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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Patchwork Girl of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Patchwork Girl of Oz
+
+Author: L. Frank Baum
+
+Posting Date: March 25, 2009 [EBook #955]
+Release Date: June, 1997
+Last Updated: March 2, 2002
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Anthony Matonac and Paul Selkirk
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ
+
+
+by
+
+L. FRANK BAUM
+
+
+
+
+  Affectionately Dedicated to my young friend
+  Sumner Hamilton Britton of Chicago
+
+
+
+
+Prologue
+
+Through the kindness of Dorothy Gale of Kansas, afterward Princess
+Dorothy of Oz, an humble writer in the United States of America was
+once appointed Royal Historian of Oz, with the privilege of writing the
+chronicle of that wonderful fairyland. But after making six books about
+the adventures of those interesting but queer people who live in the
+Land of Oz, the Historian learned with sorrow that by an edict of the
+Supreme Ruler, Ozma of Oz, her country would thereafter be rendered
+invisible to all who lived outside its borders and that all
+communication with Oz would, in the future, be cut off.
+
+The children who had learned to look for the books about Oz and who
+loved the stories about the gay and happy people inhabiting that
+favored country, were as sorry as their Historian that there would be
+no more books of Oz stories. They wrote many letters asking if the
+Historian did not know of some adventures to write about that had
+happened before the Land of Oz was shut out from all the rest of the
+world. But he did not know of any. Finally one of the children inquired
+why we couldn't hear from Princess Dorothy by wireless telegraph, which
+would enable her to communicate to the Historian whatever happened in
+the far-off Land of Oz without his seeing her, or even knowing just
+where Oz is.
+
+That seemed a good idea; so the Historian rigged up a high tower in his
+back yard, and took lessons in wireless telegraphy until he understood
+it, and then began to call "Princess Dorothy of Oz" by sending messages
+into the air.
+
+Now, it wasn't likely that Dorothy would be looking for wireless
+messages or would heed the call; but one thing the Historian was sure
+of, and that was that the powerful Sorceress, Glinda, would know what
+he was doing and that he desired to communicate with Dorothy. For
+Glinda has a big book in which is recorded every event that takes place
+anywhere in the world, just the moment that it happens, and so of
+course the book would tell her about the wireless message.
+
+And that was the way Dorothy heard that the Historian wanted to speak
+with her, and there was a Shaggy Man in the Land of Oz who knew how to
+telegraph a wireless reply. The result was that the Historian begged so
+hard to be told the latest news of Oz, so that he could write it down
+for the children to read, that Dorothy asked permission of Ozma and
+Ozma graciously consented.
+
+That is why, after two long years of waiting, another Oz story is now
+presented to the children of America. This would not have been possible
+had not some clever man invented the "wireless" and an equally clever
+child suggested the idea of reaching the mysterious Land of Oz by its
+means.
+
+L. Frank Baum.
+
+"OZCOT"
+  at Hollywood
+    in California
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF CHAPTERS
+
+   1 - Ojo and Unc Nunkie
+   2 - The Crooked Magician
+   3 - The Patchwork Girl
+   4 - The Glass Cat
+   5 - A Terrible Accident
+   6 - The Journey
+   7 - The Troublesome Phonograph
+   8 - The Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey
+   9 - They Meet the Woozy
+  10 - Shaggy Man to the Rescue
+  11 - A Good Friend
+  12 - The Giant Porcupine
+  13 - Scraps and the Scarecrow
+  14 - Ojo Breaks the Law
+  15 - Ozma's Prisoner
+  16 - Princess Dorothy
+  17 - Ozma and Her Friends
+  18 - Ojo is Forgiven
+  19 - Trouble with the Tottenhots
+  20 - The Captive Yoop
+  21 - Hip Hopper the Champion
+  22 - The Joking Horners
+  23 - Peace is Declared
+  24 - Ojo Finds the Dark Well
+  25 - They Bribe the Lazy Quadling
+  26 - The Trick River
+  27 - The Tin Woodman Objects
+  28 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
+
+
+
+
+The Patchwork Girl of Oz
+
+
+
+
+Chapter One
+
+Ojo and Unc Nunkie
+
+
+"Where's the butter, Unc Nunkie?" asked Ojo.
+
+Unc looked out of the window and stroked his long beard. Then he turned
+to the Munchkin boy and shook his head.
+
+"Isn't," said he.
+
+"Isn't any butter? That's too bad, Unc. Where's the jam then?" inquired
+Ojo, standing on a stool so he could look through all the shelves of
+the cupboard. But Unc Nunkie shook his head again.
+
+"Gone," he said.
+
+"No jam, either? And no cake--no jelly--no apples--nothing but bread?"
+
+"All," said Unc, again stroking his beard as he gazed from the window.
+
+The little boy brought the stool and sat beside his uncle, munching the
+dry bread slowly and seeming in deep thought.
+
+"Nothing grows in our yard but the bread tree," he mused, "and there
+are only two more loaves on that tree; and they're not ripe yet. Tell
+me, Unc; why are we so poor?"
+
+The old Munchkin turned and looked at Ojo. He had kindly eyes, but he
+hadn't smiled or laughed in so long that the boy had forgotten that Unc
+Nunkie could look any other way than solemn. And Unc never spoke any
+more words than he was obliged to, so his little nephew, who lived
+alone with him, had learned to understand a great deal from one word.
+
+"Why are we so poor, Unc?" repeated the boy.
+
+"Not," said the old Munchkin.
+
+"I think we are," declared Ojo. "What have we got?"
+
+"House," said Unc Nunkie.
+
+"I know; but everyone in the Land of Oz has a place to live. What else,
+Unc?"
+
+"Bread."
+
+"I'm eating the last loaf that's ripe. There; I've put aside your
+share, Unc. It's on the table, so you can eat it when you get hungry.
+But when that is gone, what shall we eat, Unc?"
+
+The old man shifted in his chair but merely shook his head.
+
+"Of course," said Ojo, who was obliged to talk because his uncle would
+not, "no one starves in the Land of Oz, either. There is plenty for
+everyone, you know; only, if it isn't just where you happen to be, you
+must go where it is."
+
+The aged Munchkin wriggled again and stared at his small nephew as if
+disturbed by his argument.
+
+"By to-morrow morning," the boy went on, "we must go where there is
+something to eat, or we shall grow very hungry and become very unhappy."
+
+"Where?" asked Unc.
+
+"Where shall we go? I don't know, I'm sure," replied Ojo. "But you must
+know, Unc. You must have traveled, in your time, because you're so old.
+I don't remember it, because ever since I could remember anything we've
+lived right here in this lonesome, round house, with a little garden
+back of it and the thick woods all around. All I've ever seen of the
+great Land of Oz, Unc dear, is the view of that mountain over at the
+south, where they say the Hammerheads live--who won't let anybody go by
+them--and that mountain at the north, where they say nobody lives."
+
+"One," declared Unc, correcting him.
+
+"Oh, yes; one family lives there, I've heard. That's the Crooked
+Magician, who is named Dr. Pipt, and his wife Margolotte. One year you
+told me about them; I think it took you a whole year, Unc, to say as
+much as I've just said about the Crooked Magician and his wife. They
+live high up on the mountain, and the good Munchkin Country, where the
+fruits and flowers grow, is just the other side. It's funny you and I
+should live here all alone, in the middle of the forest, isn't it?"
+
+"Yes," said Unc.
+
+"Then let's go away and visit the Munchkin Country and its jolly,
+good-natured people. I'd love to get a sight of something besides
+woods, Unc Nunkie."
+
+"Too little," said Unc.
+
+"Why, I'm not so little as I used to be," answered the boy earnestly.
+"I think I can walk as far and as fast through the woods as you can,
+Unc. And now that nothing grows in our back yard that is good to eat,
+we must go where there is food."
+
+Unc Nunkie made no reply for a time. Then he shut down the window and
+turned his chair to face the room, for the sun was sinking behind the
+tree-tops and it was growing cool.
+
+By and by Ojo lighted the fire and the logs blazed freely in the broad
+fireplace. The two sat in the firelight a long time--the old,
+white-bearded Munchkin and the little boy. Both were thinking. When it
+grew quite dark outside, Ojo said:
+
+"Eat your bread, Unc, and then we will go to bed."
+
+But Unc Nunkie did not eat the bread; neither did he go directly to
+bed. Long after his little nephew was sound asleep in the corner of the
+room the old man sat by the fire, thinking.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Two
+
+The Crooked Magician
+
+
+Just at dawn next morning Unc Nunkie laid his hand tenderly on Ojo's
+head and awakened him.
+
+"Come," he said.
+
+Ojo dressed. He wore blue silk stockings, blue knee pants with gold
+buckles, a blue ruffled waist and a jacket of bright blue braided with
+gold. His shoes were of blue leather and turned up at the toes, which
+were pointed. His hat had a peaked crown and a flat brim, and around
+the brim was a row of tiny golden bells that tinkled when he moved.
+This was the native costume of those who inhabited the Munchkin Country
+of the Land of Oz, so Unc Nunkie's dress was much like that of his
+nephew. Instead of shoes, the old man wore boots with turnover tops and
+his blue coat had wide cuffs of gold braid.
+
+The boy noticed that his uncle had not eaten the bread, and supposed
+the old man had not been hungry. Ojo was hungry, though; so he divided
+the piece of bread upon the table and ate his half for breakfast,
+washing it down with fresh, cool water from the brook. Unc put the
+other piece of bread in his jacket pocket, after which he again said,
+as he walked out through the doorway: "Come."
+
+Ojo was well pleased. He was dreadfully tired of living all alone in
+the woods and wanted to travel and see people. For a long time he had
+wished to explore the beautiful Land of Oz in which they lived. When
+they were outside, Unc simply latched the door and started up the path.
+No one would disturb their little house, even if anyone came so far
+into the thick forest while they were gone.
+
+At the foot of the mountain that separated the Country of the Munchkins
+from the Country of the Gillikins, the path divided. One way led to the
+left and the other to the right--straight up the mountain. Unc Nunkie
+took this right-hand path and Ojo followed without asking why. He knew
+it would take them to the house of the Crooked Magician, whom he had
+never seen but who was their nearest neighbor.
+
+All the morning they trudged up the mountain path and at noon Unc and
+Ojo sat on a fallen tree-trunk and ate the last of the bread which the
+old Munchkin had placed in his pocket. Then they started on again and
+two hours later came in sight of the house of Dr. Pipt.
+
+It was a big house, round, as were all the Munchkin houses, and painted
+blue, which is the distinctive color of the Munchkin Country of Oz.
+There was a pretty garden around the house, where blue trees and blue
+flowers grew in abundance and in one place were beds of blue cabbages,
+blue carrots and blue lettuce, all of which were delicious to eat. In
+Dr. Pipt's garden grew bun-trees, cake-trees, cream-puff bushes, blue
+buttercups which yielded excellent blue butter and a row of
+chocolate-caramel plants. Paths of blue gravel divided the vegetable
+and flower beds and a wider path led up to the front door. The place
+was in a clearing on the mountain, but a little way off was the grim
+forest, which completely surrounded it.
+
+Unc knocked at the door of the house and a chubby, pleasant-faced
+woman, dressed all in blue, opened it and greeted the visitors with a
+smile.
+
+"Ah," said Ojo; "you must be Dame Margolotte, the good wife of Dr.
+Pipt."
+
+"I am, my dear, and all strangers are welcome to my home."
+
+"May we see the famous Magician, Madam?"
+
+"He is very busy just now," she said, shaking her head doubtfully. "But
+come in and let me give you something to eat, for you must have
+traveled far in order to get our lonely place."
+
+"We have," replied Ojo, as he and Unc entered the house. "We have come
+from a far lonelier place than this."
+
+"A lonelier place! And in the Munchkin Country?" she exclaimed. "Then
+it must be somewhere in the Blue Forest."
+
+"It is, good Dame Margolotte."
+
+"Dear me!" she said, looking at the man, "you must be Unc Nunkie, known
+as the Silent One." Then she looked at the boy. "And you must be Ojo
+the Unlucky," she added.
+
+"Yes," said Unc.
+
+"I never knew I was called the Unlucky," said Ojo, soberly; "but it is
+really a good name for me."
+
+"Well," remarked the woman, as she bustled around the room and set the
+table and brought food from the cupboard, "you were unlucky to live all
+alone in that dismal forest, which is much worse than the forest around
+here; but perhaps your luck will change, now you are away from it. If,
+during your travels, you can manage to lose that 'Un' at the beginning
+of your name 'Unlucky,' you will then become Ojo the Lucky, which will
+be a great improvement."
+
+"How can I lose that 'Un,' Dame Margolotte?"
+
+"I do not know how, but you must keep the matter in mind and perhaps
+the chance will come to you," she replied.
+
+Ojo had never eaten such a fine meal in all his life. There was a
+savory stew, smoking hot, a dish of blue peas, a bowl of sweet milk of
+a delicate blue tint and a blue pudding with blue plums in it. When the
+visitors had eaten heartily of this fare the woman said to them:
+
+"Do you wish to see Dr. Pipt on business or for pleasure?"
+
+Unc shook his head.
+
+"We are traveling," replied Ojo, "and we stopped at your house just to
+rest and refresh ourselves. I do not think Unc Nunkie cares very much
+to see the famous Crooked Magician; but for my part I am curious to
+look at such a great man."
+
+The woman seemed thoughtful.
+
+"I remember that Unc Nunkie and my husband used to be friends, many
+years ago," she said, "so perhaps they will be glad to meet again. The
+Magician is very busy, as I said, but if you will promise not to
+disturb him you may come into his workshop and watch him prepare a
+wonderful charm."
+
+"Thank you," replied the boy, much pleased. "I would like to do that."
+
+She led the way to a great domed hall at the back of the house, which
+was the Magician's workshop. There was a row of windows extending
+nearly around the sides of the circular room, which rendered the place
+very light, and there was a back door in addition to the one leading to
+the front part of the house. Before the row of windows a broad seat was
+built and there were some chairs and benches in the room besides. At
+one end stood a great fireplace, in which a blue log was blazing with a
+blue flame, and over the fire hung four kettles in a row, all bubbling
+and steaming at a great rate. The Magician was stirring all four of
+these kettles at the same time, two with his hands and two with his
+feet, to the latter, wooden ladles being strapped, for this man was so
+very crooked that his legs were as handy as his arms.
+
+Unc Nunkie came forward to greet his old friend, but not being able to
+shake either his hands or his feet, which were all occupied in
+stirring, he patted the Magician's bald head and asked: "What?"
+
+"Ah, it's the Silent One," remarked Dr. Pipt, without looking up, "and
+he wants to know what I'm making. Well, when it is quite finished this
+compound will be the wonderful Powder of Life, which no one knows how
+to make but myself. Whenever it is sprinkled on anything, that thing
+will at once come to life, no matter what it is. It takes me several
+years to make this magic Powder, but at this moment I am pleased to say
+it is nearly done. You see, I am making it for my good wife Margolotte,
+who wants to use some of it for a purpose of her own. Sit down and make
+yourself comfortable, Unc Nunkie, and after I've finished my task I
+will talk to you."
+
+"You must know," said Margolotte, when they were all seated together on
+the broad window-seat, "that my husband foolishly gave away all the
+Powder of Life he first made to old Mombi the Witch, who used to live
+in the Country of the Gillikins, to the north of here. Mombi gave to
+Dr. Pipt a Powder of Perpetual Youth in exchange for his Powder of
+Life, but she cheated him wickedly, for the Powder of Youth was no good
+and could work no magic at all."
+
+"Perhaps the Powder of Life couldn't either," said Ojo.
+
+"Yes; it is perfection," she declared. "The first lot we tested on our
+Glass Cat, which not only began to live but has lived ever since. She's
+somewhere around the house now."
+
+"A Glass Cat!" exclaimed Ojo, astonished.
+
+"Yes; she makes a very pleasant companion, but admires herself a little
+more than is considered modest, and she positively refuses to catch
+mice," explained Margolotte. "My husband made the cat some pink brains,
+but they proved to be too high-bred and particular for a cat, so she
+thinks it is undignified in her to catch mice. Also she has a pretty
+blood-red heart, but it is made of stone--a ruby, I think--and so is
+rather hard and unfeeling. I think the next Glass Cat the Magician
+makes will have neither brains nor heart, for then it will not object
+to catching mice and may prove of some use to us."
+
+"What did old Mombi the Witch do with the Powder of Life your husband
+gave her?" asked the boy.
+
+"She brought Jack Pumpkinhead to life, for one thing," was the reply.
+"I suppose you've heard of Jack Pumpkinhead. He is now living near the
+Emerald City and is a great favorite with the Princess Ozma, who rules
+all the Land of Oz."
+
+"No; I've never heard of him," remarked Ojo. "I'm afraid I don't know
+much about the Land of Oz. You see, I've lived all my life with Unc
+Nunkie, the Silent One, and there was no one to tell me anything."
+
+"That is one reason you are Ojo the Unlucky," said the woman, in a
+sympathetic tone. "The more one knows, the luckier he is, for knowledge
+is the greatest gift in life."
+
+"But tell me, please, what you intend to do with this new lot of the
+Powder of Life, which Dr. Pipt is making. He said his wife wanted it
+for some especial purpose."
+
+"So I do," she answered. "I want it to bring my Patchwork Girl to life."
+
+"Oh! A Patchwork Girl? What is that?" Ojo asked, for this seemed even
+more strange and unusual than a Glass Cat.
+
+"I think I must show you my Patchwork Girl," said Margolotte, laughing
+at the boy's astonishment, "for she is rather difficult to explain. But
+first I will tell you that for many years I have longed for a servant
+to help me with the housework and to cook the meals and wash the
+dishes. No servant will come here because the place is so lonely and
+out-of-the-way, so my clever husband, the Crooked Magician, proposed
+that I make a girl out of some sort of material and he would make her
+live by sprinkling over her the Powder of Life. This seemed an
+excellent suggestion and at once Dr. Pipt set to work to make a new
+batch of his magic powder. He has been at it a long, long while, and so
+I have had plenty of time to make the girl. Yet that task was not so
+easy as you may suppose. At first I couldn't think what to make her of,
+but finally in searching through a chest I came across an old patchwork
+quilt, which my grandmother once made when she was young."
+
+"What is a patchwork quilt?" asked Ojo.
+
+"A bed-quilt made of patches of different kinds and colors of cloth,
+all neatly sewed together. The patches are of all shapes and sizes, so
+a patchwork quilt is a very pretty and gorgeous thing to look at.
+Sometimes it is called a 'crazy-quilt,' because the patches and colors
+are so mixed up. We never have used my grandmother's many-colored
+patchwork quilt, handsome as it is, for we Munchkins do not care for
+any color other than blue, so it has been packed away in the chest for
+about a hundred years. When I found it, I said to myself that it would
+do nicely for my servant girl, for when she was brought to life she
+would not be proud nor haughty, as the Glass Cat is, for such a
+dreadful mixture of colors would discourage her from trying to be as
+dignified as the blue Munchkins are."
+
+"Is blue the only respectable color, then?" inquired Ojo.
+
+"Yes, for a Munchkin. All our country is blue, you know. But in other
+parts of Oz the people favor different colors. At the Emerald City,
+where our Princess Ozma lives, green is the popular color. But all
+Munchkins prefer blue to anything else and when my housework girl is
+brought to life she will find herself to be of so many unpopular colors
+that she'll never dare be rebellious or impudent, as servants are
+sometimes liable to be when they are made the same way their mistresses
+are."
+
+Unc Nunkie nodded approval.
+
+"Good i-dea," he said; and that was a long speech for Unc Nunkie
+because it was two words.
+
+"So I cut up the quilt," continued Margolotte, "and made from it a very
+well-shaped girl, which I stuffed with cotton-wadding. I will show you
+what a good job I did," and she went to a tall cupboard and threw open
+the doors.
+
+Then back she came, lugging in her arms the Patchwork Girl, which she
+set upon the bench and propped up so that the figure would not tumble
+over.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Three
+
+The Patchwork Girl
+
+
+Ojo examined this curious contrivance with wonder. The Patchwork Girl
+was taller than he, when she stood upright, and her body was plump and
+rounded because it had been so neatly stuffed with cotton. Margolotte
+had first made the girl's form from the patchwork quilt and then she
+had dressed it with a patchwork skirt and an apron with pockets in
+it--using the same gay material throughout. Upon the feet she had sewn
+a pair of red leather shoes with pointed toes. All the fingers and
+thumbs of the girl's hands had been carefully formed and stuffed and
+stitched at the edges, with gold plates at the ends to serve as
+finger-nails.
+
+"She will have to work, when she comes to life," said Margolotte.
+
+The head of the Patchwork Girl was the most curious part of her. While
+she waited for her husband to finish making his Powder of Life the
+woman had found ample time to complete the head as her fancy dictated,
+and she realized that a good servant's head must be properly
+constructed. The hair was of brown yarn and hung down on her neck in
+several neat braids. Her eyes were two silver suspender-buttons cut
+from a pair of the Magician's old trousers, and they were sewed on with
+black threads, which formed the pupils of the eyes. Margolotte had
+puzzled over the ears for some time, for these were important if the
+servant was to hear distinctly, but finally she had made them out of
+thin plates of gold and attached them in place by means of stitches
+through tiny holes bored in the metal. Gold is the most common metal in
+the Land of Oz and is used for many purposes because it is soft and
+pliable.
+
+The woman had cut a slit for the Patchwork Girl's mouth and sewn two
+rows of white pearls in it for teeth, using a strip of scarlet plush
+for a tongue. This mouth Ojo considered very artistic and lifelike, and
+Margolotte was pleased when the boy praised it. There were almost too
+many patches on the face of the girl for her to be considered strictly
+beautiful, for one cheek was yellow and the other red, her chin blue,
+her forehead purple and the center, where her nose had been formed and
+padded, a bright yellow.
+
+"You ought to have had her face all pink," suggested the boy.
+
+"I suppose so; but I had no pink cloth," replied the woman. "Still, I
+cannot see as it matters much, for I wish my Patchwork Girl to be
+useful rather than ornamental. If I get tired looking at her patched
+face I can whitewash it."
+
+"Has she any brains?" asked Ojo.
+
+"No; I forgot all about the brains!" exclaimed the woman. "I am glad
+you reminded me of them, for it is not too late to supply them, by any
+means. Until she is brought to life I can do anything I please with
+this girl. But I must be careful not to give her too much brains, and
+those she has must be such as are fitted to the station she is to
+occupy in life. In other words, her brains mustn't be very good."
+
+"Wrong," said Unc Nunkie.
+
+"No; I am sure I am right about that," returned the woman.
+
+"He means," explained Ojo, "that unless your servant has good brains
+she won't know how to obey you properly, nor do the things you ask her
+to do."
+
+"Well, that may be true," agreed Margolotte; "but, on the contrary, a
+servant with too much brains is sure to become independent and
+high-and-mighty and feel above her work. This is a very delicate task,
+as I said, and I must take care to give the girl just the right
+quantity of the right sort of brains. I want her to know just enough,
+but not too much."
+
+With this she went to another cupboard which was filled with shelves.
+All the shelves were lined with blue glass bottles, neatly labeled by
+the Magician to show what they contained. One whole shelf was marked:
+"Brain Furniture," and the bottles on this shelf were labeled as
+follows: "Obedience," "Cleverness," "Judgment," "Courage," "Ingenuity,"
+"Amiability," "Learning," "Truth," "Poesy," "Self Reliance."
+
+"Let me see," said Margolotte; "of those qualities she must have
+'Obedience' first of all," and she took down the bottle bearing that
+label and poured from it upon a dish several grains of the contents.
+"'Amiability' is also good and 'Truth.'" She poured into the dish a
+quantity from each of these bottles. "I think that will do," she
+continued, "for the other qualities are not needed in a servant."
+
+Unc Nunkie, who with Ojo stood beside her, touched the bottle marked
+"Cleverness."
+
+"Little," said he.
+
+"A little 'Cleverness'? Well, perhaps you are right, sir," said she,
+and was about to take down the bottle when the Crooked Magician
+suddenly called to her excitedly from the fireplace.
+
+"Quick, Margolotte! Come and help me."
+
+She ran to her husband's side at once and helped him lift the four
+kettles from the fire. Their contents had all boiled away, leaving in
+the bottom of each kettle a few grains of fine white powder. Very
+carefully the Magician removed this powder, placing it all together in
+a golden dish, where he mixed it with a golden spoon. When the mixture
+was complete there was scarcely a handful, all told.
+
+"That," said Dr. Pipt, in a pleased and triumphant tone, "is the
+wonderful Powder of Life, which I alone in the world know how to make.
+It has taken me nearly six years to prepare these precious grains of
+dust, but the little heap on that dish is worth the price of a kingdom
+and many a king would give all he has to possess it. When it has become
+cooled I will place it in a small bottle; but meantime I must watch it
+carefully, lest a gust of wind blow it away or scatter it."
+
+Unc Nunkie, Margolotte and the Magician all stood looking at the
+marvelous Powder, but Ojo was more interested just then in the
+Patchwork Girl's brains. Thinking it both unfair and unkind to deprive
+her of any good qualities that were handy, the boy took down every
+bottle on the shelf and poured some of the contents in Margolotte's
+dish. No one saw him do this, for all were looking at the Powder of
+Life; but soon the woman remembered what she had been doing, and came
+back to the cupboard.
+
+"Let's see," she remarked; "I was about to give my girl a little
+'Cleverness,' which is the Doctor's substitute for 'Intelligence'--a
+quality he has not yet learned how to manufacture." Taking down the
+bottle of "Cleverness" she added some of the powder to the heap on the
+dish. Ojo became a bit uneasy at this, for he had already put quite a
+lot of the "Cleverness" powder in the dish; but he dared not interfere
+and so he comforted himself with the thought that one cannot have too
+much cleverness.
+
+Margolotte now carried the dish of brains to the bench. Ripping the
+seam of the patch on the girl's forehead, she placed the powder within
+the head and then sewed up the seam as neatly and securely as before.
+
+"My girl is all ready for your Powder of Life, my dear," she said to
+her husband. But the Magician replied:
+
+"This powder must not be used before to-morrow morning; but I think it
+is now cool enough to be bottled."
+
+He selected a small gold bottle with a pepper-box top, so that the
+powder might be sprinkled on any object through the small holes. Very
+carefully he placed the Powder of Life in the gold bottle and then
+locked it up in a drawer of his cabinet.
+
+"At last," said he, rubbing his hands together gleefully, "I have ample
+leisure for a good talk with my old friend Unc Nunkie. So let us sit
+down cosily and enjoy ourselves. After stirring those four kettles for
+six years I am glad to have a little rest."
+
+"You will have to do most of the talking," said Ojo, "for Unc is called
+the Silent One and uses few words."
+
+"I know; but that renders your uncle a most agreeable companion and
+gossip," declared Dr. Pipt. "Most people talk too much, so it is a
+relief to find one who talks too little."
+
+Ojo looked at the Magician with much awe and curiosity.
+
+"Don't you find it very annoying to be so crooked?" he asked.
+
+"No; I am quite proud of my person," was the reply. "I suppose I am the
+only Crooked Magician in all the world. Some others are accused of
+being crooked, but I am the only genuine."
+
+He was really very crooked and Ojo wondered how he managed to do so
+many things with such a twisted body. When he sat down upon a crooked
+chair that had been made to fit him, one knee was under his chin and
+the other near the small of his back; but he was a cheerful man and his
+face bore a pleasant and agreeable expression.
+
+"I am not allowed to perform magic, except for my own amusement," he
+told his visitors, as he lighted a pipe with a crooked stem and began
+to smoke. "Too many people were working magic in the Land of Oz, and so
+our lovely Princess Ozma put a stop to it. I think she was quite right.
+There were several wicked Witches who caused a lot of trouble; but now
+they are all out of business and only the great Sorceress, Glinda the
+Good, is permitted to practice her arts, which never harm anybody. The
+Wizard of Oz, who used to be a humbug and knew no magic at all, has
+been taking lessons of Glinda, and I'm told he is getting to be a
+pretty good Wizard; but he is merely the assistant of the great
+Sorceress. I've the right to make a servant girl for my wife, you know,
+or a Glass Cat to catch our mice--which she refuses to do--but I am
+forbidden to work magic for others, or to use it as a profession."
+
+"Magic must be a very interesting study," said Ojo.
+
+"It truly is," asserted the Magician. "In my time I've performed some
+magical feats that were worthy of the skill of Glinda the Good. For
+instance, there's the Powder of Life, and my Liquid of Petrifaction,
+which is contained in that bottle on the shelf yonder--over the window."
+
+"What does the Liquid of Petrifaction do?" inquired the boy.
+
+"Turns everything it touches to solid marble. It's an invention of my
+own, and I find it very useful. Once two of those dreadful Kalidahs,
+with bodies like bears and heads like tigers, came here from the forest
+to attack us; but I sprinkled some of that Liquid on them and instantly
+they turned to marble. I now use them as ornamental statuary in my
+garden. This table looks to you like wood, and once it really was wood;
+but I sprinkled a few drops of the Liquid of Petrifaction on it and now
+it is marble. It will never break nor wear out."
+
+"Fine!" said Unc Nunkie, wagging his head and stroking his long gray
+beard.
+
+"Dear me; what a chatterbox you're getting to be, Unc," remarked the
+Magician, who was pleased with the compliment. But just then there came
+a scratching at the back door and a shrill voice cried:
+
+"Let me in! Hurry up, can't you? Let me in!"
+
+Margolotte got up and went to the door.
+
+"Ask like a good cat, then," she said.
+
+"Mee-ee-ow-w-w! There; does that suit your royal highness?" asked the
+voice, in scornful accents.
+
+"Yes; that's proper cat talk," declared the woman, and opened the door.
+
+At once a cat entered, came to the center of the room and stopped short
+at the sight of strangers. Ojo and Unc Nunkie both stared at it with
+wide open eyes, for surely no such curious creature had ever existed
+before--even in the Land of Oz.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Four
+
+The Glass Cat
+
+
+The cat was made of glass, so clear and transparent that you could see
+through it as easily as through a window. In the top of its head,
+however, was a mass of delicate pink balls which looked like jewels,
+and it had a heart made of a blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large
+emeralds, but aside from these colors all the rest of the animal was
+clear glass, and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful.
+
+"Well, Doc Pipt, do you mean to introduce us, or not?" demanded the
+cat, in a tone of annoyance. "Seems to me you are forgetting your
+manners."
+
+"Excuse me," returned the Magician. "This is Unc Nunkie, the descendant
+of the former kings of the Munchkins, before this country became a part
+of the Land of Oz."
+
+"He needs a haircut," observed the cat, washing its face.
+
+"True," replied Unc, with a low chuckle of amusement.
+
+"But he has lived alone in the heart of the forest for many years," the
+Magician explained; "and, although that is a barbarous country, there
+are no barbers there."
+
+"Who is the dwarf?" asked the cat.
+
+"That is not a dwarf, but a boy," answered the Magician. "You have
+never seen a boy before. He is now small because he is young. With more
+years he will grow big and become as tall as Unc Nunkie."
+
+"Oh. Is that magic?" the glass animal inquired.
+
+"Yes; but it is Nature's magic, which is more wonderful than any art
+known to man. For instance, my magic made you, and made you live; and
+it was a poor job because you are useless and a bother to me; but I
+can't make you grow. You will always be the same size--and the same
+saucy, inconsiderate Glass Cat, with pink brains and a hard ruby heart."
+
+"No one can regret more than I the fact that you made me," asserted the
+cat, crouching upon the floor and slowly swaying its spun-glass tail
+from side to side. "Your world is a very uninteresting place. I've
+wandered through your gardens and in the forest until I'm tired of it
+all, and when I come into the house the conversation of your fat wife
+and of yourself bores me dreadfully."
+
+"That is because I gave you different brains from those we ourselves
+possess--and much too good for a cat," returned Dr. Pipt.
+
+"Can't you take 'em out, then, and replace 'em with pebbles, so that I
+won't feel above my station in life?" asked the cat, pleadingly.
+
+"Perhaps so. I'll try it, after I've brought the Patchwork Girl to
+life," he said.
+
+The cat walked up to the bench on which the Patchwork Girl reclined and
+looked at her attentively.
+
+"Are you going to make that dreadful thing live?" she asked.
+
+The Magician nodded.
+
+"It is intended to be my wife's servant maid," he said. "When she is
+alive she will do all our work and mind the house. But you are not to
+order her around, Bungle, as you do us. You must treat the Patchwork
+Girl respectfully."
+
+"I won't. I couldn't respect such a bundle of scraps under any
+circumstances."
+
+"If you don't, there will be more scraps than you will like," cried
+Margolotte, angrily.
+
+"Why didn't you make her pretty to look at?" asked the cat. "You made
+me pretty--very pretty, indeed--and I love to watch my pink brains roll
+around when they're working, and to see my precious red heart beat."
+She went to a long mirror, as she said this, and stood before it,
+looking at herself with an air of much pride. "But that poor patched
+thing will hate herself, when she's once alive," continued the cat. "If
+I were you I'd use her for a mop, and make another servant that is
+prettier."
+
+"You have a perverted taste," snapped Margolotte, much annoyed at this
+frank criticism. "I think the Patchwork Girl is beautiful, considering
+what she's made of. Even the rainbow hasn't as many colors, and you
+must admit that the rainbow is a pretty thing."
+
+The Glass Cat yawned and stretched herself upon the floor.
+
+"Have your own way," she said. "I'm sorry for the Patchwork Girl,
+that's all."
+
+Ojo and Unc Nunkie slept that night in the Magician's house, and the
+boy was glad to stay because he was anxious to see the Patchwork Girl
+brought to life. The Glass Cat was also a wonderful creature to little
+Ojo, who had never seen or known anything of magic before, although he
+had lived in the Fairyland of Oz ever since he was born. Back there in
+the woods nothing unusual ever happened. Unc Nunkie, who might have
+been King of the Munchkins, had not his people united with all the
+other countries of Oz in acknowledging Ozma as their sole ruler, had
+retired into this forgotten forest nook with his baby nephew and they
+had lived all alone there. Only that the neglected garden had failed to
+grow food for them, they would always have lived in the solitary Blue
+Forest; but now they had started out to mingle with other people, and
+the first place they came to proved so interesting that Ojo could
+scarcely sleep a wink all night.
+
+Margolotte was an excellent cook and gave them a fine breakfast. While
+they were all engaged in eating, the good woman said:
+
+"This is the last meal I shall have to cook for some time, for right
+after breakfast Dr. Pipt has promised to bring my new servant to life.
+I shall let her wash the breakfast dishes and sweep and dust the house.
+What a relief it will be!"
+
+"It will, indeed, relieve you of much drudgery," said the Magician. "By
+the way, Margolotte, I thought I saw you getting some brains from the
+cupboard, while I was busy with my kettles. What qualities have you
+given your new servant?"
+
+"Only those that an humble servant requires," she answered. "I do not
+wish her to feel above her station, as the Glass Cat does. That would
+make her discontented and unhappy, for of course she must always be a
+servant."
+
+Ojo was somewhat disturbed as he listened to this, and the boy began to
+fear he had done wrong in adding all those different qualities of
+brains to the lot Margolotte had prepared for the servant. But it was
+too late now for regret, since all the brains were securely sewn up
+inside the Patchwork Girl's head. He might have confessed what he had
+done and thus allowed Margolotte and her husband to change the brains;
+but he was afraid of incurring their anger. He believed that Unc had
+seen him add to the brains, and Unc had not said a word against it; but
+then, Unc never did say anything unless it was absolutely necessary.
+
+As soon as breakfast was over they all went into the Magician's big
+workshop, where the Glass Cat was lying before the mirror and the
+Patchwork Girl lay limp and lifeless upon the bench.
+
+"Now, then," said Dr. Pipt, in a brisk tone, "we shall perform one of
+the greatest feats of magic possible to man, even in this marvelous
+Land of Oz. In no other country could it be done at all. I think we
+ought to have a little music while the Patchwork Girl comes to life. It
+is pleasant to reflect that the first sounds her golden ears will hear
+will be delicious music."
+
+As he spoke he went to a phonograph, which screwed fast to a small
+table, and wound up the spring of the instrument and adjusted the big
+gold horn.
+
+"The music my servant will usually hear," remarked Margolotte, "will be
+my orders to do her work. But I see no harm in allowing her to listen
+to this unseen band while she wakens to her first realization of life.
+My orders will beat the band, afterward."
+
+The phonograph was now playing a stirring march tune and the Magician
+unlocked his cabinet and took out the gold bottle containing the Powder
+of Life.
+
+They all bent over the bench on which the Patchwork Girl reclined. Unc
+Nunkie and Margolotte stood behind, near the windows, Ojo at one side
+and the Magician in front, where he would have freedom to sprinkle the
+powder. The Glass Cat came near, too, curious to watch the important
+scene.
+
+"All ready?" asked Dr. Pipt.
+
+"All is ready," answered his wife.
+
+So the Magician leaned over and shook from the bottle some grains of
+the wonderful Powder, and they fell directly on the Patchwork Girl's
+head and arms.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Five
+
+A Terrible Accident
+
+
+"It will take a few minutes for this powder to do its work," remarked
+the Magician, sprinkling the body up and down with much care.
+
+But suddenly the Patchwork Girl threw up one arm, which knocked the
+bottle of powder from the crooked man's hand and sent it flying across
+the room. Unc Nunkie and Margolotte were so startled that they both
+leaped backward and bumped together, and Unc's head joggled the shelf
+above them and upset the bottle containing the Liquid of Petrifaction.
+
+The Magician uttered such a wild cry that Ojo jumped away and the
+Patchwork Girl sprang after him and clasped her stuffed arms around him
+in terror. The Glass Cat snarled and hid under the table, and so it was
+that when the powerful Liquid of Petrifaction was spilled it fell only
+upon the wife of the Magician and the uncle of Ojo. With these two the
+charm worked promptly. They stood motionless and stiff as marble
+statues, in exactly the positions they were in when the Liquid struck
+them.
+
+Ojo pushed the Patchwork Girl away and ran to Unc Nunkie, filled with a
+terrible fear for the only friend and protector he had ever known. When
+he grasped Unc's hand it was cold and hard. Even the long gray beard
+was solid marble. The Crooked Magician was dancing around the room in a
+frenzy of despair, calling upon his wife to forgive him, to speak to
+him, to come to life again!
+
+The Patchwork Girl, quickly recovering from her fright, now came nearer
+and looked from one to another of the people with deep interest. Then
+she looked at herself and laughed. Noticing the mirror, she stood
+before it and examined her extraordinary features with amazement--her
+button eyes, pearl bead teeth and puffy nose. Then, addressing her
+reflection in the glass, she exclaimed:
+
+    "Whee, but there's a gaudy dame!
+    Makes a paint-box blush with shame.
+    Razzle-dazzle, fizzle-fazzle!
+    Howdy-do, Miss What's-your-name?"
+
+
+She bowed, and the reflection bowed. Then she laughed again, long and
+merrily, and the Glass Cat crept out from under the table and said:
+
+"I don't blame you for laughing at yourself. Aren't you horrid?"
+
+"Horrid?" she replied. "Why, I'm thoroughly delightful. I'm an
+Original, if you please, and therefore incomparable. Of all the comic,
+absurd, rare and amusing creatures the world contains, I must be the
+supreme freak. Who but poor Margolotte could have managed to invent
+such an unreasonable being as I? But I'm glad--I'm awfully glad!--that
+I'm just what I am, and nothing else."
+
+"Be quiet, will you?" cried the frantic Magician; "be quiet and let me
+think! If I don't think I shall go mad."
+
+"Think ahead," said the Patchwork Girl, seating herself in a chair.
+"Think all you want to. I don't mind."
+
+"Gee! but I'm tired playing that tune," called the phonograph, speaking
+through its horn in a brazen, scratchy voice. "If you don't mind, Pipt,
+old boy, I'll cut it out and take a rest."
+
+The Magician looked gloomily at the music-machine.
+
+"What dreadful luck!" he wailed, despondently. "The Powder of Life must
+have fallen on the phonograph."
+
+He went up to it and found that the gold bottle that contained the
+precious powder had dropped upon the stand and scattered its
+life-giving grains over the machine. The phonograph was very much
+alive, and began dancing a jig with the legs of the table to which it
+was attached, and this dance so annoyed Dr. Pipt that he kicked the
+thing into a corner and pushed a bench against it, to hold it quiet.
+
+"You were bad enough before," said the Magician, resentfully; "but a
+live phonograph is enough to drive every sane person in the Land of Oz
+stark crazy."
+
+"No insults, please," answered the phonograph in a surly tone. "You did
+it, my boy; don't blame me."
+
+"You've bungled everything, Dr. Pipt," added the Glass Cat,
+contemptuously.
+
+"Except me," said the Patchwork Girl, jumping up to whirl merrily
+around the room.
+
+"I think," said Ojo, almost ready to cry through grief over Unc
+Nunkie's sad fate, "it must all be my fault, in some way. I'm called
+Ojo the Unlucky, you know."
+
+"That's nonsense, kiddie," retorted the Patchwork Girl cheerfully. "No
+one can be unlucky who has the intelligence to direct his own actions.
+The unlucky ones are those who beg for a chance to think, like poor Dr.
+Pipt here. What's the row about, anyway, Mr. Magic-maker?"
+
+"The Liquid of Petrifaction has accidentally fallen upon my dear wife
+and Unc Nunkie and turned them into marble," he sadly replied.
+
+"Well, why don't you sprinkle some of that powder on them and bring
+them to life again?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+The Magician gave a jump.
+
+"Why, I hadn't thought of that!" he joyfully cried, and grabbed up the
+golden bottle, with which he ran to Margolotte.
+
+Said the Patchwork Girl:
+
+    "Higgledy, piggledy, dee--
+    What fools magicians be!
+    His head's so thick
+    He can't think quick,
+    So he takes advice from me."
+
+
+Standing upon the bench, for he was so crooked he could not reach the
+top of his wife's head in any other way, Dr. Pipt began shaking the
+bottle. But not a grain of powder came out. He pulled off the cover,
+glanced within, and then threw the bottle from him with a wail of
+despair.
+
+"Gone--gone! Every bit gone," he cried. "Wasted on that miserable
+phonograph when it might have saved my dear wife!"
+
+Then the Magician bowed his head on his crooked arms and began to cry.
+
+Ojo was sorry for him. He went up to the sorrowful man and said softly:
+
+"You can make more Powder of Life, Dr. Pipt."
+
+"Yes; but it will take me six years--six long, weary years of stirring
+four kettles with both feet and both hands," was the agonized reply.
+"Six years! while poor Margolotte stands watching me as a marble image."
+
+"Can't anything else be done?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+The Magician shook his head. Then he seemed to remember something and
+looked up.
+
+"There is one other compound that would destroy the magic spell of the
+Liquid of Petrifaction and restore my wife and Unc Nunkie to life,"
+said he. "It may be hard to find the things I need to make this magic
+compound, but if they were found I could do in an instant what will
+otherwise take six long, weary years of stirring kettles with both
+hands and both feet."
+
+"All right; let's find the things, then," suggested the Patchwork Girl.
+"That seems a lot more sensible than those stirring times with the
+kettles."
+
+"That's the idea, Scraps," said the Glass Cat, approvingly. "I'm glad
+to find you have decent brains. Mine are exceptionally good. You can
+see 'em work; they're pink."
+
+"Scraps?" repeated the girl. "Did you call me 'Scraps'? Is that my
+name?"
+
+"I--I believe my poor wife had intended to name you 'Angeline,'" said
+the Magician.
+
+"But I like 'Scraps' best," she replied with a laugh. "It fits me
+better, for my patchwork is all scraps, and nothing else. Thank you for
+naming me, Miss Cat. Have you any name of your own?"
+
+"I have a foolish name that Margolotte once gave me, but which is quite
+undignified for one of my importance," answered the cat. "She called me
+'Bungle.'"
+
+"Yes," sighed the Magician; "you were a sad bungle, taken all in all. I
+was wrong to make you as I did, for a more useless, conceited and
+brittle thing never before existed."
+
+"I'm not so brittle as you think," retorted the cat. "I've been alive a
+good many years, for Dr. Pipt experimented on me with the first magic
+Powder of Life he ever made, and so far I've never broken or cracked or
+chipped any part of me."
+
+"You seem to have a chip on your shoulder," laughed the Patchwork Girl,
+and the cat went to the mirror to see.
+
+"Tell me," pleaded Ojo, speaking to the Crooked Magician, "what must we
+find to make the compound that will save Unc Nunkie?"
+
+"First," was the reply, "I must have a six-leaved clover. That can only
+be found in the green country around the Emerald City, and six-leaved
+clovers are very scarce, even there."
+
+"I'll find it for you," promised Ojo.
+
+"The next thing," continued the Magician, "is the left wing of a yellow
+butterfly. That color can only be found in the yellow country of the
+Winkies, West of the Emerald City."
+
+"I'll find it," declared Ojo. "Is that all?"
+
+"Oh, no; I'll get my Book of Recipes and see what comes next."
+
+Saying this, the Magician unlocked a drawer of his cabinet and drew out
+a small book covered with blue leather. Looking through the pages he
+found the recipe he wanted and said: "I must have a gill of water from
+a dark well."
+
+"What kind of a well is that, sir?" asked the boy.
+
+"One where the light of day never penetrates. The water must be put in
+a gold bottle and brought to me without any light ever reaching it."
+
+"I'll get the water from the dark well," said Ojo.
+
+"Then I must have three hairs from the tip of a Woozy's tail, and a
+drop of oil from a live man's body."
+
+Ojo looked grave at this.
+
+"What is a Woozy, please?" he inquired.
+
+"Some sort of an animal. I've never seen one, so I can't describe it,"
+replied the Magician.
+
+"If I can find a Woozy, I'll get the hairs from its tail," said Ojo.
+"But is there ever any oil in a man's body?"
+
+The Magician looked in the book again, to make sure.
+
+"That's what the recipe calls for," he replied, "and of course we must
+get everything that is called for, or the charm won't work. The book
+doesn't say 'blood'; it says 'oil,' and there must be oil somewhere in
+a live man's body or the book wouldn't ask for it."
+
+"All right," returned Ojo, trying not to feel discouraged; "I'll try to
+find it."
+
+The Magician looked at the little Munchkin boy in a doubtful way and
+said:
+
+"All this will mean a long journey for you; perhaps several long
+journeys; for you must search through several of the different
+countries of Oz in order to get the things I need."
+
+"I know it, sir; but I must do my best to save Unc Nunkie."
+
+"And also my poor wife Margolotte. If you save one you will save the
+other, for both stand there together and the same compound will restore
+them both to life. Do the best you can, Ojo, and while you are gone I
+shall begin the six years job of making a new batch of the Powder of
+Life. Then, if you should unluckily fail to secure any one of the
+things needed, I will have lost no time. But if you succeed you must
+return here as quickly as you can, and that will save me much tiresome
+stirring of four kettles with both feet and both hands."
+
+"I will start on my journey at once, sir," said the boy.
+
+"And I will go with you," declared the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"No, no!" exclaimed the Magician. "You have no right to leave this
+house. You are only a servant and have not been discharged."
+
+Scraps, who had been dancing up and down the room, stopped and looked
+at him.
+
+"What is a servant?" she asked.
+
+"One who serves. A--a sort of slave," he explained.
+
+"Very well," said the Patchwork Girl, "I'm going to serve you and your
+wife by helping Ojo find the things you need. You need a lot, you know,
+such as are not easily found."
+
+"It is true," sighed Dr. Pipt. "I am well aware that Ojo has undertaken
+a serious task."
+
+Scraps laughed, and resuming her dance she said:
+
+    "Here's a job for a boy of brains:
+    A drop of oil from a live man's veins;
+    A six-leaved clover; three nice hairs
+    From a Woozy's tail, the book declares
+    Are needed for the magic spell,
+    And water from a pitch-dark well.
+    The yellow wing of a butterfly
+    To find must Ojo also try,
+    And if he gets them without harm,
+    Doc Pipt will make the magic charm;
+    But if he doesn't get 'em, Unc
+    Will always stand a marble chunk."
+
+
+The Magician looked at her thoughtfully.
+
+"Poor Margolotte must have given you some of the quality of poesy, by
+mistake," he said. "And, if that is true, I didn't make a very good
+article when I prepared it, or else you got an overdose or an
+underdose. However, I believe I shall let you go with Ojo, for my poor
+wife will not need your services until she is restored to life. Also I
+think you may be able to help the boy, for your head seems to contain
+some thoughts I did not expect to find in it. But be very careful of
+yourself, for you're a souvenir of my dear Margolotte. Try not to get
+ripped, or your stuffing may fall out. One of your eyes seems loose,
+and you may have to sew it on tighter. If you talk too much you'll wear
+out your scarlet plush tongue, which ought to have been hemmed on the
+edges. And remember you belong to me and must return here as soon as
+your mission is accomplished."
+
+"I'm going with Scraps and Ojo," announced the Glass Cat.
+
+"You can't," said the Magician.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"You'd get broken in no time, and you couldn't be a bit of use to the
+boy and the Patchwork Girl."
+
+"I beg to differ with you," returned the cat, in a haughty tone. "Three
+heads are better than two, and my pink brains are beautiful. You can
+see 'em work."
+
+"Well, go along," said the Magician, irritably. "You're only an
+annoyance, anyhow, and I'm glad to get rid of you."
+
+"Thank you for nothing, then," answered the cat, stiffly.
+
+Dr. Pipt took a small basket from a cupboard and packed several things
+in it. Then he handed it to Ojo.
+
+"Here is some food and a bundle of charms," he said. "It is all I can
+give you, but I am sure you will find friends on your journey who will
+assist you in your search. Take care of the Patchwork Girl and bring
+her safely back, for she ought to prove useful to my wife. As for the
+Glass Cat--properly named Bungle--if she bothers you I now give you my
+permission to break her in two, for she is not respectful and does not
+obey me. I made a mistake in giving her the pink brains, you see."
+
+Then Ojo went to Unc Nunkie and kissed the old man's marble face very
+tenderly.
+
+"I'm going to try to save you, Unc," he said, just as if the marble
+image could hear him; and then he shook the crooked hand of the Crooked
+Magician, who was already busy hanging the four kettles in the
+fireplace, and picking up his basket left the house.
+
+The Patchwork Girl followed him, and after them came the Glass Cat.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Six
+
+The Journey
+
+
+Ojo had never traveled before and so he only knew that the path down
+the mountainside led into the open Munchkin Country, where large
+numbers of people dwelt. Scraps was quite new and not supposed to know
+anything of the Land of Oz, while the Glass Cat admitted she had never
+wandered very far away from the Magician's house. There was only one
+path before them, at the beginning, so they could not miss their way,
+and for a time they walked through the thick forest in silent thought,
+each one impressed with the importance of the adventure they had
+undertaken.
+
+Suddenly the Patchwork Girl laughed. It was funny to see her laugh,
+because her cheeks wrinkled up, her nose tipped, her silver button eyes
+twinkled and her mouth curled at the corners in a comical way.
+
+"Has something pleased you?" asked Ojo, who was feeling solemn and
+joyless through thinking upon his uncle's sad fate.
+
+"Yes," she answered. "Your world pleases me, for it's a queer world,
+and life in it is queerer still. Here am I, made from an old bedquilt
+and intended to be a slave to Margolotte, rendered free as air by an
+accident that none of you could foresee. I am enjoying life and seeing
+the world, while the woman who made me is standing helpless as a block
+of wood. If that isn't funny enough to laugh at, I don't know what is."
+
+"You're not seeing much of the world yet, my poor, innocent Scraps,"
+remarked the Cat. "The world doesn't consist wholly of the trees that
+are on all sides of us."
+
+"But they're part of it; and aren't they pretty trees?" returned
+Scraps, bobbing her head until her brown yarn curls fluttered in the
+breeze. "Growing between them I can see lovely ferns and wild-flowers,
+and soft green mosses. If the rest of your world is half as beautiful I
+shall be glad I'm alive."
+
+"I don't know what the rest of the world is like, I'm sure," said the
+cat; "but I mean to find out."
+
+"I have never been out of the forest," Ojo added; "but to me the trees
+are gloomy and sad and the wild-flowers seem lonesome. It must be nicer
+where there are no trees and there is room for lots of people to live
+together."
+
+"I wonder if any of the people we shall meet will be as splendid as I
+am," said the Patchwork Girl. "All I have seen, so far, have pale,
+colorless skins and clothes as blue as the country they live in, while
+I am of many gorgeous colors--face and body and clothes. That is why I
+am bright and contented, Ojo, while you are blue and sad."
+
+"I think I made a mistake in giving you so many sorts of brains,"
+observed the boy. "Perhaps, as the Magician said, you have an overdose,
+and they may not agree with you."
+
+"What had you to do with my brains?" asked Scraps.
+
+"A lot," replied Ojo. "Old Margolotte meant to give you only a
+few--just enough to keep you going--but when she wasn't looking I added
+a good many more, of the best kinds I could find in the Magician's
+cupboard."
+
+"Thanks," said the girl, dancing along the path ahead of Ojo and then
+dancing back to his side. "If a few brains are good, many brains must
+be better."
+
+"But they ought to be evenly balanced," said the boy, "and I had no
+time to be careful. From the way you're acting, I guess the dose was
+badly mixed."
+
+"Scraps hasn't enough brains to hurt her, so don't worry," remarked the
+cat, which was trotting along in a very dainty and graceful manner.
+"The only brains worth considering are mine, which are pink. You can
+see 'em work."
+
+After walking a long time they came to a little brook that trickled
+across the path, and here Ojo sat down to rest and eat something from
+his basket. He found that the Magician had given him part of a loaf of
+bread and a slice of cheese. He broke off some of the bread and was
+surprised to find the loaf just as large as it was before. It was the
+same way with the cheese: however much he broke off from the slice, it
+remained exactly the same size.
+
+"Ah," said he, nodding wisely; "that's magic. Dr. Pipt has enchanted
+the bread and the cheese, so it will last me all through my journey,
+however much I eat."
+
+"Why do you put those things into your mouth?" asked Scraps, gazing at
+him in astonishment. "Do you need more stuffing? Then why don't you use
+cotton, such as I am stuffed with?"
+
+"I don't need that kind," said Ojo.
+
+"But a mouth is to talk with, isn't it?"
+
+"It is also to eat with," replied the boy. "If I didn't put food into
+my mouth, and eat it, I would get hungry and starve.
+
+"Ah, I didn't know that," she said. "Give me some."
+
+Ojo handed her a bit of the bread and she put it in her mouth.
+
+"What next?" she asked, scarcely able to speak.
+
+"Chew it and swallow it," said the boy.
+
+Scraps tried that. Her pearl teeth were unable to chew the bread and
+beyond her mouth there was no opening. Being unable to swallow she
+threw away the bread and laughed.
+
+"I must get hungry and starve, for I can't eat," she said.
+
+"Neither can I," announced the cat; "but I'm not fool enough to try.
+Can't you understand that you and I are superior people and not made
+like these poor humans?"
+
+"Why should I understand that, or anything else?" asked the girl.
+"Don't bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you. Just let me
+discover myself in my own way."
+
+With this she began amusing herself by leaping across the brook and
+back again.
+
+"Be careful, or you'll fall in the water," warned Ojo.
+
+"Never mind."
+
+"You'd better. If you get wet you'll be soggy and can't walk. Your
+colors might run, too," he said.
+
+"Don't my colors run whenever I run?" she asked.
+
+"Not in the way I mean. If they get wet, the reds and greens and
+yellows and purples of your patches might run into each other and
+become just a blur--no color at all, you know."
+
+"Then," said the Patchwork Girl, "I'll be careful, for if I spoiled my
+splendid colors I would cease to be beautiful."
+
+"Pah!" sneered the Glass Cat, "such colors are not beautiful; they're
+ugly, and in bad taste. Please notice that my body has no color at all.
+I'm transparent, except for my exquisite red heart and my lovely pink
+brains--you can see 'em work."
+
+"Shoo--shoo--shoo!" cried Scraps, dancing around and laughing. "And
+your horrid green eyes, Miss Bungle! You can't see your eyes, but we
+can, and I notice you're very proud of what little color you have.
+Shoo, Miss Bungle, shoo--shoo--shoo! If you were all colors and many
+colors, as I am, you'd be too stuck up for anything." She leaped over
+the cat and back again, and the startled Bungle crept close to a tree
+to escape her. This made Scraps laugh more heartily than ever, and she
+said:
+
+    "Whoop-te-doodle-doo!
+    The cat has lost her shoe.
+    Her tootsie's bare, but she don't care,
+    So what's the odds to you?"
+
+
+"Dear me, Ojo," said the cat; "don't you think the creature is a little
+bit crazy?"
+
+"It may be," he answered, with a puzzled look.
+
+"If she continues her insults I'll scratch off her suspender-button
+eyes," declared the cat.
+
+"Don't quarrel, please," pleaded the boy, rising to resume the journey.
+"Let us be good comrades and as happy and cheerful as possible, for we
+are likely to meet with plenty of trouble on our way."
+
+It was nearly sundown when they came to the edge of the forest and saw
+spread out before them a delightful landscape. There were broad blue
+fields stretching for miles over the valley, which was dotted
+everywhere with pretty, blue domed houses, none of which, however, was
+very near to the place where they stood. Just at the point where the
+path left the forest stood a tiny house covered with leaves from the
+trees, and before this stood a Munchkin man with an axe in his hand. He
+seemed very much surprised when Ojo and Scraps and the Glass Cat came
+out of the woods, but as the Patchwork Girl approached nearer he sat
+down upon a bench and laughed so hard that he could not speak for a
+long time.
+
+This man was a woodchopper and lived all alone in the little house. He
+had bushy blue whiskers and merry blue eyes and his blue clothes were
+quite old and worn.
+
+"Mercy me!" exclaimed the woodchopper, when at last he could stop
+laughing. "Who would think such a funny harlequin lived in the Land of
+Oz? Where did you come from, Crazy-quilt?"
+
+"Do you mean me?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Of course," he replied.
+
+"You misjudge my ancestry. I'm not a crazy-quilt; I'm patchwork," she
+said.
+
+"There's no difference," he replied, beginning to laugh again. "When my
+old grandmother sews such things together she calls it a crazy-quilt;
+but I never thought such a jumble could come to life."
+
+"It was the Magic Powder that did it," explained Ojo.
+
+"Oh, then you have come from the Crooked Magician on the mountain. I
+might have known it, for--Well, I declare! here's a glass cat. But the
+Magician will get in trouble for this; it's against the law for anyone
+to work magic except Glinda the Good and the royal Wizard of Oz. If you
+people--or things--or glass spectacles--or crazy-quilts--or whatever
+you are, go near the Emerald City, you'll be arrested."
+
+"We're going there, anyhow," declared Scraps, sitting upon the bench
+and swinging her stuffed legs.
+
+    "If any of us takes a rest,
+    We'll be arrested sure,
+    And get no restitution
+    'Cause the rest we must endure."
+
+
+"I see," said the woodchopper, nodding; "you're as crazy as the
+crazy-quilt you're made of."
+
+"She really is crazy," remarked the Glass Cat. "But that isn't to be
+wondered at when you remember how many different things she's made of.
+For my part, I'm made of pure glass--except my jewel heart and my
+pretty pink brains. Did you notice my brains, stranger? You can see 'em
+work."
+
+"So I can," replied the woodchopper; "but I can't see that they
+accomplish much. A glass cat is a useless sort of thing, but a
+Patchwork Girl is really useful. She makes me laugh, and laughter is
+the best thing in life. There was once a woodchopper, a friend of mine,
+who was made all of tin, and I used to laugh every time I saw him."
+
+"A tin woodchopper?" said Ojo. "That is strange."
+
+"My friend wasn't always tin," said the man, "but he was careless with
+his axe, and used to chop himself very badly. Whenever he lost an arm
+or a leg he had it replaced with tin; so after a while he was all tin."
+
+"And could he chop wood then?" asked the boy.
+
+"He could if he didn't rust his tin joints. But one day he met Dorothy
+in the forest and went with her to the Emerald City, where he made his
+fortune. He is now one of the favorites of Princess Ozma, and she has
+made him the Emperor of the Winkies--the Country where all is yellow."
+
+"Who is Dorothy?" inquired the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"A little maid who used to live in Kansas, but is now a Princess of Oz.
+She's Ozma's best friend, they say, and lives with her in the royal
+palace."
+
+"Is Dorothy made of tin?" inquired Ojo.
+
+"Is she patchwork, like me?" inquired Scraps.
+
+"No," said the man; "Dorothy is flesh, just as I am. I know of only one
+tin person, and that is Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman; and there will
+never be but one Patchwork Girl, for any magician that sees you will
+refuse to make another one like you."
+
+"I suppose we shall see the Tin Woodman, for we are going to the
+Country of the Winkies," said the boy.
+
+"What for?" asked the woodchopper.
+
+"To get the left wing of a yellow butterfly."
+
+"It is a long journey," declared the man, "and you will go through
+lonely parts of Oz and cross rivers and traverse dark forests before
+you get there."
+
+"Suits me all right," said Scraps. "I'll get a chance to see the
+country."
+
+"You're crazy, girl. Better crawl into a rag-bag and hide there; or
+give yourself to some little girl to play with. Those who travel are
+likely to meet trouble; that's why I stay at home."
+
+The woodchopper then invited them all to stay the night at his little
+hut, but they were anxious to get on and so left him and continued
+along the path, which was broader, now, and more distinct.
+
+They expected to reach some other house before it grew dark, but the
+twilight was brief and Ojo soon began to fear they had made a mistake
+in leaving the woodchopper.
+
+"I can scarcely see the path," he said at last. "Can you see it,
+Scraps?"
+
+"No," replied the Patchwork Girl, who was holding fast to the boy's arm
+so he could guide her.
+
+"I can see," declared the Glass Cat. "My eyes are better than yours,
+and my pink brains--"
+
+"Never mind your pink brains, please," said Ojo hastily; "just run
+ahead and show us the way. Wait a minute and I'll tie a string to you;
+for then you can lead us."
+
+He got a string from his pocket and tied it around the cat's neck, and
+after that the creature guided them along the path. They had proceeded
+in this way for about an hour when a twinkling blue light appeared
+ahead of them.
+
+"Good! there's a house at last," cried Ojo. "When we reach it the good
+people will surely welcome us and give us a night's lodging." But
+however far they walked the light seemed to get no nearer, so by and by
+the cat stopped short, saying:
+
+"I think the light is traveling, too, and we shall never be able to
+catch up with it. But here is a house by the roadside, so why go
+farther?"
+
+"Where is the house, Bungle?"
+
+"Just here beside us, Scraps."
+
+Ojo was now able to see a small house near the pathway. It was dark and
+silent, but the boy was tired and wanted to rest, so he went up to the
+door and knocked.
+
+"Who is there?" cried a voice from within.
+
+"I am Ojo the Unlucky, and with me are Miss Scraps Patchwork and the
+Glass Cat," he replied.
+
+"What do you want?" asked the Voice.
+
+"A place to sleep," said Ojo.
+
+"Come in, then; but don't make any noise, and you must go directly to
+bed," returned the Voice.
+
+Ojo unlatched the door and entered. It was very dark inside and he
+could see nothing at all. But the cat exclaimed: "Why, there's no one
+here!"
+
+"There must be," said the boy. "Some one spoke to me."
+
+"I can see everything in the room," replied the cat, "and no one is
+present but ourselves. But here are three beds, all made up, so we may
+as well go to sleep."
+
+"What is sleep?" inquired the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"It's what you do when you go to bed," said Ojo.
+
+"But why do you go to bed?" persisted the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Here, here! You are making altogether too much noise," cried the Voice
+they had heard before. "Keep quiet, strangers, and go to bed."
+
+The cat, which could see in the dark, looked sharply around for the
+owner of the Voice, but could discover no one, although the Voice had
+seemed close beside them. She arched her back a little and seemed
+afraid. Then she whispered to Ojo: "Come!" and led him to a bed.
+
+With his hands the boy felt of the bed and found it was big and soft,
+with feather pillows and plenty of blankets. So he took off his shoes
+and hat and crept into the bed. Then the cat led Scraps to another bed
+and the Patchwork Girl was puzzled to know what to do with it.
+
+"Lie down and keep quiet," whispered the cat, warningly.
+
+"Can't I sing?" asked Scraps.
+
+"No."
+
+"Can't I whistle?" asked Scraps.
+
+"No."
+
+"Can't I dance till morning, if I want to?" asked Scraps.
+
+"You must keep quiet," said the cat, in a soft voice.
+
+"I don't want to," replied the Patchwork Girl, speaking as loudly as
+usual. "What right have you to order me around? If I want to talk, or
+yell, or whistle--"
+
+Before she could say anything more an unseen hand seized her firmly and
+threw her out of the door, which closed behind her with a sharp slam.
+She found herself bumping and rolling in the road and when she got up
+and tried to open the door of the house again she found it locked.
+
+"What has happened to Scraps?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Never mind. Let's go to sleep, or something will happen to us,"
+answered the Glass Cat.
+
+So Ojo snuggled down in his bed and fell asleep, and he was so tired
+that he never wakened until broad daylight.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seven
+
+The Troublesome Phonograph
+
+
+When the boy opened his eyes next morning he looked carefully around
+the room. These small Munchkin houses seldom had more than one room in
+them. That in which Ojo now found himself had three beds, set all in a
+row on one side of it. The Glass Cat lay asleep on one bed, Ojo was in
+the second, and the third was neatly made up and smoothed for the day.
+On the other side of the room was a round table on which breakfast was
+already placed, smoking hot. Only one chair was drawn up to the table,
+where a place was set for one person. No one seemed to be in the room
+except the boy and Bungle.
+
+Ojo got up and put on his shoes. Finding a toilet stand at the head of
+his bed he washed his face and hands and brushed his hair. Then he went
+to the table and said:
+
+"I wonder if this is my breakfast?"
+
+"Eat it!" commanded a Voice at his side, so near that Ojo jumped. But
+no person could he see.
+
+He was hungry, and the breakfast looked good; so he sat down and ate
+all he wanted. Then, rising, he took his hat and wakened the Glass Cat.
+
+"Come on, Bungle," said he; "we must go."
+
+He cast another glance about the room and, speaking to the air, he
+said: "Whoever lives here has been kind to me, and I'm much obliged."
+
+There was no answer, so he took his basket and went out the door, the
+cat following him. In the middle of the path sat the Patchwork Girl,
+playing with pebbles she had picked up.
+
+"Oh, there you are!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "I thought you were
+never coming out. It has been daylight a long time."
+
+"What did you do all night?" asked the boy.
+
+"Sat here and watched the stars and the moon," she replied. "They're
+interesting. I never saw them before, you know."
+
+"Of course not," said Ojo.
+
+"You were crazy to act so badly and get thrown outdoors," remarked
+Bungle, as they renewed their journey.
+
+"That's all right," said Scraps. "If I hadn't been thrown out I
+wouldn't have seen the stars, nor the big gray wolf."
+
+"What wolf?" inquired Ojo.
+
+"The one that came to the door of the house three times during the
+night."
+
+"I don't see why that should be," said the boy, thoughtfully; "there
+was plenty to eat in that house, for I had a fine breakfast, and I
+slept in a nice bed."
+
+"Don't you feel tired?" asked the Patchwork Girl, noticing that the boy
+yawned.
+
+"Why, yes; I'm as tired as I was last night; and yet I slept very well."
+
+"And aren't you hungry?"
+
+"It's strange," replied Ojo. "I had a good breakfast, and yet I think
+I'll now eat some of my crackers and cheese."
+
+Scraps danced up and down the path. Then she sang:
+
+    "Kizzle-kazzle-kore;
+    The wolf is at the door,
+    There's nothing to eat but a bone without meat,
+    And a bill from the grocery store."
+
+
+"What does that mean?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Don't ask me," replied Scraps. "I say what comes into my head, but of
+course I know nothing of a grocery store or bones without meat or--very
+much else."
+
+"No," said the cat; "she's stark, staring, raving crazy, and her brains
+can't be pink, for they don't work properly."
+
+"Bother the brains!" cried Scraps. "Who cares for 'em, anyhow? Have you
+noticed how beautiful my patches are in this sunlight?"
+
+Just then they heard a sound as of footsteps pattering along the path
+behind them and all three turned to see what was coming. To their
+astonishment they beheld a small round table running as fast as its
+four spindle legs could carry it, and to the top was screwed fast a
+phonograph with a big gold horn.
+
+"Hold on!" shouted the phonograph. "Wait for me!"
+
+"Goodness me; it's that music thing which the Crooked Magician
+scattered the Powder of Life over," said Ojo.
+
+"So it is," returned Bungle, in a grumpy tone of voice; and then, as
+the phonograph overtook them, the Glass Cat added sternly: "What are
+you doing here, anyhow?"
+
+"I've run away," said the music thing. "After you left, old Dr. Pipt
+and I had a dreadful quarrel and he threatened to smash me to pieces if
+I didn't keep quiet. Of course I wouldn't do that, because a
+talking-machine is supposed to talk and make a noise--and sometimes
+music. So I slipped out of the house while the Magician was stirring
+his four kettles and I've been running after you all night. Now that
+I've found such pleasant company, I can talk and play tunes all I want
+to."
+
+Ojo was greatly annoyed by this unwelcome addition to their party. At
+first he did not know what to say to the newcomer, but a little thought
+decided him not to make friends.
+
+"We are traveling on important business," he declared, "and you'll
+excuse me if I say we can't be bothered."
+
+"How very impolite!" exclaimed the phonograph.
+
+"I'm sorry; but it's true," said the boy. "You'll have to go somewhere
+else."
+
+"This is very unkind treatment, I must say," whined the phonograph, in
+an injured tone. "Everyone seems to hate me, and yet I was intended to
+amuse people."
+
+"It isn't you we hate, especially," observed the Glass Cat; "it's your
+dreadful music. When I lived in the same room with you I was much
+annoyed by your squeaky horn. It growls and grumbles and clicks and
+scratches so it spoils the music, and your machinery rumbles so that
+the racket drowns every tune you attempt."
+
+"That isn't my fault; it's the fault of my records. I must admit that I
+haven't a clear record," answered the machine.
+
+"Just the same, you'll have to go away," said Ojo.
+
+"Wait a minute," cried Scraps. "This music thing interests me. I
+remember to have heard music when I first came to life, and I would
+like to hear it again. What is your name, my poor abused phonograph?"
+
+"Victor Columbia Edison," it answered.
+
+"Well, I shall call you 'Vic' for short," said the Patchwork Girl. "Go
+ahead and play something."
+
+"It'll drive you crazy," warned the cat.
+
+"I'm crazy now, according to your statement. Loosen up and reel out the
+music, Vic."
+
+"The only record I have with me," explained the phonograph, "is one the
+Magician attached just before we had our quarrel. It's a highly
+classical composition."
+
+"A what?" inquired Scraps.
+
+"It is classical music, and is considered the best and most puzzling
+ever manufactured. You're supposed to like it, whether you do or not,
+and if you don't, the proper thing is to look as if you did.
+Understand?"
+
+"Not in the least," said Scraps.
+
+"Then, listen!"
+
+At once the machine began to play and in a few minutes Ojo put his
+hands to his ears to shut out the sounds and the cat snarled and Scraps
+began to laugh.
+
+"Cut it out, Vic," she said. "That's enough."
+
+But the phonograph continued playing the dreary tune, so Ojo seized the
+crank, jerked it free and threw it into the road. However, the moment
+the crank struck the ground it bounded back to the machine again and
+began winding it up. And still the music played.
+
+"Let's run!" cried Scraps, and they all started and ran down the path
+as fast as they could go. But the phonograph was right behind them and
+could run and play at the same time. It called out, reproachfully:
+
+"What's the matter? Don't you love classical music?"
+
+"No, Vic," said Scraps, halting. "We will passical the classical and
+preserve what joy we have left. I haven't any nerves, thank goodness,
+but your music makes my cotton shrink."
+
+"Then turn over my record. There's a rag-time tune on the other side,"
+said the machine.
+
+"What's rag-time?"
+
+"The opposite of classical."
+
+"All right," said Scraps, and turned over the record.
+
+The phonograph now began to play a jerky jumble of sounds which proved
+so bewildering that after a moment Scraps stuffed her patchwork apron
+into the gold horn and cried: "Stop--stop! That's the other extreme.
+It's extremely bad!"
+
+Muffled as it was, the phonograph played on.
+
+"If you don't shut off that music I'll smash your record," threatened
+Ojo.
+
+The music stopped, at that, and the machine turned its horn from one to
+another and said with great indignation: "What's the matter now? Is it
+possible you can't appreciate rag-time?"
+
+"Scraps ought to, being rags herself," said the cat; "but I simply
+can't stand it; it makes my whiskers curl."
+
+"It is, indeed, dreadful!" exclaimed Ojo, with a shudder.
+
+"It's enough to drive a crazy lady mad," murmured the Patchwork Girl.
+"I'll tell you what, Vic," she added as she smoothed out her apron and
+put it on again, "for some reason or other you've missed your guess.
+You're not a concert; you're a nuisance."
+
+"Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast," asserted the
+phonograph sadly.
+
+"Then we're not savages. I advise you to go home and beg the Magician's
+pardon."
+
+"Never! He'd smash me."
+
+"That's what we shall do, if you stay here," Ojo declared.
+
+"Run along, Vic, and bother some one else," advised Scraps. "Find some
+one who is real wicked, and stay with him till he repents. In that way
+you can do some good in the world."
+
+The music thing turned silently away and trotted down a side path,
+toward a distant Munchkin village.
+
+"Is that the way we go?" asked Bungle anxiously.
+
+"No," said Ojo; "I think we shall keep straight ahead, for this path is
+the widest and best. When we come to some house we will inquire the way
+to the Emerald City."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eight
+
+The Foolish Owl and the Wise Donkey
+
+
+On they went, and half an hour's steady walking brought them to a house
+somewhat better than the two they had already passed. It stood close to
+the roadside and over the door was a sign that read: "Miss Foolish Owl
+and Mr. Wise Donkey: Public Advisers."
+
+When Ojo read this sign aloud Scraps said laughingly: "Well, here is a
+place to get all the advice we want, maybe more than we need. Let's go
+in."
+
+The boy knocked at the door.
+
+"Come in!" called a deep bass voice.
+
+So they opened the door and entered the house, where a little
+light-brown donkey, dressed in a blue apron and a blue cap, was engaged
+in dusting the furniture with a blue cloth. On a shelf over the window
+sat a great blue owl with a blue sunbonnet on her head, blinking her
+big round eyes at the visitors.
+
+"Good morning," said the donkey, in his deep voice, which seemed bigger
+than he was. "Did you come to us for advice?"
+
+"Why, we came, anyhow," replied Scraps, "and now we are here we may as
+well have some advice. It's free, isn't it?"
+
+"Certainly," said the donkey. "Advice doesn't cost anything--unless you
+follow it. Permit me to say, by the way, that you are the queerest lot
+of travelers that ever came to my shop. Judging you merely by
+appearances, I think you'd better talk to the Foolish Owl yonder."
+
+They turned to look at the bird, which fluttered its wings and stared
+back at them with its big eyes.
+
+"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot!" cried the owl.
+
+    "Fiddle-cum-foo,
+    Howdy-do?
+    Riddle-cum, tiddle-cum,
+    Too-ra-la-loo!"
+
+
+"That beats your poetry, Scraps," said Ojo.
+
+"It's just nonsense!" declared the Glass Cat.
+
+"But it's good advice for the foolish," said the donkey, admiringly.
+"Listen to my partner, and you can't go wrong."
+
+Said the owl in a grumbling voice:
+
+    "Patchwork Girl has come to life;
+    No one's sweetheart, no one's wife;
+    Lacking sense and loving fun,
+    She'll be snubbed by everyone."
+
+
+"Quite a compliment! Quite a compliment, I declare," exclaimed the
+donkey, turning to look at Scraps. "You are certainly a wonder, my
+dear, and I fancy you'd make a splendid pincushion. If you belonged to
+me, I'd wear smoked glasses when I looked at you."
+
+"Why?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Because you are so gay and gaudy."
+
+"It is my beauty that dazzles you," she asserted. "You Munchkin people
+all strut around in your stupid blue color, while I--"
+
+"You are wrong in calling me a Munchkin," interrupted the donkey, "for
+I was born in the Land of Mo and came to visit the Land of Oz on the
+day it was shut off from all the rest of the world. So here I am
+obliged to stay, and I confess it is a very pleasant country to live
+in."
+
+"Hoot-ti-toot!" cried the owl;
+
+    "Ojo's searching for a charm,
+    'Cause Unc Nunkie's come to harm.
+    Charms are scarce; they're hard to get;
+    Ojo's got a job, you bet!"
+
+
+"Is the owl so very foolish?" asked the boy.
+
+"Extremely so," replied the donkey. "Notice what vulgar expressions she
+uses. But I admire the owl for the reason that she is positively
+foolish. Owls are supposed to be so very wise, generally, that a
+foolish one is unusual, and you perhaps know that anything or anyone
+unusual is sure to be interesting to the wise."
+
+The owl flapped its wings again, muttering these words:
+
+    "It's hard to be a glassy cat--
+    No cat can be more hard than that;
+    She's so transparent, every act
+    Is clear to us, and that's a fact."
+
+
+"Have you noticed my pink brains?" inquired Bungle, proudly. "You can
+see 'em work."
+
+"Not in the daytime," said the donkey. "She can't see very well by day,
+poor thing. But her advice is excellent. I advise you all to follow it."
+
+"The owl hasn't given us any advice, as yet," the boy declared.
+
+"No? Then what do you call all those sweet poems?"
+
+"Just foolishness," replied Ojo. "Scraps does the same thing."
+
+"Foolishness! Of course! To be sure! The Foolish Owl must be foolish or
+she wouldn't be the Foolish Owl. You are very complimentary to my
+partner, indeed," asserted the donkey, rubbing his front hoofs together
+as if highly pleased.
+
+"The sign says that you are wise," remarked Scraps to the donkey. "I
+wish you would prove it."
+
+"With great pleasure," returned the beast. "Put me to the test, my dear
+Patches, and I'll prove my wisdom in the wink of an eye."
+
+"What is the best way to get to the Emerald City?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Walk," said the donkey.
+
+"I know; but what road shall I take?" was the boy's next question.
+
+"The road of yellow bricks, of course. It leads directly to the Emerald
+City."
+
+"And how shall we find the road of yellow bricks?"
+
+"By keeping along the path you have been following. You'll come to the
+yellow bricks pretty soon, and you'll know them when you see them
+because they're the only yellow things in the blue country."
+
+"Thank you," said the boy. "At last you have told me something."
+
+"Is that the extent of your wisdom?" asked Scraps.
+
+"No," replied the donkey; "I know many other things, but they wouldn't
+interest you. So I'll give you a last word of advice: move on, for the
+sooner you do that the sooner you'll get to the Emerald City of Oz."
+
+"Hoot-ti-toot-ti-toot-ti-too!" screeched the owl;
+
+    "Off you go! fast or slow,
+    Where you're going you don't know.
+    Patches, Bungle, Munchkin lad,
+    Facing fortunes good and bad,
+    Meeting dangers grave and sad,
+    Sometimes worried, sometimes glad--
+    Where you're going you don't know,
+    Nor do I, but off you go!"
+
+
+"Sounds like a hint, to me," said the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Then let's take it and go," replied Ojo.
+
+They said good-bye to the Wise Donkey and the Foolish Owl and at once
+resumed their journey.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Nine
+
+They Meet the Woozy
+
+
+"There seem to be very few houses around here, after all," remarked
+Ojo, after they had walked for a time in silence.
+
+"Never mind," said Scraps; "we are not looking for houses, but rather
+the road of yellow bricks. Won't it be funny to run across something
+yellow in this dismal blue country?"
+
+"There are worse colors than yellow in this country," asserted the
+Glass Cat, in a spiteful tone.
+
+"Oh; do you mean the pink pebbles you call your brains, and your red
+heart and green eyes?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"No; I mean you, if you must know it," growled the cat.
+
+"You're jealous!" laughed Scraps. "You'd give your whiskers for a
+lovely variegated complexion like mine."
+
+"I wouldn't!" retorted the cat. "I've the clearest complexion in the
+world, and I don't employ a beauty-doctor, either."
+
+"I see you don't," said Scraps.
+
+"Please don't quarrel," begged Ojo. "This is an important journey, and
+quarreling makes me discouraged. To be brave, one must be cheerful, so
+I hope you will be as good-tempered as possible."
+
+They had traveled some distance when suddenly they faced a high fence
+which barred any further progress straight ahead. It ran directly
+across the road and enclosed a small forest of tall trees, set close
+together. When the group of adventurers peered through the bars of the
+fence they thought this forest looked more gloomy and forbidding than
+any they had ever seen before.
+
+They soon discovered that the path they had been following now made a
+bend and passed around the enclosure, but what made Ojo stop and look
+thoughtful was a sign painted on the fence which read:
+
+    "BEWARE OF THE WOOZY!"
+
+
+"That means," he said, "that there's a Woozy inside that fence, and the
+Woozy must be a dangerous animal or they wouldn't tell people to beware
+of it."
+
+"Let's keep out, then," replied Scraps. "That path is outside the
+fence, and Mr. Woozy may have all his little forest to himself, for all
+we care."
+
+"But one of our errands is to find a Woozy," Ojo explained. "The
+Magician wants me to get three hairs from the end of a Woozy's tail."
+
+"Let's go on and find some other Woozy," suggested the cat. "This one
+is ugly and dangerous, or they wouldn't cage him up. Maybe we shall
+find another that is tame and gentle."
+
+"Perhaps there isn't any other, at all," answered Ojo. "The sign
+doesn't say: 'Beware a Woozy'; it says: 'Beware the Woozy,' which may
+mean there's only one in all the Land of Oz."
+
+"Then," said Scraps, "suppose we go in and find him? Very likely if we
+ask him politely to let us pull three hairs out of the tip of his tail
+he won't hurt us."
+
+"It would hurt him, I'm sure, and that would make him cross," said the
+cat.
+
+"You needn't worry, Bungle," remarked the Patchwork Girl; "for if there
+is danger you can climb a tree. Ojo and I are not afraid; are we, Ojo?"
+
+"I am, a little," the boy admitted; "but this danger must be faced, if
+we intend to save poor Unc Nunkie. How shall we get over the fence?"
+
+"Climb," answered Scraps, and at once she began climbing up the rows of
+bars. Ojo followed and found it more easy than he had expected. When
+they got to the top of the fence they began to get down on the other
+side and soon were in the forest. The Glass Cat, being small, crept
+between the lower bars and joined them.
+
+Here there was no path of any sort, so they entered the woods, the boy
+leading the way, and wandered through the trees until they were nearly
+in the center of the forest. They now came upon a clear space in which
+stood a rocky cave.
+
+So far they had met no living creature, but when Ojo saw the cave he
+knew it must be the den of the Woozy.
+
+It is hard to face any savage beast without a sinking of the heart, but
+still more terrifying is it to face an unknown beast, which you have
+never seen even a picture of. So there is little wonder that the pulses
+of the Munchkin boy beat fast as he and his companions stood facing the
+cave. The opening was perfectly square, and about big enough to admit a
+goat.
+
+"I guess the Woozy is asleep," said Scraps. "Shall I throw in a stone,
+to waken him?"
+
+"No; please don't," answered Ojo, his voice trembling a little. "I'm in
+no hurry."
+
+But he had not long to wait, for the Woozy heard the sound of voices
+and came trotting out of his cave. As this is the only Woozy that has
+ever lived, either in the Land of Oz or out of it, I must describe it
+to you.
+
+The creature was all squares and flat surfaces and edges. Its head was
+an exact square, like one of the building-blocks a child plays with;
+therefore it had no ears, but heard sounds through two openings in the
+upper corners. Its nose, being in the center of a square surface, was
+flat, while the mouth was formed by the opening of the lower edge of
+the block. The body of the Woozy was much larger than its head, but was
+likewise block-shaped--being twice as long as it was wide and high. The
+tail was square and stubby and perfectly straight, and the four legs
+were made in the same way, each being four-sided. The animal was
+covered with a thick, smooth skin and had no hair at all except at the
+extreme end of its tail, where there grew exactly three stiff, stubby
+hairs. The beast was dark blue in color and his face was not fierce nor
+ferocious in expression, but rather good-humored and droll.
+
+Seeing the strangers, the Woozy folded his hind legs as if they had
+been hinged and sat down to look his visitors over.
+
+"Well, well," he exclaimed; "what a queer lot you are! At first I
+thought some of those miserable Munchkin farmers had come to annoy me,
+but I am relieved to find you in their stead. It is plain to me that
+you are a remarkable group--as remarkable in your way as I am in
+mine--and so you are welcome to my domain. Nice place, isn't it? But
+lonesome--dreadfully lonesome."
+
+"Why did they shut you up here?" asked Scraps, who was regarding the
+queer, square creature with much curiosity.
+
+"Because I eat up all the honey-bees which the Munchkin farmers who
+live around here keep to make them honey."
+
+"Are you fond of eating honey-bees?" inquired the boy.
+
+"Very. They are really delicious. But the farmers did not like to lose
+their bees and so they tried to destroy me. Of course they couldn't do
+that."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"My skin is so thick and tough that nothing can get through it to hurt
+me. So, finding they could not destroy me, they drove me into this
+forest and built a fence around me. Unkind, wasn't it?"
+
+"But what do you eat now?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Nothing at all. I've tried the leaves from the trees and the mosses
+and creeping vines, but they don't seem to suit my taste. So, there
+being no honey-bees here, I've eaten nothing for years.
+
+"You must be awfully hungry," said the boy. "I've got some bread and
+cheese in my basket. Would you like that kind of food?"
+
+"Give me a nibble and I will try it; then I can tell you better whether
+it is grateful to my appetite," returned the Woozy.
+
+So the boy opened his basket and broke a piece off the loaf of bread.
+He tossed it toward the Woozy, who cleverly caught it in his mouth and
+ate it in a twinkling.
+
+"That's rather good," declared the animal. "Any more?"
+
+"Try some cheese," said Ojo, and threw down a piece.
+
+The Woozy ate that, too, and smacked its long, thin lips.
+
+"That's mighty good!" it exclaimed. "Any more?"
+
+"Plenty," replied Ojo. So he sat down on a Stump and fed the Woozy
+bread and cheese for a long time; for, no matter how much the boy broke
+off, the loaf and the slice remained just as big.
+
+"That'll do," said the Woozy, at last; "I'm quite full. I hope the
+strange food won't give me indigestion."
+
+"I hope not," said Ojo. "It's what I eat."
+
+"Well, I must say I'm much obliged, and I'm glad you came," announced
+the beast. "Is there anything I can do in return for your kindness?"
+
+"Yes," said Ojo earnestly, "you have it in your power to do me a great
+favor, if you will."
+
+"What is it?" asked the Woozy. "Name the favor and I will grant it."
+
+"I--I want three hairs from the tip of your tail," said Ojo, with some
+hesitation.
+
+"Three hairs! Why, that's all I have--on my tail or anywhere else,"
+exclaimed the beast.
+
+"I know; but I want them very much."
+
+"They are my sole ornaments, my prettiest feature," said the Woozy,
+uneasily. "If I give up those three hairs I--I'm just a blockhead."
+
+"Yet I must have them," insisted the boy, firmly, and he then told the
+Woozy all about the accident to Unc Nunkie and Margolotte, and how the
+three hairs were to be a part of the magic charm that would restore
+them to life. The beast listened with attention and when Ojo had
+finished the recital it said, with a sigh:
+
+"I always keep my word, for I pride myself on being square. So you may
+have the three hairs, and welcome. I think, under such circumstances,
+it would be selfish in me to refuse you."
+
+"Thank you! Thank you very much," cried the boy, joyfully. "May I pull
+out the hairs now?"
+
+"Any time you like," answered the Woozy.
+
+So Ojo went up to the queer creature and taking hold of one of the
+hairs began to pull. He pulled harder. He pulled with all his might;
+but the hair remained fast.
+
+"What's the trouble?" asked the Woozy, which Ojo had dragged here and
+there all around the clearing in his endeavor to pull out the hair.
+
+"It won't come," said the boy, panting.
+
+"I was afraid of that," declared the beast. "You'll have to pull
+harder."
+
+"I'll help you," exclaimed Scraps, coming to the boy's side. "You pull
+the hair, and I'll pull you, and together we ought to get it out
+easily."
+
+"Wait a jiffy," called the Woozy, and then it went to a tree and hugged
+it with its front paws, so that its body couldn't be dragged around by
+the pull. "All ready, now. Go ahead!"
+
+Ojo grasped the hair with both hands and pulled with all his strength,
+while Scraps seized the boy around his waist and added her strength to
+his. But the hair wouldn't budge. Instead, it slipped out of Ojo's
+hands and he and Scraps both rolled upon the ground in a heap and never
+stopped until they bumped against the rocky cave.
+
+"Give it up," advised the Glass Cat, as the boy arose and assisted the
+Patchwork Girl to her feet. "A dozen strong men couldn't pull out those
+hairs. I believe they're clinched on the under side of the Woozy's
+thick skin."
+
+"Then what shall I do?" asked the boy, despairingly. "If on our return
+I fail to take these three hairs to the Crooked Magician, the other
+things I have come to seek will be of no use at all, and we cannot
+restore Unc Nunkie and Margolotte to life."
+
+"They're goners, I guess," said the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Never mind," added the cat. "I can't see that old Unc and Margolotte
+are worth all this trouble, anyhow."
+
+But Ojo did not feel that way. He was so disheartened that he sat down
+upon a stump and began to cry.
+
+The Woozy looked at the boy thoughtfully.
+
+"Why don't you take me with you?" asked the beast. "Then, when at last
+you get to the Magician's house, he can surely find some way to pull
+out those three hairs."
+
+Ojo was overjoyed at this suggestion.
+
+"That's it!" he cried, wiping away the tears and springing to his feet
+with a smile. "If I take the three hairs to the Magician, it won't
+matter if they are still in your body."
+
+"It can't matter in the least," agreed the Woozy.
+
+"Come on, then," said the boy, picking up his basket; "let us start at
+once. I have several other things to find, you know."
+
+But the Glass Cat gave a little laugh and inquired in her scornful way:
+
+"How do you intend to get the beast out of this forest?"
+
+That puzzled them all for a time.
+
+"Let us go to the fence, and then we may find a way," suggested Scraps.
+So they walked through the forest to the fence, reaching it at a point
+exactly opposite that where they had entered the enclosure.
+
+"How did you get in?" asked the Woozy.
+
+"We climbed over," answered Ojo.
+
+"I can't do that," said the beast. "I'm a very swift runner, for I can
+overtake a honey-bee as it flies; and I can jump very high, which is
+the reason they made such a tall fence to keep me in. But I can't climb
+at all, and I'm too big to squeeze between the bars of the fence."
+
+Ojo tried to think what to do.
+
+"Can you dig?" he asked.
+
+"No," answered the Woozy, "for I have no claws. My feet are quite flat
+on the bottom of them. Nor can I gnaw away the boards, as I have no
+teeth."
+
+"You're not such a terrible creature, after all," remarked Scraps.
+
+"You haven't heard me growl, or you wouldn't say that," declared the
+Woozy. "When I growl, the sound echoes like thunder all through the
+valleys and woodlands, and children tremble with fear, and women cover
+their heads with their aprons, and big men run and hide. I suppose
+there is nothing in the world so terrible to listen to as the growl of
+a Woozy."
+
+"Please don't growl, then," begged Ojo, earnestly.
+
+"There is no danger of my growling, for I am not angry. Only when angry
+do I utter my fearful, ear-splitting, soul-shuddering growl. Also, when
+I am angry, my eyes flash fire, whether I growl or not."
+
+"Real fire?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Of course, real fire. Do you suppose they'd flash imitation fire?"
+inquired the Woozy, in an injured tone.
+
+"In that case, I've solved the riddle," cried Scraps, dancing with
+glee. "Those fence-boards are made of wood, and if the Woozy stands
+close to the fence and lets his eyes flash fire, they might set fire to
+the fence and burn it up. Then he could walk away with us easily, being
+free."
+
+"Ah, I have never thought of that plan, or I would have been free long
+ago," said the Woozy. "But I cannot flash fire from my eyes unless I am
+very angry."
+
+"Can't you get angry 'bout something, please?" asked Ojo.
+
+"I'll try. You just say 'Krizzle-Kroo' to me."
+
+"Will that make you angry?" inquired the boy.
+
+"Terribly angry."
+
+"What does it mean?" asked Scraps.
+
+"I don't know; that's what makes me so angry," replied the Woozy.
+
+He then stood close to the fence, with his head near one of the boards,
+and Scraps called out "Krizzle-Kroo!" Then Ojo said "Krizzle-Kroo!" and
+the Glass Cat said "Krizzle-Kroo!" The Woozy began to tremble with
+anger and small sparks darted from his eyes. Seeing this, they all
+cried "Krizzle-Kroo!" together, and that made the beast's eyes flash
+fire so fiercely that the fence-board caught the sparks and began to
+smoke. Then it burst into flame, and the Woozy stepped back and said
+triumphantly:
+
+"Aha! That did the business, all right. It was a happy thought for you
+to yell all together, for that made me as angry as I have ever been.
+Fine sparks, weren't they?"
+
+"Reg'lar fireworks," replied Scraps, admiringly.
+
+In a few moments the board had burned to a distance of several feet,
+leaving an opening big enough for them all to pass through. Ojo broke
+some branches from a tree and with them whipped the fire until it was
+extinguished.
+
+"We don't want to burn the whole fence down," said he, "for the flames
+would attract the attention of the Munchkin farmers, who would then
+come and capture the Woozy again. I guess they'll be rather surprised
+when they find he's escaped."
+
+"So they will," declared the Woozy, chuckling gleefully. "When they
+find I'm gone the farmers will be badly scared, for they'll expect me
+to eat up their honey-bees, as I did before."
+
+"That reminds me," said the boy, "that you must promise not to eat
+honey-bees while you are in our company."
+
+"None at all?"
+
+"Not a bee. You would get us all into trouble, and we can't afford to
+have any more trouble than is necessary. I'll feed you all the bread
+and cheese you want, and that must satisfy you."
+
+"All right; I'll promise," said the Woozy, cheerfully. "And when I
+promise anything you can depend on it, 'cause I'm square."
+
+"I don't see what difference that makes," observed the Patchwork Girl,
+as they found the path and continued their journey. "The shape doesn't
+make a thing honest, does it?"
+
+"Of course it does," returned the Woozy, very decidedly. "No one could
+trust that Crooked Magician, for instance, just because he is crooked;
+but a square Woozy couldn't do anything crooked if he wanted to."
+
+"I am neither square nor crooked," said Scraps, looking down at her
+plump body.
+
+"No; you're round, so you're liable to do anything," asserted the
+Woozy. "Do not blame me, Miss Gorgeous, if I regard you with suspicion.
+Many a satin ribbon has a cotton back."
+
+Scraps didn't understand this, but she had an uneasy misgiving that she
+had a cotton back herself. It would settle down, at times, and make her
+squat and dumpy, and then she had to roll herself in the road until her
+body stretched out again.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Ten
+
+Shaggy Man to the Rescue
+
+
+They had not gone very far before Bungle, who had run on ahead, came
+bounding back to say that the road of yellow bricks was just before
+them. At once they hurried forward to see what this famous road looked
+like.
+
+It was a broad road, but not straight, for it wandered over hill and
+dale and picked out the easiest places to go. All its length and
+breadth was paved with smooth bricks of a bright yellow color, so it
+was smooth and level except in a few places where the bricks had
+crumbled or been removed, leaving holes that might cause the unwary to
+stumble.
+
+"I wonder," said Ojo, looking up and down the road, "which way to go."
+
+"Where are you bound for?" asked the Woozy.
+
+"The Emerald City," he replied.
+
+"Then go west," said the Woozy. "I know this road pretty well, for I've
+chased many a honey-bee over it."
+
+"Have you ever been to the Emerald City?" asked Scraps.
+
+"No. I am very shy by nature, as you may have noticed, so I haven't
+mingled much in society."
+
+"Are you afraid of men?" inquired the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Me? With my heart-rending growl--my horrible, shudderful growl? I
+should say not. I am not afraid of anything," declared the Woozy.
+
+"I wish I could say the same," sighed Ojo. "I don't think we need be
+afraid when we get to the Emerald City, for Unc Nunkie has told me that
+Ozma, our girl Ruler, is very lovely and kind, and tries to help
+everyone who is in trouble. But they say there are many dangers lurking
+on the road to the great Fairy City, and so we must be very careful."
+
+"I hope nothing will break me," said the Glass Cat, in a nervous voice.
+"I'm a little brittle, you know, and can't stand many hard knocks."
+
+"If anything should fade the colors of my lovely patches it would break
+my heart," said the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"I'm not sure you have a heart," Ojo reminded her.
+
+"Then it would break my cotton," persisted Scraps. "Do you think they
+are all fast colors, Ojo?" she asked anxiously.
+
+"They seem fast enough when you run," he replied; and then, looking
+ahead of them, he exclaimed: "Oh, what lovely trees!"
+
+They were certainly pretty to look upon and the travelers hurried
+forward to observe them more closely.
+
+"Why, they are not trees at all," said Scraps; "they are just monstrous
+plants."
+
+That is what they really were: masses of great broad leaves which rose
+from the ground far into the air, until they towered twice as high as
+the top of the Patchwork Girl's head, who was a little taller than Ojo.
+The plants formed rows on both sides of the road and from each plant
+rose a dozen or more of the big broad leaves, which swayed continually
+from side to side, although no wind was blowing. But the most curious
+thing about the swaying leaves was their color. They seemed to have a
+general groundwork of blue, but here and there other colors glinted at
+times through the blue--gorgeous yellows, turning to pink, purple,
+orange and scarlet, mingled with more sober browns and grays--each
+appearing as a blotch or stripe anywhere on a leaf and then
+disappearing, to be replaced by some other color of a different shape.
+The changeful coloring of the great leaves was very beautiful, but it
+was bewildering, as well, and the novelty of the scene drew our
+travelers close to the line of plants, where they stood watching them
+with rapt interest.
+
+Suddenly a leaf bent lower than usual and touched the Patchwork Girl.
+Swiftly it enveloped her in its embrace, covering her completely in its
+thick folds, and then it swayed back upon its stem.
+
+"Why, she's gone!" gasped Ojo, in amazement, and listening carefully he
+thought he could hear the muffled screams of Scraps coming from the
+center of the folded leaf. But, before he could think what he ought to
+do to save her, another leaf bent down and captured the Glass Cat,
+rolling around the little creature until she was completely hidden, and
+then straightening up again upon its stem.
+
+"Look out," cried the Woozy. "Run! Run fast, or you are lost."
+
+Ojo turned and saw the Woozy running swiftly up the road. But the last
+leaf of the row of plants seized the beast even as he ran and instantly
+he disappeared from sight.
+
+The boy had no chance to escape. Half a dozen of the great leaves were
+bending toward him from different directions and as he stood hesitating
+one of them clutched him in its embrace. In a flash he was in the dark.
+Then he felt himself gently lifted until he was swaying in the air,
+with the folds of the leaf hugging him on all sides.
+
+At first he struggled hard to escape, crying out in anger: "Let me go!
+Let me go!" But neither struggles nor protests had any effect whatever.
+The leaf held him firmly and he was a prisoner.
+
+Then Ojo quieted himself and tried to think. Despair fell upon him when
+he remembered that all his little party had been captured, even as he
+was, and there was none to save them.
+
+"I might have expected it," he sobbed, miserably. "I'm Ojo the Unlucky,
+and something dreadful was sure to happen to me."
+
+He pushed against the leaf that held him and found it to be soft, but
+thick and firm. It was like a great bandage all around him and he found
+it difficult to move his body or limbs in order to change their
+position.
+
+The minutes passed and became hours. Ojo wondered how long one could
+live in such a condition and if the leaf would gradually sap his
+strength and even his life, in order to feed itself. The little
+Munchkin boy had never heard of any person dying in the Land of Oz, but
+he knew one could suffer a great deal of pain. His greatest fear at
+this time was that he would always remain imprisoned in the beautiful
+leaf and never see the light of day again.
+
+No sound came to him through the leaf; all around was intense silence.
+Ojo wondered if Scraps had stopped screaming, or if the folds of the
+leaf prevented his hearing her. By and by he thought he heard a
+whistle, as of some one whistling a tune. Yes; it really must be some
+one whistling, he decided, for he could follow the strains of a pretty
+Munchkin melody that Unc Nunkie used to sing to him. The sounds were
+low and sweet and, although they reached Ojo's ears very faintly, they
+were clear and harmonious.
+
+Could the leaf whistle, Ojo wondered? Nearer and nearer came the sounds
+and then they seemed to be just the other side of the leaf that was
+hugging him.
+
+Suddenly the whole leaf toppled and fell, carrying the boy with it, and
+while he sprawled at full length the folds slowly relaxed and set him
+free. He scrambled quickly to his feet and found that a strange man was
+standing before him--a man so curious in appearance that the boy stared
+with round eyes.
+
+He was a big man, with shaggy whiskers, shaggy eyebrows, shaggy
+hair--but kindly blue eyes that were gentle as those of a cow. On his
+head was a green velvet hat with a jeweled band, which was all shaggy
+around the brim. Rich but shaggy laces were at his throat; a coat with
+shaggy edges was decorated with diamond buttons; the velvet breeches
+had jeweled buckles at the knees and shags all around the bottoms. On
+his breast hung a medallion bearing a picture of Princess Dorothy of
+Oz, and in his hand, as he stood looking at Ojo, was a sharp knife
+shaped like a dagger.
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed Ojo, greatly astonished at the sight of this stranger;
+and then he added: "Who has saved me, sir?"
+
+"Can't you see?" replied the other, with a smile; "I'm the Shaggy Man."
+
+"Yes; I can see that," said the boy, nodding. "Was it you who rescued
+me from the leaf?"
+
+"None other, you may be sure. But take care, or I shall have to rescue
+you again."
+
+Ojo gave a jump, for he saw several broad leaves leaning toward him;
+but the Shaggy Man began to whistle again, and at the sound the leaves
+all straightened up on their stems and kept still.
+
+The man now took Ojo's arm and led him up the road, past the last of
+the great plants, and not till he was safely beyond their reach did he
+cease his whistling.
+
+"You see, the music charms 'em," said he. "Singing or whistling--it
+doesn't matter which--makes 'em behave, and nothing else will. I always
+whistle as I go by 'em and so they always let me alone. To-day as I
+went by, whistling, I saw a leaf curled and knew there must be
+something inside it. I cut down the leaf with my knife and--out you
+popped. Lucky I passed by, wasn't it?"
+
+"You were very kind," said Ojo, "and I thank you. Will you please
+rescue my companions, also?"
+
+"What companions?" asked the Shaggy Man.
+
+"The leaves grabbed them all," said the boy. "There's a Patchwork Girl
+and--"
+
+"A what?"
+
+"A girl made of patchwork, you know. She's alive and her name is
+Scraps. And there's a Glass Cat--"
+
+"Glass?" asked the Shaggy Man.
+
+"All glass."
+
+"And alive?"
+
+"Yes," said Ojo; "she has pink brains. And there's a Woozy--"
+
+"What's a Woozy?" inquired the Shaggy Man.
+
+"Why, I--I--can't describe it," answered the boy, greatly perplexed.
+"But it's a queer animal with three hairs on the tip of its tail that
+won't come out and--"
+
+"What won't come out?" asked the Shaggy Man; "the tail?"
+
+"The hairs won't come out. But you'll see the Woozy, if you'll please
+rescue it, and then you'll know just what it is."
+
+"Of course," said the Shaggy Man, nodding his shaggy head. And then he
+walked back among the plants, still whistling, and found the three
+leaves which were curled around Ojo's traveling companions. The first
+leaf he cut down released Scraps, and on seeing her the Shaggy Man
+threw back his shaggy head, opened wide his mouth and laughed so
+shaggily and yet so merrily that Scraps liked him at once. Then he took
+off his hat and made her a low bow, saying:
+
+"My dear, you're a wonder. I must introduce you to my friend the
+Scarecrow."
+
+When he cut down the second leaf he rescued the Glass Cat, and Bungle
+was so frightened that she scampered away like a streak and soon had
+joined Ojo, when she sat beside him panting and trembling. The last
+plant of all the row had captured the Woozy, and a big bunch in the
+center of the curled leaf showed plainly where he was. With his sharp
+knife the Shaggy Man sliced off the stem of the leaf and as it fell and
+unfolded out trotted the Woozy and escaped beyond the reach of any more
+of the dangerous plants.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eleven
+
+A Good Friend
+
+
+Soon the entire party was gathered on the road of yellow bricks, quite
+beyond the reach of the beautiful but treacherous plants. The Shaggy
+Man, staring first at one and then at the other, seemed greatly pleased
+and interested.
+
+"I've seen queer things since I came to the Land of Oz," said he, "but
+never anything queerer than this band of adventurers. Let us sit down a
+while, and have a talk and get acquainted."
+
+"Haven't you always lived in the Land of Oz?" asked the Munchkin boy.
+
+"No; I used to live in the big, outside world. But I came here once
+with Dorothy, and Ozma let me stay."
+
+"How do you like Oz?" asked Scraps. "Isn't the country and the climate
+grand?"
+
+"It's the finest country in all the world, even if it is a fairyland,
+and I'm happy every minute I live in it," said the Shaggy Man. "But
+tell me something about yourselves."
+
+So Ojo related the story of his visit to the house of the Crooked
+Magician, and how he met there the Glass Cat, and how the Patchwork
+Girl was brought to life and of the terrible accident to Unc Nunkie and
+Margolotte. Then he told how he had set out to find the five different
+things which the Magician needed to make a charm that would restore the
+marble figures to life, one requirement being three hairs from a
+Woozy's tail.
+
+"We found the Woozy," explained the boy, "and he agreed to give us the
+three hairs; but we couldn't pull them out. So we had to bring the
+Woozy along with us."
+
+"I see," returned the Shaggy Man, who had listened with interest to the
+story. "But perhaps I, who am big and strong, can pull those three
+hairs from the Woozy's tail."
+
+"Try it, if you like," said the Woozy.
+
+So the Shaggy Man tried it, but pull as hard as he could he failed to
+get the hairs out of the Woozy's tail. So he sat down again and wiped
+his shaggy face with a shaggy silk handkerchief and said:
+
+"It doesn't matter. If you can keep the Woozy until you get the rest of
+the things you need, you can take the beast and his three hairs to the
+Crooked Magician and let him find a way to extract 'em. What are the
+other things you are to find?"
+
+"One," said Ojo, "is a six-leaved clover."
+
+"You ought to find that in the fields around the Emerald City," said
+the Shaggy Man. "There is a Law against picking six-leaved clovers, but
+I think I can get Ozma to let you have one."
+
+"Thank you," replied Ojo. "The next thing is the left wing of a yellow
+butterfly."
+
+"For that you must go to the Winkie Country," the Shaggy Man declared.
+"I've never noticed any butterflies there, but that is the yellow
+country of Oz and it's ruled by a good friend of mine, the Tin Woodman."
+
+"Oh, I've heard of him!" exclaimed Ojo. "He must be a wonderful man."
+
+"So he is, and his heart is wonderfully kind. I'm sure the Tin Woodman
+will do all in his power to help you to save your Unc Nunkie and poor
+Margolotte."
+
+"The next thing I must find," said the Munchkin boy, "is a gill of
+water from a dark well."
+
+"Indeed! Well, that is more difficult," said the Shaggy Man, scratching
+his left ear in a puzzled way. "I've never heard of a dark well; have
+you?"
+
+"No," said Ojo.
+
+"Do you know where one may be found?" inquired the Shaggy Man.
+
+"I can't imagine," said Ojo.
+
+"Then we must ask the Scarecrow."
+
+"The Scarecrow! But surely, sir, a scarecrow can't know anything."
+
+"Most scarecrows don't, I admit," answered the Shaggy Man. "But this
+Scarecrow of whom I speak is very intelligent. He claims to possess the
+best brains in all Oz."
+
+"Better than mine?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Better than mine?" echoed the Glass Cat. "Mine are pink, and you can
+see 'em work."
+
+"Well, you can't see the Scarecrow's brains work, but they do a lot of
+clever thinking," asserted the Shaggy Man. "If anyone knows where a
+dark well is, it's my friend the Scarecrow."
+
+"Where does he live?" inquired Ojo.
+
+"He has a splendid castle in the Winkie Country, near to the palace of
+his friend the Tin Woodman, and he is often to be found in the Emerald
+City, where he visits Dorothy at the royal palace."
+
+"Then we will ask him about the dark well," said Ojo.
+
+"But what else does this Crooked Magician want?" asked the Shaggy Man.
+
+"A drop of oil from a live man's body."
+
+"Oh; but there isn't such a thing."
+
+"That is what I thought," replied Ojo; "but the Crooked Magician said
+it wouldn't be called for by the recipe if it couldn't be found, and
+therefore I must search until I find it."
+
+"I wish you good luck," said the Shaggy Man, shaking his head
+doubtfully; "but I imagine you'll have a hard job getting a drop of oil
+from a live man's body. There's blood in a body, but no oil."
+
+"There's cotton in mine," said Scraps, dancing a little jig.
+
+"I don't doubt it," returned the Shaggy Man admiringly. "You're a
+regular comforter and as sweet as patchwork can be. All you lack is
+dignity."
+
+"I hate dignity," cried Scraps, kicking a pebble high in the air and
+then trying to catch it as it fell. "Half the fools and all the wise
+folks are dignified, and I'm neither the one nor the other."
+
+"She's just crazy," explained the Glass Cat.
+
+The Shaggy Man laughed.
+
+"She's delightful, in her way," he said. "I'm sure Dorothy will be
+pleased with her, and the Scarecrow will dote on her. Did you say you
+were traveling toward the Emerald City?"
+
+"Yes," replied Ojo. "I thought that the best place to go, at first,
+because the six-leaved clover may be found there."
+
+"I'll go with you," said the Shaggy Man, "and show you the way."
+
+"Thank you," exclaimed Ojo. "I hope it won't put you out any."
+
+"No," said the other, "I wasn't going anywhere in particular. I've been
+a rover all my life, and although Ozma has given me a suite of
+beautiful rooms in her palace I still get the wandering fever once in a
+while and start out to roam the country over. I've been away from the
+Emerald City several weeks, this time, and now that I've met you and
+your friends I'm sure it will interest me to accompany you to the great
+city of Oz and introduce you to my friends."
+
+"That will be very nice," said the boy, gratefully.
+
+"I hope your friends are not dignified," observed Scraps.
+
+"Some are, and some are not," he answered; "but I never criticise my
+friends. If they are really true friends, they may be anything they
+like, for all of me."
+
+"There's some sense in that," said Scraps, nodding her queer head in
+approval. "Come on, and let's get to the Emerald City as soon as
+possible." With this she ran up the path, skipping and dancing, and
+then turned to await them.
+
+"It is quite a distance from here to the Emerald City," remarked the
+Shaggy Man, "so we shall not get there to-day, nor to-morrow. Therefore
+let us take the jaunt in an easy manner. I'm an old traveler and have
+found that I never gain anything by being in a hurry. 'Take it easy' is
+my motto. If you can't take it easy, take it as easy as you can."
+
+After walking some distance over the road of yellow bricks Ojo said he
+was hungry and would stop to eat some bread and cheese. He offered a
+portion of the food to the Shaggy Man, who thanked him but refused it.
+
+"When I start out on my travels," said he, "I carry along enough square
+meals to last me several weeks. Think I'll indulge in one now, as long
+as we're stopping anyway."
+
+Saying this, he took a bottle from his pocket and shook from it a
+tablet about the size of one of Ojo's finger-nails.
+
+"That," announced the Shaggy Man, "is a square meal, in condensed form.
+Invention of the great Professor Woggle-Bug, of the Royal College of
+Athletics. It contains soup, fish, roast meat, salad, apple-dumplings,
+ice cream and chocolate-drops, all boiled down to this small size, so
+it can be conveniently carried and swallowed when you are hungry and
+need a square meal."
+
+"I'm square," said the Woozy. "Give me one, please."
+
+So the Shaggy Man gave the Woozy a tablet from his bottle and the beast
+ate it in a twinkling.
+
+"You have now had a six course dinner," declared the Shaggy Man.
+
+"Pshaw!" said the Woozy, ungratefully, "I want to taste something.
+There's no fun in that sort of eating."
+
+"One should only eat to sustain life," replied the Shaggy Man, "and
+that tablet is equal to a peck of other food."
+
+"I don't care for it. I want something I can chew and taste," grumbled
+the Woozy.
+
+"You are quite wrong, my poor beast," said the Shaggy Man in a tone of
+pity. "Think how tired your jaws would get chewing a square meal like
+this, if it were not condensed to the size of a small tablet--which you
+can swallow in a jiffy."
+
+"Chewing isn't tiresome; it's fun," maintained the Woozy. "I always
+chew the honey-bees when I catch them. Give me some bread and cheese,
+Ojo."
+
+"No, no! You've already eaten a big dinner!" protested the Shaggy Man.
+
+"May be," answered the Woozy; "but I guess I'll fool myself by munching
+some bread and cheese. I may not be hungry, having eaten all those
+things you gave me, but I consider this eating business a matter of
+taste, and I like to realize what's going into me."
+
+Ojo gave the beast what he wanted, but the Shaggy Man shook his shaggy
+head reproachfully and said there was no animal so obstinate or hard to
+convince as a Woozy.
+
+At this moment a patter of footsteps was heard, and looking up they saw
+the live phonograph standing before them. It seemed to have passed
+through many adventures since Ojo and his comrades last saw the
+machine, for the varnish of its wooden case was all marred and dented
+and scratched in a way that gave it an aged and disreputable appearance.
+
+"Dear me!" exclaimed Ojo, staring hard. "What has happened to you?"
+
+"Nothing much," replied the phonograph in a sad and depressed voice.
+"I've had enough things thrown at me, since I left you, to stock a
+department store and furnish half a dozen bargain-counters."
+
+"Are you so broken up that you can't play?" asked Scraps.
+
+"No; I still am able to grind out delicious music. Just now I've a
+record on tap that is really superb," said the phonograph, growing more
+cheerful.
+
+"That is too bad," remarked Ojo. "We've no objection to you as a
+machine, you know; but as a music-maker we hate you."
+
+"Then why was I ever invented?" demanded the machine, in a tone of
+indignant protest.
+
+They looked at one another inquiringly, but no one could answer such a
+puzzling question. Finally the Shaggy Man said:
+
+"I'd like to hear the phonograph play."
+
+Ojo sighed. "We've been very happy since we met you, sir," he said.
+
+"I know. But a little misery, at times, makes one appreciate happiness
+more. Tell me, Phony, what is this record like, which you say you have
+on tap?"
+
+"It's a popular song, sir. In all civilized lands the common people
+have gone wild over it."
+
+"Makes civilized folks wild folks, eh? Then it's dangerous."
+
+"Wild with joy, I mean," explained the phonograph. "Listen. This song
+will prove a rare treat to you, I know. It made the author rich--for an
+author. It is called 'My Lulu.'"
+
+Then the phonograph began to play. A strain of odd, jerky sounds was
+followed by these words, sung by a man through his nose with great
+vigor of expression:
+
+    "Ah wants mah Lulu, mah coal-black Lulu;
+    Ah wants mah loo-loo, loo-loo, loo-loo, Lu!
+    Ah loves mah Lulu, mah coal-black Lulu,
+    There ain't nobody else loves loo-loo, Lu!"
+
+
+"Here--shut that off!" cried the Shaggy Man, springing to his feet.
+"What do you mean by such impertinence?"
+
+"It's the latest popular song," declared the phonograph, speaking in a
+sulky tone of voice.
+
+"A popular song?"
+
+"Yes. One that the feeble-minded can remember the words of and those
+ignorant of music can whistle or sing. That makes a popular song
+popular, and the time is coming when it will take the place of all
+other songs."
+
+"That time won't come to us, just yet," said the Shaggy Man, sternly:
+"I'm something of a singer myself, and I don't intend to be throttled
+by any Lulus like your coal-black one. I shall take you all apart, Mr.
+Phony, and scatter your pieces far and wide over the country, as a
+matter of kindness to the people you might meet if allowed to run
+around loose. Having performed this painful duty I shall--"
+
+But before he could say more the phonograph turned and dashed up the
+road as fast as its four table-legs could carry it, and soon it had
+entirely disappeared from their view.
+
+The Shaggy Man sat down again and seemed well pleased. "Some one else
+will save me the trouble of scattering that phonograph," said he; "for
+it is not possible that such a music-maker can last long in the Land of
+Oz. When you are rested, friends, let us go on our way."
+
+During the afternoon the travelers found themselves in a lonely and
+uninhabited part of the country. Even the fields were no longer
+cultivated and the country began to resemble a wilderness. The road of
+yellow bricks seemed to have been neglected and became uneven and more
+difficult to walk upon. Scrubby under-brush grew on either side of the
+way, while huge rocks were scattered around in abundance.
+
+But this did not deter Ojo and his friends from trudging on, and they
+beguiled the journey with jokes and cheerful conversation. Toward
+evening they reached a crystal spring which gushed from a tall rock by
+the roadside and near this spring stood a deserted cabin. Said the
+Shaggy Man, halting here:
+
+"We may as well pass the night here, where there is shelter for our
+heads and good water to drink. Road beyond here is pretty bad; worst we
+shall have to travel; so let's wait until morning before we tackle it."
+
+They agreed to this and Ojo found some brushwood in the cabin and made
+a fire on the hearth. The fire delighted Scraps, who danced before it
+until Ojo warned her she might set fire to herself and burn up. After
+that the Patchwork Girl kept at a respectful distance from the darting
+flames, but the Woozy lay down before the fire like a big dog and
+seemed to enjoy its warmth.
+
+For supper the Shaggy Man ate one of his tablets, but Ojo stuck to his
+bread and cheese as the most satisfying food. He also gave a portion to
+the Woozy.
+
+When darkness came on and they sat in a circle on the cabin floor,
+facing the firelight--there being no furniture of any sort in the
+place--Ojo said to the Shaggy Man:
+
+"Won't you tell us a story?"
+
+"I'm not good at stories," was the reply; "but I sing like a bird."
+
+"Raven, or crow?" asked the Glass Cat.
+
+"Like a song bird. I'll prove it. I'll sing a song I composed myself.
+Don't tell anyone I'm a poet; they might want me to write a book. Don't
+tell 'em I can sing, or they'd want me to make records for that awful
+phonograph. Haven't time to be a public benefactor, so I'll just sing
+you this little song for your own amusement."
+
+They were glad enough to be entertained, and listened with interest
+while the Shaggy Man chanted the following verses to a tune that was
+not unpleasant:
+
+    "I'll sing a song of Ozland, where wondrous creatures dwell
+    And fruits and flowers and shady bowers abound in every dell,
+    Where magic is a science and where no one shows surprise
+    If some amazing thing takes place before his very eyes.
+
+    Our Ruler's a bewitching girl whom fairies love to please;
+    She's always kept her magic sceptre to enforce decrees
+    To make her people happy, for her heart is kind and true
+    And to aid the needy and distressed is what she longs to do.
+
+    And then there's Princess Dorothy, as sweet as any rose,
+    A lass from Kansas, where they don't grow fairies, I suppose;
+    And there's the brainy Scarecrow, with a body stuffed with straw,
+    Who utters words of wisdom rare that fill us all with awe.
+
+    I'll not forget Nick Chopper, the Woodman made of Tin,
+    Whose tender heart thinks killing time is quite a dreadful sin,
+    Nor old Professor Woggle-Bug, who's highly magnified
+    And looks so big to everyone that he is filled with pride.
+
+    Jack Pumpkinhead's a dear old chum who might be called a chump,
+    But won renown by riding round upon a magic Gump;
+    The Sawhorse is a splendid steed and though he's made of wood
+    He does as many thrilling stunts as any meat horse could.
+
+    And now I'll introduce a beast that ev'ryone adores--
+    The Cowardly Lion shakes with fear 'most ev'ry time he roars,
+    And yet he does the bravest things that any lion might,
+    Because he knows that cowardice is not considered right.
+
+    There's Tik-Tok--he's a clockwork man and quite a funny sight--
+    He talks and walks mechanically, when he's wound up tight;
+    And we've a Hungry Tiger who would babies love to eat
+    But never does because we feed him other kinds of meat.
+
+    It's hard to name all of the freaks this noble Land's acquired;
+    'Twould make my song so very long that you would soon be tired;
+    But give attention while I mention one wise Yellow Hen
+    And Nine fine Tiny Piglets living in a golden pen.
+
+    Just search the whole world over--sail the seas from coast to coast--
+    No other nation in creation queerer folk can boast;
+    And now our rare museum will include a Cat of Glass,
+    A Woozy, and--last but not least--a crazy Patchwork Lass."
+
+
+Ojo was so pleased with this song that he applauded the singer by
+clapping his hands, and Scraps followed suit by clapping her padded
+fingers together, although they made no noise. The cat pounded on the
+floor with her glass paws--gently, so as not to break them--and the
+Woozy, which had been asleep, woke up to ask what the row was about.
+
+"I seldom sing in public, for fear they might want me to start an opera
+company," remarked the Shaggy Man, who was pleased to know his effort
+was appreciated. "Voice, just now, is a little out of training; rusty,
+perhaps."
+
+"Tell me," said the Patchwork Girl earnestly, "do all those queer
+people you mention really live in the Land of Oz?"
+
+"Every one of 'em. I even forgot one thing: Dorothy's Pink Kitten."
+
+"For goodness sake!" exclaimed Bungle, sitting up and looking
+interested. "A Pink Kitten? How absurd! Is it glass?"
+
+"No; just ordinary kitten."
+
+"Then it can't amount to much. I have pink brains, and you can see 'em
+work."
+
+"Dorothy's kitten is all pink--brains and all--except blue eyes. Name's
+Eureka. Great favorite at the royal palace," said the Shaggy Man,
+yawning.
+
+The Glass Cat seemed annoyed.
+
+"Do you think a pink kitten--common meat--is as pretty as I am?" she
+asked.
+
+"Can't say. Tastes differ, you know," replied the Shaggy Man, yawning
+again. "But here's a pointer that may be of service to you: make
+friends with Eureka and you'll be solid at the palace."
+
+"I'm solid now; solid glass."
+
+"You don't understand," rejoined the Shaggy Man, sleepily. "Anyhow,
+make friends with the Pink Kitten and you'll be all right. If the Pink
+Kitten despises you, look out for breakers."
+
+"Would anyone at the royal palace break a Glass Cat?"
+
+"Might. You never can tell. Advise you to purr soft and look humble--if
+you can. And now I'm going to bed."
+
+Bungle considered the Shaggy Man's advice so carefully that her pink
+brains were busy long after the others of the party were fast asleep.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twelve
+
+The Giant Porcupine
+
+
+Next morning they started out bright and early to follow the road of
+yellow bricks toward the Emerald City. The little Munchkin boy was
+beginning to feel tired from the long walk, and he had a great many
+things to think of and consider besides the events of the journey. At
+the wonderful Emerald City, which he would presently reach, were so
+many strange and curious people that he was half afraid of meeting them
+and wondered if they would prove friendly and kind. Above all else, he
+could not drive from his mind the important errand on which he had
+come, and he was determined to devote every energy to finding the
+things that were necessary to prepare the magic recipe. He believed
+that until dear Unc Nunkie was restored to life he could feel no joy in
+anything, and often he wished that Unc could be with him, to see all
+the astonishing things Ojo was seeing. But alas Unc Nunkie was now a
+marble statue in the house of the Crooked Magician and Ojo must not
+falter in his efforts to save him.
+
+The country through which they were passing was still rocky and
+deserted, with here and there a bush or a tree to break the dreary
+landscape. Ojo noticed one tree, especially, because it had such long,
+silky leaves and was so beautiful in shape. As he approached it he
+studied the tree earnestly, wondering if any fruit grew on it or if it
+bore pretty flowers.
+
+Suddenly he became aware that he had been looking at that tree a long
+time--at least for five minutes--and it had remained in the same
+position, although the boy had continued to walk steadily on. So he
+stopped short, and when he stopped, the tree and all the landscape, as
+well as his companions, moved on before him and left him far behind.
+
+Ojo uttered such a cry of astonishment that it aroused the Shaggy Man,
+who also halted. The others then stopped, too, and walked back to the
+boy.
+
+"What's wrong?" asked the Shaggy Man.
+
+"Why, we're not moving forward a bit, no matter how fast we walk,"
+declared Ojo. "Now that we have stopped, we are moving backward! Can't
+you see? Just notice that rock."
+
+Scraps looked down at her feet and said: "The yellow bricks are not
+moving."
+
+"But the whole road is," answered Ojo.
+
+"True; quite true," agreed the Shaggy Man. "I know all about the tricks
+of this road, but I have been thinking of something else and didn't
+realize where we were."
+
+"It will carry us back to where we started from," predicted Ojo,
+beginning to be nervous.
+
+"No," replied the Shaggy Man; "it won't do that, for I know a trick to
+beat this tricky road. I've traveled this way before, you know. Turn
+around, all of you, and walk backward."
+
+"What good will that do?" asked the cat.
+
+"You'll find out, if you obey me," said the Shaggy Man.
+
+So they all turned their backs to the direction in which they wished to
+go and began walking backward. In an instant Ojo noticed they were
+gaining ground and as they proceeded in this curious way they soon
+passed the tree which had first attracted his attention to their
+difficulty.
+
+"How long must we keep this up, Shags?" asked Scraps, who was
+constantly tripping and tumbling down, only to get up again with a
+laugh at her mishap.
+
+"Just a little way farther," replied the Shaggy Man.
+
+A few minutes later he called to them to turn about quickly and step
+forward, and as they obeyed the order they found themselves treading
+solid ground.
+
+"That task is well over," observed the Shaggy Man. "It's a little
+tiresome to walk backward, but that is the only way to pass this part
+of the road, which has a trick of sliding back and carrying with it
+anyone who is walking upon it."
+
+With new courage and energy they now trudged forward and after a time
+came to a place where the road cut through a low hill, leaving high
+banks on either side of it. They were traveling along this cut, talking
+together, when the Shaggy Man seized Scraps with one arm and Ojo with
+another and shouted: "Stop!"
+
+"What's wrong now?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"See there!" answered the Shaggy Man, pointing with his finger.
+
+Directly in the center of the road lay a motionless object that
+bristled all over with sharp quills, which resembled arrows. The body
+was as big as a ten-bushel-basket, but the projecting quills made it
+appear to be four times bigger.
+
+"Well, what of it?" asked Scraps.
+
+"That is Chiss, who causes a lot of trouble along this road," was the
+reply.
+
+"Chiss! What is Chiss?
+
+"I think it is merely an overgrown porcupine, but here in Oz they
+consider Chiss an evil spirit. He's different from a reg'lar porcupine,
+because he can throw his quills in any direction, which an American
+porcupine cannot do. That's what makes old Chiss so dangerous. If we
+get too near, he'll fire those quills at us and hurt us badly."
+
+"Then we will be foolish to get too near," said Scraps.
+
+"I'm not afraid," declared the Woozy. "The Chiss is cowardly, I'm sure,
+and if it ever heard my awful, terrible, frightful growl, it would be
+scared stiff."
+
+"Oh; can you growl?" asked the Shaggy Man.
+
+"That is the only ferocious thing about me," asserted the Woozy with
+evident pride. "My growl makes an earthquake blush and the thunder
+ashamed of itself. If I growled at that creature you call Chiss, it
+would immediately think the world had cracked in two and bumped against
+the sun and moon, and that would cause the monster to run as far and as
+fast as its legs could carry it."
+
+"In that case," said the Shaggy Man, "you are now able to do us all a
+great favor. Please growl."
+
+"But you forget," returned the Woozy; "my tremendous growl would also
+frighten you, and if you happen to have heart disease you might expire."
+
+"True; but we must take that risk," decided the Shaggy Man, bravely.
+"Being warned of what is to occur we must try to bear the terrific
+noise of your growl; but Chiss won't expect it, and it will scare him
+away."
+
+The Woozy hesitated.
+
+"I'm fond of you all, and I hate to shock you," it said.
+
+"Never mind," said Ojo.
+
+"You may be made deaf."
+
+"If so, we will forgive you."
+
+"Very well, then," said the Woozy in a determined voice, and advanced a
+few steps toward the giant porcupine. Pausing to look back, it asked:
+"All ready?"
+
+"All ready!" they answered.
+
+"Then cover up your ears and brace yourselves firmly. Now, then--look
+out!"
+
+The Woozy turned toward Chiss, opened wide its mouth and said:
+
+"Quee-ee-ee-eek."
+
+"Go ahead and growl," said Scraps.
+
+"Why, I--I did growl!" retorted the Woozy, who seemed much astonished.
+
+"What, that little squeak?" she cried.
+
+"It is the most awful growl that ever was heard, on land or sea, in
+caverns or in the sky," protested the Woozy. "I wonder you stood the
+shock so well. Didn't you feel the ground tremble? I suppose Chiss is
+now quite dead with fright."
+
+The Shaggy Man laughed merrily.
+
+"Poor Wooz!" said he; "your growl wouldn't scare a fly."
+
+The Woozy seemed to be humiliated and surprised. It hung its head a
+moment, as if in shame or sorrow, but then it said with renewed
+confidence: "Anyhow, my eyes can flash fire; and good fire, too; good
+enough to set fire to a fence!"
+
+"That is true," declared Scraps; "I saw it done myself. But your
+ferocious growl isn't as loud as the tick of a beetle--or one of Ojo's
+snores when he's fast asleep."
+
+"Perhaps," said the Woozy, humbly, "I have been mistaken about my
+growl. It has always sounded very fearful to me, but that may have been
+because it was so close to my ears."
+
+"Never mind," Ojo said soothingly; "it is a great talent to be able to
+flash fire from your eyes. No one else can do that."
+
+As they stood hesitating what to do Chiss stirred and suddenly a shower
+of quills came flying toward them, almost filling the air, they were so
+many. Scraps realized in an instant that they had gone too near to
+Chiss for safety, so she sprang in front of Ojo and shielded him from
+the darts, which stuck their points into her own body until she
+resembled one of those targets they shoot arrows at in archery games.
+The Shaggy Man dropped flat on his face to avoid the shower, but one
+quill struck him in the leg and went far in. As for the Glass Cat, the
+quills rattled off her body without making even a scratch, and the skin
+of the Woozy was so thick and tough that he was not hurt at all.
+
+When the attack was over they all ran to the Shaggy Man, who was
+moaning and groaning, and Scraps promptly pulled the quill out of his
+leg. Then up he jumped and ran over to Chiss, putting his foot on the
+monster's neck and holding it a prisoner. The body of the great
+porcupine was now as smooth as leather, except for the holes where the
+quills had been, for it had shot every single quill in that one wicked
+shower.
+
+"Let me go!" it shouted angrily. "How dare you put your foot on Chiss?"
+
+"I'm going to do worse than that, old boy," replied the Shaggy Man.
+"You have annoyed travelers on this road long enough, and now I shall
+put an end to you."
+
+"You can't!" returned Chiss. "Nothing can kill me, as you know
+perfectly well."
+
+"Perhaps that is true," said the Shaggy Man in a tone of
+disappointment. "Seems to me I've been told before that you can't be
+killed. But if I let you go, what will you do?"
+
+"Pick up my quills again," said Chiss in a sulky voice.
+
+"And then shoot them at more travelers? No; that won't do. You must
+promise me to stop throwing quills at people."
+
+"I won't promise anything of the sort," declared Chiss.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because it is my nature to throw quills, and every animal must do what
+Nature intends it to do. It isn't fair for you to blame me. If it were
+wrong for me to throw quills, then I wouldn't be made with quills to
+throw. The proper thing for you to do is to keep out of my way."
+
+"Why, there's some sense in that argument," admitted the Shaggy Man,
+thoughtfully; "but people who are strangers, and don't know you are
+here, won't be able to keep out of your way."
+
+"Tell you what," said Scraps, who was trying to pull the quills out of
+her own body, "let's gather up all the quills and take them away with
+us; then old Chiss won't have any left to throw at people."
+
+"Ah, that's a clever idea. You and Ojo must gather up the quills while
+I hold Chiss a prisoner; for, if I let him go, he will get some of his
+quills and be able to throw them again."
+
+So Scraps and Ojo picked up all the quills and tied them in a bundle so
+they might easily be carried. After this the Shaggy Man released Chiss
+and let him go, knowing that he was harmless to injure anyone.
+
+"It's the meanest trick I ever heard of," muttered the porcupine
+gloomily. "How would you like it, Shaggy Man, if I took all your shags
+away from you?"
+
+"If I threw my shags and hurt people, you would be welcome to capture
+them," was the reply.
+
+Then they walked on and left Chiss standing in the road sullen and
+disconsolate. The Shaggy Man limped as he walked, for his wound still
+hurt him, and Scraps was much annoyed because the quills had left a
+number of small holes in her patches.
+
+When they came to a flat stone by the roadside the Shaggy Man sat down
+to rest, and then Ojo opened his basket and took out the bundle of
+charms the Crooked Magician had given him.
+
+"I am Ojo the Unlucky," he said, "or we would never have met that
+dreadful porcupine. But I will see if I can find anything among these
+charms which will cure your leg."
+
+Soon he discovered that one of the charms was labelled: "For flesh
+wounds," and this the boy separated from the others. It was only a bit
+of dried root, taken from some unknown shrub, but the boy rubbed it
+upon the wound made by the quill and in a few moments the place was
+healed entirely and the Shaggy Man's leg was as good as ever.
+
+"Rub it on the holes in my patches," suggested Scraps, and Ojo tried
+it, but without any effect.
+
+"The charm you need is a needle and thread," said the Shaggy Man. "But
+do not worry, my dear; those holes do not look badly, at all."
+
+"They'll let in the air, and I don't want people to think I'm airy, or
+that I've been stuck up," said the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"You were certainly stuck up until we pulled out those quills,"
+observed Ojo, with a laugh.
+
+So now they went on again and coming presently to a pond of muddy water
+they tied a heavy stone to the bundle of quills and sunk it to the
+bottom of the pond, to avoid carrying it farther.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Thirteen
+
+Scraps and the Scarecrow
+
+
+From here on the country improved and the desert places began to give
+way to fertile spots; still no houses were yet to be seen near the
+road. There were some hills, with valleys between them, and on reaching
+the top of one of these hills the travelers found before them a high
+wall, running to the right and the left as far as their eyes could
+reach. Immediately in front of them, where the wall crossed the
+roadway, stood a gate having stout iron bars that extended from top to
+bottom. They found, on coming nearer, that this gate was locked with a
+great padlock, rusty through lack of use.
+
+"Well," said Scraps, "I guess we'll stop here."
+
+"It's a good guess," replied Ojo. "Our way is barred by this great wall
+and gate. It looks as if no one had passed through in many years."
+
+"Looks are deceiving," declared the Shaggy Man, laughing at their
+disappointed faces, "and this barrier is the most deceiving thing in
+all Oz."
+
+"It prevents our going any farther, anyhow," said Scraps. "There is no
+one to mind the gate and let people through, and we've no key to the
+padlock."
+
+"True," replied Ojo, going a little nearer to peep through the bars of
+the gate. "What shall we do, Shaggy Man? If we had wings we might fly
+over the wall, but we cannot climb it and unless we get to the Emerald
+City I won't be able to find the things to restore Unc Nunkie to life."
+
+"All very true," answered the Shaggy Man, quietly; "but I know this
+gate, having passed through it many times."
+
+"How?" they all eagerly inquired.
+
+"I'll show you how," said he. He stood Ojo in the middle of the road
+and placed Scraps just behind him, with her padded hands on his
+shoulders. After the Patchwork Girl came the Woozy, who held a part of
+her skirt in his mouth. Then, last of all, was the Glass Cat, holding
+fast to the Woozy's tail with her glass jaws.
+
+"Now," said the Shaggy Man, "you must all shut your eyes tight, and
+keep them shut until I tell you to open them."
+
+"I can't," objected Scraps. "My eyes are buttons, and they won't shut."
+
+So the Shaggy Man tied his red handkerchief over the Patchwork Girl's
+eyes and examined all the others to make sure they had their eyes fast
+shut and could see nothing.
+
+"What's the game, anyhow--blind-man's-buff?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Keep quiet!" commanded the Shaggy Man, sternly. "All ready? Then
+follow me."
+
+He took Ojo's hand and led him forward over the road of yellow bricks,
+toward the gate. Holding fast to one another they all followed in a
+row, expecting every minute to bump against the iron bars. The Shaggy
+Man also had his eyes closed, but marched straight ahead, nevertheless,
+and after he had taken one hundred steps, by actual count, he stopped
+and said:
+
+"Now you may open your eyes."
+
+They did so, and to their astonishment found the wall and the gateway
+far behind them, while in front the former Blue Country of the
+Munchkins had given way to green fields, with pretty farm-houses
+scattered among them.
+
+"That wall," explained the Shaggy Man, "is what is called an optical
+illusion. It is quite real while you have your eyes open, but if you
+are not looking at it the barrier doesn't exist at all. It's the same
+way with many other evils in life; they seem to exist, and yet it's all
+seeming and not true. You will notice that the wall--or what we thought
+was a wall--separates the Munchkin Country from the green country that
+surrounds the Emerald City, which lies exactly in the center of Oz.
+There are two roads of yellow bricks through the Munchkin Country, but
+the one we followed is the best of the two. Dorothy once traveled the
+other way, and met with more dangers than we did. But all our troubles
+are over for the present, as another day's journey will bring us to the
+great Emerald City."
+
+They were delighted to know this, and proceeded with new courage. In a
+couple of hours they stopped at a farmhouse, where the people were very
+hospitable and invited them to dinner. The farm folk regarded Scraps
+with much curiosity but no great astonishment, for they were accustomed
+to seeing extraordinary people in the Land of Oz.
+
+The woman of this house got her needle and thread and sewed up the
+holes made by the porcupine quills in the Patchwork Girl's body, after
+which Scraps was assured she looked as beautiful as ever.
+
+"You ought to have a hat to wear," remarked the woman, "for that would
+keep the sun from fading the colors of your face. I have some patches
+and scraps put away, and if you will wait two or three days I'll make
+you a lovely hat that will match the rest of you."
+
+"Never mind the hat," said Scraps, shaking her yarn braids; "it's a
+kind offer, but we can't stop. I can't see that my colors have faded a
+particle, as yet; can you?"
+
+"Not much," replied the woman. "You are still very gorgeous, in spite
+of your long journey."
+
+The children of the house wanted to keep the Glass Cat to play with, so
+Bungle was offered a good home if she would remain; but the cat was too
+much interested in Ojo's adventures and refused to stop.
+
+"Children are rough playmates," she remarked to the Shaggy Man, "and
+although this home is more pleasant than that of the Crooked Magician I
+fear I would soon be smashed to pieces by the boys and girls."
+
+After they had rested themselves they renewed their journey, finding
+the road now smooth and pleasant to walk upon and the country growing
+more beautiful the nearer they drew to the Emerald City.
+
+By and by Ojo began to walk on the green grass, looking carefully
+around him.
+
+"What are you trying to find?" asked Scraps.
+
+"A six-leaved clover," said he.
+
+"Don't do that!" exclaimed the Shaggy Man, earnestly. "It's against the
+Law to pick a six-leaved clover. You must wait until you get Ozma's
+consent."
+
+"She wouldn't know it," declared the boy.
+
+"Ozma knows many things," said the Shaggy Man. "In her room is a Magic
+Picture that shows any scene in the Land of Oz where strangers or
+travelers happen to be. She may be watching the picture of us even now,
+and noticing everything that we do."
+
+"Does she always watch the Magic Picture?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Not always, for she has many other things to do; but, as I said, she
+may be watching us this very minute."
+
+"I don't care," said Ojo, in an obstinate tone of voice; "Ozma's only a
+girl."
+
+The Shaggy Man looked at him in surprise.
+
+"You ought to care for Ozma," said he, "if you expect to save your
+uncle. For, if you displease our powerful Ruler, your journey will
+surely prove a failure; whereas, if you make a friend of Ozma, she will
+gladly assist you. As for her being a girl, that is another reason why
+you should obey her laws, if you are courteous and polite. Everyone in
+Oz loves Ozma and hates her enemies, for she is as just as she is
+powerful."
+
+Ojo sulked a while, but finally returned to the road and kept away from
+the green clover. The boy was moody and bad tempered for an hour or two
+afterward, because he could really see no harm in picking a six-leaved
+clover, if he found one, and in spite of what the Shaggy Man had said
+he considered Ozma's law to be unjust.
+
+They presently came to a beautiful grove of tall and stately trees,
+through which the road wound in sharp curves--first one way and then
+another. As they were walking through this grove they heard some one in
+the distance singing, and the sounds grew nearer and nearer until they
+could distinguish the words, although the bend in the road still hid
+the singer. The song was something like this:
+
+    "Here's to the hale old bale of straw
+    That's cut from the waving grain,
+    The sweetest sight man ever saw
+    In forest, dell or plain.
+    It fills me with a crunkling joy
+    A straw-stack to behold,
+    For then I pad this lucky boy
+    With strands of yellow gold."
+
+
+"Ah!" exclaimed the Shaggy Man; "here comes my friend the Scarecrow."
+
+"What, a live Scarecrow?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Yes; the one I told you of. He's a splendid fellow, and very
+intelligent. You'll like him, I'm sure."
+
+Just then the famous Scarecrow of Oz came around the bend in the road,
+riding astride a wooden Sawhorse which was so small that its rider's
+legs nearly touched the ground.
+
+The Scarecrow wore the blue dress of the Munchkins, in which country he
+was made, and on his head was set a peaked hat with a flat brim trimmed
+with tinkling bells. A rope was tied around his waist to hold him in
+shape, for he was stuffed with straw in every part of him except the
+top of his head, where at one time the Wizard of Oz had placed sawdust,
+mixed with needles and pins, to sharpen his wits. The head itself was
+merely a bag of cloth, fastened to the body at the neck, and on the
+front of this bag was painted the face--ears, eyes, nose and mouth.
+
+The Scarecrow's face was very interesting, for it bore a comical and
+yet winning expression, although one eye was a bit larger than the
+other and ears were not mates. The Munchkin farmer who had made the
+Scarecrow had neglected to sew him together with close stitches and
+therefore some of the straw with which he was stuffed was inclined to
+stick out between the seams. His hands consisted of padded white
+gloves, with the fingers long and rather limp, and on his feet he wore
+Munchkin boots of blue leather with broad turns at the tops of them.
+
+The Sawhorse was almost as curious as its rider. It had been rudely
+made, in the beginning, to saw logs upon, so that its body was a short
+length of a log, and its legs were stout branches fitted into four
+holes made in the body. The tail was formed by a small branch that had
+been left on the log, while the head was a gnarled bump on one end of
+the body. Two knots of wood formed the eyes, and the mouth was a gash
+chopped in the log. When the Sawhorse first came to life it had no ears
+at all, and so could not hear; but the boy who then owned him had
+whittled two ears out of bark and stuck them in the head, after which
+the Sawhorse heard very distinctly.
+
+This queer wooden horse was a great favorite with Princess Ozma, who
+had caused the bottoms of its legs to be shod with plates of gold, so
+the wood would not wear away. Its saddle was made of cloth-of-gold
+richly encrusted with precious gems. It had never worn a bridle.
+
+As the Scarecrow came in sight of the party of travelers, he reined in
+his wooden steed and dismounted, greeting the Shaggy Man with a smiling
+nod. Then he turned to stare at the Patchwork Girl in wonder, while she
+in turn stared at him.
+
+"Shags," he whispered, drawing the Shaggy Man aside, "pat me into
+shape, there's a good fellow!"
+
+While his friend punched and patted the Scarecrow's body, to smooth out
+the humps, Scraps turned to Ojo and whispered: "Roll me out, please;
+I've sagged down dreadfully from walking so much and men like to see a
+stately figure."
+
+She then fell upon the ground and the boy rolled her back and forth
+like a rolling-pin, until the cotton had filled all the spaces in her
+patchwork covering and the body had lengthened to its fullest extent.
+Scraps and the Scarecrow both finished their hasty toilets at the same
+time, and again they faced each other.
+
+"Allow me, Miss Patchwork," said the Shaggy Man, "to present my friend,
+the Right Royal Scarecrow of Oz. Scarecrow, this is Miss Scraps
+Patches; Scraps, this is the Scarecrow. Scarecrow--Scraps;
+Scraps--Scarecrow."
+
+They both bowed with much dignity.
+
+"Forgive me for staring so rudely," said the Scarecrow, "but you are
+the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever beheld."
+
+"That is a high compliment from one who is himself so beautiful,"
+murmured Scraps, casting down her suspender-button eyes by lowering her
+head. "But, tell me, good sir, are you not a trifle lumpy?"
+
+"Yes, of course; that's my straw, you know. It bunches up, sometimes,
+in spite of all my efforts to keep it even. Doesn't your straw ever
+bunch?"
+
+"Oh, I'm stuffed with cotton," said Scraps. "It never bunches, but it's
+inclined to pack down and make me sag."
+
+"But cotton is a high-grade stuffing. I may say it is even more
+stylish, not to say aristocratic, than straw," said the Scarecrow
+politely. "Still, it is but proper that one so entrancingly lovely
+should have the best stuffing there is going. I--er--I'm so glad I've
+met you, Miss Scraps! Introduce us again, Shaggy."
+
+"Once is enough," replied the Shaggy Man, laughing at his friend's
+enthusiasm.
+
+"Then tell me where you found her, and--Dear me, what a queer cat! What
+are you made of--gelatine?"
+
+"Pure glass," answered the cat, proud to have attracted the Scarecrow's
+attention. "I am much more beautiful than the Patchwork Girl. I'm
+transparent, and Scraps isn't; I've pink brains--you can see 'em work;
+and I've a ruby heart, finely polished, while Scraps hasn't any heart
+at all."
+
+"No more have I," said the Scarecrow, shaking hands with Scraps, as if
+to congratulate her on the fact. "I've a friend, the Tin Woodman, who
+has a heart, but I find I get along pretty well without one. And
+so--Well, well! here's a little Munchkin boy, too. Shake hands, my
+little man. How are you?"
+
+Ojo placed his hand in the flabby stuffed glove that served the
+Scarecrow for a hand, and the Scarecrow pressed it so cordially that
+the straw in his glove crackled.
+
+Meantime, the Woozy had approached the Sawhorse and begun to sniff at
+it. The Sawhorse resented this familiarity and with a sudden kick
+pounded the Woozy squarely on its head with one gold-shod foot.
+
+"Take that, you monster!" it cried angrily.
+
+The Woozy never even winked.
+
+"To be sure," he said; "I'll take anything I have to. But don't make me
+angry, you wooden beast, or my eyes will flash fire and burn you up."
+
+The Sawhorse rolled its knot eyes wickedly and kicked again, but the
+Woozy trotted away and said to the Scarecrow:
+
+"What a sweet disposition that creature has! I advise you to chop it up
+for kindling-wood and use me to ride upon. My back is flat and you
+can't fall off."
+
+"I think the trouble is that you haven't been properly introduced,"
+said the Scarecrow, regarding the Woozy with much wonder, for he had
+never seen such a queer animal before.
+
+"The Sawhorse is the favorite steed of Princess Ozma, the Ruler of the
+Land of Oz, and he lives in a stable decorated with pearls and
+emeralds, at the rear of the royal palace. He is swift as the wind,
+untiring, and is kind to his friends. All the people of Oz respect the
+Sawhorse highly, and when I visit Ozma she sometimes allows me to ride
+him--as I am doing to-day. Now you know what an important personage the
+Sawhorse is, and if some one--perhaps yourself--will tell me your name,
+your rank and station, and your history, it will give me pleasure to
+relate them to the Sawhorse. This will lead to mutual respect and
+friendship."
+
+The Woozy was somewhat abashed by this speech and did not know how to
+reply. But Ojo said:
+
+"This square beast is called the Woozy, and he isn't of much importance
+except that he has three hairs growing on the tip of his tail."
+
+The Scarecrow looked and saw that this was true.
+
+"But," said he, in a puzzled way, "what makes those three hairs
+important? The Shaggy Man has thousands of hairs, but no one has ever
+accused him of being important."
+
+So Ojo related the sad story of Unc Nunkie's transformation into a
+marble statue, and told how he had set out to find the things the
+Crooked Magician wanted, in order to make a charm that would restore
+his uncle to life. One of the requirements was three hairs from a
+Woozy's tail, but not being able to pull out the hairs they had been
+obliged to take the Woozy with them.
+
+The Scarecrow looked grave as he listened and he shook his head several
+times, as if in disapproval.
+
+"We must see Ozma about this matter," he said. "That Crooked Magician
+is breaking the Law by practicing magic without a license, and I'm not
+sure Ozma will allow him to restore your uncle to life."
+
+"Already I have warned the boy of that," declared the Shaggy Man.
+
+At this Ojo began to cry. "I want my Unc Nunkie!" he exclaimed. "I know
+how he can be restored to life, and I'm going to do it--Ozma or no
+Ozma! What right has this girl Ruler to keep my Unc Nunkie a statue
+forever?"
+
+"Don't worry about that just now," advised the Scarecrow. "Go on to the
+Emerald City, and when you reach it have the Shaggy Man take you to see
+Dorothy. Tell her your story and I'm sure she will help you. Dorothy is
+Ozma's best friend, and if you can win her to your side your uncle is
+pretty safe to live again." Then he turned to the Woozy and said: "I'm
+afraid you are not important enough to be introduced to the Sawhorse,
+after all."
+
+"I'm a better beast than he is," retorted the Woozy, indignantly. "My
+eyes can flash fire, and his can't."
+
+"Is this true?" inquired the Scarecrow, turning to the Munchkin boy.
+
+"Yes," said Ojo, and told how the Woozy had set fire to the fence.
+
+"Have you any other accomplishments?" asked the Scarecrow.
+
+"I have a most terrible growl--that is, sometimes," said the Woozy, as
+Scraps laughed merrily and the Shaggy Man smiled. But the Patchwork
+Girl's laugh made the Scarecrow forget all about the Woozy. He said to
+her:
+
+"What an admirable young lady you are, and what jolly good company! We
+must be better acquainted, for never before have I met a girl with such
+exquisite coloring or such natural, artless manners."
+
+"No wonder they call you the Wise Scarecrow," replied Scraps.
+
+"When you arrive at the Emerald City I will see you again," continued
+the Scarecrow. "Just now I am going to call upon an old friend--an
+ordinary young lady named Jinjur--who has promised to repaint my left
+ear for me. You may have noticed that the paint on my left ear has
+peeled off and faded, which affects my hearing on that side. Jinjur
+always fixes me up when I get weather-worn."
+
+"When do you expect to return to the Emerald City?" asked the Shaggy
+Man.
+
+"I'll be there this evening, for I'm anxious to have a long talk with
+Miss Scraps. How is it, Sawhorse; are you equal to a swift run?"
+
+"Anything that suits you suits me," returned the wooden horse.
+
+So the Scarecrow mounted to the jeweled saddle and waved his hat, when
+the Sawhorse darted away so swiftly that they were out of sight in an
+instant.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Fourteen
+
+Ojo Breaks the Law
+
+
+"What a queer man," remarked the Munchkin boy, when the party had
+resumed its journey.
+
+"And so nice and polite," added Scraps, bobbing her head. "I think he
+is the handsomest man I've seen since I came to life."
+
+"Handsome is as handsome does," quoted the Shaggy Man; "but we must
+admit that no living scarecrow is handsomer. The chief merit of my
+friend is that he is a great thinker, and in Oz it is considered good
+policy to follow his advice."
+
+"I didn't notice any brains in his head," observed the Glass Cat.
+
+"You can't see 'em work, but they're there, all right," declared the
+Shaggy Man. "I hadn't much confidence in his brains myself, when first
+I came to Oz, for a humbug Wizard gave them to him; but I was soon
+convinced that the Scarecrow is really wise; and, unless his brains
+make him so, such wisdom is unaccountable."
+
+"Is the Wizard of Oz a humbug?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Not now. He was once, but he has reformed and now assists Glinda the
+Good, who is the Royal Sorceress of Oz and the only one licensed to
+practice magic or sorcery. Glinda has taught our old Wizard a good many
+clever things, so he is no longer a humbug."
+
+They walked a little while in silence and then Ojo said:
+
+"If Ozma forbids the Crooked Magician to restore Unc Nunkie to life,
+what shall I do?"
+
+The Shaggy Man shook his head.
+
+"In that case you can't do anything," he said. "But don't be
+discouraged yet. We will go to Princess Dorothy and tell her your
+troubles, and then we will let her talk to Ozma. Dorothy has the
+kindest little heart in the world, and she has been through so many
+troubles herself that she is sure to sympathize with you."
+
+"Is Dorothy the little girl who came here from Kansas?" asked the boy.
+
+"Yes. In Kansas she was Dorothy Gale. I used to know her there, and she
+brought me to the Land of Oz. But now Ozma has made her a Princess, and
+Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are here, too." Here the Shaggy Man
+uttered a long sigh, and then he continued: "It's a queer country, this
+Land of Oz; but I like it, nevertheless."
+
+"What is queer about it?" asked Scraps.
+
+"You, for instance," said he.
+
+"Did you see no girls as beautiful as I am in your own country?" she
+inquired.
+
+"None with the same gorgeous, variegated beauty," he confessed. "In
+America a girl stuffed with cotton wouldn't be alive, nor would anyone
+think of making a girl out of a patchwork quilt."
+
+"What a queer country America must be!" she exclaimed in great
+surprise. "The Scarecrow, whom you say is wise, told me I am the most
+beautiful creature he has ever seen."
+
+"I know; and perhaps you are--from a scarecrow point of view," replied
+the Shaggy Man; but why he smiled as he said it Scraps could not
+imagine.
+
+As they drew nearer to the Emerald City the travelers were filled with
+admiration for the splendid scenery they beheld. Handsome houses stood
+on both sides of the road and each had a green lawn before it as well
+as a pretty flower garden.
+
+"In another hour," said the Shaggy Man, "we shall come in sight of the
+walls of the Royal City."
+
+He was walking ahead, with Scraps, and behind them came the Woozy and
+the Glass Cat. Ojo had lagged behind, for in spite of the warnings he
+had received the boy's eyes were fastened on the clover that bordered
+the road of yellow bricks and he was eager to discover if such a thing
+as a six-leaved clover really existed.
+
+Suddenly he stopped short and bent over to examine the ground more
+closely. Yes; here at last was a clover with six spreading leaves. He
+counted them carefully, to make sure. In an instant his heart leaped
+with joy, for this was one of the important things he had come for--one
+of the things that would restore dear Unc Nunkie to life.
+
+He glanced ahead and saw that none of his companions was looking back.
+Neither were any other people about, for it was midway between two
+houses. The temptation was too strong to be resisted.
+
+"I might search for weeks and weeks, and never find another six-leaved
+clover," he told himself, and quickly plucking the stem from the plant
+he placed the prized clover in his basket, covering it with the other
+things he carried there. Then, trying to look as if nothing had
+happened, he hurried forward and overtook his comrades.
+
+The Emerald City, which is the most splendid as well as the most
+beautiful city in any fairyland, is surrounded by a high, thick wall of
+green marble, polished smooth and set with glistening emeralds. There
+are four gates, one facing the Munchkin Country, one facing the Country
+of the Winkies, one facing the Country of the Quadlings and one facing
+the Country of the Gillikins. The Emerald City lies directly in the
+center of these four important countries of Oz. The gates had bars of
+pure gold, and on either side of each gateway were built high towers,
+from which floated gay banners. Other towers were set at distances
+along the walls, which were broad enough for four people to walk
+abreast upon.
+
+This enclosure, all green and gold and glittering with precious gems,
+was indeed a wonderful sight to greet our travelers, who first observed
+it from the top of a little hill; but beyond the wall was the vast city
+it surrounded, and hundreds of jeweled spires, domes and minarets,
+flaunting flags and banners, reared their crests far above the towers
+of the gateways. In the center of the city our friends could see the
+tops of many magnificent trees, some nearly as tall as the spires of
+the buildings, and the Shaggy Man told them that these trees were in
+the royal gardens of Princess Ozma.
+
+They stood a long time on the hilltop, feasting their eyes on the
+splendor of the Emerald City.
+
+"Whee!" exclaimed Scraps, clasping her padded hands in ecstacy,
+"that'll do for me to live in, all right. No more of the Munchkin
+Country for these patches--and no more of the Crooked Magician!"
+
+"Why, you belong to Dr. Pipt," replied Ojo, looking at her in
+amazement. "You were made for a servant, Scraps, so you are personal
+property and not your own mistress."
+
+"Bother Dr. Pipt! If he wants me, let him come here and get me. I'll
+not go back to his den of my own accord; that's certain. Only one place
+in the Land of Oz is fit to live in, and that's the Emerald City. It's
+lovely! It's almost as beautiful as I am, Ojo."
+
+"In this country," remarked the Shaggy Man, "people live wherever our
+Ruler tells them to. It wouldn't do to have everyone live in the
+Emerald City, you know, for some must plow the land and raise grains
+and fruits and vegetables, while others chop wood in the forests, or
+fish in the rivers, or herd the sheep and the cattle."
+
+"Poor things!" said Scraps.
+
+"I'm not sure they are not happier than the city people," replied the
+Shaggy Man. "There's a freedom and independence in country life that
+not even the Emerald City can give one. I know that lots of the city
+people would like to get back to the land. The Scarecrow lives in the
+country, and so do the Tin Woodman and Jack Pumpkinhead; yet all three
+would be welcome to live in Ozma's palace if they cared to. Too much
+splendor becomes tiresome, you know. But, if we're to reach the Emerald
+City before sundown, we must hurry, for it is yet a long way off."
+
+The entrancing sight of the city had put new energy into them all and
+they hurried forward with lighter steps than before. There was much to
+interest them along the roadway, for the houses were now set more
+closely together and they met a good many people who were coming or
+going from one place or another. All these seemed happy-faced, pleasant
+people, who nodded graciously to the strangers as they passed, and
+exchanged words of greeting.
+
+At last they reached the great gateway, just as the sun was setting and
+adding its red glow to the glitter of the emeralds on the green walls
+and spires. Somewhere inside the city a band could be heard playing
+sweet music; a soft, subdued hum, as of many voices, reached their
+ears; from the neighboring yards came the low mooing of cows waiting to
+be milked.
+
+They were almost at the gate when the golden bars slid back and a tall
+soldier stepped out and faced them. Ojo thought he had never seen so
+tall a man before. The soldier wore a handsome green and gold uniform,
+with a tall hat in which was a waving plume, and he had a belt thickly
+encrusted with jewels. But the most peculiar thing about him was his
+long green beard, which fell far below his waist and perhaps made him
+seem taller than he really was.
+
+"Halt!" said the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, not in a stern voice
+but rather in a friendly tone.
+
+They halted before he spoke and stood looking at him.
+
+"Good evening, Colonel," said the Shaggy Man. "What's the news since I
+left? Anything important?"
+
+"Billina has hatched out thirteen new chickens," replied the Soldier
+with the Green Whiskers, "and they're the cutest little fluffy yellow
+balls you ever saw. The Yellow Hen is mighty proud of those children, I
+can tell you."
+
+"She has a right to be," agreed the Shaggy Man. "Let me see; that's
+about seven thousand chicks she has hatched out; isn't it, General?"
+
+"That, at least," was the reply. "You will have to visit Billina and
+congratulate her."
+
+"It will give me pleasure to do that," said the Shaggy Man. "But you
+will observe that I have brought some strangers home with me. I am
+going to take them to see Dorothy."
+
+"One moment, please," said the soldier, barring their way as they
+started to enter the gate. "I am on duty, and I have orders to execute.
+Is anyone in your party named Ojo the Unlucky?"
+
+"Why, that's me!" cried Ojo, astonished at hearing his name on the lips
+of a stranger.
+
+The Soldier with the Green Whiskers nodded. "I thought so," said he,
+"and I am sorry to announce that it is my painful duty to arrest you."
+
+"Arrest me!" exclaimed the boy. "What for?"
+
+"I haven't looked to see," answered the soldier. Then he drew a paper
+from his breast pocket and glanced at it. "Oh, yes; you are to be
+arrested for willfully breaking one of the Laws of Oz."
+
+"Breaking a law!" said Scraps. "Nonsense, Soldier; you're joking."
+
+"Not this time," returned the soldier, with a sigh. "My dear
+child--what are you, a rummage sale or a guess-me-quick?--in me you
+behold the Body-Guard of our gracious Ruler, Princess Ozma, as well as
+the Royal Army of Oz and the Police Force of the Emerald City."
+
+"And only one man!" exclaimed the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Only one, and plenty enough. In my official positions I've had nothing
+to do for a good many years--so long that I began to fear I was
+absolutely useless--until to-day. An hour ago I was called to the
+presence of her Highness, Ozma of Oz, and told to arrest a boy named
+Ojo the Unlucky, who was journeying from the Munchkin Country to the
+Emerald City and would arrive in a short time. This command so
+astonished me that I nearly fainted, for it is the first time anyone
+has merited arrest since I can remember. You are rightly named Ojo the
+Unlucky, my poor boy, since you have broken a Law of Oz.
+
+"But you are wrong," said Scraps. "Ozma is wrong--you are all
+wrong--for Ojo has broken no Law."
+
+"Then he will soon be free again," replied the Soldier with the Green
+Whiskers. "Anyone accused of crime is given a fair trial by our Ruler
+and has every chance to prove his innocence. But just now Ozma's orders
+must be obeyed."
+
+With this he took from his pocket a pair of handcuffs made of gold and
+set with rubies and diamonds, and these he snapped over Ojo's wrists.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Fifteen
+
+Ozma's Prisoner
+
+
+The boy was so bewildered by this calamity that he made no resistance
+at all. He knew very well he was guilty, but it surprised him that Ozma
+also knew it. He wondered how she had found out so soon that he had
+picked the six-leaved clover. He handed his basket to Scraps and said:
+
+"Keep that, until I get out of prison. If I never get out, take it to
+the Crooked Magician, to whom it belongs."
+
+The Shaggy Man had been gazing earnestly in the boy's face, uncertain
+whether to defend him or not; but something he read in Ojo's expression
+made him draw back and refuse to interfere to save him. The Shaggy Man
+was greatly surprised and grieved, but he knew that Ozma never made
+mistakes and so Ojo must really have broken the Law of Oz.
+
+The Soldier with the Green Whiskers now led them all through the gate
+and into a little room built in the wall. Here sat a jolly little man,
+richly dressed in green and having around his neck a heavy gold chain
+to which a number of great golden keys were attached. This was the
+Guardian of the Gate and at the moment they entered his room he was
+playing a tune upon a mouth-organ.
+
+"Listen!" he said, holding up his hand for silence. "I've just composed
+a tune called 'The Speckled Alligator.' It's in patch-time, which is
+much superior to rag-time, and I've composed it in honor of the
+Patchwork Girl, who has just arrived."
+
+"How did you know I had arrived?" asked Scraps, much interested.
+
+"It's my business to know who's coming, for I'm the Guardian of the
+Gate. Keep quiet while I play you 'The Speckled Alligator.'"
+
+It wasn't a very bad tune, nor a very good one, but all listened
+respectfully while he shut his eyes and swayed his head from side to
+side and blew the notes from the little instrument. When it was all
+over the Soldier with the Green Whiskers said:
+
+"Guardian, I have here a prisoner."
+
+"Good gracious! A prisoner?" cried the little man, jumping up from his
+chair. "Which one? Not the Shaggy Man?"
+
+"No; this boy."
+
+"Ah; I hope his fault is as small as himself," said the Guardian of the
+Gate. "But what can he have done, and what made him do it?"
+
+"Can't say," replied the soldier. "All I know is that he has broken the
+Law."
+
+"But no one ever does that!"
+
+"Then he must be innocent, and soon will be released. I hope you are
+right, Guardian. Just now I am ordered to take him to prison. Get me a
+prisoner's robe from your Official Wardrobe."
+
+The Guardian unlocked a closet and took from it a white robe, which the
+soldier threw over Ojo. It covered him from head to foot, but had two
+holes just in front of his eyes, so he could see where to go. In this
+attire the boy presented a very quaint appearance.
+
+As the Guardian unlocked a gate leading from his room into the streets
+of the Emerald City, the Shaggy Man said to Scraps:
+
+"I think I shall take you directly to Dorothy, as the Scarecrow
+advised, and the Glass Cat and the Woozy may come with us. Ojo must go
+to prison with the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, but he will be well
+treated and you need not worry about him."
+
+"What will they do with him?" asked Scraps.
+
+"That I cannot tell. Since I came to the Land of Oz no one has ever
+been arrested or imprisoned--until Ojo broke the Law."
+
+"Seems to me that girl Ruler of yours is making a big fuss over
+nothing," remarked Scraps, tossing her yarn hair out of her eyes with a
+jerk of her patched head. "I don't know what Ojo has done, but it
+couldn't be anything very bad, for you and I were with him all the
+time."
+
+The Shaggy Man made no reply to this speech and presently the Patchwork
+Girl forgot all about Ojo in her admiration of the wonderful city she
+had entered.
+
+They soon separated from the Munchkin boy, who was led by the Soldier
+with the Green Whiskers down a side street toward the prison. Ojo felt
+very miserable and greatly ashamed of himself, but he was beginning to
+grow angry because he was treated in such a disgraceful manner. Instead
+of entering the splendid Emerald City as a respectable traveler who was
+entitled to a welcome and to hospitality, he was being brought in as a
+criminal, handcuffed and in a robe that told all he met of his deep
+disgrace.
+
+Ojo was by nature gentle and affectionate and if he had disobeyed the
+Law of Oz it was to restore his dear Unc Nunkie to life. His fault was
+more thoughtless than wicked, but that did not alter the fact that he
+had committed a fault. At first he had felt sorrow and remorse, but the
+more he thought about the unjust treatment he had received--unjust
+merely because he considered it so--the more he resented his arrest,
+blaming Ozma for making foolish laws and then punishing folks who broke
+them. Only a six-leaved clover! A tiny green plant growing neglected
+and trampled under foot. What harm could there be in picking it? Ojo
+began to think Ozma must be a very bad and oppressive Ruler for such a
+lovely fairyland as Oz. The Shaggy Man said the people loved her; but
+how could they?
+
+The little Munchkin boy was so busy thinking these things--which many
+guilty prisoners have thought before him--that he scarcely noticed all
+the splendor of the city streets through which they passed. Whenever
+they met any of the happy, smiling people, the boy turned his head away
+in shame, although none knew who was beneath the robe.
+
+By and by they reached a house built just beside the great city wall,
+but in a quiet, retired place. It was a pretty house, neatly painted
+and with many windows. Before it was a garden filled with blooming
+flowers. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers led Ojo up the gravel path
+to the front door, on which he knocked.
+
+A woman opened the door and, seeing Ojo in his white robe, exclaimed:
+
+"Goodness me! A prisoner at last. But what a small one, Soldier."
+
+"The size doesn't matter, Tollydiggle, my dear. The fact remains that
+he is a prisoner," said the soldier. "And, this being the prison, and
+you the jailer, it is my duty to place the prisoner in your charge."
+
+"True. Come in, then, and I'll give you a receipt for him."
+
+They entered the house and passed through a hall to a large circular
+room, where the woman pulled the robe off from Ojo and looked at him
+with kindly interest. The boy, on his part, was gazing around him in
+amazement, for never had he dreamed of such a magnificent apartment as
+this in which he stood. The roof of the dome was of colored glass,
+worked into beautiful designs. The walls were paneled with plates of
+gold decorated with gems of great size and many colors, and upon the
+tiled floor were soft rugs delightful to walk upon. The furniture was
+framed in gold and upholstered in satin brocade and it consisted of
+easy chairs, divans and stools in great variety. Also there were
+several tables with mirror tops and cabinets filled with rare and
+curious things. In one place a case filled with books stood against the
+wall, and elsewhere Ojo saw a cupboard containing all sorts of games.
+
+"May I stay here a little while before I go to prison?" asked the boy,
+pleadingly.
+
+"Why, this is your prison," replied Tollydiggle, "and in me behold your
+jailor. Take off those handcuffs, Soldier, for it is impossible for
+anyone to escape from this house."
+
+"I know that very well," replied the soldier and at once unlocked the
+handcuffs and released the prisoner.
+
+The woman touched a button on the wall and lighted a big chandelier
+that hung suspended from the ceiling, for it was growing dark outside.
+Then she seated herself at a desk and asked:
+
+"What name?"
+
+"Ojo the Unlucky," answered the Soldier with the Green Whiskers.
+
+"Unlucky? Ah, that accounts for it," said she. "What crime?"
+
+"Breaking a Law of Oz."
+
+"All right. There's your receipt, Soldier; and now I'm responsible for
+the prisoner. I'm glad of it, for this is the first time I've ever had
+anything to do, in my official capacity," remarked the jailer, in a
+pleased tone.
+
+"It's the same with me, Tollydiggle," laughed the soldier. "But my task
+is finished and I must go and report to Ozma that I've done my duty
+like a faithful Police Force, a loyal Army and an honest Body-Guard--as
+I hope I am."
+
+Saying this, he nodded farewell to Tollydiggle and Ojo and went away.
+
+"Now, then," said the woman briskly, "I must get you some supper, for
+you are doubtless hungry. What would you prefer: planked whitefish,
+omelet with jelly or mutton-chops with gravy?"
+
+Ojo thought about it. Then he said: "I'll take the chops, if you
+please."
+
+"Very well; amuse yourself while I'm gone; I won't be long," and then
+she went out by a door and left the prisoner alone.
+
+Ojo was much astonished, for not only was this unlike any prison he had
+ever heard of, but he was being treated more as a guest than a
+criminal. There were many windows and they had no locks. There were
+three doors to the room and none were bolted. He cautiously opened one
+of the doors and found it led into a hallway. But he had no intention
+of trying to escape. If his jailor was willing to trust him in this way
+he would not betray her trust, and moreover a hot supper was being
+prepared for him and his prison was very pleasant and comfortable. So
+he took a book from the case and sat down in a big chair to look at the
+pictures.
+
+This amused him until the woman came in with a large tray and spread a
+cloth on one of the tables. Then she arranged his supper, which proved
+the most varied and delicious meal Ojo had ever eaten in his life.
+
+Tollydiggle sat near him while he ate, sewing on some fancy work she
+held in her lap. When he had finished she cleared the table and then
+read to him a story from one of the books.
+
+"Is this really a prison?" he asked, when she had finished reading.
+
+"Indeed it is," she replied. "It is the only prison in the Land of Oz."
+
+"And am I a prisoner?"
+
+"Bless the child! Of course."
+
+"Then why is the prison so fine, and why are you so kind to me?" he
+earnestly asked.
+
+Tollydiggle seemed surprised by the question, but she presently
+answered:
+
+"We consider a prisoner unfortunate. He is unfortunate in two
+ways--because he has done something wrong and because he is deprived of
+his liberty. Therefore we should treat him kindly, because of his
+misfortune, for otherwise he would become hard and bitter and would not
+be sorry he had done wrong. Ozma thinks that one who has committed a
+fault did so because he was not strong and brave; therefore she puts
+him in prison to make him strong and brave. When that is accomplished
+he is no longer a prisoner, but a good and loyal citizen and everyone
+is glad that he is now strong enough to resist doing wrong. You see, it
+is kindness that makes one strong and brave; and so we are kind to our
+prisoners."
+
+Ojo thought this over very carefully. "I had an idea," said he, "that
+prisoners were always treated harshly, to punish them."
+
+"That would be dreadful!" cried Tollydiggle. "Isn't one punished enough
+in knowing he has done wrong? Don't you wish, Ojo, with all your heart,
+that you had not been disobedient and broken a Law of Oz?"
+
+"I--I hate to be different from other people," he admitted.
+
+"Yes; one likes to be respected as highly as his neighbors are," said
+the woman. "When you are tried and found guilty, you will be obliged to
+make amends, in some way. I don't know just what Ozma will do to you,
+because this is the first time one of us has broken a Law; but you may
+be sure she will be just and merciful. Here in the Emerald City people
+are too happy and contented ever to do wrong; but perhaps you came from
+some faraway corner of our land, and having no love for Ozma carelessly
+broke one of her Laws."
+
+"Yes," said Ojo, "I've lived all my life in the heart of a lonely
+forest, where I saw no one but dear Unc Nunkie."
+
+"I thought so," said Tollydiggle. "But now we have talked enough, so
+let us play a game until bedtime."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Sixteen
+
+Princess Dorothy
+
+
+Dorothy Gale was sitting in one of her rooms in the royal palace, while
+curled up at her feet was a little black dog with a shaggy coat and
+very bright eyes. She wore a plain white frock, without any jewels or
+other ornaments except an emerald-green hair-ribbon, for Dorothy was a
+simple little girl and had not been in the least spoiled by the
+magnificence surrounding her. Once the child had lived on the Kansas
+prairies, but she seemed marked for adventure, for she had made several
+trips to the Land of Oz before she came to live there for good. Her
+very best friend was the beautiful Ozma of Oz, who loved Dorothy so
+well that she kept her in her own palace, so as to be near her. The
+girl's Uncle Henry and Aunt Em--the only relatives she had in the
+world--had also been brought here by Ozma and given a pleasant home.
+Dorothy knew almost everybody in Oz, and it was she who had discovered
+the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, as well as
+Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man. Her life was very pleasant now, and although
+she had been made a Princess of Oz by her friend Ozma she did not care
+much to be a Princess and remained as sweet as when she had been plain
+Dorothy Gale of Kansas.
+
+Dorothy was reading in a book this evening when Jellia Jamb, the
+favorite servant-maid of the palace, came to say that the Shaggy Man
+wanted to see her.
+
+"All right," said Dorothy; "tell him to come right up."
+
+"But he has some queer creatures with him--some of the queerest I've
+ever laid eyes on," reported Jellia.
+
+"Never mind; let 'em all come up," replied Dorothy.
+
+But when the door opened to admit not only the Shaggy Man, but Scraps,
+the Woozy and the Glass Cat, Dorothy jumped up and looked at her
+strange visitors in amazement. The Patchwork Girl was the most curious
+of all and Dorothy was uncertain at first whether Scraps was really
+alive or only a dream or a nightmare. Toto, her dog, slowly uncurled
+himself and going to the Patchwork Girl sniffed at her inquiringly; but
+soon he lay down again, as if to say he had no interest in such an
+irregular creation.
+
+"You're a new one to me," Dorothy said reflectively, addressing the
+Patchwork Girl. "I can't imagine where you've come from."
+
+"Who, me?" asked Scraps, looking around the pretty room instead of at
+the girl. "Oh, I came from a bed-quilt, I guess. That's what they say,
+anyhow. Some call it a crazy-quilt and some a patchwork quilt. But my
+name is Scraps--and now you know all about me."
+
+"Not quite all," returned Dorothy with a smile. "I wish you'd tell me
+how you came to be alive."
+
+"That's an easy job," said Scraps, sitting upon a big upholstered chair
+and making the springs bounce her up and down. "Margolotte wanted a
+slave, so she made me out of an old bed-quilt she didn't use. Cotton
+stuffing, suspender-button eyes, red velvet tongue, pearl beads for
+teeth. The Crooked Magician made a Powder of Life, sprinkled me with it
+and--here I am. Perhaps you've noticed my different colors. A very
+refined and educated gentleman named the Scarecrow, whom I met, told me
+I am the most beautiful creature in all Oz, and I believe it."
+
+"Oh! Have you met our Scarecrow, then?" asked Dorothy, a little puzzled
+to understand the brief history related.
+
+"Yes; isn't he jolly?"
+
+"The Scarecrow has many good qualities," replied Dorothy. "But I'm
+sorry to hear all this 'bout the Crooked Magician. Ozma'll be mad as
+hops when she hears he's been doing magic again. She told him not to."
+
+"He only practices magic for the benefit of his own family," explained
+Bungle, who was keeping at a respectful distance from the little black
+dog.
+
+"Dear me," said Dorothy; "I hadn't noticed you before. Are you glass,
+or what?"
+
+"I'm glass, and transparent, too, which is more than can be said of
+some folks," answered the cat. "Also I have some lovely pink brains;
+you can see 'em work."
+
+"Oh; is that so? Come over here and let me see."
+
+The Glass Cat hesitated, eyeing the dog.
+
+"Send that beast away and I will," she said.
+
+"Beast! Why, that's my dog Toto, an' he's the kindest dog in all the
+world. Toto knows a good many things, too; 'most as much as I do, I
+guess."
+
+"Why doesn't he say anything?" asked Bungle.
+
+"He can't talk, not being a fairy dog," explained Dorothy. "He's just a
+common United States dog; but that's a good deal; and I understand him,
+and he understands me, just as well as if he could talk."
+
+Toto, at this, got up and rubbed his head softly against Dorothy's
+hand, which she held out to him, and he looked up into her face as if
+he had understood every word she had said.
+
+"This cat, Toto," she said to him, "is made of glass, so you mustn't
+bother it, or chase it, any more than you do my Pink Kitten. It's
+prob'ly brittle and might break if it bumped against anything."
+
+"Woof!" said Toto, and that meant he understood.
+
+The Glass Cat was so proud of her pink brains that she ventured to come
+close to Dorothy, in order that the girl might "see 'em work." This was
+really interesting, but when Dorothy patted the cat she found the glass
+cold and hard and unresponsive, so she decided at once that Bungle
+would never do for a pet.
+
+"What do you know about the Crooked Magician who lives on the
+mountain?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"He made me," replied the cat; "so I know all about him. The Patchwork
+Girl is new--three or four days old--but I've lived with Dr. Pipt for
+years; and, though I don't much care for him, I will say that he has
+always refused to work magic for any of the people who come to his
+house. He thinks there's no harm in doing magic things for his own
+family, and he made me out of glass because the meat cats drink too
+much milk. He also made Scraps come to life so she could do the
+housework for his wife Margolotte."
+
+"Then why did you both leave him?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"I think you'd better let me explain that," interrupted the Shaggy Man,
+and then he told Dorothy all of Ojo's story and how Unc Nunkie and
+Margolotte had accidentally been turned to marble by the Liquid of
+Petrifaction. Then he related how the boy had started out in search of
+the things needed to make the magic charm, which would restore the
+unfortunates to life, and how he had found the Woozy and taken him
+along because he could not pull the three hairs out of its tail.
+Dorothy listened to all this with much interest, and thought that so
+far Ojo had acted very well. But when the Shaggy Man told her of the
+Munchkin boy's arrest by the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, because
+he was accused of wilfully breaking a Law of Oz, the little girl was
+greatly shocked.
+
+"What do you s'pose he's done?" she asked.
+
+"I fear he has picked a six-leaved clover," answered the Shaggy Man,
+sadly. "I did not see him do it, and I warned him that to do so was
+against the Law; but perhaps that is what he did, nevertheless."
+
+"I'm sorry 'bout that," said Dorothy gravely, "for now there will be no
+one to help his poor uncle and Margolotte 'cept this Patchwork Girl,
+the Woozy and the Glass Cat."
+
+"Don't mention it," said Scraps. "That's no affair of mine. Margolotte
+and Unc Nunkie are perfect strangers to me, for the moment I came to
+life they came to marble."
+
+"I see," remarked Dorothy with a sigh of regret; "the woman forgot to
+give you a heart."
+
+"I'm glad she did," retorted the Patchwork Girl. "A heart must be a
+great annoyance to one. It makes a person feel sad or sorry or devoted
+or sympathetic--all of which sensations interfere with one's happiness."
+
+"I have a heart," murmured the Glass Cat. "It's made of a ruby; but I
+don't imagine I shall let it bother me about helping Unc Nunkie and
+Margolotte."
+
+"That's a pretty hard heart of yours," said Dorothy. "And the Woozy, of
+course--"
+
+"Why, as for me," observed the Woozy, who was reclining on the floor
+with his legs doubled under him, so that he looked much like a square
+box, "I have never seen those unfortunate people you are speaking of,
+and yet I am sorry for them, having at times been unfortunate myself.
+When I was shut up in that forest I longed for some one to help me, and
+by and by Ojo came and did help me. So I'm willing to help his uncle.
+I'm only a stupid beast, Dorothy, but I can't help that, and if you'll
+tell me what to do to help Ojo and his uncle, I'll gladly do it."
+
+Dorothy walked over and patted the Woozy on his square head.
+
+"You're not pretty," she said, "but I like you. What are you able to
+do; anything 'special?"
+
+"I can make my eyes flash fire--real fire--when I'm angry. When anyone
+says: 'Krizzle-Kroo' to me I get angry, and then my eyes flash fire."
+
+"I don't see as fireworks could help Ojo's uncle," remarked Dorothy.
+"Can you do anything else?"
+
+"I--I thought I had a very terrifying growl," said the Woozy, with
+hesitation; "but perhaps I was mistaken."
+
+"Yes," said the Shaggy Man, "you were certainly wrong about that." Then
+he turned to Dorothy and added: "What will become of the Munchkin boy?"
+
+"I don't know," she said, shaking her head thoughtfully. "Ozma will see
+him 'bout it, of course, and then she'll punish him. But how, I don't
+know, 'cause no one ever has been punished in Oz since I knew anything
+about the place. Too bad, Shaggy Man, isn't it?"
+
+While they were talking Scraps had been roaming around the room and
+looking at all the pretty things it contained. She had carried Ojo's
+basket in her hand, until now, when she decided to see what was inside
+it. She found the bread and cheese, which she had no use for, and the
+bundle of charms, which were curious but quite a mystery to her. Then,
+turning these over, she came upon the six-leaved clover which the boy
+had plucked.
+
+Scraps was quick-witted, and although she had no heart she recognized
+the fact that Ojo was her first friend. She knew at once that because
+the boy had taken the clover he had been imprisoned, and she understood
+that Ojo had given her the basket so they would not find the clover in
+his possession and have proof of his crime. So, turning her head to see
+that no one noticed her, she took the clover from the basket and
+dropped it into a golden vase that stood on Dorothy's table. Then she
+came forward and said to Dorothy:
+
+"I wouldn't care to help Ojo's uncle, but I will help Ojo. He did not
+break the Law--no one can prove he did--and that green-whiskered
+soldier had no right to arrest him."
+
+"Ozma ordered the boy's arrest," said Dorothy, "and of course she knew
+what she was doing. But if you can prove Ojo is innocent they will set
+him free at once."
+
+"They'll have to prove him guilty, won't they?'' asked Scraps.
+
+"I s'pose so."
+
+"Well, they can't do that," declared the Patchwork Girl.
+
+As it was nearly time for Dorothy to dine with Ozma, which she did
+every evening, she rang for a servant and ordered the Woozy taken to a
+nice room and given plenty of such food as he liked best.
+
+"That's honey-bees," said the Woozy.
+
+"You can't eat honey-bees, but you'll be given something just as nice,"
+Dorothy told him. Then she had the Glass Cat taken to another room for
+the night and the Patchwork Girl she kept in one of her own rooms, for
+she was much interested in the strange creature and wanted to talk with
+her again and try to understand her better.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Seventeen
+
+Ozma and Her Friends
+
+
+The Shaggy Man had a room of his own in the royal palace, so there he
+went to change his shaggy suit of clothes for another just as shaggy
+but not so dusty from travel. He selected a costume of pea-green and
+pink satin and velvet, with embroidered shags on all the edges and
+iridescent pearls for ornaments. Then he bathed in an alabaster pool
+and brushed his shaggy hair and whiskers the wrong way to make them
+still more shaggy. This accomplished, and arrayed in his splendid
+shaggy garments, he went to Ozma's banquet hall and found the
+Scarecrow, the Wizard and Dorothy already assembled there. The
+Scarecrow had made a quick trip and returned to the Emerald City with
+his left ear freshly painted.
+
+A moment later, while they all stood in waiting, a servant threw open a
+door, the orchestra struck up a tune and Ozma of Oz entered.
+
+Much has been told and written concerning the beauty of person and
+character of this sweet girl Ruler of the Land of Oz--the richest, the
+happiest and most delightful fairyland of which we have any knowledge.
+Yet with all her queenly qualities Ozma was a real girl and enjoyed the
+things in life that other real girls enjoy. When she sat on her
+splendid emerald throne in the great Throne Room of her palace and made
+laws and settled disputes and tried to keep all her subjects happy and
+contented, she was as dignified and demure as any queen might be; but
+when she had thrown aside her jeweled robe of state and her sceptre,
+and had retired to her private apartments, the girl--joyous,
+light-hearted and free--replaced the sedate Ruler.
+
+In the banquet hall to-night were gathered only old and trusted
+friends, so here Ozma was herself--a mere girl. She greeted Dorothy
+with a kiss, the Shaggy Man with a smile, the little old Wizard with a
+friendly handshake and then she pressed the Scarecrow's stuffed arm and
+cried merrily:
+
+"What a lovely left ear! Why, it's a hundred times better than the old
+one."
+
+"I'm glad you like it," replied the Scarecrow, well pleased. "Jinjur
+did a neat job, didn't she? And my hearing is now perfect. Isn't it
+wonderful what a little paint will do, if it's properly applied?"
+
+"It really is wonderful," she agreed, as they all took their seats;
+"but the Sawhorse must have made his legs twinkle to have carried you
+so far in one day. I didn't expect you back before to-morrow, at the
+earliest."
+
+"Well," said the Scarecrow, "I met a charming girl on the road and
+wanted to see more of her, so I hurried back."
+
+Ozma laughed.
+
+"I know," she returned; "it's the Patchwork Girl. She is certainly
+bewildering, if not strictly beautiful."
+
+"Have you seen her, then?" the straw man eagerly asked.
+
+"Only in my Magic Picture, which shows me all scenes of interest in the
+Land of Oz."
+
+"I fear the picture didn't do her justice," said the Scarecrow.
+
+"It seemed to me that nothing could be more gorgeous," declared Ozma.
+"Whoever made that patchwork quilt, from which Scraps was formed, must
+have selected the gayest and brightest bits of cloth that ever were
+woven."
+
+"I am glad you like her," said the Scarecrow in a satisfied tone.
+Although the straw man did not eat, not being made so he could, he
+often dined with Ozma and her companions, merely for the pleasure of
+talking with them. He sat at the table and had a napkin and plate, but
+the servants knew better than to offer him food. After a little while
+he asked: "Where is the Patchwork Girl now?"
+
+"In my room," replied Dorothy. "I've taken a fancy to her; she's so
+queer and--and--uncommon."
+
+"She's half crazy, I think," added the Shaggy Man.
+
+"But she is so beautiful!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, as if that fact
+disarmed all criticism. They all laughed at his enthusiasm, but the
+Scarecrow was quite serious. Seeing that he was interested in Scraps
+they forbore to say anything against her. The little band of friends
+Ozma had gathered around her was so quaintly assorted that much care
+must be exercised to avoid hurting their feelings or making any one of
+them unhappy. It was this considerate kindness that held them close
+friends and enabled them to enjoy one another's society.
+
+Another thing they avoided was conversing on unpleasant subjects, and
+for that reason Ojo and his troubles were not mentioned during the
+dinner. The Shaggy Man, however, related his adventures with the
+monstrous plants which had seized and enfolded the travelers, and told
+how he had robbed Chiss, the giant porcupine, of the quills which it
+was accustomed to throw at people. Both Dorothy and Ozma were pleased
+with this exploit and thought it served Chiss right.
+
+Then they talked of the Woozy, which was the most remarkable animal any
+of them had ever before seen--except, perhaps, the live Sawhorse. Ozma
+had never known that her dominions contained such a thing as a Woozy,
+there being but one in existence and this being confined in his forest
+for many years. Dorothy said she believed the Woozy was a good beast,
+honest and faithful; but she added that she did not care much for the
+Glass Cat.
+
+"Still," said the Shaggy Man, "the Glass Cat is very pretty and if she
+were not so conceited over her pink brains no one would object to her
+as a companion."
+
+The Wizard had been eating silently until now, when he looked up and
+remarked:
+
+"That Powder of Life which is made by the Crooked Magician is really a
+wonderful thing. But Dr. Pipt does not know its true value and he uses
+it in the most foolish ways."
+
+"I must see about that," said Ozma, gravely. Then she smiled again and
+continued in a lighter tone: "It was Dr. Pipt's famous Powder of Life
+that enabled me to become the Ruler of Oz."
+
+"I've never heard that story," said the Shaggy Man, looking at Ozma
+questioningly.
+
+"Well, when I was a baby girl I was stolen by an old Witch named Mombi
+and transformed into a boy," began the girl Ruler. "I did not know who
+I was and when I grew big enough to work, the Witch made me wait upon
+her and carry wood for the fire and hoe in the garden. One day she came
+back from a journey bringing some of the Powder of Life, which Dr. Pipt
+had given her. I had made a pumpkin-headed man and set it up in her
+path to frighten her, for I was fond of fun and hated the Witch. But
+she knew what the figure was and to test her Powder of Life she
+sprinkled some of it on the man I had made. It came to life and is now
+our dear friend Jack Pumpkinhead. That night I ran away with Jack to
+escape punishment, and I took old Mombi's Powder of Life with me.
+During our journey we came upon a wooden Sawhorse standing by the road
+and I used the magic powder to bring it to life. The Sawhorse has been
+with me ever since. When I got to the Emerald City the good Sorceress,
+Glinda, knew who I was and restored me to my proper person, when I
+became the rightful Ruler of this land. So you see had not old Mombi
+brought home the Powder of Life I might never have run away from her
+and become Ozma of Oz, nor would we have had Jack Pumpkinhead and the
+Sawhorse to comfort and amuse us."
+
+That story interested the Shaggy Man very much, as well as the others,
+who had often heard it before. The dinner being now concluded, they all
+went to Ozma's drawing-room, where they passed a pleasant evening
+before it came time to retire.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Eighteen
+
+Ojo is Forgiven
+
+
+The next morning the Soldier with the Green Whiskers went to the prison
+and took Ojo away to the royal palace, where he was summoned to appear
+before the girl Ruler for judgment. Again the soldier put upon the boy
+the jeweled handcuffs and white prisoner's robe with the peaked top and
+holes for the eyes. Ojo was so ashamed, both of his disgrace and the
+fault he had committed, that he was glad to be covered up in this way,
+so that people could not see him or know who he was. He followed the
+Soldier with the Green Whiskers very willingly, anxious that his fate
+might be decided as soon as possible.
+
+The inhabitants of the Emerald City were polite people and never jeered
+at the unfortunate; but it was so long since they had seen a prisoner
+that they cast many curious looks toward the boy and many of them
+hurried away to the royal palace to be present during the trial.
+
+When Ojo was escorted into the great Throne Room of the palace he found
+hundreds of people assembled there. In the magnificent emerald throne,
+which sparkled with countless jewels, sat Ozma of Oz in her Robe of
+State, which was embroidered with emeralds and pearls. On her right,
+but a little lower, was Dorothy, and on her left the Scarecrow. Still
+lower, but nearly in front of Ozma, sat the wonderful Wizard of Oz and
+on a small table beside him was the golden vase from Dorothy's room,
+into which Scraps had dropped the stolen clover.
+
+At Ozma's feet crouched two enormous beasts, each the largest and most
+powerful of its kind. Although these beasts were quite free, no one
+present was alarmed by them; for the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger
+were well known and respected in the Emerald City and they always
+guarded the Ruler when she held high court in the Throne Room. There
+was still another beast present, but this one Dorothy held in her arms,
+for it was her constant companion, the little dog Toto. Toto knew the
+Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger and often played and romped with
+them, for they were good friends.
+
+Seated on ivory chairs before Ozma, with a clear space between them and
+the throne, were many of the nobility of the Emerald City, lords and
+ladies in beautiful costumes, and officials of the kingdom in the royal
+uniforms of Oz. Behind these courtiers were others of less importance,
+filling the great hall to the very doors.
+
+At the same moment that the Soldier with the Green Whiskers arrived
+with Ojo, the Shaggy Man entered from a side door, escorting the
+Patchwork Girl, the Woozy and the Glass Cat. All these came to the
+vacant space before the throne and stood facing the Ruler.
+
+"Hullo, Ojo," said Scraps; "how are you?"
+
+"All right," he replied; but the scene awed the boy and his voice
+trembled a little with fear. Nothing could awe the Patchwork Girl, and
+although the Woozy was somewhat uneasy in these splendid surroundings
+the Glass Cat was delighted with the sumptuousness of the court and the
+impressiveness of the occasion--pretty big words but quite expressive.
+
+At a sign from Ozma the soldier removed Ojo's white robe and the boy
+stood face to face with the girl who was to decide his punishment. He
+saw at a glance how lovely and sweet she was, and his heart gave a
+bound of joy, for he hoped she would be merciful.
+
+Ozma sat looking at the prisoner a long time. Then she said gently:
+
+"One of the Laws of Oz forbids anyone to pick a six-leaved clover. You
+are accused of having broken this Law, even after you had been warned
+not to do so."
+
+Ojo hung his head and while he hesitated how to reply the Patchwork
+Girl stepped forward and spoke for him.
+
+"All this fuss is about nothing at all," she said, facing Ozma
+unabashed. "You can't prove he picked the six-leaved clover, so you've
+no right to accuse him of it. Search him, if you like, but you won't
+find the clover; look in his basket and you'll find it's not there. He
+hasn't got it, so I demand that you set this poor Munchkin boy free."
+
+The people of Oz listened to this defiance in amazement and wondered at
+the queer Patchwork Girl who dared talk so boldly to their Ruler. But
+Ozma sat silent and motionless and it was the little Wizard who
+answered Scraps.
+
+"So the clover hasn't been picked, eh?" he said. "I think it has. I
+think the boy hid it in his basket, and then gave the basket to you. I
+also think you dropped the clover into this vase, which stood in
+Princess Dorothy's room, hoping to get rid of it so it would not prove
+the boy guilty. You're a stranger here, Miss Patches, and so you don't
+know that nothing can be hidden from our powerful Ruler's Magic
+Picture--nor from the watchful eyes of the humble Wizard of Oz. Look,
+all of you!" With these words he waved his hands toward the vase on the
+table, which Scraps now noticed for the first time.
+
+From the mouth of the vase a plant sprouted, slowly growing before
+their eyes until it became a beautiful bush, and on the topmost branch
+appeared the six-leaved clover which Ojo had unfortunately picked.
+
+The Patchwork Girl looked at the clover and said: "Oh, so you've found
+it. Very well; prove he picked it, if you can."
+
+Ozma turned to Ojo.
+
+"Did you pick the six-leaved clover?" she asked.
+
+"Yes," he replied. "I knew it was against the Law, but I wanted to save
+Unc Nunkie and I was afraid if I asked your consent to pick it you
+would refuse me."
+
+"What caused you to think that?" asked the Ruler.
+
+"Why, it seemed to me a foolish law, unjust and unreasonable. Even now
+I can see no harm in picking a six-leaved clover. And I--I had not seen
+the Emerald City, then, nor you, and I thought a girl who would make
+such a silly Law would not be likely to help anyone in trouble."
+
+Ozma regarded him musingly, her chin resting upon her hand; but she was
+not angry. On the contrary she smiled a little at her thoughts and then
+grew sober again.
+
+"I suppose a good many laws seem foolish to those people who do not
+understand them," she said; "but no law is ever made without some
+purpose, and that purpose is usually to protect all the people and
+guard their welfare. As you are a stranger, I will explain this Law
+which to you seems so foolish. Years ago there were many Witches and
+Magicians in the Land of Oz, and one of the things they often used in
+making their magic charms and transformations was a six-leaved clover.
+These Witches and Magicians caused so much trouble among my people,
+often using their powers for evil rather than good, that I decided to
+forbid anyone to practice magic or sorcery except Glinda the Good and
+her assistant, the Wizard of Oz, both of whom I can trust to use their
+arts only to benefit my people and to make them happier. Since I issued
+that Law the Land of Oz has been far more peaceful and quiet; but I
+learned that some of the Witches and Magicians were still practicing
+magic on the sly and using the six-leaved clovers to make their potions
+and charms. Therefore I made another Law forbidding anyone from
+plucking a six-leaved clover or from gathering other plants and herbs
+which the Witches boil in their kettles to work magic with. That has
+almost put an end to wicked sorcery in our land, so you see the Law was
+not a foolish one, but wise and just; and, in any event, it is wrong to
+disobey a Law."
+
+Ojo knew she was right and felt greatly mortified to realize he had
+acted and spoken so ridiculously. But he raised his head and looked
+Ozma in the face, saying:
+
+"I am sorry I have acted wrongly and broken your Law. I did it to save
+Unc Nunkie, and thought I would not be found out. But I am guilty of
+this act and whatever punishment you think I deserve I will suffer
+willingly."
+
+Ozma smiled more brightly, then, and nodded graciously.
+
+"You are forgiven," she said. "For, although you have committed a
+serious fault, you are now penitent and I think you have been punished
+enough. Soldier, release Ojo the Lucky and--"
+
+"I beg your pardon; I'm Ojo the Unlucky," said the boy.
+
+"At this moment you are lucky," said she. "Release him, Soldier, and
+let him go free."
+
+The people were glad to hear Ozma's decree and murmured their approval.
+As the royal audience was now over, they began to leave the Throne Room
+and soon there were none remaining except Ojo and his friends and Ozma
+and her favorites.
+
+The girl Ruler now asked Ojo to sit down and tell her all his story,
+which he did, beginning at the time he had left his home in the forest
+and ending with his arrival at the Emerald City and his arrest. Ozma
+listened attentively and was thoughtful for some moments after the boy
+had finished speaking. Then she said:
+
+"The Crooked Magician was wrong to make the Glass Cat and the Patchwork
+Girl, for it was against the Law. And if he had not unlawfully kept the
+bottle of Liquid of Petrifaction standing on his shelf, the accident to
+his wife Margolotte and to Unc Nunkie could not have occurred. I can
+understand, however, that Ojo, who loves his uncle, will be unhappy
+unless he can save him. Also I feel it is wrong to leave those two
+victims standing as marble statues, when they ought to be alive. So I
+propose we allow Dr. Pipt to make the magic charm which will save them,
+and that we assist Ojo to find the things he is seeking. What do you
+think, Wizard?"
+
+"That is perhaps the best thing to do," replied the Wizard. "But after
+the Crooked Magician has restored those poor people to life you must
+take away his magic powers."
+
+"I will," promised Ozma.
+
+"Now tell me, please, what magic things must you find?" continued the
+Wizard, addressing Ojo.
+
+"The three hairs from the Woozy's tail I have," said the boy. "That is,
+I have the Woozy, and the hairs are in his tail. The six-leaved clover
+I--I--"
+
+"You may take it and keep it," said Ozma. "That will not be breaking
+the Law, for it is already picked, and the crime of picking it is
+forgiven."
+
+"Thank you!" cried Ojo gratefully. Then he continued: "The next thing I
+must find is a gill of water from a dark well."
+
+The Wizard shook his head. "That," said he, "will be a hard task, but
+if you travel far enough you may discover it."
+
+"I am willing to travel for years, if it will save Unc Nunkie,"
+declared Ojo, earnestly.
+
+"Then you'd better begin your journey at once," advised the Wizard.
+
+Dorothy had been listening with interest to this conversation. Now she
+turned to Ozma and asked: "May I go with Ojo, to help him?"
+
+"Would you like to?" returned Ozma.
+
+"Yes. I know Oz pretty well, but Ojo doesn't know it at all. I'm sorry
+for his uncle and poor Margolotte and I'd like to help save them. May I
+go?"
+
+"If you wish to," replied Ozma.
+
+"If Dorothy goes, then I must go to take care of her," said the
+Scarecrow, decidedly. "A dark well can only be discovered in some
+out-of-the-way place, and there may be dangers there."
+
+"You have my permission to accompany Dorothy," said Ozma. "And while
+you are gone I will take care of the Patchwork Girl."
+
+"I'll take care of myself," announced Scraps, "for I'm going with the
+Scarecrow and Dorothy. I promised Ojo to help him find the things he
+wants and I'll stick to my promise."
+
+"Very well," replied Ozma. "But I see no need for Ojo to take the Glass
+Cat and the Woozy."
+
+"I prefer to remain here," said the cat. "I've nearly been nicked half
+a dozen times, already, and if they're going into dangers it's best for
+me to keep away from them."
+
+"Let Jellia Jamb keep her till Ojo returns," suggested Dorothy. "We
+won't need to take the Woozy, either, but he ought to be saved because
+of the three hairs in his tail."
+
+"Better take me along," said the Woozy. "My eyes can flash fire, you
+know, and I can growl--a little."
+
+"I'm sure you'll be safer here," Ozma decided, and the Woozy made no
+further objection to the plan.
+
+After consulting together they decided that Ojo and his party should
+leave the very next day to search for the gill of water from a dark
+well, so they now separated to make preparations for the journey.
+
+Ozma gave the Munchkin boy a room in the palace for that night and the
+afternoon he passed with Dorothy--getting acquainted, as she said--and
+receiving advice from the Shaggy Man as to where they must go. The
+Shaggy Man had wandered in many parts of Oz, and so had Dorothy, for
+that matter, yet neither of them knew where a dark well was to be found.
+
+"If such a thing is anywhere in the settled parts of Oz," said Dorothy,
+"we'd prob'ly have heard of it long ago. If it's in the wild parts of
+the country, no one there would need a dark well. P'raps there isn't
+such a thing."
+
+"Oh, there must be!" returned Ojo, positively; "or else the recipe of
+Dr. Pipt wouldn't call for it."
+
+"That's true," agreed Dorothy; "and, if it's anywhere in the Land of
+Oz, we're bound to find it."
+
+"Well, we're bound to search for it, anyhow," said the Scarecrow. "As
+for finding it, we must trust to luck."
+
+"Don't do that," begged Ojo, earnestly. "I'm called Ojo the Unlucky,
+you know."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Nineteen
+
+Trouble with the Tottenhots
+
+
+A day's journey from the Emerald City brought the little band of
+adventurers to the home of Jack Pumpkinhead, which was a house formed
+from the shell of an immense pumpkin. Jack had made it himself and was
+very proud of it. There was a door, and several windows, and through
+the top was stuck a stovepipe that led from a small stove inside. The
+door was reached by a flight of three steps and there was a good floor
+on which was arranged some furniture that was quite comfortable.
+
+It is certain that Jack Pumpkinhead might have had a much finer house
+to live in had he wanted it, for Ozma loved the stupid fellow, who had
+been her earliest companion; but Jack preferred his pumpkin house, as
+it matched himself very well, and in this he was not so stupid, after
+all.
+
+The body of this remarkable person was made of wood, branches of trees
+of various sizes having been used for the purpose. This wooden
+framework was covered by a red shirt--with white spots in it--blue
+trousers, a yellow vest, a jacket of green-and-gold and stout leather
+shoes. The neck was a sharpened stick on which the pumpkin head was
+set, and the eyes, ears, nose and mouth were carved on the skin of the
+pumpkin, very like a child's jack-o'-lantern.
+
+The house of this interesting creation stood in the center of a vast
+pumpkin-field, where the vines grew in profusion and bore pumpkins of
+extraordinary size as well as those which were smaller. Some of the
+pumpkins now ripening on the vines were almost as large as Jack's
+house, and he told Dorothy he intended to add another pumpkin to his
+mansion.
+
+The travelers were cordially welcomed to this quaint domicile and
+invited to pass the night there, which they had planned to do. The
+Patchwork Girl was greatly interested in Jack and examined him
+admiringly.
+
+"You are quite handsome," she said; "but not as really beautiful as the
+Scarecrow."
+
+Jack turned, at this, to examine the Scarecrow critically, and his old
+friend slyly winked one painted eye at him.
+
+"There is no accounting for tastes," remarked the Pumpkinhead, with a
+sigh. "An old crow once told me I was very fascinating, but of course
+the bird might have been mistaken. Yet I have noticed that the crows
+usually avoid the Scarecrow, who is a very honest fellow, in his way,
+but stuffed. I am not stuffed, you will observe; my body is good solid
+hickory."
+
+"I adore stuffing," said the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Well, as for that, my head is stuffed with pumpkin-seeds," declared
+Jack. "I use them for brains, and when they are fresh I am
+intellectual. Just now, I regret to say, my seeds are rattling a bit,
+so I must soon get another head."
+
+"Oh; do you change your head?" asked Ojo.
+
+"To be sure. Pumpkins are not permanent, more's the pity, and in time
+they spoil. That is why I grow such a great field of pumpkins--that I
+may select a new head whenever necessary."
+
+"Who carves the faces on them?" inquired the boy.
+
+"I do that myself. I lift off my old head, place it on a table before
+me, and use the face for a pattern to go by. Sometimes the faces I
+carve are better than others--more expressive and cheerful, you
+know--but I think they average very well."
+
+Before she had started on the journey Dorothy had packed a knapsack
+with the things she might need, and this knapsack the Scarecrow carried
+strapped to his back. The little girl wore a plain gingham dress and a
+checked sunbonnet, as she knew they were best fitted for travel. Ojo
+also had brought along his basket, to which Ozma had added a bottle of
+"Square Meal Tablets" and some fruit. But Jack Pumpkinhead grew a lot
+of things in his garden besides pumpkins, so he cooked for them a fine
+vegetable soup and gave Dorothy, Ojo and Toto, the only ones who found
+it necessary to eat, a pumpkin pie and some green cheese. For beds they
+must use the sweet dried grasses which Jack had strewn along one side
+of the room, but that satisfied Dorothy and Ojo very well. Toto, of
+course, slept beside his little mistress.
+
+The Scarecrow, Scraps and the Pumpkinhead were tireless and had no need
+to sleep, so they sat up and talked together all night; but they stayed
+outside the house, under the bright stars, and talked in low tones so
+as not to disturb the sleepers. During the conversation the Scarecrow
+explained their quest for a dark well, and asked Jack's advice where to
+find it.
+
+The Pumpkinhead considered the matter gravely.
+
+"That is going to be a difficult task," said he, "and if I were you I'd
+take any ordinary well and enclose it, so as to make it dark."
+
+"I fear that wouldn't do," replied the Scarecrow. "The well must be
+naturally dark, and the water must never have seen the light of day,
+for otherwise the magic charm might not work at all."
+
+"How much of the water do you need?" asked Jack.
+
+"A gill."
+
+"How much is a gill?"
+
+"Why--a gill is a gill, of course," answered the Scarecrow, who did not
+wish to display his ignorance.
+
+"I know!" cried Scraps. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch--"
+
+"No, no; that's wrong," interrupted the Scarecrow. "There are two kinds
+of gills, I think; one is a girl, and the other is--"
+
+"A gillyflower," said Jack.
+
+"No; a measure."
+
+"How big a measure?"
+
+"Well, I'll ask Dorothy."
+
+So next morning they asked Dorothy, and she said:
+
+"I don't just know how much a gill is, but I've brought along a gold
+flask that holds a pint. That's more than a gill, I'm sure, and the
+Crooked Magician may measure it to suit himself. But the thing that's
+bothering us most, Jack, is to find the well."
+
+Jack gazed around the landscape, for he was standing in the doorway of
+his house.
+
+"This is a flat country, so you won't find any dark wells here," said
+he. "You must go into the mountains, where rocks and caverns are."
+
+"And where is that?" asked Ojo.
+
+"In the Quadling Country, which lies south of here," replied the
+Scarecrow. "I've known all along that we must go to the mountains."
+
+"So have I," said Dorothy.
+
+"But--goodness me!--the Quadling Country is full of dangers," declared
+Jack. "I've never been there myself, but--"
+
+"I have," said the Scarecrow. "I've faced the dreadful Hammerheads,
+which have no arms and butt you like a goat; and I've faced the
+Fighting Trees, which bend down their branches to pound and whip you,
+and had many other adventures there."
+
+"It's a wild country," remarked Dorothy, soberly, "and if we go there
+we're sure to have troubles of our own. But I guess we'll have to go,
+if we want that gill of water from the dark well."
+
+So they said good-bye to the Pumpkinhead and resumed their travels,
+heading now directly toward the South Country, where mountains and
+rocks and caverns and forests of great trees abounded. This part of the
+Land of Oz, while it belonged to Ozma and owed her allegiance, was so
+wild and secluded that many queer peoples hid in its jungles and lived
+in their own way, without even a knowledge that they had a Ruler in the
+Emerald City. If they were left alone, these creatures never troubled
+the inhabitants of the rest of Oz, but those who invaded their domains
+encountered many dangers from them.
+
+It was a two days journey from Jack Pumkinhead's house to the edge of
+the Quadling Country, for neither Dorothy nor Ojo could walk very fast
+and they often stopped by the wayside to rest. The first night they
+slept on the broad fields, among the buttercups and daisies, and the
+Scarecrow covered the children with a gauze blanket taken from his
+knapsack, so they would not be chilled by the night air. Toward evening
+of the second day they reached a sandy plain where walking was
+difficult; but some distance before them they saw a group of palm
+trees, with many curious black dots under them; so they trudged bravely
+on to reach that place by dark and spend the night under the shelter of
+the trees.
+
+The black dots grew larger as they advanced and although the light was
+dim Dorothy thought they looked like big kettles turned upside down.
+Just beyond this place a jumble of huge, jagged rocks lay scattered,
+rising to the mountains behind them.
+
+Our travelers preferred to attempt to climb these rocks by daylight,
+and they realized that for a time this would be their last night on the
+plains.
+
+Twilight had fallen by the time they came to the trees, beneath which
+were the black, circular objects they had marked from a distance.
+Dozens of them were scattered around and Dorothy bent near to one,
+which was about as tall as she was, to examine it more closely. As she
+did so the top flew open and out popped a dusky creature, rising its
+length into the air and then plumping down upon the ground just beside
+the little girl. Another and another popped out of the circular,
+pot-like dwelling, while from all the other black objects came popping
+more creatures--very like jumping-jacks when their boxes are
+unhooked--until fully a hundred stood gathered around our little group
+of travelers.
+
+By this time Dorothy had discovered they were people, tiny and
+curiously formed, but still people. Their skins were dusky and their
+hair stood straight up, like wires, and was brilliant scarlet in color.
+Their bodies were bare except for skins fastened around their waists
+and they wore bracelets on their ankles and wrists, and necklaces, and
+great pendant earrings.
+
+Toto crouched beside his mistress and wailed as if he did not like
+these strange creatures a bit. Scraps began to mutter something about
+"hoppity, poppity, jumpity, dump!" but no one paid any attention to
+her. Ojo kept close to the Scarecrow and the Scarecrow kept close to
+Dorothy; but the little girl turned to the queer creatures and asked:
+
+"Who are you?"
+
+They answered this question all together, in a sort of chanting chorus,
+the words being as follows:
+
+    "We're the jolly Tottenhots;
+    We do not like the day,
+    But in the night 'tis our delight
+    To gambol, skip and play.
+
+    "We hate the sun and from it run,
+    The moon is cool and clear,
+    So on this spot each Tottenhot
+    Waits for it to appear.
+
+    "We're ev'ry one chock full of fun,
+    And full of mischief, too;
+    But if you're gay and with us play
+    We'll do no harm to you.
+
+
+"Glad to meet you, Tottenhots," said the Scarecrow solemnly. "But you
+mustn't expect us to play with you all night, for we've traveled all
+day and some of us are tired."
+
+"And we never gamble," added the Patchwork Girl. "It's against the Law."
+
+These remarks were greeted with shouts of laughter by the impish
+creatures and one seized the Scarecrow's arm and was astonished to find
+the straw man whirl around so easily. So the Tottenhot raised the
+Scarecrow high in the air and tossed him over the heads of the crowd.
+Some one caught him and tossed him back, and so with shouts of glee
+they continued throwing the Scarecrow here and there, as if he had been
+a basket-ball.
+
+Presently another imp seized Scraps and began to throw her about, in
+the same way. They found her a little heavier than the Scarecrow but
+still light enough to be tossed like a sofa-cushion, and they were
+enjoying the sport immensely when Dorothy, angry and indignant at the
+treatment her friends were receiving, rushed among the Tottenhots and
+began slapping and pushing them until she had rescued the Scarecrow and
+the Patchwork Girl and held them close on either side of her. Perhaps
+she would not have accomplished this victory so easily had not Toto
+helped her, barking and snapping at the bare legs of the imps until
+they were glad to flee from his attack. As for Ojo, some of the
+creatures had attempted to toss him, also, but finding his body too
+heavy they threw him to the ground and a row of the imps sat on him and
+held him from assisting Dorothy in her battle.
+
+The little brown folks were much surprised at being attacked by the
+girl and the dog, and one or two who had been slapped hardest began to
+cry. Then suddenly they gave a shout, all together, and disappeared in
+a flash into their various houses, the tops of which closed with a
+series of pops that sounded like a bunch of firecrackers being exploded.
+
+The adventurers now found themselves alone, and Dorothy asked anxiously:
+
+"Is anybody hurt?"
+
+"Not me," answered the Scarecrow. "They have given my straw a good
+shaking up and taken all the lumps out of it. I am now in splendid
+condition and am really obliged to the Tottenhots for their kind
+treatment."
+
+"I feel much the same way," said Scraps. "My cotton stuffing had sagged
+a good deal with the day's walking and they've loosened it up until I
+feel as plump as a sausage. But the play was a little rough and I'd had
+quite enough of it when you interfered."
+
+"Six of them sat on me," said Ojo, "but as they are so little they
+didn't hurt me much."
+
+Just then the roof of the house in front of them opened and a Tottenhot
+stuck his head out, very cautiously, and looked at the strangers.
+
+"Can't you take a joke?" he asked, reproachfully; "haven't you any fun
+in you at all?"
+
+"If I had such a quality," replied the Scarecrow, "your people would
+have knocked it out of me. But I don't bear grudges. I forgive you."
+
+"So do I," added Scraps. "That is, if you behave yourselves after this."
+
+"It was just a little rough-house, that's all," said the Tottenhot.
+"But the question is not if we will behave, but if you will behave? We
+can't be shut up here all night, because this is our time to play; nor
+do we care to come out and be chewed up by a savage beast or slapped by
+an angry girl. That slapping hurts like sixty; some of my folks are
+crying about it. So here's the proposition: you let us alone and we'll
+let you alone."
+
+"You began it," declared Dorothy.
+
+"Well, you ended it, so we won't argue the matter. May we come out
+again? Or are you still cruel and slappy?"
+
+"Tell you what we'll do," said Dorothy. "We're all tired and want to
+sleep until morning. If you'll let us get into your house, and stay
+there until daylight, you can play outside all you want to."
+
+"That's a bargain!" cried the Tottenhot eagerly, and he gave a queer
+whistle that brought his people popping out of their houses on all
+sides. When the house before them was vacant, Dorothy and Ojo leaned
+over the hole and looked in, but could see nothing because it was so
+dark. But if the Tottenhots slept there all day the children thought
+they could sleep there at night, so Ojo lowered himself down and found
+it was not very deep.
+
+"There's a soft cushion all over," said he. "Come on in."
+
+Dorothy handed Toto to the boy and then climbed in herself. After her
+came Scraps and the Scarecrow, who did not wish to sleep but preferred
+to keep out of the way of the mischievous Tottenhots.
+
+There seemed no furniture in the round den, but soft cushions were
+strewn about the floor and these they found made very comfortable beds.
+They did not close the hole in the roof but left it open to admit air.
+It also admitted the shouts and ceaseless laughter of the impish
+Tottenhots as they played outside, but Dorothy and Ojo, being weary
+from their journey, were soon fast asleep.
+
+Toto kept an eye open, however, and uttered low, threatening growls
+whenever the racket made by the creatures outside became too
+boisterous; and the Scarecrow and the Patchwork Girl sat leaning
+against the wall and talked in whispers all night long. No one
+disturbed the travelers until daylight, when in popped the Tottenhot
+who owned the place and invited them to vacate his premises.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty
+
+The Captive Yoop
+
+
+As they were preparing to leave, Dorothy asked: "Can you tell us where
+there is a dark well?"
+
+"Never heard of such a thing," said the Tottenhot. "We live our lives
+in the dark, mostly, and sleep in the daytime; but we've never seen a
+dark well, or anything like one."
+
+"Does anyone live on those mountains beyond here?" asked the Scarecrow.
+
+"Lots of people. But you'd better not visit them. We never go there,"
+was the reply.
+
+"What are the people like?" Dorothy inquired.
+
+"Can't say. We've been told to keep away from the mountain paths, and
+so we obey. This sandy desert is good enough for us, and we're not
+disturbed here," declared the Tottenhot.
+
+So they left the man snuggling down to sleep in his dusky dwelling, and
+went out into the sunshine, taking the path that led toward the rocky
+places. They soon found it hard climbing, for the rocks were uneven and
+full of sharp points and edges, and now there was no path at all.
+Clambering here and there among the boulders they kept steadily on,
+gradually rising higher and higher until finally they came to a great
+rift in a part of the mountain, where the rock seemed to have split in
+two and left high walls on either side.
+
+"S'pose we go this way," suggested Dorothy; "it's much easier walking
+than to climb over the hills."
+
+"How about that sign?" asked Ojo.
+
+"What sign?" she inquired.
+
+The Munchkin boy pointed to some words painted on the wall of rock
+beside them, which Dorothy had not noticed. The words read:
+
+    "LOOK OUT FOR YOOP."
+
+
+The girl eyed this sign a moment and turned to the Scarecrow, asking:
+
+"Who is Yoop; or what is Yoop?"
+
+The straw man shook his head. Then looked at Toto and the dog said
+"Woof!"
+
+"Only way to find out is to go on," said Scraps.
+
+This being quite true, they went on. As they proceeded, the walls of
+rock on either side grew higher and higher. Presently they came upon
+another sign which read:
+
+    "BEWARE THE CAPTIVE YOOP."
+
+
+"Why, as for that," remarked Dorothy, "if Yoop is a captive there's no
+need to beware of him. Whatever Yoop happens to be, I'd much rather
+have him a captive than running around loose."
+
+"So had I," agreed the Scarecrow, with a nod of his painted head.
+
+"Still," said Scraps, reflectively:
+
+    "Yoop-te-hoop-te-loop-te-goop!
+    Who put noodles in the soup?
+    We may beware but we don't care,
+    And dare go where we scare the Yoop."
+
+
+"Dear me! Aren't you feeling a little queer, just now?" Dorothy asked
+the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"Not queer, but crazy," said Ojo. "When she says those things I'm sure
+her brains get mixed somehow and work the wrong way.
+
+"I don't see why we are told to beware the Yoop unless he is
+dangerous," observed the Scarecrow in a puzzled tone.
+
+"Never mind; we'll find out all about him when we get to where he is,"
+replied the little girl.
+
+The narrow canyon turned and twisted this way and that, and the rift
+was so small that they were able to touch both walls at the same time
+by stretching out their arms. Toto had run on ahead, frisking
+playfully, when suddenly he uttered a sharp bark of fear and came
+running back to them with his tail between his legs, as dogs do when
+they are frightened.
+
+"Ah," said the Scarecrow, who was leading the way, "we must be near
+Yoop."
+
+Just then, as he rounded a sharp turn, the Straw man stopped so
+suddenly that all the others bumped against him.
+
+"What is it?" asked Dorothy, standing on tip-toes to look over his
+shoulder. But then she saw what it was and cried "Oh!" in a tone of
+astonishment.
+
+In one of the rock walls--that at their left--was hollowed a great
+cavern, in front of which was a row of thick iron bars, the tops and
+bottoms being firmly fixed in the solid rock. Over this cavern was a
+big sign, which Dorothy read with much curiosity, speaking the words
+aloud that all might know what they said:
+
+    "MISTER YOOP--HIS CAVE
+
+    The Largest Untamed Giant in Captivity.
+    Height, 21 Feet.--(And yet he has but 2 feet.)
+    Weight, 1640 Pounds.--(But he waits all the time.)
+    Age, 400 Years 'and Up' (as they say in the
+      Department Store advertisements).
+    Temper, Fierce and Ferocious.--(Except when asleep.)
+    Appetite, Ravenous.--(Prefers Meat People and
+      Orange Marmalade.)
+
+    STRANGERS APPROACHING THIS CAVE DO SO AT THEIR
+      OWN PERIL!
+
+    P.S.--Don't feed the Giant yourself."
+
+
+"Very well," said Ojo, with a sigh; "let's go back."
+
+"It's a long way back," declared Dorothy.
+
+"So it is," remarked the Scarecrow, "and it means a tedious climb over
+those sharp rocks if we can't use this passage. I think it will be best
+to run by the Giant's cave as fast as we can go. Mister Yoop seems to
+be asleep just now."
+
+But the Giant wasn't asleep. He suddenly appeared at the front of his
+cavern, seized the iron bars in his great hairy hands and shook them
+until they rattled in their sockets. Yoop was so tall that our friends
+had to tip their heads way back to look into his face, and they noticed
+he was dressed all in pink velvet, with silver buttons and braid. The
+Giant's boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and his hat
+was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully curled.
+
+"Yo-ho!" he said in a deep bass voice; "I smell dinner."
+
+"I think you are mistaken," replied the Scarecrow. "There is no orange
+marmalade around here."
+
+"Ah, but I eat other things," asserted Mister Yoop. "That is, I eat
+them when I can get them. But this is a lonely place, and no good meat
+has passed by my cave for many years; so I'm hungry."
+
+"Haven't you eaten anything in many years?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"Nothing except six ants and a monkey. I thought the monkey would taste
+like meat people, but the flavor was different. I hope you will taste
+better, for you seem plump and tender."
+
+"Oh, I'm not going to be eaten," said Dorothy.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"I shall keep out of your way," she answered.
+
+"How heartless!" wailed the Giant, shaking the bars again. "Consider
+how many years it is since I've eaten a single plump little girl! They
+tell me meat is going up, but if I can manage to catch you I'm sure it
+will soon be going down. And I'll catch you if I can."
+
+With this the Giant pushed his big arms, which looked like tree-trunks
+(except that tree-trunks don't wear pink velvet) between the iron bars,
+and the arms were so long that they touched the opposite wall of the
+rock passage. Then he extended them as far as he could reach toward our
+travelers and found he could almost touch the Scarecrow--but not quite.
+
+"Come a little nearer, please," begged the Giant.
+
+"I'm a Scarecrow."
+
+"A Scarecrow? Ugh! I don't care a straw for a scarecrow. Who is that
+bright-colored delicacy behind you?"
+
+"Me?" asked Scraps. "I'm a Patchwork Girl, and I'm stuffed with cotton."
+
+"Dear me," sighed the Giant in a disappointed tone; "that reduces my
+dinner from four to two--and the dog. I'll save the dog for dessert."
+
+Toto growled, keeping a good distance away.
+
+"Back up," said the Scarecrow to those behind him. "Let us go back a
+little way and talk this over."
+
+So they turned and went around the bend in the passage, where they were
+out of sight of the cave and Mister Yoop could not hear them.
+
+"My idea," began the Scarecrow, when they had halted, "is to make a
+dash past the cave, going on a run."
+
+"He'd grab us," said Dorothy.
+
+"Well, he can't grab but one at a time, and I'll go first. As soon as
+he grabs me the rest of you can slip past him, out of his reach, and he
+will soon let me go because I am not fit to eat."
+
+They decided to try this plan and Dorothy took Toto in her arms, so as
+to protect him. She followed just after the Scarecrow. Then came Ojo,
+with Scraps the last of the four. Their hearts beat a little faster
+than usual as they again approached the Giant's cave, this time moving
+swiftly forward.
+
+It turned out about the way the Scarecrow had planned. Mister Yoop was
+quite astonished to see them come flying toward him, and thrusting his
+arms between the bars he seized the Scarecrow in a firm grip. In the
+next instant he realized, from the way the straw crunched between his
+fingers, that he had captured the non-eatable man, but during that
+instant of delay Dorothy and Ojo had slipped by the Giant and were out
+of reach. Uttering a howl of rage the monster threw the Scarecrow after
+them with one hand and grabbed Scraps with the other.
+
+The poor Scarecrow went whirling through the air and so cleverly was he
+aimed that he struck Ojo's back and sent the boy tumbling head over
+heels, and he tripped Dorothy and sent her, also, sprawling upon the
+ground. Toto flew out of the little girl's arms and landed some
+distance ahead, and all were so dazed that it was a moment before they
+could scramble to their feet again. When they did so they turned to
+look toward the Giant's cave, and at that moment the ferocious Mister
+Yoop threw the Patchwork Girl at them.
+
+Down went all three again, in a heap, with Scraps on top. The Giant
+roared so terribly that for a time they were afraid he had broken
+loose; but he hadn't. So they sat in the road and looked at one another
+in a rather bewildered way, and then began to feel glad.
+
+"We did it!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, with satisfaction. "And now we
+are free to go on our way."
+
+"Mister Yoop is very impolite," declared Scraps. "He jarred me
+terribly. It's lucky my stitches are so fine and strong, for otherwise
+such harsh treatment might rip me up the back."
+
+"Allow me to apologize for the Giant," said the Scarecrow, raising the
+Patchwork Girl to her feet and dusting her skirt with his stuffed
+hands. "Mister Yoop is a perfect stranger to me, but I fear, from the
+rude manner in which he has acted, that he is no gentleman."
+
+Dorothy and Ojo laughed at this statement and Toto barked as if he
+understood the joke, after which they all felt better and resumed the
+journey in high spirits.
+
+"Of course," said the little girl, when they had walked a way along the
+passage, "it was lucky for us the Giant was caged; for, if he had
+happened to be loose, he--he--"
+
+"Perhaps, in that case, he wouldn't be hungry any more," said Ojo
+gravely.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-One
+
+Hip Hopper the Champion
+
+
+They must have had good courage to climb all those rocks, for after
+getting out of the canyon they encountered more rock hills to be
+surmounted. Toto could jump from one rock to another quite easily, but
+the others had to creep and climb with care, so that after a whole day
+of such work Dorothy and Ojo found themselves very tired.
+
+As they gazed upward at the great mass of tumbled rocks that covered
+the steep incline, Dorothy gave a little groan and said:
+
+"That's going to be a ter'ble hard climb, Scarecrow. I wish we could
+find the dark well without so much trouble."
+
+"Suppose," said Ojo, "you wait here and let me do the climbing, for
+it's on my account we're searching for the dark well. Then, if I don't
+find anything, I'll come back and join you."
+
+"No," replied the little girl, shaking her head positively, "we'll all
+go together, for that way we can help each other. If you went alone,
+something might happen to you, Ojo."
+
+So they began the climb and found it indeed difficult, for a way. But
+presently, in creeping over the big crags, they found a path at their
+feet which wound in and out among the masses of rock and was quite
+smooth and easy to walk upon. As the path gradually ascended the
+mountain, although in a roundabout way, they decided to follow it.
+
+"This must be the road to the Country of the Hoppers," said the
+Scarecrow.
+
+"Who are the Hoppers?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"Some people Jack Pumpkinhead told me about," he replied.
+
+"I didn't hear him," replied the girl.
+
+"No; you were asleep," explained the Scarecrow. "But he told Scraps and
+me that the Hoppers and the Horners live on this mountain."
+
+"He said in the mountain," declared Scraps; "but of course he meant on
+it."
+
+"Didn't he say what the Hoppers and Horners were like?" inquired
+Dorothy.
+
+"No; he only said they were two separate nations, and that the Horners
+were the most important."
+
+"Well, if we go to their country we'll find out all about 'em," said
+the girl. "But I've never heard Ozma mention those people, so they
+can't be very important."
+
+"Is this mountain in the Land of Oz?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Course it is," answered Dorothy. "It's in the South Country of the
+Quadlings. When one comes to the edge of Oz, in any direction, there is
+nothing more to be seen at all. Once you could see sandy desert all
+around Oz; but now it's diff'rent, and no other people can see us, any
+more than we can see them."
+
+"If the mountain is under Ozma's rule, why doesn't she know about the
+Hoppers and the Horners?" Ojo asked.
+
+"Why, it's a fairyland," explained Dorothy, "and lots of queer people
+live in places so tucked away that those in the Emerald City never even
+hear of 'em. In the middle of the country it's diff'rent, but when you
+get around the edges you're sure to run into strange little corners
+that surprise you. I know, for I've traveled in Oz a good deal, and so
+has the Scarecrow."
+
+"Yes," admitted the straw man, "I've been considerable of a traveler,
+in my time, and I like to explore strange places. I find I learn much
+more by traveling than by staying at home."
+
+During this conversation they had been walking up the steep pathway and
+now found themselves well up on the mountain. They could see nothing
+around them, for the rocks beside their path were higher than their
+heads. Nor could they see far in front of them, because the path was so
+crooked. But suddenly they stopped, because the path ended and there
+was no place to go. Ahead was a big rock lying against the side of the
+mountain, and this blocked the way completely.
+
+"There wouldn't be a path, though, if it didn't go somewhere," said the
+Scarecrow, wrinkling his forehead in deep thought.
+
+"This is somewhere, isn't it?" asked the Patchwork Girl, laughing at
+the bewildered looks of the others.
+
+    "The path is locked, the way is blocked,
+    Yet here we've innocently flocked;
+    And now we're here it's rather queer
+    There's no front door that can be knocked."
+
+
+"Please don't, Scraps," said Ojo. "You make me nervous."
+
+"Well," said Dorothy, "I'm glad of a little rest, for that's a drea'ful
+steep path."
+
+As she spoke she leaned against the edge of the big rock that stood in
+their way. To her surprise it slowly swung backward and showed behind
+it a dark hole that looked like the mouth of a tunnel.
+
+"Why, here's where the path goes to!" she exclaimed.
+
+"So it is," answered the Scarecrow. "But the question is, do we want to
+go where the path does?"
+
+"It's underground; right inside the mountain," said Ojo, peering into
+the dark hole. "Perhaps there's a well there; and, if there is, it's
+sure to be a dark one."
+
+"Why, that's true enough!" cried Dorothy with eagerness. "Let's go in,
+Scarecrow; 'cause, if others have gone, we're pretty safe to go, too."
+
+Toto looked in and barked, but he did not venture to enter until the
+Scarecrow had bravely gone first. Scraps followed closely after the
+straw man and then Ojo and Dorothy timidly stepped inside the tunnel.
+As soon as all of them had passed the big rock, it slowly turned and
+filled up the opening again; but now they were no longer in the dark,
+for a soft, rosy light enabled them to see around them quite distinctly.
+
+It was only a passage, wide enough for two of them to walk
+abreast--with Toto in between them--and it had a high, arched roof.
+They could not see where the light which flooded the place so
+pleasantly came from, for there were no lamps anywhere visible. The
+passage ran straight for a little way and then made a bend to the right
+and another sharp turn to the left, after which it went straight again.
+But there were no side passages, so they could not lose their way.
+
+After proceeding some distance, Toto, who had gone on ahead, began to
+bark loudly. They ran around a bend to see what was the matter and
+found a man sitting on the floor of the passage and leaning his back
+against the wall. He had probably been asleep before Toto's barks
+aroused him, for he was now rubbing his eyes and staring at the little
+dog with all his might.
+
+There was something about this man that Toto objected to, and when he
+slowly rose to his foot they saw what it was. He had but one leg, set
+just below the middle of his round, fat body; but it was a stout leg
+and had a broad, flat foot at the bottom of it, on which the man seemed
+to stand very well. He had never had but this one leg, which looked
+something like a pedestal, and when Toto ran up and made a grab at the
+man's ankle he hopped first one way and then another in a very active
+manner, looking so frightened that Scraps laughed aloud.
+
+Toto was usually a well behaved dog, but this time he was angry and
+snapped at the man's leg again and again. This filled the poor fellow
+with fear, and in hopping out of Toto's reach he suddenly lost his
+balance and tumbled heel over head upon the floor. When he sat up he
+kicked Toto on the nose and made the dog howl angrily, but Dorothy now
+ran forward and caught Toto's collar, holding him back.
+
+"Do you surrender?" she asked the man.
+
+"Who? Me?" asked the Hopper.
+
+"Yes; you," said the little girl.
+
+"Am I captured?" he inquired.
+
+"Of course. My dog has captured you," she said.
+
+"Well," replied the man, "if I'm captured I must surrender, for it's
+the proper thing to do. I like to do everything proper, for it saves
+one a lot of trouble."
+
+"It does, indeed," said Dorothy. "Please tell us who you are."
+
+"I'm Hip Hopper--Hip Hopper, the Champion."
+
+"Champion what?" she asked in surprise.
+
+"Champion wrestler. I'm a very strong man, and that ferocious animal
+which you are so kindly holding is the first living thing that has ever
+conquered me."
+
+"And you are a Hopper?" she continued.
+
+"Yes. My people live in a great city not far from here. Would you like
+to visit it?"
+
+"I'm not sure," she said with hesitation. "Have you any dark wells in
+your city?"
+
+"I think not. We have wells, you know, but they're all well lighted,
+and a well lighted well cannot well be a dark well. But there may be
+such a thing as a very dark well in the Horner Country, which is a
+black spot on the face of the earth."
+
+"Where is the Horner Country?" Ojo inquired.
+
+"The other side of the mountain. There's a fence between the Hopper
+Country and the Horner Country, and a gate in the fence; but you can't
+pass through just now, because we are at war with the Horners."
+
+"That's too bad," said the Scarecrow. "What seems to be the trouble?"
+
+"Why, one of them made a very insulting remark about my people. He said
+we were lacking in understanding, because we had only one leg to a
+person. I can't see that legs have anything to do with understanding
+things. The Horners each have two legs, just as you have. That's one
+leg too many, it seems to me."
+
+"No," declared Dorothy, "it's just the right number."
+
+"You don't need them," argued the Hopper, obstinately. "You've only one
+head, and one body, and one nose and mouth. Two legs are quite
+unnecessary, and they spoil one's shape."
+
+"But how can you walk, with only one leg?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Walk! Who wants to walk?" exclaimed the man. "Walking is a terribly
+awkward way to travel. I hop, and so do all my people. It's so much
+more graceful and agreeable than walking."
+
+"I don't agree with you," said the Scarecrow. "But tell me, is there
+any way to get to the Horner Country without going through the city of
+the Hoppers?"
+
+"Yes; there is another path from the rocky lowlands, outside the
+mountain, that leads straight to the entrance of the Horner Country.
+But it's a long way around, so you'd better come with me. Perhaps they
+will allow you to go through the gate; but we expect to conquer them
+this afternoon, if we get time, and then you may go and come as you
+please."
+
+They thought it best to take the Hopper's advice, and asked him to lead
+the way. This he did in a series of hops, and he moved so swiftly in
+this strange manner that those with two legs had to run to keep up with
+him.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Two
+
+The Joking Horners
+
+
+It was not long before they left the passage and came to a great cave,
+so high that it must have reached nearly to the top of the mountain
+within which it lay. It was a magnificent cave, illumined by the soft,
+invisible light, so that everything in it could be plainly seen. The
+walls were of polished marble, white with veins of delicate colors
+running through it, and the roof was arched and fantastic and beautiful.
+
+Built beneath this vast dome was a pretty village--not very large, for
+there seemed not more than fifty houses altogether--and the dwellings
+were of marble and artistically designed. No grass nor flowers nor
+trees grew in this cave, so the yards surrounding the houses carved in
+designs both were smooth and bare and had low walls around them to mark
+their boundaries.
+
+In the streets and the yards of the houses were many people all having
+one leg growing below their bodies and all hopping here and there
+whenever they moved. Even the children stood firmly upon their single
+legs and never lost their balance.
+
+"All hail, Champion!" cried a man in the first group of Hoppers they
+met; "whom have you captured?"
+
+"No one," replied the Champion in a gloomy voice; "these strangers have
+captured me."
+
+"Then," said another, "we will rescue you, and capture them, for we are
+greater in number."
+
+"No," answered the Champion, "I can't allow it. I've surrendered, and
+it isn't polite to capture those you've surrendered to."
+
+"Never mind that," said Dorothy. "We will give you your liberty and set
+you free."
+
+"Really?" asked the Champion in joyous tones.
+
+"Yes," said the little girl; "your people may need you to help conquer
+the Horners."
+
+At this all the Hoppers looked downcast and sad. Several more had
+joined the group by this time and quite a crowd of curious men, women
+and children surrounded the strangers.
+
+"This war with our neighbors is a terrible thing," remarked one of the
+women. "Some one is almost sure to get hurt."
+
+"Why do you say that, madam?" inquired the Scarecrow.
+
+"Because the horns of our enemies are sharp, and in battle they will
+try to stick those horns into our warriors," she replied.
+
+"How many horns do the Horners have?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"Each has one horn in the center of his forehead," was the answer.
+
+"Oh, then they're unicorns," declared the Scarecrow.
+
+"No; they're Horners. We never go to war with them if we can help it,
+on account of their dangerous horns; but this insult was so great and
+so unprovoked that our brave men decided to fight, in order to be
+revenged," said the woman.
+
+"What weapons do you fight with?" the Scarecrow asked.
+
+"We have no weapons," explained the Champion. "Whenever we fight the
+Horners, our plan is to push them back, for our arms are longer than
+theirs."
+
+"Then you are better armed," said Scraps.
+
+"Yes; but they have those terrible horns, and unless we are careful
+they prick us with the points," returned the Champion with a shudder.
+"That makes a war with them dangerous, and a dangerous war cannot be a
+pleasant one."
+
+"I see very clearly," remarked the Scarecrow, "that you are going to
+have trouble in conquering those Horners--unless we help you."
+
+"Oh!" cried the Hoppers in a chorus; "can you help us? Please do! We
+will be greatly obliged! It would please us very much!" and by these
+exclamations the Scarecrow knew that his speech had met with favor.
+
+"How far is it to the Horner Country?" he asked.
+
+"Why, it's just the other side of the fence," they answered, and the
+Champion added:
+
+"Come with me, please, and I'll show you the Horners."
+
+So they followed the Champion and several others through the streets
+and just beyond the village came to a very high picket fence, built all
+of marble, which seemed to divide the great cave into two equal parts.
+
+But the part inhabited by the Horners was in no way as grand in
+appearance as that of the Hoppers. Instead of being marble, the walls
+and roof were of dull gray rock and the square houses were plainly made
+of the same material. But in extent the city was much larger than that
+of the Hoppers and the streets were thronged with numerous people who
+busied themselves in various ways.
+
+Looking through the open pickets of the fence our friends watched the
+Horners, who did not know they were being watched by strangers, and
+found them very unusual in appearance. They were little folks in size
+and had bodies round as balls and short legs and arms. Their heads were
+round, too, and they had long, pointed ears and a horn set in the
+center of the forehead. The horns did not seem very terrible, for they
+were not more than six inches long; but they were ivory white and sharp
+pointed, and no wonder the Hoppers feared them.
+
+The skins of the Horners were light brown, but they wore snow-white
+robes and were bare-footed. Dorothy thought the most striking thing
+about them was their hair, which grew in three distinct colors on each
+and every head--red, yellow and green. The red was at the bottom and
+sometimes hung over their eyes; then came a broad circle of yellow and
+the green was at the top and formed a brush-shaped top-knot.
+
+None of the Horners was yet aware of the presence of strangers, who
+watched the little brown people for a time and then went to the big
+gate in the center of the dividing fence. It was locked on both sides
+and over the latch was a sign reading:
+
+    "WAR IS DECLARED"
+
+
+"Can't we go through?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"Not now," answered the Champion.
+
+"I think," said the Scarecrow, "that if I could talk with those Horners
+they would apologize to you, and then there would be no need to fight."
+
+"Can't you talk from this side?" asked the Champion.
+
+"Not so well," replied the Scarecrow. "Do you suppose you could throw
+me over that fence? It is high, but I am very light."
+
+"We can try it," said the Hopper. "I am perhaps the strongest man in my
+country, so I'll undertake to do the throwing. But I won't promise you
+will land on your feet."
+
+"No matter about that," returned the Scarecrow. "Just toss me over and
+I'll be satisfied."
+
+So the Champion picked up the Scarecrow and balanced him a moment, to
+see how much he weighed, and then with all his strength tossed him high
+into the air.
+
+Perhaps if the Scarecrow had been a trifle heavier he would have been
+easier to throw and would have gone a greater distance; but, as it was,
+instead of going over the fence he landed just on top of it, and one of
+the sharp pickets caught him in the middle of his back and held him
+fast prisoner. Had he been face downward the Scarecrow might have
+managed to free himself, but lying on his back on the picket his hands
+waved in the air of the Horner Country while his feet kicked the air of
+the Hopper Country; so there he was.
+
+"Are you hurt?" called the Patchwork Girl anxiously.
+
+"Course not," said Dorothy. "But if he wiggles that way he may tear his
+clothes. How can we get him down, Mr. Champion?"
+
+The Champion shook his head.
+
+"I don't know," he confessed. "If he could scare Horners as well as he
+does crows, it might be a good idea to leave him there."
+
+"This is terrible," said Ojo, almost ready to cry. "I s'pose it's
+because I am Ojo the Unlucky that everyone who tries to help me gets
+into trouble."
+
+"You are lucky to have anyone to help you," declared Dorothy. "But
+don't worry. We'll rescue the Scarecrow somehow."
+
+"I know how," announced Scraps. "Here, Mr. Champion; just throw me up
+to the Scarecrow. I'm nearly as light as he is, and when I'm on top the
+fence I'll pull our friend off the picket and toss him down to you."
+
+"All right," said the Champion, and he picked up the Patchwork Girl and
+threw her in the same manner he had the Scarecrow. He must have used
+more strength this time, however, for Scraps sailed far over the top of
+the fence and, without being able to grab the Scarecrow at all, tumbled
+to the ground in the Horner Country, where her stuffed body knocked
+over two men and a woman and made a crowd that had collected there run
+like rabbits to get away from her.
+
+Seeing the next moment that she was harmless, the people slowly
+returned and gathered around the Patchwork Girl, regarding her with
+astonishment. One of them wore a jeweled star in his hair, just above
+his horn, and this seemed a person of importance. He spoke for the rest
+of his people, who treated him with great respect.
+
+"Who are you, Unknown Being?" he asked.
+
+"Scraps," she said, rising to her feet and patting her cotton wadding
+smooth where it had bunched up.
+
+"And where did you come from?" he continued.
+
+"Over the fence. Don't be silly. There's no other place I could have
+come from," she replied.
+
+He looked at her thoughtfully.
+
+"You are not a Hopper," said he, "for you have two legs. They're not
+very well shaped, but they are two in number. And that strange creature
+on top the fence--why doesn't he stop kicking?--must be your brother,
+or father, or son, for he also has two legs."
+
+"You must have been to visit the Wise Donkey," said Scraps, laughing so
+merrily that the crowd smiled with her, in sympathy. "But that reminds
+me, Captain--or King--"
+
+"I am Chief of the Horners, and my name is Jak."
+
+"Of course; Little Jack Horner; I might have known it. But the reason I
+volplaned over the fence was so I could have a talk with you about the
+Hoppers."
+
+"What about the Hoppers?" asked the Chief, frowning.
+
+"You've insulted them, and you'd better beg their pardon," said Scraps.
+"If you don't, they'll probably hop over here and conquer you."
+
+"We're not afraid--as long as the gate is locked," declared the Chief.
+"And we didn't insult them at all. One of us made a joke that the
+stupid Hoppers couldn't see."
+
+The Chief smiled as he said this and the smile made his face look quite
+jolly.
+
+"What was the joke?" asked Scraps.
+
+"A Horner said they have less understanding than we, because they've
+only one leg. Ha, ha! You see the point, don't you? If you stand on
+your legs, and your legs are under you, then--ha, ha, ha!--then your
+legs are your under-standing. Hee, hee, hee! Ho, ho! My, but that's a
+fine joke. And the stupid Hoppers couldn't see it! They couldn't see
+that with only one leg they must have less under-standing than we who
+have two legs. Ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee! Ho, ho!" The Chief wiped the tears
+of laughter from his eyes with the bottom hem of his white robe, and
+all the other Horners wiped their eyes on their robes, for they had
+laughed just as heartily as their Chief at the absurd joke.
+
+"Then," said Scraps, "their understanding of the understanding you
+meant led to the misunderstanding."
+
+"Exactly; and so there's no need for us to apologize," returned the
+Chief.
+
+"No need for an apology, perhaps, but much need for an explanation,"
+said Scraps decidedly. "You don't want war, do you?"
+
+"Not if we can help it," admitted Jak Horner. "The question is, who's
+going to explain the joke to the Horners? You know it spoils any joke
+to be obliged to explain it, and this is the best joke I ever heard."
+
+"Who made the joke?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Diksey Horner. He is working in the mines, just now, but he'll be home
+before long. Suppose we wait and talk with him about it? Maybe he'll be
+willing to explain his joke to the Hoppers."
+
+"All right," said Scraps. "I'll wait, if Diksey isn't too long."
+
+"No, he's short; he's shorter than I am. Ha, ha, ha! Say! that's a
+better joke than Diksey's. He won't be too long, because he's short.
+Hee, hee, ho!"
+
+The other Horners who were standing by roared with laughter and seemed
+to like their Chief's joke as much as he did. Scraps thought it was odd
+that they could be so easily amused, but decided there could be little
+harm in people who laughed so merrily.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Three
+
+Peace Is Declared
+
+
+"Come with me to my dwelling and I'll introduce you to my daughters,"
+said the Chief. "We're bringing them up according to a book of rules
+that was written by one of our leading old bachelors, and everyone says
+they're a remarkable lot of girls."
+
+So Scraps accompanied him along the street to a house that seemed on
+the outside exceptionally grimy and dingy. The streets of this city
+were not paved nor had any attempt been made to beautify the houses or
+their surroundings, and having noticed this condition Scraps was
+astonished when the Chief ushered her into his home.
+
+Here was nothing grimy or faded, indeed. On the contrary, the room was
+of dazzling brilliance and beauty, for it was lined throughout with an
+exquisite metal that resembled translucent frosted silver. The surface
+of this metal was highly ornamented in raised designs representing men,
+animals, flowers and trees, and from the metal itself was radiated the
+soft light which flooded the room. All the furniture was made of the
+same glorious metal, and Scraps asked what it was.
+
+"That's radium," answered the Chief. "We Horners spend all our time
+digging radium from the mines under this mountain, and we use it to
+decorate our homes and make them pretty and cosy. It is a medicine,
+too, and no one can ever be sick who lives near radium."
+
+"Have you plenty of it?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
+
+"More than we can use. All the houses in this city are decorated with
+it, just the same as mine is."
+
+"Why don't you use it on your streets, then, and the outside of your
+houses, to make them as pretty as they are within?" she inquired.
+
+"Outside? Who cares for the outside of anything?" asked the Chief. "We
+Horners don't live on the outside of our homes; we live inside. Many
+people are like those stupid Hoppers, who love to make an outside show.
+I suppose you strangers thought their city more beautiful than ours,
+because you judged from appearances and they have handsome marble
+houses and marble streets; but if you entered one of their stiff
+dwellings you would find it bare and uncomfortable, as all their show
+is on the outside. They have an idea that what is not seen by others is
+not important, but with us the rooms we live in are our chief delight
+and care, and we pay no attention to outside show."
+
+"Seems to me," said Scraps, musingly, "it would be better to make it
+all pretty--inside and out."
+
+"Seems? Why, you're all seams, my girl!" said the Chief; and then he
+laughed heartily at his latest joke and a chorus of small voices echoed
+the chorus with "tee-hee-hee! ha, ha!"
+
+Scraps turned around and found a row of girls seated in radium chairs
+ranged along one wall of the room. There were nineteen of them, by
+actual count, and they were of all sizes from a tiny child to one
+almost a grown woman. All were neatly dressed in spotless white robes
+and had brown skins, horns on their foreheads and three-colored hair.
+
+"These," said the Chief, "are my sweet daughters. My dears, I introduce
+to you Miss Scraps Patchwork, a lady who is traveling in foreign parts
+to increase her store of wisdom."
+
+The nineteen Horner girls all arose and made a polite curtsey, after
+which they resumed their seats and rearranged their robes properly.
+
+"Why do they sit so still, and all in a row?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Because it is ladylike and proper," replied the Chief.
+
+"But some are just children, poor things! Don't they ever run around
+and play and laugh, and have a good time?"
+
+"No, indeed," said the Chief. "That would be improper in young ladies,
+as well as in those who will sometime become young ladies. My daughters
+are being brought up according to the rules and regulations laid down
+by a leading bachelor who has given the subject much study and is
+himself a man of taste and culture. Politeness is his great hobby, and
+he claims that if a child is allowed to do an impolite thing one cannot
+expect the grown person to do anything better."
+
+"Is it impolite to romp and shout and be jolly?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Well, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't," replied the Horner,
+after considering the question. "By curbing such inclinations in my
+daughters we keep on the safe side. Once in a while I make a good joke,
+as you have heard, and then I permit my daughters to laugh decorously;
+but they are never allowed to make a joke themselves."
+
+"That old bachelor who made the rules ought to be skinned alive!"
+declared Scraps, and would have said more on the subject had not the
+door opened to admit a little Horner man whom the Chief introduced as
+Diksey.
+
+"What's up, Chief?" asked Diksey, winking nineteen times at the
+nineteen girls, who demurely cast down their eyes because their father
+was looking.
+
+The Chief told the man that his joke had not been understood by the
+dull Hoppers, who had become so angry that they had declared war. So
+the only way to avoid a terrible battle was to explain the joke so they
+could understand it.
+
+"All right," replied Diksey, who seemed a good-natured man; "I'll go at
+once to the fence and explain. I don't want any war with the Hoppers,
+for wars between nations always cause hard feelings."
+
+So the Chief and Diksey and Scraps left the house and went back to the
+marble picket fence. The Scarecrow was still stuck on the top of his
+picket but had now ceased to struggle. On the other side of the fence
+were Dorothy and Ojo, looking between the pickets; and there, also,
+were the Champion and many other Hoppers.
+
+Diksey went close to the fence and said:
+
+"My good Hoppers, I wish to explain that what I said about you was a
+joke. You have but one leg each, and we have two legs each. Our legs
+are under us, whether one or two, and we stand on them. So, when I said
+you had less understanding than we, I did not mean that you had less
+understanding, you understand, but that you had less standundering, so
+to speak. Do you understand that?"
+
+The Hoppers thought it over carefully. Then one said:
+
+"That is clear enough; but where does the joke come in?'"
+
+Dorothy laughed, for she couldn't help it, although all the others were
+solemn enough.
+
+"I'll tell you where the joke comes in," she said, and took the Hoppers
+away to a distance, where the Horners could not hear them. "You know,"
+she then explained, "those neighbors of yours are not very bright, poor
+things, and what they think is a joke isn't a joke at all--it's true,
+don't you see?"
+
+"True that we have less understanding?" asked the Champion.
+
+"Yes; it's true because you don't understand such a poor joke; if you
+did, you'd be no wiser than they are."
+
+"Ah, yes; of course," they answered, looking very wise.
+
+"So I'll tell you what to do," continued Dorothy. "Laugh at their poor
+joke and tell 'em it's pretty good for a Horner. Then they won't dare
+say you have less understanding, because you understand as much as they
+do."
+
+The Hoppers looked at one another questioningly and blinked their eyes
+and tried to think what it all meant; but they couldn't figure it out.
+
+"What do you think, Champion?" asked one of them.
+
+"I think it is dangerous to think of this thing any more than we can
+help," he replied. "Let us do as this girl says and laugh with the
+Horners, so as to make them believe we see the joke. Then there will be
+peace again and no need to fight."
+
+They readily agreed to this and returned to the fence laughing as loud
+and as hard as they could, although they didn't feel like laughing a
+bit. The Horners were much surprised.
+
+"That's a fine joke--for a Horner--and we are much pleased with it,"
+said the Champion, speaking between the pickets. "But please don't do
+it again."
+
+"I won't," promised Diksey. "If I think of another such joke I'll try
+to forget it."
+
+"Good!" cried the Chief Horner. "The war is over and peace is declared."
+
+There was much joyful shouting on both sides of the fence and the gate
+was unlocked and thrown wide open, so that Scraps was able to rejoin
+her friends.
+
+"What about the Scarecrow?" she asked Dorothy.
+
+"We must get him down, somehow or other," was the reply.
+
+"Perhaps the Horners can find a way," suggested Ojo. So they all went
+through the gate and Dorothy asked the Chief Horner how they could get
+the Scarecrow off the fence. The Chief didn't know how, but Diksey said:
+
+"A ladder's the thing."
+
+"Have you one?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"To be sure. We use ladders in our mines," said he. Then he ran away to
+get the ladder, and while he was gone the Horners gathered around and
+welcomed the strangers to their country, for through them a great war
+had been avoided.
+
+In a little while Diksey came back with a tall ladder which he placed
+against the fence. Ojo at once climbed to the top of the ladder and
+Dorothy went about halfway up and Scraps stood at the foot of it. Toto
+ran around it and barked. Then Ojo pulled the Scarecrow away from the
+picket and passed him down to Dorothy, who in turn lowered him to the
+Patchwork Girl.
+
+As soon as he was on his feet and standing on solid ground the
+Scarecrow said:
+
+"Much obliged. I feel much better. I'm not stuck on that picket any
+more."
+
+The Horners began to laugh, thinking this was a joke, but the Scarecrow
+shook himself and patted his straw a little and said to Dorothy: "Is
+there much of a hole in my back?"
+
+The little girl examined him carefully.
+
+"There's quite a hole," she said. "But I've got a needle and thread in
+the knapsack and I'll sew you up again."
+
+"Do so," he begged earnestly, and again the Hoppers laughed, to the
+Scarecrow's great annoyance.
+
+While Dorothy was sewing up the hole in the straw man's back Scraps
+examined the other parts of him.
+
+"One of his legs is ripped, too!" she exclaimed.
+
+"Oho!" cried little Diksey; "that's bad. Give him the needle and thread
+and let him mend his ways."
+
+"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Chief, and the other Horners at once roared
+with laughter.
+
+"What's funny?" inquired the Scarecrow sternly.
+
+"Don't you see?" asked Diksey, who had laughed even harder than the
+others. "That's a joke. It's by odds the best joke I ever made. You
+walk with your legs, and so that's the way you walk, and your legs are
+the ways. See? So, when you mend your legs, you mend your ways. Ho, ho,
+ho! hee, hee! I'd no idea I could make such a fine joke!"
+
+"Just wonderful!" echoed the Chief. "How do you manage to do it,
+Diksey?"
+
+"I don't know," said Diksey modestly. "Perhaps it's the radium, but I
+rather think it's my splendid intellect."
+
+"If you don't quit it," the Scarecrow told him, "there'll be a worse
+war than the one you've escaped from."
+
+Ojo had been deep in thought, and now he asked the Chief: "Is there a
+dark well in any part of your country?"
+
+"A dark well? None that ever I heard of," was the answer.
+
+"Oh, yes," said Diksey, who overheard the boy's question. "There's a
+very dark well down in my radium mine."
+
+"Is there any water in it?" Ojo eagerly asked.
+
+"Can't say; I've never looked to see. But we can find out."
+
+So, as soon as the Scarecrow was mended, they decided to go with Diksey
+to the mine. When Dorothy had patted the straw man into shape again he
+declared he felt as good as new and equal to further adventures.
+
+"Still," said he, "I prefer not to do picket duty again. High life
+doesn't seem to agree with my constitution." And then they hurried away
+to escape the laughter of the Horners, who thought this was another
+joke.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Four
+
+Ojo Finds the Dark Well
+
+
+They now followed Diksey to the farther end of the great cave, beyond
+the Horner city, where there were several round, dark holes leading
+into the ground in a slanting direction. Diksey went to one of these
+holes and said:
+
+"Here is the mine in which lies the dark well you are seeking. Follow
+me and step carefully and I'll lead you to the place."
+
+He went in first and after him came Ojo, and then Dorothy, with the
+Scarecrow behind her. The Patchwork Girl entered last of all, for Toto
+kept close beside his little mistress.
+
+A few steps beyond the mouth of the opening it was pitch dark. "You
+won't lose your way, though," said the Horner, "for there's only one
+way to go. The mine's mine and I know every step of the way. How's that
+for a joke, eh? The mine's mine." Then he chuckled gleefully as they
+followed him silently down the steep slant. The hole was just big
+enough to permit them to walk upright, although the Scarecrow, being
+much the taller of the party, often had to bend his head to keep from
+hitting the top.
+
+The floor of the tunnel was difficult to walk upon because it had been
+worn smooth as glass, and pretty soon Scraps, who was some distance
+behind the others, slipped and fell head foremost. At once she began to
+slide downward, so swiftly that when she came to the Scarecrow she
+knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling against Dorothy, who
+tripped up Ojo. The boy fell against the Horner, so that all went
+tumbling down the slide in a regular mix-up, unable to see where they
+were going because of the darkness.
+
+Fortunately, when they reached the bottom the Scarecrow and Scraps were
+in front, and the others bumped against them, so that no one was hurt.
+They found themselves in a vast cave which was dimly lighted by the
+tiny grains of radium that lay scattered among the loose rocks.
+
+"Now," said Diksey, when they had all regained their feet, "I will show
+you where the dark well is. This is a big place, but if we hold fast to
+each other we won't get lost."
+
+They took hold of hands and the Horner led them into a dark corner,
+where he halted.
+
+"Be careful," said he warningly. "The well is at your feet."
+
+"All right," replied Ojo, and kneeling down he felt in the well with
+his hand and found that it contained a quantity of water. "Where's the
+gold flask, Dorothy?" he asked, and the little girl handed him the
+flask, which she had brought with her.
+
+Ojo knelt again and by feeling carefully in the dark managed to fill
+the flask with the unseen water that was in the well. Then he screwed
+the top of the flask firmly in place and put the precious water in his
+pocket.
+
+"All right!" he said again, in a glad voice; "now we can go back."
+
+They returned to the mouth of the tunnel and began to creep cautiously
+up the incline. This time they made Scraps stay behind, for fear she
+would slip again; but they all managed to get up in safety and the
+Munchkin boy was very happy when he stood in the Horner city and
+realized that the water from the dark well, which he and his friends
+had traveled so far to secure, was safe in his jacket pocket.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Five
+
+They Bribe the Lazy Quadling
+
+
+"Now," said Dorothy, as they stood on the mountain path, having left
+behind them the cave in which dwelt the Hoppers and the Horners, "I
+think we must find a road into the Country of the Winkies, for there is
+where Ojo wants to go next."
+
+"Is there such a road?" asked the Scarecrow.
+
+"I don't know," she replied. "I s'pose we can go back the way we came,
+to Jack Pumpkinhead's house, and then turn into the Winkie Country; but
+that seems like running 'round a haystack, doesn't it?"
+
+"Yes," said the Scarecrow. "What is the next thing Ojo must get?"
+
+"A yellow butterfly," answered the boy.
+
+"That means the Winkie Country, all right, for it's the yellow country
+of Oz," remarked Dorothy. "I think, Scarecrow, we ought to take him to
+the Tin Woodman, for he's the Emp'ror of the Winkies and will help us
+to find what Ojo wants."
+
+"Of course," replied the Scarecrow, brightening at the suggestion. "The
+Tin Woodman will do anything we ask him, for he's one of my dearest
+friends. I believe we can take a crosscut into his country and so get
+to his castle a day sooner than if we travel back the way we came."
+
+"I think so, too," said the girl; "and that means we must keep to the
+left."
+
+They were obliged to go down the mountain before they found any path
+that led in the direction they wanted to go, but among the tumbled
+rocks at the foot of the mountain was a faint trail which they decided
+to follow. Two or three hours walk along this trail brought them to a
+clear, level country, where there were a few farms and some scattered
+houses. But they knew they were still in the Country of the Quadlings,
+because everything had a bright red color. Not that the trees and
+grasses were red, but the fences and houses were painted that color and
+all the wild-flowers that bloomed by the wayside had red blossoms. This
+part of the Quadling Country seemed peaceful and prosperous, if rather
+lonely, and the road was more distinct and easier to follow.
+
+But just as they were congratulating themselves upon the progress they
+had made they came upon a broad river which swept along between high
+banks, and here the road ended and there was no bridge of any sort to
+allow them to cross.
+
+"This is queer," mused Dorothy, looking at the water reflectively. "Why
+should there be any road, if the river stops everyone walking along it?"
+
+"Wow!" said Toto, gazing earnestly into her face.
+
+"That's the best answer you'll get," declared the Scarecrow, with his
+comical smile, "for no one knows any more than Toto about this road."
+
+Said Scraps:
+
+    "Ev'ry time I see a river,
+    I have chills that make me shiver,
+    For I never can forget
+    All the water's very wet.
+    If my patches get a soak
+    It will be a sorry joke;
+    So to swim I'll never try
+    Till I find the water dry."
+
+
+"Try to control yourself, Scraps," said Ojo; "you're getting crazy
+again. No one intends to swim that river."
+
+"No," decided Dorothy, "we couldn't swim it if we tried. It's too big a
+river, and the water moves awful fast."
+
+"There ought to be a ferryman with a boat," said the Scarecrow; "but I
+don't see any."
+
+"Couldn't we make a raft?" suggested Ojo.
+
+"There's nothing to make one of," answered Dorothy.
+
+"Wow!" said Toto again, and Dorothy saw he was looking along the bank
+of the river.
+
+"Why, he sees a house over there!" cried the little girl. "I wonder we
+didn't notice it ourselves. Let's go and ask the people how to get
+'cross the river."
+
+A quarter of a mile along the bank stood a small, round house, painted
+bright red, and as it was on their side of the river they hurried
+toward it. A chubby little man, dressed all in red, came out to greet
+them, and with him were two children, also in red costumes. The man's
+eyes were big and staring as he examined the Scarecrow and the
+Patchwork Girl, and the children shyly hid behind him and peeked
+timidly at Toto.
+
+"Do you live here, my good man?" asked the Scarecrow.
+
+"I think I do, Most Mighty Magician," replied the Quadling, bowing low;
+"but whether I'm awake or dreaming I can't be positive, so I'm not sure
+where I live. If you'll kindly pinch me I'll find out all about it!"
+
+"You're awake," said Dorothy, "and this is no magician, but just the
+Scarecrow."
+
+"But he's alive," protested the man, "and he oughtn't to be, you know.
+And that other dreadful person--the girl who is all patches--seems to
+be alive, too."
+
+"Very much so," declared Scraps, making a face at him. "But that isn't
+your affair, you know."
+
+"I've a right to be surprised, haven't I?" asked the man meekly.
+
+"I'm not sure; but anyhow you've no right to say I'm dreadful. The
+Scarecrow, who is a gentleman of great wisdom, thinks I'm beautiful,"
+retorted Scraps.
+
+"Never mind all that," said Dorothy. "Tell us, good Quadling, how we
+can get across the river."
+
+"I don't know," replied the Quadling.
+
+"Don't you ever cross it?" asked the girl.
+
+"Never."
+
+"Don't travelers cross it?"
+
+"Not to my knowledge," said he.
+
+They were much surprised to hear this, and the man added: "It's a
+pretty big river, and the current is strong. I know a man who lives on
+the opposite bank, for I've seen him there a good many years; but we've
+never spoken because neither of us has ever crossed over."
+
+"That's queer," said the Scarecrow. "Don't you own a boat?"
+
+The man shook his head.
+
+"Nor a raft?"
+
+"Where does this river go to?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"That way," answered the man, pointing with one hand, "it goes into the
+Country of the Winkies, which is ruled by the Tin Emperor, who must be
+a mighty magician because he's all made of tin, and yet he's alive. And
+that way," pointing with the other hand, "the river runs between two
+mountains where dangerous people dwell."
+
+The Scarecrow looked at the water before them.
+
+"The current flows toward the Winkie Country," said he; "and so, if we
+had a boat, or a raft, the river would float us there more quickly and
+more easily than we could walk."
+
+"That is true," agreed Dorothy; and then they all looked thoughtful and
+wondered what could be done.
+
+"Why can't the man make us a raft?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Will you?" inquired Dorothy, turning to the Quadling.
+
+The chubby man shook his head.
+
+"I'm too lazy," he said. "My wife says I'm the laziest man in all Oz,
+and she is a truthful woman. I hate work of any kind, and making a raft
+is hard work."
+
+"I'll give you my em'rald ring," promised the girl.
+
+"No; I don't care for emeralds. If it were a ruby, which is the color I
+like best, I might work a little while."
+
+"I've got some Square Meal Tablets," said the Scarecrow. "Each one is
+the same as a dish of soup, a fried fish, a mutton pot-pie, lobster
+salad, charlotte russe and lemon jelly--all made into one little tablet
+that you can swallow without trouble."
+
+"Without trouble!" exclaimed the Quadling, much interested; "then those
+tablets would be fine for a lazy man. It's such hard work to chew when
+you eat."
+
+"I'll give you six of those tablets if you'll help us make a raft,"
+promised the Scarecrow. "They're a combination of food which people who
+eat are very fond of. I never eat, you know, being straw; but some of
+my friends eat regularly. What do you say to my offer, Quadling?"
+
+"I'll do it," decided the man. "I'll help, and you can do most of the
+work. But my wife has gone fishing for red eels to-day, so some of you
+will have to mind the children."
+
+Scraps promised to do that, and the children were not so shy when the
+Patchwork Girl sat down to play with them. They grew to like Toto, too,
+and the little dog allowed them to pat him on his head, which gave the
+little ones much joy.
+
+There were a number of fallen trees near the house and the Quadling got
+his axe and chopped them into logs of equal length. He took his wife's
+clothesline to bind these logs together, so that they would form a
+raft, and Ojo found some strips of wood and nailed them along the tops
+of the logs, to render them more firm. The Scarecrow and Dorothy helped
+roll the logs together and carry the strips of wood, but it took so
+long to make the raft that evening came just as it was finished, and
+with evening the Quadling's wife returned from her fishing.
+
+The woman proved to be cross and bad-tempered, perhaps because she had
+only caught one red eel during all the day. When she found that her
+husband had used her clothesline, and the logs she had wanted for
+firewood, and the boards she had intended to mend the shed with, and a
+lot of gold nails, she became very angry. Scraps wanted to shake the
+woman, to make her behave, but Dorothy talked to her in a gentle tone
+and told the Quadling's wife she was a Princess of Oz and a friend of
+Ozma and that when she got back to the Emerald City she would send them
+a lot of things to repay them for the raft, including a new
+clothesline. This promise pleased the woman and she soon became more
+pleasant, saying they could stay the night at her house and begin their
+voyage on the river next morning.
+
+This they did, spending a pleasant evening with the Quadling family and
+being entertained with such hospitality as the poor people were able to
+offer them. The man groaned a good deal and said he had overworked
+himself by chopping the logs, but the Scarecrow gave him two more
+tablets than he had promised, which seemed to comfort the lazy fellow.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Six
+
+The Trick River
+
+
+Next morning they pushed the raft into the water and all got aboard.
+The Quadling man had to hold the log craft fast while they took their
+places, and the flow of the river was so powerful that it nearly tore
+the raft from his hands. As soon as they were all seated upon the logs
+he let go and away it floated and the adventurers had begun their
+voyage toward the Winkie Country.
+
+The little house of the Quadlings was out of sight almost before they
+had cried their good-byes, and the Scarecrow said in a pleased voice:
+"It won't take us long to get to the Winkie Country, at this rate."
+
+They had floated several miles down the stream and were enjoying the
+ride when suddenly the raft slowed up, stopped short, and then began to
+float back the way it had come.
+
+"Why, what's wrong?" asked Dorothy, in astonishment; but they were all
+just as bewildered as she was and at first no one could answer the
+question. Soon, however, they realized the truth: that the current of
+the river had reversed and the water was now flowing in the opposite
+direction--toward the mountains.
+
+They began to recognize the scenes they had passed, and by and by they
+came in sight of the little house of the Quadlings again. The man was
+standing on the river bank and he called to them:
+
+"How do you do? Glad to see you again. I forgot to tell you that the
+river changes its direction every little while. Sometimes it flows one
+way, and sometimes the other."
+
+They had no time to answer him, for the raft was swept past the house
+and a long distance on the other side of it.
+
+"We're going just the way we don't want to go," said Dorothy, "and I
+guess the best thing we can do is to get to land before we're carried
+any farther."
+
+But they could not get to land. They had no oars, nor even a pole to
+guide the raft with. The logs which bore them floated in the middle of
+the stream and were held fast in that position by the strong current.
+
+So they sat still and waited and, even while they were wondering what
+could be done, the raft slowed down, stopped, and began drifting the
+other way--in the direction it had first followed. After a time they
+repassed the Quadling house and the man was still standing on the bank.
+He cried out to them:
+
+"Good day! Glad to see you again. I expect I shall see you a good many
+times, as you go by, unless you happen to swim ashore."
+
+By that time they had left him behind and were headed once more
+straight toward the Winkie Country.
+
+"This is pretty hard luck," said Ojo in a discouraged voice. "The Trick
+River keeps changing, it seems, and here we must float back and forward
+forever, unless we manage in some way to get ashore."
+
+"Can you swim?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"No; I'm Ojo the Unlucky."
+
+"Neither can I. Toto can swim a little, but that won't help us to get
+to shore."
+
+"I don't know whether I could swim, or not," remarked Scraps; "but if I
+tried it I'd surely ruin my lovely patches."
+
+"My straw would get soggy in the water and I would sink," said the
+Scarecrow.
+
+So there seemed no way out of their dilemma and being helpless they
+simply sat still. Ojo, who was on the front of the raft, looked over
+into the water and thought he saw some large fishes swimming about. He
+found a loose end of the clothesline which fastened the logs together,
+and taking a gold nail from his pocket he bent it nearly double, to
+form a hook, and tied it to the end of the line. Having baited the hook
+with some bread which he broke from his loaf, he dropped the line into
+the water and almost instantly it was seized by a great fish.
+
+They knew it was a great fish, because it pulled so hard on the line
+that it dragged the raft forward even faster than the current of the
+river had carried it. The fish was frightened, and it was a strong
+swimmer. As the other end of the clothesline was bound around the logs
+he could not get it away, and as he had greedily swallowed the gold
+hook at the first bite he could not get rid of that, either.
+
+When they reached the place where the current had before changed, the
+fish was still swimming ahead in its wild attempt to escape. The raft
+slowed down, yet it did not stop, because the fish would not let it. It
+continued to move in the same direction it had been going. As the
+current reversed and rushed backward on its course it failed to drag
+the raft with it. Slowly, inch by inch, they floated on, and the fish
+tugged and tugged and kept them going.
+
+"I hope he won't give up," said Ojo anxiously. "If the fish can hold
+out until the current changes again, we'll be all right."
+
+The fish did not give up, but held the raft bravely on its course, till
+at last the water in the river shifted again and floated them the way
+they wanted to go. But now the captive fish found its strength failing.
+Seeking a refuge, it began to drag the raft toward the shore. As they
+did not wish to land in this place the boy cut the rope with his
+pocket-knife and set the fish free, just in time to prevent the raft
+from grounding.
+
+The next time the river backed up the Scarecrow managed to seize the
+branch of a tree that overhung the water and they all assisted him to
+hold fast and prevent the raft from being carried backward. While they
+waited here, Ojo spied a long broken branch lying upon the bank, so he
+leaped ashore and got it. When he had stripped off the side shoots he
+believed he could use the branch as a pole, to guide the raft in case
+of emergency.
+
+They clung to the tree until they found the water flowing the right
+way, when they let go and permitted the raft to resume its voyage. In
+spite of these pauses they were really making good progress toward the
+Winkie Country and having found a way to conquer the adverse current
+their spirits rose considerably. They could see little of the country
+through which they were passing, because of the high banks, and they
+met with no boats or other craft upon the surface of the river.
+
+Once more the trick river reversed its current, but this time the
+Scarecrow was on guard and used the pole to push the raft toward a big
+rock which lay in the water. He believed the rock would prevent their
+floating backward with the current, and so it did. They clung to this
+anchorage until the water resumed its proper direction, when they
+allowed the raft to drift on.
+
+Floating around a bend they saw ahead a high bank of water, extending
+across the entire river, and toward this they were being irresistibly
+carried. There being no way to arrest the progress of the raft they
+clung fast to the logs and let the river sweep them on. Swiftly the
+raft climbed the bank of water and slid down on the other side,
+plunging its edge deep into the water and drenching them all with spray.
+
+As again the raft righted and drifted on, Dorothy and Ojo laughed at
+the ducking they had received; but Scraps was much dismayed and the
+Scarecrow took out his handkerchief and wiped the water off the
+Patchwork Girl's patches as well as he was able to. The sun soon dried
+her and the colors of her patches proved good, for they did not run
+together nor did they fade.
+
+After passing the wall of water the current did not change or flow
+backward any more but continued to sweep them steadily forward. The
+banks of the river grew lower, too, permitting them to see more of the
+country, and presently they discovered yellow buttercups and dandelions
+growing amongst the grass, from which evidence they knew they had
+reached the Winkie Country.
+
+"Don't you think we ought to land?" Dorothy asked the Scarecrow.
+
+"Pretty soon," he replied. "The Tin Woodman's castle is in the southern
+part of the Winkie Country, and so it can't be a great way from here."
+
+Fearing they might drift too far, Dorothy and Ojo now stood up and
+raised the Scarecrow in their arms, as high as they could, thus
+allowing him a good view of the country. For a time he saw nothing he
+recognized, but finally he cried:
+
+"There it is! There it is!"
+
+"What?" asked Dorothy.
+
+"The Tin Woodman's tin castle. I can see its turrets glittering in the
+sun. It's quite a way off, but we'd better land as quickly as we can."
+
+They let him down and began to urge the raft toward the shore by means
+of the pole. It obeyed very well, for the current was more sluggish
+now, and soon they had reached the bank and landed safely.
+
+The Winkie Country was really beautiful, and across the fields they
+could see afar the silvery sheen of the tin castle. With light hearts
+they hurried toward it, being fully rested by their long ride on the
+river.
+
+By and by they began to cross an immense field of splendid yellow
+lilies, the delicate fragrance of which was very delightful.
+
+"How beautiful they are!" cried Dorothy, stopping to admire the
+perfection of these exquisite flowers.
+
+"Yes," said the Scarecrow, reflectively, "but we must be careful not to
+crush or injure any of these lilies."
+
+"Why not?" asked Ojo.
+
+"The Tin Woodman is very kind-hearted," was the reply, "and he hates to
+see any living thing hurt in any way."
+
+"Are flowers alive?" asked Scraps.
+
+"Yes, of course. And these flowers belong to the Tin Woodman. So, in
+order not to offend him, we must not tread on a single blossom."
+
+"Once," said Dorothy, "the Tin Woodman stepped on a beetle and killed
+the little creature. That made him very unhappy and he cried until his
+tears rusted his joints, so he couldn't move 'em."
+
+"What did he do then?" asked Ojo.
+
+"Put oil on them, until the joints worked smooth again."
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed the boy, as if a great discovery had flashed across his
+mind. But he did not tell anybody what the discovery was and kept the
+idea to himself.
+
+It was a long walk, but a pleasant one, and they did not mind it a bit.
+Late in the afternoon they drew near to the wonderful tin castle of the
+Emperor of the Winkies, and Ojo and Scraps, who had never seen it
+before, were filled with amazement.
+
+Tin abounded in the Winkie Country and the Winkies were said to be the
+most skillful tinsmiths in all the world. So the Tin Woodman had
+employed them in building his magnificent castle, which was all of tin,
+from the ground to the tallest turret, and so brightly polished that it
+glittered in the sun's rays more gorgeously than silver. Around the
+grounds of the castle ran a tin wall, with tin gates; but the gates
+stood wide open because the Emperor had no enemies to disturb him.
+
+When they entered the spacious grounds our travelers found more to
+admire. Tin fountains sent sprays of clear water far into the air and
+there were many beds of tin flowers, all as perfectly formed as any
+natural flowers might be. There were tin trees, too, and here and there
+shady bowers of tin, with tin benches and chairs to sit upon. Also, on
+the sides of the pathway leading up to the front door of the castle,
+were rows of tin statuary, very cleverly executed. Among these Ojo
+recognized statues of Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Wizard, the
+Shaggy Man, Jack Pumpkinhead and Ozma, all standing upon neat pedestals
+of tin.
+
+Toto was well acquainted with the residence of the Tin Woodman and,
+being assured a joyful welcome, he ran ahead and barked so loudly at
+the front door that the Tin Woodman heard him and came out in person to
+see if it were really his old friend Toto. Next moment the tin man had
+clasped the Scarecrow in a warm embrace and then turned to hug Dorothy.
+But now his eye was arrested by the strange sight of the Patchwork
+Girl, and he gazed upon her in mingled wonder and admiration.
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Seven
+
+The Tin Woodman Objects
+
+
+The Tin Woodman was one of the most important personages in all Oz.
+Though Emperor of the Winkies, he owed allegiance to Ozma, who ruled
+all the land, and the girl and the tin man were warm personal friends.
+He was something of a dandy and kept his tin body brilliantly polished
+and his tin joints well oiled. Also he was very courteous in manner and
+so kind and gentle that everyone loved him. The Emperor greeted Ojo and
+Scraps with cordial hospitality and ushered the entire party into his
+handsome tin parlor, where all the furniture and pictures were made of
+tin. The walls were paneled with tin and from the tin ceiling hung tin
+chandeliers.
+
+The Tin Woodman wanted to know, first of all, where Dorothy had found
+the Patchwork Girl, so between them the visitors told the story of how
+Scraps was made, as well as the accident to Margolotte and Unc Nunkie
+and how Ojo had set out upon a journey to procure the things needed for
+the Crooked Magician's magic charm. Then Dorothy told of their
+adventures in the Quadling Country and how at last they succeeded in
+getting the water from a dark well.
+
+While the little girl was relating these adventures the Tin Woodman sat
+in an easy chair listening with intense interest, while the others sat
+grouped around him. Ojo, however, had kept his eyes fixed upon the body
+of the tin Emperor, and now he noticed that under the joint of his left
+knee a tiny drop of oil was forming. He watched this drop of oil with a
+fast-beating heart, and feeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial
+of crystal, which he held secreted in his hand.
+
+Presently the Tin Woodman changed his position, and at once Ojo, to the
+astonishment of all, dropped to the floor and held his crystal vial
+under the Emperor's knee joint. Just then the drop of oil fell, and the
+boy caught it in his bottle and immediately corked it tight. Then, with
+a red face and embarrassed manner, he rose to confront the others.
+
+"What in the world were you doing?" asked the Tin Woodman.
+
+"I caught a drop of oil that fell from your knee-joint," confessed Ojo.
+
+"A drop of oil!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman. "Dear me, how careless my
+valet must have been in oiling me this morning. I'm afraid I shall have
+to scold the fellow, for I can't be dropping oil wherever I go."
+
+"Never mind," said Dorothy. "Ojo seems glad to have the oil, for some
+reason."
+
+"Yes," declared the Munchkin boy, "I am glad. For one of the things the
+Crooked Magician sent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man's
+body. I had no idea, at first, that there was such a thing; but it's
+now safe in the little crystal vial."
+
+"You are very welcome to it, indeed," said the Tin Woodman. "Have you
+now secured all the things you were in search of?"
+
+"Not quite all," answered Ojo. "There were five things I had to get,
+and I have found four of them. I have the three hairs in the tip of a
+Woozy's tail, a six-leaved clover, a gill of water from a dark well and
+a drop of oil from a live man's body. The last thing is the easiest of
+all to get, and I'm sure that my dear Unc Nunkie--and good Margolotte,
+as well--will soon be restored to life."
+
+The Munchkin boy said this with much pride and pleasure.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman; "I congratulate you. But what is the
+fifth and last thing you need, in order to complete the magic charm?"
+
+"The left wing of a yellow butterfly," said Ojo. "In this yellow
+country, and with your kind assistance, that ought to be very easy to
+find."
+
+The Tin Woodman stared at him in amazement.
+
+"Surely you are joking!" he said.
+
+"No," replied Ojo, much surprised; "I am in earnest."
+
+"But do you think for a moment that I would permit you, or anyone else,
+to pull the left wing from a yellow butterfly?" demanded the Tin
+Woodman sternly.
+
+"Why not, sir?"
+
+"Why not? You ask me why not? It would be cruel--one of the most cruel
+and heartless deeds I ever heard of," asserted the Tin Woodman. "The
+butterflies are among the prettiest of all created things, and they are
+very sensitive to pain. To tear a wing from one would cause it
+exquisite torture and it would soon die in great agony. I would not
+permit such a wicked deed under any circumstances!"
+
+Ojo was astounded at hearing this. Dorothy, too, looked grave and
+disconcerted, but she knew in her heart that the Tin Woodman was right.
+The Scarecrow nodded his head in approval of his friend's speech, so it
+was evident that he agreed with the Emperor's decision. Scraps looked
+from one to another in perplexity.
+
+"Who cares for a butterfly?" she asked.
+
+"Don't you?" inquired the Tin Woodman.
+
+"Not the snap of a finger, for I have no heart," said the Patchwork
+Girl. "But I want to help Ojo, who is my friend, to rescue the uncle
+whom he loves, and I'd kill a dozen useless butterflies to enable him
+to do that."
+
+The Tin Woodman sighed regretfully.
+
+"You have kind instincts," he said, "and with a heart you would indeed
+be a fine creature. I cannot blame you for your heartless remark, as
+you cannot understand the feelings of those who possess hearts. I, for
+instance, have a very neat and responsive heart which the wonderful
+Wizard of Oz once gave me, and so I shall never--never--never permit a
+poor yellow butterfly to be tortured by anyone."
+
+"The yellow country of the Winkies," said Ojo sadly, "is the only place
+in Oz where a yellow butterfly can be found."
+
+"I'm glad of that," said the Tin Woodman. "As I rule the Winkie
+Country, I can protect my butterflies."
+
+"Unless I get the wing--just one left wing--" said Ojo miserably, "I
+can't save Unc Nunkie."
+
+"Then he must remain a marble statue forever," declared the Tin
+Emperor, firmly.
+
+Ojo wiped his eyes, for he could not hold back the tears.
+
+"I'll tell you what to do," said Scraps. "We'll take a whole yellow
+butterfly, alive and well, to the Crooked Magician, and let him pull
+the left wing off."
+
+"No, you won't," said the Tin Woodman. "You can't have one of my dear
+little butterflies to treat in that way."
+
+"Then what in the world shall we do?" asked Dorothy.
+
+They all became silent and thoughtful. No one spoke for a long time.
+Then the Tin Woodman suddenly roused himself and said:
+
+"We must all go back to the Emerald City and ask Ozma's advice. She's a
+wise little girl, our Ruler, and she may find a way to help Ojo save
+his Unc Nunkie."
+
+So the following morning the party started on the journey to the
+Emerald City, which they reached in due time without any important
+adventure. It was a sad journey for Ojo, for without the wing of the
+yellow butterfly he saw no way to save Unc Nunkie--unless he waited six
+years for the Crooked Magician to make a new lot of the Powder of Life.
+The boy was utterly discouraged, and as he walked along he groaned
+aloud.
+
+"Is anything hurting you?" inquired the Tin Woodman in a kindly tone,
+for the Emperor was with the party.
+
+"I'm Ojo the Unlucky," replied the boy. "I might have known I would
+fail in anything I tried to do."
+
+"Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?" asked the tin man.
+
+"Because I was born on a Friday."
+
+"Friday is not unlucky," declared the Emperor. "It's just one of seven
+days. Do you suppose all the world becomes unlucky one-seventh of the
+time?"
+
+"It was the thirteenth day of the month," said Ojo.
+
+"Thirteen! Ah, that is indeed a lucky number," replied the Tin Woodman.
+"All my good luck seems to happen on the thirteenth. I suppose most
+people never notice the good luck that comes to them with the number
+13, and yet if the least bit of bad luck falls on that day, they blame
+it to the number, and not to the proper cause."
+
+"Thirteen's my lucky number, too," remarked the Scarecrow.
+
+"And mine," said Scraps. "I've just thirteen patches on my head."
+
+"But," continued Ojo, "I'm left-handed."
+
+"Many of our greatest men are that way," asserted the Emperor. "To be
+left-handed is usually to be two-handed; the right-handed people are
+usually one-handed."
+
+"And I've a wart under my right arm," said Ojo.
+
+"How lucky!" cried the Tin Woodman. "If it were on the end of your nose
+it might be unlucky, but under your arm it is luckily out of the way."
+
+"For all those reasons," said the Munchkin boy, "I have been called Ojo
+the Unlucky."
+
+"Then we must turn over a new leaf and call you henceforth Ojo the
+Lucky," declared the tin man. "Every reason you have given is absurd.
+But I have noticed that those who continually dread ill luck and fear
+it will overtake them, have no time to take advantage of any good
+fortune that comes their way. Make up your mind to be Ojo the Lucky."
+
+"How can I?" asked the boy, "when all my attempts to save my dear uncle
+have failed?"
+
+"Never give up, Ojo," advised Dorothy. "No one ever knows what's going
+to happen next."
+
+Ojo did not reply, but he was so dejected that even their arrival at
+the Emerald City failed to interest him.
+
+The people joyfully cheered the appearance of the Tin Woodman, the
+Scarecrow and Dorothy, who were all three general favorites, and on
+entering the royal palace word came to them from Ozma that she would at
+once grant them an audience.
+
+Dorothy told the girl Ruler how successful they had been in their quest
+until they came to the item of the yellow butterfly, which the Tin
+Woodman positively refused to sacrifice to the magic potion.
+
+"He is quite right," said Ozma, who did not seem a bit surprised. "Had
+Ojo told me that one of the things he sought was the wing of a yellow
+butterfly I would have informed him, before he started out, that he
+could never secure it. Then you would have been saved the troubles and
+annoyances of your long journey."
+
+"I didn't mind the journey at all," said Dorothy; "it was fun."
+
+"As it has turned out," remarked Ojo, "I can never get the things the
+Crooked Magician sent me for; and so, unless I wait the six years for
+him to make the Powder of Life, Unc Nunkie cannot be saved."
+
+Ozma smiled.
+
+"Dr. Pipt will make no more Powder of Life, I promise you," said she.
+"I have sent for him and had him brought to this palace, where he now
+is, and his four kettles have been destroyed and his book of recipes
+burned up. I have also had brought here the marble statues of your
+uncle and of Margolotte, which are standing in the next room."
+
+They were all greatly astonished at this announcement.
+
+"Oh, let me see Unc Nunkie! Let me see him at once, please!" cried Ojo
+eagerly.
+
+"Wait a moment," replied Ozma, "for I have something more to say.
+Nothing that happens in the Land of Oz escapes the notice of our wise
+Sorceress, Glinda the Good. She knew all about the magic-making of Dr.
+Pipt, and how he had brought the Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girl to
+life, and the accident to Unc Nunkie and Margolotte, and of Ojo's quest
+and his journey with Dorothy. Glinda also knew that Ojo would fail to
+find all the things he sought, so she sent for our Wizard and
+instructed him what to do. Something is going to happen in this palace,
+presently, and that 'something' will, I am sure, please you all. And
+now," continued the girl Ruler, rising from her chair, "you may follow
+me into the next room."
+
+
+
+
+Chapter Twenty-Eight
+
+The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
+
+
+When Ojo entered the room he ran quickly to the statue of Unc Nunkie
+and kissed the marble face affectionately.
+
+"I did my best, Unc," he said, with a sob, "but it was no use!"
+
+Then he drew back and looked around the room, and the sight of the
+assembled company quite amazed him.
+
+Aside from the marble statues of Unc Nunkie and Margolotte, the Glass
+Cat was there, curled up on a rug; and the Woozy was there, sitting on
+its square hind legs and looking on the scene with solemn interest; and
+there was the Shaggy Man, in a suit of shaggy pea-green satin, and at a
+table sat the little Wizard, looking quite important and as if he knew
+much more than he cared to tell.
+
+Last of all, Dr. Pipt was there, and the Crooked Magician sat humped up
+in a chair, seeming very dejected but keeping his eyes fixed on the
+lifeless form of his wife Margolotte, whom he fondly loved but whom he
+now feared was lost to him forever.
+
+Ozma took a chair which Jellia Jamb wheeled forward for the Ruler, and
+back of her stood the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and Dorothy, as well
+as the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger. The Wizard now arose and
+made a low bow to Ozma and another less deferent bow to the assembled
+company.
+
+"Ladies and gentlemen and beasts," he said, "I beg to announce that our
+Gracious Ruler has permitted me to obey the commands of the great
+Sorceress, Glinda the Good, whose humble Assistant I am proud to be. We
+have discovered that the Crooked Magician has been indulging in his
+magical arts contrary to Law, and therefore, by Royal Edict, I hereby
+deprive him of all power to work magic in the future. He is no longer a
+crooked magician, but a simple Munchkin; he is no longer even crooked,
+but a man like other men."
+
+As he pronounced these words the Wizard waved his hand toward Dr. Pipt
+and instantly every crooked limb straightened out and became perfect.
+The former magician, with a cry of joy, sprang to his feet, looked at
+himself in wonder, and then fell back in his chair and watched the
+Wizard with fascinated interest.
+
+"The Glass Cat, which Dr. Pipt lawlessly made," continued the Wizard,
+"is a pretty cat, but its pink brains made it so conceited that it was
+a disagreeable companion to everyone. So the other day I took away the
+pink brains and replaced them with transparent ones, and now the Glass
+Cat is so modest and well behaved that Ozma has decided to keep her in
+the palace as a pet."
+
+"I thank you," said the cat, in a soft voice.
+
+"The Woozy has proved himself a good Woozy and a faithful friend," the
+Wizard went on, "so we will send him to the Royal Menagerie, where he
+will have good care and plenty to eat all his life."
+
+"Much obliged," said the Woozy. "That beats being fenced up in a lonely
+forest and starved."
+
+"As for the Patchwork Girl," resumed the Wizard, "she is so remarkable
+in appearance, and so clever and good tempered, that our Gracious Ruler
+intends to preserve her carefully, as one of the curiosities of the
+curious Land of Oz. Scraps may live in the palace, or wherever she
+pleases, and be nobody's servant but her own."
+
+"That's all right," said Scraps.
+
+"We have all been interested in Ojo," the little Wizard continued,
+"because his love for his unfortunate uncle has led him bravely to face
+all sorts of dangers, in order that he might rescue him. The Munchkin
+boy has a loyal and generous heart and has done his best to restore Unc
+Nunkie to life. He has failed, but there are others more powerful than
+the Crooked Magician, and there are more ways than Dr. Pipt knew of to
+destroy the charm of the Liquid of Petrifaction. Glinda the Good has
+told me of one way, and you shall now learn how great is the knowledge
+and power of our peerless Sorceress."
+
+As he said this the Wizard advanced to the statue of Margolote and made
+a magic pass, at the same time muttering a magic word that none could
+hear distinctly. At once the woman moved, turned her head wonderingly
+this way and that, to note all who stood before her, and seeing Dr.
+Pipt, ran forward and threw herself into her husband's outstretched
+arms.
+
+Then the Wizard made the magic pass and spoke the magic word before the
+statue of Unc Nunkie. The old Munchkin immediately came to life and
+with a low bow to the Wizard said: "Thanks."
+
+But now Ojo rushed up and threw his arms joyfully about his uncle, and
+the old man hugged his little nephew tenderly and stroked his hair and
+wiped away the boy's tears with a handkerchief, for Ojo was crying from
+pure happiness.
+
+Ozma came forward to congratulate them.
+
+"I have given to you, my dear Ojo and Unc Nunkie, a nice house just
+outside the walls of the Emerald City," she said, "and there you shall
+make your future home and be under my protection."
+
+"Didn't I say you were Ojo the Lucky?" asked the Tin Woodman, as
+everyone crowded around to shake Ojo's hand.
+
+"Yes; and it is true!" replied Ojo, gratefully.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Patchwork Girl of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ ***
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