unk Nunkie, a brave old Munchkin who had started +on a run to warn the people in the palace, was caught by Bragga, tied +up securely and carelessly tossed into a greenberry bush. Shirley +Sunshine, who had leaped from her horse for the very same reason, was +overtaken and put under guard. + +[Illustration: _With shouts, screams, and little roars of merriment, +they ran to and fro._] + +"A fine way to help," muttered Mogodore, shaking his finger at her +accusingly. "What were you about Princess?" + +"I was anxious to see the castle," stuttered poor Shirley, twisting her +handkerchief miserably. + +"You'll see it soon enough," promised Mogodore. "Just wait till I've +conquered this silly little fairy." About forty paces from the castle +itself Mogodore dismounted and called a council of war. Leaving five +hundred men to hold the city he took five hundred with him to storm the +palace and overcome the famous celebrities whom he had read about so +often. Shirley Sunshine was left behind until the fighting should be +over. Mogodore and his five hundred picked soldiers marched boldly upon +the castle. + +"High time for a new King here," sniffed Mogodore scornfully. "A city +without defenses! No army! No guards! What can they expect but capture?" + +"There may be an army inside the castle walls," warned Wagarag, jogging +wearily along at the baron's elbow. "Before we rush the gates we had +better look about a bit and see that everything is safe." + +"Very good," grunted Mogodore, taking a pinch of snuff. "You and I will +go forward. The others may remain here. My spear tossed into the air +will be the signal for them to advance." It was a short walk to the +walls of the palace, and hoisting himself with great gasps and puffs +the Baron of Baffleburg raised his head cautiously over the top of +the wall and looked down into the royal gardens. What he saw astonished +him exceedingly, and with a soundless chuckle he dropped to the ground. +"The silly dunces are playing a game," whispered Mogodore to his +trembling steward. "They're blind-folded and all we have to do is to +jump over the wall and seize them." + +Tossing his spear into the air, Mogodore waited impatiently for his men +and when they came hurrying forward, he raised his hand for silence. +"Drop over the wall, one at a time, join in this game of blind-man's +buff. Each man take one prisoner and tie him to the nearest tree. When +all are taken, I will march into the palace, seize the crown jewels +and magic belt and proclaim myself King of Oz. All ready." With only a +slight scraping of boots on the stones, Mogodore and his men slipped +over the wall and into the garden. Betsy Bobbin, sitting breathlessly +in the center of the butterfly bush, became suddenly aware of a change +in the gay uproar around her. The joyous shouts and good natured +exclamations turned to frightened screams and indignant protests and +finally to loud shouts for help. + +"What can have happened?" gasped Betsy, poking her head out of the +bush. What she saw, as you can well imagine, made her sink back in +a faint heap. The garden was swarming with armed warriors and Ozma +and all of her friends and courtiers were tied to the trees with gold +chains and struggling in vain to free themselves. + +"I am the only one left," panted Betsy. "I must try to slip out +unnoticed and get the magic belt!" In this famous belt, as most of you +know, there is such power that the wearer can transform anyone to any +shape at all. "I'll turn them to old shoes and door knobs," sobbed +Betsy, with another frightened peek out of the bush. The chances of +her reaching the palace were slim indeed and finally she gave up all +hope, but she could not help feeling proud of the way Ozma of Oz was +conducting herself. + +"What does this mean?" demanded the little fairy, tearing the bandage +from her eyes and stamping her foot as well as she could with so many +chains around her ankles. "Who are you and what do you want? Release us +at once, or my Wizard and my Army will destroy you!" + +"Ho! Ho! ho!" roared Mogodore, looking cheerfully down at the furious +Princess. "Hand over the keys of the castle my dear, for you are +completely conquered and absolutely captured. I, Mogodore the Mighty +and Baron of Baffleburg, am the future King of Oz!" + +"I'll crown you with my fist," sputtered Sir Hokus, tugging at his +chains till the tree he was tied to rocked as if by a tempest. "I'll +thump thee on the bean." (Sir Hokus has picked up a lot of slang +from Trot and Betsy Bobbin and mixes it fluently with his knightly +conversation). + + "We'll change you to a fritter, + We'll fry you in a pan, + You rude uncultured critter----, + Do you call yourself a man?" + +yelled Scraps defiantly, and all the other celebrities joined their +voices to hers, till the din was so dreadful that even Betsy had to +cover her ears. But it had no effect upon Mogodore. Quite calmly he +continued to gaze down at Ozma and the longer he looked the broader +grew his ugly grin. + +"A little beauty," he mumbled half to himself, "prettier far than this +Shirley Sunshine. I shall marry Princess Ozma," he shouted, suddenly +clapping Wagarag so heartily upon the back that the poor steward's iron +pot helmet fell over one eye. "Into the palace, fellow, and prepare a +feast for the wedding! Farewell for the moment, slaves!" + +[Illustration: _"A little beauty," he mumbled, "far prettier than +Shirley Sunshine."_] + +Shaking his spear at the furiously struggling Ozites, Mogodore tramped +off to the palace, followed by two hundred and fifty of his men. The +others he left to watch the prisoners, and Betsy continued to crouch +uncomfortably in the butterfly bush. As the Baron of Baffleburg strode +into the castle, Ozma began to speak quietly and comfortingly to her +people. + +"For the moment," sighed the little sovereign sadly, "we are +overpowered and at the mercy of these rude ruffians. But let us be +patient and brave and surely some help will come to us." + +"I hope there will be no shooting," quavered the Soldier with the Green +Whiskers, trembling so his chains rattled dismally. + +"If I only had my black bag," fumed the Wizard, trying desperately to +free himself. From the screams and crashes indoors, the anxious company +in the garden knew that the servants were being overpowered. Presently +a long file of them came out between two lines of Mogodore's men, who +marched them to a small summer house and carefully locked them in. + +"I hope they don't find the magic belt," breathed Dorothy, wriggling +into a more comfortable position and trying to smile reassuringly at +the Scarecrow who was tied to the next tree. But even while Dorothy +was hoping, out dashed Mogodore waving the belt. His helmet had been +removed and Ozma's small emerald crown perched ridiculously upon the +top of his head. + +"I beg that your Majesty will be careful," cried Wagarag, running +anxiously after the excited baron. "Remember that belt is very +powerful, very dangerous. Have a care." + +"I haven't a care in the world," shouted Mogodore, fastening the belt +round his arm, for it would not begin to go 'round his waist. "Am I not +a King and about to marry a fairy? Go play marbles, Waggy, and let me +alone! I am a King and if I choose can destroy this entire country." +And then as Wagarag continued to plead and beg him to be cautious he +yelled angrily, "Go, attend to the feast, you meddlesome weasel and +leave this magic to me. I shall test the powers of this belt at once. +Do you know that I can transform anyone here to anything I wish? +Begone, before I turn you to a bone and throw you to the dogs." Now +indeed did the helpless Oz folk tremble, and as Wagarag, shaking his +head sadly, backed away from his foolish master, Mogodore began to +look around the garden for someone to transform. Perhaps, because the +Patchwork Girl was the oddest and most amazing person he had ever seen, +his eye rested longest upon her. + +"I command this ridiculous maiden to become a bird," called Mogodore in +a loud voice. And instantly, Scraps was a bird, an exceedingly scrappy +bird, too. Wildly flapping her patchwork wings she quickly disengaged +herself from the gold chains that bound her to the tree. Then swooping +down upon Mogodore, she snatched Ozma's crown from his head and hurled +herself into the air. + +"Quick! Quick! Change her back! I knew you'd do something silly," +groaned Wagarag, as Mogodore stared dumbly upward. "Now she'll fly off +and spread the alarm!" + +"You bet I will," screeched the Patchwork Bird, and with an +ear-splitting screech she soared over the castle and disappeared. + +"I told you something would happen," whispered Ozma, smiling quietly +at Dorothy. Now if Mogodore had been more practiced in magic, he would +instantly have changed Scraps into a stone and she would have dropped +heavily and helplessly to earth. But utterly confused and mortified by +the unfortunate outcome of his first transformation, the baron pushed +his steward furiously aside, rushed into the castle and slammed both +gold doors. + + + + + CHAPTER 18 + + Mogodore Meets More Magic + + +Soon the fragrance of an appetizing repast began to float out to the +unhappy prisoners in the garden. Dusk turned to darkness, lights shone +from every room in the palace, and in dreadful suspense and discomfort +they waited for Mogodore's next move. + +"That robber baron really means to marry you," groaned Trot, who was +tied to a tree near Ozma, and as if to confirm her words two spearmen +came marching determinedly toward them. + +"Her Majesty, Queen Ozma is wanted within," bawled the first man, +looking around. "Ozma of Oz, this way please." Immediately the little +fairy was released from her chains. + +"Never mind," she whispered as Trot burst into tears, "remember, Scraps +is free and will find a way to help us." + +"She'd better hurry," shivered Dorothy, and with sinking hearts +they all saw their little leader marched away between the guards. +Well-filled plates were being brought out to the soldiers in the +garden, but no refreshment of any kind was offered to the prisoners, +nor did Betsy Bobbin, crouched in the center of the butterfly bush, +find any opportunity to escape from her hiding place. Inside a great +feast was laid in the banquet hall and the rude warriors were already +seated and banging on the table with their gold forks and knives. +Wagarag, an apron tied hastily over his armor, was supervising the +festivities and Mogodore, seated at the head of the table, without +even rising waved Ozma to a place beside him. With a little sigh of +despair, Ozma slipped into the green throne chair. + +"Your future Lady in Waiting," grunted Mogodore, pointing rudely to +Shirley Sunshine, who sat on his other side. "I did truly intend to +marry this Princess, but find you so much more charming I have chosen +you instead." + +"Hurrah for the Queen of Oz and Baffleburg!" yelled the spearmen +boisterously. Shirley, under cover of the rattling knives and forks +tried to whisper her story to Ozma, but Mogodore's loud roars for food +soon put an end to that and, pale with distaste and fright, the two +little Princesses sat silent, scarcely touching a mouthful of the food +that was unceremoniously dumped upon their plates. With a shudder, Ozma +looked around her tidy castle. Mud had been tracked over all the velvet +rugs, pictures hung sideways and the floor was strewn with broken +vases and plates that spearmen playfully hurled at one another between +courses. If Scraps succeeded in reaching the castle of Glinda, the good +Sorceress who ruled over the South, Ozma knew this powerful ally would +immediately fly to her assistance. With agonized ears, she listened for +the wings of Glinda's swan chariot. But time went on and no one came. +Now that the hunger of the rough company was appeased, they grew more +noisy than ever. + +"Call this a battle," wheezed Bragga to Mogodore, "are there to be no +hangings, no bon fires, no killings of any kind? You promised us a real +war. This is as tame as a taffy pull." Tugging discontentedly at his +long mustache, the Captain of the Guard looked sulkily at his chief. + +"After the wedding you may kill whom you please," promised Mogodore +indifferently, "but now I'm going to have another try at that magic +belt." + +"Take care! Take care!" bleated Wagarag, from the other end of the +banquet hall. "I'll wager you're thinking of that forbidden flagon +again." + +"Right," boomed the baron, sweeping a dozen plates to the floor with +his arm. "And right now, I'm going to transport that flagon to this +castle and find out what is in it and why it is forbidden. What will +happen if the seal is broken? It cannot harm me now. I am no longer +Baron of Baffleburg, but King of OZ--King by right of seizure and +conquest." + +"You'll not be the lawful King till you marry this Princess," quavered +Wagarag, raising a trembling finger and pointing to Ozma. + +"The old bone is right," grumbled Bragga. "Why not marry her now and be +done with it?" + +"Marry her now," echoed all the spearmen, "and let us get on with +the killing." Pushing back her chair, Ozma jumped up and glanced +desperately around the table. Would no one save her from this robber +baron and his band? Mogodore, too, rose to his feet. + +"I'm King now, I tell you," he insisted stubbornly, "and I'll marry +when I'm ready, but now I am going to end the miserable mystery of +the forbidden flagon. I command the forbidden flagon and its guard +to appear before me," bellowed Mogodore, staring around defiantly. +Scarcely had the sound of his voice died away before there came a crash +and splinter of glass and in through a window back of the baron burst a +strange flying figure. It was Jack Pumpkinhead, clasping the precious +flagon in one hand and holding to his head with the other; brought all +the way from the Red Jinn's palace by the mysterious power of the magic +belt. With a hysterical little cry, Ozma rushed forward. + +"Jack! Jack!" panted Ozma, "have you come to save us?" Solemnly Jack +nodded and before a man at the table could move, he whisked off his +head, set it on a chair and then and not till then did he hurl the +forbidden flagon straight at the Baron of Baffleburg. How he ever +managed to aim so true without his head to help him I have no idea, but +with a resounding crack the flagon splintered to bits on Mogodore's +nose and a thin red liquid began to pour down his cheeks and drop off +his chin. + +No longer need Mogodore wonder what would happen, when the seal on the +forbidden flask was broken! For what would happen, had happened! Stars! +Yes! + + + + + CHAPTER 19 + + The Forbidden Flagon Acts + + +The great banquet hall seemed suddenly deserted, and except for faint +squeaks and muffled screams quite silent. Shirley Sunshine, hurrying +around the table, clasped Ozma's hands and both girls stared in stunned +silence at Jack, who was calmly replacing his head. + +"Why, where have they gone?" cried Ozma. Then all at once she saw, for +tumbling from the chairs, scurrying under tables and vainly trying to +hide themselves, was a host of men no bigger than brownies. + +"They're shrunk," shouted Jack delightedly. "Ha there, Mogodore the +Mighty, mighty little you are now!" Fuming and raging, the midget baron +tried to quiet his frightened retainers, but when Toto, Dorothy's +little dog, came bounding through the doorway, he fled ignominiously +and hid behind the hearth broom. + +"Good dog Toto, drive them in the corner," approved Jack and Toto, +much as a shepherd dog chases sheep, drove the terrified horde of +invaders into a corner and gravely sat down to watch them, snapping +at any who tried to escape and snuffing at one and then another most +curiously. + +"It was the forbidden flagon," explained Jack, as Ozma dropped into a +chair and looked in complete bewilderment at the brownie baron and his +band. "Is anyone hurt? Did I come in time?" + +"Yes! Yes!" sighed Ozma, pushing back her tumbled curls. "But how did +you know? Where have you been, Jack dear?" + +"Where haven't I been," puffed Jack Pumpkinhead, striding excitedly up +and down. "Say, what's that noise? Where is everybody?" + +"Oh!" cried Ozma, jumping up hurriedly. "The others are in the garden. +We must free them at once." But before Shirley Sunshine, Ozma or Jack +were halfway to the door it burst open, and the whole company of +courtiers and celebrities came charging into the banquet hall. + +"Surrender, villains," bellowed Sir Hokus, glaring around furiously. +"Where is that braggart Baron!" + + "We'll pull his nose! We'll tweak his ears! + Glinda the Good has come, she's here!" + +exulted Scraps, shaking her cotton fists joyfully, for she had been +immediately restored to her own cheerful self by the Good Sorceress +of the South. Glinda, in her lovely red robes and head-dress, peered +sternly over Scraps' shoulder, ready to bring her strongest magic into +play. Seeing no one in the room but Ozma, Jack and Shirley Sunshine, +they all stopped short; then catching sight of Mogodore and his +midgets, cowering in the corner, they surged forward in still greater +astonishment. + +"What happened?" demanded Dorothy, seizing Ozma's hands. "The spearmen +in the garden suddenly disappeared. Scraps reached Glinda's castle and +Glinda came and released us. But whatever happened in here? How did +that monster grow so tiny?" + +"Perhaps Jack can tell you," sighed Ozma, who was as puzzled as anyone +over the curious occurrences of the last few minutes. + +"I can," announced Jack, stepping forward importantly, "but it is a +long, long story." + +"Then do let's sit down," groaned Trot, for she was mortally tired from +the long stand in the garden. + +"Are we saved?" quavered the Cowardly Lion, as the stiff and weary +company fell into the chairs so recently vacated by the conquerors of +Oz. Jack nodded emphatically. + +"Then I will attend to the prisoners," boomed the Soldier with the +Green Whiskers, springing out from behind a pillar, and very brave +since the enemy had been reduced. Striding over to the corner, he stood +over the disconsolate warriors, his gun sternly pointed downward. Now +Betsy picked up the magic belt from the floor, where it had fallen when +Mogodore shrunk, and fastened it thankfully round Ozma's waist. Scraps +set the emerald crown upon her curly head, and with great gentleness +and ceremony the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman conducted the little ruler +to her rightful place at the head of the table. Then the Scarecrow ran +out to release the servants, who were locked up in the summer house, +the Wizard ran to see if his black bag was safe, Trot wound up Tik Tok, +who was completely run down by his terrible experiences, and everybody +settled back expectantly to hear what Jack Pumpkinhead had to say. + +"Now tell us exactly what happened," begged Betsy Bobbin, as the +Scarecrow and all the servants came marching into the dining hall and +the Wizard, tightly clutching his black bag, slipped into a seat beside +Dorothy. + +"Well," said Jack, with a dignified little cough, "before I begin to +tell you that, there is something I must do and three brave comrades to +be released from an enchantment. The advice of my friend, the Red Jinn, +worked once and I shall therefore try it again." + +"Before he speaks he must act," chuckled the Scarecrow, who had +completely recovered his good humor. "Well, my boy, actions speak +louder than words." Leaning on both elbows, the Scarecrow looked on +with great interest as Jack snatched the pirate sack from his shoulder, +turned it inside out and gave it three quick shakes. + + + + + CHAPTER 20 + + The Wedding Feast + + +"Is it a nightmare?" shivered Betsy, clutching Trot's arm, "or a +Hallowe'en party? Am I really here, and are they?" And well might she +ask, for the last shake of the pirate's sack had filled the room with +Fraid Cats and Scares. Screaming, groaning snatching at one another and +the Oz folk, the Scares swarmed this way and that, until the confusion +was terrible. + +"Actions speak louder than words," mumbled the Scarecrow. "Well, I do +not like their actions at all. Call these comrades, friend Jack? Help! +Begone! Away with you!" Jumping up the Scarecrow waved his napkin +wildly around his head, and all the others, hastily pushing back their +chairs, rushed to the assistance of Ozma, who was completely surrounded +by the ugly intruders. Jack Pumpkinhead was so stunned and startled by +this unexpected happening that he stood perfectly still. Then, resolved +to go through with the matter, he shook the sack three times more and +this time with the desired result. + +"Why it's Peter!" roared Sir Hokus, disentangling himself from ten +Scares and hurrying over to the little boy who had just tumbled out of +the sack. "Peter, the pitcher--and--" Thumping Scares both left and +right, the Good Knight looked doubtfully at the Iffin and Belfaygor, +who had rolled out of the bag after Peter himself. "Who are these?" +muttered Sir Hokus, making ready to whack the great red monster if it +showed signs of attack. + +"Don't mind us," begged the Iffin, glaring around the banquet hall. +"Keep working! Keep working. I'll help you!" And help he did, with +teeth, tail and claw. + +"Where am I? How did I get here? How did they get here?" muttered +Peter, rubbing his eyes dizzily and trying to collect himself, for he +remembered nothing since he had been swallowed by the sack. But he soon +recovered, and fighting his way through the frenzied crowd till he +reached Ozma's side, cried excitedly. "They're Scares, your Highness. +Quick! Send them back to Scare City, before they break everything to +pieces!" Glinda and the Wizard had already started an incantation to +rid the castle of the horrible horde, but before it was half spoken, +Ozma, without waiting for Peter to explain, arose and in a slightly +trembling voice called, "I command these people and creatures to +return to Scare City at once." And at once, and all together they did. +And now straightening their collars and settling their ties, for the +encounter had been rough and furious, the Oz folk gazed at Peter and +his comrades as curiously as they had gazed upon their pigmy conquerors +and the unlovely citizens of Scare City. + +"If someone will just explain," said Ozma. "Everything's so terribly +mixed up." + +"If someone doesn't explain, I shall burst," declared Betsy Bobbin, +bouncing out of her chair. "Have you come back to stay, Peter dear, and +who are these others?" Peter was a bit breathless and confused himself +and looked anxiously around for the baron. But Belfaygor had slipped +off unnoticed with Shirley Sunshine. + +"Well this," began Peter, placing his hand on the red monster's head, +"this is Snif, an Iffin, I mean a Griffin." + + "If Snif's an Iffin or a Griffin, + I s'pose at us he'll soon be sniffin!" + +ventured Scraps, putting her finger in the corner of her mouth. + + "If I should snif at folks so kind, + I'd be most rude and unrefined." + +replied the Iffin, with a wink at the Patchwork Girl, and this little +exchange of verses relieved the strain that the whole company had been +under. + +"Shall I tell the story, or will you?" whispered Jack Pumpkinhead, +stepping closer to Peter. + +"You," begged Peter, staring with round eyes at Mogodore and his little +men. + +"They've been eating shrinking violets," muttered the Iffin, rubbing +his eyes with one paw and staring even harder than Peter. + +"No, it was the flagon," explained Jack, "the forbidden flagon reduced +them to midgets. But what became of Belfaygor's beard!" + +"It disappeared into the magic sack," grinned Belfaygor, coming into +the room at that moment with the little Princess on his arm. "And glad +I am that it's gone. I'll never wear another beard as long as I live." + +"Beard," put in the Soldier with the Green Whiskers eagerly, "did you +have a beard as long and splendid as mine?" + +"Did I!" groaned the baron, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Ask +Peter!" Taking another look at the Soldier with Green Whiskers, he +shuddered and turned away. "You remind me of something I'm trying to +forget," said Belfaygor. + +Now all of this only served to increase the interest and curiosity +of the already curious company. "Tell us! Tell us!" cried Dorothy +impatiently. So, after Belfaygor and Shirley Sunshine had been properly +introduced, Jack Pumpkinhead began the strange story of their journey +from Scare City to Baffleburg and from Baffleburg to Swing City and +his own transportation to the capitol. And while he spoke, the footmen +and other servants moved quietly about, sweeping up broken glass, +clearing away the table and removing all traces of the rude baron's +short reign in the palace. Guarded over by Toto and the Soldier with +Green Whiskers, Mogodore and his men crouched miserably together, +wondering what would become of them. Being merciless themselves, they +expected no mercy from their captors. In small hoarse voices, they +berated Mogodore for meddling with the forbidden flagon and bitterly +denounced him for the terrible misfortune that had overtaken them. +The rest of the midgets had been discovered and marched in from the +garden and soon after word had been sent out through the city that the +baron was captured, Unc Nunkie and his nephew Ojo arrived, driving the +rest of the baron's tiny warriors and horses before them, so that the +entire army were now rounded up in the corner of the banquet hall. +But so intent was the company upon Jack's amazing story they scarcely +heard the grumbling and complaining of the little men or the frightened +neighs of the toy-size steeds. + +In the kitchen another banquet was soon under way, more and more +candles were lighted and soon the castle began to reflect its old time +cheer and friendliness. Little gasps and exclamations of astonishment +punctuated Jack's recital and he had to tell over and over how they had +escaped from Baffleburg, how Snif had dwindled down when he ate the +shrinking violet; how Belfaygor's enchanted beard had helped them out +of difficulty and how the mischievous pirate sack had swallowed three +of the company, when they were needed most of all. Peter, Belfaygor and +Snif were as interested as the others in Jack's visit to the Red Jinn +and in the advice that jolly wizard had given. + +"You remember the label on the forbidden flagon said that whoever broke +the seal would bring a disaster upon his own head?" said Jack, turning +to his comrades. Peter and the baron both nodded and Snif waved his +tail to show he remembered, too. + +"Well," smiled Jack, "the Red Jinn told me to remove my head before +throwing the flagon and thus avoid the disaster." + +"So that's why you took off your pumpkin," murmured Ozma, who had been +puzzled by this strange action of Jack's. + +"And he also told me that to release the prisoners from the pirate +sack, I must turn it inside out and shake it three times," went on Jack +impressively. "So when Mogodore transported me suddenly to the palace, +I did both of these things." + +"You certainly did," agreed the Scarecrow, shaking his finger at Jack +Pumpkinhead, "and brought a horde of horrors about our ears." + +"I forgot about the Scares," admitted Jack apologetically, "but they're +back where they belong, now, and everything has turned out for the +best." + +"It certainly has," exclaimed Ozma, jumping up impulsively. "You and +Peter, Snif and this brave baron have saved the Kingdom of Oz!" Jack +was so overcome by these words that he lost his balance and sat down. +But he was quickly pulled to his feet, and next instant the rafters +rang with rousing cheers for the four valiant rescuers. + +"I wish my grandchildren could hear this," sighed the Iffin, resting +his chin on one claw. + +"Oh! Have you grandchildren?" asked Ozma, leaning forward politely. + +"No," murmured the Iffin in an embarrassed voice, "but I may have. And +they'll be interested to hear about this." + +"Take my advice and never have any grandchildren," whispered the +Scarecrow confidentially. "I'm a grandfather, and I know." Before he +had time to explain what he meant, two footmen came grandly forward to +announce that dinner was ready, and no one, I assure you, was sorry for +that. + +"I know what to do," cried Dorothy as the green coated servitors began +marching in with trays of savory meats and vegetables. "Let this be a +wedding feast for Belfaygor and Shirley Sunshine." + +"Hurrah for a wedding feast," shouted the Iffin. "Grr--rah!" forgetting +he had recovered his growl, the red monster let out such a terrific +roar that the Cowardly Lion swooned away and had to be revived with +a jug of cider. But he soon recovered and a wedding feast it was and +fit for a royal bride, I do assure you. Snif had eight geranium plants +and an Easter lily and was happier than he had ever been in his whole +fabulous existence. Never in the history of Oz was there a merrier +banquet nor a happier crowd. Delighted to have Peter with them again, +the Oz folk forgot their recent capture and had such a time as only +those dear and delightful folk can have. Jack Pumpkinhead insisted upon +being lit up for the celebration, so he was. Snif and Scraps kept the +company in gales of laughter with their rollicking rhymes and when the +wedding was solemnized by the highest judge in Ozma's court, Belfaygor +and his bride were toasted in tall tumblers of Ozade and simply +showered with emeralds and quickly gathered gifts of every sort and +description. + +"What did it feel like to disappear into that sack?" asked Trot, in a +little pause following the wedding. + +"Well, once," said Peter, fixing his eyes thoughtfully on the Iffin, +"once I had a tooth pulled and took gas. It was like that, Trot. I +just went out, that's all." At once the others began to recall their +own experiences with vanishings and disappearances and not till +daybreak did any one think of retiring. Then the Baron of Baffleburg +and his grumbling little army were locked up in the pantry for safety +and Peter, snuggling down in his emerald studded bed, decided that this +adventure was even more exciting than the last one. + +"I wish I could take Snif back to Philadelphia with me," sighed the +little boy as he finally dozed off to sleep. + + + + + CHAPTER 21 + + Peter's Return to Philadelphia + + +Next day the festivities continued, and all day long Peter's old chums +and acquaintances were calling at the palace, while the celebrities +outdid one another to make things pleasant for Belfaygor and his bride. +At noon they rode off on the Saw Horse, for the baron was anxious to +return to his castle. Peter bade the baron goodbye and promised to pay +him a long visit on his next trip to Oz, to ride the horse Belfaygor +agreed to keep for him and even wear the armor the baron had promised +him as a reward for rescuing the Princess. + +Snif spent a happy morning in the royal stable with the famous beasts +of Oz and they listened so politely to his experiences he decided to +stay on indefinitely at the capitol. The pirate's sack was locked up +in the Wizard's strong box and the magic dinner bell stored with the +other treasures of the realm, for as Ozma remarked to Dorothy it would +be mighty handy for picnics and unexpected visitors. The Fraid Cats +and Statues in Scare City were released from their enchantment by the +Wizard's long distance magic and Peter and Snif, looking in the magic +picture, had the satisfaction of watching them return to their various +homes. + +"The only thing that still puzzles me," sighed Ozma as they all sat +cozily under the trees in the garden late that afternoon, "the only +thing that puzzles me is the forbidden flagon. What strange spell could +have reduced Mogodore and his followers to midgets?" + +"I think I can explain that," answered Glinda, setting her tea cup down +on a small green table. "When Scraps flew to my castle yesterday and +told of the capture of the Emerald City, I at once turned to my magic +record book to discover something about this Baron of Baffleburg. You +are all, I am sure, familiar with brownies?" Dorothy and Betsy Bobbin +nodded sagely, and all the others quickly inclined their heads. "Well," +said Glinda with a wave toward the South, "in the Red Mountains of Oz +there are large bands of reddies, who are quite similar to brownies, +except for the color of their coats, which are red. To one of these +tribes Mogodore and his men really belong. But Mogodore's great +grandfather, Jair, was a brave and determined little reddy, whose good +deeds and brave actions greatly exceeded his size and strength. So, +long ago, a neighboring wizard, whom Jair had done a great service, +rewarded Jair by making him and his followers as large in size as +they were in deeds and in action. But the enchantment only held so +long as the mysterious red liquid remained in the forbidden flagon. +Mogodore's father and grandfather guarded the flagon well, but Mogodore +knew nothing of its secret power nor of his own ancestry or origin. +Being by nature, discontented and greedy he was always puzzling about +the strange black flask and at the first opportunity he satisfied his +curiosity." + +"Well, it's a good thing he did," said Peter, looking thoughtfully at +the little band of captives who were being marched up and down one of +the garden paths by the Soldier with Green Whiskers. "Now the other +barons will have a little peace." + +"Let's keep them for toys," proposed Scraps, who was never weary of +watching the tiny army. + +"No," said Ozma, shaking her head at the Patchwork Girl, "that would be +cruel. Has their city grown small too, Glinda?" The sorceress smiled +and nodded. + +"Then I shall send them back to Baffleburg," declared Ozma, "for they +are now too small to harm anyone and there they will be safe and +comfortable." As everyone heartily approved of this plan, Ozma touched +her magic belt, spoke the few words necessary, and away whisked the bad +little baron and his band, to their tiny red city on the rocks. + +"Just the same, I wish we could have kept him," sighed Scraps to +Dorothy. "He looks so funny when he's mad." + +"Hush!" whispered Dorothy, for Peter had risen and in an embarrassed +voice was asking Ozma to send him back to Philadelphia. + +"Still like baseball better than Oz?" rumbled Sir Hokus, shaking a +teasing finger at Peter. + +"Well," admitted the little boy, blushing a bit at the question, +"the fellows sorta depend on me, Hokus, and then you know there's my +grandfather." + +"Of course," smiled Ozma, "of course there is. Goodbye, dear Peter, +come back soon and as often as you will." + +"Goodbye," sobbed the Iffin, overcome at the thought of losing his +chum. "If you were my own grandchild, I couldn't love you any better." + +"Goodbye!" called Jack Pumpkinhead and Scraps and all the others and +before their gay voices had quite died away, Peter was standing in the +dim library of his own house. + +"Oh grandfather," cried Peter, "I've been to Oz again and flying is +grand, grandfather!" + +"Then we must try it some time," observed the old gentleman calmly, and +saying nothing at all about Peter's strange absence. + +"Oh, may we?" Peter dropped on the arm of the big chair. "May we, +really?" + +"Well, why not?" demanded grandfather, glancing around the room +belligerently and letting his specs fall the full length of the black +cord. "Why not? 'Tis a free country and flying's no crime." + +"Hurrah!" shouted Peter, bouncing off the chair arm and right that +instant he decided that even in Oz there was no better chum nor braver +adventurer than this grandfather of his so straightway he told him all +that had happened in Baffleburg and other places--indeed all of this +story that I have just told to you. + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75720 *** |